Greatest Hits of 2014

Attention!!!

Well, compared to 2013, 2014 was a very mediocre year for music. Compared to the quality of the music produced in the previous year, 2014 did not offer much in terms of genre as well. The year focused heavily on mainstream pop with Pharrell Williams, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande leading the fray. The year also witnessed the entrance of heavyweight Meghan Trainor with her new doo-wop infused pop songs which stormed the charts worldwide. The year marked the crossover of Taylor Swift from country to pop and where she definitely proved that she can make a mark. Reggae also entered the charts again with Magic!'s Rude. The year witnessed a new low for the industry with most hits focused on butts, asses and booties. Big collaborations reached the top with Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj, Pitbull & Kesha, Jason Derulo & Snoop Dogg and Iggy Azalea & Rita Ora. Electronic Dance Music evolved further with the unique remixes of Robin Schulz and also the progressive elements incorporated by Calvin Harris and David Guetta in their new albums. Although the songs were not so great this year, the vocalists were brilliant, for instance Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran, Jess Glynne, Idina Menzel, Sia, Ella Henderson, Sam Martin, Rita Ora and Ariana Grande. 

This year too the list was compiled based on worldwide charts, sales and accolades received. While last year the top ten songs were most of my favorites, this year only a few can be considered as such. Pharrell Williams' best selling, award winning, chart topper Happy takes the crown followed by Meghan Trainor's All About That Bass. Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea have the most number of entries with three each followed by Zedd, Robin Schulz, Calvin Harris, Taylor Swift, Maroon 5 and Nicki Minaj having two each. So here are the greatest hits of 2014:

1. Pharrell Williams – Happy
2. Meghan Trainor – All about that bass
3. Taylor Swift – Shake it off
4. Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne – Rather be
5. Lilly Wood and the Prick – Prayer in C (Robin Schulz Remix)
6. Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX – Fancy
7. John Legend – All of me
8. Katy Perry ft. Juicy J – Dark horse
9. Magic! – Rude
10. Pitbull ft. Kesha – Timber
11. Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea – Problem
12. Taylor Swift – Blank space
13. Sam Smith – Stay with me
14. Idina Menzel – Let it go
15. Ed Sheeran – Thinking out loud
16. Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj – Bang bang
17. Ed Sheeran – Sing
18. Ella Henderson – Ghost
19. Sia – Chandelier
20. DJ Snake & Lil Jon – Turn down for what
21. Nico & Vinz – Am I wrong
22. Enrique Iglesias ft. Gente de Zona, Descemer Bueno & Sean Paul – Bailando
23. Nicki Minaj – Anaconda
24. Mr. Probz – Waves (Robin Schulz Remix)
25. Calvin Harris – Summer
26. Jason Derulo ft. Snoop Dogg – Wiggle
27. Rixton – Me and my broken heart
28. Iggy Azalea ft. Rita Ora – Black widow
29. Coldplay – A sky full of stars
30. Maroon 5 – Maps
31. David Guetta ft. Sam Martin – Lovers on the sun
32. Ariana Grande ft. Zedd – Break free
33. Tove Lo – Habits (stay high)
34. Shakira – Can’t remember to forget you
35. Calvin Harris ft. John Newman – Blame
36. Beyonce ft. Jay-Z – Drunk in love
37. 5 Seconds of summer – She looks so perfect
38. David Guetta ft. Skylar Grey– Shot me down
39. Kiesza – Hideaway
40. George Ezra – Budapest
41. Sam Smith – I’m not the only one
42. Jeremih ft. YG – Don’t tell ‘em
43. Maroon 5 – Animals
44. Michael Jackson & Justin Timberlake – Love never felt so good
45. Zedd ft. Hayley Williams – Stay the night
46. Ed Sheeran – Don’t
47. One Direction – Steal my girl
48. Charli XCX – Boom clap
49. OneRepublic – Love runs out
50. Cheryl Cole ft. Tinie Tempah – Crazy stupid love

Till the next chord…

At Ease!!!

Xposition - October 2014

Attention!!!

The 2014 BET Hip Hop Awards were held on October 14, 2014 at Atlantic Civic Center. Drake led the nominations with 8 with Jay-Z, Pharrell and Future 6 nominations each. However it was DJ Mustard who won the most awards with 4 wins followed by Drake with 3 wins. Best Hip Hop Video was won by Drake for Worst Behaviour as well as Album of the Year for Nothing Was the Same and People's Champ Award. Other significant wins included: 

• Best Collabo, Duo or Group: YG ft. Jeezy, Rich Homie Quan - My Hitta
• Best Live Performer: Kanye West
• Lyricist of the Year: Kendrick Lamar
• DJ of the Year: DJ Mustard
• Producer of the Year: DJ Mustard
• Track of the Year: DJ Mustard - My Hitta
• Rookie of the Year: Iggy Azalea
• Best Hip Hop Style: Nicki Minaj

The MTV Europe Music Awards are to be held in November and the nominations have been released. Ariana Grande, Eminem, Katy Perry, Pharrell Williams and Sam Smith are all vying for the Best Song. Black Widow, Dark Horse, Hideaway, Happy and Chandelier compete for the coveted Best Video. It's going to be heated up between 5 Seconds of Summer, Ariana Grande, Charli XCX, Kiesza and Sam Smith for the Best New Act. We await the winners on November 9, 2014 at European music's biggest night.

The US charts were in riot in October after the dominant peak of women for 8 weeks straight at the top 5. Meghan Trainor's All About That Bass ruled the roost for the whole month unwavering from its top spot. Taylor Swift's Shake It Off continued to struggle at second place as other singles climbed the charts. Jeremih ft. YG's Don't Tell 'Em peaked at No.6 while Tove Lo's Habits (Stay High) and Maroon 5's Animals both peaked at No.3 during the month. UK mega hit Rather Be by Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne managed to peak at No.10 while Bobby Shmurda's Hot Boy peaked at No.6. Swift is to release her newest pop infused album 1989 in November which will definitely see a spark in her sales for Shake It Off. 

Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj's Bang Bang debuted at No.1 in the UK in the first week of October, however it was once again Trainor's All About That Bass which peaked in the second week and continued its reign for the rest of the month. Minaj's Anaconda peaked at No.3 during the month and Ella Henderson's Glow at No.7. One Direction's Steal My Girl entered at No.3 and The Vamps ft. Shawn Mendes' Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart) peaked at No.9.

Other songs which became popular in the US and UK during the month are:

• Eminem ft. Sia - Guts Over Fear
• Cheryl - I Don't Care
• Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud
• Charli XCX - Break The Rules
• Imagine Dragons - Warriors
• Fall Out Boy - Centuries

Till the next chord…

At Ease!!!

Best Booty Songs of All Time

Attention!!!

Welcome to the era of the booty. About ten hit singles were released in the past year just about fat asses and big butts. With the advent of twerking and wiggling and all sorts of rump shaking the music industry has taken a new low, literally by producing so many mainstream hits about a girl's bottom. While rappers have always featured butts, boobs and g-spots, the entry of the big booty as a muse into the mainstream music scene is a new development. Meghan Trainor's All About That Bass takes the crown as it topped both the charts in the United Kingdom and the United States. While the song is  heavily reminiscent of the doo-wop style of the by-gone days of the golden era of music, Trainor allegedly sings about a body positive, but such interpretation is seriously subjective, as the song has come under heavy criticism. I guess the "blurred lines" of this controversy is due to the fact that the song enters the fray when booty songs are at their peak in the industry. Eminem and Flo Rida are the only two artists to have two entries in the list. So, here is the top 25 of the best booty songs of all time. Enjoy shaking your booty to this list…     

1. Meghan Trainor – All about that bass
2. Nicki Minaj – Anaconda
3. Sir Mix-a-lot – Baby got back
4. Destiny Child – Bootylicious
5. Black Eyed Peas – My humps
6. Jennifer Lopez ft. Iggy Azalea – Booty
7. Jason Derulo ft. Snoop Dogg – Wiggle
8. Eminem ft. Nate Dogg – Shake that
9. Wreckx-n-Effect ft. Teddy Riley – Rump shaker
10. Major Lazer ft. Tyga, Mystic & Bruno Mars – Bubble butt
11. Pitbull ft. Lil Jon – Culo
12. Mystikal – Shake ya ass
13. Flo Rida ft. Pitbull – Can’t believe it
14. Big Sean ft. Nicki Minaj – Dance (A$$)
15. Queen – Fat bottomed girls
16. Juvenile – Back that ass up
17. Eminem – Ass like that
18. Bubba Sparxx ft. Ying Yang Twins – Ms. New Booty
19. LL Cool J – Big ole butt
20. KC and the Sunshine Band – (Shake, shake, shake) Shake your booty
21. Flo Rid aft. T-Pain – Low
22. E.U. – Da butt
23. Trace Adkins – Honky tonk badonkadonk
24. Sisqo – Thong song
25. Soulja Boy – Donk

Till the next chord…

At Ease!!!

Xposition - September 2014

Attention!!!

Well September was a relatively quiet month in terms of happenings in the music scene. Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX's Fancy was crowned Song of the Summer by Billboard after the song topped the weekly chart from start to finish. Fancy is the first song to achieve this feat since Katy Perry ft. Snoop Dogg's California Gurls topped the chart from start to finish in 2010. 

The UK has released a list of the Top 40 Biggest Selling Singles So Far as of 30th September 2014. Leading the list is Pharrell Williams' Happy followed by Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne's Rather Be and John Legend's All of Me. Mr. Probz's Waves is at 4 with Pitbull ft. Kesha's Timber and Ella Henderson's Ghost at 5 and 6 respectively. There may be changes at the end of the year but for now these are the top guns to claim the biggest selling single of UK for 2014.  

There were movements in the charts in the US since the VMAs at the end of August would see sales in certain songs. It was none other than Taylor Swift's Shake It Off which blasted through to the top on the first week of September moving Magic!'s Rude out of place. Her single which was performed at the VMAs is also her entry to the mainstream pop scene. The single stayed there for two weeks and was dethroned by Meghan Trainor's debut hit All About That Bass. With a catchy beat, controversial lyrics and a flamboyant video the song was struggling to peak in its first few weeks behind Rude. However, finally the song peaked in the third week and remained at the top spot in the final week of September. With Nicki Minaj's brilliant performance of Anaconda on the VMA stage, the single peaked at No.2 during the month and this was the only movement within the top 10.

In the UK Lily Wood and the Prick and Robin Schulz's Prayer in C was number one for the first two weeks of the month. Then Calvin Harris ft. John Newman's Blame was number one for one week before being dethroned by Sigma ft. Paloma Faith's Changing in the final week. Other singles which became popular during the month were:

• Echosmith - Cool kids
• Chris Brown ft. Usher & Rick Ross - New flame
• Jeremih ft. YG - Don't tell 'em
• Tove Lo - Habits (stay high)
• Sam Smith - I'm not the only one
• The Script - Superheroes
• 5 Seconds of Summer - Amnesia
• Professor Green ft. Tori Kelly - Lullaby

Till the next beat…

At Ease!!!