Jordan Paul Rousseau and Dean Rivers’ latest single, “The Need,” arrives as a standalone country ballad and the musical centerpiece of JUSTCAVALLI’s Fall/Winter 2025 campaign. Released on September 5th, the track has got Rousseau’s acclaimed sonic world-building alongside Rivers’ lyrical storytelling talent to create a cinematic piece.
Rousseau, best known for his atmospheric compositions across film and fashion, takes a more stripped-down route here, keeping some of his signature dreaminess. Meanwhile, Rivers leans into his Americana roots as he trembles between fragility and resolve, giving the song its raw, aching core.
“The Need” comes glistening with guitar strums that shimmer out of a fog, setting a hushed, fragile tone. Rivers’ vocals enter softly, blurred and slightly distorted, as if they’re reaching you through a half-remembered dream. It’s still intimate, as the sensitivity and vulnerability can be heard in his rich voice.
As the song drifts forward, the slower beats slide in halfway through, grounding the track without ever weighing it down. It’s more heartbeat than drumbeat, steady but subtle, letting the ambient haze linger. By the time the final chorus arrives, Rivers’ voice soars a little higher, layering over itself in a vulnerable and triumphant way. The sound builds not into something anthemic in spirit, before fading back into the quiet, leaving behind the echo of longing.
More than just an artistic tie-in, “The Need” is a meditation on yearning itself, through love, belonging, and home, all suspended in a dreamlike country soundscape that bridges the personal and the cinematic.
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Review by: Naomi Joan