Label: Island Records
Release Date: 27th August 2020
Rating: 8/10
"It is one of the more laidback tunes on the album, boasting chilled out R&B vibes which simultaneously maintains their staple sound and throws you back to the late 90s."
The sounds produced by Disclosure are unmatched, and their new single, 'Birthday', is no exception. The brothers paired up with Kehlani and Syd from The Internet to create the ultimate collab. With the release of their new album, Energy, 'Birthday' can now be compared to the rest of their recent works. It is one of the more laidback tunes on the album, boasting chilled out R&B vibes which simultaneously maintains their staple sound and throws you back to the late 90s. Other tracks on the album have the iconic dance sound which we all love, but the key to a successful album is versatility and 'Birthday' definitely shows they can do just that.
The electronic duo have shared their inspiration behind the track. Howard explains that “Syd and I were going through a similar thing at the time, trying to work out if it was cool to call your ex to say hi or is it too awkward / mean to do so out of the blue?”. The lyrics “Can I call you on your birthday?/ Just to make sure that you’re OK?/ Would you prefer it if I go ghost and let you go your own way?” really reinforces this message, and I feel as though a lot of people who are dating in the modern world will resonate with the awkwardness of commutation after breakups.
They go on to say that it is the oldest song which appears on Energy, and “has definitely stood the test of time and deservedly made the cut,”, “And the addition of Kehlani just took it to the next level and turned into a fire duet.” They’re definitely not wrong there, as the combination of their vocals creates such a stunning sound to go along with the background which is a perfect concoction of R&B and soft techno. When festivals and gigs are allowed to go ahead again, I can definitely picture the scenes of everyone vibing to this at the end of the night after hours of manic dance tunes.
Words by Courtney McLaven.
28th August 2020.
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