Diplo’s country star alter ego Thomas Wesley has just released ‘Without You,’ a standalone single featuring country singer Elle King, with an accompanying music video to boot. 

‘Without You’ continues the Thomas Welsey theme of blending country with Diplo’s contemporary pop/electronic background, with instrumentation including a mix of banjo and light synth stabs creating a sound entirely on its own. While the lyrics speak of “Pickin’ up pieces of my heart” and being “Stuck in this eternity of sorrow,” this moroseness does not make the hook any less catchy, nor the rhythmic beat underlying the track any less dance-worthy.

Directed by Thomas Falcone at CMA Fest, the video itself features Diplo, King, and a host of celebratory subjects seen through the gaze of cheap film cameras, the grainy images creating a nostalgic feeling that pairs well with the song. One gets the feeling that this footage represents the better days that lyrics reminisce upon, compared to the much more heartbroken present the track seems to depict.

The song and video comes just months since Diplo’s last release under the Thomas Wesley moniker, Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley: Chapter 2 — Swamp Savant, which featured collaborations with Morgan Wade, Parker McCollum, Sierra Ferrell, and more. Its hit single ‘Use Me (Brutal Hearts)’ featuring Dove Cameron and Sturgill Simpson, the latter under the name Johnny Blue Skies, was released alongside a video starring Sean Penn, who played Simpson’s Blue Skies character. It was preceded by the single ‘Wasted’ featuring Kodak Black and Koe Wetzel, which marked the first music from Diplo since his Diplo presents Thomas Wesley Chapter 1: Snake Oil project in 2020.

Listen to ‘Without You’ by Diplo and Elle King below.

Photo Credit: Mehreen Rizvi