When Your Song Doesn't Belong Anywhere: The Case of Dopamine Rush

As an independent artist, you're told to find your niche. Pitch your song to the right playlist. Choose a genre. Stick to the format. I tried.

When I released Dopamine Rush, I pitched it to EDM playlists. Pop playlists. Dance Pop. Commercial. Indie. But what I kept getting back was a wave of contradictions. The song was never quite right – not because it was bad, but because it didn’t fit into any one lane.

Here’s what the curators said:

"Sadly this time a bit too uncommercial for my really poppy lists."

"Too polished and commercial for our taste."

"Too electro-sounding and gives off club vibes a little bit too much for something I am looking for."

"It sounds a bit too much like 2000s EDM and is not modern enough for the sound we are curating."

"This track ends up landing somewhere between two playlists of ours, not being a strong match for either of them."

"Our playlist typically highlights a greater mix of a bit more dancy and clubby songs. As a result, we’ll have to decline this song for now."

"We are into dark, sensual slow tracks and this is a bit dance focused for us."

"Too commercial for my lists."

"You should try playlists with more Electronic influences, surely will be a better match."

So I did. And still:

"This song is not the right fit for our playlist at this time."

"I’m looking for a more upbeat sound for my workout playlist."

At first, I wondered if the song was the problem. But then I looked closer at the feedback. Because in the same breath, many curators also said things like:

"A brilliant track with a strong vocal line."

"A catchy instrumental hook."

"Great mix and production."

"The unique character of the track definitely caught our attention."

"There is a chance we might actually feature it on the radio."

So what happens when your song is too pop for EDM, too EDM for pop, too polished for indie, too alternative for commercial, too danceable for chill, and not danceable enough for the gym?

It means it belongs to something else.

That’s where Velvet Club Pop came from.

A place for music that blends genres without apology. Where a track can be sensual and intense, emotional and electronic, pop and poetic – all at once. Where contradiction is part of the DNA.

Dopamine Rush doesn’t fit. And that’s exactly why it matters.

If you’ve ever been told you’re too much of everything – or not enough of anything – maybe Velvet Club Pop is for you too.