PLAY IT: Surf Mesa – ‘City of Love’ feat. Selah Sol

WDET’s PLAY IT spotlights a song that we think you’ll dig — whether it’s a local, national or international flavor. This week it’s the latest single from electronic artist Surf Mesa featuring Selah Sol.

Screenshot of Surf Mesa's music video for "City of Love."

Need to hear a breakup song but with feel-good beats? Los Angeles-based electronic star Surf Mesa fills that void perfectly with his latest single, “City of Love” featuring vocalist Selah Sol.

The Los Angeles-based producer dropped a music video for the track showcasing downhill skateboarder Cole Trotta speeding down the coast of Malibu, Calif. Watch the clip for “City of Love” below directed by Alex Kennedy.

 

“City of Love” seamlessly meshes the keys with the enraptured beats, but Sol’s lyrics take a more somber direction.

I feel lonely in the city of love/Thought it’d be different but it’s familiar/Tried to move on but something’s holding me up/Cos I think about you.

Surf Mesa, real name Powell Aguirre, worked on the concept for “City of Love” over a year ago.

“My heart has taken its time to sit with this song for a while now,” Aguirre said in a press release. “I first heard the vocal from Selah Sol in October of 2021 and I spent that same night in the studio, drawing my imagination to audio. Countless versions and revisions have been made until this one and I could not be more ready to share it with the world. This song resonates with my life and sonic sound to a T and I hope it resonates with listeners, too.”

Surf Mesa rose to prominence in 2019 when he teamed up with vocalist Emilee for the song “ILY (I Love You Baby),” quickly becoming a TikTok sensation. He eventually signed a major label deal with Universal Music Group’s Astralwerks imprint.

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