It doesn’t sound savage, per se, but that’s alright.

“Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)” took the world by storm, working its way up the charts following its release as a single in June 2020, marking another jaunt up the charts for solid hit popster Jason Derulo, this time stealing (yes, stealing!) the tropical-vibe instrumental from New Zealand producer Jawsh 685 and adding lyrics to it.

From what I’ve gleaned from online sources, Jawsh 685 initially published “Laxed (Siren Beat)” to YouTube where it went viral and eventually became a TikTok staple, landing Jawsh a recording contract with Columbia.

Derulo, without credit or clearance, sampled the beat and teased his new version of the song, “Savage Love,” causing some outrage within the industry from folks wanting Derulo to properly give credit where due. If I understand what I’m reading correctly, the popularity Derulo brought to the track was enough to convince Jawsh 685 that the collaboration was worth it.

The Derulo-added lyrics deal with the narrator’s “savage love” he’s experiencing with the woman he’s currently with. Apparently, she’s only dating him to get back at her former lover. Our narrator, Derulo, wants more…but she’s, well, savage. So what can you do?

The reggaeton jam has a tropical feel, in line with Jawsh 685’s Samoan roots, which is what inspired the instrumental in the first place. The track is laid back…and despite its lyrical content, it makes me want to sip some fruity alcohol out of a coconut under a palm tree, which sounds a lot more fun than analyzing this song during the current stay-at-home pandemic order I’m under.