I'm the first one to tell you that lyrics are important to a song. It doesn't matter if a lyric is repeated constantly or if it's used as a catch phrase. It still makes the song (hence LMFAO “Sexy and I Know It”).
I don't even mind that lyrics could get cut up (like in Sigala’s “Easy Love”), but just be adviced not to do it with mine ;-), or that the vocals get pitched (like in Tove Love’s “Habits” remix). Lyrics are still a huge factor that makes a song come together (or not). But the collaboration between the Dutch dance giants Martin Garrix and Tiësto, earlier this year, have got vocals on their track that are not intended to be heard.
The words are extremely pitched (high and low) with the tempo changes kept in place, so you don’t hear what’s being sung at all. Instead, on this track, the vocals are used as an additional instrument preceding the sound Justin Bieber transited from the clubs to the radio with his latest songs. The pitched vocals make the songs’ hook and I love the idea, even though I'm usually not into instrumental dance tracks, unless I’m dancing on the dance floor.
We, in the Netherlands, always get to hear about how famous our DJs, including Martin Garrix and Tiësto, are outside of our borders. The guys share photos of all their gigs abroad and the huge crowds they play to.
Still, once I’m abroad I rarely get a hint of recognition when I mention their names, so I never really know how it’s perceived elsewhere.
Dutch DJs appear to be a tight knit club and collaborations such as these happen often. However, this is the first time Tiësto and Martin Garrix have released a collaborative track and they performed it live only once, in Miami’s Ultra Festival in 2015.
At first, it may be tempting to expect the early house hit “The Only Way Is Up” by UK singer Yazz, but that’s definitely not the case. I can’t even trace it in the pitched vocals on the song, so it’s really an original mix.
The song has not had any major chart success, but as usual most of these songs do better online. The video has been viewed over 44 million times, at the time of writing this.
