Tracks & Sync Of The Month: January
In collaboration with Universal Music Group, Amp.Amsterdam // The Sonic Branding Company will share a selection of recently released music each month. At the beginning of each month, we take a moment to look back at a number of sync-friendly songs that were recently synced or released. Sit back, relax and listen to (or watch) our Tracks of the Month!
The Night is Ours | Yves Saint Laurent
Song: Moth To A Flame
Artist: Swedish House Mafia, The Weeknd
Start date: January 5th, 2023
If the title of this song says anything about the effect of the Black Opium perfume, the Yves Saint Laurent campaign promises to be successful. ‘Moth To A Flame’ by Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd, starts with Abel Tesfaye’s (The Weeknd’s real name) mysterious and soulful vocals that perfectly fit YSL’s “edgy” and elegant image. Since the Canadian singer was also featured in the previous YSL Opium commercial with his single ‘The Hills’, this additional collaboration was no surprise.
The commercial was directed by Anton Tammi, a Finnish film producer who is best known for his surreal, dream-like music videos. Tammi is no stranger to The Weeknd either, having directed his music videos for both ‘Blinding Lights’ and ‘Heartless’.
Sam Smith – Gloria
Sam Smith’s music is featured in many commercials, movies, and series. For example, Smith collaborated with Apple on a campaign for Airpods and the song ‘Promises’ (with Calvin Harris) could be heard in a BMW X3 commercial a year and a half ago. But one of the highlights of their career must have been writing the title song “Writing’s On The Wall” for the James Bond film ‘Spectre’, for which Smith won an Oscar in 2016.
Keywords: A cappella, melancholic, spiritual
Dave Matthews Band – Madman’s Eyes
Dave Matthews Band is the perfect example of a timeless band. They have successfully been releasing music since 1991 and have sold more than 20 million albums, and counting… In movies and tv shows, they are equally as popular. Their hits can be heard in ‘The Matrix Reloaded’, ‘Scream 2’, ‘House’, ‘The Simpsons’ and even in the 2017 movie ‘Lady Bird’ which features their 1997 single ‘Crash into Me’. Who knows, maybe their latest, surprisingly hard-hitting single, ‘Madman’s Eyes’, will still be used for the latest movies, 20 years from now too!
Keywords: Ominous, Rock, heavy
Joesef – Moment
Scottish singer-songwriter Joesef released his debut album ‘Permanent Damage’ last month. His introduction to the world of sync began with securing a spot on the ‘Fifa 21’ soundtrack with ‘Does It Make You Feel Good’. Ever since, Joesef’s music has been attracting more and more attention. Most recently, his song ‘It’s Been a Little Heavy Lately’ was featured in the third season of the Netflix show ‘Emily in Paris’.
It’s easy to get caught up in Joesef’s new single ‘Moment’ due to its upbeat, happy vibe. But if you listen closely to the lyrics, it can strike a different chord, as the catchy melody turns out to be a harsh contrast to the painful reality he sings about.
Keywords: Dream pop, catchy, love
Luude, Issey Cross, Moby – Oh My
In the 90’s, Moby was a household name, but when his latest album, ‘Play’, failed to take off in 1999, his glory days seemed to be in the past. The solution: licensing. Moby decided to approve his songs for commercial use, resulting in a #1 album within the span of a year. Since then, his songs have been used in commercials frequently, including Volkswagen Polo, Bosch, and Nissan. His single ‘Porcelain’ has become a staple in the commercial world and is still widely synced, and sampled in songs today. Australian producer Luude and singer-songwriter Issey Cross have also used a snippet of Moby’s ‘Porcelain’ in their new single ‘Oh My’.
Fun fact: In the recent Giorgio Armani commercial, you can hear A$AP Rocky’s ‘A$AP Forever (ft. Moby)’, which is yet another example of the power of Moby’s music.
Keywords: Drum n bass, uptempo, energetic
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