Blinding Lights: SAB Choral Octavo
Words and music by Ahmad Balshe, Oscar Holter, Max Martin, Jason Quenneville, and Abel Tesfaye / arr. Alan Billingsley
Item: 00-PO-0006727
$2.10
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
One moment…
Description
Here's an uptempo dance single by The Weeknd that charted at number one in 34 countries, including the U.S. and Canada. This throwback hit has mass-appeal, with its effervescent electro-pop pulse and retro vibe. A neon-hued pulse-racer! This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.
Blinding Lights: SAB Choral Octavo isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.
Request This Title
Tell us you want it.
Start Your Free Trial
Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Audio
1
Audio File
--:--
0:00
0:00
Sample Video
Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Pop Choral Series
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
12
SKU:
00-PO-0006727
More about this title
About the Composer: Ahmad Balshe
Ahmad Balshe is a Swedish-Somali producer and songwriter who has shaped some of the biggest pop hits of the 2010s and 2020s. Working under the moniker DaHeartbreak, he has collaborated with The Weeknd, The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, and other major artists, bringing his signature melodic sensibility and production expertise to tracks that dominate global charts. His work on 'Blinding Lights' exemplifies his gift for crafting earworm hooks that feel both contemporary and timeless.
For choral directors, Balshe's compositions offer a window into modern pop songwriting at its most infectious. His melodies sit naturally for singers and his arrangements in educational contexts maintain the infectious energy that made the original a cultural phenomenon.
Why we love this
Your singers already know this song, which means you're working with genuine enthusiasm from day one. The SAB voicing captures the propulsive energy of the original without requiring divisi complexity, and the 12-page score is economical enough to learn quickly while sustaining interest through a full rehearsal season. This is a straightforward win for building modern repertoire into your concert programming.
What to expect
Neon lights strobing in a dark room. The song moves with relentless forward momentum, built on a hypnotic synth pulse and undeniable groove. It's retro synth-pop filtered through a 2020s sensibility, and the choir arrangement captures that glittering, propulsive energy with clean harmonic support underneath an unforgettable melodic hook.
Who it's for
High school and young adult choirs seeking contemporary repertoire that connects with modern audiences. The SAB voicing makes it accessible to developing ensembles while the production quality and recognizability appeal to singers who want to perform music from their own musical landscape.
How to get the most out of it
- Anchor the pulse with your lower voices; the synth-driven backbone of the recording comes through strongest when the alto and bass lines establish a steady harmonic foundation.
- Push the tempo slightly brighter than feels comfortable in early rehearsals. This song thrives on forward momentum, and a tempo that sits at the energetic edge keeps the ensemble engaged.
- Balance soprani clarity against a thick alto layer. The sopranos carry the main melodic hook, but if altos recede, the harmonic richness flattens.
- Use the recorded accompaniment strategically during early readings to let singers internalize the groove, then gradually pull it back so the choir owns the rhythmic drive.
How to use it
Program this as a contemporary closer for a pop or secular music concert, where it can anchor a set of other modern hits or sit as a striking contrast to classical repertoire. It also works beautifully in a spring or end-of-year concert designed to celebrate what students know and love, especially if paired with other chart-driven arrangements from the Alfred Pop Choral Series.
Skills your students will build
- Singing syncopated rhythms in a contemporary pop context
- Balancing vertical harmonic clarity in a three-part texture
- Maintaining rhythmic precision and groove against electronic accompaniment
- Intonation in sustained harmonic blocks typical of modern pop arrangement