After a hiatus, Major Lazer is back with a new member and a new track.
The longstanding group now features British-Jamaican artist America Foster, who’s joining Major Lazer alongside pre-existing members Ape Drums, Walshy Fire and Diplo. The news marks Major Lazer’s fourth configuration since its 2008 formation, with the group originally featuring Diplo and Switch, the latter of whom left the group in 2011. The group then featured Diplo, Walshy Fire and Jillionaire, with Jillionaire leaving in 2019 and being replaced by Ape Drums.
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Foster’s addition marks the first time the group has been a foursome and the first time it’s included a woman. She first linked with the group after collaborating with Diplo in Jamaica.
Adding extra firepower to the news is Major Lazer’s new track “Gangsta,” out today (Aug. 27) through Mad Decent. The track sounds a lot like the early days of Major Lazer, which is no coincidence given that it features Jamaican dancehall artist Busy Signal, a frequent Major Lazer collaborator who made key contributions to the group’s work on the group’s 2013 monster single “Watch Out For This (Bumaye)” and other tracks. “Gangsta” also features Italian-born, Amsterdam-based basshall producer Kybba. While the track does not feature vocals from Foster, in a statement Diplo advises to “look out for her on some new music coming real soon.”
“Coming back out now with America and Busy Signal feels like starting a new chapter while revisiting an old one,” he continues. “Busy Signal was a big part of our journey with Major Lazer, blessing us with his incredible vocals on ‘Bumaye,’ a massive single that helped define what Major Lazer was going to be. Now, more than a decade later, we’re starting another journey with America joining the group. It’s amazing how much she complements the dynamic we’ve already established with Walshy and Ape Drums.”
“Gangsta” is the first original track from Major Lazer since 2024, when the group released “Sofia,” a single with Alok and Fuerza Regida and “Jiggy Woogie,” a collab with Don Diablo and Baby Lawd.
In a recent interview with Billboard, Diplo spoke about co-writing BLACKPINK’s comeback single “Jump” and how he originally wrote it for Major Lazer, calling the latter group a place to use his wildest musical ideas. “If my crazy music doesn’t find a home,” he said, “it’s going to be released on a Major Lazer album.”