Xposition - September, 2016

Attention!!!

September started off with a surprise gift from the Black Eyed Peas as they released a new version of Where is the love? stylized as #WHEREISTHELOVE featuring The World. Although it is exciting to see the quartet back together, it is not in any way leading to another album. The new release features additional vocals from Justin Timberlake, Jamie Foxx, Ty Dolla $ign, Mary J. Blige, Diddy, Cassie, Andra Day, The Game, Tori Kelly, V. Bozeman, Jessie J, French Montana, DJ Khaled, Usher, Nicole Scherzinger, ASAP Rocky, Jaden Smith and a 40-member children's choir. All proceeds from the song will go to will.i.am's non-profit foundation, i.am.angel., a which charity funds educational programs and college scholarships. 

As summer draws to a close the UK and the US have released their songs of the summer lists, as the figures of streaming, sales and airplay are finalized. Drake ft. WizKid & Kyla’s One Dance takes the top spot in both countries as it flooded the dancefloors, radios and clubs throughout the summer worldwide. The top ten in the UK are as follows:

1. Drake ft. WizKid & Kyla – One Dance
2. Kungs vs. Cookin’ On 3 Burners – This girl
3. Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna – This is what you came for
4. Drake ft. Rihanna – Too good
5. Calum Scott – Dancing on my own
6. Justin Timberlake – Can’t stop the feeling!
7. The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey – Don’t let me down
8. Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber & MØ – Cold water
9. Clean Bandit ft. Louisa Johnson – Tears
10. Jonas Blue ft. JP Cooper – Perfect strangers

Leading the annual Song of the Summer chart in the US from start to finish, Drake grabbed the coveted crown after staying at the top for all 14 weeks. It’s the third song this decade to rule from start to finish, following Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX’s Fancy and Katy Perry ft. Snoop Dogg’s California Gurls. The top ten in the US are as follows:

1. Drake ft. WizKid & Kyla – One Dance
2. Justin Timberlake – Can’t stop the feeling!
3. The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey – Don’t let me down
4. Sia ft. Sean Paul – Cheap thrills
5. Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna – This is what you came for
6. Desiigner – Panda
7. Rihanna – Needed me
8. Twenty One Pilots – Ride 
9. Fifth Harmony ft. Ty Dolla $ign – Work from home
10. Adele – Send my love (to your new lover) 

On 7th September 2016 the music video of Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth’s See You Again entered the exclusive 2 billion views club which logically means that more than a quarter of the world’s population has watched it. Taken from the Furious 7 soundtrack it was dedicated as a tribute to Paul Walker who died in a tragic car accident months before the completion of the movie. This video follows K-Pop viral sensation Gangnam Style by PSY which first hit the 2 billion mark back in 2014. 

Moving on to reality TV news, after a drought of four years, a singer has won America’s Got Talent. Twelve year-old singer, songwriter and ukuleleist Grace VanderWaal won the 11th season of AGT beating psychic duo The Clairvoyants and magician Jon Dorenbos. She is the second female and the second child act to win in the show’s history. 

The Latin Grammys 2016 nominations are in and leading the way with four nods each are Colombian star Fonseca nominated for two albums: Conexion up for Album of the Year and Homanje (A La Musica De Diomedes Diaz) up for Best Cumbia/Vallenato Album along with Mexican duo Jesse & Joy, Brazilian singer/songwriter Djavan, sound engineer Ricardo Lopez Lalinde and producer/engineer Julio Reyes Copello (the last two for their work with Fonseca, Andres Cepeda and Diego Torres). Marc Anthony has been named the 2016 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year who will be honoured during Latin Grammy week on November 16, the night before the awards ceremony in Las Vegas. 

Selena Gomez has been accumulating her fan base on a monumental scale as she becomes the first person to reach 100 million Instagram followers. Meanwhile, Lady Gaga released her latest single Perfect Illusion accompanied by a less than mediocre video, as the lead single off her highly anticipated upcoming fifth studio album Joanne. The Weeknd who’s last album Beauty Behind The Madness, which has been certified multi-platinum worldwide, announced that his next album will be called Starboy.

Omarion and DJ Mustard have been sued by BMG Rights Management for intellectual property rights infringement for a whopping USD 300,000. Back in 2014, Jon Redwine penned a song called Came To Do for Chris Brown and assigned 50% of the rights to BMG which was produced by Nic Nac. BMG alleges that Omarion’s most successful hit to date Post To Be, a collaboration with Chris Brown and Jheine Aiko is a sampling of the music from Came To Do. The lawsuit is not only seeking damages but BMG is also seeking an injunction to prevent Omarion from performing the song and preventing any sales and/or airplay. 

Moving on to chart news, in the US, the reign of Sia ft. Sean Paul’s Cheap Thrills came to an end as The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey’s Closer took over and remained at the top for the rest of the month. The Chainsmokers succeed on their fourth attempt to reach the top after #Selfie in 2013 and Roses in 2015 and Don’t Let Me Down in 2016. Meanwhile, they are the first duo to reach the top since Macklemore & Ryan Lewis in 2013 and also the first EDM song to top the chart since Baauer’s Harlem Shake in 2013. During the month Twenty One Pilots’ Heathens rose to a peak of No.2 and Ride ascended to No.5. Moreover, Shawn Mendes’ Treat You Better and Charlie Puth ft. Selena Gomez’s We Don’t Talk Anymore entered the top 10. In addition Drake’s One Dance ended its monumental run at the top and inside the top 10 as it exited the top 10 during the month, ending Drake’s streak of 51 consecutive weeks in the Top 10. With this feat Drake becomes the best streak ever by a male artist to remain within the top 10, second among all acts only to Katy Perry’s 69-week run in 2010-2011. 

In the UK, Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber & MØ’s Cold Water continued its stay at the top extending its reign to five weeks but The Chainsmoker’s Closer grabbed the top spot in the UK as well and remained there for the rest of the month. During the month Martin Garrix ft. Bebe Rexha’s In The Name Of Love, Sia ft. Kendrick Lamar’s The Greatest, Ariana Grande ft. Nicki Minaj’s Side To Side and James Arthur’s Say You Won’t Let Go all entered the top 10.

Other songs which became popular during the month were:

1. Calvin Harris – My way
2. Zara Larsson – Ain’t my fault 
3. Dua Lipa – Blow your mind (mwah)
4. D.R.A.M. ft. Lil Yachty – Broccoli
5. Hailee Steinfeld ft. Grey & Zedd – Starving 

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

Best of Today’s First Dance Songs for Weddings

Attention!!!

Weddings are hectic, chaotic and extremely stressful. However, there are moments during this joyous occasion that are romantic and one such instance is the First Dance. The first dance is a precious moment that the couple shares at a wedding sometimes to their song but mostly to trending love songs that are about holding each other for the rest of eternity or loving some one with their whole heart and soul. The following ten songs are handpicked from this decade as the most popular ones on the dance floor by most newly betrothed and out of that Christina Perri's A Thousand Years is the most hyped up and loved by all. More recently we have Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud storming the dance floors at weddings. Only One Direction has two entries on the list. So here are the top 10 of today's best first dance songs for weddings:  

1. Christina Perri ft. Steve Kazee – A thousand years part 2

This sappy yet romantic love song was initially written as a solo version for the fourth installment of the vampire love fest movie series – Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1. Perri re-recorded the song as a duet along with her husband Steve Kazee for the fifth installment of the series – Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2. While her solo version fared better on the charts, it is the duet version that is ideally cheesy for weddings.

Pick of the Lyrics: “I have loved you for a thousand years, I’ll love you for a thousand more.”

2. Ed Sheeran – Thinking out loud

A fan favorite at weddings and is indeed Sheeran’s legacy as an artist. This global smasher is taken from his album x, and has gone on to break chart records as well as earning the Song of the Year at the 58th Grammy Awards. It is one of the best-selling singles of all time and is now a clichéd first dance song at weddings

Pick of the Lyrics: “Maybe we found love right where we are”

3. Birdy – Wings

This is definitely the best song on the list and one of my favorites of all time. The haunting yet melodious vocals of Birdy can take the bride and groom to the most romantic atmosphere possible. This song describes a precious moment between a couple and what moment is better than the first dance at a wedding.

Pick of the Lyrics: “We’d remember tonight. For the rest of our lives”

4. Rihanna – Diamonds

This powerful love ballad is now one of the best-selling singles of all time. Penned by Sia Furler the song captures the essence of the backdrop needed for the first dance and this coupled by Rihanna’s vocals can take any grinch to a romantic place. 

Pick of the Lyrics: “So shine bright tonight, you and I, we're beautiful like diamonds in the sky”

5. One Direction – Night changes

This moderately successful hit for One Direction was the last featuring Zayn Malik who left the band to pursue a solo career few months later. A very mellow and slow paced track which sets the romantic mood perfectly for the first dance. 

Pick of the Lyrics: “Even when the night changes, it will never change me and you”

6. John Legend – All of me

This extremely whiny yet somewhat romantic song was a dedication by Legend to his wife Chrissy Teigen. It has goo-goo-gaga all over it and a note of caution as barfing from an overdose of love-sickening madness may be the result at the end of it. 

Pick of the Lyrics: “Give your all to me, I'll give my all to you, you're my end and my beginning”

7. Lindsey Stirling ft. Alisha Popat – We found love

Although the original is an uptempo EDM dance collaboration by Rihanna and Calvin Harris, Stirling managed to produce this masterful string cover with an African flavor. Stirling’s violin interludes are brilliant and provides the perfect rhythm for the first dance. 

Pick of the Lyrics: “We found love in a whole new place”

8. Thomas Rhett – Die a happy man

This is Rhett’s biggest hit to date. With a hint of Country flavor backing the track, the song does not go overboard with any hillbilly antics. With an almost acoustic feel to the song, Rhett’s calm and cool vocals is what all couples want to destress them during that first awkward dance.

Pick of the Lyrics: “Oh, if all I got is your hand in my hand, baby, I could die a happy man”

9. Ellie Goulding – Love me like you do

If you want a song that is gushing barfworthy lyrics throughout, then this is the first dance song you want. Taken from the controversial Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack, it is Goulding’s best-selling single to date. 

Pick of the Lyrics: “I'll let you set the pace, cause I'm not thinking straight, my head's spinning around I can't see clear no more”

10. One Direction – Perfect

This is one of the more mature songs by One Direction released as a quartet after Malik’s departure. Commercially it enjoyed moderate success but won critical acclaim. The song is reminiscent of a love song from the 90s or 2000s such as those from Edwin McCain.

Pick of the Lyrics: “If you like to do whatever you've been dreaming about, then baby, you're perfect”

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!