Hayden James We Could Be Love

Hayden James imbues compact dance cuts with meaningful emotional messaging. Now a full decade into a recording career that has yielded several platinum hits in Australia, the Sydney producer stacks his third album with dreamy pop-house hooks and savvily selected vocal collaborators. As signalled by its title, We Could Be Love also features strong themes of romantic devotion. “All In” taps co-writer Kareen Lomax for a joyous reflection on the immediate sense of commitment that James felt towards his now wife—visual artist Jennifer Lia—while Lilly Ahlberg drives home similar romantic directives on “Shelter”. Fronted by English/Australian electronic duo AR/CO, the title track elevates earthly ardour to something cosmic and universal, and “Don’t Let Me Go” enlists Tudor for exactly that repeated plea. “The Pleasure” and “Imagine” benefit from a more accelerated approach, but James remains best known for crafting shimmering, effortless-sounding earworms that go down easy and yet demand instant replay.