International Collabs We Need

A good collab that comes from left field is always appreciated, so here are some dream collabs bridging the international gap.

We’ve all done it before, we have at points in our lives convinced ourselves that certain collaborations would just work. Or even occasionally we just imagined what our dream collabs would be. Well, we are continuing that spirit by pairing up some dream collaborations between UK artists and their international counterparts. Some are more realistic than others but there’s nothing wrong with hoping they’ll happen and putting that energy out in the universe. I mean, Drake has pretty much collaborated with the most prominent artists from across the globe so really anything is possible

Normcore Boyz (Japan) x Essie Gang (UK)

This is the release that inspired this feature. On this one Normcore Boyz production sounds like the perfect bed for Essie Gang (maybe even Skepta). Seeing how eclectic both collectives are a collaboration like this isn’t completely out of the question either and sonically the two would work well together. A big collab like this between Japan and the UK could be a great way to introduce the Japanese sound to a wider audience because it is definitely one that deserves attention.

ONEFOUR (Australia) x Harlem Spartans (UK)

‘Ready For War’ sounds incredibly similar to a certain Harlem Spartans song, but the Australian collective have cited the Kennington natives as inspirations. Both have faced some legal troubles restricting their full line ups being available at times but in a dream world, the full teams from both sides on one track would be huge. It’s not impossible, ONEFOUR have done a few collabs with UK Drill artists already, so I’m sure it’s only a case of timing that’s got in the way of them working with HS.

Stalk Ashley (Jamaica) x Yxng Bane (UK)

This just makes sense somehow, Bane may not be too much in his R&B bag on his latest releases but he’s got it in his locker for sure. More than that he is more than comfortable working with Jamaican artists having worked with Beenie Man on his ‘Vroom’ remix. These two collaborating feels like it would suit even more. Having Stalk Ashley‘s strong vocals paired up with that Afro Swing sound sounds like a perfect match. Add in the fact that they don’t necessarily have a fixed sound and you can see there’s a lot of room to work with in this pairing.

Tory Lanez (Canada) x Mnelia (UK)

Tory Lanez is the king of repurposing older R&B tracks and Mnelia has shown she has a talent at bringing that vibe too. As such the tradition of Canada and UK link ups makes sense to be continued between these stars. They both have a knack for capturing the nostalgia of older sounds but giving them a modern twist that makes them sound current, and often improves on the original. The only real question surrounding this would be which classic track they should use as their base?

Fivio Foreign (USA) x Poundz (UK)

Drill may have started off as a much darker genre, and it still isn’t all smiles and giggles, but it’s stepped into a bit more of a light direction. Fivio Foreign and Poundz are part of the reason for this. Although from opposite sides of the pond they have embraced the dancing element of Drill, and have tended to make music a little lighter in tone than their peers in the genre. As such it would only be right for the two to collab, and with Fivio recently working with UK channel Pressplay it doesn’t seem too far out of reach.