Jonas Blue decided not to overburden his debut with stellar guest vocalists in case their celebrity overshadowed the songs, preferring to focus just as much on rising talent. That’s not a pressing concern for many artists making their first album, but it underlines the Essex-born DJ/producer’s all-star standing in UK pop. Born Guy Robin, he took a Scandinavian-sounding stage name in a nod to Swedish super-producer Max Martin—and has displayed songwriting talent to match ever since a tropical reworking of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” gave him a platinum-selling debut single in 2015.

Here he continues to mix the sparkle and swells of dance music with irresistible pop melodies, relaxing his door policy for A-List features from Liam Payne—over the R&B-flavored “Polaroid”—and Joe Jonas on the lovestruck disco-funk of “I See Love.” But some of Blue’s most emotive performances come from emergent singers, including Lagos-born Londoner Moelogo (the yearning “We Could Go Back”) and Canadian R&B up-and-comer Jessie Reyez (“Wherever You Go”).