WATCH: Kito and ZHU Team Up With Jeremih For “FOLLOW”
WATCH: Kito and ZHU Team Up With Jeremih For “FOLLOW”
The trio have just released the new track and a fresh new lyric video
Words by: Amanda Marano
Kito, ZHU, and Jeremih have joined forces to produce the perfect summer club record, “Follow.” Kito and ZHU created a tribute to house music with anthemic chords and a dance-worthy beat, while Jeremih’s infectious melodies melt into the mix. The collaboration offers an upbeat, glimmering summer bop. A declaration of devotion, the lyrics go “If you lead, I will follow, follow you / Stay with me till tomorrow / It’s all on you.” The track is energetic and hopeful, something we could all use as we dance in our living rooms (and hopefully in the club soon!) The lyric video follows animated music notes as they hop along with the words, growing in number.
Producer/songwriter Kito grew up in Australia where she began creating her sound, and then later moved to London where she gained popularity through DJing and releasing her own music. After early cosigns by the likes of Diplo, Kito moved to Los Angeles to work on her solo career while continuing to work as an in-demand producer for artists such as Jorja Smith, BANKS, and Mabel. Kito has hit #1 on the iTunes dance chart with her 2018 EP HAANI, which featured Elley Duhé, Kodie Shane, Trinidad James, and Kanye West-producer Hudson Mohawke. She joined Astralwerks and debuted her single, “Wild Girl” alongside Empress Of, which went on to become a top 10 hit on U.S. Dance radio and gain over 13 million combined global streams. Pitchfork said of the project, “Kito is known for music distinguished by off-kilter drops, warped synths, and a reliably nimble touch. Each of those qualities is on display on ‘Wild Girl…[which] recruits Empress Of and brings out adventurous instincts in both of them.” Soon after she collaborated with electronic music duo AlunaGeorge for “Alone With You”, and then with FLETCHER on “Bitter.”
ZHU – born Steven Zhu – was raised in the Bay Area, grew up playing piano from a young age. He emerged from the underground scene in 2014 with his debut single, “Moves Like Ms. Jackson”, which received worldwide acclaim. Soon after, dropped his debut EP The Nightday and went on to earn a GRAMMY nomination for Best Dance Recording for his hit single “Faded”. His debut album Generation came in 2016 and allowed ZHU to portray his emotional life and add more of his vocal work to the psychedelic album. He continued to explore on his sophomore album, Ringos Desert, which featured artists like TOKiMONSTA and Tame Impala. As he’s continued to rise in popularity, ZHU has found a second passion in fashion. This interest played an essential part in the design of his fashion-forward merch and has inspired ambitions towards the runaway.
“Follow” comes right after ZHU’s recent collaborations, “Only” with Tinashe, “CAME FOR THE LOW” with partywithray, and “Desire” with Bob Moses. ZHU and his band delivered a moving performance by firelight in the desert at Utah’s Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park at Virtual Lollapalooza 2020, and Billboard praised the “deep, groovy, intermittently hypnotic and often body moving set,” while YourEDM said, “it’s hands down one of the best things we’ve witnessed throughout quarantine.”
Pop and R&R singer Jeremih was born and raised in Chicago. Growing up, he taught himself how to play several instruments, write songs, and later sing. In 2009 he dropped the iconic track “Birthday Sex,” which debuted and topped Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip Hop chart, and eventually crossed into the Top Ten of the Hot 100. The track was the first single off of his debut album, which he collaborated on with producer Mick Schultz.
Flashing forward to his 2015 release, Late Nights, Jeremih gained even more acclaim with a trio of double-platinum R&B/hip-hop/pop crossover hits including “Don’t Tell ‘Em” ft. YG, “Planes” ft. J. Cole, and “Oui”. Jeremih’s combined YouTube views have passed the 730 million mark, and he has charted 17 RIAA gold, platinum, and multi-platinum hit singles, including “Birthday Sex,” “Down On Me,” “Imma Star (Everywhere We Are),” and many more.
