DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ Doesn't Miss

When you come across a name like “DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ,” it's impossible not to listen. A little over a year ago, I stumbled upon the mysterious London producer's ninth album, Destiny, and was immediately spellbound by its potent mix of euphoria and nostalgia. Each one of its lush, openhearted songs felt like they could convincingly soundtrack the finale of a different 2000s teen rom-com. “Honey,” for instance, melds poppy acoustic guitar and soaring pedal steel with soul-filling vocal samples, while instant floor-filler, “Brave,” effortlessly blends turn-of-the-millennium French Touch with the frenetic aesthetics of hyperpop. Destiny is a 4-hour tour de force of sample-based dance music, with 40+ tracks whose infectious energy and seamless transitions give the album the feel of a non-stop DJ mix. 

Since then, DJSTTDJ has released various incarnations of the Destiny album – there's the abridged version, the drumless version, the singles version, and the “promos” version with even longer (!!) versions of the songs – along with two similarly impressive albums, Hex and Sorcery. As astonishingly prolific as she is, it can be hard to know where to invest your time. 

Luckily, her latest single, “Will My Love,” is well worth the investment.  Like all of her best songs, it pulses with unabashed optimism. The mix is awash with bright synths and joyful electric piano; a round, persistent kick drum sustains the track's momentum indefinitely; a comforting, grin-inducing vocal sample loops around the edges of the track like an eternally recurring comet. Over the course of its 7-minute runtime, “Will My Love” ebbs and flows, with DJSTTDJ subtly building and releasing tension like the cresting and crashing of ocean waves. It's one of the best tracks to date from one of the most idiosyncratic and exciting producers making dance music today, and the perfect starting point for anyone new to this enigmatic and entrancing artist.