Jam-packed in a club with no way out? David Mac has the antidote with his sultry new single, Stop Dancing.
David Mac has released his new single Stop Dancing, an R&b-infused ode to skipping the night club and heading home early. The track opens with spacey synths and rustic guitar strums, before Mac’s powerhouse vocals rightfully take centre stage.
Stop Dancing is carried by pulsating trap beats and catchy percussion, with sporadic flairs of electronica. There’s a brooding quality to the production, which simmers in some sections before brimming with twinkling effects on the euphoric chorus.
What begins as a slinky R&b heater — complete with moody drum rolls and propulsive bass — later veers towards electro-pop, as Mac’s vocals echo around a climactic chorus.
Like any great pop song, the magic is all in the bridge, which Mac masters by allowing space for extended instrumentals perfectly suited to a dimly-lit nightclub.
Through it all, Mac’s vocal range shines the brightest. Whether he’s belting out harmonies in the song’s final moments or slinking around melodies in quieter spots, the crooner possesses an infectious smoothness and swagger.
The undeniable danceability of Stop Dancing belies its otherwise incisive lyrics, which see Mac reflecting on the inescapability of the party boy lifestyle.
Lamenting the seemingly unending pattern of late nights and hangovers, Mac sings of being “stuck in the night lights” and “covered in gin.”
“I just want to go home,” he adds, mirroring the experience of party-goers the world over. Mac’s lyrical candour is a refreshing change of pace in a pop music scene dominated by hedonism.
Smuggling topical commentary into a pristine pop cut, the singer-songwriter showcases the wisdom of an artist ten years’ his senior.
“Stop Dancing is about wanting to escape the monotonous routine of going out clubbing till the early hours of the morning,” Mac explained in a press statement. “[It’s] a cycle that consumes many young adults.”
Such introspection is perhaps to be expected from an artist who cites The 1975 and The Weeknd as key influences, but Stop Dancing is doubly impressive given that it marks only Mac’s third-ever single.
The Gold Coast musician’s first two efforts — Nobody But You and Feel The Same — arrived last year, but with Stop Dancing as evidence, it’s clear David Mac is just getting started.
Escape the teeming night club with David Mac’s new single Stop Dancing below.
