You Better DNCE

Harman, NYC, November 18th, 2016. Album release day, an event that was a year in the making. An EP & world tour later, it was finally time to hear what DNCE was made of with their debut full-length album. I have to say, I haven't been this excited about music in a long time. This album is a whole new music genre in itself. I couldn't wait to celebrate with my favorite band. I'm so proud of this album I feel like it's my own. I've been there from the ground up since the first listening party a year ago. I've been on this ride with them the whole time and it's like I saw my baby come to life. It's amazing to finally have recorded versions of the raw stripped down songs I've heard them perform and perfect over the past year. The Harman store was decked out with DNCE, the new global brand ambassadors for JBL. The music videos for "Cake By The Ocean" and "Toothbrush" were playing on loop, and there were wall size individual pop art portraits of the band members. I wanted that wallpaper for my house. A hot pink Joe Jonas? I think yes. They orchestrated quite the meet & greet with DNCE balloons and props to boot. Cake emojis, inflatable guitars, and rockstar shades, DNCE was ready to have a good time. I had to take the cake emoji, after all it's the basis of the music revolution that is DNCE. The energy in the room was fire, and I said to DNCE, "Guys, I'm not just saying this because I love you. This is the best music I've heard in a long time." The genuine thank you and gratitude that followed showed how proud they were of the music they put out, as they should be.

The album release show two days later couldn't come soon enough, I was all amped up and ready to DNCE! Flash Factory was bumping with DNCE fans, there wasn't a spot to be had. This show meant everything, DNCE said it only felt right to kick things off in NYC where it all began. It was definitely good to be a DNCE fan in New York this week. Some of these songs I had known for less than 72 hours, but not only was I ready to DNCE, I was ready to SING. Music has always come very naturally to me, and I can pick up a song before I've even heard it through a whole time. I guess it also doesn't hurt that I've been listening to the album on repeat to, from, and at work every day since it's been released. As a fellow DNCE fan would say, everyone has a concert style. Are you a dancer? Singer? Do you just take it in? Let me tell you, every concert I'm at is MY concert. As far as I am concerned, I'm performing and you're there to see ME. DNCE always knows how to keep it fresh by doing epic mashups like going from "Naked" into "Roxanne" by The Police, or "Sex Machine" by James Brown into the iconic hook of "Cake By The Ocean". Speaking of hooks, do yourself a favor and watch Jinjoo play guitar. Girl can rip, she's a boss. I'm a total sap, so I was happiest to see them perform "Truthfully", but if they play "Almost" on tour I'm actually going to cry (and if they don't play it I'll REALLY cry).

I knew it couldn't end there. The next day DNCE tweeted, "NYC!!! WE'LL BE OUTSIDE UNION SQUARE IN 20 MINUTES - COME TAKE THESE SIGNED ALBUMS OFF OUR HANDS 😜 SEE U REAL SOON". It was like a scavenger hunt. DNCE fans gathered and tried to figure out where this impromptu meet & greet would be. And then Joe tweeted, "Right out front of coffee shop 😏" Which one?! There's Starbucks, Panera Bread, a plethora of other options! Until someone realized there was actually a coffee shop called "Coffee Shop". BOOM, there they were in a classic cab just like Nick had done over the summer when Last Year Was Complicated was released. They were taking pictures with fans until management pulled them over to rally the fans to buy albums. Joe gathered the group's attention and announced, "Who wants to buy some CD's? We're selling CD's for $10. You don't have to buy the CD if you don't want to, it's okay." When no one responded, I made my way and said, "I got ten, I'll donate to the cause. I don't even know how many CD's I have at this point, I think it's my sixth?" to which Joe replied, "That's why you're amazing. Give them out as Christmas presents!" and I exclaimed, "Yes, that's exactly what I'm doing!" I then asked Cole if we could take a picture, and the boys gathered round for a selfie. I wasn't sure if I could even do it considering I'm significantly shorter than them. I made sure to look at the picture before I left in case I needed someone to retake it, and my eyes immediately drew to Joe. I first thought, "why did he do that!" until I instantly realized that's what made the picture. Just me and my boys chillin in Union Square, the ush. To top it all off, they liked my picture on Instagram...that's twice now😉 And because there can simply never be enough, I'm hoping they give it another go for Black Friday. So what do you say guys, meet & greet at FYE?

Stream DNCE's album below, you won't regret it!