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It’s July, But The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber’s “Stay” Is Your Song Of The Summer

The Kid LAROI’s rise to fame has been meteoric, but his new track with Justin Bieber is destined to make him a worldwide superstar.

The Kid LAROI’s crossover from the insularity of the Australian hip-hop scene to mainstream US hip-hop and beyond has been astounding to watch. With mentorship and a co-sign from the late Juice WRLD, The Kid LAROI relocated to Los Angeles – much like fellow Aussie rapper Tkay Maidza – in an effort to craft a career that reflected his potential. Australia may have been on board, but he was ready for the world to notice him.

Now, after a hit mixtape and several songs reaching the top 10 in charts around the world, he’s convinced millions he can do it. “Stay” will be that final push over the line.

With his past few singles, LAROI has been subtly freeing himself from the confines of genre and exploring both pop and alternative sounds. His recent remix of “WITHOUT YOU” alongside Miley Cyrus lent heavily into the guitar led-pop ballads that dominated charts in the mid-00s. With “Stay”, LAROI dives headfirst into a synth-driven pop wonderland.

While the song’s themes of yearning for a lover’s return aren’t exactly breaking new ground for either LAROI or his collaborator Justin Bieber, LAROI’s raspy vocals, soaked with frustration at himself, mixed with Bieber’s smooth voice helps elevate the track above just another run of the mill sadboi pop song.

The splattering synths also help make it a bona fide hit. It’s fast-paced and relentless, “Stay” delivering a festival-ready chorus that right now just feels cruel. The song’s an instantly recognisable hit, made with all of the elements we’ve come to expect from chart-toppers. But with refined production and LAROI’s fearlessness to push beyond what’s expected of him, “Stay” is cut above the rest.

LAROI’s latest has dropped the same week as the artist earned himself three nominations at this year’s NIMAs and just months after landing the title of MTV’s PUSH artist for April; we might just have to accept that the future is his.

Listen to The Kid LAROI's "Stay" with Justin Bieber right now

This is an opinion piece written by Jackson Langford, music contributor at MTV Australia. Hot takes at @jacksonlangford and hotter pics at @jacksonlangford.

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WATCH: The Kid LAROI's Exclusive MTV PUSH Performance Of "Without You" 

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