New & exciting collabs

Collabs. Collabs. Almost every song released into the market nowadays is a collaboration between two or more artists. See how often we now see the word featuring or the abbreviation ft. in the credits. It now seems such a long time ago when recordings like those were simply called duets or by trios or simply by a group. Now it is all about collaboration with the most elaborate of contributions, music, lyrics, sound effects, etc., thanks to the digital recording process that can produce or combine almost any kind of sound. Here are some of the latest collabs available. 

Cardi B raps in Ring with vocals by Kehlani, who I read somewhere is part-Filipino. This is one of the cuts in the controversial Cardi B’s latest release Invasion Of Privacy. There were instances when I cringed at the language she used but I have to admit, the album is very well-produced with cuts flowing one into the other and arrangements, sleek but powerful. It is also star-studded with big name collabs like SZA, Chance the Rapper, her boyfriend or is it now husband Offset? And his group Migos and others. That is why I am glad that Kehlani made it to the line-up. She is in great voice and that video about heartbreak with Cardi B shows her looking vulnerable and beautiful.

Superstar electronic music producers Diplo and Mark Ronson who call their new group Silk City have invited British pop diva Dua Lipa to join them in their latest single Electricity. Brilliant idea. There is no way this combination can go wrong. As all of you surely know, Dua Lipa comes to Electricity fresh from her big-selling collaboration with Calvin Harris, One Kiss. So she is bringing a surefire hitmaker reputation to this new release. And you have to admit, when you watch the video, this girl has just the right looks that can ignite electricity with this slow burn dance ballad.  

 Speaking of Calvin, the Scottish hitmaker is not in any way sitting out the music industry’s last quarter blitz and he has a big one entered in the race. This is his trademark thumping piano accompanying the voice of the British soul balladeer Sam Smith. Sam is no stranger to EDM. Remember he started his rise to stardom with Latch for Disclosure. But he now comes to Harris fresh from Too Good At Goodbyes and makes this collab doubly exciting.

New EDM star James Hype enters the battle for the charts with a big winner in No Drama. There’s also British Hype, a former DJ and remixer, has a fresh, youthful approach to house and he scored big with More Than Friends which featured Kelli-Leigh. He brings the same easy style to his latest and he has now moved on to the major league with no less than the renowned soul stylist Craig David doing the vocals in No Drama. 

Bringing up the rear but in a really big way is French David Guetta who pulled out all the stops for his seventh album release. Titled simply 7, the double LP features the type of house music he started out with on one disc where he presents himself as the DJ Jack Back. The other one though is the ultimate in EDM collaboration we have ever seen in years with no less than 19 cuts featuring some of the biggest names in pop music today. 

Get a load of some of these names in collab with David. Don’t Leave Me Alone ft. Anne-Marie; Flames with Sia; Say My Name with Bebe Rexha & J Balvin; Goodbye with Jason Derulo, ft. Nicki Minaj and Willy William; Like I Do with Martin Garrix and Brooks; 2u ft. Justin Bieber; She Knows How To Love Me ft. Jess Glynne and Stefflon Don; Motto with Steve Aoki ft. Lil Uzi Vert, G-Eazy and Mally Mall; Drive with Black Coffee ft. Delilah Montagu; Para que te quedes ft. J Balvin; Light Headed with Sia; Mad Love with Sean Paul and Becky G; Dirty Sexy Money with Afrojack ft. Charli XCX and French Montana; So Far Away with Martin Garrix ft. Jamie Scott and Romy Dya; and others.

As is the usual case when an album features too diverse a line-up of artists, Latin, pop, dance, soul, etc., the result can be jarring and uneven. Hopefully, though the star power can lure the buyers in and save EDM from its scary downtrend. But if you are among those who still enjoy the simple, hip sound of house tunes, there is the Jack Back collection on the other disc.