Tiesto’s The Motto: Sometimes Music is About Poppin’ Bottles and Bad Decisions

Ok. Let’s get it out of the way. This track’s lyrical depth makes BLACKPINK’s Pink Venom look like Joni Mitchell’s Case of You. That is to say, it has as much lyrical depth as the ingredients list of Count Chocula cereal. However, sometimes I am looking for that in a track. Not every track needs to feel like going to The Louvre. Sometimes you want to be irresponsible, stay up way too late and spray champagne all over yourself.

From what I can gather, The Motto is all about popping bottles, driving in cool cars, going to neon clubs and doing things you will regret in a matter of hours. That’s it, but that’s enough. Blowing money, doing drugs, getting lit and laughing in the face of life’s responsibilities is “the motto.” It is this live minute by minute mantra that feels like a throwback to the dance / rave music of the 90s. It may seem like vapid pop nothingness, but that is the point. This is a track you use to live in the moment and not reflect on the human condition. I think that’s why I’m drawn to it.

Dance / club / EDM is a blind spot for Cigar Jukebox, which is why I find this track for refreshing. The beat is what really carries this track. You get sucked into this vortex of hedonism, robotic synth, bass and electro keyboard hits. Much like the whiskey they are throwing back with no chaser, this track goes down easy. More than a song, this track is a vehicle for dancing, fun and bad decisions. Having said that, the track has this steely synth note that gives it a darkness that hints at future consequences for this Caligula – like weekend of unbridled excess. For me, these dark notes gives the track enough conflict to be a touch more than a typical dance track.

In fact, there is an air of darkness that hovers over Tiesto’s entire Drive record. It is not enough to kill your buzz or ruin the party, but just enough to remind you what you are trying to forget amongst all that sex and drugs. Moreover, I just have a soft spot for tracks that overtly reference popping bottles. I don’t know why, but I love it when people pop bottles in songs. Now, tracks like 10:35 are vastly more developed than The Motto, but sometimes music is about being reckless.

Listen to The Motto