Cinema NDN: Five Years Ago Major Lazer, DJ Snake and MØ Released "Lean On"

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Five Years Ago Major Lazer, DJ Snake and MØ Released "Lean On"

Yesterday was the five-year anniversary for one of EDM's biggest songs.

It's hard to believe that just over five years ago, Major Lazer entered a critical new chapter in their career with the release of one of their most commercially successful song to date, "Lean On." Released on March 2nd, 2015 as the lead single of their third studio album, "Lean On" raised the bar for Major Lazer and MØ, netting both artists their first top 10 on the Billboard charts.

At one point in time, "Lean On" was the most streamed song ever on Spotify, but like most great ideas, the project wasn't necessarily loved at first sight. According to Diplo, he initially wrote the song as a slower, reggae-inspired track. He had pitched it to Nikki Minaj and Rihanna who both passed on the opportunity to sing on the record. While she admittedly was not the group's first choice, MØ ultimately knocked the opportunity out of the park.

While they'd found a singer, Diplo wasn't necessarily married to the production. After time spent making tempo and stylistic changes, he ultimately felt the hook the production still lacked a sort of "attitude" that was needed, so he enlisted DJ Snake for help with that extra spark.

The rest is simply history. Going on to reach #4 on the Billboard charts, becoming Spotify's most streamed song in only eight months following its release, becoming one of the first dance music songs to hit mainstream commercial radio play - these are but a few of the accolades achieved in the heyday of "Lean On."

Today, "Lean On" continues to enjoy a top-tier status within the coveted one billion streams club, an achievement less than 100 songs ever recorded have hit at the time of writing. This status all but ensures the track will continue to be the standard bearer for what's achievable in commercial dance music for many years to come.