A pair of early 2000s icons have ushered in a sunny new era of music just in time for summer vacation.
Sister duo Alyson and Amanda Michalka, professionally known as Aly & AJ, released their new album “a touch of the beat gets you up on your feet and then into the sun” May 7, marking their official entrance into a more indie and alternative landscape. Commonly known for launching their music career on Disney Channel, the pair has turned a musical corner with the new record, offering a more mature and musically sophisticated sound with lyrics dedicated to life on the California coast.
“A touch of the beat” is the duo’s fourth full-length album, but in some ways, it feels like their debut. It’s an album that sounds wide open, taking up enough space to officially cement the sisters’ arrival to this new era.
With a sound AJ described as “quintessential California” in an interview with The Cut, the new album is poised to be the summer soundtrack. The singles — especially the acoustic groove of “Pretty Places,” the synth pulse of “Listen!!!,” the catchy, clean guitar licks and the steady bassline on “Slow Dancing” — sound like they’re meant to underscore a summertime adventure.
Fans like Vanessa Vazquez, a 20-year-old UF educational leadership graduate student, are making room for it on their summer playlists.
“Listening to the album once through, I can already tell that this is going to be a record that I’ll play while taking a road trip,” she said. “A lot of the songs have the perfect sound for riding by the beach or through the mountains.”
The record brings out the sisters’ discovery of a more nuanced sound, but even in earlier eras, fans noticed how Aly & AJ stood out from the crowded field of their Disney contemporaries. For listeners like Vazquez, this nonconformity instantly caught their ears.
“It was fun listening to music that wasn’t your standard bubblegum pop,” Vazquez said.
Though technically a pop group, Aly & AJ have never quite fit the label. Tracks on their debut “Into the Rush” are anchored by rock elements like live drum arrangements and power chords on distorted guitars. And though their 2007 album “Insomniatic” takes a more radio friendly route, Vasquez said the alternative edge was still a deviation from how most pop sounded at the time.
Fast forward 15 years and Aly & AJ’s music has grown up with their fans. The album references more mature subject matter, but even some of their classic cuts have received a contemporary rework. The 2007 mega-hit “Potential Breakup Song,” for example, was re-released with explicit lyrics last year, offering a risqué take on a past staple suited for teens and tweens.
The track’s subsequent ascent to TikTok virality reintroduced the duo to listeners like Reagan de la Cruz, a 19-year-old UF marketing sophomore, who first encountered them in the group’s Disney days. Though only a casual fan when she was younger, de la Cruz said their new sound led her to look more into them, eventually turning her into a full-fledged fan.
“Their sound is a lot more relatable now,” she said. “You can definitely tell their music is a lot more mature and has more of an indie sound to it.”
The pair has performed at colleges and spoke to student groups across the country to promote “a touch of the beat,” including UF’s Gator Music Industry Club (MIC).
De la Cruz, a member of Gator MIC, said Aly & AJ spoke about their shift in sound and subject matter during the conference, touching on the album’s return to the pair’s California roots and alignment with their true musical style.
“They’re making music that’s more authentic to them,” de la Cruz said.
In essence, “a touch of the beat” is a record centered on revival and encompassing a new sound to support a more introspective lyrical style. But Aly & AJ aren’t starting from scratch. With over a decade in the industry, they’ve amassed a fanbase that’s grown alongside them and their music.
Contact Heather Bushman at hbushman@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @hgrizzl.
Heather Bushman is a fourth-year journalism and political science student and the enterprise elections reporter. She previously wrote and edited for the Avenue desk and reported for WUFT News. You can usually find her writing, listening to music or writing about listening to music. Ask her about synesthesia or her album tier list sometime.
