B-Side Guys

Clichés become clichés for a reason. Joveth’s February 2025 single “Money Can’t Buy Happiness” takes a well-worn adage and transforms it into a pulsing electro-pop revelation that somehow manages to feel both familiar and revelatory—much like the truth it explores.

Released as a strategic bookend to the singles campaign for his forthcoming EP “Lonely Boy” (arriving in April), the track serves as both introduction and conclusion to Joveth’s artistic statement. This circular positioning reflects the song’s thematic exploration of success’s paradoxes—the perpetual tension between material achievement and emotional fulfillment.

The production immediately establishes this duality. Pristine electronic elements create a sleek, commercial soundscape that seems to celebrate the very materialism the lyrics question. This intentional contradiction creates the track’s essential tension—the music embodies the glossy allure of financial success while the message dismantles it. Dance-ready beats invite physical engagement even as the lyrics prompt deeper reflection.

What elevates “Money Can’t Buy Happiness” beyond mere platitude is how it’s clearly informed by Joveth’s remarkable personal journey. Having traveled from his Filipino-Swedish roots to America before age 20, inspired by a James Blunt concert, Joveth brings authentic perspective to questions of what constitutes true value. The song functions as both cautionary tale and celebration—acknowledging material temptations while redirecting focus toward emotional authenticity.

Most compelling is how the track balances dance floor accessibility with emotional depth. Joveth’s vocal delivery shifts between detached observation and intimate confession, mirroring the listener’s likely oscillation between external success metrics and internal satisfaction markers. This vocal journey complements the production’s evolution from straightforward dance-pop to more textured, contemplative passages.

As an entry point to “Lonely Boy,” a project Joveth describes as chronicling “toxic relationship, alcohol abuse, and battling my own demons and the trauma I was affected by,” this single provides context without overwhelming. It establishes the framework for the personal excavation to come while remaining self-contained in its exploration of success’s hollow promises.

“Money Can’t Buy Happiness” ultimately succeeds by transforming potential preachiness into earned wisdom—the difference between reading a bumper sticker and hearing from someone who’s lived the lesson. Joveth has crafted a contradiction worth dancing to, and in doing so, delivers something genuinely valuable.