9 things to know about Jawsh 685, the teen behind BTS track ‘Savage Love (Laxed - Siren Beat)’
- The New Zealand student saw his tune go viral as a TikTok dance challenge this summer
- RnB star Jason Derulo sampled the tune and added lyrics, before crediting the producer
The 17-year-old's track has shot to the top of the charts.A 17-year-old New Zealander whose TikTok anthem has been viewed more than a billion times across social media platforms said “it blows his mind” to have now topped the US Billboard singles chart.
Jawsh 865’s dream run of success began after his tune Laxed – Siren Beat, was picked up by TikTok users as the backing track for a hugely popular dance challenge.
He added: “A kid from South Auckland showing other kids you can do it ... believe in yourself, you can do it. Trust me.”
The challenge – which saw users showcase their cultural heritage by dressing in traditional outfits and dancing to the song – was also embraced by stars like Jennifer Lopez, Jimmy Fallon and Lizzo.
His beats were later taken by RnB star Jason Derulo who added his own lyrics and released it as Savage Love. The BTS remix of Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat) is now making waves around the world.
Here are nine things to know about Jawsh 865
1 The producer’s real name is Joshua Nanai.
2 Josh is from Auckland in New Zealand’s North Island.
3 He is of Samoan and Cook Island heritage.
The Laxed TikTok dance, and 7 more to learn with a crew
4 The number in his stage name pays tribute to that heritage: it’s the telephone code for Samoa.
5 Growing up, he listened to a lot of Elvis Presley – because that’s what his mum liked to listen to – reggae band UB40, boy band Boyzone, and “all those late 90s-early 2000s tracks. His dad used to play Samoan music.
7 Jawsh 685 is the first Kiwi artist to top the Billboard Top 100 charts since Lorde’s Royals in 2013.
8 He was the third Kiwi to top the UK charts when Savage Love went to No. 1 there in July. The others were Lorde, and before her was Kimbra, in 2012’s Somebody That I Used To Know, her collaboration with Australian singer Gotye.
9 If he could only eat one type of food for a whole year, he’d choose toast “coz it’s simple”.