BEST NEW TRACKS: KYGO - FIRST TIME

We Are: The Guard love a good collaboration and Kygo has proved he knows how to do them well. When Selena Gomez sang on “It Ain’t Me,” he harnessed her strengths to produce the anthem that went to the top of the charts worldwide. And even though that song is still sitting on the Billboard Hot 100, he has dropped yet another sexy collaboration—this time with Ellie Goulding.

KYGO - FIRST TIME

“First Time” is drowning in gentle nostalgia. It’s all about that all-encompassing young affair and the pair describe it with the some romanticism as you’d witness in a teen movie: “Getting drink on a train track, way back when we tried our first cigarettes.” As cheesy as it may sound, you can probably relate, so it may bring a tear to your eye.

And Kygo’s production plays so nicely with Goulding’s smoky voice’s inflections. When she goes “Ooh” so do his synths and when she takes a break, surprise strings glide in and out. At the end, Goulding stops, giving listeners time to let her sentimental words seep in and giving them an opportunity to enjoy Kygo’s ambient yet uplifting rhythms.

It’s all very pleasant—a great guiltless pleasure—and it’s absolutely perfect for the radio.