NOTION + Willow Kayne - 'Waiting'
After weeks of teasers across social media, the wait is finally over. NOTION and Willow Kayne have joined forces for their new single “Waiting”, an explosive dance track that balances euphoria with melancholy through entrancing vocals and cinematic-esque production.
Following the success of his remix of “These Days” last year, NOTION continues his streak of collaborating with female vocalists whose writing compliments his high-energy sound with emotional depth. Willow’s wistful lyrics and airy tone sit perfectly against the producer’s pulsating basslines, creating a beautiful tension between heartbreak and hedonism.
The track opens with a glitchy, hypnotic intro that transports listeners into a cosmic world. The kind of moment when you’re hours into a rave, lost in the music, rhythm and light. As the track builds, Willow’sfaded hook floats in: “I think we’ll be alright.” It’s both reassurance and denial, a mantra sung through romantic exhaustion. When the drop hits, the mood flips from fragile to defiant. Willow takes charge of the chaos in the song, her self-assured verse warns, “You might lose me to this party if you not gon’ show up”. This line perfectly captures the modern dance-floor dilemma of finding freedom in the aforementioned chaos.
The chorus returns stronger, looping “Alright, I think we’ll be alright,” until it becomes both mantra and release. It mirrors the inner conflict of wanting to move on while still clinging to connection, that relentless push and pull between being alone in love and being alone without it. The final drop hits hard, with Willow’s chopped, gated vocals cut against pounding drums and a deep, pulsing groove that could fill any festival tent. By the end, the song’s message is undeniable: we all crave belonging, even if it means losing ourselves in the rhythmic beat of love.
To celebrate the release, NOTION and Willow Kayne hosted a pop-up show in Shoreditch on Thursday night, marking the start of NOTION’s upcoming global tour, which will wrap in Australia in the new year. For Willow, the single marks her first release in almost a year following her critically-acclaimed Zenosyne EP, a project that showcased her sharp songwriting and production skills. With an Ivor Novello Award already under her belt, her collaboration with NOTION feels like the natural next step.
“Waiting” capitalises on the momentum NOTION has built and cements him as one of the most exciting producers in UK dance music, a master of turning heartbreak into pure, physical release.
Words by Alex Peters
