"Pon de Floor"
Single by Major Lazer featuring Vybz Kartel and Afrojack
from the album Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do
ReleasedAugust 3, 2009 (2009-08-03)
Genre
Length
  • 3:33 (original mix)
  • 3:05 (radio edit) - (with silence ending)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Major Lazer singles chronology
"Keep It Going Louder"
(2009) 		"Pon de Floor"
(2009) 		"Jump Up"
(2010)
Vybz Kartel singles chronology
"Pon de Floor"
(2009) 		"Know Bout Me"
(2010)
Audio sample
Music video
"Pon De Floor" on YouTube

"Pon de Floor" is a song by Major Lazer, a collaborative musical project consisting of the American DJ Diplo and the British DJ Switch. The single was released in 2009 by Mad Decent and Downtown Records as the second single from Major Lazer's first studio album, Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do. The duo wrote the song and produced it with Afrojack , Nebat Drums and vocals by Vybz Kartel. "Pon de Floor" is a dancehall and baile funk song and was positively received by music critics. It appeared on the charts in the United Kingdom in 2010, where it reached number 125. Eric Wareheim directed the music video for "Pon de Floor", which shows people dry humping, and incorporates daggering choreography. The song has been heavily sampled in Chiddy Bang's "Shooter" and Beyoncé's "Run the World (Girls)".

Composition

"Pon de Floor" was written and produced by Major Lazer – whose members at the time were Diplo and Switch. It features vocals from Vybz Kartel, and Afrojack provided additional production and mixed the song.[1] "Pon de Floor" is a dancehall[2] and baile funk song.[3] The song uses a rapid marching snare drums beat and synth riffs.[4][5] Its hook is a chopped-up vocal line,[6][7] and according to Josh Heller of Drowned in Sound Kartel's input is "laughing and occasionally shouting 'Major Lazer!'".[8]

Reception

John Bush of Allmusic lauded the production of "Pon de Floor" and named it a tour de force.[9] NME's Pete Cashmore called the song "shitfacedly loopy",[3] while Andy Freivogel from Dusted Magazine noted it as one of the best tracks from Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do.[5] "Pon de Floor" is used during the video game DJ Hero 2.[10] "Pon de Floor" entered the UK Singles Chart of 17 April 2010 at number 187.[11] It later peaked at number 125.[12]

Music video and live performance

The music video for "Pon de Floor" was directed by Eric Wareheim, and shows people daggering against a cartoon background depicting suburbia.[13] It incorporates daggering choreography.[14] Ted Maider from Consequence of Sound wrote "This song is already fucking whacked, but the video takes it to a whole other level ... 'Pon de Floor' seems equally as offensive as watching porn on hallucinogenic substances."[15] Major Lazer performed "Pon de Floor" at the Go! music festival at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore in September 2010.[16]

Samples and cover versions

"Pon de Floor" was sampled in Chiddy Bang's "Shooter", a song on his mini-mixtape, Air Swell (2010).[17] In 2011, Beyoncé released "Run the World (Girls)", which heavily samples "Pon de Floor".[18] "Run the World" was produced by Switch and The-Dream, and co-produced by Knowles and Shea Taylor.[18]

Track listing

Release history

Country Date Format Label
United States[19][22] 2009 12"
Austria[20] 19 April 2010 Digital EP 1
Belgium[23]
Denmark[24]
Finland[25]
France[26]
Germany[27]
Ireland[28]
Italy[29]
Netherlands[30]
Norway[31]
Portugal[32]
Spain[33]
Sweden[34]
United Kingdom[35]
Australia[21] 16 July 2010 Digital EP 2 Downtown
New Zealand[36]

References

  1. ^ Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do (Media notes). Major Lazer. Downtown Records. 2009. Archived from the original on 2011-10-03. Retrieved 2011-06-29.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ Caramanica, Jon (27 June 2011). "A Farewell (for Now) to Old Selves". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2 February 2016.
  3. ^ a b Cashmore, Pete (8 July 2009). "Album review: Major Lazer – 'Guns Don't Kill People, Lazers Do'". NME. IPC Media. Archived from the original on 1 May 2010.
  4. ^ Ziegbe, Mawuse (29 November 2010). "Swizz Beatz, Diddy-Dirty Money Get Their 'Ass On The Floor'". MTV News. Viacom. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  5. ^ a b Freivogel, Andy (8 July 2009). "Major Lazer – Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do!". Dusted Magazine. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  6. ^ Diplo (16 April 2010). "Diplo Talks Sample of the Millennium, the Return of Fun and Other Musical Secrets". Wired News (Interview). Interviewed by Eliot Van Buskirk. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  7. ^ "Major Lazer – Guns Don't Kill People… Lazers Do – Album Review". State. Roger Woolman. 24 July 2009. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  8. ^ Heller, Josh (18 December 2009). "Major Lazer – Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do". Drowned in Sound (Silentway). Archived from the original on 13 January 2012.
  9. ^ Bush, John. Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do at AllMusic. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  10. ^ "DJ Hero® 2 Mix List Continues to Expand With Three New Offerings for the Best Soundtrack in Entertainment" (Press release). Activision. 30 November 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  11. ^ "Chart Log UK: New Entries Update". Zobbel.de. 17 April 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  12. ^ "Chart Log UK". Zobbel.de. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  13. ^ "New Major Lazer Video – 'Pon De Floor'". Stereogum. 5 August 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  14. ^ Gottlieb, Steven (7 August 2009). "Watch It: Major Lazer 'Pon De Floor'". Video Static. Archived from the original on 22 May 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  15. ^ Maider, Ted (4 February 2010). "Break Yo TV: Major Lazer – 'Pon de Floor'". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  16. ^ "Singapore swing". Bangkok Post. 29 October 2010.[dead link]
  17. ^ Air Swell (Media notes). Chiddy Bang. 2010.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ^ a b 4 (Media notes). Beyoncé. Columbia Records. 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-06-27. Retrieved 2011-06-29.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. ^ a b Pon De Floor at AllMusic. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  20. ^ a b "Pon de Floor – EP". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  21. ^ a b "Pon de Floor (feat. VYBZ Kartel) – EP". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  22. ^ "Pon De Floor – Major Lazer– [Vinyl] 12". Insound. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  23. ^ "Pon de Floor – EP". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  24. ^ "Pon de Floor – EP". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  25. ^ "Pon de Floor – EP". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  26. ^ "Pon de Floor – EP" (in French). iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  27. ^ "Pon de Floor – EP" (in German). iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  28. ^ "Pon de Floor – EP". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  29. ^ "Pon de Floor – EP" (in Italian). iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  30. ^ "Pon de Floor – EP" (in Dutch). iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  31. ^ "Pon de Floor – EP". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  32. ^ "Pon de Floor – EP". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  33. ^ "Pon de Floor – EP" (in Spanish). iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  34. ^ "Pon de Floor – EP". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  35. ^ "Pon de Floor – EP". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  36. ^ "Pon de Floor (feat. VYBZ Kartel) – EP". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
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