Album Review: Afrojack – Forget the World
3 min read
After a dominating run that has seen Nick van de Wall rise to global prominence on the electronic music scene, he takes another step forward towards cementing himself among the best and brightest producers and DJs at his craft with the release of his debut album Forget the World. Over the course of the past four years, Afrojack has seen his reputation rise quickly as one of the most highly recognized names in the genre, being ranked among the top ten each year since 2010 in DJ Magazine, a globally respected British electronic dance music magazine. Though not yet at the same level as legendary names, such as Armin Van Buuren, that have dominated the industry for many, many years, the release of a debut studio album undoubtedly is a landmark event in the climb towards joining the Mount Rushmore of the broad genre.
With his ability to produce and develop catchy club tracks with soulful vocal collaborations, he has created music that has not merely meant to go through the ears of listeners on a night out but in many cases throughout the grind that occurs during the rest of the week. Though EPs such as Lost and Found (2010), Lost and Found 2 (2011) and It’s a Matter of… (2013) in Afrojack’s short career make him far from a rookie at his craft, Forget the World nevertheless marks the first opportunity that Dutch DJ will have at truly showcasing himself to the world as one of the top dogs in the industry.
As expected with any album in the genre, the majority of the music within Forget the World is developed with a distinct energy that is meant for and amplified in the loud, dynamic atmosphere of a night club. Though many of his peers in the industry have begun balancing their albums by releasing a few slower, more relaxing songs to offset the heavy dosage of club hits, Afrojack seems content to stick with what he knows best which is to create something that is meant for dancing and not lounging. At the end of day, being one of the best at doing that very thing has gotten him very far and as such, one should not expect anything more than that, just as one would not expect a world class painter to suddenly put down their paint brush and instead begin molding and sculpting the wet clay of a first sculpture.
If you are familiar with the type of club anthems that make you wrap your arms around your best mates while waiting eagerly for the chorus and rhythm to finally be thrust upon you, Forget the World offers plenty in that department. With songs such as Ten Feet Tall and Born to Run, you get that very thing while alternatively, in tracks such as Three Strikes, you simply get the kind of music you can wildly bounce around and throw your limbs around to for a few minutes. Overall, as far as electronic music albums are concerned, Forget the World is a good accomplishment for a first studio album as it will definitely not leave any avid fans disappointed while simultaneously providing enough high quality dance material to bring the others to their feet consistently.
