Ben Madilynn
- Steve Aoki Drops His 9th Studio Album ‘Paragon’
- Featuring collaborations with NE-YO, Lil Jon, Kid Cudi
- New Single & Music Video “Heavenly Hell” with NE-YO Out Today
Renowned producer and 2X GRAMMY-nominated artist Steve Aoki has unveiled his 9th studio album, ‘Paragon.’ The story of ‘Paragon’ builds off of the expansive Hiroquest universe Aoki has established through his music, trading cards, and a newly released graphic novel. The album showcases the contemporary global dance sounds Aoki encounters during his 200+ concerts each year. It features his latest collab with Kid Cudi, the vibrant sounds of South Africa on “Mad” with Moonchild Sanelly and the Amapiano-heavy “Visa” in collaboration with Major League DJZ. “Bum Bum” with Natalhão highlights Brazilian Baile Funk, while “Get Lower” with Lil Jon blends American hip-hop with EDM. Accompanying the album, Aoki released the vibrant music video for “Heavenly Hell,” a collaboration with three-time, Grammy award-winning hitmaker NE-YO. The video vividly transitions from heaven to hellish scenes. Watch the video HERE
“This album revisits the core themes that defined my early work, with a strong emphasis on crafting tracks that get people moving,” Aoki shares. “Although it spans a variety of genres, it remains true to the essence of dance music, uniting cultures worldwide through a myriad of sounds. At the center of ‘Paragon’ is my collaboration with NE-YO. NE-YO has voiced so many essential dancefloor anthems, and it’s an honor to work with him on this next chapter. ‘Heavenly Hell’ has been going off in my sets around the world, and I’m excited to officially share it with the everyone.”
“Been a long time coming, this collaboration,” NE-YO adds. “Super excited for the world to hear what we’ve come up with! Thanx for the vibes, Steve!”
Sonically, the album is a snapshot of an Aoki concert experience, full of high-energy moments. One of the biggest songs in Aoki’s sets is his remix of Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit Of Happiness.” The pair reunite on ‘Paragon’ with “Electrowavebaby 2.0,” another contagious crossover anthem. Elsewhere on the album, “Lose My Mind” with K?D, “Voices In My Head” with Bassjackers (featuring Teddy Bee), and “Better Run” with Just_us provide festival-ready electro sounds, while “Play The Track” with 22Bullet provides a melodic techno vibe. There are also singalong moments on big vocal-driven records such as “Drive” featuring KIDDO.
From the studio to the stage, Aoki’s passion for pushing boundaries and exploring new sonic landscapes shines through in every track. His previous album ‘HiROQUEST 2: Double Helix’ was inspired by nostalgia and the dynamic sounds of contemporary dance, Latin music, and more. The first ‘HiROQUEST‘ drew from Aoki’s alternative music and punk band roots.
This year, Aoki has been on his Heavenly Hell Tour, previewing ‘Paragon’ songs for audiences in each city he visits, including major festivals such as EDC Las Vegas, Tomorrowland Winter, and Ultra Miami. Aoki has brought along fellow Dim Mak artists, including Callie Reiff, Deorro, Nostalgix, Pickle, Cheyenne Giles, Yetep, Ookay, Henry Fong, and Wolfgang Gartner, to join him on select stops. Tonight, Aoki celebrates ‘Paragon’ with a record-release party at Brooklyn Mirage. For tickets, please visit www.stevesoki.com.
Steve Aoki 2024 Tour Dates
June 28 – Brooklyn, NY – The Brooklyn Mirage
June 29 – 30 – Sun Kissed Summer Festival 2024 – Fresno, CA
June 29 – Las Vegas, NV – Hakkasan
June 30 – Las Vegas, NV – Wet Republic
July 6 – Kristiansand, Norway – Palmesus
July 6 – Torre Del Mar, Spain – Weekend Beach Festival
July 7 – Romania – Neversea
July 8 – Mallorca, Spain – BCM
July 10 – Ibiza, Spain – Ushuaia
July 11 – Calgary, AB, Canada – Cowboys Music Festival
July 12 – Las Vegas, NV, USA – Omnia
July 13 – Las Vegas, NV, USA – Wet Republic
July 16 – Barcarès, France – EMF – Electrobeach
July 19 – Mezőtúr, Hungary – East Fest
July 20 – Weeze, Germany – Parookaville
July 21 – Boom, Belgium – Tomorrowland
July 27 – Boom, Belgium – Tomorrowland
July 28 – Montecosaro, Italy – MIND Festival
July 29 – Zrće, Croatia – Noa
July 31 – Mykonos, Greece – Cavo Paradiso
August 2 – Las Vegas, NV, USA – Omnia
August 3 – Toronto, ON, Canada – Veld Festival
August 4 – Las Vegas, NV, USA – Wet Republic
August 8 – Cluj-Napoca, Romania – Untold
August 9 – Saalburg-Ebersdorf, Germany – SonneMondSterne
August 10 – Cullera, Spain – Medusa
August 11 – Batumi, Georgia – Mono Hall
August 12 – Zrće, Croatia – Noa
August 14 – Galliploi, Italy – Praja
August 16 – Catanzaro, Italy – Miraya Beach Park
August 20 – Cyprus – Odessey
August 21 – Barcelona, Spain – Opium
August 21 – Ibiza, Spain – Ushuaia
August 22 – Mallorca, Spain – BCM
August 29 – Colonia Tepeyac, Mexico – Fenapo
August 30 – Las Vegas, NV, USA – Hakkasan
‘Paragon’ Tracklist:
- Heavenly Hell (ft. NE-YO)
- Clapback (ft. Raphaella)
- 2×2 with Chapter & Verse & Alika
- Mad (ft. Moonchild Sanelly)
- Electrowavebaby 2.0 with Kid Cudi
- Bum Bum with Sandro Silva and Natalhão
- 3 Days (ft. Kalan.FrFr)
- Visa with Major League DJz (ft. Mannywellz)
- Weirder Things (ft. Xander850)
- Drive (ft. KIDDO)
- Play The Track with 22Bullet
- Lose My Mind with K?D
- Better Run with Just_us
- Flashing Lights with Bassjackers
- Voices In My Head with Bassjackers (feat. Teddy Bee)
- Get Lower with Lil Jon
- 3 Days (ft. Kalan.FrFr) [Steve Aoki Hyro Energy Remix]
- Paragon
ABOUT STEVE AOKI
Counting nearly 3 billion music streams to his name, Steve Aoki is a true visionary. Billboard described the 2x-GRAMMY-nominated music producer, artist, fashion designer, entrepreneur, NFT futurist, and Dim Mak Records founder as “one of the most in-demand entertainers in the world.” A Guinness World Record holder for the “Most Traveled Musician in a Single Calendar Year,” Aoki has performed at nearly every top festival around the world, including Coachella, Ultra Music Festival, Lollapalooza, Fuji Rock Festival, Tomorrowland, and Electric Daisy Carnival. Aoki also graced recent covers of Entrepreneur Magazine, Success Magazine, Electronic Musician, and Adweek as their “Visionary of the Year.”
As a globally successful cross-genre solo artist, Aoki has collaborated with an impressive list of varied artists, including BTS, Maluma, Snoop Dogg, Linkin Park, blink-182, One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson, Machine Gun Kelly, Lil Uzi Vert, 2 Chainz and Daddy Yankee, on top of having released three Platinum singles, six Gold singles, and over ten Top 10 radio records.
Aoki approaches each new endeavor with the same sense of dedication he’s put into his past achievements, including the Grammy-nominated Netflix documentary I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (2016) and his memoir BLUE: The Color of Noise (2019). In 2012, he also founded THE AOKI FOUNDATION to support organizations in brain science and its research. His influential record label Dim Mak, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2021, is known for being a launching pad for the careers of prominent acts like Bloc Party, The Chainsmokers, Bloody Beetroots, The Kills, Zedd, and Diplo.
Connect With STEVE AOKI: Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Facebook | Spotify
ABOUT NE-YO
NE-YO is a three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning R&B hitmaker, iconic songwriter, actor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist whose illustrious catalog has generated a combined total of 23 billion streams worldwide.
His debut single, 2005’s “So Sick,” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified quadruple-platinum. Since then, the Motown Records/Compound Entertainment recording artist has racked up a collection of global hits including “Sexy Love,” “Closer,” “Because of You,” “Miss Independent,” and “Push Back” [feat. Bebe Rexha and Stefflon Don].”
Additionally, NE-YO has proven to be as powerful with his pen as he is in the recording studio and on stage, penning bangers like Rihanna’s “Unfaithful,” “Russian Roulette,” and “Take a Bow,” along with Beyoncé’s 2006 breakup anthem “Irreplaceable” and songs for such artists as Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Carrie Underwood, Celine Dion and Mario among others.
The multihyphenate has also leveraged his platform as a musician to pivot into acting. His film and television credits include NBC’s World of Dance, Netflix’s Dance Monsters, Empire, Stomp the Yard, Save the Last Dance, Battle: Los Angeles, George Lucas’ Red Tails, The Wiz Live!, Starz’ Step Up: High Water, Hip Hop Family Christmas Wedding and The Sound of Christmas. He starred in the latest season of 50 Cent’s acclaimed drama series BMF on STARZ.
