“Cake By the Ocean”
Writers: Robin Fredriksson, Mattias Larsson, Joe Jonas, Justin Tranter
Original Release Date: September 18, 2015
Get ready for the summer with this super dance-y (and somewhat racy) jam from a Jonas brother.
Led by everyone’s second favorite Jonas (don’t argue with me, you know everyone loves Nick the most), DNCE serves up a sweet tune that, like a slice of moist chocolate cake, hits the spot. It’s one part mainstream pop, one part slinky dance floor tune. And with lines like “let’s lose our minds and go fucking crazy”—plus, you know, the fact that lyrically it’s quite sexual—you wouldn’t necessarily expect it to be penned by a former Disney star.
Side note: if I start a petition asking Beach Weather to cover this song, will anyone else sign it??? Because that’s something I need/want to hear.
Fortunes gives the song a more aggressive treatment: their guitars are heavier and their voices are deeper. Rather than hand-clapping, it invites you to start a circle pit, especially in the guttural second verse. If the DNCE original is a rich chocolate cake, this version is one of those combinations that shouldn’t make sense together but is still delicious—like bacon and maple syrup, or marshmallows and whisky. This is a cover that could easily fit into the next Punk Goes Pop volume, right after a metalcore version of the new Harry Styles song.
Fortunes’ cover is something I’d be more likely to listen to during the fall, because of its heavier nature. So for now, with summer right around the corner, the original DNCE version delivers the right amount of sunshine to my day.
