Tourist is going all out in the buildup to his live tour (and presumable debut album.) A few weeks ago, he dropped "Wait," a melancholy slow-builder that showed off his electronic wizardry. Then, he dropped the video for "Wait", which exhibited the tour's impressive stagecraft. Now, he's released a new single with Years & Years, a London pop act set to explode (a la Clean Bandit and Sam Smith) which is riding high on the success of their fiery single, "Desire."
The song begins in typical Tourist fashion, with gloomy drums and bass. After a few seconds, however, bright synth riffs and Years & Years singer Olly Alexander's vocals take over, making it more poppy and upbeat than Tourist's earlier efforts. Alexander showcases his singing chops, first whispering, then belting out in his Justin Timberlake-esque falsetto. Tourist ditches the electronic build he uses on "I Can't Keep Up," "Patterns" and "Wait," instead opting for a more traditional pop song structure, where each verse builds into the next chorus. The result is an infectious single that keep both artists on their rising star trajectories.
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Tourist
Illuminate ft. Years & Years
- Polydor
- 2014-11-16
