Music has a way of bringing people together as nothing else can, and in the video for their collaborative single “Just Believe,” tyDi & JES are exploring just how much of a linchpin good melodies can be in a relationship. Much as it’s implied in the video, if two people aren’t on the same groove, there isn’t going to be any fireworks, but that’s not something I think tyDi & JES were too worried about ahead of recording this club anthem. They’ve got each other’s number in this performance, and what they turn in is absolutely captivating and worthy of some real applause from critics.
First off, let’s get to the blood and guts of “Just Believe” – its insatiably aggressive groove. This beat is chasing after both the hook and the audience from the moment we press play to the second that JES’s lead vocal disappears behind the cloud of silence through which it came slashing just minutes earlier, but it never feels like the melodies are evading its sonic blows. On the contrary, everything here is timed out very well and arranged to create a vacuum effect towards the hook, which is something I don’t often encounter in vocal-heavy club jams like this one anymore.
JES keeps her vocal on the black and white side for the most part here, but her virtuosic tendencies are impossible to conceal when we get into the heart of the chorus. Even when she’s trying to carefully layer this harmony together, she’s got such a seductive tone that it’s hard to pay attention to any of the chaos transpiring around her (which is another reason why I want to hear some remixes of “Just Believe,” if for nothing else than to experience the versatility of her lead vocal in this song from every conceivable angle).
Assertive is the first word that comes to mind when breaking down what this track means for tyDi & JES relative to their collective place in the underground, and regardless of your feelings on EDM, I think it goes without saying that this is a must-hear collaboration for anyone who lives on the dancefloor. It’s got a solid beat and a credible pair of musicians giving it everything they’ve got (and maybe even a little extra), and whether it’s a one-off or not, it’s going to get a lot of momentum going behind both of these trendy players as the summer season quickly approaches.
