Most Inspirational Songs of 2018

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They say that music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. This effect is quadrupled when the songs in themselves carry a message of inspiration. This compilation has been an inherent part of this blog since 2013. The soundtrack to The Greatest Showman monopolized the echelons of the 2017 compilation. However, for 2018 we have a smorgasbord of genres and soundtracks. 

The crown goes to none other than Panic! At the Disco's comeback hit High Hopes, which is a pop rock anthem which has now gone on to become their greatest hit yet. In second place we have the critically acclaimed Shallow by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper from the soundtrack to A Star is Born, which won Best Original Song at this year's Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards and Critics' Choice Awards and the Best Song Written for Visual Media at the Grammy Awards. In third place is Lauren Daigle's contemporary Christian hit, You Say.

Pop, of course rules the list as always followed by EDM and Latin music. Several soundtracks appear on the list including Deadpool 2, Bumblebee, Aquaman and RBG. There are 4 songs produced for the 2018 FIFA World Cup although Nicky Jam's Official Song is quite an dismal attempt at an inspirational song. David Guetta, Sia and Jonas Blue are the only ones with two entries each. So here are the most inspirational songs of 2018:

1. Panic! At the Disco – High hopes
2. Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – Shallow (A Star is Born OST)
3. Lauren Daigle – You say
4. Jonas Blue ft. Jack & Jack – Rise
5. Jess Glynne – I’ll be there
6. David Guetta & Sia – Flames
7. Rita Ora – Soul survivor
8. Claire Richards – On my own
9. Celine Dion – Ashes (Deadpool 2 OST)
10. Hailee Steinfeld – Back to life (Bumblebee OST)
11. Mike Posner – Move on
12. Skylar Grey – Everything I need (Aquaman OST)
13. Avril Lavigne – Head above water
14. Jason Derulo & Maluma – Colors (Coca Cola Anthem for 2018 FIFA World Cup)
15. Jennifer Hudson – I’ll fight (RBG OST)
16. Kesha – Here comes the change (On the Basis of Sex OST)
17. Carrie Underwood – Love wins
18. Gabrielle – Shine
19. Shawn Mendes ft. Khalid & Jessie Reyez – Youth
20. Nicky Jam ft. Will Smith & Era Istrefi – Live it up (Official Song for 2018 FIFA World Cup)
21. Ciara – Dose
22. Jonas Blue ft. Joe Jonas – I see love (Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation OST)
23. All Saints – Love lasts forever
24. Natalia Oreiro – United by love
25. LSD – Mountains
26. Jennifer Lopez – Limitless (Second Act OST)
27. Calum Scott – No matter what
28. Sia vs. David Guetta & Afrojack – Helium
29. Dean Lewis – Be alright
30. RedOne ft. Adelina & Now United – One World 

Till the next symphony...

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!!!

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!!!

Xposition - April, 2016

Attention!!!

April was quite an eventful month. First we had the iHeartRadio Music Awards with Taylor Swift leading the nominees and taking most of the hardware as well. There were so many good performances including Iggy Azalea's Team, Meghan Trainor's No, Jason Derulo's If It Ain't Love and DNCE's Cake By The Ocean. Adele won Song of the Year for Hello while Taylor Swift won Album of the Year for 1989. Other winners include:

• Female Artist of the Year: Taylor Swift
• Male Artist of the Year: Justin Bieber
• Best New Artist: Fetty Wap
• Best Duo/Group of the Year: Maroon 5
• Alternative Rock Artist of the Year: Twenty One Pilots
• Alternative Rock Song of the Year: Twenty One Pilots - Stressed out
• Rock Artist of the Year: Foo Fighters
• Country Artist of the Year: Luke Bryan
• Dance Song of the Year: Skrillex & Diplo ft. Justin Bieber - Where are u now
• Dance Artist of the Year: Calvin Harris
• Latin Artist of the Year: Pitbull
• Best Lyrics: Rachel Platten - Fight song 
• Best Collaboration: Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars - Uptown funk 

The 51st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards was also held. Chris Stapleton was the big winner sweeping both Album of the Year for Traveller and Song of the Year for Nobody To Blame. The other winners of the night include:

• Record of the Year: Thomas Rhett - Die a happy man
• Entertainer of the Year: Jason Aldean
• Male Vocalist of the Year: Chris Stapleton 
• Female Vocalist of the Year: Miranda Lambert
• Vocal Duo of the Year: Florida Georgia Line
• Video of the Year: Eric Church - Mr. Misunderstood 

The Juno Awards were also held in April with brilliant performances by The Weeknd, Alessia Cara and Shawn Mendes. The Weeknd won Artist of the Year as well as Album of the Year for Beauty Behind The Madness, Single of the Year for Can't Feel My Face and Songwriter of the Year for Can't Feel My Face, In The Night and The Hills. Some of the other significant wins included:

• Group of the Year: Walk Off The Earth
• Breakthrough Artist of the Year: Alessia Cara
• Breakthrough Group of the Year: Dear Rouge
• Video of the Year: Adele - Hello 
• Pop Album of the Year: Justin Bieber - Purpose
• International Album of the Year: Adele - 25

This April we bid adieu to American Idol on its final run in the 15th season. With a two-hour plus series finale with an evening packed of performances by past winners and finalists such as Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks, Fantasia, Ruben Studdard, Jennifer Hudson, Clay Aiken as well as the original trio of judges adorable Paula Abdul, goofy Randy Jackson and the cynical Simon Cowell. In the end host Ryan Seacrest named Trent Harmon the winner over La'Porsha Renae. 

Meanwhile, the highly anticipated Billboard Music Awards 2016 is to take place in May and the nominations were revealed wherein The Weeknd has been nominated a whopping 19 times in 16 categories. Some of the important nominations are:

• Top Artist: Adele, Justin Bieber, Drake, The Weeknd, Taylor Swift
• Top Male Artist: Drake, Justin Bieber, The Weeknd, Ed Sheeran, Fetty Wap
• Top Female Artist: Adele, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Rihanna
• Top Hot 100 Song: Adele's Hello, Fetty Wap's Trap Queen, The Weeknd's Can't Feel My Face, The Weeknd's The Hills, Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth's See You Again
• Top Billboard 200 Album: Adele's 25, Ed Sheeran's x, Taylor Swift's 1989, Justin Bieber's Purpose, The Weeknd's Beauty Behind The Madness

The 61st annual Eurovision Song Contest is to be held in May in Stockholm, Sweden following the country's victory in 2015 with Måns Zelmerlöw's Heroes. 42 countries will participate. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia and Ukraine will return after absences from recent contests, while Australia will also return after debuting as a special guest in 2015. The contest will also be the first to implement a new voting system since 1975, with each country now awarding two sets of points: one from their professional jury and another from televoting. And the favourites are Russia, France, Malta, Sweden and Bulgaria. 

2016 seems to be taking away the legends in music and this month the victim is Prince. Prince Rogers Nelson, known by his stage name Prince was extremely popular in the 1980s for his hits including the global smashes When Doves Cry, Purple Rain and Kiss. He passed away on 21st April aged 57. With the artist's demise his previous hits and albums will definitely make an impact on the charts in the coming weeks. 

The full lineup for Mysteryland USA to be held from June 10 - 13 was revealed composing of more than 90 acts with Odesza, Skrillex and Bassnectar headlining the festival. This year the age barrier has been reduced to 19 from 21. 

Moving onto chart news, in the US Rihanna ft. Drake's Work ruled the roost with Lukas Graham's 7 Years initially struggling at No.2 and thereafter Desiigner's Panda. With a whopping 9 weeks at the top Rihanna has accumulated 60 weeks at No.1 and is now the artist with the second-most weeks at No.1 of all time passing The Beatles with their 59 weeks and just behind Mariah Carey's titanic 79 weeks. As of the last week of April its 41 straight weeks that non- American born acts have led the Hot 100. Meanwhile, former chart leader Justin Bieber's Love Yourself broke his own record for the most consecutive weeks in the top 10 as Love Yourself surpasses Sorry's 21 weeks with 22 weeks inside the top 10. Other songs which peaked within the top 10 during the month are Ariana Grande's Dangerous Woman, Fifth Harmony ft. Ty Dollar $ign's Work From Home and Meghan Trainor's No.

In the UK, Mike Posner's Seeb Remix of I Took A Pill In Ibiza ruled for two weeks after which Drake ft. Wizkid & Kyla's One Dance took the helm. This was all at the peril of Sia's Cheap Thrills which was prevented from gaining the top spot. Other songs which peaked within the top 10 are Alan Walker's Faded and DNCE's Cake By The Ocean.

Other songs which became popular during the month are:

• Disturbed - The sound of silence
• The Chainsmokers ft. Daya - Don't let me down
• Inna - Rendez vous
• Alexandra Stan ft. Mohombi - Balans
• DJ Snake ft. Bipolar Sunshine - Middle 
• Bebe Rexha ft. Nicki Minaj - No broken hearts
• Chris Brown - Back to sleep 
• Nick Jonas ft. Tove Lo - Close 
• Alessia Cara - Wild things
• Iggy Azalea - Team 

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

(All images used in the posts unless otherwise mentioned are drawn from https://images.google.com/ and the author does not hold copyright over the photos used.)

Xposition - March, 2016

Attention!!!

While February was quite eventful, March was relatively quiet with only a few movements on the charts. In early March, Sir George Martin, the legendary record producer who propelled The Beatles to fame also referred to as the fifth Beatle passed away at the age of 90. It was in 1962 that he signed on the Fab Four and thereafter made them a worldwide phenomenon with 30 No.1 hits in UK alone. 

The 29th Annual Kids' Choice Awards was also held in March with Blake Shelton hosting the event. Out of the three performances only DNCE's Cake By The Ocean stood apart as being good. The Favorite Music Group was awarded to Fifth Harmony while Adele took away the coveted Favorite Song of the Year for Hello. The other awards for music included:

• Favorite Male Singer: Justin Bieber
• Favorite Female Singer: Ariana Grande
• Favorite New Artist: Shawn Mendes
• Favorite Collaboration: Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth - See You Again

The Box Plus Network have released the Pop Powerlist for 2016 wherein Justin Bieber unsurprisingly has been ranked 1. No doubt the current Prince of Pop is No.1 as he managed to score three back to back No.1 hits in the UK from his latest album Purpose. Closely behind Bieber we have Adele whose album 25 and worldwide smash Hello was enough for her to make that titanic comeback. The top 10 are:

1. Justin Bieber
2. Adele
3. One Direction
4. Rihanna
5. Coldplay
6. Taylor Swift
7. The Weeknd
8. ZAYN
9. Little Mix
10. Ed Sheeran

Fall Out Boy and Biffy Clyro have been announced as the final headliners for the Reading and Leeds Festivals 2016. Disclosure and Foals were already announced as headliners with the fifth and final headliner being Red Hot Chili Peppers who return to the festival after nine years. Also confirmed to perform are HAIM, Chvrches and The Vaccines. 

Moving onto chart news, in the US, Rihanna ft. Drake's Work took over the crown from Justin Bieber's Love Yourself on the first week of March itself and continued her reign throughout the month. Work is Rihanna's 14th No.1 and now she moves up the ladder passing Michael Jackson as the artist with the third highest number of chart toppers behind The Beatles with 20 and Mariah Carey with 18. Work is also the ninth Hot 100 No.1 by a non-US born act with the final week of March witnessing 36 straight weeks of non-US born acts ruling the roost. During the month DNCE's Cake By The Ocean, Flo Rida's My House, Lukas Graham's 7 Years, Mike Posner's I Took A Pill In Ibiza (SeeB Remix) all entered the top 10 along with Kelly Clarkson's Piece By Piece which soared into the top 10 after an emotional performance during an episode of the final season of the American Idol. 

In the UK, Lukas Graham's 7 Years had a strong presence at the top with the global hit remaining on at the summit for the first three weeks and completing 5 consecutive weeks atop the UK Charts and surpassing Whigfield and Aqua as the most successful Danish act in the UK in terms of chart position. This reign came to an end as Mike Posner's I Took A Pill In Ibiza (SeeB Remix) overthrew 7 Years and stayed at the top for the final two weeks of the month. During the month Zara Larsson's Lush Life achieved a peak of No.3 and Rihanna ft. Drake's Work crept up to No.2 while Major Lazer ft. Fuse ODG and Nyla's Light It Up reached No.7.

Some of the hits that became popular during the month are:

• Coldplay - Hymn for the weekend
• Fifth Harmony ft. Ty Dollar $ign - Work from home
• Sigala ft. Imani & DJ Fresh - Say you do
• Sia ft. Sean Paul - Cheap thrills 
• Tinie Tempah ft. Zara Larsson - Girls like
• Meghan Trainor - No
• Alan Walker - Faded

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!