Armin van Buuren, Ben Hemsley and Lucy Pullin Unite for ASOT 2025 Trance Anthem, Is It Beautiful?

Published on Thursday, 13 February 2025 15:45

The walls between classic and contemporary trance come crashing down in "Is It Beautiful?," the first-ever collaboration between pioneering producer Armin van Buuren and genre innovator Ben Hemsley.

Together with singer-songwriter Lucy Pullin, they bridge generational gaps while answering their own titular question with a resounding yes. A masterclass in emotional crescendos, the track is out now via van Buuren's Armada label after a teaser in the A State of Trance Year Mix 2024.

The production delivers that signature trance euphoria but with Hemsley's contemporary touch adding extra bite to the low end. Meanwhile, Pullin's vocals float like vapor through the mix, her questioning lyrics echoing the spiritual yearning that defined trance's golden age. When she asks "Is it beautiful?" it feels less like a question and more like a meditation on the genre's evolution.

To that end, the new single marks the official anthem for A State of Trance Rotterdam 2025 and embodies the event's "Transformation" theme, which "celebrates innovation and evolution within the genre," according to Armada. The festival is scheduled for February 21-22 and will feature both Hemsley and van Buuren along with performances by Ferry Corsten, Adam Beyer, Agents of Time, Giuseppe Ottaviani and more.

Listen to "Is It Beautiful?" below and find the new single on streaming platforms here.

Follow Armin van Buuren:

X: x.com/arminvanbuuren
Instagram: instagram.com/arminvanbuuren
TikTok:tiktok.com/@arminvanbuuren
Facebook: facebook.com/arminvanbuuren
Spotify: spoti.fi/2WHsl2t

Follow Ben Hemsley:

X: x.com/benhemsley
Instagram: instagram.com/benhemsley_
TikTok: tiktok.com/@benhemsley
Facebook: facebook.com/BenHemsleyMusic
Spotify: tinyurl.com/2h4uezzv

Follow Lucy Pullin:

Instagram: instagram.com/lucyapullin
Facebook: facebook.com/lucyannepullin
Spotify: tinyurl.com/3nxpwxam