Maybe it’s just me, but when I sometimes look at “feat” appear on an artiste’s title single, I go “?!?!?!”. If you need a visual, I morph into the susprised Pikachu meme. The hottest collabs in my opinion, aren’t just made to drive its way into your cerebral cortex, they’re made to prove that an artiste is more than just able to do “insert-whatever-sound-they-make-here”. It’s sonic proof that they’re able to play nice while leveraging on their fellow artistes’s sound to prove that the hit is such a banger that you’d physically assault your friend for an AUX cable.
And if they’re addictive, gets immortalised on the internet by a 29-year old magazine editor who has relooped it at least 600 times within the year according to Spotify.
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Gwen Stefani feat. Eve — Rich Girl
A tough-girl ragga cameo from Eve (ahhh), a slinky disco sound (ahhhh) and lyrics that want me to live my best hedonistic Park Avenue prince life — Gwen was quite problematic in that era with her posse of four asian girls but this song is a banger. Very much played a lot during on what we millennials call an iPod shuffle. Fun fact, I am able to rap Eve’s portion with as much conviction as someone starting a brawl.
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Kalis Uchis feat Jorja Smith — Tyrant
This song starts off light and airy like you’re eating cotton candy before… it… melts in the heat and dries like a sad clumpy mess on a sidewalk in summer. You know, like a relationship. But this 2017 summer hit is still a banger in that it’s still made for dancing in your room while Kalis and Jorja croon sensually into your ears. It’s almost quite psychedelic in a way, actually.
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Keith Richards feat Norah Jones — Love Hurts
I watch a lot of random videos (like a snake swallowing an adult hippo live random) but this duet between Keith Richards and Norah Jones takes the cake. The cover of the Boudleaux Bryant song still makes me tear up but there’s something about the way Keith Richards so happily plays the guitar while Norah sings painfully that really gets me. Also, hello? Keith Richards?
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Rudimental feat Ella Eyre — Waiting All Night
Man, Ella’s voice is god damn powerful. Listening to her belt out so powerfully while Rudimental drops a fire drum-and-bass beat really gets me going. The video is incredibly moving too: it tells the tale of a man who went through a horrific accident and how he recovered within a year thanks to the help of his friends. That is friendship at its most beautiful.
Once you’re done with this story, click here to catch up with our March 2021 issue!
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