We previously featured Magumbo as he tapped into a stadium-ready energy with his 80s rock inspired cover of Lana Del Rey’s Say Yes To Heaven, so when we heard the star was back with a cover of We Belong Together, this time featuring Dopamaid, we couldn’t wait to listen and share our experience.

We Belong Together was originally performed by Mariah Carey from her album, The Emancipation of Mimi. Magumbo‘s cover opens with the signature glistening energy from the original with ethereal intro vocals from Dopamaid. It expands with the opening lines of the song delivered with a glam-rock edge by Magumbo.

For some background, We Belong Together holds a timeless narrative about being overwhelmed by heartbreak and regret after losing a lover. It’s about vulnerability and admitting that we take relationships for granted.

It’s taps into the realization of how much a partner meant, and we feel incomplete, lonely, and emotionally lost without them. Everyday things, even hearing songs by Bobby Womack and Babyface, remind us of our ex and intensify the pain.

Magumbo‘s glam-rock delivery is naturally full of emotion, adding a unique vibe, and Dopamaid‘s vocals are so sublime that they actually remind us of the original. The way this is a duet now is absolutely brilliant. The pair has absolutely done the song justice for a new generation.

Speaking on the release, Magumbo says, “I thought that has to be stupidly high on a male voice. After hearing how ridiculous it sounded, I just had to go the extra mile and put the Magumbo stamp on the whole song.”

Technically, the cover was rebuilt from the ground up as an 80s-inspired pop production, replacing the original’s contemporary R&B foundation with LinnDrum-style drum programming, warm Juno-esque synth textures, a driving Moog-style bassline, and crisp funk guitar rhythms.

Needless to say, we are in awe, and the final chorus is simply transcendental. We have added We Belong Together featuring Dopamaid to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Magumbo and anticipate future covers and originals!

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Establishing with a pristine performance of the original’s iconic arpeggio riff, Magumbo opens his cover of Say Yes To Heaven with precision and the high emotional quotient of Lana Del Rey‘s cult single. For some background, the song was originally written for Lana’s album Ultraviolence, then it was meant to be released during the Honeymoon era, and then on Lust for Life, it was eventually canned until a leak went viral on TikTok, followed by an official release in 2023 solely to claim ownership of the song and sound in an official capacity.

Whilst the original is extremely stripped-back, Magumbo‘s cover adds dimensionality to the song with a shimmering energy. His beautifully produced vocals are polished, whilst the original is in all fairness a demo.

The passionate, 80s rock vibes is welcome. The cover builds with new bass riffs, textured rising drums and an almost head-banging, club-friendly approach. We are in awe. The song itself is a romantic ballad about unconditional love, intense longing, and submission. The song symbolizes finding paradise through devotion, with lyrics emphasizing patience, loyalty, and “saying yes” to a blissful and spiritual union. Magumbo‘s energy with this stadium-ready cover, epic guitar solos and a rockstar vibes is extremely dope.

We learn that Magumbo is a solo project built on spectacle and freedom. It is bold. It is playful. It is unapologetically fun. Created as the brainchild of Josh Gallagher, Magumbo was born after years of writing and touring for others. Magumbo is completely self directed across audio, visuals and film. All crafted with a hands on, analogue loving approach.

Needless to say, we are obsessed, and have added his cover of Lana Del Rey‘s Say Yes To Heaven to our New Music Spotlight playlist and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we anticipate future original releases from Magumbo!

The post Magumbo taps into a stadium-ready energy with 80s rock inspired cover of Lana Del Rey’s Say Yes To Heaven appeared first on KIMU.