Fresh off a run of successful releases including “TIK TAK” with SARRA, an official rework of Fatboy Slim‘s “Right Here, Right Now,” “Sorry Papi” with Becky G, and “Missing You” with Shimza and A7S, Topic switches direction with his new single “Lucky Ones.”
Created alongside newly formed duo carteblanche, the track began life as a band-style song long before evolving into the dance record it is today. While “Lucky Ones” retains the warm, feel-good dance-pop qualities that have defined much of Topic‘s catalog, its widescreen synths and indie-pop songwriting push the production into more adventurous territory.
There are hints of the expansive electronic sound associated with Empire of the Sun, while the song’s melodic foundation remains rooted in indie-pop. At its core, “Lucky Ones” captures the carefree feeling of escaping with friends or someone you love, with nowhere to be and nothing to prove. Its easygoing summer atmosphere arrives at just the right moment, stretching the season out as the warmer months begin to fade.
The release also represents a return to Topic‘s musical roots. After spending recent years exploring Afro-influenced sounds, the German producer returns to the combination that initially established his identity: emotive and occasionally melancholic songwriting paired with a driving dance beat.
Where his recent releases have leaned more heavily into club and Latin influences, “Lucky Ones” takes a warmer and more expansive route, with carteblanche helping push the track toward a slightly left-of-center sound rather than a conventional dance-pop formula.
“‘Lucky Ones’ feels a little like going back to my roots. A few years ago, we used to call my sound ‘Melancholic Dance Music’ – emotional and sometimes melancholic lyrics, but always with a driving beat,” Topic explains. “After exploring a lot of Afro-influenced sounds over the last few years, I’ve recently found myself really drawn to indie pop. We actually wrote ‘Lucky Ones’ almost like a song for a band first, without thinking about the dance production at all. I only turned it into a dance record afterwards. I think that combination of where I came from and where my sound has evolved to feels very much like where I’m at right now.”
The collaboration came together during a writing session in London, where Topic, A7S, and carteblanche spent several days experimenting with new ideas. “Lucky Ones” was actually the second song they wrote together, with the group aiming to capture the feeling of a carefree summer escape.
“We met up with Topic and A7S at our studio in London where we had set aside a couple of days to write songs together and try out new vibes,” carteblanche shares. “‘Lucky Ones’ was actually the second song we wrote together. In the song we were trying to capture that feeling of no pressure escaping with your friends or someone that you love in the summer and just being content. We were just about to go on holiday ourselves which I think was probably influencing our mood. We’ve been big fans of Topic and also A7S for many years and we’re excited about this collaboration.”
With “Lucky Ones,” Topic bridges his earlier Melancholic Dance Music identity with his growing interest in indie-pop, resulting in a track that feels both nostalgic and forward-looking. Rather than chasing another club trend, the producer embraces a more organic songwriting approach, allowing the song’s warmth, melody, and sense of freedom to take center stage.
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