The Acapella-First Build of Don’t Let Them Win by Yiannis Chrysanthou, and How to Hear It
The Acapella-First Build of Don't Let Them Win by Yiannis Chrysanthou, and How to Hear It
A London Singer and a Former Media Records Arranger Turn Division Into a Europop Chorus
In 1994, Media Records in Italy hired Massimo Paramour as a keyboardist and arranger for its dance acts. Thirty-two years later, that arranging sits under Don’t Let Them Win, the new single from London singer-songwriter Yiannis Chrysanthou. The method is simple: Chrysanthou writes and sings first, and Paramour builds the club track around the raw acapella.
Yiannis Chrysanthou’s Don’t Let Them Win is now in our Dance Pop, Vocal House, Pop Dance playlist below, and the full run of coverage sits on his artist profile. The single reached this desk through PopHits.Co Music Charts, which verifies independent artists and places their releases across its network of music news sites. Hit play first, then keep reading for how the track was built.
A Media Records Arranger, a Raw Acapella and the Chorus Hook That Drives Don’t Let Them Win
Start with the label. Producer Gianfranco Bortolotti ran Media Records and formed the Eurodance group Cappella in 1987. Their biggest hit, U Got 2 Let the Music, reached number two in the UK in 1993. Bortolotti was also part of 49ers, an Italian house act fronted by vocalist Ann-Marie Smith. At Media Records, Paramour co-wrote and arranged songs for both acts.
Paramour, born Massimo Braghieri in 1969, now lives in London. He came to dance music from the organ bench, with a master’s degree in organ and composition from 1991. Later he remixed Jimmy Somerville and Baby D, according to his Beatport biography. In other words, he knows how an arrangement carries a vocal hook.
On Don’t Let Them Win, released on 11 September 2026, the order of work runs the same way. Chrysanthou writes the lyric and records the vocal first. Paramour then builds a vibrant, club-ready arrangement around that raw acapella. The pair have made five albums together this way, so the routine is well practised.
The hook is a soaring chorus, set over driving dance rhythms with bright pop vocals on top. It is catchy by design. The melody does the persuading, and the message follows.
Listening for the Acapella Under the Arrangement
In an acapella-first build, the arrangement exists to answer the singer. That is the first thing to listen for. Notice where the vocal sits in the mix, and how the production leaves room for it. Then follow the chorus, because that is where the record asks for a dancefloor.
A Three-Minute Europop Single About Division, and the Details to Listen for on Don’t Let Them Win
Chrysanthou wrote Don’t Let Them Win about the modern climate of division and polarisation. The lyric bites, but the message underneath is solidarity. So the song asks listeners to dance and stand together at the same time.
The structure keeps to pop discipline. The single runs to three minutes and three seconds, and it carries a strong Europop feel. As a result, it suits commercial vocal dance playlists as well as club sets. Apple Music credits the composition to Chrysanthou, and the release carries his own YiannisMusicNow label line.
Years & Years, Becky Hill, SG Lewis and the Listener It Is Made For
Three British acts frame it well. Years & Years, the London electropop band formed in 2010, topped the UK chart with King in 2015. Chrysanthou has also covered Dizzy, Olly Alexander’s 2024 Eurovision song for the UK, on his YouTube channel.
Becky Hill brings the vocal-dance side. Her Gecko (Overdrive) with Oliver Heldens reached number one in the UK in 2014. She then won Best Dance Act at the Brit Awards in 2022 and 2023. Meanwhile, SG Lewis, the Reading producer behind the 2021 album Times, has worked with Robyn, Dua Lipa and Jessie Ware.
So who is it for? Listeners aged 18 to 45 and over who follow commercial vocal dance and high-energy electronic pop. That audience sits in the UK, across Europe and beyond. Fans of a big chorus with a point to make will get the most from it.
Chrysanthou is no newcomer. Spotify carries six albums under his name, among them Depth Of My Design, Lasting Impression and Hope & Healing. The singles Feel Good, Now That I and Euphoric came before this one. He also works as a live singer across London, Essex and Kent. His YouTube channel mixes originals with covers of George Michael, Lady Gaga and Greek and Cypriot songs.
From the ElectroPop.News curator team: “The smart move on Don’t Let Them Win is the order of work. Write it and sing it first, then build the club track around the voice. That keeps a political lyric at the front of a dancefloor record, where it is hardest to ignore.”
Stream Don’t Let Them Win on Apple Music. Follow Yiannis Chrysanthou on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Instagram and the YouTube channel.
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The Acapella-First Build of Don’t Let Them Win by Yiannis Chrysanthou, and How to Hear It