One Liner: Dancehall EDM from Diplo and many friends
Poster Position: Late addition!
Weekend One for Now.
Friday at 6:10
Thoughts: Super late addition to the poster - and while it isn't my thing, I have to say that I am impressed that they were able to throw in a good artist right here at the end after Kali Uchis bailed on them. Did you happen to see her non-apology? Someone was like WTF man, and she said "oh it's a festival not my show &festival lineups r subject to change and there was a lot of reasons my show wasn't gonna be able to happen there tho logistically it didn't work out & I can't ignore the logistics." That makes it sound like she was never actually coming. I also don't like that she sounds like she is talking shit about festivals int he first place. Turd. BUT, I will say that both of my girls were excited when they heard that Major Lazer was the replacement. So, that is cool.
Anyway, this is Diplo. Yes, there are some other people who supposedly contribute, but this is Diplo. Who was here last year, and also played the Two Step Inn in April. And this Major Lazer brand was also here in 2014 and 2016. So, the ACL people must have a good relationship with him or his manager to where they can just ask him at the last minute to give up his Friday night.
I was not terribly impressed at the 2014 listen. That hasn't changed much over time. You've probably heard a few of his tunes, as they are those now-ubiquitous electronic dance songs with Caribbean flair that are suddenly very popular. This isn't as bad as Kygo, but its right there in the same wheelhouse. Apparently, this group started out as Diplo with Walshy Fire and Switch. Switch was replaced with Jillionaire, who was later replaced with Ape Drums. Which is, mmmmmkay.
His most popular track has over 1.8 BILLION freaking streams on Spotify, which is absolutely insane. That tune features DJ Snake and MO, which may account for some of the popularity, but damn! Here is "Lean On."
Holy Hannah, that video has fucking 3.4 BILLION (yes, with a B) views. Good sweet baby Jesus in a bowl of banana pudding. What is wrong with people? Such an uninteresting song to me. I'd never try to hear it again. For second place, I serve up to you the one with 1.173 Billion streams, and then a buttload more of views on YouTube, this one is called "Light It Up," and features something called Nyla and Fuse ODG along with Major Lazer.
Another generically pleasing track - it's like it doesn't get as hyped as the other EDM that makes you want to do backflips on a trampoline made of burning diamonds, but instead it just kind of farts along with a nice rhythm, before a little synth horn tune slides out and brings you back down to the ground.
He's got a bunch of collaborators on these songs, Bieber, Wild Belle, Ty Dolla $ign, Travis Scott, Ellie Goulding (although the one with her, "Powerful," is truly bad), 2 Chainz, Ariana Grande, Santigold, Ezra Koenig, Shaggy, Bruno Mars, etc. etc. etc. Three albums (2009's Guns Don't Kill People ... Lazers Do, 2013's Free the Universe, and 2015's Peace is the Mission) and then a bunch of singles. I thought I'd enjoy this stuff a little more, but instead, none of this is really touching me. Here is "Wild Belle," I know it is nothing much for a while, but then wait for the bass to kick in.
My guess is that this is another band that would be fun to jam out to live, but just lacks any excitement when sitting here at my desk trying to divine a purpose for listening. Thankfully, being against Maggie Rogers and just before Revivalists, I don't have to make that call.
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