Tame Impala, an electronic musical project helmed by Sydney, Australia-born artist Kevin Parker, boasts one of the most satisfying sounds in modern songwriting.
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One part-John Lennon, one part-Daft Punk, the music is a romp but it’s also a sonic elixir that finds its way into your psyche and creates a cocktail of immaculate enjoyment.
In 2020, when Parker and Tame Impala released their latest LP, The Slow Rush, music fans raised eyebrows and glasses in reverence. Prior to that, Tame Impala rocketed onto the scene with its three previous LPs, Innerspeaker in 2010, Lonerism in 2012, and Currents in 2015.
Over the years, the 36-year-old musician has worked with artists like Lil Yachty. But did you know that Parker has also helped compose significant tracks for other musicians?
Without further ado, here are two songs you likely didn’t know Kevin Parker of Tame Impala helped write for other artists.
1. “Daffodils,” Mark Ronson
Written by Mark Ronson, Kevin Parker, and Michael Chabon
British-born artist Mark Ronson is the super producer who has worked with big names like Amy Winehouse (Back to Black) and Bruno Mars (“Uptown Funk”). But the songwriter also employed the falsetto-singing Kevin Parker for the track, “Daffodils.” On it, Parker offers his smooth voice and sense for synths, blending with Ronson’s knack for a beat, percussion, and swagger. The result is an oozy delicious sonic sundae.
The song appeared on Ronson’s fourth studio album, Uptown Special, which was dedicated to Winehouse and included “Uptown Funk.” It also featured artists like Stevie Wonder, Mystikal, and more. “Daffodils” was the LP’s second single, released on February 4, 2015. Check out the part ambient, part earworm track below.
2. “Perfect Illusion,” Lady Gaga
Written by Mark Ronson, Lady Gaga, Kevin Parker and BloodPop
Here, Parker and Ronson teamed up again (along with BloodPop), but this time for the mega-watt star Lady Gaga. The song was released on September 9, 2016, as the lead single from Gaga’s fourth studio album, Joanne. The energetic dance tune was written by Gaga, Parker, Ronson, and BloodPop. It goes into Gaga’s high highs and low lows as an artist.
As a final product, Gaga wrote the tune, and the other co-writers gave it their final touches. It originally came from a Gaga demo called “Illusion,” which Parker developed and presented to both Gaga and Ronson, who later recruited BloodPop to get involved, too.
The group later met up in Malibu and completed the track in a few days. According to BloodPop, there was no big conversation about the song. They just did it together. All who worked on it, the artist said, “all kind of spoke a similar language.” Ronson arranged the song and played synths and guitar with Parker. Check out the heart-racing track below.
Photo by Jim Dyson/Getty Images
