Premiere: MJ Cole Calls On The Ethereal Vocal Talents Of Freya Ridings For Dramatic "Waking Up"

Instead of club sounds, Cole's slowed things down and put more of a focus on atmospherics and melody.

MJ Cole (credit: Fil Mawi)
Publicist

Image via Publicist. Photography: Fil Mawi

MJ Cole (credit: Fil Mawi)

Tomorrow, UKG hero MJ Cole will drop his new single, "Waking Up" with singer Freya Ridings. Don't go in expecting those snappy 2-step rhythms this time, though. "Waking Up", in fact, is quite a change in tone for the legendary producer. Instead of those club sounds, Cole's slowed things down and put more of a focus on atmospherics and melody. Over that decidedly epic instrumental, Ridings unfurls her rich and powerful vocals unfurl to stunning effect.

Speaking on the track MJ says: "Freya is one in a million. She has a unique presence and aura which both come through in her music. We wrote 'Waking Up' in a single session, Freya delivering just two vocal takes as complete performances — no punching in or fixing. We set out to build the track with the waking up idea in mind — starting off with a haunting piano figure and then crescendoeing towards the peak at the end of the second chorus. We’re both beyond excited to release this to the world."

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