Watch Rêve write an '80s synth pop song about taxes
The series Ten-Minute Topline challenges musicians to make a melody in just 10 minutes
Ten-Minute Topline is a series about the art, joy and challenge of composing a melody. It's hosted by Eve Parker Finley, a Montreal musician, comedian and TikTok sensation who has racked up millions of likes on the platform. Watch past episodes on CBC Music's YouTube channel.
On each episode of Ten-Minute Topline, host Eve Parker Finley gives a musician 10 minutes to compose a melody and lyrics — a.k.a. a topline — to a backing track on a topic chosen at random. In this episode, Finley challenges Toronto-based, Montreal-born pop and dance music artist Rêve to write an '80s synth pop song about taxes. The Juno-winning singer has had a fast rise since the release of her breakout single "Ctrl + Alt + Del" in 2021, which has garnered millions of plays and views since.
Rêve is poised to be the next star of Canada's dance music world, so '80s synth pop is right in her wheelhouse, but making a catchy tune about taxes? Now that's a challenge. Riffing on the idiom "nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes," she pens an earworm-y hook that has diva-esque vocals reminiscent of Cher.
Watch the episode above to see Rêve's 10-minute creation, and learn about her writing method of "copy-pasting [ballads] on to dance tracks."