In these last couple years, Major Lazer has evolved from the esoteric days of “Pon De Floor” to crafting the most-streamed song of all time, selling out massive shows, and ushering in a new era for an entire country. Now, the acclaimed trio made up of Diplo, Jillionaire, and Walshy Fire, has evolved once again to stay ahead of trends, this time enlisting the help of Nicki Minaj and PARTYNEXTDOOR.
Titled “Run Up”, Major Lazer’s new single is a departure from the typical dancehall we’re used to hearing, and its Afrobeat influence might just be the next big thing.
“I’ve been listening to a lot of African and Afrobeat music and I work with a lot of writers from there, like Wizkid. We’re trying new styles. We did a dancehall sound on every album and pushed [that genre] forward a little bit and then in the last year, everybody’s done dancehall. It’s time for us to do something different.”
It’s refreshing to hear their thirst for exploration hasn’t waned, and surely the rest of the material written for Music Is The Weapon will be just as innovative, but Diplo isn’t convinced that an album release is the right move. He believes that singles hold more power than an entire LP, and we’d be fools to disagree. In today’s music landscape, when a single song such as “Lean On” can dominate for months on end, the allure of an album just isn’t what it used to be. Still, Diplo has stated one condition that would force Major Lazer to consider releasing a full-length album.
“Yeah, we have enough songs [for an album] but I don’t think people digest our music like that. The last record went gold but it took a year and a half to do that. It was crazy. [Laughs] It’s the singles that keep us rising and get more people coming out to our parties. But if we put out four songs that go Top 5, then I’ll put the album out.”
Source: Entertainment Weekly | Image via Rukes.com
