When we put together our countdown of the Best Australian & New Zealand Songs of the 21st Century So Far last year, there were several must-include hits. One was “Swing” by Savage, the lead single from the legendary Aotearoa rapper’s debut solo album, Moonshine.
AN instant hit in 2005, Savage’s classic song has endured through remixes featuring Soulja Boy and Joel Fletcher.
As we wrote in our songs list, “If you were hitting dancefloors in the 2000s and didn’t partake in the “Savage, where the chorus at?” cry, you were at the wrong place.”
In an exclusive new interview with Rolling Stone AU/NZ, Savage recalled debuting “Swing” at Big Day Out in Sydney before its official release.
The festival crowd’s “insane” reaction told him he was onto a winner.
“As soon as we walked off stage, major labels approached us,” Savage revealed. “That’s when we knew the song was about to do something different.”
Savage also told us about the iconic music video, directed by Sophie Finlay (watch below), which he chose because “it felt fun and comedic.”
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in Australian/New Zealand music and globally.
“That immediately clicked with me,” he added.
Elsewhere in the interview, Savage discussed working with Akon, with whom he memorably dropped “Moonshine” in 2005.
When Savage had to decide who he wanted to guest on “Moonshine”, he chose Akon over much more established names like Lil Wayne and Mobb Deep.
“[…] I believed in Akon’s voice and songwriting. We jumped on a call together and he asked me where New Zealand even was. I told him it was the bottom of the world and he laughed,” he recalled.
“The rest is history,” as Savage continued. “The collaboration with Akon was probably the most mind-blowing moment of my career.”
Their collaboration went on to spend seven weeks atop the New Zealand Singles Chart. “Moonshine” was a hit across the ditch in Australia, too, reaching the top 10 on the ARIA Singles Chart.
Read our full interview with Savage here.
