UK soul act Jungle def know how to give the people what they want. The group delivered some old school charm at The BRIT Awards by dropping not only a hypnotising performance of “Back on 74”, but also by recreating the iconic dance from the music video. The nostalgic tune broke the band commercially after going viral on TikTok, which was aided by the sensual retro dance in the bridge. “Back on 74” took off even further after The BRIT Awards performance, which gained 4.5 million views on YouTube.
“Back on 74” is a compelling evocation of the heyday of soul music, led by an entrancing vocal performance from Lydia Kitto, who was only a fresh recruit to the band at the time. The band lay down an authentic vintage funk groove throughout, featuring some flawless backing vocals, with the arrangement leading to the highlight of that famous dance routine from 1:45 onward. The Music Man loves a good throwback to the ‘70s, and Jungle sure can do it in style.
Jungle uploaded their BRIT Awards appearance to YouTube on March 3, 2024, and it became their most popular live performance. Viewers gave plenty of praise below the video, adding comments such as “I’m so glad that they got the dancers as well! The singing and dancing are absolutely perfect. Man, what I would pay just to see this live.” and “That anticipation, that moment you realize they’re actually going to recreate the video. Absolute magic.”
If you haven’t seen the music video for “Back on 74”, it’s definitely worth a watch. The clip features memorable choreography provided by Shay Latukolan, Lars Bohte, and Oriane Serveille. The first half of the video features several small group dances before leading up to the famous group dance that kicks off from the two-minute mark.
Jungle released “Back on 74” on July 28, 2023, as the fourth single from their fourth album, Volcano. Jungle fans among The Music Man readership may recall that the London-based trio had found some success as an album-oriented group right from the start of their career. However, a global hit single had eluded them until the release of “Back on 74.” The song was Jungle’s first Platinum single, and it gained that certification not only in the UK but also in the US, Australia, and New Zealand. Jungle co-founder Josh Lloyd-Watson explained the origin of the song via Apple Music digital track notes, explaining that “74 is a fictitious thing, but for us it’s like 74th Avenue or 74th Street or something, where, in your imagination or as a kid, you were playing out on the street. You’ve gone back to this place and it’s giving you this really nostalgic feeling but everything’s not quite the same.”