Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last six months, by now you’ve probably heard Major Lazer‘s latest hit with Justin Bieber and MØ, “Cold Water.” The song topped Spotify’s global 200 chart last summer, while its lyric video has garnered over 500 million views on YouTube. Considering the heavy exposure “Cold Water” has achieved, it’s hard to imagine how it could slip out of anyone’s memory, but that’s exactly what happened to co-writer Ed Sheeran. 3b2k6a

In a new interview with Billboard, the singer-songwriter revealed that he actually forgot that “Cold Water” was one of his songs until it became a hit. The tune was apparently drafted with producer Benny Blanco at a time when the two were cranking out tons of new material, and by the time Diplo reached out to Sheeran about producing “Cold Water,” the vocalist had already forgotten that it existed.

“Cold Water” was a weird one because I didn’t even know that song existed. It was a song I must’ve half-written somewhere at a time where I was writing a lot of songs and I did it at Benny Blanco’s house and then I got an email from Diplo just being like, ‘Yo! That ‘Cold Water’ song is dope! Can I have it?’ And I was like, ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about,’ so I just didn’t reply.

Blowing off a hitmaker like Diplo is funny enough in its own right, but the producer apparently managed to get his hands on the song anyways, and it wasn’t until it topped the charts that Sheeran ed his role in its creation.

And then the song came out and it was number one and I was like ‘Oh, that song!’ I doing it, but it was really, really slow. I hearing it and being like ‘That kind of sounds like me. Oh wait, it was me.

It’s hard to imagine forgetting a song like “Cold Water,” the hooks of which are firmly implanted in the minds of anyone with a radio, but when you’re as busy as Ed Sheeran it’s a bit more understandable.

Back in September, Major Lazer and Showtek teamed up to deliver “Believers,” a hard hitting collaboration that struck a balance between trap and dancehall. The two musical forces have ed up again this week to offer up an official music video for the tune, which takes a stance on the current state of affairs in Syria.

The concept for the “Believers” video draws inspiration from the Syrian conflict, specifically the infamous image of Omran Daqneesh, which depicted the young boy covered in ash and rubble after he survived an air strike attack. The video follows a young boy and juxtaposes shots of his family and community against imagery of destruction and mayhem.

Compared to previous Major Lazer videos, the clip for “Believers” is far more emotionally and politically charged than we might have expected. Director Christopher Louie, the man behind Netflix’s EDM film XOXO, revealed in a quote that Diplo and Showtek member Sjoerd Janssen contributed heavily to the video’s concept.

Like everyone in the world I was heartbroken by that image [of Omran Daqneesh], but I also saw a glimmer of hope. As dark as the subject matter is, the point of our “Believer” video was to capture the resilience of youth and the hope displayed by communities coming together to save victims from the rubble. If it wasn’t for the from Sjoerd of Showtek and guidance from Diplo and his creative director Sara, this video would not have turned out as emotionally powerful as it has.

Major Lazer revealed late last year that Music Is The Weapon, the follow up to 2015’s Peace Is The Mission, will be released this month. Stay tuned for that, and check out the “Believers” music video above.

Hot on the heels of their smash hit with Justin Bieber on “Cold Water” from earlier in the year, Major Lazer have returned to offer up their latest single, a collaboration with Bad Royale titled “My Number.” The new song sees the trio embracing their dancehall roots after the more pop oriented sound heard on “Cold Water,” with a reggae-infused trap outing fit for the festival scene.

“My Number” kicks off with a sample of Toots and the Maytals’ “54-46 That’s My Number,” before diving into dub territory with twangy guitar riffs and upbeat rhythms. Major Lazer and Bad Royale really get wild in the drops though, as booming 808s pound out enticing rhythms set against snaking synth leads and chopped up vocal samples.

While we’ve seen Major Lazer branch out into pop to great success in recent memory, it’s always great to get some more dancefloor oriented material from them, and “My Number” is a win in this category.

In related news, the trio recently revealed that their next album, Music Is The Weapon, the follow up to 2015’s Peace Is the Mission, is set to arrive in early 2017. We’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for that, so stay tuned for more information as it arrives.

It feels like it’s been a while since we heard anything about Music Is The Weapon, the planned follow up to Major Lazer‘s 2015 hit album Peace Is The Mission. Thankfully, Diplo is finally breaking his silence on the topic. Speaking with Billboard at the AMAs, the producer offered up some new details about the future of his dancehall trio and fans will be excited by what he has to say.

Major Lazer’s next album will finally be arriving in the first month of 2017, with the group’s collaboration with Nicki Minaj and Partynextdoor slated to be released on January 6th ahead of the LP. In addition to that single, the trio have another forthcoming collaboration scheduled for release around the same time, though no details have been revealed at this point.

If that weren’t enough to get you pumped, Major Lazer will also be teaming up with Protoge on a holiday themed record titled “Merry Christmas Tree,” which is due out sometime before Christmas. Lastly, Diplo broke the news on a new single with Bad Royale, which was previewed on Beats 1 following the announcement.

With a new record arriving early next year and plenty of singles planned to keep us busy until then, the future is certainly looking bright for Major Lazer fans.

Despite first making a name for himself as a mashup/remix artist, Kap Slap has been steadily revitalizing his brand over the last year while putting his production skills to the test on efforts like his collaboration with M. Bronx on “Felt This Good.” While he’s quickly becoming known as a talented producer in his own right, Kap Slap has offered up a new mashup this week that will blow your mind.

As a mashup artist, Kap Slap’s forte has always been to merge top 40 pop with dance music trends, and his latest effort is no different as he combines The Chainsmokers’ “Closer,” Major Lazer’s “Cold Water” with Justin Bieber, Gnash’s “i hate you, i love you” and ODESZA’s “White Lies.” The result is an effortless merging of the aforementioned songs with a forward thinking sound, driven by a variety of catchy vocal takes layered over dreamy synths and upbeat rhythms.

While the mashup became a bit overused over the last several years, it’s great to see that there’s still some originality to be breathed into the genre, and Kap Slap definitely delivers with “I Love Closer Water.” The disparate tunes are expertly blended into a cohesive whole, and the new mashup is the perfect way to bring the weekend to a close.

Earlier in the month, Diplo revealed that his dancehall trio Major Lazer would be releasing an Indian version of their latest hit, “Cold Water.” The new version of the familiar tune was released in conjunction with Diwali, or the festival of lights, an annual Indian tradition that celebrates the triumph of good over evil. Now that the celebration is complete, the new rendition of “Cold Water” has hit the internet for streaming.

The Diwali rework of “Cold Water” sounds about how you’d expect, as Major Lazer fill the backdrop behind Justin Bieber’s vocal hooks with traditional Indian instrumentation. The remix opens with a stunning string section and Bieber’s voice, soon ed by tabla percussion and exotic flute sounds that bring an Eastern edge to the tune. The new sound selection suits “Cold Water” well and the results are definitely interesting to hear.

To coincide with the Diwali version of the single, Diplo also took to Twitter to announce that Major Lazer will be releasing new music in Janaury. Fans have been waiting for the follow up to 2015’s Peace Is The Mission for a while now, and it looks like Love Is The Weapon will be out at the beginning of next year.

New major lazer comes out in January https://t.co/4xrbYJzojN

— kodak white (@diplo) October 29, 2016

Major Lazer scored a massive hit this summer when they released “Cold Water” with Justin Bieber and MØ. Following up on a phenomenal 2015 that saw the dancehall trio’s “Lean On” dominating the air waves, “Cold Water” went on to top Spotify’s global top 200 chart, while becoming the subject of remixes from Gucci Mane and Afrojack. Now, the group’s leader has revealed another version of the song.

Diplo took to Twitter yesterday to announce that “Cold Water” will be receiving an Indian rework in the near future. This new version of the hit single will feature Indian singer and composer Anirudh Ravichander, who has been rumored to have had a hand in the creation of the original song. It will be released to help celebrate Diwali or the festival of lights, an annual festival that symbolizes the triumph of good over evil.

Got an indian version of cold water by @anirudhofficial to release for the Festival of Lights day #Diwali. Soon come ??

— Harambeyonce (@diplo) October 12, 2016

While Diplo‘s Tweet merely states that the new version of “Cold Water” is coming soon, it doesn’t reveal an actual release date. That being said, Diwali 2016 just so happens to occur on October 30, so fans can expect the Indian remix of “Cold Water” to drop sometime before the end of the month.

Major Lazer are back today with a new single titled “Believer.” Following up on the tremendous success of their previous effort, “Cold Water” with Justin Bieber, the dancehall trio are back at it again, this time teaming up with Showtek to deliver their latest collaboration.

“Believer” kicks off with a plucked melody and reggae style vocals, layered over ambient pads and half time rhythms. As the song begins to wind up, electrifying synths start to play an energetic melody as rising percussion pushes it forward into a trap drop, complete with hard hitting 808 beats. A sinister motif repeats throughout “Believer,” which grows gradually more and more spastic moving towards the end of the track, culminating with a wildly unexpected hardstyle drop.

Compared to their more pop oriented efforts like “Cold Water” and “Lean On,” Major Lazer craft a festival leaning track on the new Showtek collaboration. “Believer” touches on a number of different genres, ranging from dancehall to trap and hardstyle, and they gain points for trying something different.

“Believer” is available now and can be purchased here.

Major Lazer have been riding high on a wave of success following the release of their latest single “Cold Water,” a collaboration with Justin Bieber that has gone on to top Spotify’s Global Top 200 chart, while enjoying plenty of radio success as well. While a lyric video was put together for “Cold Water” around the time of its release, the dancehall trio has delivered an official music video this week to accompany the single.

The official video for “Cold Water” focuses on the behind the scenes lifestyle of a major DJ group as the trio travels the globe on tour. Diplo, Walshy Fire and Jillionaire all appear in the video, with candid footage capturing the group backstage hanging with their dancers, on planes mid travel and performing in front of packed crowds, all shot in stark black and white.

The new “Cold Water” video is a serviceable effort with plenty of tour footage for fans to enjoy, but the lack of a visual concept and vocalist Justin Bieber points to a low budget production. Major Lazer would have been wise to work the pop star into the music video, as the singer currently holds down three of the 27 YouTube videos that have cracked a billion views and would probably have helped to drive more traffic to it. Either way, fans will probably flock to stream the “Cold Water” video now that it’s been released.

Back in July, word got out that Major Lazer’s latest hit single “Cold Water” with Justin Bieber would be receiving a proper flip courtesy of Gucci Mane. After a few weeks of waiting, the Atlanta rapper’s version has now hit the internet for streaming, giving us a full listen to the remix.

Gucci Mane’s take on “Cold Water” features some light production changes as well as an added rap verse by the man himself. Justin Bieber and MØ’s catchy vocal hooks from the original version still remain prominently placed throughout the new remix, while the rapper’s presence on the track offers up some diversity to its overall sound.

While Gucci Mane’s take on “Cold Water” isn’t much of a departure from the original and is closer to an edit than a full on remix, fans will enjoy the variation regardless. There haven’t been too many remixes of “Cold Water” just yet, but now that Gucci Mane‘s is out, perhaps we can expect more to come in the near future.

In just a few short weeks since its release, Major Lazer’s collaborative single with Justin Bieber, “Cold Water,” has experienced massive success. While it took three months for “Lean On” to reach the top of Spotify’s global chart, “Cold Water” sured that milestone just four days after its release, and the song just continues to gain in steam.

While we haven’t seen to many remixes of the single just yet, Dutch producer Afrojack recently debuted his own flip of “Cold Water” during a liver performance. Taken from his set at Weekend Festival Baltic, a new video clip has surfaced that features Afrojack’s unreleased remix, which gives the dance pop effort a future bass re-imagining.

We’ve only heard a small portion of the remix so far, but we’re already impressed with the direction Afrojack has taken it in. It offers up a sharp contrast to the bulk of his past work, and we’re definitely looking forward to an official release.

When they aren’t busy dropping chart topping hits like “Cold Water” with Justin Bieber, dancehall trio Major Lazer can be found at a slew of headlining festival appearances. One such performance took place at Lollapalooza’s 25 anniversary edition over the last weekend, where the Diplo led dance music outfit dropped a DJ set before the massive crowds.

Complete with a jaw dropping visual show and a crew of on stage dancers, Major Lazer unloaded over an hour of expertly curated music for the Lollapalooza crowd, dropping in a number of their biggest hits in rapid fire fashion. Diplo, Walshy Fire and Jillionaire continually hype up the crowd throughout the performance with vocal commands and spoken interludes, and the whole show goes down as a frenzy of energy.

In what was undoubtedly one of the biggest moments of Lollapalooza, Major Lazer prove why they’re one of the biggest acts in the dance music scene with an unforgettable performance packed with epic music and top notch showmanship.