Words by Jesse Serwer—
“Original Don” is the track that kickstarted Major Lazer 2.0, the crew’s first single following their debut album and the start of what we’ll call their badman rave era, wherein they put a reggae/dancehall spin on current EDM trends (i.e. the brostep of “Jah No Partial.”) We’re using the term badman rave partly because that’s the name of a 2012 EP by The Partysquad, the Dutch crew which collaborated with the Major Lazer on “Original Don,” but it’s also a pretty apt description of both outfits’ recent output.
The Partysquad, whose history in the Dutch house scene dates back to the 1990s, continue the badman rave movement on their latest track, “The Lion,” which pairs a forceful 4/4 beat with a catchy rudebwoy refrain from Partysquad vocalist MC Ruben. Fittingly, the first time many people heard it was when Major Lazer dropped it during their Ultra Music Festival set last week (Word is none other than Tiesto got a few forwards with it at Liv this week, too).
Give “The Lion” a spin below, ahead of its official release tomorrow: