UK artist and producer Tyler Brooker has built a varied career since his 2018 debut “Snake Bite” – three EPs, an album, regular features on BBC Introducing in Suffolk and Essex, and a 2022 remix of “Bayraktar” that cracked the Ukrainian charts. “Step Aside,” released June 13th and signed to Deep Elite, is a noticeable shift from his usual heavy electro-house style, inspired instead by Major Lazer and built around a reggae-leaning, summer-ready beat. Tyler produced the track first and then brought in rapper PHAZE MUSIC, with whom he’d previously collaborated on “Stuck in the Middle,” to handle the vocals – the two finished the song in about two weeks. PHAZE has described the track’s intent plainly: a reminder to enjoy the summer, let go of the past, and look forward rather than back.
The most impactful element of the song is the super bright and catchy reggae rhythm; it honestly makes it quite difficult not to smile while listening to this song. The harmonic textures on their own can be cheesy, but the bouncy rhythm keeps them from being boring; they add a great balance that makes a song about positivity not sound like a nursery rhyme beat. The vocals by PHAZE have a great flow to them and a conviction that adds to the empowerment delivered by the lyrics, carrying the rap delivery with enough swagger to keep the reggaetón-leaning instrumental from feeling lightweight.
“Step Aside” succeeds at exactly what it sets out to do: produce an uncomplicated, feel-good summer record without sliding into something forgettable. Tyler Brooker stepping outside his usual lane paid off here, and PHAZE’s contribution gives the track the grounding it needed to stay on the right side of cheesy rather than over it.