The Third single of "Groove In Downtown" and their self titled album is actually an A-side single which brings the two tracks featuring Liyah, the hip hop singer worked with the duo in the pop track 'Dope' and the underground electronic music 'Free Spirit', both tracks are going to be released, but in different markets, the first one 'Dope' was sent to radio stations and streaming meanwhile 'Free Spirit' will be available digitally and streaming but also it will be promoted by a variety of DJs who are remixing the track and playing it on their sets.
There is a short film to promote the track, this short film features three songs, the last single with Kidd Amaze and the other two tracks released in this A-side single. The film will premiere next Sunday on MTV Hits. 'Groove In Downtown is currently touring the world.
Song: Dope
Writer(s): Drake Anton Zaslavsky, Nate Alexander, Liyah, Lilly Stuart, ElectroLightz
Producer(s): Groove in Downtown, ElectroLightz
Genre: Electronic, electropop
Length: 3:31
Vocals: Liyah
Production and Songwriting‘Dope’ is an up-tempo electronic and electropop song. It is accompanied by a New Wave-inspired beat and incorporates dance synthesizers and a bass line, it is reminiscent of music from the 1980s. Liyah’s vocals were extremely well produced and are no doubt the highlight of this track adding so much personality and irony to the acid lines. The verses of the track are performed in two forms, most of the part Lyiah speaks the lines as if she was thinking loud but as the pre-choruses and choruses of the track arrive, she let her R&B vocals shine over the new wave beats of the track.
This track is the most mainstream of the entire album, don’t mind if it will be choose to become a single. The synth beats and bass line altogether with the drums are fun, groove, and witty, there’s additional backing vocals performed by Nate Alexander but Liyah is the main vocalist of the track. This is also the first time we hear a track that Liyah sung produced by Drake, after the reports of them working together last year.
The lyrics might take some media coverage due to its controversy. It’s another character driven track. The subject of music is on his/her day off work at home, suspecting smoking weed, so this character is basically singing about typically lazy day with marijuana until someone calls the police and the chorus of the track comes to be the conversation this character is having with the officers in an attempt to not get arrested. Despite the track might sound fun and silly, it has a deeper meaning of a social criticism which might be respect other people by not disturbing the public order. Acid rhymes remember the lyrics Lilly Stuart used to do with ElectroDeath, but Liyah, Drake and Nate took part on the writing as well and even the producers trio ElectroLightz which clearly leave their mark in the production of the track, just take a listen to the synth beats of the track and you’ll perceive their signature electropop influence. Even though the controversy the lyrics of this track might cause in the more conservative people, the incredibly catchy chorus will infect you making you sing it along for quite a long time.
Lyrics(Dope)
I’ll sing ‘bout loitering
‘cause I feel like doin’ nothin’
If I put my hands inside my pants
Just cause I’m horny singin’ this verse
I’m just kiddin’, but what’s the matter
If I want to lay down all day and sleep
‘Cause ain’t nothin’ better
Than thinkin’ ‘bout nothin’, hidin’ in my shelter
But I hear screams outside, oh now the cops arrived
Sir, this smoke don’t come out of my mouth
(eyes drops, drops, to disguise the red eyes)
Sir, this small three belongs to my grandma
(eyes drops, drops, to disguise the red eyes)
Don’t think I have dope, just cause I’m stoned
I just got a free day from a temporary job I got yesterday
Sir, don’t arrest me, misunderstood me
‘cause I felt like spendin’ day and doin’ nothin’
(Dope)
Brought the hookah, this room’s fog
It leaves me in the best mood, no worries to disturb my laugh
Red eyes staring the window, my neighbor smelled the weed
Oh no that crappy bitch! She called the police
Sir, this smoke don’t come out of my mouth
(eyes drops, drops, to disguise the red eyes)
Sir, this small three belongs to my grandma
(eyes drops, drops, to disguise the red eyes)
Don’t think I have dope, just cause I’m stoned
I just got a free day from a temporary job I got yesterday
Sir, don’t arrest me, misunderstood me
‘cause I felt like spendin’ day and doin’ nothin’
(Dope)
Don’t think I have dope, just cause I’m stoned
I just got a free day from a temporary job I got yesterday
Sir, don’t arrest me, misunderstood me
‘cause I felt like spendin’ day and doin’ nothin’
Sounds Like
Song: Free Spirit
Writer(s): Drake Anton Zaslavsky, Nate Alexander, Lyiah, The Vibrator
Producer(s): Groove in Downtown, The Vibrator
Genre: Alternative Electronic Music, Techno House
Length: 6:20
Featuring Vocals: Liyah
Production and SongwritingPercussion, bass and harmonies introduces this track in a very soulful way. During this first half minute of the track the Techno influence of this song is already being incorporated on it with electronic elements and ambient sounds, soon as the drumming kicks in, Liyah performs the first verse of the track with R&B vocals. The track is building up its own full shape as Lyiah sings the lines other elements are added to the main structure of the track till it progressively builds to a techno turn while Liyah’s vocals are used with other harmonies and effects until it breaks into a Techno House beat with drumming, bass and synths.
One minute and a half into the track and it already transformed into a dance alternative club hit. Drake and The Vibrator used freestyle turntable synth beats and other distortions and elements to make the sound fluid and fresh, even though there’s a remarkable drum and bass base on the background of the track setting the tempo for it. That’s when the alternative electronic music influence appears, in this switching of elements and effects used above the techno house base, what is actually even better is the fact that the soulful tone of the first verse of this track is still within this complex mixture of beats.
After two minutes and a half slowly the song resumes to its introduction melodies, for that the DJs kept the drumming but started to resume the other elements into ambient sounds, vocals harmonies and effects such as echoes and synthesizers, a little further Nate Alexander keeping the same soulful tone to his voice sings the second verse of the track. His singing ends in a half turn moment of the track where it seemed that another breakdown would come, but in fact the DJs decided to literally resume the track to a atmospheric and sensorial breakdown before they release the tech house beats. This sensorial moment is composed of ambient sounds and another verse performed by Lyiah, this being the very last singing part of the track. Right after this break come the techno house beats, just like before. For the rest of the track its drum, bass and freestyle DJ until the track fades.
Lyrically it is the only ‘love’ themed song of the entire album. It is clearly talking about the end of a relationship and the person noticing someone that it cannot be trapped into any form of censorship or behavior because of its ‘free spirit’. It also reveals that this character suffered a betrayal and hurting this person encourages itself to move on and to be far away from that abusive relationship. In the end its revealed that there’s a good chance for this person to love again, because it has not lost hope in love.
Finally reaching the end of the album, the dense and heavy beats for clubs seem to be the objective with this few three last tracks, obviously we already heard ‘can I exist’ and comparing it to this one, it’s clearly perceived the heavy bass that both has, Groove in Downtown will end this album groovier than anything.
LyricsIf you walk out that door, make sure it’s all over
‘Cause I'm not accepting you back, no more
The days of loneliness won’t last, no longer
You cannot redeem of your infamous sins
You cannot stop a spirits who’s free
I’m a free spirit, I’m a free spirit
I’m a free spirit…
Free, free, free
Far away as I may go you cannot reach me
There won’t be trails for you to follow me
This is the voice of my heart speaking through me
The years of repression were so long ago
I’m finally brave to face what’s unknown
I’m a free spirit, I’m a free spirit
I’m a free spirit…
I say what I want
With all the air in my lungs
I’m a free spirit…
I don’t care the atrocities of human attitudes
I know how people can be mean, and terribly cruel
I’ve been told this, ever since I was born
And scars of your harms made me strong like stone
While I kept in my heart pulsating blood
I didn’t give up on love…
But yet, I’m a free spirit…
Free, free, freeSounds Like
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