The Motto

The Motto is an unapologetic celebration of hedonism, materialism, and the "work hard, play hard" mentality. At its core, the song encapsulates the desire to release inhibitions and immerse oneself fully in the nightlife experience. The explicit meaning revolves around a specific code of conduct for the night: spending money ("drop a few bills") and celebrating with alcohol ("pop a bottle"). It serves as an anthem for escaping reality through extravagance and high-energy social interaction.

Implicitly, the song touches on themes of confidence and self-empowerment. Ava Max's delivery is assertive and commanding, suggesting that "The Motto" isn't just about spending money, but about owning the space one occupies. The reference to being "gold like C-3PO" suggests a feeling of being untouchable, shiny, and valuable. It reflects a modern pop culture trope of equating self-worth with visibility and luxury.

Furthermore, the song captures the post-pandemic zeitgeist of late 2021. Released as the world was reopening, it tapped into a collective longing for social gatherings, dance floors, and the chaotic energy of a night out. The lyrics suggest a fear of the buzz wearing off ("Don't feel the same when you're far away"), highlighting a dependency on the collective euphoria of the club environment to feel truly alive.

The narrative opens with an immediate assertion of dominance and high value, as the protagonist compares their entrance to something iconic and gilded, specifically referencing a famous golden droid to emphasize a dazzling, robotic perfection. There is an urgent energy established right from the start, setting the stage for a night defined by extravagance. The lyrics quickly establish a philosophy—a "motto"—that dictates the night's actions: the liberal spending of money and the celebratory act of opening champagne bottles. This ritual is presented not just as a habit, but as a rule to live by within the context of the club scene.

As the story progresses, the narrator describes a state of intoxicating momentum. There is a sense of being untethered and elevated, fueled by the atmosphere and perhaps substances, as they mention hopping into a vehicle and speeding through the city. The connection to a partner or the crowd is visceral; the narrator expresses a dependency on this proximity, suggesting that without this specific energy or person, the high fades and reality becomes less vibrant. They describe a physical sensation of being overwhelmed by the rhythm and the lifestyle, caught in a loop of seeking the next peak experience.

The retelling continues with a focus on timeless celebration, invoking the spirit of late-90s party culture to suggest an apocalypse-level intensity to the festivities. The protagonist commands attention, demanding that the music and the mood be intensified. Throughout the narrative, there is a recurring theme of wealth display—throwing currency and consuming luxury goods—serving as a shield against the mundane. Ultimately, the story is one of uninhibited hedonism, where the only goal is to maintain the euphoria of the moment, surrounded by the gold standard of nightlife, refusing to let the energy die down until the very end.

The Motto was released on November 4, 2021, as the third single from Tiësto's album Drive. The collaboration brought together the legendary Dutch DJ/producer Tiësto and the American pop sensation Ava Max. The track was produced by Tiësto alongside Peter Rycroft, known professionally as Lostboy. The songwriting credits are extensive, including Tiësto, Ava Max, Lostboy, Claudia Valentina, Pablo Bowman, and Sarah Blanchard.

According to Tiësto, the creation of the song was driven by a desire to close out 2021 with a massive party anthem. He stated in press releases that as the world was opening up, he wanted to provide a soundtrack for people to return to the dance floor. Ava Max expressed excitement about the collaboration, noting that it was a dream to work with Tiësto.

The song was accompanied by a high-budget music video directed by Christian Breslauer. The video premiered simultaneously with the song and features a narrative set in the 1920s with a twist, showing the duo in a hotel setting where Ava Max plays a character disrupting a formal event, further emphasizing the theme of shaking up the status quo.

The song employs a simple but effective rhyme scheme designed for maximum catchiness. In the chorus, the dominant rhyme is the "-otto" / "-ottle" sound (Motto/Bottle), which is a near rhyme that works perfectly within the rhythmic structure. The verses utilize an AABB structure with varying internal rhymes.

Rhythmically, the vocal delivery is highly syncopated, particularly in the verses, where Ava Max chops the syllables to lock in with the bassline. The tempo sits around 120 BPM, the industry standard for house music, creating a steady, marching momentum. The interplay between the vocal rhythm—which is punchy and staccato—and the sustained bass notes creates the groove that drives the track forward.

Musical Techniques:

• Slap House Bass: The song is defined by its driving, resonant "slap house" bassline, a signature style of Tiësto's recent work (similar to "The Business"). This creates a deep, thumping rhythm that commands physical movement.
• Vocal Contrast: Ava Max utilizes a lower, sultry register in the verses to build tension, switching to her signature powerful belt in the chorus. This dynamic shift mirrors the "drop" in the music.
• Four-on-the-Floor: The drum pattern is a classic dance beat, ensuring the song is optimized for club play.

Literary Techniques:

• Simile: The comparison to C-3PO is a humorous and memorable simile that hooks the listener immediately.
• Repetition: The phrase "That's the motto" is repeated as a mantra, reinforcing the song's central thesis through hypnotic reiteration.
• Imagery: Visual words like "gold," "bills," and "bottle" create a cohesive aesthetic of luxury.

"The Motto" solidified Tiësto's resurgence in the commercial pop-dance space following the massive success of "The Business." It became a global hit, charting in the Top 20 in the UK and reaching the top of the US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs charts. The song found immense popularity on TikTok, where the "That's the motto" drop was used in millions of videos showcasing transitions, luxury lifestyles, and dance challenges.

The track is significant for successfully bridging the gap between underground slap house aesthetics and mainstream radio pop, further popularizing the genre in the US market. It remains a staple in gym playlists, club sets, and party compilations, representing the post-lockdown era's desire for fun.

The lyrics of "The Motto" utilize modern pop culture imagery and classic status symbols to convey its message.

• C-3PO: The most distinct simile in the song, "Coming in gold like C-3PO," references the droid from Star Wars. This symbolizes being conspicuous, valuable (gold), and perhaps having a rigid, perfected exterior that deflects negativity. It associates the narrator with pop culture royalty.
• Popping Bottles: A classic metonym for celebration and wealth. It represents the climax of a party and the release of pressure (literally and metaphorically).
• 1999: The line "Party like it's 1999" is a direct allusion to Prince's hit song. It serves as a metaphor for partying as if the world is about to end, emphasizing urgency and total abandon.
• Gold: Recurring imagery of gold (bills, C-3PO, champagne) symbolizes the peak of success and the desire to be surrounded by opulence.

The central hook, "That's the motto," serves as the anchor of the song. Its repetition transforms a simple party instruction into a lifestyle declaration. This phrase acts as the "call" while "Drop a few bills then pop a bottle" acts as the "response," providing the definition of the motto.

Musically, the deep, plucked bass motif repeats throughout the track, only dropping out during the pre-chorus to create a "lift" before crashing back in for the chorus. This musical recurrence provides the hypnotic foundation necessary for trance-like dancing.