My Favorite Hits of 2016

Attention!!!

2016 was a year which definitely catered to my taste. From EDM and Reggae Fusion to Pop and Alternative Rock there were awesome hits galore. One thing is for sure the songs of 2016 were much better than 2014 and were on an equal level with 2015. Although there was only a lone floorfiller last year in the form of Sia’s Cheap Thrills there were a few mind-blowing EDM hits. Alan Walker rules this list with his global hit Faded. The slow and relaxing beats of the tune are accompanied by the uncredited soothing vocals of Iselin Solheim. At second place is Stressed Out the Alternative Rock hit for the duo Twenty One Pilots followed by Swedish newcomer Zara Larsson's Lush Life at third place. 

Genre wise EDM has numerous entries followed by Pop, Reggae and Rap. Alan Walker, Dua Lipa, Sean Paul and Zara Larsson lead the list with three entries each followed by Twenty One Pilots, Clean Bandit, Anne Marie, Zedd, Hailee Steinfeld, DNCE, Justin Bieber, Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull, Rihanna, Jonas Blue, Ariana Grande and Louisa Johnson all have two entries each, either as a lead or featured artist. So here are my 50 favorites hits of 2016:  

1. Alan Walker – Faded
2. Twenty One Pilots – Stressed out
3. Zara Larsson – Lush life
4. RedOne ft. Enrique Iglesias, R.City, Shaggy & Serayah – Don’t you need somebody
5. Dua Lipa – Hotter than hell
6. The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk – Starboy
7. Rihanna – Love on the brain
8. Tinie Tempah ft. Zara Larsson – Girls like
9. Twenty One Pilots – Heathens
10. David Guetta ft. Zara Larsson – This one’s for you
11. Pitbull ft. Enrique Iglesias – Messin’ around
12. Halsey – Castle
13. Sia ft. Sean Paul – Cheap thrills
14. Dua Lipa – Blow your mind (mwah)
15. Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber & MØ – Cold water
16. Sean Paul ft. Dua Lipa – No lie
17. Olly Murs – You don’t know love
18. Zedd ft. Kesha – True colors
19. Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna – This is what you came for
20. The Veronicas – In my blood
21. Kungs vs. Cookin’ On 3 Burners – This girl
22. Hailee Steinfeld ft. DNCE – Rock bottom
23. Clean Bandit ft. Anne Marie & Sean Paul – Rockabye
24. Thomas Rhett – Die a happy man
25. Troye Sivan – Youth
26. The Chainsmokers ft. Daya – Don’t let me down
27. DJ Snake ft. Justin Bieber – Let me love you
28. Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa & Imagine Dragons ft. Logic, Ty Dolla $ign & X Ambassadors – Sucker for pain
29. Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – I know what you did last summer
30. Ariana Grande – Into you
31. Years & Years – Worship
32. Alan Walker – Alone
33. Anne Marie – Alarm
34. Flo Rida – My house
35. Ellie Goulding – Something in the way you move
36. Clean Bandit ft. Louisa Johnson – Tears
37. Mike Posner – I took a pill in Ibiza (SeeB Remix)
38. G-Eazy & Bebe Rexha – Me, myself & I
39. Jonas Blue ft. JB Cooper – Perfect strangers
40. James Arthur – Say you won’t let go
41. Pitbull – Freedom
42. Alan Walker – Sing me to sleep
43. Ariana Grande ft. Nicki Minaj – Side to side
44. Selena Gomez – Kill ‘em with kindness
45. Pink – Just like fire
46. Coldplay – Hymn for the weekend
47. Hailee Steinfeld & Grey ft. Zedd – Starving
48. Jonas Blue ft. Dakota – Fast car
49. Louisa Johnson – So good
50. DNCE – Body moves 

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

Best Love Songs of 2016

Attention!!!

Well, 2016 was not the best when it came to the production of love songs. With the resurgence of Reggae in the form of Dancehall and the mainstream success of EDM, R&B and Rap in the yesteryear Pop songs took a back seat; and without Pop, there's no hope for love songs. There was no fan favourite Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran or a staple wedding song like Wings by Birdy. With the usual love song junkies of Pop out of commission, we will have to make do with whatever that was released last year. However, it is an over-exaggeration to state that there were no good love songs produced as Thomas Rhett's Die a Happy Man is an awesome love song followed by Rihanna's over-the-top yet brilliant Love On The Brain as well as James Arthur's come back mega hit Say You Won't Let Go.

What is quite conspicuous is the fact that genres such as EDM and Dancehall also produced love songs alongside the usual Pop, Country and Soul. Ellie Goulding, Hailee Steinfeld, John Legend, Justin Bieber and Bebe Rexha all have two entries each. So here are the top 25 love songs of 2016:   

1. Thomas Rhett – Die a happy man
2. Rihanna – Love on the brain
3. James Arthur – Say you won’t let go
4. Kenny Chesney ft. Pink – Setting the world on fire
5. Hailee Steinfeld ft. DNCE – Rock bottom
6. Ellie Goulding – Still falling for you
7. Meghan Trainor ft. John Legend – Like I’m gonna lose you
8. Zara Larsson & MNEK – Never forget you
9. Charlie Puth – One call away
10. Nick Jonas ft. Tove Lo – Close
11. John Legend – Love me now
12. Martin Garrix ft. Bebe Rexha – In da name of love
13. Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber & MØ –  Cold water
14. The Veronicas – In my blood
15. Hailee Steinfeld & Grey ft. Zedd – Starving
16. RedOne ft. Enrique Iglesias, R.City, Shaggy & Serayah – Don’t you need somebody
17. Little Mix ft. Jason Derulo – Secret love song
18. DJ Snake ft. Justin Bieber – Let me love you
19. Bebe Rexha – I got you
20. Florida Georgia Line – H.O.L.Y.
21. Ariana Grande – Into you
22. The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey – Closer
23. Inna – Heaven
24. Sigala ft. Imani & DJ Fresh – Say you do
25. Ellie Goulding – Something in the way you move

Till the next sonnet...

At Ease!!!

Best Dance Hits of 2016

Attention!!!

2016 is the year where tropical beats entered the dancefloor. With Reggae and Dancehall fusing with the mainstream genres of dance music such as EDM, Pop, Rap and R&B, dance music as a whole evolved. Hip-Hop was virtually non-existent during the year while Latin Pop and Progressive House took a backseat giving way to this immensely popular tropical rhythms and melodies.

Sia featuring Sean Paul’s Cheap Thrills takes the crown as it is now a floor filler at any party, but sadly this is the only floor filler that joins the elite club of songs such as Pitbull featuring Kesha’s Timber and Enrique Iglesias featuring Gente De Zona and Descemer Bueno which makes anyone want to join the dancefloor. At a close second is Kungs vs. Cookin’ On 3 Burners’ This Girl and at third place is Major Lazer featuring Nyla and Fuse ODG’s Light it up. This is Major Lazer’s second stint at a top three position as the trio’s mammoth hit collaboration with DJ Snake and MØ’s Lean On topped the list last year.

New faces to the dance scene include DJs such as Kungs and Jonas Blue as well as artists such as Zara Larsson, Dawin, Anne Marie and Sofia Carson. Sean Paul, the kingpin of Dancehall has 6 entries on the list followed by Zara Larsson with 5, Calvin Harris, Fifth Harmony and Enrique Iglesias with 3 and Sia, Major Lazer, Pitbull, Flo Rida, Anne Marie, Meghan Trainor, Rihanna, AronChupa and Drake all having 2 entries each. So here are the 60 best dance hits of 2016 (yes, we are continuing with 60):

1. Sia ft. Sean Paul – Cheap thrills
2. Kungs vs. Cookin’ On 3 Burners – This girl
3. Major Lazer ft. Nyla & Fuse ODG – Light it up
4. Zara Larsson – Lush life
5. Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna – This is what you came for
6. Ariana Grande ft. Nicki Minaj – Side to side
7. Sak Noel & Salvi ft. Sean Paul – Trumpets
8. Pitbull ft. Enrique Iglesias – Messin’ around
9. RedOne ft. Enrique Iglesias, R.City, Shaggy & Serayah – Don’t you need somebody
10. Tinie Tempah ft. Zara Larsson – Girls like
11. Zara Larsson – Ain’t my fault
12. Jason Derulo – Get ugly
13. Flo Rida – My house
14. Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber & MØ – Cold water 
15. Justin Timberlake – Can’t stop the feeling!
16. Sean Paul ft. Dua Lipa – No lie
17. Jennifer Lopez – Ain’t your mama
18. AronChupa ft. Lil Sis Nora – Little swing
19. Rihanna ft. Drake – Work
20. Jay Sean ft. Sean Paul – Make my love go
21. G Girls – Call the police
22. Sofia Carson ft. J. Balvin – Love is the name
23. The Chainsmokers ft. Daya – Don’t let me down
24. Drake ft. WizKid & Kyla – One dance
25. Enrique Iglesias ft. Wisin – Duele el Corazón
26. Dizzee Rascal & Calvin Harris – Hype
27. Fifth Harmony – That’s my girl
28. David Guetta ft. Zara Larsson – This one’s for you
29. Anne Marie – Alarm
30. Pitbull – Freedom
31. Fifth Harmony ft. Ty Dolla $ign – Work from home
32. Clean Bandit ft. Anne Marie & Sean Paul – Rockabye
33. Hailee Steinfeld and Grey ft. Zedd – Starving
34. Zay Hilfigerrr and Zayion McCall – Juju on that beat (TZ Anthem)
35. Ricky Martin & Maluma – Vente pa’ca
36. 99 Souls ft. Destiny’s Child & Brandy – Girl is mine 
37. Krewella – Team
38. Calvin Harris – My way
39. Dawin – Dessert
40. Meghan Trainor – Me too
41. The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk – Starboy
42. Alexandra Stan – I did it, mama!
43. Little Mix ft. Sean Paul – Hair
44. Cheat Codes & Kriss Kross Amsterdam – Sex 
45. Zara Larsson – I would like
46. Iggy Azalea – Team
47. Flo Rida – Zillionaire
48. Meghan Trainor – No
49. Bruno Mars – 24K magic
50. Sia ft. Kendrick Lamar – The greatest
51. Jonas Blue ft. JB Cooper – Perfect strangers
52. Fifth Harmony – I’m in love with a monster
53. Galantis – No money
54. Inna – Rendez vous
55. Fergie – M.I.L.F. $
56. OMI ft. AronChupa – Drop in the ocean
57. Kygo ft. Maty Noyes – Stay
58. Jonas Blue ft. Raye – By your side
59. Sigala ft. John Newman & Nile Rodgers – Give me your love
60. Desiigner – Panda 

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

Greatest Hits of 2016

Attention!!!

2016 belonged to EDM, Dancehall and Reggae Fusion. Justin Bieber began the year at the top of the global charts, but it’s Drake whose mammoth collaboration One Dance with WizKid and Kyla that takes the crown this year as chart performance in most of Europe have already been tallied for Bieber’s Love Yourself for 2015. The smash hit collaboration which brought Dancehall into the mainstream also paved the way for veteran Sean Paul to emerge from the depths of the forgotten 2000s to reignite Reggae Fusion which he succeeded with collaborations with Sia on Cheap Thrills and Clean Bandit on Rockabye.

It was an awesome year for most genres. EDM evolved to a stage where Synthpop and Dancehall was incorporated to form a much mellowed tone than that which the previous years produced such as Progressive House. R&B did not entirely disappear from the mainstream as Rihanna’s newest album Anti produced her global hit Work another collaboration with Drake. Alternative Rock music also entered the mainstream once again in the form of Twenty One Pilots whose album Blurry Face is quite reminiscent of the bygone era of Linkin Park. Pop music took on a more tropical feel to keep up with the increasing popularity of Dancehall and Reggae.   

Social media and viral music proved once again to play a massive part in contributing to the mainstream charts. Young stars such as Alessia Cara and Troye Sivan amassed quite a following throughout the year as their hits managed to fare better with social media fame. Viral hits such as Zay Hilfigerrr and Zayion McCall’s Juju On That Beat and Rae Sremmurd ft. Gucci Mane’s Black Beatles surged to the top of the charts, the former with its unique dance moves and the latter fueled by the extremely popular Mannequin Challenge which was the next best thing after Donald Trump Memes in the last quarter of the year.

Soundtracks continued to be successful similar to 2015 where Justin Timberlake’s Can’t Stop The Feeling! from Trolls and almost the entire soundtrack of Suicide Squad particularly Twenty One Pilots’ Heathens faring extremely well on the global charts. We bade adieu to One Direction as the group went on a hiatus in early 2016 and Camila Cabello left Fifth Harmony just two weeks ago which may lead to the end of the girl group which only just received a proper mainstream following.

Justin Bieber has the highest number of entries with 4 followed by The Chainsmokers, Drake and Rihanna with 3 each and Zara Larsson, Twenty One Pilots, Sean Paul, Shawn Mendes, Ariana Grande, Adele and Selena Gomez all having two each on the list. So here are the best 50 songs of 2016 was compiled based on worldwide charts, sales and accolades received:

1. Drake ft. WizKid & Kyla – One dance
2. Justin Bieber – Love yourself
3. Sia ft. Sean Paul – Cheap thrills
4. The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey – Closer
5. Justin Timberlake – Can’t stop the feeling!
6. Rihanna ft. Drake – Work
7. Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber & MØ – Cold water 
8. Twenty One Pilots – Stressed out
9. Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna – This is what you came for
10. Mike Posner – I took a pill in Ibiza (SeeB Remix)
11. Lukas Graham – 7 Years
12. The Chainsmokers ft. Daya – Don’t let me down
13. Alan Walker – Faded
14. Zayn – Pillowtalk
15. DJ Snake ft. Justin Bieber – Let me love you
16. Shawn Mendes – Stitches
17. Twenty One Pilots – Heathens
18. DNCE – Cake by the ocean
19. Zara Larsson – Lush life
20. Adele – Hello
21. Clean Bandit ft. Anne Marie & Sean Paul – Rockabye
22. Fifth Harmony ft. Ty Dolla $ign – Work from home
23. Kungs vs. Cookin’ On 3 Burners – This girl
24. Rae Sremmurd ft. Gucci Mane – Black Beatles
25. James Arthur – Say you won’t let go
26. G-Eazy & Bebe Rexha – Me, myself & I
27. Pink – Just like fire
28. The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk – Starboy
29. Ariana Grande ft. Nicki Minaj – Side to side
30. Jonas Blue ft. Dakota – Fast car
31. Justin Bieber – Sorry
32. Desiigner – Panda
33. Gnash ft. Olivia O’ Brien – I hate u, I love u
34. Drake ft. Rihanna – Too good
35. The Chainsmokers ft. ROZES – Roses  
36. Zara Larsson & MNEK – Never forget you
37. Meghan Trainor – No
38. Flo Rida – My house
39. Little Mix – Shout out to my ex
40. Shawn Mendes – Treat you better
41. Bruno Mars – 24K Magic
42. Coldplay – Hymn for the weekend
43. Enrique Iglesias ft. Wisin – Duele el Corazón
44. Adele – Send my love (to your new lover)
45. Charlie Puth ft. Selena Gomez – We don’t talk anymore
46. Hailee Steinfeld & Grey ft. Zedd – Starving
47. Selena Gomez – Hands to myself
48. Ariana Grande – Dangerous woman
49. Alessia Cara – Here
50. Maroon 5 ft. Kendrick Lamar – Don’t wanna know 

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

Xposition - September, 2016

Attention!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other songs which became popular during the month were:

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

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

Xposition - August, 2016

Attention!!!

August began with the announcement by Event Craft Productions that Hardwell would be making a stop in Sri Lanka in his highly anticipated Go Hardwell or Go Home Tour on September 30, 2016. However, this was a bust as later in the month the event managers released a disappointing statement that the concert has been cancelled - "due to an enormous number of obligations including some from local authorities given the genre and the magnitude of the event."  

Moreover, August also witnessed probably the most boring and uncontroversial MTV Video Music Awards in the history of the ceremony. There was no twerking, making out on stage or announcements for candidacy for US Presidency. The night belonged to Rihanna and Beyonce. Beyonce led the nominations with 11 and winning 8 and with a total of 24 VMAs, it makes her the artist with the most wins at the VMAs passing Madonna's 20. 

Rihanna was the recipient of the coveted Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award and she opened with a stellar performance of a medley of Don't Stop The Music, Only Girl (In The World), We Found Love and Where Have You Been. Ri-Ri also had three other performances which she aced all of which were medleys of her biggest hits except Umbrella. 

Britney Spears returned to the VMA stage after 9 years since her disastrous 2007 performance of Gimme More which led to her very public meltdown. She clearly redeemed herself with a steamy take of Make Me... featuring G-Eazy plus singing the part of Bebe Rexha in Me, Myself & I. Other awesome performances of the night included Ariana Grande ft. Nicki Minaj's newest single Side to Side, Nick Jonas ft. Ty Dolla $ign's Bacon and the pre-show performance of Alessia Cara and Troye Sivan singing a medley of Wild Things, Wild and Scars Beneath Your Beautiful. 

Disaster hit the VMA stage when The Chainsmokers and Halsey performed their newest hit Closer. There's nothing much to say about this performance except that Andrew Taggart (one half of the Chainsmokers) should stick to the background music and not pull a Calvin Harris, because not every DJ can sing. This was evident as Taggart found it difficult to keep up with the powerful vocals of Halsey during the EDM duet. 

Enough about the performances, take a look at the most significant wins of the night:

• Video of the Year: Beyonce - Formation
• Best Male Video: Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna - This is what you came for
• Best Female Video: Beyonce - Hold Up
• Best New Artist: DNCE
• Best Pop Video: Beyonce - Formation
• Best Rock Video: Twenty One Pilots - Heathens  
• Best Hip-Hop Video: Drake - Hotline Bling
• Best Electronic Video: Calvin Harris & Disciples - How deep is your love 
• Best Direction: Beyonce - Formation (Director - Melina Matsoukas) 

The lineup for the Apple Music Festival - previously known as the iTunes Festival - has been finally revealed. The festival now in its tenth year, is famous for drawing in huge acts to perform at London's intimate Roundhouse in Camden. This year's full lineup is as follows:

18 September: Elton John

19 September: The 1975

20 September: Alicia Keys

21 September: OneRepublic

23 September: Calvin Harris

25 September: Robbie Williams

26 September: Bastille

27 September: Britney

28 September: Michael Bublé

30 September: Chance the Rapper

It is with so much joy that I move on to chart news as the reign of Drake ft. WizKid & Kyla's One Dance is finally over. In the US, Sia ft. Sean Paul's Cheap Thrills dethroned One Dance from the first week itself and held on to the top spot for the entire month. Sia becomes the first female over 40 to reach the top since Madonna reigned with Music in 2000. Meanwhile, by the fourth week of August Drake has accumulated a whopping 48 consecutive week in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 tying with Ace of Base for the second longest consecutive streak among all acts, second only to Katy Perry. Meanwhile, Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber and MØ's Cold Water debuted at No.2 and The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey's Closer and Twenty One Pilots' Heathens both entered the Top 10. 

In the UK, Drake's dreams were muddied by Cold Water the gargantuan collaboration of Major Lazer, Justin Bieber and MØ, which ended One Dance's hold over the crown. The trio reigned for the remainder of the month. The Chainsmokers' Closer, Twenty One Pilos' Heathens and DJ Snake ft. Justin Bieber's Let Me Love You all entered the Top 10 during the month.

Other songs which became popular during the month are:

• Charlie Puth ft. Selena Gomez - We don't talk anymore
• Olly Murs - You don't know love
• Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa & Imagine Dragons - Sucker for pain
• Digital Farm Animals ft. Cash Cash - Millionaire
• Mike Perry ft. Shy Martin - The ocean
• Martin Garrix ft. Bebe Rexha - In the name of love 

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

Most Successful EDM Songs of the 2010s

Attention!!!

The 2010s will definitely be the decade of EDM. The Techno scene has been there for quite sometime, but it has always been featured in the "underground", with those with a particular palate, attracted to the genre. But in the early 2000s we witnessed DJs breakout as original artists instead of being dependent on remixes. However, it was in the latter part of the 2000s that EDM or Electronic Dance Music made its breakthrough into the mainstream; and this was through David Guetta's When Love Takes Over which featured ex-Destiny's Child vocal powerhouse Kelly Rowland. With the stage set for a clear niche in the market in the early 2010s for this genre, House music entered the global charts through the likes of Avicii, Calvin Harris, LMFAO and Swedish House Mafia. 

By the mid 2010s it is clear that EDM incorporates Deep House, Progressive House, Trance, Techno, Dubstep and even elements of Trap and Rap. FYI this list does not contain the best EDM songs but the most successful ones based on chart performance worldwide and accolades received. LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem hands down takes the crown as it is one of the best selling singles of all time out of any genre. Avicii's Wake Me Up is at No.2 followed by Rihanna's We Found Love. Calvin Harris leads the entries with 7 followed by David Guetta with 6, Zedd with 3 and Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Robin Schulz, The Chainsmokers, Zara Larsson and DJ Snake with 2 each. Notable top rated DJs that do not have any entries here include Tiesto, Armin Van Buuren, Hardwell, Steve Aoki and Alesso. So here are the 40 most successful EDM songs of the 2010s (I will definitely update it till 2019): 

1. LMFAO ft. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock – Party  rock anthem
2. Avicii – Wake me up
3. Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris – We found love
4. Major Lazer & DJ Snake ft. MØ – Lean on
5. Swedish House Mafia ft. John Martin – Don’t you worry child
6. David Guetta ft. Sia – Titanium
7. Calvin Harris – Summer
8. Lily Wood and The Prick & Robin Schulz – Prayer in C
9. Avicii – Levels
10. LMFAO – Sexy and I know it 
11. David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj – Turn me on
12. Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch – Sweet nothing
13. Lost Frequencies – Are you with me
14. David Guetta ft. Usher – Without you
15. Mike Posner – I took a pill in Ibiza
16. Lana Del Rey vs. Cedric Gervais – Summertime sadness
17. Skrillex & Diplo ft. Justin Bieber – Where are u now
18. Calvin Harris ft. John Newman – Blame
19. Mr. Probz & Robin Schulz – Waves
20. Calvin Harris & Disciples – How deep is your love
21. Zedd ft. Foxes – Clarity
22. Martin Garrix – Animals
23. Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna – This is what you came for
24. Avicii – Hey brother
25. David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj, Afrojack & Bebe Rexha – Hey mama
26. The Chainsmokers ft. Daya – Don’t let me down
27. Zara Larsson & MNEK – Never forget you 
28. David Guetta ft. Sam Martin – Lovers on the sun
29. Baauer – Harlem shake
30. Alan Walker – Faded
31. Jonas Blue ft. Dakota – Fast car
32. Kygo ft. Conrad Sewell – Firestone
33. DJ Snake & Lil Jon – Turn down for what
34. Ariana Grande ft. Zedd – Break free
35. The Chainsmokers – #SELFIE
36. Ylvis – The fox (What does the fox say?)
37. Zedd ft. Hayley Williams – Stay the night
38. Britney Spears – Work bitch
39. David Guetta ft. Zara Larsson – This one’s for you
40. Calvin Harris ft. Ellie Goulding – I need your love

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

Best Dance Hits of 2015

Attention!!!

It was an unbelievable year for dance music, especially EDM. 2015 was a year where almost all genres contributed to the development of dance music ranging from House, Pop, Hip-Hop, Latin Pop and R&B to Rap, Trap, Romanian Pop, Reggae Fusion and K-Pop. Unsurprisingly, EDM rules the list with so many entries with Avicii, Zedd, Calvin Harris and David Guetta having several entries. 

The top spot this time goes to Major Lazer and DJ Snake's Moombahton global smash Lean On which features the vocals of Danish singer MØ. Major Lazer's hit was the most played track in the world at one time in 2015 and it is the trio's biggest hit to date. The song is accompanied by an awesome music video which also features a very quirky dance step for the addictive song. DJ Snake marks his second consecutive time at the top spot after topping the chart in 2014 for his Turn Down For What alongside Lil Jon. At a close second is David Guetta's Hey Mama which mixes House and Trap music while featuring Bebe Rexha, Nicki Minaj and Afrojack.

Among the new DJs we have Kygo, Deorro, Dillon Francis, Lost Frequencies and Galantis making an appearance on the list. Chris Brown leads with four entries on the list with David Guetta, DJ Snake and Meghan Trainor have three entries each followed by Zedd, Calvin Harris, Avicii, Flo Rida, Nicki Minaj, Pitbull, Alexandra Stan, Inna, Major Lazer, Fetty Wap, Justin Bieber, Afrojack, Usher, OMI and Jeremih all have two entries each. New floorfillers such as DNCE's  Cake By The Ocean and Maroon 5's Sugar were produced as well. So here are the 60 best dance hits of 2015 (yes we have 60 this time):

1. Major Lazer & DJ Snake ft. MØ – Lean on
2. David Guetta ft. Bebe Rexha, Nicki Minaj & Afrojack – Hey mama
3. Justin Bieber – Sorry
4. Silento – Watch me
5. DNCE – Cake by the ocean
6. Calvin Harris with Disciples – How deep is your love
7. Zedd ft. Jon Bellion – Beautiful now
8. Deorro & Chris Brown – Five more hours
9. Avicii – Waiting for love
10. Flo Rida ft. Sage the Gemini & Lookas – G.D.F.R.
11. Pitbull ft. Wisin & Mohombi – Baddest girl in town
12. Alexandra Stan & Inna ft. Daddy Yankee – We wanna 
13. Fifth Harmony ft. Kid Ink – Worth it
14. Zedd ft. Selena Gomez – I want you to know
15. Skrillex & Diplo ft. Justin Bieber – Where are u now
16. Dev – Parade
17. Robin Schulz ft. Francesco Yates – Sugar
18. Dillon Francis with DJ Snake – Get low
19. The Weeknd – Can’t feel my face
20. Missy Elliot ft. Pharrell Williams – WTF (Where They From)
21. Kygo – Firestone
22. Maroon 5 – Sugar
23. Major Lazer ft. Elliphant & Jovi Rockwell – Too original
24. Andreea D – It’s your birthday
25. Galantis – Runaway (U and I)
26. OMI – Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix)
27. Martin Garrix ft. Usher – Don’t look down
28. Rihanna – Bitch better have my money
29. Lost Frequencies – Are you with me
30. PSY ft. CL – Daddy
31. Omarion ft. Jhene Aiko & Chris Brown – Post to be
32. Ariana Grande – Focus
33. David Guetta ft. Sia & Fetty Wap – Bang my head
34. Natalie La Rose ft. Jeremih – Somebody
35. Flo Rida ft. Robin Thicke & Verdine White – I don’t like it, I love it
36. Pitbull & Ne-Yo – Time of our lives
37. Alexandra Stan – Vanilla chocolat
38. Icona Pop – Emergency
39. DJ Snake & AlunaGeorge – You know you like it
40. Fetty Wap – Trap queen
41. Hardwell ft. Jason Derulo – Follow me
42. David Guetta ft. Emeli Sande – What I did for love
43. OMI – Hula hoop
44. Inna ft. Eric Turner – Bop bop
45. Meghan Trainor – Dear future husband
46. Carly Rae Jepsen – I really like you
47. Calvin Harris ft. HAIM – Pray to God
48. Avicii – The nights
49. Krept & Konan ft. Jeremih – Freak of the week
50. KDA ft. Tinie Tempah & Katy B – Turn the music louder (rumble)
51. Afrojack ft. Mike Taylor – SummerThing
52. Pitbull ft. Chris Brown – Fun
53. Meghan Trainor – Lips are movin’
54. Pia Mia ft. Chris Brown & Tyga – Do it again
55. Ricky Martin – La mordidita
56. Nicki Minaj – The night is still young
57. Usher ft. Juicy J – I don’t mind
58. Walk the Moon – Shut up and dance
59. Hilary Duff – Sparks
60. Meghan Trainor – Better when I’m dancin’

Till the next chord...

At Ease!!!

My Favorite Hits of 2015

Attention!!!

It was an awesome year for music, particularly for my taste as we had a mishmash of EDM, Rock, Pop, Hip-Hop and R&B. Once again the top three greatest hits of the year - Uptown Funk, See You Again and Hello do not make this list. Of course although my taste is mostly mainstreamish, it is quite evident that my preferences are different than the charts. DNCE's Cake By The Ocean is definitely my most favorite from last year although it is only climbing up the charts now. It is my ringtone as well as the most played song on my iPod. This list is quite easy to compile as it is only a matter of checking the number of plays on my iPod and which songs from 2015 have the most. At second place is Major Lazer's Lean On which is my second favorite with its quirky dance and it was also the most heard/played/streamed song worldwide last year. 

Major Lazer has the most number of entries with three followed by David Guetta, Zedd, Calvin Harris, Sheppard, Chris Brown and Justin Bieber each with two entries. EDM and Pop rule this list with a few entries from Rock, Trap, Rap, R&B, Hip-Hop, Latin Pop and even Country. We have so many debut hits on this list by artists such as DNCE, Jess Glynne, Years & Years, Sheppard, Alessia Cara, Fetty Wap and X Ambassadors. So without further ado here are my top 50 favorite hits of 2015:    

1. DNCE – Cake by the ocean
2. Major Lazer & DJ Snake ft. MØ – Lean on
3. David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha & Afrojack – Hey mama
4. The Weeknd – Can’t feel my face
5. Ruelle – Up in flames
6. Justin Bieber – Sorry
7. Lana Del Rey – High by the beach
8. Olly Murs ft. Demi Lovato – Up
9. Calvin Harris ft. HAIM – Pray to God
10. Omarion ft. Chris Brown & Jheine Aiko – Post to be
11. Major Lazer ft. Ellie Goulding & Tarrus Riley – Powerful
12. Sheppard – Geronimo
13. AronChupa – I’m an Albatraoz
14. Charlotte Lawrence – Ever after
15. Jess Glynne – Hold my hand
16. Zedd ft. Jon Bellion – Beautiful now
17. Selena Gomez – Same old love  
18. Years and Years – King
19. Dev – Parade
20. Kygo ft. Conrad Sewell – Firestone
21. Little Mix – Black magic
22. Fall Out Boy – Immortals
23. Taylor Swift – Style
24. Lost Frequencies – Are you with me
25. Alessia Cara – Here
26. Alexandra Stan & Inna ft. Daddy Yankee – We wanna
27. Calvin Harris & Disciples – How deep is your love
28. KDA ft. Tinie Tempah & Katy B – Turn the music louder (rumble)
29. Krept & Konan ft. Jeremih – Freak of the week
30. Prince Royce ft. Jennifer Lopez & Pitbull – Back it up
31. Martin Garrix ft. Usher – Don’t look down
32. Deorro & Chris Brown – Five more hours
33. David Guetta ft. Fetty Wap & Sia – Bang my head
34. Little Big Town – Girl crush
35. Pitbull ft. Wisin & Mohombi – Baddest girl in town
36. R. City ft. Adam Levine – Locked away
37. X Ambassadors – Renegades
38. Fetty Wap – Trap queen
39. Zedd ft. Selena Gomez – I want you to know
40. Sheppard – Let me down easy
41. One Direction – Night changes
42. Nicky Jam & Enrique Iglesias – El perdon
43. Sam Hunt – House party
44. Justin Bieber – Love yourself
45. Fifth Harmony – I’m in love with a monster
46. Nick Jonas – Jealous
47. Charlie Puth ft. Meghan Trainor – Marvin Gaye
48. Rihanna – Bitch better have my money
49. Major Lazer ft. Elliphant & Jovi Rockwell – Too Original
50. Flo Rida ft. Robin Thicke & Verdine White – I don’t like it, I love it 

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

Best Music Videos of 2015

Attention!!!

It has indeed been a process to compile this list as there were some awesome music videos which were released this past year. While 2015 was a great year for music, the directors, cinematographers and choreographers have also brought out their guns to put out brilliant videos which are creative as well as artistic. The year actually saw some high profile videos achieve ground in terms of chart success due to the promotion gained from the accompanying video such as Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, The Weeknd and Adele. We don't have any controversial videos as such on the list as Miley Cyrus did not release any worthwhile music. Returning from last year we have Taylor Swift, Sia, Iggy Azalea, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj, Maroon 5, Meghan Trainor, David Guetta, Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Little Mix. 

Some of the videos that did not make the cut are Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth's See You Again and Ellie Goulding's Love Me Like You Do as the two videos amount to nothing much after the hyped up parts of the films that they are a part of - Furious 7 and Fifty Shades of Grey are omitted. OMI's Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix) was left out as the quality of the video is really mediocre while Britney Spears and Iggy Azalea's Pretty Girls did not make the cut as it was just simply bad. MIA's Borders although a great video failed to make the list because she is a terrorist. Some messy videos were omitted such as Madonna ft. Nicki Minaj's Bitch, I'm Madonna and Charlie Puth ft. Meghan Trainor's Marvin Gaye. Hilary Duff's Sparks was cut as it was more of an advertisement to promote Tinder rather than a music video. 

No genre takes the lead in terms of entries, but in terms of artists Kendrick Lamar, Justin Bieber and The Weeknd all have three entries each with Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Major Lazer, Nicki Minaj and FKA Twigs having two entries each. However, it is Lady Gaga's Till It Happens To You that takes the top spot. The song was penned by renowned hit writer Dianne Warren and the music video was directed by Catherine Hardwicke which revolves around campus rape. At second place we have Kendrick Lamar's Alright directed by Colin Tilley and The Little Homies while at third place we have Rihanna's Bitch Better Have My Money with Rihanna making her directorial debut for her own music video alongside Megaforce. So here are the Best 50 Music Videos of 2015:

1. Lady Gaga – Till it happens to you
   
2. Kendrick Lamar – Alright
   
3. Rihanna – Bitch better have my money
   
4. Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – Bad blood
   
5. The Weeknd – Can’t feel my face
   
6. Major Lazer & DJ Snake ft. MØ – Lean on
   
7. Sia – Elastic heart
   
8. Lana Del Rey – High by the beach
   
9. Grimes – Flesh without blood/Life in the vivid dream
   
10. Missy Elliot ft. Pharrell Williams – WTF (where they from)
    
11. Donnie Trumpet & the Social Experiment ft. Chance the Rapper & Jamila Woods – Sunday candy
    
12. Kendrick Lamar – King Kunta
    
13. FKA Twigs – Glass & patron
    
14. Tinashe – All hands on deck
    
15. Years & Years – King
    
16. Taylor Swift – Style
    
17. Adele – Hello
    
18. Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – Uptown funk
    
19. Selena Gomez – Same old love
    
20. Justin Bieber – Love yourself
    
21. Inna ft. Eric Turner – Bop bop
    
22. Nick Jonas – Chains
    
23. Selena Gomez ft. A$AP Rocky – Good for you
    
24. The Weeknd – Earned it
    
25. Beyonce – 7/11
    
26. The Chainsmokers ft. ROZES – Roses
    
27. Skrillex & Diplo ft. Justin Bieber – Where are u now
    
28. BIGBANG – Bang bang bang
    
29. David Guetta ft. Bebe Rexha, Nicki Minaj & Afrojack – Hey mama
    
30. Maroon 5 – Sugar
    
31. Demi Lovato – Cool for the summer
    
32. FKA Twigs – Two weeks
    
33. Meghan Trainor – Dear future husband
    
34. Martin Garrix ft. Usher – Don’t look down
    
    
    
    
35. Major Lazer ft. Ellie Goulding & Tarrus Riley – Powerful
    
36. Charli XCX – Famous
    
37. Adam Lambert – Ghost town
    
38. Nicki Minaj ft. Beyonce – Feeling myself
    
39. Flo Rida ft. Sage the Gemini & Lookas – G.D.F.R.
    
40. Drake – Hotline bling
    
41. The Weeknd – The hills
    
42. Madonna – Living for love
    
43. Carly Rae Jepsen – I really like you
    
44. Justin Bieber – Sorry
    
45. Alexandra Stan – I did it, mama
    
46. Little Mix – Black magic
    
47. Ariana Grande – Focus
    
48. Walk the Moon – Shut up and dance
    
49. Silento – Watch me (whip me/nae nae)
    
50. Iggy Azalea ft. Jennifer Hudson – Trouble 
    

Till the next stream...

At Ease!!!