Grammy-winning Dirty Dutch producer/DJ Afrojack has proven himself to be one of the few craftsmen that can create pop hits (“Give Me Everything,” “Take Over Control,” “So High”) as well as big room/underground club jams (“Polkadots,” “Rock the House,” “Prutataaa”). “As Your Friend” partners him with R&B/pop star/noted humanitarian Chris Brown for a club-and-radio friendly blend of electro, stadium, and house with emotional chords supporting the chorus made of the repeated title.? Not a stranger to repeating titles for choruses (“Don’t Wake Me Up”) nor collaborating with dance producers (Benny Benassi, David Guetta), Brown delivers a soulful performance which adds depth to the almost frantic production. Being the trainspotter that I am, the song kept reminding me of another R&B/pop hit which took me forever to place.? It wasn’t until I was driving and heard Jay Sean’s “Down” that it hit me – though the similarity doesn’t come as a shock as both songs share the co-writer Jared Cotter.??? As the first taste of his long-awaited forthcoming debut artist album, “As Your Friend” seems to set up the project as an R&B/pop/electro hybrid a la David Guetta, though knowing Afrojack’s eccentric style we can definitely expect some surprises in the final lineup.
Check out our Afrojack interview.
Courtesy of Wall/MCA