M-22 and Ella Henderson unleash euphoric new single Heartstrings: First Listen

When M-22 came to source the perfect collaborator for their next single, there really was only one option.

Having ruled summer '22 on Nathan Dawe collaboration 21 Reasons, David Guetta and Becky Hill team-up Crazy What Love Can Do and House Gospel Choir/Just Kiddin track Risk It All, Ella Henderson can do no wrong.

So Platinum-selling British-German DJ duo M-22, made up of Matt James and Frank Sanders, hit up Ella with an offer; to join forces on their latest tune Heartstrings.

It's a behemoth of a production glittering with huge vocal flourishes, and we've been lucky enough to get our ears around it ahead of its release at midnight, September 9.

MORE: Explore Ella Henderson's Official Chart history in full

'It's been a while. Oh darling, it's been a while and nothing's changed,' Ella sings over a building beat. 'We're down the line, the same old feelings down the line. Nothing's changed...'

In a fickle world obsessed with change, constantly craving the next fix, Heartstrings tells a tale of stability and romanticises a unity all too often taken for granted.

As we enter the exhilarating chorus - 'you keep playing on my heartstrings' - Ella delivers possibly one of her finest vocal moments ever committed to record. It's a whistle note that truly needs to be heard to be believed, and elevates the track even further.

So, how did Heartstrings come about? We caught up with Ella and the M-22 boys to get some insight into the process.

Ella, talk us through the writing of Heartstrings...

Ella: I absolutely adore the M-22 lads, they're like family to me! Writing this song with them out in Ibiza is a memory I’ll never forget, we had so much fun. I think we truly captured the heart & essence of the island as we created a piece of music that felt euphoric, anthemic yet still so classic.

Matt, Frank - the single is huge. What does this track mean to you?

M-22: This song has been our baby for a while now, so it’s a special one to us.  We wrote Heartstrings in Ibiza, which is our favourite place to be when it comes to writing our music. It was one of the most memorable trips we have had to the island. Ella flew over to join us for 2 days and we had an instant connection; Heartstrings came really fast. It was just a moment and it sort of wrote itself, but felt so euphoric and instant. That summer was one of the best we have ever had.

UK dance music's truly dominated the Official Singles Chart throughout summer 2022 - how does it feel to be part of such a thriving genre?

It’s amazing to be a part of this dance crew in the UK, and we have a lot of tunes to come. We feel can keep it going, and long may it continue! Seeing dance music being so dominant in the Official Charts and radio is really inspiring and makes you want to keep pushing the boundary.

M-22 and Ella Henderson's Heartstrings is released September 9 via EMI Records.