Best Love Songs of 2019

Attention!!!

The decade ended with some inspiring yet extremely love-gushing records that are bound to be deemed as classics in the years to come. In the ever expanding genres of the industry, all artists with the certain exceptions of rap and rock have had their attempt at the production of a love song. This compilation takes a closer look at those tunes of love of yesteryear which made us cherish our loved ones and reminisce the endearing memories we have shared with them. 

1. Taylor Swift – Lover

It took Swift almost a decade to perfect another love song after Today was a Fairytale. However, this pop ballad is clearly the best love song of 2019 with perfect vocals and mushy lyrics. It is the title track off her latest album and is clearly the best production out of the record. It is one of those tunes that is gushing with love and is accompanied by a duet with Shawn Mendes as well as a First Dance Remix catered particularly for weddings. Her work was paid off as it received a Song of the Year nomination at the 2020 Grammys.

2. Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber – 10,000 Hours

In one of Bieber’s latest ventures other than marriage, we see the superstar collaborate with country duo Dan + Shay for one of the sappiest tracks of the year. The ballad proved to be extremely commercially and critically successful and is accompanied by a music video featuring the wives of the three vocalists.

3. Backstreet Boys – No place

The third release off the critically acclaimed ninth studio album of BSB is a refreshing and light pop track with a focus on loved ones and family. The boy band makes the production even more wholesome with a music video featuring their respective families.

4. Zayn & Zhavia Ward – A whole new world

We are all familiar with this track where the original from Aladdin by Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle won the coveted Best Original Song at the 1993 Academy Awards as well as the Song of the Year at the 1994 Grammys. This Middle Eastern reworked production was well received by critics where Zayn and Zhavia’s vocals complemented each other perfectly to coincide with the ambience of the remake.

5. AJ Mitchell ft. Ava Max – Slow dance 

Two newcomers to the industry have attempted and succeeded in their endeavor to produce an awesome track with just the correct dose of romance. While Mitchell has not yet broke through into the mainstream, this collaboration is a clear stepping stone towards that direction. 

6. Tom Walker – Just you and I 

It is the rerelease of the full production of the track that was only available as an acoustic release in 2017. This slow love song was critically acclaimed and was one of the most successful singles in Europe of 2019. The record marks Walker’s second biggest hit in the mainstream.

7. Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – Señorita 

This sultry Latin pop duet marks the second time the duo has collaborated following I Know What You Did Last Summer in 2015. The record is the biggest hit in this compilation topping the charts in over 35 countries. The steamy track also sparked off a new found romance between Mendes and Cabello.

8. Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber – I don’t care 

This up tempo dancehall-influenced duet served as the lead single off Sheeran’s surprise studio album, No.6 Collaborations Project. This sprightly tune was one of the biggest hits last year and is accompanied by a less than appealing video where the two artists “have fun” in front of the green screen at the viewer’s expense.

9. Westlife – Hello my love 

Of course Westlife’s much anticipated comeback must be a love song. The pop-EDM track was the lead single off the band’s eleventh album, Spectrum, which sees the beloved boy band do what they do best, sing about love.

10. Jonas Brothers – Sucker 

Clearly there is a pattern for the comebacks of boy bands. Shedding their solo careers, the brothers ended their hiatus with their up tempo pop rock production. This edgy earworm dance anthem heralded the successful return of the Jonas Brothers which has led to a multiplatinum album and autobiography. The music video features the three alongside their significant others. 

Till the next ballad...

At Ease!!!

Greatest Hits of 2018

Attention!!!

Whether it was God's plan or Drake's plan, we will never know. But the year belonged to Champagne Papi. Alongside Post Malone and Cardi B, Drake revamped the landscape of Rap, R&B and Hip-Hop. The genre grew in leaps and bounds under the guidance of the trio, particularly Cardi B, as she spearheaded the campaign of Rap and Hip-Hop into Pop, Latin Pop and even EDM. Fusion was indeed the order of the day, with mega collaborations being tested left, right and center. 

Pop music which took a backseat in the first half of the year, returned with gusto with Ariana Grande leading the pack. EDM was also prominent throughout the year with memorable tracks produced by Marshmello, Zedd and Calvin Harris. However, it was quite conspicuous during the year that the newer artists have restrained themselves from adhering to a pure genre which is the reason for their vast popularity. Movie soundtracks also played a greater role in the charts this year with A Star is Born, Black Panther and The Greatest Showman experiencing monumental success. 

Drake's global chart topper, God's Plan takes the crown in this year's list with Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa's mammoth hit One Kiss taking second place. In terms of genre, Hip-Hop and Pop is dominant in this compilation. Ariana Grande, Cardi B, Post Malone, Dua Lipa and Drake leads with 3 entries each followed by Marshmello, Ed Sheeran, Calvin Harris, Camila Cabello, Halsey, Kendrick Lamar and Anne-Marie with 2 entries each. The list this year was compiled based on worldwide charts mainly considering the US and UK charts but also giving weight to the success achieved in the European markets as well as Canada and Oceania. So here are the top 50 songs of 2018:

1. Drake – God’s plan
2. Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa – One kiss
3. Post Malone ft. Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
4. Cardi B, J Balvin & Bad Bunny – I like it
5. Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B – Girls like you
6. Drake – In my feelings
7. Ariana Grande – No tears left to cry
8. Post Malone – Better now
9. Clean Bandit ft. Demi Lovato – Solo
10. Drake – Nice for what
11. Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey – The middle
12. Marshmello & Anne-Marie – FRIENDS
13. Ariana Grande – thank u, next
14. Bebe Rexha ft. Florida Georgia Line – Meant to be
15. Rudimental ft. Jess Glynne, Macklemore & Dan Caplen – These days
16. Ed Sheeran – Perfect
17. Benny Blanco, Halsey & Khalid – Eastside
18. Post Malone ft. 21 Savage – Rockstar
19. Kendrick Lamar & SZA – All the stars
20. Camila Cabello – Never be the same
21. Taylor Swift – Delicate
22. Eminem ft. Ed Sheeran – River
23. Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug – Havana
24. Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B – Finesse
25. 5 Seconds of Summer – Youngblood 
26. Juice Wrld – Lucid dreams
27. Childish Gambino – This is America
28. Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – Shallow
29. DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Quavo & Chance the Rapper – No brainer
30. Calvin Harris & Sam Smith – Promises
31. XXXTentacion – Sad!
32. Lil Dicky ft. Chris Brown – Freaky Friday
33. George Ezra – Shotgun
34. Selena Gomez – Back to you
35. Travis Scott – Sicko mode
36. Halsey – Without me
37. Dua Lipa – IDGAF
38. The Weeknd & Kendrick Lamar – Pray for me
39. 6ix9ine ft. Nicki Minaj & Murda Beatz – Fefe
40. Marshmello & Bastille – Happier
41. Ariana Grande – God is a woman
42. Justin Timberlake ft. Chris Stapleton – Say something
43. Anne-Marie – 2002
44. Dua Lipa – New rules
45. Tyga ft. Offset – Taste
46. Keala Settle – This is me
47. Khalid & Normani – Love lies
48. Panic! At the Disco – High hopes
49. Jonas Blue ft. Jack & Jack – Rise
50. Ella Mai – Boo’d up  

Till the next ensemble...

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 - April, 2018

Attention!!!

April was a devastating month for EDM as we bade farewell to Avicii, a powerhouse and an reckoning force in the industry. The global superstar who produced the hits Wake Me Up, Levels and Hey Brother even collaborated with the likes of Coldplay, Rita Ora, Robbie Williams and Leona Lewis. Avicii whose real name is Tim Bergling committed suicide by inflicting injuries upon himself through a broken wine bottle. This beloved artist was known to be struggling with alcohol use as well as mental stress for which he had earlier retired from touring in 2016. 

The awards season was full on swing as the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards were held with Chris Stapleton being the big winner of the night winning Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year for From a Room: Volume 1 although the Entertainer of  the Year went to Jason Aldean. Some great performances included Carrie Underwood's Cry Pretty, Kane Brown & Lauren Alaina's What Ifs, Florida Georgia Line & Bebe Rexha's Meant To Be and Maren Morris' Rich. Other significant wins of the night included:

• Female Vocalist of the Year: Miranda Lambert
• Vocal Duo of the Year: Brothers Osborne
• Vocal Group of the Year: Old Dominion
• Single Record of the Year: Sam Hunt - Body like a back road
• Song of the Year: Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert & John Randall - Tin Man
• Video of the Year: Brothers Osborne - It ain't my fault

The 25th Billboard Latin Music Awards were also held with Daddy Yankee sweeping the wins with 8 including Hot Latin Song of the Year and Songwriter of the Year for Despacito which won all 6 of its nominations. The Mexican rock band Maná was bestowed with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Some of the other major wins included:

• Artist of the Year: Ozuna
• New Artist of the Year: Christian Nodal
• Hot Latin Songs Artist of the Year - Male: Luis Fonsi 
• Hot Latin Songs Artist of the Year - Female: Shakira
• Top Latin Album of the Year: Nicky Jam - Fénix
• Latin Pop Song of the Year: Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber - Despacito

The Billboard Music Awards 2018 announced its nominations with Kendrick Lamar, Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars each with 15 nods followed by Post Malone with 13, Imagine Dragons with 11 and Drake with 9. 21 Savage, Camila Cabello, Khalid and Kodak Black all vie for the coveted Top New Artist award. The ceremony is to be held in May hosted by Kelly Clarkson. 

The Voice UK in its seven season crowned Ruti Olajugbagbe coached by Sir Tom Jones. Her coronation song was Dreams by The Cranberries whose lead singer Dolores O'Riordan passed away earlier this year. 

Songwriting credits is a serious matter, as many in the industry found out the hard way ie. Blurred Lines, Photograph etc. The latest is when Tulisa won a 5-year legal battle against Will.I.Am and Britney Spears for Scream & Shout, which she claimed helped to write. Tulisa claimed that she co-wrote the song I Don't Give A Fuck for her debut album The Female Boss. While the song did not make the final cut, Will.I.Am went on to collaborate with Spears using this song for Scream & Shout. The lawsuit revealed that Tulisa's vocals were still on the song alongside Spears’ in the finally-released track. The victory ensures Tulisa of an official songwriting credit on the song and 10% of the worldwide publishing rights and income for the record. All money made from the track was frozen when the lawsuit was launched in 2012.

In chart news, in the US Drake continued his reign with God's Plan accumulating altogether 11 weeks at the top of the charts, after which he replaced himself at the top with Nice For What, which remained at the top till the end of the month. During the month The Weekend's Call Out My Name, Cardi B, J Balvin and Bad Bunny's I Like It, Nicki Minaj's Chun-Li and Migos ft. Drake's Walk It Talk It all entered the top 10. 

In the UK, with the end of March came Drake's reign as Rudimental ft. Jess Glynne, Macklemore and Dan Caplen's These Days finally overthrew God's Plan in the first week. However, this was short lived as Lil Dicky ft. Chris Brown's Freaky Friday became No.1 in the second week which again was toppled by Drake's Nice For What and then again by the mammoth collaboration between Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa's One Kiss which claimed the top spot. During the month Sigala & Paloma Faith's Lullaby and The Weeknd's Call Out My Name both entered the top 10.  

Other songs which became popular during the month were:

1. David Guetta & Sia - Flames
2. Khalid & Normani - Love lies 
3. Years & Years - Sanctify 
4. Kylie  Minogue - Dancing
5. Imagine Dragons - Whatever it takes 

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

Xposition - March, 2018

Attention!!!

The curtains closed on the biggest night for music scores and original songs for visual media. At the 2018 Academy Awards Alexandre Desplat received the award for his Original Score on The Shape of Water which went onto win the Best Director and Best Picture as well. Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez took home their second prize for Original Song for Remember Me from Coco. Prior to this the Lopez’ received the award for their song Let It Go written for Disney’s box office hit Frozen in 2014.

Ed Sheeran was the top recipient at the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards sweeping 4 awards including Male Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for Shape of You. Some great performances of the night were Camila Cabello & Young Thug with their hit Havana, Charlie Puth with How Long and Cardi B who won Best New Artist performed a medley of her hits Bartier Cardi, MotorSport, No Limit (with G-Eazy), Finesse and Bodak Yellow. Bon Jovi who received the Icon Award also played a medley of It’s My Life and Who Gives Love a Bad Name. Taylor Swift who was the recipient of the Female Artist of the Year premiered the music video for her newest single Delicate at the ceremony. Some of the other significant wins were:

• Best Duo/Group of the Year: Maroon 5
• Best Collaboration: The Chainsmokers & Coldplay – Something just like this
• Alternative Rock Song of the Year: Portugal. The Man – Feel it still
• Country Song of the Year: Sam Hunt – Body like a back road
• Dance Song of the Year: Zedd & Alessia Cara – Stay
• Hip-Hop Song of the Year: DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller – Wild thoughts
• R&B Song of the Year: Bruno Mars – That’s what I like
• Latin Song of the Year: Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee – Despacito
• Best Music Video: Harry Styles – Sign of the times
• Best Tour: U2

Luis Fonsi and Residente were honored with the President’s Award and the Champion’s Award respectively at the BMI Latin Awards for their social work and philanthropy as well as their status as songwriters and artists with immense contributions to the Latin community.

The biggest shock of the month or not something super shocking was when Fifth Harmony (or Fourth after Cabello left in 2016) announced their hiatus to pursue solo endeavours. However, their upcoming shows through to the end of 2018 will go ahead as planned. Fifth Harmony seems to be another casualty of the curse where a group could not survive the departure of a member. Prior to this One Direction went on a hiatus, one year after Zayn Malik left to pursue a solo career.  

On the legal front in the music industry, the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the jury’s verdict in the District Court wherein damages were awarded against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams for infringing the copyrights of Marvin Gaye’s hit Got To Give It Up in their global hit Blurred Lines. The decision was a huge victory for Gaye’s family who was awarded US $ 5.3 million by the jury. Whilst the industry had mixed opinions with some believing this may hinder musical creativity, some believe that artists should be more responsible in their creations so as not to sample existing music without proper authorizations and royalties.

Meanwhile in chart news, in the US, Drake’s God Plan continued its formidable reign in the US with no proper competition except for Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign’s Psycho which debuted at No.2 during the month. During the month Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey’s The Middle, XXXTentacion’s Sad! and Lil Dicky featuring Chris Brown’s Freaky Friday all entered the top 10.  

In the UK too, Drake’s God’s Plan remained at the top during the entirety of the month with Rudimental featuring Macklemore, Jess Glynne Dan Caplen’s These Days struggling at No.2 throughout. During the month Marshmello & Anne Marie’s Friends, Kendrick Lamar & SZA’s All the Stars, Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton’s Say Something and Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey’s The Middle all entered the top 10.

Other songs which became popular during the month were:

1.       George Ezra – Paradise

2.       Sigala & Paloma Faith – Lullaby

3.       Troye Sivan – My my my!

4.       Calum Scott & Leona Lewis – You are the reason

5.       Iggy Azalea ft. Quavo – Savior

6.       Niall Horan – On the loose

7.       Pink – Whatever you want

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

Xposition - February, 2018

Attention!!!

Although the Grammys are over, we are not done with the awards season, as we have UK’s biggest music night to celebrate with Dua Lipa and Stormzy emerging as the top winners at the 2018 BRIT Awards. Lipa took home British Breakthrough and British Female while Stormzy took home the British Male and the coveted Album of the Year for Gang Signs and Prayer. The night’s memorable performances included Dua Lipa with her summer smash New Rules, Ed Sheeran with Supermarker Flowers, Rita Ora with a medley of Your Song, Anywhere and For You accompanied by Liam Payne and a surprise performance by Liam Gallagher with Oasis hit Live Forever. Other recipients include:

·         British Group: Gorillaz

·         British Producer of the Year: Steve Mac

·         British Single: Rag ‘n’ Bone Man – Human

·         British Artist Video of the Year: Harry Styles – Sign of the Times

·         International Male Solo Artist: Kendrick Lamar

·         International Female Solo Artist: Lorde

·         International Group: Foo Fighters

·         BRITs Global Success Award: Ed Sheeran

In other music news, Justin Timberlake performed at the Pepsi Super Bowl LII Halftime Show. With mixed to negative reviews, Timberlake had big shoes to fill as Lady Gaga put on quite a legendary performance the year before. Introduced by none other than Jimmy Fallon, Timberlake performed a medley of songs including his newest single at the time Filthy and his former hits Rock Your Body, Senorita, SexyBack, My Love, Cry Me A River and Until The End of Time. He then gave tribute to Prince in his Minneapolis-native Prince with the latter’s hit I Would Die 4 U and proceeded to close the set with Mirrors and Can’t Stop The Feeling!

Meanwhile, IFPI has released the world’s top 10 bestselling music acts of 2017 and none other than Ed Sheeran the sole Brit on the list takes the crown.  It’s a no-brainer that he would top the list after whopping album sales for his latest studio album ÷ and the global smash hit Shape of You which topped almost all the charts worldwide. The acts compose of 7 Americans and 2 Canadians. The 10 acts are:

1.       Ed Sheeran

2.       Drake

3.       Taylor Swift

4.       Kendrick Lamar

5.       Eminem

6.       Bruno Mars

7.       The Weeknd

8.       Imagine Dragons

9.       Linkin Park

10.   The Chainsmokers

In the US, Drake’s God Plan debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100 from the first week ending Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug’s Havana short stint at the top during the last week of January. God’s Plan remained at the pole position throughout the month. During the month Bebe Rexha featuring Flo Rida Georgia Line’s Meant To Be, Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton’s Say Something as well as the theme songs from the Black Panther: Kendrick Lamar and The Weeknd’s Pray For Me and Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s All The Stars all entered the top 10.  

In the UK too, Drake debuted atop the charts with God’s Plan ending Eminem featuring Ed Sheeran’s River one week No.1. During the month Dua Lipa’s IDGAF, Jax Jones ft. Ina Wroldsen’s Breathe, Sigrid’s Strangers and the theme song from The Greatest Showman, Keala Settle’s This is Me all entered the top 10.

Other songs which became popular during the month were:

1.       Rudimental ft. Macklemore, Jess Glynne and Dan Caplen – These days

2.       Marshmello & Anne Marie – Friends

3.       Drake – Diplomatic immunity

4.       G-Eazy ft. Charlie Puth – Sober

5.       Migos – Stir fry

6.       BlocBoy JB ft. Drake – Look alive

7.       Paloma Faith – Till I’m done

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

Xposition - January, 2018

Attention!!!

Music’s biggest night kicked off things in 2018 as the 60^th Grammy Awards was held in January hosted by James Corden. While Jay-Z was the top nominee with 8 it was Bruno Mars who was the biggest winner of the night earning 6 wins including all three major awards with 24K Magic as the Record of the Year, the album of the same name as the Album of the Year and Song of the Year going to his That’s What I Like. Kendrick Lamar was also a big winner at the Grammys taking 5 awards including Best Rap Album for DAMN., Best Rap Song and Best Music Video for HUMBLE.

Some of the great performances of the night included DJ Khaled, Rihanna and Bryson Tiller with Wild Thoughts, Elton John and Miley Cyrus with Tiny Dancer, Kesha with Praying accompanied by Camila Cabello, Cyndi Lauper, Andra Day, Bebe Rexha and Julia Michaels as well as tributes to Tom Petty, Chester Bennington and Chris Cornell as well for the Las Vegas Shooting and Manchester Arena Bombing. Other significant wins included:

·         Best New Artist: Alessia Cara

·         Best Pop Vocal Album: Ed Sheeran - ÷

·         Best Rock Song: Foo Fighter – Run

·         Best Country Song: Christ Stapleton – Broken halos

·         Best Latin Pop Album: Shakira – El Dorado

·         Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media: Justin Hurwitz – La La Land

·         Best Song Written for Visual Media: Lin-Manuel Miranda – How far I’ll go

·         Producer of the Year, Non-Classical – Greg Kurstin

The 75^th Golden Globe Awards were also held in January hosted by Seth Myers. Alexandre Desplat won for Best Original Score for The Shape of Water whilst the Best Original Song went to This Is Me performed by Keala Settle from The Greatest Showman written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

Meanwhile, some highly anticipated nominations were announced during the month. First up we have the coveted 90^th Academy Awards nominees for Best Original Score and Best Original Song.

Best Original Score:

·         Dunkirk – Hans Zimmer

·         Phantom Thread – Jonny Greenwood

·         The Shape of Water – Alexandre Desplat

·         Star Wars: The Last Jedi – John Williams

·         Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – Carter Burwell

Best Original Song

·         Mighty River: Mudbound – Mary J. Blige, Raphael Saadiq and Taura Stinson

·         Mystery of Love: Call Me by Your Name – Sufjan Stevens

·         Remember Me: Coco – Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez

·         Stand Up for Something: Marshall – Diane Warren and Common

·         This Is Me: The Greatest Showman – Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Secondly we have the BRIT Awards 2018 nominations with Dua Lipa leading the fray with 5 nods including British Female, British Breakthrough, British Single and British Artist Video of the Year for New Rules, Album of the Year for her self-titled album. She sets a record as the female artist with the highest nominations at the BRIT Awards in one ceremony. Ed Sheeran is also up for 4 awards including British Male, Album of the Year for ÷ and British Single and Video for Shape of You. Breakthrough act last year, Rag N’ Bone Man has 3 nods including British Male and British Single and Album of the Year for Human.

Finally, we have the 5^th iHeartRadio Music Awards nominations. Rihanna, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, DJ Khaled and Luis Fonsi top the nominations each receiving 5 nods. For song of the year the following go head to head for the coveted title:

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

·         Shape of You – Ed Sheeran

·         Something Just Like This – The Chainsmokers & Coldplay

·         That’s What I Like – Bruno Mars

·         Wild Thoughts – DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller

Mary J. Blige adds another accolade under her belt after being nominated for Best Supporting Actress in Mud Bound as well as her contribution to the Best Original Song nominee Mighty River as she received the honor of her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In other accolade news, Sigrid won the BBC Sound of 2018. The 21-year old rose to fame in 2017 through her critically acclaimed debut single Don’t Kill My Vibe. Previous recipients of this coveted title include Adele, Years & Years, Sam Smith and Ellie Goulding.

Ray Thomas, flautist and vocalist for British Rock group The Moody Blues died on January 4, at the age of 76. Although no cause of death was given, Thomas was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2013. Alternative Rock suffered another massive blow when Dolores O’Riordan lead singer of The Cranberries died at the age of 46, when she was in London for a recording session on January 15. Although the cause of death was not made public, police ruled out any suspicions.

In the US, Ed Sheeran & Beyonce continued their reign with Perfect for the first 3 weeks of the month before Sheeran was billed as a solo artist in the last week at the top after which Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug’s Havana took the crown.  During the month Dua Lipa’s New Rules, Justin Timberlake’s Filthy and Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B’s Finesse all entered the top 10.  

In the UK, Ed Sheeran’s formidable rule with Perfect fueled by duets with Beyonce and Andrea Bocelli continued at the top until Eminem featuring Ed Sheeran’s River replace the former as the UK No.1 During the month Ramz’s Barking, Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B’s Finesse, Jason Derulo’s Tip Toe and Camila Cabello’s Never Be The Same all entered the top 10.

Other songs which became popular during the month were:

1.       Rita Ora & Liam Payne – For You

2.       Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line – Meant to be

3.       Dua Lipa – IDGAF

4.       Keala Settle – This is me

5.       Kendrick Lamar & SZA – All the stars

6.       Jax Jones ft. Ina Wroldsen – Breathe

7.       Rudimental ft. Macklemore & Jess Glynne – These days

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

2017 Recap: A Year in Music

Attention!!!

Ciao Adios 2017! We were all in love with the shape of 2017 as it gave us some of the best music the industry had to offer. The greatest moments in music were overshadowed by the horrific tragedies which was clearly a sign of the times. But the world moves on another day, another drama and more music. We have a million reasons to love the year but that doesn’t mean we don’t have issues with it, cause you’ve got them too. While we said we won’t let go of 2017, we had to bid farewell. I don't have new rules, so similar to 2016 I will strip 2017 down under seven segments: genres, albums, singles, milestones, shockers, talent and obituaries, and it goes something just like this: 

1. Genres
The most conspicuous changes in some of the mainstream genres included:

• Latin music resurfaced with force in the form of Spanglish remixes and dominated the charts  throughout the year.
• Mainstream Pop gradually reverted to its original form during the year after facing a tropical take over the year before.
• Hip Hop and Rap were forces to be reckoned with new artists introducing their own flavours.
• Dancepop and Electropop were reignited as they seeped through several EDM as well as Pop albums
• Rock and Country once more took a backseat, with the genres becoming almost irrelevant on the charts.  

2. Albums

Some of the most awaited albums were released in 2017:

• Shania Twain – Now (5th studio album – first album in 15 years)
• Fergie – Double Dutchess (2nd studio album – first album in 11 years)
• Steps – Tears on the Dancefloor (5th studio album – first proper album in 17 years)
• Linkin Park – One More Light (7th studio album – Bennington's final album)
• Zara Larsson – So Good (2nd studio album – first to be internationally released)
• Kesha – Rainbow (3rd studio album – first since her legal battle with Dr. Luke)
• Pink – Beautiful Trauma (7th studio album – first album in 5 years)
• Kendrick Lamar – DAMN. (4th studio album – Year-End No.1 in the US)
• Ed Sheeran – ÷ (3rd studio album – Year-End No.1 in the UK)
• Taylor Swift – Reputation (6th studio album)
• Lorde – Melodrama (2nd studio album)
• Jay-Z – 4:44 (13th studio album)
• Shakira – El Dorado (11th studio album)
• Imagine Dragons – Evolve (3rd studio album)
• Lana Del Rey – Lust for Life (5th studio album)
• Sam Smith – The Thrill of It All (2nd studio album)
• Eminem – Revival (9th studio album)

Most of the anticipated albums in 2018 were debut studio albums:
• Dua Lipa – Dua Lipa
• Harry Styles – Harry Styles
• SZA – Ctrl
• The Chainsmokers – Memories…Do Not Open
• Khalid – American Teen
• Rag ‘n’ Bone Man – Human
• Stormzy – Gang Signs & Prayer
• Niall Horan – Flicker
• Liam Gallagher – As You Were

3. Singles

Here are some interesting trivia regarding the global hits of 2017:

• Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You topped the charts in 44 countries and was conspicuously the most successful song of 2017.
• The music video for Taylor Swift’s Look What You Made Me Do broke the record for most-watched video on YouTube within 24 hours by achieving 43.2 million views passing Adele’s Hello.
• Logic ft. Khalid & Alessia Cara’s 1-800-273-8255 is the phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the US which witnessed a surge of more than 50% of calls to the hotline following its release and eventual popularity.
• Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber’s Despacito tied a 20-year old record held by Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men’s One Sweet Day for the longest-reigning number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with 16 weeks.
• Cardi B’s Bodak Yellow (Money Moves) is the second solo Hip-Hop No.1 single by a female in US chart’s history after Lauryn Hill’s Doo Wop (That Thing) in 1998 .
• With the release of Liam Payne ft. Quavo’s Strip That Down all of One Direction’s members had made their solo debuts each one having at least one hit entering the Top 10 in the UK during the year, and Harry Styles even topping the chart with Sign of the Times. 
• With Nicki Minaj’s debut of three songs in April on the Billboard Hot 100 (No Frauds, Regrets in Your Tears and Changed It) she passed Aretha Franklin for the most total appearances among women on the chart.
• With Rihanna’s Love on the Brain entering the Hot 100 Top 10, she passed Elvis Presley becoming the artist with the third most top-ten singles in Hot 100 history behind only Madonna and The Beatles.  
• Mariah Carey’s Christmas classic All I Want for Christmas is You achieved a chart peak in the US after 23 years of its release when it peaked at No.9.
• Ed Sheeran’s Perfect grabbed the coveted Christmas No.1 in the UK with its sales being propelled due to duet versions with Beyonce and Andrea Bocelli.  

4. Milestones

Some musicians need to be given the due recognition for their achievements during the year.

• Adele became the first artist in history to win the triple crowns at the ceremony twice with Record of the Year and Song of the Year for Hello and Album of the Year for 25 at the 59th Grammy Awards a feat which she previously achieved in 2012. 
• The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and Bee Gees lead vocalist Barry Gibb were knighted in the Queen’s 2017 New Year Honours
• Sir Paul McCartney, Emeli Sande and Ed Sheeran receive the prestigious MBE in the Queen’s 2017 Birthday Honours List 
• Taylor Swift wins sexual assault case against DJ David Mueller for groping her at a 2013 concert 
• Diana Ross was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2017 American Music Awards
• Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year was bestowed on Alejandro Sanz at the 2017 Latin Grammy Awards
• Pink received the prestigious Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards 
• Robbie Williams received the Icon Award at the BRIT Awards 2017 
• Pitbull was awarded the inaugural Dick Clark Achievement Award for his contribution to Latin Music at the 2017 Latin American Music Awards 
• Jay-Z was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and became the first rapper in history to be bestowed with such an honour.
• Selena Gomez was named 2017’s Billboard Woman of the Year 
• U2 received the Global Icon Award at the 2017 MTV European Music Awards 
• Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber’s Despacito became the most watched YouTube video of all time with over 4.7 billion views.
• Lady Gaga’s performance at the 2017 Super Bowl LI Halftime Show was the second most-watched in history and is also among the most critically acclaimed of all time
• Sampha’s Process won the coveted 2017 Mercury Prize
• Afrojack played a record breaking eight sets at Tomorrowland 2017 
• Vera Lynn made history when her album, 100, charted at Number 3 in the UK, making her the first living centenarian to have a Top 10 album
• Cher was bestowed with the Icon Award at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards 
• Britney Spears honoured with the Icon Award at the 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards

5. Shockers

There were amazing moments in 2017 as well as the tragic ones that made up this memorable year.

• 58 people were shot dead and around 851 were injured in a shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Country Music Festival during Jason Aldean’s performance, making this the second deadliest concert shootings in history.  
• Chester Bennington, lead singer of Linkin Park hangs himself soon after the release of the band’s 7th studio album 
• A suicide bomb attack after an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena resulted in 22 deaths and left 250 injured.
• Glastonbury to take a year’s break after pulling in a record peak audience of 4.1 million viewers for Ed Sheeran’s headline slot and be replaced with BBC Music’s The Biggest Weekend
• Ed Sheeran privately settles a case of copyright infringement for his single Photograph and  the similarity between Matt Cardle’s Amazing 
• Fergie takes an indefinite break from the Black Eyed Peas 
• Tony Hadley, lead singer of Spandau Ballet formally announces his departure from the band
• Russia withdraws from Eurovision as Ukraine bans their representative Yulia Samoylova  from entering the host country by virtue of having traveled directly from Russia to Crimea in 2015
• Hip-Hop trio Tulisa, Dappy and Fazer indicates a N-Dubz reunion 
• The first ever Asia-Pacific Eurovision Song Contest was announced as Eurovision Asia was formally launched with 20 countries coming together to compete in an annual grand finale.

6. Talent

Here are the winners of those talent/reality contests which produce some of the best artists:

• 62nd Eurovision Song Contest – Portugal with Salvador Sobral’s Amar Pelos Dois
• The X Factor (14th Season) – Rak-Su mentored by Simon Cowell
• The Voice (12th Season) – Chris Blue coached by Alicia Keys
• The Voice (13th Season – Chloe Kohanski coached by Blake Shelton
• The Voice UK (6th Season) – Mo Adeniran coached by Jennifer Hudson
• Britain’s Got Talent (11th Season) – Tokio Myers

7. Obituaries

Finally we remember those who left us in 2017.

• Al Jarreau (12 February 1940 – 12 February 2017)
• Joni Sledge (13 September 1956 – 10 March 2017)
• Chuck Berry (18 October 1926 – 18 March 2017)
• J. Geils (20 February 1946 – 11 April 2017)
• Chris Cornell (20 July 1964 – 18 May 2017)
• Gregg Allman (08 December 1947 – 27 May 2017)
• Chester Bennington (20 March 1976 – 20 July 2017)
• Tom Petty (20 October 1950 – 02 October 2017)
• David Cassidy (12 April 1950 – 21 November 2017)
• Wayne Cochran (10 May 1939 – 21 November 2017)
• Kim Jong-hyun (08 April 1990 – 18 December 2017)

Till next year...

At Ease!!!

Best Love Songs of 2017

Attention!!!

While 2016 was a disappointment in the outpour of love songs, the same cannot be said about 2017. Since 2017 belonged to Ed Sheeran, it should not come as a major surprise that it his duet version of Perfect with Beyonce is what takes the crown on this compilation. His global mega hit Shape of You also appears on the list, although not among the top ranks. At a close second is Lana Del Rey's mesmerizing hit, Love, followed by Brett Young's country hit In Case You Didn't Know. 

In terms of genre we see mostly Pop songs with the likes of veteran crooners such as John Mayer and Michael Buble also making appearances. Rita Ora's comeback is also featured with both her hits Your Song and Anywhere within the top 10. Lana Del Rey has another entry, her other being Lust For Life, a collaboration with The Weeknd, the latter having his hit I Feel It Coming also on the list. G-Eazy and Halsey appear with their Him & I, a sappiness oozing duet between the lovestruck duo. New artists such as Julia Michaels, Lauv and Starley also have entries on the list alongside former One Direction members Zayn, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson and former Fifth Harmony member Camila Cabello. So hope you enjoy the top 30 love songs of 2017:

1. Ed Sheeran & Beyonce – Perfect
2. Lana Del Rey – Love
3. Brett Young – In case you didn’t know
4. Rita Ora – Your song
5. John Mayer – Love on the weekend
6. Rita Ora – Anywhere
7. Michael Bublé – I believe in you
8. Clean Bandit ft. Zara Larsson – Symphony
9. Louis Tomlinson ft. Bebe Rexha & Digital Farm Animals – Back to you
10. Julia Michaels – Issues
11. Daniel Caesar ft. H.E.R. – Best part
12. Ed Sheeran – Shape of you
13. Zayn ft. Sia – Dusk till dawn
14. Starley – Call on me
15. G-Eazy & Halsey – Him & I
16. Echosmith – Get into my car
17. Lauv – I like me better
18. HAIM – Want you back
19. Dua Lipa ft. Miguel – Lost in your light
20. Lana Del Rey ft. The Weeknd – Lust for life
21. Harry Styles – Sweet creature
22. Camila Cabello – Never be the same
23. Taylor Swift – Call it what you want
24. Miley Cyrus – Malibu
25. DJ Snake & Lauv – A different way
26. Demi Lovato – Tell me you love me
27. The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk – I feel it coming
28. Kendrick Lamar ft. Zacari – Love
29. Lady Gaga – The cure
30. Selena Gomez & Marshmello – Wolves 

Till the next sonnet...

At Ease!!!

Xposition - December, 2017

Attention!!!

While the awards season officially came to a close we had other accolades to be given. These were the year-end coronations. Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You was a no-shocker there as it crowned almost all the major year-end charts worldwide from US and UK to Canada and Australia. Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber’s Despacito was a close second as it was released later in the year as a Spanglish remix. In the US, it was a clearly male dominated chart with Halsey being the lone female within the top 10, even that only as a featured role in The Chainsmokers’ Closer. In the UK too it was not too different as there were only two females featured in the top 10: Zara Larsson featured on Clean Bandit’s Symphony and Raye featured on Jax Jones’ You Don’t Know Me. The top 10 for the major markets are as follows:

#	United States	United Kingdom	Australia	Canada
1	Ed Sheeran – Shape of you	Ed Sheeran – Shape of you	Ed Sheeran – Shape of you	Ed Sheeran – Shape of you
2	Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber – Despacito	Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber – Despacito	Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber – Despacito	Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber – Despacito
3	Bruno Mars – That’s what I like	Ed Sheeran – Castle on the hill	Ed Sheeran – Castle on the hill	The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey – Closer
4	Kendrick Lamar – Humble.	French Montana ft. Swae Lee – Unforgettable	Ed Sheeran – Perfect	The Chainsmokers & Coldplay – Something just like this
5	The Chainsmokers & Coldplay – Something just like this	Ed Sheeran – Galway girl	The Chainsmokers & Coldplay – Something just like this	French Montana ft. Swae Lee – Unforgettable
6	Migos ft. Lil Uzi Vert – Bad and boujee	Ed Sheeran – Perfect	Imagine Dragons – Thunder	The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk – Starboy
7	The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey – Closer	Clean Bandit ft. Zara Larsson – Symphony	Ed Sheeran – Galway girl	Bruno Mars – That’s what I like
8	Sam Hunt – Body like a bad road	Rag ‘n’ Bone Man – Human	Kendrick Lamar – Humble.	Kygo & Selena Gomez – It ain’t me
9	Imagine Dragons – Believer	The Chainsmokers & Coldplay – Something just like this	Macklemore ft. Skylar Grey – Glorious	Clean Bandit ft. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie - Rockabye
10	Post Malone ft. Quavo – Congratulations	Jax Jones ft. Raye – You don’t know me	Shawn Mendes – There’s nothing holdin’ me back	DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper & Lil Wayne – I’m the one

Although the BRIT Awards 2018 are to be held in February, as per the norm the winner of the BRITs Critics Choice was announced. Beating competition from Mabel and Stefflon Don, Jorja Smith was announced as the winner of the coveted award. She follows in the footsteps of Adele, Sam Smith, Ellie Goulding and most recently Rag ‘n’ Bone Man who proved he indeed has what it takes to be a superstar.

In reality TV news, the X Factor had its grand finale in December where Rak-Su emerged victorious over Grace Davies after an intense last battle. Rak-Su won with their own original song Dimelo which features Wyclef Jean and Naughty Boy. Another significance of this victory is that they are only the second group to have won the show after Little Mix and the only boy band to win it. Mentored by Simon Cowell, the foursome managed to win the audience and was a much easier win being the clear favorites unlike the year before.

It was also revealed at the end of the month that The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and Bee Gees founder member Barry Gibb had been awarded knighthoods in the Queen’s New Year Honours. Other honorees include grime star Wiley, real name Richard Cowie, who is awarded an MBE for his services to music.

On the other side of the world, the lead singer of K-Pop band SHINee Kim Jong-hyun was found unconscious at his home and dead upon admission to hospital at the age of 27. His death is considered to be ruled as an apparent suicide.   

In the US, Post Malone ft. 21 Savage’s Rockstar continued its reign till the third week until Ed Sheeran’s Perfect took the crown fueled by a duet version with Beyonce and continued at the top for the rest of the month. During the month Migos, Nicki Minaj and Cardi B entered the top 10 with MotorSport and Mariah Carey entered the top 10 with her Christmas classic All I Want For Christmas Is You, which achieved its chart peak 23 years since it was originally released.   

In the UK, Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug’s Havana began the month at the top but was dethroned again by Ed Sheeran’s Perfect. Perfect remained at the top throughout even grabbing the coveted Christmas No.1. During the month Clean Bandit ft. Julia Michaels' I Miss You, MK’s 17 and Eminem ft. Ed Sheeran’s River all entered the top 10.

Other songs which became popular during the month were:

1.       NF – Let you down

2.       Dua Lipa – IDGAF

3.       Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran & Future – End game

4.       Inna – Nirvana

5.       Camila Cabello – Never be the same

6.       Halsey & G-Eazy – Him & I

7.       Jason Derulo ft. French Montana – Tip toe 

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!