Cheap Dopamine Is the Pop-Rock Country Crossover You Didn’t Know You Needed

What do you get when a rock frontman and a country crooner from the East Coast join forces?

Apparently, a dopamine-packed pop-rock anthem that hits harder than your morning coffee and sweeter than your favourite guilty pleasure. Cheap Dopamine, the latest collaborative single from Andre Pettipas and Halifax-based country artist Taylor Jensen, is a sonic rollercoaster packed into 2 minutes and 40 seconds of earworm-worthy melodies, slick production, and vocal chemistry that feels both effortless and electric.

Don’t let the song’s runtime fool you — Cheap Dopamine wastes no time delivering its hook. It’s lean, it’s polished, and it’s layered with the kind of musicality that makes you want to play it again the second it ends. With influences ranging from Savage Garden and Kacey Musgraves to (my personal all-time favourites) Our Lady Peace, this genre-bending release manages to be both nostalgic and completely current. It feels like a track ripped from a ‘90s rom-com soundtrack — in the best way possible — while still tapping into modern pop and rock sensibilities.

A Collab That Just Makes Sense

Pettipas and Jensen aren’t strangers when it comes to collaborating — in fact, Cheap Dopamine was born just a few hours before their last show together. Two studio sessions and two weeks later, the final version was done and ready to soundtrack your summer. That urgency and creative spark is evident in every second of the song. It doesn’t feel overthought. It doesn’t feel manufactured. It feels right.

Andre’s production work here is a masterclass in balance. He keeps things tight and melodic, layering synth-driven textures and punchy percussion under Jensen’s vocals, giving it all space to breathe. And Taylor? She’s got that voice — the kind that turns heads within seconds. Her vocal tone is smooth and controlled, but it can rasp and break exactly where it should, giving the track both emotional depth and a strong melodic backbone.

Pettipas and Jensen confidently carve out a space in the blurred lines of pop-rock,

alt-country, and modern indie. It's sleek. It's magnetic. And it somehow feels tailor-made for long summer drives, late-night dance sessions, and the little bursts of joy we all chase in a world that can sometimes feel a little too heavy.

A Track That Lives Up to Its Name

Lyrically and sonically, Cheap Dopamine plays with contrast. There’s a tension between the addictive highs we chase and the emotional lows we try to escape, captured through shimmering production and toe-tapping rhythm. It’s dopamine in musical form — that brief rush of pleasure, that hit of euphoria — with a slightly melancholic aftertaste if you’re really listening. The title isn’t just clever; it’s lived-in. It’s honest. And it works.

The Artist Behind the Vision: Andre Pettipas’ Climb

Andre Pettipas is no stranger to crafting infectious, genre-blending music. Best known as the frontman of Andre Pettipas and The Giants, his accolades are as stacked as his live show schedule. With a career that’s spanned international showcases, festival headlines, and national chart placements, Pettipas has carved out a space for himself in the Canadian rock scene — and he’s not slowing down anytime soon.

Let’s run it back:

• 7 #1s on East Coast Countdown, including “Overtime”, “Homesick”, and “Definition of a Dweeb”

• “Sympathy Card” landed at #27 on Billboard’s National Radio Mainstream Rock chart

• Winner of the Arkells’ “Leather Jacket” golden ticket contest

• Finalist for Casino Nova Scotia’s Artist in Residence (2016)

• Showcases at Indie Week, Live At Heart (Sweden), Canadian Music Week, and ASEAN Music Showcase (Thailand)

• Jim Beam Talent Search Champions (2019, Halifax)

• ECMA-nominated two years running for Rock Recording of the Year (for No Fools No Fun and Under Control)

• “Overtime” featured during Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals in 2021; “Sin City” featured in Game 1 of 2023

• Creator of the self-produced Nova Scotia music festival Giantstock

• 183 shows across Canada in 2024, including a 15-date run with K-OS

And in 2025, Andre is doubling down on his solo career with Drejavu, his debut solo album coming soon . His recent collaboration with Jeremy Taggart (Gypsophila) earned him a CTV feature and proved once again that whether fronting a full band or co-producing genre-bending collabs like Cheap Dopamine, Andre Pettipas is a musical force.

Taylor Jensen: A Voice You Don’t Forget

On the other side of the mic, Taylor Jensen brings a Halifax-born, Nashville-ready swagger. She’s a country artist, yes — but her vocal style bends rules. She pulls from R&B and hip-hop influences, and it shows in how she phrases, how she pushes rhythm, how she carries a song. She’s one of those artists you hear once and remember forever.

And she’s no stranger to working with Pettipas — the chemistry is real, and more collabs are already on the way, including another performance at this year’s Giantstock. If Cheap Dopamine is any indication of what’s to come, you’re going to want to be paying attention.

Final Thoughts: A Hook, a High, and a Hit

Cheap Dopamine is one of those songs that defies easy categorization — and that’s exactly why it works. It’s genre-fluid but not confused. It’s emotionally sharp but fun as hell. It’s short, punchy, and addictive. It’s Andre Pettipas and Taylor Jensen at their collaborative best.

If you’re looking for your next summer anthem, this is it.

Whether you’re a fan of pop, rock, country, or anything in between — this track is your next fix.

Follow the Artists:

📲 TikTok: @apandthegiants | @itsjusttaylorjensen

🎧so Stream Cheap Dopamine wherever you get your music — and don’t say I didn’t warn you when you catch yourself playing it on repeat.