Ironically, the song doesn't fully deliver, through its desperation to pack too much in to 3 minutes and 27 seconds.
Following the ‘#SELFIE’-banishing success of 2015’s ‘Roses,’ the latest hit single from New York DJ/producer duo The Chainsmokers features young American singer Daya, a fresh act exploding after the success of her eponymous EP.
‘Don’t Let Me Down’ has all the elements to create a masterpiece of a song, but the pieces of the puzzle just don’t quite fall into place. The haunting guitar loop that the song starts with is like honey, blending perfectly with Daya’s smooth vocals. It shows further promise as more musical elements are added in, building the tempo of the song and eventually leading to a breathtaking crescendo. The bridge too is strong, stripping down both the guitar and the electronica to just a simple few beats, and bringing the focus back to Daya’s fantastic vocals. However, the crescendo breaks into an odd trap-esque 30-second post-chorus drop, with big room beats that just don’t suit the song’s original sound.
This track just takes on too much. It tries to fit in several genres when it would be far better if focused on one. The darker, more haunting parts of the song, which suit Daya’s vocals perfectly, are great, but this could still be a solid trap song if it simply focused on being one. Without a doubt, the strongest part of the song is Daya, somehow smooth but sharp at the same time, with enough oomph to her vocals to make them distinctive. However, as a whole, ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ just let me down.
‘Don’t Let Me Down’ is out now via Columbia Records
