John Newman's 5 Tracks Of The Moment For 2023

British multi-platinum artist John Newman, known for his chart-topping hits and distinctive vocals, has teamed up with global superstar Alesso for an electrifying collaboration called “Call Your Name.” Released on Tomorrowland Music, this dance-pop anthem combines Alesso's signature progressive house melodies with Newman's soul-stirring vocals, creating a powerful and euphoric track that pushes the boundaries of the genre. Both artists are excited about the song's nostalgic and powerful feel, with Alesso describing it as a throwback to the dance era.

John Newman's musical journey began with the 2012 smash hit “Feel The Love” in collaboration with Rudimental, followed by his solo debut “Love Me Again,” which reached #1 in the UK and garnered over 1.6 billion worldwide streams.

He continued to make waves with hits like “Blame” alongside Calvin Harris, breaking streaming records. In recent times, Newman has ventured deeper into dance music, collaborating with David Guetta and releasing “Hold On To My Love”.

This new phase of Newman's career sees him as a solo dance music artist, returning to his roots. His journey has been marked by numerous achievements, including nine #1 records, collaborations with industry leaders, and unforgettable live performances at major festivals.

Now, he is still on fire from making his mark on the Tomorrowland 2023 mainstage, further solidifying his position in the EDM circuit. Newman's reinvention is a testament to his passion for creating music that resonates with audiences worldwide. We linked up with this gifted artist so he could share his favorite anthems that have dropped this year.

Check out John Newman's 5 Tracks Of The Moment below:

1) Ray of Solar – Swedish House Mafia

The reason I like this track is that Swedish House Mafia, in general, are evolving the soundscape of dance music. They are really pioneering EDM, which I completely respect. I love the ethereal, sort of gothic vocals in there and the atmospheric feelings, but then it also has something that reminds me of a 90s track with the M1 piano. Then the vocal drop is just like an old EDM song.

Swedish House Mafia simply doesn’t have barriers when they are making music; there is no genres in there. They just make what feels good and I really admire that and try to take that into my own productions as well.

2) Desire – Calvin Harris & Sam Smith

Next, is “Desire” by Calvin Harris and Sam Smith. It is a highly commercial track in its production, in the same way that a lot of people are going for that high-speed techno thing or old ravey sounds that have come back from trance and the old Ibiza days. It really takes me to that space. 

What I love about it is how commercial it is and its pop elements but also it challenges that. It has got weird sounds in there, along with weird hooks that catch you off guard. I always find it a pleasure to watch Calvin’s next steps. So, yeah, I love that song!

3) So Much In Love – D.O.D

D.O.D, who most people know of as a popular EDM DJ-producer hybrid, has been playing around with house music for a long time. In “So Much In Love”, I hear that it is a Splice sample for the vocal. What I like about this is that Splice is an online engine that you can pull samples from; a lot of producers and musicians use it. As a result, the sample used is hidden to the common ear.

He has turned this vocal into something so beautiful. It gives me real throwback feelings of growing up in the countryside, and I get that emotion from the track. It has got that same emotion as “Toca’s Miracle” and all those classic dance songs.

4) adore u – Fred again..

I think it is amazing how we class Fred Again.. in a dance space, because I see him truly as a producer, musician, and a live performer. He experiments to the craziest extents. You will notice that in all the tracks that I have chosen there are these remarkable emotional hooks, and that is so integral to dance music for me. I want to feel that when I am in a club or at a festival.

“adore u” is something that makes me think of my daughter, along with the people and great feelings around me. It is a pleasure to watch Fred Again.. and his friends appreciate that and the music together. It makes me feel like I miss my friends, which is such an incredible effect to have from a song.

5) Call Your Name – Alesso & John Newman

The last song is my own record, it’s called “Call Your Name” with Alesso. I keep talking about throwbacks and memories of life and all these great things, and for me, a great highlight was doing “Blame” with Calvin Harris.

Watching the EDM scene come up, touring festivals, and always going to the dance stage afterwards, I really felt like a part of that EDM scene when it burst out from around 2012 onwards. I still hold a lot of emotion and memories there so when working with Alesso, it was important for me to capture that in the chorus and throughout. 

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I just love the way that in the drop it almost has the feeling of a tech house song, but it is not. It just feels like great commercial radio dance music. I have such a pop sensibility but I also like challenging it, which you can probably hear from all of these songs. Hopefully, Alesso and I have done that on “Call Your Name”.

Photos courtesy of John Newman.

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