The Superbowl, Saturday Night Live, The BRITS, flashbulbs, sharp suits and the glitz of the red carpet are all a far cry from Daniel Lopatin's humble beginnings in vaporwave a little over a decade ago. But one thing that hasn't changed is his collaborative spirit. His latest tag-team is the result of a 2018 studio session with Catalan pop star Rosalía.
The musical arrangement for "Nothing's Special" appeared as the closing track on last year's album, Magic Oneohtrix Point Never. Here, it has been beefed up and Lopatin's haunted vocoder requiem replaced with Rosalía's sublime voice. His sombre lyrics about becoming disenchanted and finding light again in the small things are translated to Spanish and ring with gut-wrenching clarity. Rosalía's own ascent has been similar to Lopatin's—in a few short years she has become one of the world's most singular recording artists. At just three minutes and 33 seconds, this track is over before you know it. These guys, however, are just getting started.