Super-duo AREA21 are comprised of hugely popular Dutch EDM DJ Martin Garrix and American hip-hop/R&B singer/songwriter Maejor. Filled with chirpy vocal samples and exuberant lyrics, the group's songs, including 2016's "Spaceships," blend pop, rap, and dance, as well as dancehall and tropical elements. The pair's music videos, imagery, and initial anonymity all heavily allude to aliens and UFOs. After the release of their first single, AREA21 gradually teased new material, with a flurry of 2021 singles, including "La La La" and "Followers," leading up to their debut album. Both highly accomplished and successful producers in their own right, Garrix and Maejor came together in 2016 to record the track "Spaceships," which Garrix anonymously debuted in his headlining set at that year's huge Ultra Music Festival in Miami. The light and airy track, featuring Maejor's foulmouthed rap vocal, largely sidestepped EDM's typical bombast, and caused an immediate sensation, with much speculation as to the identity of the artists involved. Most correctly surmised that Garrix was behind the music, owing to the similarity with his productions under his own name, but the vocalist was initially speculated to be either Asher Roth or Big Sean. The mystery continued even as "Spaceships" was officially released as a single through Garrix's own STMPD RCRDS, credited to AREA21 (the alien-themed logo and music video made it clear that the name was a nod to the infamous Area 51 Air Force base in Nevada). A second single, "Girls," followed before Maejor was finally unmasked as the vocalist early in 2017. That June, the duo issued a third single, "We Did It," and they closed the year with "Glad You Came." The self-explanatory "Happy" appeared in 2018 and "Help" followed in 2019. "La La La" was released in April 2021, and several more tracks, including "Lovin' Every Minute" (which AREA21 first performed live in 2018) and "Followers," gradually appeared ahead of their debut album's release in November of that year. ~ John D. Buchanan