News : MØ Says Video for Major Lazer’s ‘Lean On’ Was ‘Cultural Appropriation, for Sure’

Major Lazer‘s blockbuster video for its 2015 smash “Lean On” is getting a second look from one of its stars. In a recent interview with Business Insider, “Lean On” vocalist MØ says the clip — which features the Danish Singer, Major Lazer, song co-producer DJ Snake and a crew of South Asian dancers performing Bollywood-style choreography — was, in retrospect, cultural appropriation.

“The video is so beautiful and amazing,” MØ says, “but I definitely think it’s cultural appropriation, for sure, and I’m so happy that people were making me aware of it, because, at the time, I didn’t really understand.”

Filmed in Vasai-Virar in the Indian state of Maharashtra, the video features Indian dancers, choreography clothing, design and architecture. The clip was filmed at myriad historical sites in the region.

“I was so excited making that video and I was so excited to be invited into Major Lazer’s visual universe because I always thought they had such a cool style,” MØ continues in the interview.

The track itself was a monster hit, becoming Spotify’s most streamed song of all time just eight months after its release, with 526 million streams, and helping fuse electronic and pop music. “Lean On” hit No. 1 in over 20 countries from Argentina to Lebanon, peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100 (where it spent 48 weeks), and hit No. 1 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs. It spent 23 weeks in this peak position and 61 total weeks on the chart.

In 2017, the video also made internet history when it became one of the few videos in that era to hit two billion views on YouTube.

Major Lazer, which in 2015 was made up of Diplo, Walshy Fire and Jillionaire, has long been influenced by the music and styles of global cultures. (Jillionaire was replaced in the group by Ape Drums in 2019.) The group has heavily incorporated styles of music indigenous to Brazil, the Caribbean and beyond in a catalog that dates back to 2009. Diplo’s 2008 documentary, Favela On Blast, also explored the musical subcultures of Brazil.

Upon the release of “Lean On” video, Diplo expounded on his love for India in the YouTube video’s caption, writing, “India is special and its beauty absolutely humbled me. When we toured there as Major Lazer, it was mind blowing to see our fanbase and we wanted to incorporate the attitude and positive vibes into our video and just do something that embodies the essence of Major Lazer. Major Lazer has always been a culture mashup and to us, India feels like some kind of special creature with one foot in history and one firmly in the future. The experience is something we’ll never forget.”

A representative for Major Lazer did not immediately respond to Billboard’s request for comment. With respect to incorporating music from other cultures and criticisms that this practice could be considered cultural appropriation, Diplo told The Guardian in 2018 that “I don’t … really … f–king care. What kind of music am I supposed to make? Being a white American, you have zero cultural capital, unless you’re doing Appalachian fiddle music or something.”