Markus Schulz, Tim Clark, and Linney channel PLUR spirit on new anthem ‘You Belong’: Interview

One of the overarching themes of electronic dance music is the concept of PLUR, which is what makes the genre stand apart from the genres of rock, hip-hop/rap, country, classical, jazz or pop. Every dance music fan knows what P.L.U.R. stands for: peace, love, unity and respect. It’s an attitude abundant on the dancefloors of the world even as the philosophy may at times seem lacking in the world of politics or everyday life. After an intensive week-long songwriting “camp” in Los Angeles, the longtime trance and progressive icon, Markus Schulz, emerged with fellow producer, Tim Clark, and singer/songwriter, Linney, with a brand-new song that’s ripe for this moment. “You Belong” carries a message that resonates from the dancefloors to the festival fields, from car stereos to the radio airwaves and it’s what’s needed, now.

We Rave You sat down for a chat with the artists to get at the story behind their latest collab ‘You Belong’:

What’s the message behind your new song, “You Belong”?

Linney: Right before we wrote “You Belong,” I had a moment where a personal setback almost kept me from performing one of my songs. A friend looked at me and said, “This is just as much your stage as it is mine. You belong here.” Those words hit me deeply — I wrote them down immediately because I knew I’d need to come back to them. In that moment, it felt like more than encouragement — it felt like a message. At its core, “You Belong” is an anthem for anyone who’s ever felt out-of-place or like they didn’t fit in. We wanted to remind people that we’re all equal here — especially on the dance floor. No matter who you are or where you come from: You belong here.

Markus Schulz: “You Belong” is a song about inclusion, regardless of what’s happening in the world. When you are at an event and find yourself on the dancefloor, it doesn’t matter what you look like or what perspectives you have. Music carries this beautiful feeling that in a particular moment, there is a sense of unity; a sense of peace and making us all belong together.

Tim Clark: For me, the broad message is that life doesn’t end at [age] 40. You can still pursue your dreams like I did. The song is also thanks to Markus [Schulz] for taking me under his wing and making me feel like I belong, despite my age. 

Can you describe what the chemistry was like when the two of you worked with Linney on what became “You Belong,” in the recording studio?

Markus Schulz: Things clicked between the three of us quite quickly, even though we come from different walks of life individually: Linney as an accomplished songwriter, me as the producer and Tim’s vision and ideas.  It essentially was a snapshot of what embodies “You Belong,” different people with different approaches, but the core of it coming together.

Tim Clark: Markus Schulz, Linney and I had real good chemistry the week we wrote this track. Markus Schulz is very knowledgeable and good at what he does, which is needed when you are in a music studio together for a week. Linney was great to work with. 

What was the process like – from a songwriting or technical standpoint — when you were formulating this song? Was there a specific mood or occasion you had in mind before you started the songwriting process?

Linney: We spent the first hour of the session discussing what kind of message we wanted to convey and how we wanted people to feel after hearing the song. Our good friend, Casey Cook, was also a writer in the room that day and we had this lyric that stuck with us: “this is for the dreamers in the dark” — whenever a lyric feels like the name of a tour, I know it’s a keeper. 

Markus Schulz: I sat down with Linney for quite a while, talking about life and the state of the world. I wanted to establish a point-of-view that we’d be writing from. The goal from the outset was for our foundation to be unified. We wrote this song from a perspective of feeling empowered. I think that was the important mood of the song. There was an almost rebellious feeling of being undeterred in wanting collective belonging.

Tim Clark: I went into this collaboration with the idea of producing a radio hit. The funny thing is, both of us have a progressive trance background, making it difficult to stay in that radio hit lane. [laughs] I had to check myself many times.

Was any one person leading the creative process?

Linney: Fun fact: We started this one with chords I was playing on the piano. And this wasn’t any old piano, mind you. We were playing Earth, Wind & Fire’s grand [piano]! We may even have a video of the first time we played it through to completion and we all got goosebumps! 

Markus Schulz: This song was a collaboration of ideas. Everyone’s ideas and contributions to this song were valuable, whether it was Linney‘s beautiful way of wording things that resonated, Tim’s vision for what he wanted to play in his sets or my technical skills. All of it played an integral part in crafting the song.

Tim Clark: To be honest, I am a DJ first, a producer second. As a producer, I’m a new producer and Markus has been producing music for 30 years, so it would be ridiculous for me not to sit back and watch a master at work. 

At a time in the music industry where the sheer quantity of music being released each week can be overwhelming, do you think “You Belong” will have longevity? 

Markus Schulz: I think the key approach is getting the message out. How long of a shelf-life this song has is determined by whether it resonates with listeners. Every production I have been involved in has had the same purpose: to create music that connects with people. The music industry is a very unpredictable thing and it’s up to the people insofar as how they receive this song. I can only make this song with all the love in my heart, and the song has to live on its own after that.

Tim Clark: I don’t worry about other people’s releases. I’m not a critic. We set out to do our very best and we hope the public digs our vibe.

Linney: I always try to approach writing in a way that hopefully leaves the world with a timeless song. But you never really know how the world will receive it. I hope we created something with a message that gives someone else a voice through song and might be something they want to share with someone else who needs it in that moment. 

Are you presenting “You Belong” as a live performance while you’re playing out? 

Linney: Markus and I performed it at Avalon early February and the reaction was incredible! They even built me a little stage to stand on behind Markus and we had a whole CO2 and confetti moment. And then last month we did it all three of us at the EDMAs event in Miami during Miami Music Week. Funny story, their outdoor stage was shut down due to a noise ordinance so we did it in an incredibly packed hotel lobby and I stood on a coffee table to sing, right after Becky Hill!

Markus Schulz: The EDMAwards performance, that was really special. There were so many, not just music fans there, but also a lot of music industry colleagues we’ve known for years. The Los Angeles performance was one of my open-to-close sets at Avalon Hollywood in February. Right now, Tim and I are playing the song in our respective live sets. We’re getting a lot of people asking what the song is. The feedback has been very good. I gave the song to Ferry Corsten several weeks ago, and he included it during his guest mix on Armin [van Buuren’s] A State of Trance (ASOT) radio show from Amsterdam. I’ve also premiered it on my weekly Global DJ Broadcast radio show that airs worldwide.

Tim Clark: Markus and I debuted the song at E11EVEN Miami on New Year’s Day, and since then, the crowd reaction has been tremendous.

What are your hopes for the song as it works its way through the music industry to other club DJs, FM radio programmers, music supervisors for TV & film, advertising agency executives and to other creatives in industries outside of music, like the consumer goods and fashion industries?

Markus Schulz: If you create songs from the heart, I truly believe the right people will hear it and appreciate it. I hope this song reaches far, because the message of “You Belong” is special.

Linney: I second this.

Tim Clark: If this song can reach someone who’s maybe in a dark place and give them hope, we will have succeeded. My absolute biggest dream? A GRAMMY® nomination.