With the release of his latest EP, Love Elektrik, in September, Nashville-based pop artist Anthony Rankin created a simmering brew of sugary pop melodies, pristine production, and soulful vocal theatrics. But as that release was only the first in a proposed series of interrelated Love Elektrik EP’s, Rankin is far from resting on his laurels. In fact, the next installment, Love Elektrik #2, is due out in early 2014. Having already established himself in the country-pop field with tracks that broke the Top 1o0 of the national Medibase Country charts, his crossover to polished dance pop might seem at first to be a bit odd, but as you hear his new songs and feel the beating heart beneath them, you begin to understand that they’re not so dissimilar after all.
For our first glimpse into Love Elektrik #2‘s dancefloor world, Rankin has chosen the vibrant, pulsating beats of “Phoenix In Vegas.” The technicolor rhythms and chromatic heartbeat lead you through a gossamer pop landscape of iridescent harmonies and thumping percussion. The track is all surging synthetic momentum and cascading vocals, primed for the club but personal enough to soundtrack any late-night drive through the heart of the titular city. Rankin effortlessly switches between arena bombast and more intimate feelings at a moment’s notice, but he’s most comfortable ascending skyward, never resting until he’s well past the rafters and out into the blinding sunlight.
Beats Per Minutes is pleased to premiere Anthony Rankin’s latest single, “Phoenix In Vegas.”
