Martin Garrix and MOTi Mark 12 Years of 'Virus (How About Now)'

How the Collaboration Took Shape

The collaboration began when MOTi shared an early version of the track with Martin Garrix, several years after the two first became friends. MOTi later recalled that Garrix liked the melody of the drop and added the breakdown, with the pair finishing the track together. The final version also featured vocals from Jenny Wahlström, who received a songwriting credit alongside Martin Garrix, MOTi, Niclas Lundin and Leon Paul Palmen.

At the time, both artists were closely connected to the big room and electro house sound that had become central to major festivals. Garrix was coming off the success of records such as 'Animals' and 'Wizard', while MOTi had already released music through Musical Freedom, including 'Zeus' with Kenneth G and 'This Is Dirty' with DVBBS. Their styles met naturally on 'Virus (How About Now)', which went on to reach No. 1 on the Beatport Top 100.

Festival Support and International Reach

The track had already been appearing in major DJ sets before its official release, with speculation growing around who was behind the then-unidentified record. Once Spinnin' Records confirmed Martin Garrix and MOTi, 'Virus (How About Now)' went on to receive support from names including Hardwell, Avicii, Tiësto, David Guetta, Afrojack, W&W and Nicky Romero.

By the time the track became officially available, support from some of electronic music's biggest DJs had already helped introduce it to festival audiences. Spinnin' Records published the official music video on October 13, 2014, while the commercial single later appeared across platforms that month. The track also charted internationally, including in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany.

The Video and Legacy

The accompanying video followed the song's title quite literally, with a virus passing between different people while a computer game runs alongside the story. Released during the same period as the track, it went on to collect more than 22 million views on the official Spinnin' Records upload.

More than a decade later, 'Virus (How About Now)' remains closely connected to the period when big room was dominating festival stages around the world. For Martin Garrix and MOTi, the collaboration captured a moment when both producers were releasing music made for those larger stages, and its continued presence in throwback sets has kept the track familiar well beyond 2014.