Needshes Perfectly Capture Teenage Obsession on “Love”(premiere)

With Valentine’s Day merely hours away, and being the old romantics that we are, it seems fitting that PopMatters should be premiering a song called “Love”. However, the title is just about the only romantic thing about the Uzbekistani band Needshes‘ follow-up to their singles “Unbelievable” and “Superstar”. Rather the song focuses on the freakier side of youthful cravings – perfectly capturing those teenage, reckless obsessions and hasty decisions.

Opening with colorful, see-saw synths, the song quickly locks into a tight groove as a distorted, funky riff playfully dances around frontman Otabek Salamov’s lyrics. As well as mixing in indie, funk, and soul, Salamov finds room for more traditional instrumentation, as he explains.

“First came a beat and a guitar riff. During the grueling work session on the special project, I wanted to relax, do something else to take my mind off of it. And then, after a while, when I was going through the demos, I came across this bit. The main melody has come. And it worked really well with the beat and the riff. Initially, it was just a balalaika sound. Then with various layers and other instruments, it acquired a more multi-timbral unique sounding. And then lyrics with melody popped out. I made a recording. Sometime later, when I went to Tashkent to visit my relatives, I bought the Persian tar on the local market. And then a second hook appeared, on tar.

For anyone wanting a reminder of what it feels like to be frisky and free, it’s well worth giving “Love” a try. Happy Valentine’s Day.

“First came a beat and a guitar riff. During the grueling work session on the special project, I wanted to relax, do something else to take my mind off of it. And then, after a while, when I was going through the demos, I came across this bit. The main melody has come. And it worked really well with the beat and the riff. Initially, it was just a balalaika sound. Then with various layers and other instruments, it acquired a more multi-timbral unique sounding. And then lyrics with melody popped out. I made a recording. Sometime later, when I went to Tashkent to visit my relatives, I bought the Persian tar on the local market. And then a second hook appeared, on tar.

For anyone wanting a reminder of what it feels like to be frisky and free, it’s well worth giving “Love” a try. Happy Valentine’s Day.