The pop/funk/R&B/soul singer that is Dylan Chambers has journeyed from Arlington, TX to Los Angeles, where the powerhouse vocalist has dug his heels in, coming a long way since the singer-songwriter tact of his debut record Vol. 1, expanding his oeuvre to meet the crest of a fuller, more robust sound, rooted in soul.
Spinning up a string of new singles with longtime producer, Stefan Litrownik (Boyz II Men, Andy Grammer), Chambers is raring to garner the charm of timeless classics, having no scruples about citing modern stalwarts, such as Vulfpeck, Jacob Collier, Devon Gilfilian and all who are concerned with preserving the sanctity of soul. In the past, he’s collaborated with producer John Alagía (John Mayer, Herbie Hancock), critically acclaimed singer Haley Reinhart (American Idol, F is for Family), Mark Ballas (Dancing with the Stars) and Grammy Award-nominated, multi-platinum jazz artist Dave Koz.
Chambers’ dancy new bullet “Ya Feelin’ Good?” is the would-be partygoer’s no. 1 anthem: an atomic bash with bright and bold melodies, enlivened by the singer’s infectious falsettos, grimy synth bass and electric guitar rhythms beholden to Prince. “Right now is all we’ve got,” and the intention for Chambers is to have a good time by way of singing his heart out and dancing away the pain, if not for a brief moment of respite: “World’s goin’ up in flames/We’re goin’ down the drain/But baby this night has just begun”; it comes as no surprise that his follow-up release will be none other than a cover of “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher,” an impressive, forceful and uplifting tribute to Jackie Wilson, that somehow measures up to the angelic timbres of Motown icons, The Andantes, with the help of Litrownik’s expert production.
“There’s so much negativity right now, and everybody’s feeling it… it’s such a heavy blanket that we’re all wrapped under, and it seems to me that people desperately want to feel good, with all this crazy shit going on,” says Chambers. “Ya Feelin’ Good?” reckons that – indeed – people want to feel good on occasion and transport themselves to a level of transcendence, albeit brief, and so Chambers takes the time to check in with himself on the latest smash, complying with a party atmosphere that he manifests, willingly. “I’ve been focussed on the intention of feeling good and feeling happy, and so I’ve been checking in with myself and thinking, ‘look, life is passing you by,’ so what can we do to make ourselves feel better? Time is slipping,” says Chambers.
Glide is thrilled to premiere “Ya Feelin’ Good?’ (below) a slinky funk workout that seizes the rhythmic worlds of Bruno Mars and Prince into an anthemic display of idealism.
I had been listening to Prince a lot that week and his mentality surrounding the world portrayed in the song ‘1999’ resonated with me more than it ever had,” says Chambers. “I put two and two together, saw history repeating itself and decided to write America a song to dance to while the world was crumbling around us. Musically, the song was very much inspired by old school funk. Stefan did a great job with the production by taking elements of the genre and pushing it a bit forward by adding some more modern elements. I’m really proud of it and I hope it provides listeners with a little fun and positivity during whatever reality we’re living in at the moment. I just remember thinking, ‘Well, if we’re all going down, maybe we should try to have the time of our lives while we still can.'”
