Thematically, these two songs are quite similar. The ideas of releasing unhappiness and pain by dancing or clubbing is not a new or unique idea, and songs like this surface every few years. Though with the melancholy-yet-uplifting feel of stadium/progressive house, the ideas fit so perfectly that I was kind of expecting songs like this. The John de Sohn track has been big on dance radio for quite a few months and is set for a full release on Sony momentarily. The track is hauntingly pretty, and Kristin’s powerful yet restrained voice emotes in ways that you don’t expect on a dance record. Benny Benassi shows another point in his career evolution – from “Satisfaction” to “Cinema” to this gorgeous and well-written song which is as much about the production as the vocal. This isn’t John Legend’s first time on a dance record, he sang on MSTRKRFT’s “Heartbreaker,” which featured one of Laidback Luke’s best remixes off all time, and emotion in his voice on “Dance the Pain Away” exceeds even that “heartbreaking” performance. Watch for both of these songs to be massive in clubs and dance radio, with hopes that one of them will make it all the way to crossover – even if just so we can prove to the the rest of the world that there is more to clubbing than popping bottles, chasing Molly, and picking up hoes.
Images Courtesy of Sony and DJ Ron.