Major Lazer, MØ & DJ Snake

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Major Lazer, MØ & DJ Snake · Lean On was released in March 2015 on the label Mad Decent as the lead single of Peace Is the Mission, Major Lazer's third album. Major Lazer is the project of the producer Diplo. The singer MØ sang the melody, and the French producer DJ Snake contributed to the track. DJ Snake, born William Grigahcine in a Parisian suburb to Algerian parents, had worked his way up from graffiti artist and DJ to producer. He contributed to records by Lady Gaga, among others, and broke through in 2013 with Turn Down for What.

Music and breakthrough

Lean On became an enormous success. The track reached number four in the American Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts in nine countries. In September 2015 Spotify named it the song of the summer worldwide, and a few months later it was the most streamed title on the service to date. The video, directed by Tim Erem, was shot in India.

Influence

The track is an example of how dance music became international in the early 2010s. It blends electronic beats with influences from moombahton and from global club culture, so that it worked both in clubs and on the radio. It shows that a dance hit with its own recognisable sound can at the same time be widely shared.

Listening

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  Lean On · Major Lazer, MØ & DJ Snake, 2015
  Apple Music ↗