Last we checked in on LA singer Dijon, he was collaborating with DJDS on “Magic Loop” in the summer of 2019. He’s been active since, including an EP called How Do You Feel About Getting Married? and a Chaka Khan cover in 2020. And now he’s really grabbed our attention with a fascinating new track called “The Stranger.”

“The Stranger” is not your average posse cut. It’s an acoustic ballad in the dreamy, deconstructed style of Frank Ocean’s Blonde, and it features an intriguing, maybe even bizarre cast of characters. Hollywood star John C. Reilly’s in there. So is singer-songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr., who seems to be doing a lot more songwriting than singing these days. Sachi, Dan Reeder, and Becky And The Birds are also on deck. They’ve combined for an intoxicating, theatrical twee love song. Here’s the origin story in Dijon’s words:

I always wanted to make a duet and couldn’t; got drunk and started what I wanted to be one, then had friends at the house and they sang harmonies while I slumped over embarrassingly trying not to throw up from the booze. This strange idea of creating a bizarre posse song, similar to a scenario by A Tribe Called Quest or something, but with guitars. Different voices on the same guitar loop was intriguing and I asked people I knew if they wanted to try it. Eventually Jack, Henry, and I randomly threw names in a hat of who would seem really strange and fun on it; mostly people we’d never heard on a song or on an album together. I am very appreciative that these people gave this a chance.

Listen below.