Bright Light Bright Light x Kim David Smith Share New Single ‘Next To You’

Bright Light Bright Light, the long-running pop project of Welsh singer, songwriter and producer Rod Thomas, has just shared his brand new single Next To You, a captivating alt-pop meets theatrical synth pop gem. 

 

Taken from his upcoming collaborative EP, Duets, out on March 6th, Next To You finds the talented artist teaming up with New York-based performer Kim David Smith and reworking this cut (which was originally released on 2020's Fun City) as a dramatic cabaret-inflected duet. Kim David Smith rewrote the spoken-word section, originally delivered by Mark Gatiss, in French, adding a new layer of melodrama and emotional intensity that reflects his Weimar-era cabaret influences. I am a fan of Bright Light Bright Light's enchanting, expressive vocals which radiate so much soul and emotion that is impossible not to feel each and every single word he is singing. The production is quite memorable with infectious rhythms nicely intertwined with lush piano keys, cinematic strings, dreamy synths and beats that come together to create such a memorable and enthralling listening experience.

Speaking about the song, Bright Light Bright Light said,

Kim and I sing with each other all the time at Joe’s Pub, and that energy really shaped this version. His shows sit somewhere between Marlene Dietrich and Kylie Minogue, and I always felt this song suited his voice and theatrical delivery. When he suggested rewriting the spoken word part in French, it added a playfulness that’s both funny and tragic - it suddenly became this beautifully melodramatic torch-song duet, and I loved that.