AMERICAN pop singer, Katy Perry, happened to walk into the studio while producer Max Martin was playing the track ‘Lions’ by Skip Marley.

Perry asked who the artiste was, and when Martin told her, Perry said she wanted Skip to be featured on her next single, ‘Chained to the Rhythm.’

The track became a massive hit worldwide after it was released in February 2017.

Perry and Skip performed the track at the 59th annual Grammy Awards that year, as well as the Brit Awards in the United Kingdom and the iHeartRadio Music Awards.

A few weeks ago ‘Chained to the Rhythm’ was certified platinum in Germany for exceeding 400,000 units in sales and streaming equivalent. The certification was issued by Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI), which means Federal Music Industry Association in English.

The Jamaica Observer caught up with Skip Marley recently and he was quite upbeat about the latest certification.

“Well, you know, everything in its time. The song was high up on the charts in several European countries when it [was] first released, so it’s a blessing to see it continuing to reach audiences around the world. The success of ‘Chained to the Rhythm’ definitely opened doors internationally for my solo projects like my EP Higher Place,” said Skip Marley.

‘Higher Place’ (EP) charted at #2 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart in September 2020, while its lead single Slow Down, featuring American singer H.E.R. topped the Billboard Adult R&B Airplay chart — the first for a Jamaican.

Asked if he thought that ‘Chained to the Rhythm’ would have become the worldwide hit that it was, Skip Marley said: “I knew it was a very good song, and we had an all-star team collaborating on it. The vibes between myself, Katy, the MXM production crew — even Sia had a hand in some of the writing — it all just felt right. People can hear that chemistry in the music.

‘Chained to the Rhythm’ was produced by Max Martin and Ali Payami. It was released by Capitol Records as the first single from Perry’s fifth studio album, Witness.

“Katy showed up as I was finishing my verse in the studio. We got to meet and talk that day, which set the stage for us to perform at the Grammys, the Brit Awards, and the iHeartRadio Music Awards. It was all such an incredible experience and I’m grateful that we were able to take the message to so many people,” said Skip Marley.

Commenting on the performance at the Grammy Awards, he said: “I am ever proud to represent Jamaica on the world stage and help bring a spotlight to our island that is bursting with talent.”

‘Chained to the Rhythm’ was a top 10 hit in countries including Venezuela, the United Kingdom, the United States, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Romania, Paraguay, Portugal, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Brazil, Italy, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, and Argentina.

The single was previously certified 3x platinum in Canada and Australia; 2x platinum in Italy, Norway and the United States; platinum in Denmark, France, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom; and diamond in Brazil.

In Belgium and New Zealand, ‘Chained to the Rhythm’ has been certified gold. (Jamaica Observer)