“Light It Up” by Marshmello

Marshmello is an American electronic music producer and DJ. His stage name is a playful misspelling of marshmallow, and he goes all in on the gimmick by wearing a custom marshmallow helmet that has a smiley face on it. This keeps his identity a secret while at the same time creating a new one, a electronic music tradition used by acts like Deadmau5 and Daft Punk. Known for his high profile collaborations with artists like Khalid, Anne-Marie, Selena Gomez, Shawn Mendes, and Bastille, Mello has become an irresistible force in pop music. The song "Light It Up" is another collaboration of his, this time with rapper Tyga and R&B singer Chris Brown. The song was released on April 25th, 2019, with the music video getting released the same day.

The song is about what any good electro pop song should be about: having a good time! However, with Chris Brown and Tyga providing the lyrics and vocals, that good time includes recreational drugs and women who are willing to partake in the use of those recreational drugs This is what the titular “light it up” is mainly in reference too, although it can also be taken to mean light up the night and have a general good time. This is all standard content from both Brown, and Tyga, but it is a decidedly less inspired entry from Mello who has produced more complex beats and songs with other artists.

The music video begins with Marshmello, Breezy, and Tyga rolling up to the club in a suped up truck. They take to the stage and Mello plugs in his Marshmello drive to get the party started. The bored clubbers then get energized by Tyga’s first verse and take to the dance floor. The club is filled with bright colors and lights, which really helps solidify the party atmosphere. This includes Mello’s helmet, which has some snazzy blinking lights highlighting the mask’s facial expressions. Everyone in the club is also dressed in bright colors, including the three main artists. This also includes both Breezy and Tyga wearing chucks at different points in the video. Chris Brown wears a black pair while in the mirror room at the club, and Tyga wears a bedazzled silver pair while the trio performs on the stage. Overall, this is a very typical Tyga and Chris Brown video, which makes it a somewhat underwhelming Marshmello video, as it is missing all the humor and charm of his usual work.