The Aces are back to set pulses racing with their most confident single yet, ‘The Magic’. Check out the latest cover story for our New Music Friday playlist edit, PLAY.
Words: Stephen Ackroyd.
In the heat of a Dallas afternoon, The Aces are currently gearing up for yet another electrifying performance. Probably. We’ll level with you, Dear Reader – we aren’t actually there with boots on the ground, the budget wouldn’t stretch to flights to the good ol’ U-S-of-A, but they have a well-known habit for This Kind Of Thing. The alt-pop quartet, currently on tour supporting Goth Babe, are riding high on the release of their latest song, ‘The Magic’ – a track that marks a bold new chapter in their musical odyssey.
“It’s one of the first songs that we wrote after the I’ve Loved You For So Long tour,” explains Cristal Ramirez, the band’s lead vocalist and guitarist. “We kind of went into the studio, and we just wanted to write a sexy kind of ‘it’ couple anthem.”
This desire to create something unapologetically confident comes as part of a shift for the Utah-born band. Known for their introspective lyrics and ear for an alt-pop bop, The Aces have spent the better part of a decade honing their craft. With ‘The Magic’, though, they’ve embraced a more assertive, playful sound. It’s a strutting, disco ball bowling serve – something undeniably different but also inescapably brilliant.
“We wanted to give ourselves and other queer people an anthem for being the power couple in the room or being in the cool friend group,” Ramirez continues. “Just that anthem that’s going to give you that confidence, make you feel like you’re the shit, make you feel sexy, make you and your partner feel sexy.”
This newfound confidence is palpable in the track’s sultry lyrics and infectious groove. Ramirez particularly relishes one of the song’s more provocative lines: “She likes my jet-black hair and my hands up her skirt” – something she proudly describes as “saucy”.
“I think it’s taken a while,” Ramirez reflects on the band’s journey towards this kind of empowered, fizzy faire. “It just takes growing up to learn how to talk about different topics in your own voice. And I think for a while, when we were younger, we didn’t know how to write overly positive, confident, happy songs.”
This struggle to find authenticity in positivity is a common one for young artists, particularly those who cut their teeth in the often angsty world of modern discourse and the salty side of the pop circus. For The Aces, the ability to write a song like ‘The Magic’ represents not just a musical evolution, but a personal one as well.
“We are definitely gonna put out more music. We’re not really sure if that’s gonna be an album”
“I don’t know why that was. Every time we would try, it didn’t really feel like us. It felt kind of, I don’t know, cheesy or something,” Ramirez admits. “I think getting older, you get to know yourself better. You start having more confidence and feeling better in your skin. And yeah, ‘The Magic’ just came out really naturally. I feel like we’re ready to write about being hot and sexy and cool.”
This readiness to embrace their sexuality and confidence is particularly significant given the band’s background. Formed in Provo, Utah, a predominantly Mormon community, The Aces have had to navigate the complexities of growing up queer in a conservative environment. Their journey from those early days to their current status as proud, out artists has been a central theme in their work, particularly on their 2023 album ‘I’ve Loved You For So Long’.
With ‘The Magic’, the band seem to be moving beyond introspection and towards celebration. The track’s disco-infused sound and unabashed sensuality feel like a declaration of arrival – The Aces are here, and they’re ready to party.
“It just felt fun,” Ramirez says of the decision to release ‘The Magic’ as their next track. “Like everything we’re doing right now is just really unserious and fun and meant to be enjoyed. And I think ‘The Magic’ just, it was a really special one. Like when we wrote it, we knew it was special.”
This sense of fun extends beyond the recording studio and onto the stage. The band has been road-testing ‘The Magic’ on their current tour, and the response has been electric. “It’s a very sexy song. I love that. I think it’s really fun to perform live,” Ramirez enthuses.
When asked to put together a playlist around ‘The Magic’, Cristal’s picks sum up exactly why it’s so effective. “Probably just a lot of really good disco songs. Like an 80s pop and disco. We’d have Whitney Houston on there. We’d have Earth, Wind and Fire on there. We’d have a little bit of Prince on there. And then modern stuff. We might have a ‘Moves Like Jagger’ by Maroon 5 on there.”
“We wanted to give ourselves and other queer people an anthem for being the power couple in the room”
It’s a mix of contextual influences speaks to The Aces’ ability to synthesize various elements of pop’s rich legacy into something fresh and new. It’s a skill they’ve been honing since their formation in 2008, when the members were still in their early teens. Now, with three studio albums under their belt and an international fanbase, The Aces are poised for their biggest year yet. “The Aces are coming. The Aces are gonna take over the world. So stay tuned,” Ramirez declares with a laugh.
But what exactly does this takeover look like? While ‘The Magic’ represents an exciting new direction for the band, they’re keeping their options open when it comes to future releases. “We are definitely gonna put out more music. We’re not really sure if that’s gonna be an album. We’re not sure if it’s just gonna be song by song for now. We’re kind of in the middle of figuring all of that out,” Ramirez explains.
This flexibility is indicative of the band’s approach to their career – they’re willing to adapt and evolve, but always on their own terms. It’s an attitude that has served them well so far, allowing them to navigate the often treacherous waters of The Industry while not entirely losing themselves in the meat grinder.
As for what’s next, Ramirez keeps it simple: “Songs, songs, songs, baby. More shows, more touring. You know us. We’re always playing a show. So keep your eye out for that.”
As the sun sets over Dallas and The Aces prepare to head off to the stage, there’s a sense that ‘The Magic’ will be an important waypoint for the band. Though they’ve always been capable of penning an earworm or a sleek, keep-it-on-repeat gem, there’s a hundred-mile-high confidence to their latest turn. Whatever follows, one thing’s for sure – The Aces are already casting their spell. ■
The Aces’ new single ‘The Magic’ is out now. Follow Dork’s PLAY Spotify playlist here.
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