Alejandro—better known by his stage name, ALEJ—is a singer-songwriter on the rise out of Miami. Drawing from different influences, ALEJ presses on in the pursuit of his heart and passion: deep songwriting and stories. What started as learning how to compose through GarageBand, eventually led to the very slow development of original material for ALEJ.
On his new single, “Dancing with Another Man,” the performer delivers one of the most painfully honest reflections ever about breakup fallout. “This just stabbed me in the heart,” ALEJ shares of the inspiration behind the track. Anyone who has been in that painful position can likely relate to the cocktail of emotions conveyed through the vocals: hurt, betrayal, and lingering affection.
On “Dancing with Another Man,” ALEJ and producer Chris Adams nailed the balance between a funky rhythm and a sensual melody. The song starts with a rumbling, deep bassline that initially draws the listener onto the dance floor. On top of that, nice syncopated drums were added to drive the funky core of this track.
The bass and drums unite to create an extremely infectious foundation that begs to be moved to. That’s the kind of sound that would fit into any club playlist, further building any dance party right from the very start. Now, what is layered above that makes this come alive, with ALEJ’s captivating vocals, backed by atmospheric synths and keys. ALEJ’s vocals come in husky but energetic and glide effortlessly into the mix. His voice is full-bodied, gruff, and representative of the honest vulnerability and pain underneath this fun surface. The synths shine with a bright, beaming quality that allows through what ALEJ was going for with the needed disco feel. They provide counter-melodies and pads of texture that enhance the drama of ALEJ’s vocal performance.
One sound, in particular, stands a mile high, playing arpeggiated notes that just carry an air of the 70s/80s new wave element. That retro element, along with the driving bass line and drums, hypnotized the listener directly to the dance floor. The layering of every single element—bass, drums, synths, and vocals—took the groovy whole together.
“Dancing with Another Man” is among the finest musical releases I have come across recently. His way of combining powerful vocals with such an irrepressibly funky sound simply has no peer. I keep going back to “Dancing with Another Man” because no other song captures so precisely the cathartic act of release via dance. ALEJ is a distinctively successful artist, and I feel this single will spread far. I sincerely hope this release reaches as many ears as possible because its feel-good-yet-deeply-moving energy no doubt will brighten people’s days and empower them through heartbreak. ALEJ is an artist who deserves to be heard, so stream his music online today.