German producer Topic has had impressive success in his musical career thus far, and that success continues to shine with his new track, “Breaking Me.” Emotional and painful lyrics paired with an uplifting and positive sound makes this release something everyone can enjoy and relate to. We had the opportunity to talk with Topic just ahead of its release.
Festival Squad: I have had ‘Breaking Me’ playing on a loop the last few days. It’s definitely one of those tracks that gives you one feeling when you simply hear the song and then a totally different feeling when you really listen to it. It’s been described as “a meeting point between heartbreak and zestful beats.” I couldn’t have said it any better. Can you walk me through a bit of the inspiration and creative process of ‘Breaking Me’?
Topic: Thanks for the support! The description of the song really is on point. I like to describe my own musical style as “melancholic dance music” – which the song represents perfectly.
We had two songwriting sessions. The first one was in Berlin, where we came up with the initial idea, but we got stuck so we decided to work on it on another day. We didn’t work on the track for almost 2 months then. Until we decided to work on it on a songwriting trip in Miami. Thats where the magic happened!
FS: And how exactly did A7S come into the picture to join you for this song?
Topic: A7S is actually an artist, who wants to remain anonymous at the time being. That in itself is interesting because I like the mysteriousness around it. I heard him on another song and wanted to work with him immediately.
FS: You have tons of impressive collaborations. Jake Reese, Nico Santos, Ally Brooke, René Miller, and obviously the most recent, A7S, are just a few to name. What are some of your favorite aspects of working together with another artist as opposed to working alone?
Topic: With all honesty – I totally can’t sing – if there weren’t the other incredible artists, there won’t be any songs to publish or just instrumentals, haha! Also, working with such talented artists really inspires me and is then reflected in my music.
FS: Any artists you’re dying to collaborate with?
Topic: There are a few, but there is one who stands out particularly. I would really like to collaborate with Jon Bellion in the future – he is a musical genius!
FS: Your music seems to really be a hit in the shuffle dance community, which is no surprise with the energetic sounds you produce. That’s gotta be such a cool feeling seeing all these people create dance videos with your music. What went through your mind the first time you ever saw someone post a video shuffling to one of your songs?
Topic: The first time I ever saw someone post a video shuffling to one of my songs was just baffling. Mainly because it’s hard to understand how someone can move so extraordinarily at such high speed – it’s amazing! Especially because I can’t dance AT ALL. Some people express themselves through dance and I do through music, it’s just amazing when it’s combined.
FS: If you could go back in time to when you first started getting into music and tell your younger self something, what would you tell him?
Topic: I’m quite happy how things have worked out and how I handled things in the past. But there is one thing I’d like to tell my younger self: “You will have setbacks from time to time, but just keep going. Persistence is the key!”
FS: Dropping a song so close to the end of the year… to the end of the decade more so, is a huge power move. I assume this is just scratching the surface as to what we can expect from you in 2020. Any sneak peeks you can give us as to what you have coming up this year?
Topic: There is a lot I have coming up in 2020, but above all there will be more gigs. I’m currently working on developing a signature sound for the upcoming live shows and festival season. I want something for the crowd to go crazy for!