In those blurred, messy lines between desire and destruction, you’ll find ‘Just the Feeling’, a bold, intoxicating and soulful electro-pop from rising Atlanta artist Joshua Pearlstein. Built on bumping beats, textured synths and a luxurious bass-line, this is a dance-floor ready track that goes beyond the surface. It explores toxic cycles of irresistible temptation and devastating fallout, whether that be with substances or relationships. This theme really comes through in Joshua’s soulful, well-controlled vocals which bring a human quality to this polished production. He represents the flawed character that we all possess and how our impulses are sharpened when we’re feeling our lowest.

‘Just the Feeling’ speaks to timeless issues yet as a track it sounds super contemporary to the current pop scene. There’s subtle echoes of Y2K pop, a modern dark-pop through-line, theatrical flourishes inspired by Pearlstein’s musical heroes like Prince and Lady Gaga, and all topped off with a futuristic electro-pop sheen. This carefully woven soundscape shows off this young artist’s purposeful approach to songwriting that conveys a determination to put his own identity out there. There’s plenty of familiar pop touchstones and yet overall it has such an original sound. We get the sense that ‘Just the Feeling’ is a piece of this up-and-coming artist’s vision. It’s safe to say that this impressively cinematic and unapologetically visceral slice of addictive pop has us looking forward to what Joshua Pearlstein will give us next.

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