Music is a universal language. It doesn't matter if a song is in Tamil, Hindi, English or Spanish, it has the capability of being enjoyed by people across the world. One of the recent songs that went viral was the independent track 'Enjoy Enjaami', sung by Tamil singer Dheekshitha Venkadeshan aka Dhee and rapper Arivu. The song received 266 million views in just three months.
Now, Spotify has collaborated with French record producer DJ Snake and Dhee to launch the ‘Spotify Singles’ program in India. For that, the duo created the remixed version of 'Enjoy Enjaami'.
The Quint spoke to Dhee and DJ Snake on their collaboration.
When was the first time you heard 'Enjoy Enjaami' and what did you want to do with the track?
DJ SNAKE: I heard the song way before this collaboration. One of my best friends is from India. He always introduces me to new music all the time. And he sent me this song a while ago, and I was like, 'Wow!' I love the energy of the song. And then I had the opportunity to put myself on it. I was super excited. I did the song in maybe like two hours, because I really, really loved the song. And I knew exactly what I was going to do with it.
Could you tell us a little bit more about what influences your music?
Dhee: My mom and grandma are musicians, so I think that might be my biggest influence. And my dad as well. And I think what inspires me is people around me. They inspire me to create music. My roots also inspire me the most. And if I talk about my influences, I think they would be Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday. Nina Simone, Kendrick Lamar, Santhosh. Narayanan. They're my inspirations.
When the track first released, did you think it would go viral? Or was it something you were just experimenting with? Because it was your debut single after all.
Dhee: I didn't think it would go viral. I had dreamt that these songs would reach people, but I never really imagined it reaching this much, at least not to DJ Snake. So it's amazing. The fact that kids love it is such a beautiful thing. When I was little I would listen to songs, and now when I am grown up, I am like, 'Oh, that's what that song meant'. And I think when they grow up and if they go back to this song and be like, 'oh, what does this song mean?' And if they really think it's beautiful and if it helps them in any way, then I think that's the biggest win. So I feel like that has been the most gratifying thing about this whole thing. We were really happy when it reached like 2,000 views. And now it's going great, and we're just as happy. So it's just amazing.
And of course now there's going to be a fresh version of it. How do you feel about working with DJ Snake?
Dhee: He is amazing. And this version is so fun. Honestly, it feels like I'm on a holiday. And I haven't been on a holiday for so long. So this just feels really amazing. And the big thing is that whatever the song is about is preserved in his version. And I feel really proud, happy and emotional when I hear it, because I didn't really expect that.
I'm sure you have received so many compliments. But which are the compliments that stood out? Or maybe something that made you laugh? It was funny and sweet at the same time?
Dhee: I get excited when I see covers and artworks, people replicating the looks. And I think compliment-wise, just hearing people sing the song feels like the biggest compliment. People saying 'Coco, Coco' is so cute. And when kids sing it is really cute. And I've been watching reaction videos. They are very funny. It's really exciting. And you see how people are reacting to it, obviously. And you get the most authentic reactions from that.
How has life changed post the success of this song?
Dhee: I feel this huge sense of responsibility now, with what I have to create next. I always have this huge sense of responsibility. And now I have it all quite strongly. Plus, I think I realized that human emotions and experiences are the same throughout the world. It doesn't matter what language you speak or what culture you come from, emotions are always the same. This song made me realize that even further, because people seem to be reconnecting with the song, despite where they're from or what language they speak. It just sort of cemented that idea for me even stronger.
I think social media is another thing as well. It's a lot more busier now. I feel like there are a lot more interactions that are happening. But I'm not much active on social media. I like to reply to people and to my DMs. But I'm not as active as I should be. My team asks me to post things from time to time. And I think I have started to post more things just because it'd be nice for people to see me and not just my music. I'm trying to do that, but not very good at it.
You worked with artists across the world. How does the language or lyrics affect your approach while working on a track?
DJ SNAKE: It's funny, because to be honest I had no idea what he was saying in the song. I just fell in love with the melodies, the energy and the voice. And I guess, this is our work, the melody needs to touch my heart. I'm not saying I don't care, the words and lyrics are very important. But the first thing that gets my attention is the melody and the voice and the vibe and the soul. I'm from France, so I've learned English maybe eight years ago. I fell in love with like Bob Marley, Michael Jackson, all these huge artistes without knowing and understanding even one word. I just fell in love with the music, the vibe, the emotion. And now, when I make music, this is exactly how I work. The emotion needs to be there, I need to feel the energy, the pain, the joy, the energy, whatever. When I heard Dhee I fell in love with the artiste and the melody.
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