Effortlessly shifting gears between festival anthems and radio-oriented dance pop records is no easy feat, especially while remaining as intently under the microscope as Martin Garrix. Since initially testing the pop waters in 2016 with Bebe Rexha on “In the Name of Love” followed by “Scared To Be Lonely,” then onto his most recent subset affiliate, “Used To Love,” the STMPD Records chief has spotlessly prevailed in molding his resourceful electro house into music that has propelled him above superstar prestige. For Garrix’s first product of the new decade, succeeding “Hold On” from the tail end of 2019, he has tapped yet another bullseye vocal match in Clinton Kane on “Drown.”
The joint electronic ballad opens with Kane’s gripping lyrics that promptly cue the upward trajectory that “Drown” is bound for. A quintessential designation in most of Garrix’s pop-leaning endeavors is his enamoring acoustic approach, which is palpable once more beside a bright future bass-led zenith.
With a highly anticipated Saturday slot atop Ultra’s mainstage quickly closing in, the chances of “Drown” appearing one way or another within Garrix’s tracklist for the performance seem to be a lock.
Featured image: Louis van Baar