“BadBoyHeaven” is a ridiculous title and I mean that as the highest compliment. It’s Different has been doing this melodic, slightly emo-tinged electronic thing for years, and pairing up with Staarz here results in something genuinely catchy. The track rides a wave of bright synths and a vocal that’s equal parts heartbreak and swagger, a combination that shouldn’t work as well as it does. The drop is anthemic without being obnoxious, the kind of thing that would absolutely detonate at an outdoor festival as the sun goes down. There’s an earnestness to it that I find weirdly endearing in a scene that often hides behind irony. The production is clean and confident, every layer sitting exactly where it should. I went in expecting generic NCS fodder and came out humming the hook for the rest of the afternoon. It’s pop-leaning electronic music with no shame about wanting to be loved. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need. Heaven indeed.
January
Chrome Daydream
Chrome stars, jelly hearts and holographic colour. A nod to the glossy, optimistic graphics of the early web.