Hayden James – “Just A Lover” (Stereogum Premiere)

Hayden James – “Just A Lover” (Stereogum Premiere)

Aussie singer, songwriter, and producer Hayden James makes dance pop jams that are hard to resist moving to. Last year’s “Something About You” swept across many a club last year and was a festival favorite in many a DJ set. James looks to build on that momentum with another infectious jam, “Just A Lover.” The song bends the mechanistic nature of dance music a bit for a rare malleability. Warped, whomping synth bass churns around intricate percussion for an updated ’80s-leaning aesthetic. James’ androgynous voice interjects with a catchy melody on the simple repeated refrain “In my heart, you were just a lover/ I can’t bare for you to leave.” All of the elements come together to make one hell of festival dance romp. It will be hard to choose if you want to dwell in your feelings, go old school with a little vogue action, or just sing along to the lyrics, but you’ll be doing something. Check it out.

“Just A Lover” is out now on Future Classic.

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