Wrabel Gets Reimagined For The Dancefloor with Japanese Wallpaper Remix Of “back to back”
February 18, 2022 BY Bailey Vigliaturo
Wrabel’s heartbreaking collab with Duncan Laurence “back to back” is inarguably one of the cornerstones of his debut album ‘these words are all for you’ (which dropped last year via Big Gay Records/Nettwerk). And today, Australian artist and producer Japanese Wallpaper has turned the dial on the soaring vocals and sonic ebbs & flows of the original and reimagined it as a dancefloor bop with a revved-up skittering beat and an electronic guitar volleying notes amongst playful electronic blips.LISTEN HERE.
The original, which Wrabel wrote alongside Kurtis McKenize (formerly The Arcade), Léon, and Jon Mills and which Billboard said features “boisterous vocals met by beautiful piano melodies”, was released alongside a stunningly choreographed and metaphoric music video. WATCH HERE.
Today’s release follows the recent reimagination of fellow album cut “london” which leaned heavily into the original’s traditional folk storytelling vibe by enlisting GRAMMY-nominated country superstar Cam as a guest vocalist. LISTEN HERE.
Wrabel’s debut album ushered in the next chapter from one of modern music’s most celebrated, versatile, powerhouse songwriters and rising artists, and was praised as a “taxonomy of Wrabel’s greatest trials and triumphs” (New Now Next) that “showcases his trademark, beautifully intimate performances and powerhouse songwriting” (SPIN).
Wrabel’s ascent to becoming “one of Hollywood’s finest songwriters” (American Songwriter) has led to this triumphant moment — a journey that included collaborating with Afrojack & Marshmello respectively in 2014, to his first charting song “11 Blocks” in 2016 & the debut of his acclaimed LGBTQ+ anthem “The Village” in 2017, to collaborations with Kesha and P!nk in 2019, to performing “hurts like hell” on NBC’s TODAY in early 2020, and now to his debut album.
Additionally, Wrabel has left his mark all across the pop musical landscape with other co-writing/performance credits on tracks by Celeste, Backstreet Boys, Ellie Goulding, Louis Tomlinson, Louis the Child, Wafia, Cash Cash, and more. He’s released four previous EPs, and has racked up over 500 million streams across all DSP platforms.
ABOUT JAPANESE WALLPAPER
With more ambient, electronica-based beginnings, Japanese Wallpaper became an Australian indie music fixture at the age of 17, swiftly going on to release his debut EP and landing a place on the Zach Braff film ‘Wish I Was Here.’ As the list of musical kin grew, so did Strum’s footprint and influence on the wider music scene. Strum became a trusted fixture in the studio and on the road for some of Australia’s most needle-moving musical forces, including Allday, Mallrat, and Alex Lahey (the latter working with Strum on the recently released Netflix original Mitchell vs. The Machines).
