Ocean

Album: Single release only (2018)
Charted: 25 78
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This soothing, downtempo dance track features instrumentation by Dutch DJ Martin Garrix and vocals by American singer Khalid. The collaboration was birthed when a fan Twitter account based out of Israel reached out to both artists asking them to work together. Khalid tweeted Garrix quoting the fan and Garrix responded: "Lets do it."

    Martin Garrix started the dance ballad's idea on a boat in Amsterdam, penning the chords before moving into a studio to develop the demo along with co-writers Dewain Whitmore, Ilsey Juber and Giorgio Tuinfort. The Dutch DJ communicated with Khalid via FaceTime; they only met in person for the first time when they filmed the video. The final version of the song was released on June 15, 2018.
  • Lyrically, the song centers on the power of love. Khalid uses the metaphor of an ocean that can't separate him and his romantic partner. He goes on to assure her that if they're "caught in a wave I will carry you over."
  • Khalid has previously dipped his toes into the dance waters before, hooking up with Calvin Harris in 2017 on "Rollin" and later in the year providing the vocals on Marshmello's hit tune "Silence."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Rosanne Cash

Rosanne CashSongwriter Interviews

Rosanne talks about the journey that inspired her songs on her album The River & the Thread, including a stop at the Tallahatchie Bridge.

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)Songwriter Interviews

Mike Rutherford talks about the "Silent Running" storyline and "Land Of Confusion" in the age of Trump.

Peter Lord

Peter LordSongwriter Interviews

You may not recognize his name, but you will certainly recognize Peter Lord's songs. He wrote the bevy of hits from Paula Abdul's second album, Spellbound.

Tom Waits Lyrics Quiz

Tom Waits Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

Pool balls, magpies and thorns without roses - how well do you know your Tom Waits lyrics?

Kim Thayil of Soundgarden

Kim Thayil of SoundgardenSongwriter Interviews

Their frontman (Chris Cornell) started out as their drummer, so Soundgarden takes a linear approach when it comes to songwriting. Kim explains how they do it.

Weird Al Yankovic

Weird Al YankovicFact or Fiction

Did Al play on a Beach Boys record? Did he have beef with George Lucas and Coolio? See if you can spot weird but true stories.