Music Is the Weapon | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 23, 2020 | |||
Length | 33:55 | |||
Label | Mad Decent | |||
Producer |
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Major Lazer chronology | ||||
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Singles from Music Is the Weapon | ||||
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Music Is the Weapon is the fourth studio album by American electronic band Major Lazer, released on October 23, 2020, via Mad Decent. It is Major lazer's first album in five years since Peace Is the Mission (2015). [1] [2] First announced in 2015, many conflicting statements have been made about the album, with the latest reports being that it will be the final Major Lazer album. [3] It was later announced in 2019 that the album would instead be titled Lazerism, but the name was later changed back to the original title. [4] [2] It is the first album to be released after Jillionaire left the group and was replaced by Ape Drums. [5] A deluxe edition of the album titled Music Is the Weapon (Reloaded) was released on March 26, 2021. [6]
On April 27, 2015, Diplo revealed in an interview with Belgian radio station Studio Brussel that they have been working on a track with Belgian singer Selah Sue. He added that it might appear on their next album. Selah Sue herself confirmed this during an interview with Studio Brussels on May 4, 2015. [7] In May 2015, Major Lazer revealed their fourth album would be called Music Is the Weapon. [8]
A number of Major Lazer's singles released since the album's announcement have been reported to be on the album by journalists. [9] "Cold Water" was released on July 22, 2016, featuring Justin Bieber and frequent Major Lazer collaborator MØ. [10] The song received widespread airplay and made it a number one hit on the UK Singles Chart. Following the success of the song, leaked collaborations with singers Sia, Lorde and Bonnie McKee were announced, as well as teasing collaborations with former Fifth Harmony girl band member Camila Cabello and alternative R&B singer PartyNextDoor. In August 2016, the band's member Diplo teased on social media that he was working with Benny Blanco on a collab with American singer Ariana Grande, who was featured in the two short clips as well. The band also confirmed that they were collaborating with artists The Weeknd and Travis Scott. [11]
On September 30, 2016, "Believer", was released as a collaboration with Showtek. In December 2016, it was announced that a song from the album, "Run Up" featuring Nicki Minaj and PartyNextDoor, would be released as a single. Several days later, on December 6, 2016, the promotional single "My Number" was released, in collaboration with the newly formed band Bad Royale. It features uncredited vocals from Toots & The Maytals. On June 1, 2017, "Know No Better" featuring Travis Scott, Camila Cabello and Quavo, was released as the fourth single from the album. [12] Also in June 2017, Diplo stated in an interview with Billboard : "I shifted my goal to just make singles, because no one really buys our albums". [13] Despite this, outlets such as NME continued to report through 2017 that the album was scheduled for a 2018 release. [14] Reports surfaced in January 2018 that the album would be released the following March, [15] [16] but the album failed to materialize in 2018. In June 2018, the songs released until then were reportedly to be on the album, according to Forbes , but had not received official confirmation. [9] In an interview with Complex in September 2018, Diplo said that he thought the album would be released in 2019 and that it would be the last Major Lazer album. [3]
Due to the album's delay, the song "Can't Take It from Me", featuring Skip Marley, was released as the album's new lead single on May 10, 2019. [17] The album's second single, "Que Calor", featuring J Balvin and El Alfa, was released on September 11, 2019. [18] On March 18, 2020, Diplo announced that the album is complete. [19] "Lay Your Head on Me", featuring Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons, was released as the album's fifth single on March 26, 2020. [20] [1] On the same day, Diplo revealed on BBC Radio 1 with Annie Mac that the album would be released in June 2020, and that it would feature appearances such as Sia and Nicki Minaj. [21]
In a 2019 interview with Complex , Diplo revealed that the album was no longer titled Music Is the Weapon and would instead be titled Lazerism. [22] However, in September 2020, Major Lazer tweeted that the album would once again be called Music Is the Weapon with a release date set for October 23, 2020. [2] The tweet had an accompanying album artwork. The official track listing for the album was revealed on October 15, 2020. [23] "QueLoQue" featuring Paloma Mami was released as the album's seventh single on October 16, 2020. [24]
The album's release was highly anticipated by a number of music and media outlets. Rolling Stone and WhatCulture listed it on its most anticipated albums of 2017 list. [25] [26] Complex named the album their 38th most-anticipated album of 2018. [27] Idolator and Forbes also named it one of their most anticipated albums of 2018. [28] [29]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Hell and High Water" (featuring Alessia Cara) | 2:25 | ||
2. | "Sun Comes Up" (featuring Busy Signal and Joeboy) |
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| 2:39 |
3. | "Bam Bam" (featuring French Montana and Beam) |
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| 2:33 |
4. | "Tiny" (featuring Beam and Shenseea) |
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| 3:22 |
5. | "Oh My Gawd" (with Mr Eazi featuring Nicki Minaj and K4mo) |
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| 3:00 |
6. | "Trigger" (with Khalid) |
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| 2:51 |
7. | "Lay Your Head on Me" (featuring Marcus Mumford) |
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| 3:19 |
8. | "Can't Take It from Me" (featuring Skip Marley) |
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| 2:55 |
9. | "Rave de Favela" (with MC Lan and Anitta featuring Beam) |
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| 2:34 |
10. | "QueLoQue" (featuring Paloma Mami) |
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| 2:45 |
11. | "Jadi Buti" (with Nucleya featuring Rashmeet Kaur) |
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| 2:43 |
12. | "Que Calor" (featuring J Balvin and El Alfa) |
|
| 2:49 |
Total length: | 33:55 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Titans" (featuring Sia and Labrinth) |
| Diplo | 3:19 |
2. | "Diplomatico" (featuring Guaynaa) |
| Diplo | 2:24 |
3. | "Que Calor" (featuring J Balvin and El Alfa) |
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| 2:49 |
4. | "C'est cuit" (featuring Aya Nakamura and Swae Lee) |
|
| 2:36 |
5. | "Hell and High Water" (featuring Alessia Cara) |
|
| 2:25 |
6. | "Pra te Machucar" (with Ludmilla featuring ÀTTØØXXÁ and Suku Ward) |
| 2:37 | |
7. | "QueLoQue" (featuring Paloma Mami) |
|
| 2:45 |
8. | "Sun Comes Up" (featuring Busy Signal and Joeboy) |
|
| 2:39 |
9. | "Bam Bam" (featuring French Montana and Beam) |
|
| 2:33 |
10. | "Tiny" (featuring Beam and Shenseea) |
|
| 3:22 |
11. | "Oh My Gawd" (with Mr Eazi featuring Nicki Minaj and K4mo) |
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| 3:00 |
12. | "Hands Up" (featuring Moonchild Sanelly and Morena Leraba) |
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| 3:14 |
13. | "Trigger" (with Khalid) |
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| 2:51 |
14. | "Lay Your Head on Me" (featuring Marcus Mumford) |
|
| 3:19 |
15. | "Can't Take It from Me" (featuring Skip Marley) |
|
| 2:55 |
16. | "Rave de Favela" (with MC Lan and Anitta featuring Beam) |
|
| 2:34 |
17. | "Jadi Buti" (with Nucleya featuring Rashmeet Kaur) |
|
| 2:43 |
Major Lazer
Chart (2020–2021) | Peak position |
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French Albums (SNEP) [31] | 60 |
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [32] | 98 |
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard) [33] | 5 |
Thomas Wesley Pentz, known professionally as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is a co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project Major Lazer; a member of the supergroup LSD, with Labrinth and Sia; a member of electronic duo Jack Ü, with producer and DJ Skrillex; and a member of Silk City, with Mark Ronson. He founded the record company Mad Decent in 2006, as well as the non-profit organization Heaps Decent the following year. His 2013 extended play (EP), Revolution, debuted at number 68 on the US Billboard 200. The EP's title track was later featured in a commercial for Hyundai and is featured on the WWE 2K16 soundtrack.
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.
Dillon Hart Francis, also known by his alter ego DJ Hanzel, is an American electronic music producer and DJ. By deejaying and collaborating, Francis helped to popularize the moombahton genre, and in 2012 he adapted it further into moombahcore and EDM trap, giving the music a harder sound, as heard on his extended play (EP), Something, Something, Awesome. (2012). He expanded into EDM genres with his debut studio album, Money Sucks, Friends Rule (2014), which peaked at number two on the Dance/Electronic Albums chart, and shifted to Latin music with his second album, Wut Wut (2018), a Spanish-language set that won a Latin Grammy and a Latin American Music Award. His 2018 single, "Sexo", peaked at number 43 on the Billboard Latin Airplay chart.
"Lost" is a song by American singer-songwriter Frank Ocean. It was released as the fourth single from his debut studio album Channel Orange (2012). The song was written by Ocean, Micah Otano, Paul Shelton, and Malay; with production primarily handled by the latter.
Karen Marie Aagaard Ørsted Andersen, known professionally as MØ, is a Danish singer and songwriter. In 2012, she signed a recording contract with Sony Music Entertainment and later released her debut extended play, Bikini Daze (2013), and her debut studio album, No Mythologies to Follow (2014).
William Sami Étienne Grigahcine, known by his stage name DJ Snake, is a French-Algerian DJ and record producer. He was first credited with production work on several singles for other artists—including "Shut It Down" by Pitbull and "Applause" by Lady Gaga—before gaining widespread recognition for his 2013 debut single, "Turn Down for What".
"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.
"Lean On" is a song by American electronic dance music group Major Lazer and French DJ and record producer DJ Snake featuring Danish singer MØ. It was released on March 3, 2015, as the lead single from Major Lazer's third studio album, Peace Is the Mission (2015). It was written by MØ, Diplo, DJ Snake, Tchami, and Jr Blender, and produced by Major Lazer and DJ Snake. It is an EDM, electronic and moombahton song.
Peace Is the Mission is the third studio album by American electronic dance music project Major Lazer. It was released on June 1, 2015. The album was preceded by the international hit single "Lean On" featuring DJ Snake and MØ. The single reached number one in Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands and peaked within the top ten in an additional fourteen countries including the United Kingdom, the United States, and Germany.
The Jamaican-American music project Major Lazer has released four studio albums, one compilation album, four remix albums, six extended plays, five mixtapes, forty-two singles and six promotional singles.
Christopher Leacock, better known by his stage name Jillionaire, is a Trinidadian DJ and music producer. He is best known for being a former member of the American electronic music group Major Lazer, along with Diplo and Walshy Fire. In 2014 he released then EP Fresh along with Salvatore Ganacci on the Universal Music label.
Danish singer and songwriter MØ has released three studio albums, three extended plays and thirteen singles, plus six as a featured artist.
"Cold Water" is a song by American electronic dance music production group Major Lazer, featuring vocals from Canadian singer Justin Bieber and Danish singer MØ. The song was released on July 22, 2016, as the lead single from their debut greatest hits album, Major Lazer Essentials. It became Major Lazer's third collaboration with MØ after "Lean On" and "Lost".
Eric Alberto-Lopez, known professionally as Ape Drums, is a Mexican-American DJ and record producer. Ape Drums is known for fusing electronic dance music with Caribbean sounds, described by Thump as "Modern Dancehall Music." He is also one third of the DJ/production trio Major Lazer, replacing Jillionaire in the summer of 2019.
"Run Up" is a song by American electronic band Major Lazer featuring Canadian singer PartyNextDoor and American rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on YouTube on January 26, 2017, by Mad Decent and Because Music, intended to be the second single from Music Is the Weapon, but it was then confirmed as the second single from Major Lazer Essentials. The song was written by primary Major Lazer member Diplo, Stargate, PartyNextDoor, Minaj, and Phillip Meckseper, while the song's production was handled by Major Lazer, Stargate, and Jr Blender.
Know No Better is the fourth extended play (EP) by American electronic music trio Major Lazer, released on June 1, 2017, by Mad Decent.
"Sua Cara" is a song by American electronic dance music band Major Lazer from Know No Better (2017). The song features Brazilian singers Anitta and Pabllo Vittar. The song was recorded in February 2017, shortly after the Brazilian Carnival.
"Get It Right" is a song by American DJ and record producer Diplo featuring Danish singer-songwriter MØ. It was released on November 15, 2017 from the album Major Lazer Presents: Give Me Future and Diplo's EP California. The song was written by Diplo, MØ, King Henry, Americo Garcia and Philip Meckseper.
LSD is a supergroup consisting of British musician and rapper Labrinth, Australian singer-songwriter Sia and American music producer Diplo. The ensemble has released six singles, all of which appear on their self-titled debut album, released on 12 April 2019.
Head in the Clouds II is the second compilation album by musical collective 88rising. It was released through 88rising and 12Tone Music on October 11, 2019. Guest appearances include Chungha, Phum Viphurit, Generations from Exile Tribe, GoldLink, Jackson Wang, Swae Lee, Major Lazer, Rhyme So, and Barney Bones.
With the lineup change came an album title change, from Music Is the Weapon to Lazerism.