Yell! ft Daniel James returns with Feel-Good Summer Anthem “Hands Up”
It’s gonna be a Yell! of a Summer 2026
Yell! ft Daniel James returns with Feel-Good Summer Anthem “Hands Up”
David Warren an editor and author for Pop Expresso. Reach out at david@popexpresso.com
Following a successful run of spring performances across the UK, Daniel James has headed back into the studio with the newly reformed Yell! ft Daniel James to record a brand-new summer banger co-write with production team W*A*R*D.
Their latest single, “Hands Up,” is an infectious guitar-driven feel-good anthem packed with energy, positivity and singalong hooks. From the very first beat, it’s impossible to stand still, and if the accompanying video is anything to go by, everyone will have their hands in the air.
The official music video was filmed over several months as the band travelled the British coastline, performing at seaside venues around the country. At each stop, the cameras captured not only the live performances but also the fun, laughter and adventures that came with life on the road.
As you will see, several loyal Yell! fans even joined Daniel and the band on the beaches to become part of the video.
Away from the gigs, filming the video & seaside adventures Daniel has also been hard at work in the studio. Two more brand-new tracks are already recorded and waiting in the wings, while he has also been invited to record a song for an upcoming feature film, making this one of his busiest and most exciting years to date.
With new music, more live shows and plenty more stories waiting to be told, Yell! ft Daniel James are ready to show everyone how to keep their Hands Up this summer.
Our word
The new song from Yell! featuring Daniel James is an infectious track built around an instantly memorable hook. Clocking in at just under two minutes, it leans into high-energy dance-pop driven by clean, modern production. While Daniel James has released several great songs over the last few years featuring pristine composition, “Hands Up” immediately distinguishes itself. It utilizes a magical pop formula that effortlessly pulls the listener into a sing-along chorus. This track proves that James is successfully reaching both nostalgic fans of the classic 1980s and ’90s eras, and younger audiences who consume shareable music online. “Hands Up” could easily serve as the perfect template for a new collaborative EP, which would undoubtedly delight long-time fans while winning over plenty of new ones.
Watch the video for “Hands Up” by Yell ft. Daniel James
Shooting the video for “Hand’s Up”
Of course, no video shoot would be complete without a little unexpected drama…
One piece of footage that won’t be making the final edit features Daniel discovering the hard way that not all beaches are created equal. While taking what he thought was a leisurely stroll along the coastline after the tide had gone out, he suddenly found himself knee-deep in quicksand. The harder he tried to escape, the faster he sank. Thankfully, the camera crew reacted immediately, abandoning filming duties to pull him to safety before the day’s shoot turned into an unplanned documentary. For a few nerve-racking moments, Daniel genuinely had his “Hands Up”—although this time it was less choreography and more a desperate request for assistance!
The excitement didn’t end there….
During another video shoot at a live performance, Daniel somehow managed to become accidentally locked inside his dressing room just moments before going on stage. As the intro to “Hands Up” echoed around the theatre, his frantic shouts went completely unheard over the music. With no other option, he squeezed through the dressing room window, sprinted around the outside of the venue, charged through the audience and made it onto the stage… only to realize he’d left his microphone safely locked inside the dressing room.
Thankfully, the audience enjoyed the unexpected entrance almost as much as the performance itself.
Daniel James and the Yell! success
Daniel was the founder member of 90’s band Yell! who were Simon Cowell’s first ever boy band signing, signed to his label Fanfare Records in his pre-Britian’s Got Talent days.
Yell! took over the UK charts and went on to have worldwide hits with Instant Replay, Let’s Go Round Again & One Thing Leads to Another. Touring Europe and The Far East and hitting No1 in Japan.
By the time Yell! hit the UK Top 10, they were appearing on hundreds of TV shows and magazine covers. Some of the most memorable appearances include the iconic Top of The Pops, a very cheeky introduction by Michaela Strachan on The Hit Man and Her with Pete Waterman (as seen on Daniel’s Sizzle reel), a performance on the This Morning map in the Liverpool Dock plus several stints exercising with Mad Lizzie on TV AM – one of which ended with them almost splitting their pants!
Daniel has also carved out a respectable acting career, scoring guest lead roles in major TV series including Casualty, Bad Girls, The Last Tango in Halifax, Doctors, Eastenders and Coronation Street.
Daniel’s passion for singer/songwriters has led him to host his own worldwide syndicated 2-hour Radio Show Bangers and Chat. In these shows Daniel plays hits from the 70s,80s,90s, and 2000’s. He has unearthed some amazing stories about how these hit songs came about. The next logical step was a series of television interviews with artists discussing their careers. To date these have included Suzi Quatro, Rozalla, Aswad, Fun Boy Three, Debbie Campbell, Mica Millar and P.P. Arnold
Listen to “Hands Up” on Spotify
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