What started out as a TikTok trend earlier this year is now the nation’s No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. It took months of momentum and strategic collaborations, but 17-year-old producer Jawsh 685 has a sleeper hit on his hands.
Assisted by former singer turned TikTok influencer Jason Derulo, the track “Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)” has amassed over 400 million streams on Spotify alone.
A newly-released remix featuring K Pop boy band BTS seems to be the thing that has pushed it over the edge and atop the charts in the United States.
spotify:track:4TgxFMOn5yoESW6zCidCXL
The viral hit is undeniably catchy, but what’s more interesting than the song is the producer himself, Jawsh 685. Before even being able to legally drink, he has taken a cultural phenomenon and transported it across the world. Earlier this year, the “Culture Dance Challenge” took over TikTok trends when the initial stay at home orders were issued.
Joshua Nanai is from Manurewa, a neighborhood in South Auckland, New Zealand but is of Samoan and Cook Island descent. The non-official, official video for the original song “Laxed (Siren Beat)” showcases the young man surrounded by his community. It begins with a ceremonious chorus of his fellow Pasifika community displaying unity, spirit, and gratitude.
A version feature Jason Derulo was also released as the official music video, with additional cuts from the solo video and shots of Jason. No word on a BTS featured one as of yet.
