"Habits (Stay High)" (Mike Mago) Jonasu & Felix Samuel

Monday 12th October 2020

Release date: Out now Label: 3Beat

Jonasu, aka Jonas Kröper, is a German born multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer now residing in Amsterdam. His impressive music catalogue has accumulated millions of streams, having written and produced for artists including Sam Feldt (multi-platinum selling single Post Malone) and Alok & Dynoro (smash single On & On). He has also previously worked with Conor Maynard, WEISS, and Don Diablo and has spent time recording in London, Stockholm, Berlin and L.A., including sessions with legendary writer Cathy Dennis (Katy Perry, Britney Spears).

Jonasu’s love of classic pop and unique vocalists also brought him to British singer Felix Samuel for a cover of Tove Lo’s dark pop hit Habits (Stay High). Jonasu has form for an unlikely pop cover, having previously put his spin on hits by The Spice Girls (Wannabe) and Fleetwood Mac (Everywhere) among others, these reworks are fast becoming a staple of his sound. ‘I don’t ever want to do a straight cover,’ he says of the process. ‘I make modern versions of classic songs.’ ‘Habits was created during lockdown actually,’ says Jonasu, ‘I was in touch with Felix Samuel on instagram and we were chatting about doing a collaboration in the future.

He sent me a little snippet of him singing Habits (Stay High) just with a piano. His voice sounded amazing and it immediately sparked in my brains. I was working on some house records at that time, for various artists as well as my upcoming single Black Magic, so i really wanted to speed up Felix’ vocals and see what happens if I wrap it in a 2020 house blanket. It worked perfectly and within a few hours I sent back a draft to Felix and he thought it was a great idea.’ ‘We both felt that the song was the perfect soundtrack to the circumstances, that all of us found ourselves stuck at home, with our lives, as we knew it, on pause. Although everything changed, we all keep our habits and they help trying to keep sane.

Staying high to forget about our circumstances was definitely also part of that.’ Whether he’s reinventing yesterday’s hits or crafting tomorrow’s anthems himself, Jonasu boasts an innate ability to make people move. ‘There’s a million ways to dance but everyone does it for the same reason - joy. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a club or wherever, it’s about expressing yourself.’ The mission, then, is simple: make people move and spread joy wherever you go. Jonasu has got this covered.

Posted by Craig Jones