In a Transatlantic collaboration, iconic superstar producer and DJ Diplo has teamed up with Crosstown Rebels founder Damian Lazarus to deliver the brand new single ‘Don’t Be Afraid’, out 23rd June. The collab is further heightened with a feature courtesy of the British production duo Jungle, who co-wrote the song.
‘Don’t Be Afraid’ is taken from a forthcoming Diplo album, and is released via his own deep house and classic dance label Higher Ground, which he formed in 2019. The recently released ‘One By One’ with Elderbrook and Andhim follows three U.S.
Dance #1s for Diplo and the label: the Grammy-nominated SIDEPIECE collaboration ‘On My Mind’, ‘Looking For Me’ with Paul Woolford and Kareen Lomax, and ‘Turn Back Time’ with Sonny Fodera.
With ‘Don’t Be Afraid’, the three artists crafted a track which pulsates with each of their essential traits. As we’ve come to expect, Diplo brings his Midas touch for creating dance music with the broad appeal to reach huge global audiences and achieve millions of streams.
Meanwhile, the track’s house flourishes reflect Damian Lazarus’s inimitable ability to produce sonics which bring innovation and underground credibility in equal measure.
Finally, Jungle’s unmistakable energy is all over the track as they elevate the already feel-good vibe, their flair for immediately insistent hooks and dynamic disco decadence inspiring a summer anthem in the making.
Jungle commented, “We met Diplo in LA a few years back and got chatting about working together. We sent him a few ideas that we’d been cooking up and he took a melody and worked it in this banger. We’re really happy everyone else can enjoy it now too.”
A JFC Worldwide Production (Charlie Di Placido and J Lloyd), the accompanying video for ‘Don’t Be Afraid’ naturally feels like an extension to the aesthetic style that Jungle have established with visuals for the likes of ‘Busy Earnin’, ‘Time’ and the recent ‘Talk About It’.
Its hip-hop flavoured choreography is a physical manifestation of the escalating energy of the track, while its colourful, sharp-focused cinematography highlights some eclectic fashion choices and contrasting settings.
Diplo is one of the biggest and most influential artists on the planet. Whether he’s dropping tracks under his own name or with Major Lazer, his collaborations with an A-Z of the biggest names around consistently make a phenomenal impact.
Highlights have included 2.5 billion+ streams when he teamed up with Justin Bieber and Skrillex for ‘Where Are U Now’, working with Dua Lipa on the pop smash ‘Electricity’, and last year’s Top 5 UK hit ‘Looking For Me’ with Paul Woolford.
And with Major Lazer, he achieved two of the biggest tracks of the streaming era with ‘Lean On’ (with MØ and DJ Snake) and ‘Cold Water’ (with Justin Bieber and MØ). His multifaceted talents also include a phenomenal career as a producer (for Beyoncé, The Weeknd and countless others) and running the Mad Decent empire.
Damian Lazarus is among the most vital DJs and tastemakers from the worlds of house and techno. A resident at DC10 in Ibiza for almost a decade, Damian is also renowned for taking his music into some of the world’s most dazzling locations with events such as Rebel Rave and Day Zero.
His Day Zero sunrise set for Mixmag captures its mind blowing atmosphere, with deep cuts and a luscious setting attracting over 2 million video views to date. Originally a music journalist for Dazed & Confused, Damian also founded Crosstown Rebels, a label which has released records by artists including Jamie Jones, Skream and Roisin Murphy.
With two UK Top 10 albums and a billion streams to their name, Jungle are among British music’s most impactful artists. They shot to attention with their self-titled Mercury-nominated debut album, aided by 100 million streams of their breakthrough track ‘Busy Earnin’’.
They’ve since sold-out the 10,000 capacity Alexandra Palace and headlining major festivals all over the world. They’re about to release their eagerly anticipated third album ‘Loving In Stereo’ on August 13th, which has been previewed by major radio and streaming support for the singles ‘Keep Moving’ and ‘Talk About It’.
