When Sia released her now-Platinum album This Is Acting in 2016, the unexpected collab with dancehall-pop demigod Sean Paul was an unexpected union, but a major hit nonetheless. The Aussie and the Jamaican felt like polar opposites musically speaking, but it was their shared spirit for collaborative pop music that rendered the track one that crossed cultural boundaries and made it a bona fide smash.
Five years later, the pair have linked again on Paul’s track “Dynamite,” a dance-floor riddim shaker if there ever was one. It’s the kind of song that no matter where you’re listening to it, you might as well be transporting yourself to a beachside discotheque. Rest assured, this one’s got worldwide mileage, co-produced by Montreal duo Banx & Ranx and mega-beatminder Greg Kurstin (who coincidentally, also produced “Cheap Thrills”). At the hook’s onset, the Sia sings “Light me up! Set me free,” ranging hard as she holds the final syllable.
And while Paul released the dancehall-forward Live N Livin this past March, it’s “Dynamite” that is set to leave the lasting mark in 2021. The gracious Jamaican added some thoughts on the track:
“‘Dynamite’ started out as just a good vibe song. After recording ‘Cheap Thrills,’ Sia and I knew we would record another single and ‘Dynamite’ is the second installment. Banx and Ranx, Greg Kurstin, myself and Sia, worked on this single and I hope people gravitate towards it like our first single. ‘Dynamite’ is another feel good record for me and I just want to thank Sia and her entire team, my team Duttyrock, my management team and big up my mom who introduced me to Sia’s music.”
Listen to “Dynamite” above.