Major Lazer

Major Lazer is an electronic music group originally created by record producers Diplo and Switch. Switch left in 2011, but Diplo remained, with additional members Jillionaire and Walshy Fire. Their music spans numerous music styles, mixing EDM with reggae, dancehall, electronic, reggaeton, house, and moombahton genres.

Major Lazer has released three full-length albums – Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do, Free the Universe, and Peace Is the Mission, released in 2009, 2013, and 2015, respectively. They have also released an EP entitled Apocalypse Soon in March 2014, which featured vocal contributions from Pharrell Williams and Sean Paul. In addition, Major Lazer has also produced Reincarnated, the debut reggae album by Snoop Dogg under his "Snoop Lion" persona.

Background

2009–11: Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do and Lazers Never Die EP

Formerly made up of DJ Diplo and Switch, the two were introduced after working with M.I.A.. The duo's first album Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do was released on 16 June 2009, on Downtown Records. It was recorded in Jamaica at Tuff Gong Studios. Vocalists such as Santigold, Vybz Kartel, Ward 21, Busy Signal, Nina Sky, Amanda Blank, Mr. Vegas, Turbulence, Mapei, T.O.K, Prince Zimboo, Leftside and others contribute guest vocals to the album, as well as additional production from Afrojack and Crookers. This is the first release to come out of the label partnership between Downtown Records and Diplo's label Mad Decent. Major Lazer ended a US tour last summer.

Lean On

"Lean On" is a song recorded by American/British/Jamaican electronic music group Major Lazer and French producer DJ Snake, taken from the former's third studio album, Peace Is the Mission (2015), featuring vocals from Danish singer MØ. It was produced by Major Lazer and DJ Snake, and written by MØ, Major Lazer member Diplo, DJ Snake, Jr. Blender and Martin Bresso. "Lean On" was released through Mad Decent independently (Because Music for Europe, WMG for Australia) as the lead single from the album on March 2, 2015. It is a dance and electronic song being also described as a house ballad.

"Lean On" was a commercial success, peaking at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 and at number two on the UK Singles Chart. It reached number one in several other countries including Australia, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Denmark and Switzerland. In November 2015, "Lean On" was named by Spotify as the most streamed song of all time, with 526 million streams globally. It currently has over 600 million streams. The accompanying music video for "Lean On" was filmed in ND Studios, Karjat and Kaul Heritage City, Vasai in Maharashtra, India, in Bangalore city as well as Stockholm City Hall, and premiered on March 23, 2015. The video has over 1.12 billion views on YouTube as of 11 February 2016.

DJ Snake

William Sami Etienn Grigahcine, (better known by his stage name DJ Snake), is a French DJ, rapper and producer of Algerian descent who mixes rap and electronic dance music.

DJ Snake is a Grammy-nominated producer and artist who debuted into the international scene with singles "Bird Machine" and "Turn Down for What" in 2013. "Bird Machine" is a collaboration with fellow French act Alesia. The single was picked up by Mad Decent, a Los Angeles-based record label run by Diplo, and released in February 2013. In June 2013, DJ Snake was invited by Diplo to do a live mix on his radio show, "Diplo & Friends", which airs on BBC Radio 1.

DJ Snake was announced to be working on a collaboration with Diplo, originally slated to debut in 2014; it eventually released in 2015 as the single "Lean On" in collaboration with MØ and Diplo's Major Lazer. On April 30, 2014, DJ Snake was labeled as an "Artist to Watch" by FoxWeekly. He and Dillon Francis were announced as alternating supporting artists for the summer Mothership Tour 2014 with Skrillex.