English singer-songwriter James Bay recently teamed up with American electronic music producer and DJ Marshmello and Swedish DJ and record producer Alesso for their collaboration “Chasing Stars.” The song and accompanying music video was released on August 20, 2021.

The music video follows Bay as he explores a video rental store, picking videos off the shelf as he sits in the back of the store watching them nostalgically. The videos feature a woman, an ex-lover as the lyrics suggest. Bay eventually starts taking videos off the shelf when a bright light seeps through the empty spaces, he continues to take more and more videos off before entering the light. He appears on the beach with the woman from the videos and he is seen once again in the store, except there are no walls, just the sand and sea. 

The song is energetic with a sense of nostalgia and yearning for a different time. Bay’s vocals are emotional yet optimistic. The lyricism clearly depicts a romantic relationship, one that once had a fiery spark and passion, but it fell apart over time. For example, “Memories like freight trains hit me/ I replay to keep you with me/ Better to have had than not at all.”

Alesso is scheduled to play at Electric Zoo 2021 later this year on September 3. Electric Zoo recently announced that they will be requiring proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 diagnostic test in order to attend. Many other venues and festivals are also implementing safety policies such as mask mandates in order to slow the spread of the virus.