"Was it really not that deep?" Joonas sighs on his latest single, "Lying On My Back." Over the supersonic drumbeat and buzzing synth bass, the lyrical references to a cheating partner breeze by too fast to process. That's not a critique: it's by the London-based artist's clever design. He, too, opts not to linger on betrayal for longer than a blink. "You taste so good, / so I won't fight this feeling," he resolves on the anthemic chorus. "Lying On My Back" is a sweaty, dance-pop gem. It hints towards the genre's history of dancing through love problems, but rejects the typical journey similar songs chart. Instead, Joonas falls into the moments when desire and pleasure override complexity.
Through the entirety of its three-minute runtime, "Lying On My Back" never releases its foot off the gas. 80's-era synths and speedy drums instill a kinetic force within the song's roaring engine. Joonas races through confessional lyricism on the verses, as though attempting to cut straight to the moment when he's over it. "Did you drive in his car? Did you take it too far?" He asks, though seemingly not wanting to know the answer. But it's that combination of bitterness and desire that makes the single dizzyingly exciting. "So, I'm lying on my back, back, back." When leaning into the flame results in getting burned, Joonas concludes that it's best to lie back and let the warmth engulf him.
Based in London, Joonas has released music over the past three years under the guidance of his personal mantra: let love lead. The Norwegian-born artist first introduced listeners to his unique pop sound through 2022 single, "Psycho Ex-Boyfriend." That track appeared later that year on his debut EP, Bednight Stories. Joonas has maintained a consistent pace of releases, broadening the conceptual scope of his music without losing the accessibility of his pop sound. "Lying On My Back" is the London-based artist's first single of 2024, following last year's string of exceptional singles (such as the ear-worm "Swimming Pool").
Written By Andy M.
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