Curtis Campbell, STAR Writer

Reggae artiste Tarrus Riley has finally made his debut on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This, as his effort with Major Lazer and Ellie Goulding, titled 'Powerful', now sits at No. 95 on the coveted chart for the first time.

This is Tarrus Riley's first time on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, despite being consistent on the Jamaican and European music scene for a little over a decade.

The song sees Major Lazer mixing reggae music with pop to give a unique sound, and according to Riley, who spoke with the WEEKEND STAR recently, he has always been a fan of genre-blending.

"JukeBoxx Productions and Major Lazer have always been like family. I went to Florida to work on another project with Major Lazer, and we ended up completing that project real quick, so there was time to work on other projects. I put down my part on the track, and then later, she (Ellie Goulding) did her thing and we created magic," Riley said.

Also called 'Singy Singy' locally, Riley praised Major Lazer for their work.

"I love how they blend different genres of music. I am all about that. I love to change things up. Major Lazer has that vibe, and that's what I admire about them the most," he said.

Billboard magazine also did a feature on the song, in which it credited Tarrus Riley for giving the record a rootsy flavour.

"A sweeping anthem that combines old-school R&B flavour with Major Lazer's signature full-to-bursting, dancefloor-ready sound. Tarrus Riley's contribution keeps Major Lazer in line with Jamaican musical roots, even if his island lilt is muffled in the production," Billboard posted.

Powerful was released as a part of Major Lazer's Peace Is The Mission album, which now sits at No.41 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The sound system/record label has also charted with the single Lean On featuring DJ Snake and Mo this year.