Song of the Day: Jamie XX “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times) [feat. Young Thug and Popcaan]”

Jamie xx has released another single from his forthcoming LP on Young Turks. This time around, Jamie mentioned that the song, “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)” was inspired by a car ride from Manhattan to Brooklyn while venerable hip-hop radio station Hot97 was blasting. So it’s no surprise that one of the vocal guests is the enigmatic pop-friendly emcee, Young Thug.

The unlikely production pairing with Jamaican dancehall artist Popcaan may read as forced genre-blending, but the collaboration makes for a really great-feeling track with a nod to Afro-Caribbean influences. While Jamie XX is no stranger to steel drum synth patches and a laid back groove (see 2011’s “Far Nearer” single), “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)” takes a step beyond his R&B-sampling electronic pop to a feel good summer track aimed straight for the Hot97 playlist.

Song of the Day: Jamie XX “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times) [feat. Young Thug and Popcaan]”