Norwegian DJ/producer Kygo enlists Swedish singer and former Avicii associate Sandro Cavazza for his pleasant, ‘happy’ new single, “Happy Now.”  

Norwegian DJ and producer Kygo, like most dance/electronic musicians, continues to drop new music regardless whether there’s an album on the table or not. The last album he released came in 2017 with Kids in Love (a remixed version did arrive in 2018).  “Happy Now” arrives unattached to a project, at least as of the publication date.  Kygo looks to Sandro Cavazza to perform the vocals.

“Happy Now” is respectable in length, clocking in at about three-and-a-half minutes. Set in a major key, expectedly, Kygo serves up strong production work. The production can be described as balanced, rhythmic, and not overdone in the least.  As for Cavazza, he delivers solid vocals, showcasing a beautiful tone. Lyrically and thematically, the first verse references the end of a relationship. The second verse ends up being half the length of the first, which is typical of the form of dance and most pop music.  The chorus, which occurs two consecutive times, is naturally a selling point. Cavazza’s vocals shine here in particular:

“You and me, it was good, but it wasn’t right
And it’ll be hard, but I know I will make it out
Step by step, I’ll move on and get on with life
So I let go, and I hope you’ll be happy now.”

The chorus is followed by a repetitive post-chorus, also characteristic of dance and modern-pop:

“I hope you’ll be happy now

Yeah, I hope you’ll be happy now…”

Also, worth noting is the ‘synth work’ on the post-chorus, during the instrumental solo section.

Final Thoughts 

All in all, Kygo and Sandro Cavazza “put in work” on “Happy Now.” It probably won’t change your life, but “Happy Now” is a pleasant, warm, and well-rounded dance record.   That counts for something, right? Right.

Kygo • Happy Now (Ft. Sandro Cavazza) – Single • Sony • Release: 10.26.18

Photo Credit: Sony