Kygo, Dean Lewis – Never Really Loved Me

• Dean Lewis with an unforgettable performance
• Kygo’s pianoforte vibrant as ever
• Great synergy, although an overused recipe

If I am being candid here, Kygo doesn’t really strike me as the most exciting artist to write about, at least in the domain of electronic music. He’s undoubtedly the pioneer that steered Tropical House to unreachable heights in the past decade and has basically achieved everything within his genre boundaries, which doesn’t boast experimentalism as much, owing to the commercial aspect of it. So, even if I consider the Norway-based producer a safe choice to play among friends who particularly might not be into EDM, recently his releases haven’t made garnered much hype from me.

Yet, it would be hasty to write off Kygo as a mainstream, radio-friendly personality altogether and take him for granted. He began his set at UMF 2022 with a roaring Future Rave Mashup (“Stole The Show” vs. “No More” by DubVision).

As summer has taken over the northern hemisphere, the usual Tropical House was destined to arrive featuring a notable pop songwriter, served on a golden platter. But, something happened here, since I am here writing about it in plenty of excitement!

Jokes apart, “Never Really Loved Me” is great. Veeery great!

Featuring a top-notch singer, Dean Lewis (remember ‘Waves’?), the production commences with a typical piano segment by the American hitmaker. The lyrics are intentionally heartfelt, and Lewis is a mastermind at work. And alongside the support of that simple, usual piano was enough for a splendid experience. It’s almost infuriating how producers can create magic with the same, albeit well-selected elements applied minimally.

The drop’s melody is infectious and energetic (even for Tropical House standards), with sparkling joy and positive vibes with a featherweight lead. The huge contribution given here is the Australian performer’s personality, which settles down perfectly in this kind of set-up; the duo shares a formidable synergy. The result could easily be the summer hit of this year!

We definitely have “Firestone” potential here! Although the same, old Kygo…