English DJ and record producer TCTS teams up with Punctual and singer-songwriter Raphaella on a new powerful single ‘Love Me Or Lie’
Raphaella’s gloriously gorgeous topline captures the soul and pop edge that has made her such an in-demand vocalist, while wubby synths and punchy snares explode out of the mix. By the time the beat drops and the pitch-shifted vocals provide an addictive hook, the trio have created a crossover dance anthem that’s perfectly timed for the springtime sun.
TCTS says, “I’m so hyped to get this one out there. I’ve been a big fan of both Punctual and Raphaella for ages, and feel like we’ve made something special together here. It’s uplifting and euphoric, but can still bang on a club system.”
Punctual explains, “TCTS had showed us a version of this track and we loved the song so much that we decided to collaborate on the record, working together and getting it to a place that felt like somewhere between our two production styles whilst serving Raphaella’s brilliant vocals. We hope you love the track as much as we do!”
TCTS, having landed his first break by sending a demo to BBC Introducing, TCTS has since accumulated over 90 million career streams to date plus 1.2 million monthly listeners at Spotify. He hosts a key Friday night show at KISS FM and has remixed or collaborated with an eclectic array of artists including Ed Sheeran, David Guetta, Masked Wolf, Felix Jaehn, CamelPhat, Todd Terry, Alex Metric, and Wilkinson.
Raphaella adds, “We wrote love me or lie in the first lockdown & I recorded it in my make-shift studio in my parents living room after I had to move everything out of my studio at the beginning of the pandemic! haha it’s really about the beginning of a relationship when it feels so undeniably good when you’re together but you don’t fully trust the other person and their intentions yet and are scared to fall because they’re giving mixed signals. Love is so incredibly vulnerable and that’s what partly makes it so amazing, but ‘Love me or Lie’ is really that conversation you want to have but are maybe too scared to too soon.’
Punctual have collaborated with Kid Ink, Aluna, and Skinny Living, while producing show-stopping remixes for RAYE, Jonas Blue, and HONNE. Their collaborations outside of Punctual have included star names such as Years & Years, Steve Aoki, and Jason Derulo.
Raphaella often records and produces her vocals in her studio in Shoreditch, where she also writes with and produces for other rising artists. Her solo career highlights her mixed heritage, blending elements of UK alt-pop with experimental use of traditional Persian instrumentation.
