Pinpointed: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

By: Bailey Tolentino

 
 

Collaborations are a tricky thing that are hardly executed properly in the music industry. With the exception of some modern classics like ‘Empire State of Mind’ by Jay-Z (feat. Alicia Keys) and ‘Fancy’ by Iggy Azalea (feat. Charli xcx), plenty of songs with features have one of the two following issues:

  • The featured artist’s vocals are either hardly present or are the only good part of the song, defeating the purpose of collaborating. An example of the first instance is ‘Snow on the Beach’ by Taylor Swift (feat. Lana del Rey). Swift later released a version featuring ‘More Lana Del Rey’, which was just as pointless. As for the second instance, we have ‘Feel This Moment’ by Pitbull (feat. Christina Aguliera).

  • The song would have been better off as a solo because the two artists do not blend well. Oftentimes, the featured artist is just there as a cash grab, and as a result, ends up either adding nothing to (or ruining) the song. Social media has made it possible for artists to know what their fans want, but sometimes, we aren’t correct and they shouldn’t always listen. Disasters include: ‘Please Please Please’ by Sabrina Carpenter (feat. Dolly Parton), anything with DJ Khaled in it (eg.: ‘I’m The One’), and Ed Sheeran’s album No. 6 Collaborations Project.

  • The featured artist is a rapper and their verse is randomly thrown in right before the final chorus of an already (or otherwise) incredibly weak pop song. This happened way too often in 2015 and 2016. Think: ‘Good For You’ by Selena Gomez (feat. A$AP Rocky) or ‘Work From Home’ by Fifth Harmony (feat. Ty Dolla $ign). 

That said, artists do sometimes work together and make something grander or more unique than what they could ever individually manage. My favourite thing about collabs is getting surprised by artists doing things I never thought they could or would. It’s a real test of artistry and often makes me gain respect for artists. Here are my seven picks for songs where collaborating actually worked. I would usually say these are in no particular order… but this time, they kind of are.


  • ‘Smokin Out The Window’ by Silk Sonic

This is from a full album of collaboration between Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, but this is the best track on it. With Silk Sonic, this duo revived a 70s R&B/Soul sound via this very 2021 story of getting done dirty by a gold digger. Equally comedically and vocally impressive, this is a successful use of collaboration, with Bruno Mars bringing drama and Anderson .Paak bringing groove. The instrumentation is also great and the music video is so fun. Neither artist has music that sounds like this in his solo discography, so I really appreciate that this choice to collaborate brought something new out of both of them. 

  • ‘Everyday’ by A$AP Rocky (feat. Rod Stewart x Miguel x Mark Ronson)

The Rod Stewart part of this song is actually an interpolation, as he either went into the studio to re-record a snippet from his original song ‘In A Broken Dream’ (but in a different key), or Ronson transposed a sample. Either way, this collab should not work in any world, but A$AP’s verses contrast nicely with Stewart’s raspy vocals. Miguel’s mini-cover of Stewart’s snippet adds some good variation to the song before it takes a sudden turn at the bridge. The reprise at the end (which I think is A$AP and Miguel singing together) also brings everything to an interesting calm. The lyrics of the rap and those of the ‘In A Broken Dream’ snippet also make sense together, which is what sets this apart from failed collabs and attempts at sampling that often occur in modern rap. Since it’s heavily reliant on interpolation and arrangement, we get another producer credit (Mark Ronson) in the title. I’m a big fan of this choice; artists should do it more often! 

  • ‘FourFiveSeconds’ by Paul McCartney, Rihanna, and Kanye West

It is almost a miracle that the song works, given that each artist is so different. That said, they are all arguably each the GOAT at what they do, so perhaps that is why it worked out. The vulnerable theme of having a drinking problem may have been what united the three drastically different artists; you can hear the passion in their voices. Kanye singing over an acoustic guitar is something I never expected to sound so good, and it blends surprisingly well with Rihanna’s soulful timbre. McCartney’s vocals are not as present, but his influence is certainly notable in the arrangement of both the guitar and the vocal harmonies. I find it incredibly cool how long he’s managed to remain prevalent in the industry since The Beatles by expanding his artistry.

  • ‘Ojos Tristes’ by Selena Gomez, benny blanco, and The Marías

I honestly got concerned that Selena Gomez was copying The Marías’ sound when I first listened to this song, but then I quickly realised it was a collab: one I am very glad was made. Despite having released an EP in Spanish (Revelación) a few years ago, this is by far Gomez’s best venture into the Latin Pop genre. Her voice blends beautifully with María Zardoya’s, and benny blanco did a fantastic job producing the song. As a matter of fact, the entire album I Said I Love You First is a collaboration between the newly-engaged couple, and it’s made me gain so much respect for benny blanco as a producer (look up all the 2010s hits he was behind, if you feel like going down an interesting rabbit hole). Shoutout to the best track ‘Bluest Flame’, which doesn’t sound like a collab since only Selena is singing on it, but definitely is one as she probably would have never put out a song like that on her own.

  • ‘Save Your Tears (Remix)’ by The Weeknd (feat. Ariana Grande)

This is a very rare occasion where adding a featured artist improved the quality of the song (the original track is solo). Ariana’s vocals serve this song perfectly and sets it apart from the rest of the singles off After Hours (which is, though a phenomenal album, sonically redundant at times). Her whistle notes add so much dimension to the melody and their vocals blend literally perfectly. I also love how she sings along with the melody of the synthesizer. It’s already a great song, but she took it elsewhere.

  • ‘After The Storm’ by Kali Uchis (feat. Tyler the Creator, and Bootsy Collins)

Similar to ‘Ojos Tristes’ and ‘Everyday’, this song credits the producer (Bootsy Collins) in the title of the song, which I really appreciate; because ultimately, this song is nothing without the production. He actually also produced and ‘emcees’ the whole Silk Sonic album. Kali Uchis and Tyler the Creator have collaborated a few times, but I think this is the best one (though ‘See You Again’ is more popular). What I love about this collaboration is that neither singer sacrificed her/his individual sound for the sake of blending, but the song calls for both of their styles. Though the chorus is the catchiest part of the song, the flow is never sacrificed by the rap verses; it’s even improved by them… and that is what the 2015/2016 trashy pop songs did not manage to do.

  • ‘I Don’t Wanna Live Forever’ by ZAYN and Taylor Swift

Given this song was written for a huge movie/book franchise (Fifty Shades of Grey) and is a collab between two of the biggest popstars in the world — especially at the time of its release (2016) — you would think this song would be no more than a cash grab. However, Swift and Malik’s voices blend surprisingly well, with both of them singing in equally high vocal ranges, which is very unique for a duet between a man and woman. Swift uses a breathier register than usual in her verses, which works so well with Malik’s falsetto register. However, she also belts at the end of the bridge, showing she can keep up with Zayn’s vocal standard. The harmonies are lovely, Swift takes risks, and it was a good way for Zayn to establish his sound apart from One Direction. Everything makes sense, somehow, even though you might not think it would; and that is what makes a great collab.