one vodka redbull & some lyrics please

‘respectfully, where are the vocals?’

too often, i’ll be out at an event or a festival and hear people saying they want the DJ to ‘play some vocals.’ me included at times - i love a lil singing break in between the kick-snare, no matter how much it’s been rinsed - yes ‘make me’ i’m referring to you.

there is something undeniably satisfying about it - unifying and euphoric, as the one singing, but also i can only imagine as the DJ watching thousands of people coming together in front of your eyes to sing it.

but this festival season, i can’t help but wonder whether we have started to rely on these moments and that feeling a lil too heavily. maybe to the point, it is taking away from other aspects of electronic music, which in my (unsolicitied) opinion, should be just as engaging if you are there for the music. eeek sorry to be that person.

why singing feels so good - spoiler alert: you’re not special -

because singing along isn’t just about preference - it’s science, right? when we sing, especially in union, our brains release dopamine and oxytocin, which both link to that innate need for bonding and connection with those around us.

similar to the same reason why singing ‘happy birthday’ can feel weirdly emotional, as well as hearing it being sung to you, or why so many religions do group prayer out loud. our brains love shared rhythms and melodies.

so of course, when you’re belting out the lyrics to love you seek in the club, it really does hit different - gives us a sense of community, creating a moment in time we kind of want to last forever. it paysoff for DJs and crowds alike. instantly.

let’s unpack this - 

so i am not saying anyone is wrong for wanting to hear vocals in the club or from festival stages. nor that they should be banned in any capacity. imagine the horror.

but it is definitely something ive tried to unpack recently, alongside the bigger question of - what is it that people actually want from music events now? from festivals and from raves? is it anything to do with the music, or is it more of a community thing? a dopamine hit? a viral moment?

pov: everyone is about to film this -

we can’t deny that being into festivals and events has become kind of trendy. while it is an experience for sure, it is also a content opportunity. something to post about, something to make a ‘pov:’ about on tiktok in the hope of going viral.

and those moments where hundreds of thousands of people are singing at the same time - bingo - viral moment. as lyrics are easy to latch onto and translate online as the moment.

i saw it with my own eyes, as Moodymann dropped ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ by Bon Jovi at A3, an electronic dance music festival. taking out all the audio, inviting the crowd to sing the lyrics at the top of their lungs, and oh trust me - that they did.

just go to a concert queen:

so it leads me into thinking about bands and live music. because hear me out - you can go to a gig, and see a band play vocal tracks for 2 hours, everyone sings in unison from start to finish, front to back of an album.

so is that what the vocal track lovers are really after - but is live music just not deemed trendy or cool anymore? idk.

because sometimes it feels like the demand for vocals, isn’t about electronic music at all - it’s about recreating the emotional release and dissociation to reality that live bands and singers have always provided. so why aren’t we all going to these types of events more?

some people would claim the live music scene is dying out, or being replaced but to be honest, i dont believe that - i think it is transforming, sure - and that’s due to the rise of social media and the good old pandemic - two massive catalysts in re-defining the DJ landscape we have found ourselves in.

with virality and hype being so accessible, making it almost easier for the younger generations to get on with.

so maybe the people who once would’ve fallen in love with live music - singing their hearts out together - are now finding themselves at DJ set after DJ set, chasing that vocal track and that unifying high.

wait for it -

so maybe, as partygoers, and as DJs too, we need to start holding a bit more space for the journey of sets - letting tension build, letting percussion and bass do the talking, letting the reward come later.

because when electronic music does that well, it taps into something deeper than instant recognition in my opinion. not every moment needs lyrics. not every set has to have a viral point.

and you can find your high, your euphoria and community at these events anyway. you just have to be in amongst it.

catch you soon,

dozie x