Electro-dance DJ and all-star collaborator Diplo is taking a left turn into country music for a new project he’s calling Thomas Wesley. And he’s enlisted “Burning House” hit maker Cam for the first track.
Diplo’s new country moniker is a reference to his birth name, Thomas Wesley Pentz, and in today’s age of crossover hits like Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Old Town Road” or Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line’s “Meant to Be,” the new track could well find a place on country fans’ favorite playlist.
It features a traditionally-minded melody and arrangement, but retains the steady electronic pulse of Diplo’s EDM bangers along the way. Muted acoustic guitar, piano and synthetic strings join Cam’s feathery, empathetic vocal, as she sings about a guy who’s trying hard not to commit. But deep down, she knows he wants to give in, and the music drops out as she makes her case in the track’s self-assured chorus.
“I know you’re fine doing life on your own / But that doesn’t mean you have to be alone / ‘Cuz boy you’ve been flying solo for so long / But I think it’s time to give your heart / Your heart what it wants,” Cam sings.
Meanwhile, a celebrity-filled video for the track is also out, filmed during the recent Stagecoach Music Festival in Indio, California, and boasting cameos from Sam Hunt, Dwight Yoakam, Cyrus, Lil Nas X and TV foodie Guy Fieri. The kooky clip shows Diplo transforming into his Thomas Wesley character, shotgunning beers and doing shots before taking the stage for a wild set wearing a rhinestone-encrusted suit.
There’s no word on when the rest of Diplo’s Thomas Wesley project will be revealed. But you can bet there will be some more big names attached when it is.
