Sometimes the best performing things are those you don’t expect.
It happened with ‘We’re All We Need‘ a decade ago, and it’s happened again this year. Above & Beyond are no strangers to fame, for 25 years they’ve grown like bamboo, that is, at an incredible rate. But there’s always the hope that your music will exceed your expectations when putting it out. Well, ‘Ride At Dawn‘ is a clear example of those pleasant surprises in action.
Only shown to the public eye as the 13th track in Above & Beyond’s latest artist album Bigger Than All Of Us, the heartfelt track sung by Zoë Johnston “wasn’t ever meant to be a single“, says Dave Dresden, legendary producer who also happens to have A&R’d the album for the boys. But something happened along the way that blew it out of the water completely: social media.
Turns out that ‘Ride At Dawn’ went absolutely viral on TikTok, being used, to date, in over 1.5 billion videos globally, which earned the song the second spot in the global chart on the platform. This, partly, thanks to being chosen as the soundtrack for videos posted by accounts such as @England, @NFL, @WWE, and @ManUtd. You can see why the team decided to release this one as a single.
‘Ride At Dawn’
Uplifting, emotion-evoking, and also scented with a sense of cowboy-like action, A&B’s track is just one of the many excellent compositions premiered in their fifth studio album. It touches upon the topic of caring for a loved one in a hopeful and devoted way, conveying that message in a way that raises the little hairs on your arms. Yes, those are goosebumps.
“I think when we love deeply enough to ‘ride at dawn’ for a person we feel protective of, we often have a secret hope that someone will do the same for us if ever we are vulnerable and desperate for unconditional support“, says Zoë Johnston, not only the voice behind the lyrics that shape the song, but also the mastermind behind each an every word sung.
I’ve been the unstoppable rider, protecting others who depended on me, but I’ve also been the one who broke apart when kind hearts came charging over the hill to save me in dark times. We all deserve the gift of being protected and believed. Sometimes we are the fire itself, and sometimes we are just grateful for warmth.
-Zoë Johnston
Listen to Above & Beyond and Zoë Johnston‘s viral single ‘Ride At Dawn’, by hitting the ‘Play‘ button on the Spotify player below. Also, click here to support the release on your platform of choice. Be sure to follow our page to stay up to date on the latest news and views regarding our beloved Dance music industry.