Jawsh 685

A worldwide hit with a loping groove and an irresistible, summery vibe, Jason Derulo and Jawsh 685’s “Savage Love” sounded like nothing else in 2020. Its unusual history explains why. It all began in 2018 when Joshua Stylah, a 16-year-old high schooler and aspiring beatmaker in Auckland, New Zealand, downloaded some music software and started making his own “siren jams.” That’s the name for the instrumentals that sound like slowed-down reggaetón and are meant to be blared through the siren speakers on cars and bikes popular in New Zealand and the Pasifika region. One trademark is the squeaky sax-like sound that helped make Jawsh 685’s track “Laxed (Siren Beat)” such a sticky phenomenon among the millions of TikTok users who used it as their score for dances celebrating their heritages. (Stylah’s own background is Samoan and Cook Islander—he paid tribute to the first part by using Samoa’s “685” area code in his handle.) Reworked with a vocal by Derulo, “Laxed (Siren Beat)” became “Savage Love,” which topped the charts in the U.S. and around the world. Many more major players have been quick to recognize the youngster’s talent. A collaboration with Lauv and Tyga, Jawsh 685’s single “Sweet & Sour” is every bit as exuberant and irresistible as the quirky smash that launched him.