“Red Dress” is the brand new single and video from rising pop singer / songwriter John Niel. John Niel was one of the 10 participants from the Just Inspired Live Acoustic Sessions project hosted by Just Music in 2017 where his unmistakable talent and charisma captivated the audience. 2018 saw Niel marking his debut with the hugely popular single “Heart Of Mine” which found multiple adds across South African radio.
Following up his debut single with the equally popular “Trouble” John took the opportunity, and valuable exposure, to further woodshed his song writing, and finesse his craft into powerful compositions. The resulting hard work and focus is evident on John’s debut album “Long Time Coming”. Produced by two-time SAMA Nominee Matthew Fink, “Long Time Coming” is an album brimming with classic pop hooks, top shelf production, and immaculate songwriting.
John Niel comments on his career so far
“I started writing songs back in 2009 while I was still a teenager. I fell in love with the feeling I got while expressing my emotions through lyrics and melody. I quickly became attached to my guitar and soon it became the thing I used to escape. Rather than losing myself in drugs or alcohol, my highs came from pleasure I found in writing music. At the time, I didn’t realize that I’d taken my first few steps onto a road that will eventually consume my mind and soul, and that every future dream I had yet to dream, would be the effect of those first steps.”
“I fell in love with putting music to my lyrics and adding more and more sounds to the songs. It’s been an amazing experience writing songs for more than 10 years, and finally having my very first album feels like it’s all been worth it. It’s become impossible to not write music. It’s a part of me and always will be…”
John Niel explains “Red Dress”
“Once in a while you’ll meet someone who’s not from around here and you’d love for them to stay… Red Dress is about someone passing through town and ends up never leaving because they fell in love”.
From top to tail John Niel’s debut album “Long Time Coming” is at once perfect pop in the tradition of Lennon / McCartney and then beyond its years for an artist so young. Standouts such as the effervescent “The Good Ones”, future classics “Red Dress” and “I Won’t Remember”, the Motown deep “Around Town” and dub styled “Somewhere Chill” reflect a record that is both eclectic and familiar.
Niel is at his most compelling on “Used To Have It All” and “Hopelessly Devoted” (a cover of the Olivia Newton John smash) both, undoubtedly, the albums aces. “Long Time Coming” is a modern pop evergreen.
Check out the music video for “Red Dress” below:
You can download / stream “Red Dress” and the rest of his debut album HERE.
Watch this space for updates in the Music Videos category on SA Music Zone.
To stay in the loop with all things SA Music, Subscribe to our newsletter.
Looking for something to do? Check out our Upcoming Events section or the SA Gig Guide.
Want to explore the SA Music Scene? Check out our Artist/Band/Group Profiles section.
Want to discover fresh music? Follow our editor's 2025 playlist on Spotify.
