After teasing their unlikely collaboration across socials with a flip of Train’s hit song ‘Drive By’, producer/DJ duo NIIKO X SWAE and the multi-Grammy award-winning pop-rock band today released ‘Serious’ on Armada Music. Known for timeless hits such as ‘Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)’ and ‘Hey, Soul Sister’, the record signifies Train’s first foray into dance music and cements NIIKO X SWAE’s place as ones to watch heading into the new year.
Growing up, the Southern California natives forged cherished connections with Train’s music, from listening to the band on the radio with their parents, blasting their hits on the way to school or hearing ‘Calling All Angels’ at an LA Angels baseball game – the team’s theme song. Years later, they remixed Train’s 2017 single ‘Valentine’ and shared it on SoundCloud. However, the roots of this collaboration stretch back four to five years ago, when the duo struck up a friendship with Train frontman Pat Monahan. Despite staying in touch and occasionally bouncing ideas off one another, it wasn’t until Pat shared a topline he’d crafted alongside Grammy award-winning producer Rami Yacoub that the perfect opportunity emerged.
“After taking what would be a traditional pop song and adding our signature electronic dance-pop twist, ‘Serious’ was born,” say NIIKO X SWAE. “We had such a blast working on this track together, and are so grateful that Pat and the band entrusted us with their first dance record.”
Train’s Pat Monahan adds, "After meeting NIIKO X SWAE in Maui years ago and seeing them perform, I was really excited to figure out something fun and cool we could collaborate on. ‘Serious’ it is! Brings out the best in all of us I think, and gives us more reasons to hang out together which is always great for me!”
‘Serious’ comes after a string of classic rock flips shared across NIIKO X SWAE’s social channels, including their massively viral remix of Tears for Fears’ ‘80s hit ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’. The fiery dance-pop record expertly links NIIKO X SWAE and Train’s signature style, weaving together an irresistible rhythm, vibrant piano chords and a standout vocal performance for a nostalgia-infused output brimming with crossover appeal.
NIIKO X SWAE say, “Train’s music has shaped some of our earliest musical memories, and we’re honored by their belief in us. We can’t wait to share this collaboration with a group we have looked up to since the beginning.”
‘Serious’ is available now via Armada Music HERE.
About NIIKO X SWAE
Childhood friends and LA-based duo NIIKO X SWAE spent their early days learning to produce and dreaming of pioneering a new lane in house music. Their recent collaboration with Tiesto and Tears for Fears on ‘Rule the World (Everybody)’ has gone viral with over 130 million views on Instagram. The trending sound was officially released in October and has since eclipsed 8 million streams with support from Spotify’s Dance Rising and Just Hits, Apple Music’s DanceXL and New Music Daily, the cover of Amazon’s Pop Remixes and much more. The record is also making waves at Radio via adds at SiriusXM and Slam and was the #3 most downloaded track in the world in November. NIIKO X SWAE have previously collaborated with Deorro feat. Kiiara on ‘Help Me’ and with Nicky Romero on ‘Easy’, which has amassed over 7 million streams to date with support from Tiesto, Martin Garrix, and more.
The Tao Group Hospitality Las Vegas residents have also become a household name in the remix lane, releasing remixes for Bebe Rexha, Armin van Buuren, John Legend and more. NIIKO X SWAE’s ‘Sacrifice’ remix for Bebe Rexha has seen a multitude of success, topping 5.5 million streams since its release. The remix earned a top spot on KIIS FM’s “Top 20 Beats of the Week”, helping lead ‘Sacrifice’ to #1 at Dance Radio. NIIKO X SWAE are excited to continue veraciously touring, recently announcing their 2024 debut headline ‘Rule the World Tour’ which consists of over 16 dates across the US.
About TRAIN
Train is a multi-GRAMMY Award-winning, diamond-selling band from San Francisco that has had 14 songs on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and 13 albums on the Billboard 200 chart. Train's climb to the top began in 1994, as the original 5-member band tenaciously built a loyal hometown following, leading up to their debut self-titled album released by Columbia in 1998. The tumbling wordplay of "Meet Virginia'' gave them their first unlikely radio hit, and 2001’s Drops of Jupiter broke them to multi-platinum status thanks to the double-GRAMMY-winning title song that spent 10 months in the Top 40, has been certified RIAA 7x platinum, and earned the 2001 GRAMMY Award for Best Rock Song. The group won another GRAMMY in 2011 for their global hit “Hey, Soul Sister'' from their multi-platinum album Save Me, San Francisco (2009), which was the No.1 best-selling smash and most downloaded single of 2010, achieved RIAA Diamond status in 2021 and now 11x platinum, and in 2022 surpassed one billion streams on Spotify. Train has sold more than 10 million albums and 30 million tracks worldwide, with multiple platinum/gold citations, including three GRAMMY Awards, two Billboard Music Awards, and dozens of other honors. They’ve had 24 Top 10 songs across the Billboard charts and six Top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 chart including Drops of Jupiter (2001), My Private Nation (2003), California 37 (2012), Bulletproof Picasso (2014), For Me, It's You (2016), and a girl a bottle a boat (2017). Train released their critically acclaimed 11th studio album, AM Gold, in May 2022 and most recently released a new song "I Know" ft. Tenille Townes and Bryce Vine, which marked their 27th career entry on Billboard’s Adult Pop Airplay chart.
Train frontman, Pat Monahan, partakes in other ventures outside of music, including his award-winning wine portfolio, Save Me, San Francisco Wine Co, which was created in 2011 and has sold over 10 million bottles and won over 100 medals. Proceeds from his wine business support Family House, a San Francisco charity that supports families of children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. Monahan has appeared on television and in film with credits that include the 2021 Hallmark Channel original movie, Christmas in Tahoe, inspired by Train’s album of the same name, which he executive produced and starred, Dr. Ken, 90210, CBS’s Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum P.I., The Voice, American Idol, and The Bachelor.
About Armada Music
Armada Music is the biggest independent dance music label in the world. Founded by Armin van Buuren, Maykel Piron (CEO) and David Lewis, the label manages an ever-growing catalog of over 40,000 tracks, built up across twenty-plus years of specialized dance music exploitation.
Representing artists such as Armin van Buuren, ARTY, D.O.D, Eelke Kleijn, Jan Blomqvist, Loud Luxury, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, Tensnake, THEMBA and Yulia Niko, Armada Music amasses more than one billion streams per month, airplay on leading radio outlets such as BBC Radio 1 and Sirius XM, and top positions in the world’s most notable charts. The label also takes great pride in major achievements such as Armin van Buuren’s GRAMMY nomination for ‘This Is What It Feels Like’, Loud Luxury and Brando’s ‘Body’ surpassing one billion streams on Spotify and breaking artists such as Lost Frequencies into global stardom.
Across offices in Amsterdam (HQ), New York, London and Laren (NL), Armada Music offers a truly global appeal to its growing roster. The label has its own club, radio studio and multiple production studios, and hosts various live formats. Producer platform Armada University, which offers educational products and opportunities, shows the label’s sustained effort to nurture the next wave of talent.
In 2023, Armada Music launched BEAT Music Fund, the world’s first dance music investment company, that acquires catalogs with the mission of honoring, representing and reinvigorating them. BEAT’s portfolio will continue to grow; in the first six months following its launch, BEAT acquired the catalogs of, among others, electronic music star ARTY, house and techno pioneer Kevin Saunderson’s KMS Records, legendary NYC-based house label King Street Sounds and chart-topping producers Chocolate Puma.
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