Kevin Silvester pairs soft punk with dance pop on explosive new single Be The One, with vocal assists from JVCQUI.
Kevin Silvester has today (March 10) released Be The One, a dance pop anthem that enlists fellow artist JVCQUI. The single serves as a defiant reaction to infidelity, with JVCQUI’s opening lyrics recounting “the scent of guilt” and “fak[ing] a million smiles.” The Melbourne pop musician sings in hushed vocals before belting out the chorus, making way for the Silvester-assisted hook.
“Is it selfish of me if I just want to be the one?”, the pair sing atop an explosive electronic beat. While dance pop might inform the large part of Be The One — with eviscerating synths and choral bass drops — the single is also indebted to a broad range of genres. It begins with acoustic guitar balladry, combined with the sort of distorted vocals you might hear on a pop-punk record.
Speaking of the crisscrossing sound of Be The One in a press statement, Silvester said the track has “gone through many pubertal changes to get to what it is today.” He continued: “We kept some of the punk elements in the final version, as heard in the electric guitars and the heavy drum fills. I think it’s now going through its ‘coming-of-age sad party animal’ phase.”
Be The One stands as the clamorous culmination of Silvester’s artistry, having been classically trained as a pianist and cellist, and counting producing and songwriting among his multi-hyphenates. The single is accompanied by a neon-lit music video, which chronicles a toxic relationship as JVCQUI sings beside a red convertible before confronting Silvester in a graffitied alleyway. Watch the Lindsay Davies-directed music video below.
Be The One is the fourth single to be lifted from Silvester’s upcoming album Sleepwalker. The Melbourne musician’s debut project has been previewed by the 2020 single You and I, as well as last year’s releases, Love You Blind and Crywolf. The three tracks enlist collaborators like Julie Zorrilla, AndyLP and 99finite, among others.
