Okay, so Jari Salmikivi. From Sweden, they make music. Right, got it. This particular serving, “Believe (Remix)”, lands in the dance/pop arena, which, if you’re keeping score at home, means it’s basically designed to get you moving and possibly singing along into your hairbrush. But wait, there’s more. It aims to dose you with pure, unadulterated positive energy, all served up with lyrics that are apparently here to make you feel good and, dare I say it, beautiful.
And you know what? It works. It’s like the sonic equivalent of those sunshine yellow sticky notes. You see them; you know things will be alright. Perhaps they are inspired by the color yellow; we may never know.
The randomness here is a good thing. It prevents this feel-good concoction from dissolving into predictable saccharine. There’s a real buoyancy, a lightness. It’s the kind of feeling I get when I stumble on an old postcard that someone accidentally dropped; it’s just an unlooked-for connection.
I’m suddenly wondering if Viking helmets ever had built-in speakers… where was I? Right, “Believe (Remix).” It doesn’t rewrite any music history books; there’s no hidden code buried in the bass line, but that’s perfectly okay. Sometimes what’s needed is a simple, honest boost of uncomplicated joy.
Is it the soundtrack for world peace? Nah. But is it three minutes and change of unpretentious, danceable affirmation? Absolutely. A sonic hug? You might say that. The best kind of hug too, the one that is given randomly by a friendly passerby. And maybe that’s enough. Perhaps, even, that is the point.
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