Electronic duo DJDS has built a following over the past couple of years by contributing funky, upbeat production to collaborations with the likes of Khalid, Empress Of, St. Vincent, and Interpol. Their latest work expands that pool of collaborative talent to include Nigerian pop star Rema and Canadian rapper Tory Lanez on the uplifting “Simple Things,” which the three acts collectively shared today.
The light beat accentuates the song’s encouraging messaging as Rema sings over the chorus, “Simple things are your blessing.” Tory contributes some romantic-leaning bars, telling the object of his affection, “You give me reason / Loving and teasing / Touching and squeezing / When love isn’t easy.”
A press release for the song notes how DJDS’ work with Nigerian star Burna Boy led them to Rema and what the inspiration behind the song ultimately was. “To us ‘Simple Things’ sort of feels like the ultimate DJDS song because it sounds like what we’ve done and where we’re going all at once,” they write. “You hear the sample chops and that’s old school DJDS but the collaborations represent the future. The work we put in with Burna Boy directly lead us to linking with Rema, and Tory is somebody we’ve been waiting years to get in the studio with. These guys are upper echelon so we really had to draw upon all our experience to give them something that felt undeniable.”
Watch the lyrics video for DJDS’ “Simple Things” with Tory Lanez and Rema above.