The anniversary version of “How You Love Me” with Bright Lights marks the end of the 3LAU project’s over a decade-long run, but he isn’t going anywhere.
As the EDM boom was swelling to its largest size over a decade ago, Justin Blau, aka 3LAU, was finding his footing in the scene. Known for his early mashups that married tracks that helped define that era, he began to soar to even greater heights after winning one of Tiësto’s remix competitions. The following years saw him release on labels ranging from Revealed and Dim Mak to Anjunabeats and his own label, Blume, turning heads along the way.
During this time, in 2014, 3LAU dropped a hit tune with Bright Lights, “How You Love Me.” This pop-fueled electronic tune solidified his place in the scene, quickly finding a home in his sets and those of his contemporaries. Now, a decade after its release, 3LAU has dropped a fresh version of the hit single along with news that this will be his final song under the alias.
In an Instagram post announcing the end of the project, 3LAU shares some insight into his past, stating that when he began producing, all he wanted to do was “create someone else’s favorite song.” He wanted others to feel the same magnetism of some of his favorite artists—Radiohead, Sigur Rós, Avicii, and Eric Prydz—when listening to his tunes.
Yet that path wasn’t always clear, as some twists and turns happened along the way. “As the 3LAU project developed, I made a lot of creative choices for the sake of ‘success’ – whatever that meant,” he continued. “Maybe it was being more well known, maybe it was making more money, but the idea of ‘making it’ was more in focus than making music for myself.”
While the release of “How You Love Me (Anniversary)” might mark the end of 3LAU, it won’t be the end of Justin Blau making and releasing music. He quickly stated he wouldn’t be going anywhere and teased that he had been sitting on an “enormous amount of new music.” “When that starts to come out, under an ever so slightly different alias, I hope you’re still listening,” he said to close.
Listen to the anniversary version of “How You Love Me” on Spotify or your preferred platform, and stay tuned for more from Justin Blau by following him on social media.
Stream 3LAU, Bright Lights – How You Love Me (Anniversary) on Spotify:
