An interesting blend of some of the biggest artists of the decade, Stop by AJ Mitchell is a wonderful pop track that fits perfectly in the warming weather as a hint to whats to come in the summer.

The vibe is very particular with this track, not quite being colorful enough to be a full-on summer anthem, but far groovier than your average winter tune. We often associate songs with the two most polarizing seasons, mentioned above, but no one really talks about spring songs. I feel like Stop fits that perfectly.

The melodies are probably the song’s strongest aspect, akin with Justin Bieber’s melodious work. There’s something quite similar to AJ’s delivery with Bieber, and at first I really thought that was the feel he was going for. His voice sits atop a soothing retro synth pad laying the groundwork, but the tone changes completely as the chorus hits. Suddenly, we’re in a Dua Lipa song, almost to the note. Normally, I would discourage near-plagiaristic sections, but AJ finds such a clever way to introduce it in the song. It serves it perfectly, especially as he expands on those ideas as the song progresses. There are even Bruno Mars elements, especially with the way he travels the chord tones for his melodies with intricate riffs and runs. Like mentioned before, the inspirations are very clear here, but they’re so far apart within the realm of pop music that the blend of all of them is nothing but welcome. Especially with the tight bass lines, the four-on-the-floor rhythm, mixed in with the slow, open-ended verses and bridges, it makes for a complete and highly enjoyable track. It’s groovy, catchy, and uniquely similar to the modern greats. So, what’s not to love?

Stop might sound similar, but that’s in the composition’s best interest. It touches on the things that made artists like Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, and Dua Lipa so listened and expands on that in AJ’s own twist. It’s a marriage of ideas that makes for a highly replayable, addicting track.

Author: Nicholas Gaudet

Music producer and writer from Dieppe, Canada.