We exist in an era of music in which success is easily quantified—an artist becomes a sensation based upon on an ever-higher number of views, followers, plays and likes.

By this standard, Norwegian artist Matoma has certainly done big things in a short amount of time, aggregating hundreds of thousands of online followers, and incredibly, seeing his remixes garner millions of plays in just five months. His standout hip hop meets tropical house single “Old Thing Back” currently has over 100 million plays on Spotify. 

His true achievement, however, is about more than a numbers; it’s about depth, feeling and and that magical symbiotic relationship between the performer and the crowd. In this sense, Matoma, the 24-year old artist born Tom Lagergren, has accomplished something special.

His signature sound is a summer-ready mix of tropical house, breezy funk and classic hip-hop, with influences including Ice Cube, Xzibit and The Notorious B.I.G. While these styles may seem disparate, Lagergren has fused his influences into an infectiously feel good sound, as heard on his remixes and mashups of artists as varied as Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Will Smith, Maroon 5 and Axwell.