MAJOR MAESTRO: 2018

Best Christmas Hits of this Decade

Attention!!!

Every year this blog delivers a brand new compilation to add to your Christmas playlist. This year we explore the latest Christmas songs that have joined the fray to brighten our yuletide spirit. We are not referring to modern Christmas classics such as Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You and Wham!’s Last Christmas, but those originals songs that have entered seasonal airplay only this decade.

There are artists such as Michael Bublé and Sia who always deliver a festive jingle or two to lighten up our Christmas gatherings. Producing a Christmas album is an arduous task as reception by fans and critics can be polarizing. Due to this, only a few bold musicians actually go down this onerous path, as most take the easy way out with a single. This playlist was such a pleasure to compile as I found out some real gems to be added to your usual Christmas collection.

Coldplay’s Christmas Lights takes the top spot as the slow ballad delivers a very inspirational message for the season. This is followed by Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton’s You Make It Feel Like Christmas and Sia’s Santa’s Coming for Us which are both equally upbeat and cheerful. In terms of entries Sia leads with 5 followed by Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, Aloe Blacc, John Legend, Ariana Grande and Gwen Stefani each with 2 entries. So here are the Top 40 Christmas Hits of this Decade:

Coldplay – Christmas lights
Gwen Stefani ft. Blake Shelton – You make it feel like Christmas
Sia – Santa’s coming for us
Leona Lewis – One more sleep
John Legend – Bring me love
Kelly Clarkson – Underneath the tree
Ariana Grande – Santa tell me
Aloe Blacc – I got your Christmas right here
Sia – My old Santa Claus
Justin Bieber – Mistletoe
Matt Terry – When Christmas comes around
Lindsey Stirling ft. Becky G – C’mon Christmas
Pentatonix – That’s Christmas to me
Michael Bublé – Cold December night
Lady Antebellum – On this winter’s night
Gwen Stefani – Cheer for the elves
Jim Brickman ft. Kenny Rogers – That silent night
Kylie Minogue – Every day’s like Christmas
Katy Perry – Cozy little Christmas
Mariah Carey – Oh Santa!
OneRepublic – Christmas without you
Sia – Every day is Christmas
Kelly Clarkson – Wrapped in red
John Legend – By Christmas eve
Meghan Trainor – I’ll be home
Sia – Ho ho ho
Sara Evans – At Christmas
Hurts – All I want for Christmas is New Year’s day
Ariana Grande – Winter things
Katy Perry – Every day is a holiday
Christina Perri – Something about December
Train – Shake up Christmas
Elizabeth Chan – Something about the holidays
Idina Menzel – December prayer
Sia – Snowman
The Monkees – What would Santa do
Sara Bareilles – Love is Christmas
Jessie J – This Christmas day
The Celebs – Rock with Rudolph
Aloe Blacc – Funky ass Christmas

Till the next carol...

At Ease!!!

Xposition - November, 2018

Attention!!!

2018 MTV Europe Music Awards

The curtains closed on the 2018 MTV Europe Music Awards with fantastic performances from Bebe Rexha, Panic! At the Disco and Nicki Minaj. Camila Cabello took home Best Artist as well as Best US Artist and Best Song and Best Video for Havana (ft. Young Thug). Cardi B was awarded Best New Artist while Janet Jackson was honored with the Global Icon Award. Some of the other winners were:

Best Pop Artist: Dua Lipa

Best Hip Hop Artist: Nicki Minaj

Best Rock Artist: 5 Seconds of Summer

Best Electronic Artist: Marshmello

Best Live Artist: Shawn Mendes

2018 Country Music Association Awards

The 2018 CMA Awards were held in November with Chris Stapleton snagging 3 wins out of five nominations including Male Vocalist of the Year and Single and Song of the Year for Broken Halos. However, the biggest accolade of the night – Entertainer of the Year was awarded to Keith Urban. The other winners were:

Female Vocalist of the Year: Carrie Underwood

Album of the Year: Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour

Music Video of the Year: Thomas Rhett – Marry me

New Artist of the Year: Luke Combs

2018 People’s Choice Awards

The people have voted and the results are in. BTS was the big winner at the ceremony under Music where they were awarded Group of 2018 and the Song and Music Video of 2018 for Idol. Nicki Minaj was close behind with 2 wins for Female Artist of 2018 and Album of 2018 for Queen. The other winners were:

Male Artist of 2018: Shawn Mendes

Country Artist of 2018: Blake Shelton

Latin Artist of 2018: CNCO

Concert Tour of 2018: Taylor Swift – Reputation Stadium Tour

Spice Girls announce reunion

The Spice Girls have announced that they will reunite for a 2019 UK tour. This reunion is without founding member Victoria Beckham aka Posh Spice. The Viva 4 Ever tour will see the best-selling female group of all time perform at 6 stadiums. The last time all five reunited was for a one-off performance at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Ariana Grande is Billboard’s 2018 Woman of the Year

Ariana Grande was named Billboard’s 2018 Woman of the Year. The superstar has had 4 chart topping albums including her latest Sweetener which produced the hits No Tears Left to Cry and God is a Woman. She has raised awareness for mental health, LGBTQ rights and following the Manchester Arena bombing outside her concert last year, she organized the One Love Manchester benefit concert, which raised millions to aid victims and their families.

Woolsey Fire and One Love Malibu Festival

The deadliest wildfires in California (now known as Woolsey Fire) left more than 30 dead and nearly 300,000 were required to evacuate. Several artists’ homes including that of Miley Cyrus, Robin Thicke and Lil Pump were burned to the ground and Lady Gaga, Cher and Melissa Etheridge were forced to evacuate from their residences. The One Love Malibu Festival was held to raise funds to assist the victims and rebuild the community. Katy Perry, Chris Martin, Gwen Stefani and Macy Grey are some of the big names who took the stage.

Katy Perry is 2018’s Highest Paid Woman in Music

With earnings over USD 84 million, Katy Perry tops Forbes’ 2018 list of the highest paid women in music. Her massive income is due to her successful Witness Tour and also the staggering fees received for her judging role on American Idol. Close behind her at second place is Taylor Swift while Beyonce, Pink and Lady Gaga complete the top 5.

Bohemian Rhapsody waltzes to the top of the box-office

Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody premiered worldwide and soared to the top of the box-office. Rami Malek stars as Freddie Mercury, the lead vocalist of the British rock band. Adam Lambert, who is on tour with the real Queen as its frontman for the past 6 years also makes a cameo in the film.

Netflix announces Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings

Netflix has announced it is releasing a series featuring the music career of Dolly Parton titled Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings. The anthology series will consist of 8 episodes each based on one of Parton’s songs. Professional dancer and actress Julianne Hough is set to star as Jolene inspired by the hit of the same name.

Chris Cornell’s Family sues doctor

Chris Cornell’s widow and children are suing the doctor who treated the lead vocalist of the rock band Soundgarden. The lawsuit filed against Dr. Robert Koblin alleges that he and his clinic “negligently and repeatedly” prescribed “dangerous mind-altering controlled substances to Cornell which impaired Cornell’s cognition, clouded his judgment, and caused him to engage in dangerous impulsive behaviors that he was unable to control, costing him his life.”

Late Elvis Presley bestowed with Presidential Medal of Freedom

US President Donald Trump has selected the late Elvis Presley to be the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest civilian honour in the country. As an icon of American culture Presley has sold billions of records, won 3 Grammy Awards out of 13 nominations and starred in 31 films.

6ix9ine arrested on Racketeering Charges

6ix9ine was arrested last week by the US police for racketeering, firearms, assault with a dangerous weapon, and conspiracy murder charges. The arrest was made after a five-year investigation into the Nine Trey Bloods street gang, of which 6ix9ine is a member. If found guilty, the rapper may face 32 years to life in prison. Due to his arrest his upcoming debut studio album Dummy Boy has been postponed indefinitely.

Jason Derulo joins the star studded cast of Cats Movie Musical

Jason Derulo is the most recent artist to be added to the fold of the Hollywood adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s acclaimed Cats Musical, alongside Taylor Swift and Jennifer Hudson. The ensemble cast also features Idris Elba, Rebel Wilson, James Corden, Dame Judi Dench and Sir Ian McKellen.

Chart News

Meanwhile in chart news in the US, Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B’s Girls Like You which retained its crown for the first two weeks was ousted by Ariana Grande’s global hit Thank U, Next which is her first No.1 in the US. She held onto the peak position till the end of the month. During the month Post Malone & Swae Lee’s Sunflower from the soundtrack of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Panic! At the Disco’s High Hopes and Sheck Wes’ Mo Bamba all entered the top 10.

In the UK, Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper’s Shallow from the soundtrack of A Star is Born began the month at the helm. However, like in the US Grande’s Thank U, Next replaced them at the top and remained for the rest of the month. During the month Kodak Black ft. Tyga & Offset’s Zeze, Halsey’s Without Me and Jess Glynne’s Thursday all entered the top 10.

Other songs which became popular during the month were:

1. Black Eyed Peas ft. CL – Dopeness

2. Phantoms ft. Vanessa Hudgens – Lay with me

3. Zara Larsson – Ruin my life

4. Clean Bandit ft. Marina & Luis Fonsi – Baby

5. David Guetta, Bebe Rexha & J Balvin – Say my name

6. CNCO, Meghan Trainor & Sean Paul – Hey DJ

7. Hailee Steinfeld – Back to life

8. Backstreet Boys – Chances

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

Xposition - October, 2018

Attention!!!

This October, Taylor Swift broke the record for most AMAs won by a woman at the 2018 American Music Awards. After a brilliant performance of her unreleased I Did Something Bad from her album Reputation she took home Artist of the Year, Tour of the Year, Favorite Female Artist – Pop/Rock and Favorite Album – Pop/Rock for Reputation. Camila Cabello matched Swift’s count taking New Artist of the Year and Video of the Year, Collaboration of the Year and Favorite Song – Pop/Rock for Havana featuring Young Thug. Other great performances of the night included Cardi B, J Balvin & Bad Bunny with I Like It, Camila Cabello with Consequences and Gladys Knight, Ledisi, Mary Mary, Donnie McClurkin and CeCe Winans with a tribute to Aretha Franklin. Some of the other significant wins were:

· Favorite Male Artist – Pop/Rock: Post Malone

· Favorite Duo or Group – Pop/Rock: Migos

· Favorite Artist – Latin: Daddy Yankee

· Favorite Artist – EDM: Marshmello

· Favorite Social Artist: BTS

· Favorite Soundtrack: Black Panther

CNCO and Ozuna were the big winners at the 2018 Latin American Music Awards. CNCO took home Favorite Duo or Group, Favorite Pop Artist and Favorite Pop Album for CNCO while Ozuna was awarded the Album of the Year and Favorite Urban Album for Odisea and Favorite Urban Artist. Other major wins were:

· Artist of the Year: Bad Bunny

· New Artist of the Year: Sebastian Yatra

· Song of the Year: Luis Fonsi & Demi Lovato - Échame La Culpa

· Favorite Male Artist: Daddy Yankee

· Favorite Female Artist: Becky G

· Favorite Video: Anitta: Medicina

· Icon Award: Daddy Yankee

· Extraordinary Evolution Award: Maluma

Martin Garrix took the No.1 spot at the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs for 2018. In the annual poll Garrix is followed by Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Hardwell, Armin Van Buuren and David Guetta who complete the top 5. Avicii gets a posthumous ranking of No.15 as his fans made sure the beloved DJ was not forgotten.

In more EDM news, Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso have confirmed that Swedish House Mafia have reunited and will tour and release new music in 2019. The trio split during the peak of their success in 2012 after their smash hit Don’t You Worry Child, and have been releasing music as solo artists.

The year continues to witness the success of soundtrack albums, the latest is A Star is Born from the film of the same name starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. The album has already topped numerous charts with critics praising the musical styles, lyrics and Gaga’s vocals. Country music icon Willie Nelson’s son Lukas Nelson and artists such as Mark Ronson and Julia Michaels also contributed to the album. The album’s lead single Shallow performed by Gaga and Cooper is also climbing the charts worldwide.

Michael Bublé fans were in for a shock as the artist in an apparent “final interview” told the Daily Mail that he will be retiring from music. Since his tenth studio album Love is due in November, it appeared that the record would be his last. The news was not a surprise, as the industry knew that Bublé’s son, Noah was in recovery from liver cancer which caused him severe emotional trauma. However, since then his representatives have dismissed the claims and clarified that Bublé is “absolutely not retiring”.

Following the release of their newest single Woman Like Me featuring Nicki Minaj, Little Mix have announced that they have written a new song about the #MeToo anti-sexual harassment campaign. Moreover, they have announced that their fifth studio album titled LM5 will be out this November.

The Prince Estate has requested US President Donald Trump from playing the late rock star’s Purple Rain in his campaign rallies. Prince’s half-brother Omarr Baker has requested Trump and the White House to cease the use of the artist’s music immediately as no prior approval had been obtained.

Music lost two more legends from the industry in October. First Marty Balin, the lead vocalist and guitarist of Jefferson Airplane died at the age of 76 through unknown causes. Next, classic country singer Freddie Hart passed away at the age of 91 as result of pneumonia.

In chart news in the US, Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B’s Girls Like You which ended the reign of Drake continued at its helm for the entirety of the month. During the month Lil Wayne’s Mona Lisa, Bad Bunny ft. Drake’s Mia, Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper’s Shallow and Lil Baby & Gunna’s Drip Too Hard all entered the top 10.

In the UK, Calvin Harris & Sam Smith’s Promises sustained its reign for the first two weeks of the month before being overthrown by Dave ft. Fredo’s Funky Friday. However, this was short lived as Promises regained its crown in the final week of the month. During the month Freya Ridings’ Lost Without You, Little Mix ft. Nicki Minaj’s Woman Like Me, Rita Ora’s Let You Love Me and Jess Glynne’s All I Am all entered the top 10.

Other songs which became popular during the month were:

1. Eminem – Venom

2. DJ Snake ft. Cardi B, Ozuna & Selena Gomez – Taki taki

3. Sigala ft. Ella Eyre, Meghan Trainor & French Montana – Just got paid

4. Jonas Blue, Liam Payne & Lennon Stella – Polaroid

5. Jason Derulo & David Guetta ft. Willy William & Nicki Minaj – Goodbye

6. Dean Lewis – Be alright

7. Avril Lavigne – Head above water

8. Charli XCX & Troye Sivan – 1999

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

Most Underrated Songs of 2017

Attention!!!

Now that we have skimmed through the overrated hits of yesteryear, it is time to take a glance at those songs that were overlooked. Before moving on to the year-end compilations of 2018, we must finally recognize those undervalued records that were passed over for one reason or the other. Similar to the overrated hits, we have reduced the number of entries to make room for the explanations. However, here too we have the honorable entries.

It is quite interesting to note that most of the underrated songs on this list are by well-known mainstream artists unlike the compilation last year. Some of the reasons that these tracks did not receive the due recognition was that 2017 was a gargantuan year for pop with heavy weights such as Ed Sheeran maintaining chart dominance and a sudden wave of Spanglish remixes and rap overtaking the industry in the latter part of the year. Lana Del Rey ft. The Weeknd’s Lust for Life takes the crown, with DNCE ft. Nicki Minaj’s Kissing Strangers in second place. As far as genres are concerned, the entire list is pop with subgenres of electropop, dreampop, synthpop and dancepop in the mix. So here are the 15 most underrated songs of 2017:

1. Lana Del Rey ft. The Weeknd – Lust for life

As far as dreampop goes Del Rey always manages to deliver. Lust for Life sees her collaborating with The Weeknd and hit making producer Max Martin on the title track of the global chart topping album. The sultry production includes a creative music video and is a departure from the melancholic undertones of her other hits achieving the perfect duet. The failure of this song to achieve its chart potential may be Del Rey’s mistake in overlooking this track and releasing Love as the lead single.

2. DNCE ft. Nicki Minaj – Kissing strangers

It is absolutely bewildering how Cake by the Ocean was such a monumental hit and this being equally great failed to even chart. This fast paced dance pop track features Nicki Minaj who delivers a banger of a rap verse. While the charts did not acknowledge its worth, radio stations and dance floors worldwide recognized its value.

3. Lorde ft. Post Malone, Khalid & SZA – Homemade dynamite

It was extremely surprising to see that this did not receive the chart success it deserved considering the current chart darlings featured on the record. While the single version does not give out much oomph, the remix featuring the other trio really adds color to a somewhat somber anthem. This perfect collaboration fuses R&B with Synthpop and sees the individual artists complementing each other’s genres and presence on the track.

4. Taylor Swift – Call it what you want

Hailing from the much anticipated album Reputation, this soft pop ballad really outshines all the rest including the lead single Look What You Made Me Do, the edgy starter ….Ready For It? and the radio hit Delicate. However, Swift only released this as a promotional single. It’s a shame since we never even got the chance to witness whether it will have any potential on the charts.

5. Bruno Mars vs. David Guetta – Versace on the floor

Mars’ 24K Magic is not everyone’s kettle of fish as even his sweeping Grammy wins were heavily criticized by those who believed there were other nominees that deserved the wins over him. One thing for sure, out of the singles released from the album this definitely stands out. While the single is good, Guetta’s remix adds more flavour to the song, producing a dance anthem out of the otherwise very slow and laidback record.

6. Nick Jonas – Find you

This pop track featuring an acoustic guitar and an understated electronic beat is better than all of his previous singles combined. Released as the second single off his upcoming fourth studio album, the track was also performed at the American Music Awards last year. While live performances of such caliber usually boost sales and as a result chart movements, it is surprising how badly this single performed.

7. Ariana Grande ft. Future – Everyday

This electropop and trap record was the fourth single off her third studio album Dangerous Woman. Three hits preceded this track all different from the other. However, this was the edgiest out of all of them with an EDM banger of a chorus and a verse by Future. The reason due to its mediocre performance could be Grande’s continued presence in the charts and radio for over a year leading to fans getting a bit tired of Grande particularly with Side to Side which ruled airplay for quite a while. So this should have been ideally released as the second single after the title lead single.

8. Echosmith – Goodbye

Echosmith first entered the mainstream with their insecurity anthem Cool Kids. However, they have failed to garner any attention since then. Goodbye is a promotional single off their third EP Inside a Dream. It features a catchy guitar riff accompanied by memorable lyrics and a peppy beat. When the song was released accompanied by a music video preceding the album, the record was considered and ideally suited to be the lead single. However, Echosmith too committed the fatal mistake of passing this and selecting Over My Head as the lead single.

9. Niall Horan – Too much to ask

As far as music goes, Horan has far exceeded the expectations of all One Directioners. He turned out to be the most creative in his music surpassing Liam Payne with his mainstream fetish, Harry Styles with his glam rock feel, Zayn Mallik with his tripping sound and Louis Tomlinson with only his fan appeal. His single Too Much to Ask follows in the footsteps of his hit Slow Hands. While it received moderate chart success this slow pop ballad should have fared better.

10. Stargate ft. Pink & Sia – Waterfall

Stargate is a Norwegian production duo behind the biggest hits in the industry ranging from those of Beyonce, Rihanna, Ne-Yo, Wiz Khalifa, Selena Gomez, Coldplay, Tinie Tempah and many more. So when they released a track of their own featuring the powerful vocals of Sia and Pink, it was predicted to be a chart success. But this proved to be wrong as the record failed to gain any ground even in their home state, only achieving moderate success in Australia.

Honorable mentions

11. David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj & Lil Wayne – Light my body up

12. Olly Murs & Louisa Johnson – Unpredictable

13. Gabrielle Aplin – Love so slow

14. Halsey ft. Lauren Jauregui – Strangers

15. Pixie Lott ft. Stylo G – Won’t forget you

Till the next chord...

At Ease!!!

Xposition - September, 2018

Attention!!!

First up in September we have the prestigious Mercury Prize 2018. Wolf Alice won the prestigious award bestowed on the best of UK and Irish music for their album Visions of a Life. The group saw stiff competition from fan favorites Lily Allen, Florence + The Machine and Arctic Monkeys.

Next up we have two award ceremonies which announced their nominations. Drake and Cardi B led the nominations at the 2018 American Music Awards with 8 nods each. Drake will face off against Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Imagine Dragons and Post Malone for Artist of the Year while Cardi B was up against Camila Cabello, Khalid, Dua Lipa and posthumously XXXTentacion for New Artist of the Year.

The Latin American Music Awards 2018 also announced their list of nominees with Ozuna and J Balvin leading the tally with 9 nominations each. Both are up for Artist of the Year as well as Favorite Male Artist and Album of the Year for Odisea (Ozuna) and Vibras (J Balvin). In addition, J Balvin is up for two nods in the Song of the Year for X with Nicky Jam and Mi Gente with Willy William ft. Beyonce and Ozuna for being featured on Wisin’s Escapate Commigo. Close behind is Nicky Jam with 8 nods who is also up for Artist of the Year, Favorite Male Artist and Album of the Year for Fenix.

The devastating deaths in the music industry continue as rapper Mac Miller died of an apparent overdose at the age of 26. Miller was found dead in his San Fernando Valley home. Prior to this Miller admitted he had been struggling with drugs and addiction issues.

In more morbid news, a coroner’s report has confirmed the cause of death of the lead vocalist of The Cranberries, Dolores O’Riordan. The singer who passed away in January evidently died by drowning due to alcohol intoxication.

The latest rap beef is Eminem vs. Machine Gun Kelly. The bad blood between the two was due to MGK derogatory remarks about Eminem’s daughter Hailie on Twitter. Thereafter, MGK accused Eminem of blackballed him from major record labels. The beef escalated to a war when Eminem released his Not Alike from his surprise new album Kamikaze. This led to MGK’s retort with Rap Devil a direct reference to Eminem’s Rap God. Eminem fired his final torpedo with a brilliant track – Killshot – which demolished MGK and literally put to rest the warfare with Eminem as the victor.

As a part of Global Sound’s initiative to bring the best of EDM to Sri Lanka, Alan Walker performed live as the headline artist of a set which included Lost Stories and Ella Rose. At the venue he performed his latest unreleased single Diamond Hearts ft. Sophia Somajo.

In chart news in the US, Drake continued at the top with In My Feelings throughout the month which was however overthrown by Maroon 5 & Cardi B’s Girls Like You in the last week. During the month Ariana Grande’s God is a Woman, Khalid & Normani’s Love Lies and Eminem’s Killshot all entered the top 10.

In the UK, Benny Blanco, Halsey & Khalid’s Eastside began the month at the top, which was however short lived as Calvin Harris & Sam Smith’s Promises stormed to No.1 in the second week and remained at the top for the rest of the month. During the month Marshmello & Bastille’s Happier, Kanye West & Lil Pump’s I Love It and Juice Wrld’s Lucid Dreams all entered the top 10.

Other songs which became popular during the month were:

1. Dean Lewis – Be alright

2. Silk City & Dua Lipa – Electricity

3. BLACKPINK – Ddu-du ddu-du

4. Jason Derulo & David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj & Willy William – Goodbye

5. LSD – Thunderclouds

6. Dynoro & Gigi D'Agostino – In my mind

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

Xposition - August, 2018

Attention!!!

So many accolades were given this summer. The always anticipated MTV Video Music Awards were held with Cardi B leading the nominations with 12 nods out of which she won 3 including Best New Artist. Childish Gambino also won 3 awards Video with a Message, Best Choreography and Best Direction all for This is America. However, it was Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug who took home the coveted Video of the Year for Havana. The night included star studded performances including Nicki Minaj with a medley of her newest singles Majesty, Barbie Dreams, Ganja Burns and Fefe, Shawn Mendes with In My Blood, Ariana Grande with God is a Woman and Post Malone, 21 Savage and Aerosmith with a medley of Rockstar, Dream On and Toys in the Attic. However, the best performance of the night was from Jennifer Lopez, the recipient of the Video Vanguard Award, who performed a medley of her hits including Waiting for Tonight, On the Floor, Love Don’t Cost a Thing, All I Have and Dinero. Other significant wins of the night included:

· Artist of the Year: Camila Cabello

· Song of the Year: Post Malone ft. 21 Savage – Rockstar

· Best Collaboration: Jennifer Lopez ft. Cardi B & DJ Khaled – Dinero

· Best Pop: Ariana Grande – No tears left to cry

· Best Dance: Avicii ft. Rita Ora – Lonely together

· Song of the Summer: Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin – I like it

Next up we have the 2018 Teen Choice Awards where 5 Seconds of Summer was the clear leader with 3 wins including Choice Music Group, Choice Summer Group and Choice Song: Group for YoungBlood. In terms of performances Meghan Trainor performed a medley of her hits No Excuses and Let You Be Right, Lauv performed I Like Me Better and Bebe Rexha performed I’m a Mess. Other big winners include:

· Choice Male Artist: Louis Tomlinson

· Choice Female Artist: Camila Cabello

· Choice Breakout Artist: Khalid

· Choice International Artist: BTS

· Choice Song: Male Artist: Ed Sheeran – Perfect

· Choice Song: Female Artist: Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug – Havana

· Choice Collaboration: Zac Efron & Zendaya – Rewrite the stars

· Choice Summer Song: Selena Gomez – Back to you

Finally we have the 2018 iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards where Shawn Mendes swept 4 awards out of whopping 8 nominations including Best Pop Artist or Group, Artist of the Year, Fan Fav Artist and Fan Fav Video for In My Blood. Mendes opened and closed the night as well with performances of Lost in Japan and In My Blood. Other noteworthy performances were Halsey with a medley of Sorry and Bad at Love, 5 Seconds of Summer with YoungBlood and Marshmello & Anne Marie with a medley of 2002 and Friends. Some of the other major victors were:

· Video of the Year: Logic ft. Khalid & Alessia Cara – 1-800-273-8255

· Best EDM/Dance Artist or Group: Marshmello

· Best Director: Drake – God’s plan

· Best Collaboration: Bebe Rexha ft. Florida Georgia Line – Meant to be

· Song of the Summer: Loud Luxury ft. Brando – Body

· Fan Fav Single: Selena Gomez & Marshmello – Wolves

The music industry suffered a massive blow in August as cancer took its latest victim, this time the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin. Franklin passed away in her home in Detroit at the age of 76 after battling pancreatic cancer for a while. She is one of the best-selling artists of all time and is the recipient of 18 Grammy Awards. She held the record for the highest chart entries in the US till the 2010s and remains an icon and a legend for those succeeding her legacy. Her contribution to music and the industry as a whole is unmatched, and her achievements shall remain historic compared to the discrimination suffered by her gender and ethnicity during her heyday.

In other news Sir Cliff Richard has announced a new album called Rise Up to be released in November. This will be Richard’s first new material in 14 years. Speaking of new material Culture Club has been re-branded as Boy George & Culture Club and they released a new song in nearly two decades called Let Somebody Love You. It appears you may have to wait a little bit longer for Ed Sheeran’s Minus (-) which will complete the set, as the pop star has expressed that the next record will not be a pop record but something experimental. Nevertheless, the fans may not have to wait as long as a big pop record as Sheeran has stated the new material may be out as early as next year.

Boyzone began their 25th Anniversary Farewell Tour and their first gig was in Sri Lanka where they paid tribute to their former band mate Stephen Gately as well as going on to perform their newest single Because live for the first time (catch a glimpse of the live debut on the Major Maestro FB page). Meanwhile, Alan Walker was announced to play live in Sri Lanka during the Asian Leg of his global tour.

In chart news first and foremost congratulations to the Billboard Hot 100 which celebrated their 60th anniversary since its launch on 04th August 1958 with Ricky Nelson’s Poor Little Fool as the first ever No.1. At present Drake’s reign in the US continued with In My Feelings throughout the month with no competition to its position whatsoever boosted by the Kiki Challenge going viral on social media. During the month 6ix9ine featuring Nicki Minaj & Murda Beatz’s Fefe, Tyga featuring Offset’s Taste, DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper & Quavo’s No Brainer and Travis Scott’s Sicko Mode all entered the top 10.

In the UK too, Drake continued atop the charts with In My Feelings which was ended by George Ezra’s Shotgun in the fourth week of the month and continued its reign in the final week as well. During the month DJ Khaled’s No Brainer, Loud Luxury featuring Brando’s Body, Calvin Harris & Sam Smith’s Promises and Benny Blanco, Halsey & Khalid’s Eastside all entered the top 10.

Other songs which became popular during the month were:

1. Jess Glynne – All I am

2. Marshmello & Bastille – Happier

3. The Chainsmokers ft. Emily Warren – Side effects

4. Martin Garrix ft. Bonn – High on life

5. Meghan Trainor – All the ways

6. Bazzi ft. Camila Cabello – Beautiful

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

Most Overrated Hits of 2017

Attention!!!

Two new compilations were added to the year-end lists last year, which I hope to continue. Giving more value and recognition than it deserves is the very definition which we will explore in this list, particularly in the music industry in the yesteryear. Unlike last year, I will give the justification for the songs being classified as overrated. This list takes a closer look where the music industry went wayward in 2017. For a year that was dominated by Pop the genre experienced its highest highs and the lowest lows. Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You takes the crown followed by Demi Lovato’s Sorry Not Sorry and Miley Cyrus’ Malibu. This list like the year itself is dominated by Pop with a few Rap entries. So here are the 10 most overrated hits of 2017 (there are 5 dishonorable mentions included as well):

1. Ed Sheeran – Shape of you

Some of you may wonder why I gave this unpalatable position to the reigning pauper prince of pop; but let me tell you why last year’s global numero uno tops this list. Shape of you may have a catchy tune, but dubious similarities between TLC’s 90s global smash No Scrubs led to Sheeran naming the producers/writers of No Scrubs as songwriters of the song. Moreover, no one can deny that the beat is also very similar to Sia’s Cheap Thrills, the dancehall hit which preceded Shape of You. Given Sheeran’s notorious past with alleged plagiarism with Matt Cardle’s Amazing for his hit Photograph, I’m not loving the shape of this song.

2. Demi Lovato – Sorry not sorry

An annoying peppy girl power anthem released during the summer with a chorus full of repetitive lyrics is bound to be a hit, especially when it is sung by a popular artist whose social media following is through the roof. This braggadocious track is Lovato’s most successful hit to date trumping the likes of Skyscraper and Cool for the Summer, which are some of her better work. Demi I’m sorry, not sorry for dissing this song.

3. Miley Cyrus – Malibu

Cyrus is a classic case of an early life crisis. After the tiresome perky Hannah Montana days Cyrus proved that she cannot be tamed nor stopped, as the twerking young star went gaga. Crossing over to the dark side, her music changed drastically alongside her persona and wardrobe. So, when she returned to the mainstream with Malibu four years after Wrecking Ball, we were all shocked that it was not shocking. The transition to the hillbilly roots of her father may be as a result of her relationship with Liam Hemsworth, who may have inspired the song. So we will have to leave her in Malibu with her mediocre music, as we won’t fall for another overrated hit from her.

4. DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Chance The Rapper, Quavo and Lil Wayne – I’m the one

When a DJ/producer cannot sing they recruit vocal powerhouses such as Sia, Nicki Minaj or Usher. But what happens when they opt for some of the most popular artists of the time. I’m the One is a result of a mammoth collaboration of the most popular Pop act (Bieber), the most critically acclaimed rapper (Chance), the most popular rapper (Quavo) and of course most hits on Billboard Hot 100 Wayne); even then what we received was a production of varying rap verses tied together loosely by Bieber’s chorus. Oh DJ Khaled! We don’t want another one.

5. Taylor Swift – Look what you made me do

What do you do, when you break up? Curl up into a ball and cry in bed. But Swift channels her emotion from a breakup into producing a global hit. With the hype surrounding her latest album Reputation, Swift targeted all the celebrities she had ‘bad blood’ with at the time. In addition, she made it seem like her sound had evolved from the previous peppy Pop to that of an edgier and darker version. However, this attempt failed abysmally as the electroclash adopted was a genre fiasco while the usual pettiness of her lyrics remained. I’m sorry but we need the old Taylor back.

6. Katy Perry ft. Skip Marley – Chained to the rhythm

Katy Perry is not new to overrated hits. Her California Gurls, Firework and Teenage Dreams are mediocre Pop songs that have all topped the charts, following the anticipation of their release rather than their quality. This again is evident from the initial success of Chained to the Rhythm which featured the grandson of Bob Marley which was an unpleasant surprise. Due to the mediocrity of the lead single off her album Witness, the later singles suffered as Bon Apetit and Swish Swish failed to obtain any proper success although they were much better than Chained to the Rhythm.

7. Eminem ft. Beyoncé – Walk on water

Eminem’s last proper hit was The Monster back in 2013 with Rihanna. Thereafter, whatever success he experienced was average at best. So Marshall Mathers explored avenues for his comeback. Reverting to his old sound he recruited the major names in the industry at the time for his Revival album out of which Walk on Water was the lead single featuring Beyonce. Did it achieve hit status because of his much hyped up return or was it due to the biggest diva being featured? We will never know. Expectations were high on this one, but he failed to deliver.

8. Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber – Despacito

Don’t get me wrong, the original Latin sultry rendition of Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee is something to be praised, but this is about the Bieber Spanglish remix which launched the song into the mainstream. While the song deserves its due as a brilliant production, the hype of it is overrated as the phenomenon that unleashed Latin music into the mainstream is unbelievable. Enrique Iglesias ft. Gente De Zona and Descemer Bueno’s Bailando is a much better production and a better Latin dance song overall. However, Iglesias missed the top of the charts whereas Fonsi ruled the global charts for a while.

9. Zedd & Alessia Cara – Stay

This is yet another hit which was a result of an unsavory partnership. While I love Zedd’s and Cara’s music individually, this is a collaboration that should never have happened. While Cara’s vocals must be commended, the song itself is mediocre where the tempo and the beat are all off. Zedd’s follow up singles Get Low and Happy Now were much better than Stay while Cara has still been unable to produce a hit as great as her Here.

10. Kyle ft. Lil Yachty – iSpy

There is a Rap song every year that somehow becomes hyped up due to a catchy beat or lyrics and reaches the higher echelons of the global charts. Last year it was Desiigner’s Panda which went viral due to sampling Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo. This year Kyle managed to achieve this with an annoying beat, coupled with an even more irritating and nonsensical set of lyrics. Recruiting Lil Yachty who had a hit with Broccoli in 2016 also helped him gain chart mileage.

Dishonorable mentions:
11. Big Sean – Bounce back
12. Halsey – Now or never
13. Khalid – Location
14. Migos – T-shirt
15. Aminé – Caroline

Till the next chord...

At Ease!!!

Xposition - July, 2018

Attention!!!

The nominations for the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards were announced with Cardi B leading the pack with a whopping 10 nods including Video, Song and Artist of the Year and The Carters (Beyonce & Jay-Z) with 8 nods. The Video of the Year nominations are:

Ariana Grande - No tears left to cry
Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B - Finesse (Remix)
The Carters - APESHIT
Drake - God's plan
Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug - Havana
Childish Gambino - This is America

The shortlist for this year's coveted Mercury Prize has been revealed which will be awarded in September. Among the known names are:

Lily Allen - No Shame
Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
Jorja Smith - Lost & Found
Florence + The Machine - High as Hope

Forbes has released its list of 100 Highest Paid Celebrities and some of our favorite musicians are on it. Highest on list at No.6 is the Irish band U2 with a massive USD 118 Million followed by Coldplay at No.7 and Ed Sheeran No.9. In the top 20 we have Bruno Mars at No. 11 and Katy Perry at No.19. The others featured in the Top 50 are:

21 - Taylor Swift

25 - Jay-Z

27 - Guns N' Roses

32 - Sean Combs

35 - Beyonce

37 - Kendrick Lamar

39 - The Weeknd

41 - The Eagles

44 - Depeche Mode

45 - Pink/Luke Bryan

49 - Lady Gaga

50 - Calvin Harris

It appears that the X Factor UK panel for 2018 has been completely reformed with the exception of Simon Cowell. Robbie Williams, his wife Ayda Field and former One Direction member Louis Tomlinson replace Louise Walsh, Sharon Osbourne and Nicole Scherzinger for the newest season of this global reality show which seeks to find the next best superstar.

Rumours have it that Dua Lipa will in fact be recording the theme song for the next James Bond movie. In a massive slip up Years & Years member Mikey Goldsworthy said in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, that Dua Lipa had been selected to sing the theme. Her appeal may be after she won British Female Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Artist at the 2018 BRIT Awards coupled with her back to back hits with New Rules, IDGAF and One Kiss.

Former Destiny's Child member Michelle Williams has checked into a mental health center for depression. It is a known fact that she has been struggling with mental health issues, particularly during the peak of Destiny's Child's fame and success where she admitted she even felt suicidal at times.

In chart news, in the US, Cardi B, J Balvin and Bad Bunny's I Like It opened the month at the top overthrowing XXXTentacion's Sad! which had peaked at the end of June following the latter's death. However, this was short-lived as Drake returned to the top with Nice for What which he replaced with In My Feelings which remained at its peak for the remainder of the month. Meanwhile, with Drake's newest album Scorpion out in July saw all of the singles from the album enter the Billboard Hot 100 including several into the top 10 such as Nonstop, Emotionless and I'm Upset.

Meanwhile, in the UK, George Ezra's Shortgun was the first No.1 of the month as it replaced Clean Bandit ft. Demi Lovato's Solo. It continued for two weeks at the top after which Baddiel, Skinner and the Lightning Seeds' Three Lions roared to the top propelled by the United Kingdom reaching the semi finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It was again overthrown next week by Drake's In My Feelings. During the month Jonas Blue ft. Jack & Jack's Rise, Ariana Grande's God is a Woman, Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B's Girls Like You and XXXTentacion's Sad! entered the top 10.

Other songs which became popular during the month were:

5 Seconds of Summer - Youngblood
Drake ft. Michael Jackson - Don't matter to me
Tiësto & Dzeko ft Preme & Post Malone - Jackie Chan
Cheat Codes & Little Mix - Only you
Kygo & Imagine Dragons - Born to be yours
Rudimental & Major Lazer ft. Anne-Marie & Mr.Eazi - Let me live
Jax Jones ft. Mabel & Rich the Kid - Ring ring

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

Best Music Videos of 2017

Attention!!!

In this day and age music videos have now become part and parcel of the music industry. The official visual is preceded by an official lyric video which also garners certain attention, for instance, the global smash hit, Closer by The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey had a lyric video which had billions of views and still receives more attention than the official video featuring the artists.

In 2017, the directors and the choreographers clearly went all out in terms of their concept and creativity surpassing the somewhat mediocre productions of yesteryear. Kendrick Lamar’s Humble. takes the top spot in this compilation which is critically acclaimed winning the Best Music Video at the Grammy Awards as well as the Video of the Year at the MTV Video Music Awards. At second place we have the visually pleasing Venus Fly by Grimes ft. Janelle Monae followed by the heavily choreographed New Rules by Dua Lipa. Kendrick Lamar has the highest number of entries with three followed by Dua Lipa, Selena Gomez, Pink, Jason Derulo, Katy Perry, Lana Del Rey and Fergie.

The compilation features a smorgasbord of genres ranging from Rap and Hip-Hop to EDM and Rock. Entries of significance consist of Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s Despacito which is the world’s most watched music video and Taylor Swift’s Look What You Made Me Do which holds the record for the highest views during its first 24 hours of release. The list also features the video for Kesha’s return to the industry after her ongoing battle with producer Dr.Luke commenced and Logic’s single based on the suicide hotline in the US. An evident omission from the list is Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You which had an extremely vapid video, having no relation to the song whatsoever. So here are the 50 best music videos of the 2017: