While award ceremonies took a
break in July we see Tomorrowland the largest dance music festival in full
swing. Held during the final two weekends in July Tomorrowland 2017 was under
the theme “Amicorum Spectaculum” with a massive crowd of 400,000. Headlining
the festival this time were 8 top notch DJ acts – Afrojack, Armin Van Buuren,
David Guetta, Martin Garrix, Alesso, Paul Van Dyk, Axwell ^ Ingrosso, Paul
Kalkbrenner. Afrojack played a record breaking eight sets and so wherever in
Tomorrowland a participant, you can be sure they saw Afrojack. In a small set
back, Tomorrowland’s Barcelona stage went up in flames resulting in the
evacuation of more than 22,000 fans. The fire had erupted hours before Steve
Aoki was to perform, but the organizers have ruled it was only a technical
malfunction.
BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend will
be retitled as BBC Music’s The Biggest Weekend as Glastonbury takes a
sabbatical in 2018. Glastonbury which is one of the biggest music festivals in
the world will take a year’s break after pulling in a record peak audience of
4.1 million viewers for Ed Sheeran’s headline slot. The Biggest Weekend will
take place from 25 – 28 May 2018 in four cities in England, Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland. While the acts will be announced later it was confirmed that
175,000 tickets will be sold for the event.
Spandau Ballet’s lead singer
Tony Hadley has formally announced his departure from the 80s group. Whilst the
band first split up in 1990s, after a disagreement over loyalties they reformed
in 2009 for a string of sold out shows. Whilst the reason for Hadley’s
departure is uncertain he only revealed on Twitter that they were circumstances
beyond his control.
It is with extreme sadness
that the music industry had to bid farewell to Alternative Rock icon and lead
singer of Linkin Park, Chester Bennington. His death came as a massive shock to
the music industry when his housekeeper found his body on July 20. His death
was ruled a suicide by hanging. The band’s seventh studio album One More Light
was released earlier this year. While the band cancelled their North American
leg of their One More Light World Tour following his death, it is clear what
will happen to the band as a result of Bennington’s death. Bennington’s death
was on what would have been his close friend and lead singer of Soundgarden, Chris
Cornell’s 53rd birthday, who had also committed suicide by hanging
two months prior.
Moving onto chart news, in the
US, Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber’s Despacito maintained
its reign over the charts throughout the month accumulating 10 weeks at the
top. DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller’s Wild Thoughts debuted in
the top 10 but could not dethrone Despacito as it struggled at No.2. Meanwhile,
French Montana featuring Swae Lee’s Unforgettable, Imagine Dragons’ Believer
and Shawn Mendes’ There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back all entered the top 10.
In the UK, Despacito started
at the top but was dethroned by Wild Thoughts in the final week. During the
month Calvin Harris featuring Katy Perry, Pharrell Williams & Big Sean’s
Feels, Maggie Lindemann’s Pretty Girls and Sigala & Ella Eyre’s Came Here
For Love all entered the top 10.
Other songs which became
popular during the month were:
1. CNCO
– Reggaetón Lento
2. Dua
Lipa – New rules
3. Rudimental
ft. James Arthur – Sun comes up
4. Jax
Jones ft. Demi Lovato & Stefflon Don – Instruction
5. J
Balvin & Willy William – Mi gente
6. Demi
Lovato – Sorry not sorry
7. Zedd
ft. Liam Payne – Get low
8. Axwell & Ingrosso – More than you know
Till the next beat...
At Ease!!!