That EDM beats have enabled pop songs to gain more chart and radio traction is undeniable.
That melody remains essential to a song’s success is irrefutable.
With breakthrough hit “Alive,” workhorse EDM trio Krewella proves the importance of that duality. The single, which received ample radio and club play en route to a gold certification, fuses a gorgeous, piano-backed vocal melody with a pull-no-punches dance beat and thus lends itself to a multitude of ears in diverse listening situations.
Already tailormade for crossover appeal, the song’s reach and shelf life were further extended by an endless assortment of remixes and covers that exposed its catchy hook and relatable lyrics to a seemingly-endless array of music fans.
Its run as a mainstream and Top 40 smash appears to be slowing, but the emergence of beach season assures it will not completely fade away. Its beat screams “shore song,” and with a melody that even the most straight-ahead pop fan is now sure to recognize and embrace, clubs would be insane to question its value as a summertime staple.
And yet, confident that “Alive” plays a more significant role than backdrop for dance floor makeout attempts, Krewella recently released a stripped down, “acoustic” version that emphasizes the song’s powerful vocal element.
Supported by an acoustic guitar line from the act’s producer Kris “Rain Man” Trindl, singer-songwriters Jahan and Yasmine Yousaf gloriously and powerfully harmonize through the song’s recognizable vocal hook. They might not as smoothly navigate the track’s range as they do on the official single, but they certainly demonstrate compelling vocal depth in poignantly telling their lyrical story.
The performance (below) has attracted hundreds of thousands of views and rave reviews from across the Internet–from casual Krewella fans, to EDM diehards, to mainstream gossip publications–and solidifies the trio as an act music fans have to know.
It has, however, also sparked debate about the true meaning of an acoustic, naked performance.
While certainly stripped in comparison to the radio and club edits, it still seems to be a produced track with apparent–and, at times, significant–editing on the vocals (and even some rhythmic elements). It might have been recorded as an acoustic performance, but by no means is this a raw, unedited look at how the members of Krewella sound as they are privately laying down a track.
Krewella, however, is far from the only act to present an acoustic track in this manner, and the volume of “likes” to “dislikes” on YouTube still suggests an overwhelmingly positive reaction.
What is your take? Does the production on this stripped track impact the group’s musical credibility? Does it hamper enjoyment? Watch and comment below.
