Here's What You Need To Know About Mark Ronson & Diplo's Side Gig, Silk City
I'm a sucker for any and all forms of music. I can get down with just about any genre, and I pride myself in somehow remembering lyrics to songs from years and years ago. But every now and then, I listen to a track from a band that I've yet to know, and it gets me super excited because, new material! So when I heard a song called "Electricity" by Silk City and Dua Lipa, I paused. Of course I know Dua Lipa, but who is in Silk City? It turns out that this group was created by two incredibly talented artists who you and I totally already knew.
According to Pitchfork, Mark Ronson and Diplo announced in January 2019 that they created a new joint project, Silk City, which is reportedly named after a diner in Philadelphia where Diplo first started out as a DJ. Not only did they announce their new project, but they *also* announced that they'd be performing live for the first time at this year’s Governors Ball in June — yep, the same festival artists like Travis Scott, Post Malone, and Eminem will be performing at. Y'know, no big deal. (Just kidding, this is a very big deal.)
While the two have kept things relatively under wraps in regards to their collaboration, Diplo did open up about making an album with Ronson in his interview with GQ back in August 2017. He also told the magazine that he and Ronson go way back with each other, which is actually kind of sweet. Diplo said in part:
By the way, I've known Mark almost since I was in high school. I met him when I first went to Philly. I taught at a school, and he was classmates with my boss ... I just thought, This guy is cool. Actually, me and Mark are doing a collab album. You know the album I did with Skrillex, Jack Ü? Me and Mark are trying to do something with disco music.
When asked to go into further detail, Diplo said, "It's something we talked about over the last year," adding, "Jack Ü was awesome, but it was very young. I want to do something that feels more my age. I feel like me and Mark can do something more sophisticated."
Well, pinkies up, people!
And it seems like that whole "sophistication" thing really paid off, because Silk City has been nominated for Best Dance Recording — for the song "Electricity" with Dua Lipa — at the 61st Grammy Awards, which airs Feb. 10 on CBS.
And FYI, if you want to listen to "Electricity," I highly suggest you do, because it's catchy AF. Take a listen below:
So good, right?
This isn't Mark Ronson's only Grammy nod, though. He's also up for Song Of The Year and Best Song Written For Visual Media for the song "Shallow," sung by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper in the movie A Star Is Born. Talk about an impressive resumé.
All I have to say is kudos to Mark Ronson and Diplo for their cool new Silk City collab. You've scored yourself another fan who will be rooting you on come Grammys night.
