It won’t be often that I first hear a track that I review on here on Soccer AM, but here we are. Major Lazer’s Aerosol Can was released before the chart domination they have enjoyed since their 2015 hit Lean On (with a sizeable 1.2 BILLION streams on Spotify). This has significantly fewer, but is still a banger and encapsulates the early sounds of Major Lazer; aggressive electronic beats with unique sounds to supplement it.

Hard drum beats and literal aerosol can sound effects lie underneath Pharrell’s vocals and hit the ground at a blistering pace. As the lead track from the 2014 EP Apocalypse Soon, it sets a tone that unfortunately isn’t really followed through on as the EP progresses, but if it is taken as a single, then Aerosol Can is a great example of a producer/rapper collaboration and embodies the nuclear artwork of the EP in its pace and beat.

Major Lazer have a Sugababes-esque past (what a sentence), in that it was founded in 2008 by Diplo and fellow DJ Switch, who ended up leaving in 2011 to be replaced by Jillionaire and Walshy Fire who are also both DJs. Now a trio, the group use the Major Lazer name as an experimental project in many ways, portraying themselves through a cartoon American mercenary and collaborating with a wide variety of artists; with Pharrell, Ellie Goulding, Camilla Cabello and Nicki Minaj just a small selection of names to appear on a Major Lazer track. They have certainly become more of a chart-machine since Aerosol Can, but by no means has that made them any worse.

 

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex