“You’ve Got To Let Go If You Want To Be Free.” It’s sage advice, an ethos that presumably influenced the flow of the studio session that’s since bequeathed the Zedd and the Lawrence brothers’ first-ever collaboration. Let go of expectation, of what a label might like to hear, of any semblance of how an electronic “hit” might sound these days, and you’ll be free to indulge organic sound development. From Zedd and the Lawrence brothers’ commentary on how “You’ve Got To Let Go If You Want To Be Free” came to be, it’s clear that the single—which doubles as Zedd’s and Disclosure‘s first release of the year, respectively—was born out of a jam session unfettered by these restraints.

With an analog synthesizer in hand, Zedd dropped by the Disclosure brothers’ studio, began “jamming on it,” per Howard Lawrence, and “pretty much came up with the whole baseline to the tune in one take playing it by hand which was blowing my mind—it inspired the vibe of the whole song.” And as Guy Lawrence was “tinkering with the drums], Howard was coming up with the lyrics and melodies.”

We all kind of chimed in as to how it should flow, how the structure of this song should rise and fall based off of Anton‘s baseline, and built the harmonies on top of that. It pretty much came together in a day as all of our favorite ones seem to do so,” Disclosure said.

Out of this creative interplay, described by Zedd as “incredibly collaborative, creative, inspiring and most importantly FUN,” comes a spry, piano-framed house production that doesn’t just invite movement, but rather demands it. And when the second breakdown comes ’round to shine the sonic spotlight ever so briefly on the hints of Zedd’s signature electro style embedded therein, well, let’s just speak plainly: it’d be dastardly not to let your body bob along to the buoyant record.

“It felt like we were in a band, jamming out and playing off each other’s ideas leading us to a place we wouldn’t have reached on our own,” Zedd said of the song, which signals his first collaboration with a fellow dance producer since 2018’s “The Middle” alongside Grey.

“Lyrically this song is my coping mechanism for dealing with anxiety,” Zedd added. “Sometimes you need to remember where you are instead of holding onto where you want to be. Whether you’re socially anxious, too drunk, or even loving life- I hope that you dance to this song and remember that you’re free!”

“You’ve Got To Let Go If You Want To Be Free” is out now via Apollo Records.

Featured image: Zedd/Instagram

Tags: Apollo Records, Disclosure, house, Zedd

Categories: Music