"Don't Stop Movin'" is a 1996 song recorded by Italian electronic music group Livin' Joy. It was the follow-up release to their previous single, "Dreamer", which had been a big number-one hit in the UK. The song peaked at number-one in Italy, and on the Eurochart Hot 100, it reached number 12. In the UK, the single had its release on 15 June 1996, a whole year after the success of "Dreamer". It went straight in at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart, where it spent seven weeks in the Top 10 and a 14 weeks in the Top 100. It ended the year in the United Kingdom as the 34th biggest selling single of the year. The single was a turning point for Livin' Joy, ushering in a new vocalist after the group failed to reach a deal with Janice Robinson, the original vocalist on "Dreamer". Tameka Starr was to front the group from this point on. The frantic synths and beats of the song are sent in with Tameka's powerful vocals and she delivered an uplifting message over the clunking energetic beat. One of self-assurance, self belief in order to succeed and achieve.
Critical reception
from Billboard commented that the new singer of the group "has the pipes to make this happy-house anthem work". He noted that the song "has a lot of pep and radio-friendly energy". Music & Media described the track as a "bouncy number ready for embrace", adding, "The ingredients: a pounding beat, assured female vocals and a strong chorus. Radio should take notice." Pop Rescue noted it as "the motivational poster of 90s dance music". They added that Starr "makes light work of the lyrics with her powerful vocals." Dave Fawbert from ShortList noted the song as "one of those brilliant ‘90s follow-ups-to-a-hit-that-is-basically-the-same-but-not-quite-as-good-but-that-basically-means-it’s-still-brilliant. Coming after ‘Dreamer’, it fulfilled its mission perfectly."
Livin' Joy
Singer Tameka Starr herself changed up the way Livin' Joy functioned as a group. Previously Janice Robinson was the soulful sultry powerhouse vocalist whose strengths also included songwriting. But Starr a prolific song writer herself, took it a step further and added choreography to her performances. Like all the previous pan-European dance acts before Livin' Joy, they finally had a face for the band that could deliver an all round performance. However Livin' Joy never managed the same level of success from their first two singles, with their next few releases achieving lower chart positions. Tameka Starr is still part of the entertainment industry today and has her own Entertainment agency in Atlanta Georgia, U.S.A.
