Elijah Blake & Toby Gad Raise the Bar with a Trap-Country Twist on “Here’s To Us”

Multi-hyphenate artist Elijah Blake is no stranger to emotional honesty in his music. Known for penning hits like “I Just Wanna” and his unforgettable duet with Keyshia Cole, “Wonderland,” the Haitian and Dominican-American singer, songwriter, and producer has built his reputation on authenticity and bold creativity. Now, he’s pushing genre boundaries once again—this time alongside legendary hitmaker Toby Gad.

Their latest collaboration is a high-energy rework of “Here’s To Us,” originally released by rock band Halestorm in 2012. That version—an unapologetic celebration of imperfection and perseverance—became a rock-radio mainstay and has since amassed over 100 million streams. But in Blake and Gad’s hands, it becomes something entirely new: a trap-country anthem that doubles as a turn-up-ready toast to resilience.

Paired with a cinematic, Bonnie & Clyde-inspired music video, the new version explodes with emotion and swagger. Producer Roark Bailey (known for work with Drake and Post Malone) injects hip-hop heat with thunderous trap beats, while Blake’s rich, soulful vocals ground the track in passion. It’s a fusion we didn’t know we needed—country grit meets urban edge—and the result is pure fire.

This isn’t the duo’s first take on the track. Earlier this year, Blake and Gad dropped a stripped-back piano-and-strings version as part of PIANO DIARIES – THE HITS (Deluxe), Gad’s sweeping reinvention of his most iconic work. With reinterpretations of classics like John Legend’s “All of Me” and Beyoncé’s “If I Were a Boy,” the album pulls back the curtain on some of pop music’s most unforgettable songs, reimagining them with fresh vulnerability and emotional weight.

Of course, Gad is no newcomer to reshaping the soundscape of pop music. The GRAMMY-nominated, Diamond award-winning producer has a résumé that reads like a greatest hits playlist—credits include Madonna, Paul McCartney, Fergie, Miley Cyrus, and Kelly Clarkson, just to name a few. With more than 19 billion career streams, his legacy is cemented, yet his curiosity remains fresh. PIANO DIARIES and his collaboration with Elijah Blake are reminders that, for Gad, the journey is far from over.

Outside of the studio, Gad is also lending his voice to the podcast world with Songs You Know—a new weekly series where he sits down with the creatives behind some of the biggest songs in the world. The conversations are raw, inspiring, and filled with untold stories from the music industry’s inner circle.

“Here’s To Us” feels like more than just a remix. It’s a sonic bridge—between past and present, genres and generations. It’s a reminder that music can be both nostalgic and brand new, all at once.

And if this is the direction Elijah Blake and Toby Gad are heading in together, we’re happily raising a glass to whatever comes next.

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