Shannon Davidson dazzles with new release “Song of the Swan"

Shannon Davidson’s new single “Song of the Swan” is a masterclass on how to tell a story through music in a theatrical way. Penned as the title song for the short film Òran na h-Eala, with Davidson assuming the role of Scottish ballet and film legend Moira Shearer, the track sets us down in a world that is part cabaret hall, part silver screen.

Starting with the first chords, “Song of the Swan” is one of those miniature set pieces, vintage jazz harmonies establishing a frame for a story as graceful as it is haunting. Davidson’s performance-driven voice is simultaneously intimate and commanding, embodying the nuance of a character study while wielding the emotional heft of a swan song. It’s a careful equilibrium here, but one struck with grace and sensitivity, a sound that sticks with you well after the song concludes.

What’s especially nifty about this production is that it is two things at once, part musical-theatre show, part film. The track floats the thematic concerns of legacy, artistry, and personal transformation with an elegance, all underlaid by a cabaret-inflected musical sensibility that feels classically timeless and bracingly immediate. Story song fans in particular will savor that every note and phrase serves the storytelling, so this isn’t simply a song, it’s a portrait, a projection, a performance preserved as sound.

“Song of the Swan," with its rich orchestration and theatrically charged yet incisive performance, cements Shannon Wexelberg as a jazz, stage, and screen artist. It’s the sort of song that is worth a repeated listen, one where you hear another hint or emotion every time. In short, Davidson has created a song that doesn’t merely tip its hat to an iconic artist, it lives in the world of the late Reeves and, by extension, reminds us of her own artistry as a singer, actress, and storyteller.

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