Big business has been getting their claws into dance music for the past few years because "the kids are into it." Brands like Coca Cola and 7-Up have all invested big into EDM and now M&Ms is tossing their hat in the ring too. They are celebrating their 75th anniversary and to celebrate what better way to seem modern than to update the theme song with an EDM artist at the helm. That is exactly what they have done with Zedd and Aloe Blacc in "Candyman."
Luckily for the listener the track is actually good and doesn't sound like some overly commercial, cheesy and overtly manufactured track that serves only the purpose of the brand.
Zedd, with the help of Grey and Joe Trapanese go a different direction from what you normally expect from a Zedd tune. It isn't gritty electro or something that would fit into the harder side of dance pop for radio. It is a future bass track with sugary sweet synths, crisp 808s, soft piano, punchy kick drums and some horns towards the end.
It all fits remarkably well with the soulful vocals from Aloe Blacc.
The lyrics are completely different from those that were found in the skipping 1971 jingle, "the candyman can, the candyman can." Aloe Blacc's lyrics are still a little cheesy, but they are designed to be feel-good and uplifting with lines like "love makes the world feel good."
A listener should approach this with some skepticism since tracks created for brands aren't always the best, but Zedd and Aloe Blacc appeared to have had a great deal of creative control and delivered a quality follow-up that serves well for 2016. It will be released tomorrow, Feb. 26.
