Artist
Tiësto Feat. Matthew Koma
Why we feature this artist Wasted and the songwriter inside the guest credit Wasted gives Tiësto’s pop direction a particularly sunny surface. Matthew Koma’s voice moves easily through the compact melody, while the song’s relationship story introduces a less c…
- From
- Netherlands, United States
- Sound
- Dance-pop, electronic
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The story of Tiësto Feat. Matthew Koma
Why we feature this artist
Wasted and the songwriter inside the guest credit
Wasted gives Tiësto’s pop direction a particularly sunny surface. Matthew Koma’s voice moves easily through the compact melody, while the song’s relationship story introduces a less comfortable idea beneath the brightness. The result has the immediate lift of a summer single and the slightly uneasy humour of a couple who find intimacy easier under the wrong conditions.
More than a featured voice
The single appeared in 2014 during the build-up to A Town Called Paradise. The credits make Koma’s contribution broader than the featured billing alone suggests: he is a vocalist, songwriter, producer and recording engineer. Tiësto is also credited with production, with the Disco Fries contributing additional production work.
This is a collaboration shaped from within the song. Koma gives the melody a conversational ease, and its short phrases fit naturally against the rhythmic pulse. The arrangement favours a concise pop form, allowing the instrumental energy to lift the refrain without requiring a long club introduction.
The friction beneath the brightness
The central relationship is neither secure nor especially clear-sighted. That uncertainty is part of the song’s character, because the inviting production can initially make the situation sound much simpler than it is. Koma’s lightness keeps the premise playful, while the repeated refrain makes its emotional compromise difficult to miss.
A Town Called Paradise placed this recording among Tiësto’s increasingly prominent vocal collaborations. Wasted is a useful example of how that approach changed the scale of his writing: the hook is designed to register quickly, and the guest has a hand in both the words and the finished sound. Its appeal lies in that concentration of melody, personality and rhythmic momentum.
Essential releases
Wasted
Koma contributes vocals, writing and production to the A Town Called Paradise single.