"Blow That Smoke" | ||||
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Single by Major Lazer featuring Tove Lo | ||||
from the album Major Lazer Essentials | ||||
Released | October 17, 2018 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:42 | |||
Label | Mad Decent | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Major Lazer singles chronology | ||||
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Tove Lo singles chronology | ||||
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"Blow That Smoke" is a song by American electronic music group Major Lazer featuring Swedish singer Tove Lo, released on October 17, 2018, as the seventh and final single from Major Lazer Essentials, released two days later. It was premiered on Zane Lowe's show on Beats 1. [1] It marks the first collaboration between the group and Lo.
"Blow That Smoke" is a tropical dance and electropop song rooted in Afropop with elements of dancehall and reggaeton. [2] [3] [4] [5] Tove Lo said she and the group "had a few sessions and tried to find more days together, but we're never in the same place long enough to actually make it work", so she sent Diplo her vocals for a song, which he liked and put to a track. Lo told Zane Lowe that she later heard the finished version of the song, which had been sped up about 10 BPM from what was a "very slow, moody song to begin with". [6]
Billboard 's Marina Pedrosa called the song a "tropical dance anthem" as well as an "electropop tune" containing a "sultry beat with a dash of reggaeton" that Lo's "angelic voice" sings lyrics like "I got the keys to heaven now/Babes all around and they got my mind spinning" over. [2] Mike Wass of Idolator positively contrasted the song with Lo's solo material, noting that on "Blow That Smoke" it sounds like she is having fun. Wass also stated that the song "sounds like a hit" and said Lo "coos over a mellow, island-inspired beat". [3]
Writing for Dancing Astronaut , Chris Stack named it a continuation of Major Lazer's recent output "celebrating their Afrobeat roots" and also judged it had a "sultry island beat". [4] Patrick Doyle of Rolling Stone felt that the song had "Afropop roots" as well as being a "bouncey stomper with a West African guitar riff and heavy groove". [7] Winston Cook-Wilson of Spin named it a "Caribbean-flavored track that fits with Major Lazer's usual stylistic M.O. more closely than Tove Lo's usual, more acerbic sensibility". [8] Jael Goldfine of Stereogum said it "might just be the lowest-key song either artist has ever made". [9]
Both Lo and Major Lazer announced on social media that they would be releasing a collaboration in the same week, with Lo calling it a "sweet surprise" and sharing a snippet of the track. [3]
Chart (2018–19) | Peak position |
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Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [10] | 42 |
Bolivia (Monitor Latino) [11] | 20 |
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) [12] | 25 |
Slovakia (Rádio Top 100) [13] | 54 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [14] | 71 |
US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs ( Billboard ) [15] | 21 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [16] | Gold | 20,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Major Lazer is an American electronic dance music and DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. They were founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving after three years in 2011. He was then replaced by both Jillionaire and Walshy Fire. In June 2019, Jillionaire left the group and was replaced by Ape Drums. Their music spans numerous genres, mixing reggae with dancehall, reggaeton, soca, house and moombahton.
"Not on Drugs" is a song by Swedish recording artist and songwriter Tove Lo for her debut extended play Truth Serum and her debut studio album Queen of the Clouds, both of which were released in 2014. It was co-written by Lo together with its producers, Alx Reuterskiöld and the Struts. The recording premiered on 24 February 2014 on Swedish radio station P3 as a promotional single from Truth Serum. It was also released as part of Queen of the Clouds however it is not considered part of the promotion for the record, since its other scheduled releases were cancelled in order to promote "Talking Body", the album's second single.
"Bubble Butt" is a song by American electronic dance music trio Major Lazer featuring American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars and American rappers Tyga and Mystic from the trio's second studio album, Free the Universe (2013). It was written by Major Lazer members Diplo and Switch alongside the featured artists. The production was handled by Major Lazer and Valentino Khan. The remix was released as the album's fourth single on May 24, 2013, for digital download and appears on the album's extended version. The remix version also features verses from American rapper 2 Chainz. Musically, it is an electronic dance, hip hop, and dancehall track with lyrics implying that girls twerk and show off their giant buttocks.
Queen of the Clouds is the debut studio album by Swedish singer Tove Lo, released on 24 September 2014 by Island Records. The album follows her first extended play Truth Serum (2014) and includes the successful singles "Habits " and "Talking Body". Lo worked with several writers and producers such as The Struts, Klas Åhlund, Alexander Kronlund, Alx Reuterskiöld, and Captain Cuts. Musically, Queen of the Clouds is primarily a electropop, dance-pop and synth-pop record. Lyrically, the album's themes center on the stages of a relationship, including passion, love and break-ups.
"All My Love" is a song by American electronic music project Major Lazer featuring vocals from American singer Ariana Grande. It was released on 13 November 2014 as the fifth song from the soundtrack for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014). The song was written by Grande, Lorde, and MØ with production handled by Boaz van de Beatz, Jr Blender and Diplo. It is an electropop and dance-pop song with elements of dancehall. "All My Love" received positive reviews from music critics who complimented the track's production.
"Cool Girl" is a song recorded by Swedish singer-songwriter Tove Lo for her second studio album Lady Wood (2016). Lo co-wrote the song with its producers Jakob Jerlström and Ludvig Söderberg, who are known collectively as The Struts. The track was released for digital download and streaming on 4 August 2016 as the album's lead single. It was released to contemporary hit radio stations in the United States on 23 August and three days later in the United Kingdom.
"Say My Name" is a song by Swedish singer Tove Styrke from her third studio album Sway (2018). It was released as the album's lead single on 28 April 2017 through Sony Music. The song was written by the singer, Elof Loelv and Tinashe "T Collar" Sibanda, with production by Loelv. "Say My Name" is a minimal electropop song with a prominent ukulele riff that Styrke convinced Loelv to integrate as a central part. She described the song as musically and lyrically different from the material of her previous studio album Kiddo (2015), and explained that working with Loelv helped her evolve her sound.
"Dark Side" is a song by American singer and songwriter Phoebe Ryan. It was released on February 3, 2017 as the intended lead single off of her forthcoming debut studio album through Columbia Records, though it was later scrapped. The single was written by Ryan along with Elof Loelv and Jason Gill, who have collaborated with artists such as Tove Lo. The track was recorded in Sweden.
"Disco Tits" is a song by Swedish singer-songwriter Tove Lo. It was released on 7 September 2017 as the lead single from Lo's third studio album, Blue Lips, and it was her first release after the short film Fire Fade. The song was released on Spotify a week prior to the song's official release, but was removed soon after.
"Cycles" is a song by Swedish singer-songwriter Tove Lo, from her third studio album, Blue Lips. It was released on 17 November 2017 as a promotional single. It was written by Tove Lo, Joe Janiak, Ludvig Söderberg and produced by The Struts. Lyrically, it talks about being trapped in a never-ending relationship loop. A music video directed by Malia James was released on 4 December 2018.
"Changed My Mind" is a song by Swedish singer Tove Styrke from her third studio album Sway (2018). The song was written by the singer, Elof Loelv, Michael Trewartha, Kyle Trewartha, Kathryn Ostenberg, and Linnea Södahl, with production by Loelv. It was released as the third single from the album on 2 February 2018, through Sony Music. The synth-pop and tropical house song includes dancehall influences and vocoder effects. Its lyrics detail an on-again, off-again relationship where the singer changes her mind about her partner.
Turn Off the Light, Vol. 1 is the second extended play by German singer-songwriter Kim Petras. It was released on 1 October 2018 through her own label, BunHead. Petras began promoting the EP in mid-September, posting heavily edited photos to Instagram of herself, according to Paper, "styled as a sexy dead Victoria's Secret angel/Hades side-chick/goth middle schooler's notebook-doodled fantasy. She later posted to Twitter that she "[couldn't] wait to share" a collaboration with Elvira. Three vinyl LP pressings were released on 20 September 2019: a "pink and white galaxy swirl" and a clear vinyl, which were exclusive to Urban Outfitters in the US, and a neon pink pressing which is a general retail release. The songs from the EP were incorporated into the full-length follow-up Turn Off the Light, which was released as her second mixtape one year later on 1 October 2019.
"Te Guste" is a song recorded by Puerto Rican-American pop singer Jennifer Lopez and Puerto Rican reggaetón/urbano artist Bad Bunny. It was written by Lopez, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Xavier Semper and Edgar Semper, Luian Malavé, Edgar Andino, Noah Assad, Juan Frias, Héctor Ramos and Armando Lozano. The song was released as a single on November 9, 2018.
"Insomnia" is a song by American singer Daya, released as a single on March 8, 2019, through Interscope Records. The song was produced by Oscar Görres, and its music video was released on March 26, 2019. It peaked in top 15 in Czech Republic and Norway.
"Glad He's Gone" is a song recorded by Swedish singer Tove Lo for her fourth studio album Sunshine Kitty (2019). It was released worldwide on 31 May 2019 and serviced to American contemporary hit radio stations on 18 June 2019 by Republic Records as the album's lead single. The song was written by Lo and its producers the Struts and Shellback. "Glad He's Gone" is an electropop, pop and ambient pop song with lyrics featuring Lo looking out for and talking to a friend who has a demanding boyfriend.
"Hate Me" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding and American rapper and singer Juice Wrld, released as a single on 26 June 2019 through Polydor Records. It was premiered by Zane Lowe as his Beats 1's "World Record" on Beats 1 on 26 June. It was included on Goulding's fourth studio album, Brightest Blue (2020).
"Sweettalk My Heart" is a song by Swedish singer-songwriter Tove Lo. It was released as the fifth single off of her fourth studio album, Sunshine Kitty, on 18 September 2019 for digital download and streaming. It is an electropop composition with influences of dancehall music. Upon release, the song received positive reviews from music critics, who complimented its production and lyrics. It received a music video, as well as a lyric video.
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Dancehall pop is a sub-genre of the Jamaican genre dancehall that originated in the early 2000s. Developing from the sounds of reggae, dancehall pop is characteristically different in its fusion with western pop music and digital music production. Dancehall pop is also different from dancehall in that most songs use lesser Jamaican Patois in lyrics––allowing it to be globally understood and consumed. It also incorporates the key pop music elements of having melodies, hooks, and the verse-chorus format. Additionally, the genre moves away from the reggae and roots reggae music origins in social and political protest, now lyrically centering on partying, dancing, and sexuality.