2018 Recap: A Year in Music

Attention!!!

Ladies and gents, this is the moment you've waited for. It’s time to say goodbye to 2018. If it’s meant to be, it’ll be, and no tears will be left to cry for the past year. It’s a no brainer that it was a fantastic year for music. According to God’s plan all the stars aligned for Rap & Hip-Hop, as if I’m taken back to 2002. I like it how the Spanglish resurgence incorporated Rap and EDM into its fold. I've told you one, two, three, four, five, six thousand times that the recap is always under seven segments: genres, albums, singles, milestones, shockers, talent and obituaries. While we will never be the same after 2018, we have high hopes for 2019; thank u, next:

1.  Genres

The most conspicuous changes in the mainstream genres were:

• Continuing their reign from last year Rap and Hip-Hop ruled the first half of the year with Cloud Rap being the main subgenre on the charts.
• Pop which took a backseat to the new trends in fusion music resurfaced in the latter half of the year.
• The next phase of the Latin resurgence was the fusion of the genre with EDM and Rap with some hits and a few epic fails.
• Mega collaborations was the order of the day be it any genre.
• K-Pop conquered the world with BTS and BLACKPINK leading the fray.
• The age of Hard Rock and Metal is definitely over with the few hits from the genre being produced only by mainstream artists.
• Country music had a big year with the genre doing well on the charts particularly due to crossover artists.  
• It was a great year for movie musicals with their soundtracks performing extremely well. 

2. Albums

Some of the best albums released in 2018 were:

• Migos – Culture II (3rd studio album)
• Justin Timberlake – Man of the Woods (5th studio album)
• George Ezra – Staying at Tamara’s (2nd studio album)
• Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour (4th studio album)
• CNCO – CNCO (2nd studio album)
• Kylie Minogue – Golden (14th studio album)
• Charlie Puth – Voicenotes (2nd studio album)
• Maluma – F.A.M.E. (3rd studio album)
• Shawn Mendes – Shawn Mendes (3rd studio album)
• J Balvin – Vibras (5th studio album)
• Marshmello – Joytime II (2nd studio album)
• Panic! At the Disco – Pray for the Wicked (6th studio album)
• Ariana Grande – Sweetener (4th studio album)
• Post Malone – Beerbongs & Bentleys (2nd studio album)
• Lily Allen – No Shame (4th studio album)
• Jess Glynne – Always in Between (2nd studio album)
• Christina Aguilera – Liberation (8th studio album)
• Drake – Scorpion (5th studio album)
• 5 Seconds of Summer – Youngblood (3rd studio album)
• Eminem – Kamikaze (10th studio album)
• BTS – Love Yourself: Tear (3rd Korean studio album)
• XXXTentacion – ? (2nd studio album)
• Nicki Minaj – Queen (4th studio album)
• Clean Bandit – What is Love? (2nd studio album)
• Rita Ora – Phoenix (2nd studio album)
• Little Mix – LM5 (5th studio album) 

Most of the anticipated albums in 2018 were debut studio albums:

• Camila Cabello – Camila 
• Sigala – Brighter Days
• Bebe Rexha – Expectations
• Alan Walker – Different World
• Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy
• Anne-Marie – Speak Your Mind
• Calum Scott – Only Human
• Jorja Smith – Lost & Found
• Mike Shinoda – Post Traumatic 

3. Singles

• Drake’s God’s Plan topped the charts in 14 countries and entered the top ten in 9 others and ended the year as the most successful single of the year.
• Camila Cabello who left the girl band Fifth Harmony in 2016 achieved monumental global fame with her summer smash hit Havana featuring Young Thug.
• Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B’s Girls Like You was the most watched music video of 2018 with over 1.5 billion views. Due to this being her third chart topper, Cardi B extended her record in the US for most number ones by a female rapper.
• BTS’ Fake Love became the highest charting K-Pop single by a group in the US while BLACKPINK became the highest charting K-Pop female act with Ddu Du Ddu Du.
• Ariana Grande revisited the noughties in her Thank U, Next video which became her most successful hit to date and broke the record for most-watched video on YouTube within 24 hours by achieving 55.4 million views passing BTS’ Idol.
• With the success of Drake’s In My Feelings boosted by the Kiki Challenge, biggest viral sensation on social media made the artist the rapper with the most number ones in the US.
• Little Mix left Simon Cowell’s record label Syco Music over creative differences particularly their hit Woman Like Me featuring Nicki Minaj.
• Lady Gaga returned to the top of the charts with Shallow a duet with Bradley Cooper from the soundtrack of their box office hit movie musical A Star is Born.
• Lauryn Hill’s 1998-hit Ex-Factor was sampled by Drake and Cardi B in their hits Nice for What and Be Careful respectively. 
• Panic! At the Disco scored their biggest hit to date with High Hopes surpassing the success of I Write Sins Not Tragedies way back in 2006.
• Dad blogger LadBaby claimed the coveted Christmas No.1 with his cover of Starship's We Built This City beating stiff competition from Ariana Grande's Thank U, Next and Ava Max's Sweet But Psycho. 
• Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas is You became the first Christmas song in 60 years to enter the top 5 in the US reaching a peak of No.3. 
• Pinkfong's Baby Shark became a viral hit with over 2 billion views on YouTube and several artists such as BLACKPINK and Girls Generation covering the song and parodies being done on talk shows such as Ellen Degeneres and James Corden and a performance at the X Factor final. 
• Drake's In My Feelings was the biggest viral sensation of the year with the Kiki Challenge being performed around the world and with its success, Drake became the rapper with the most number one hits in the US. 

4. Milestones

• Bruno Mars took home the big 3 at the Grammy Awards with Record of the Year for 24K Magic, Album of the Year for 24K Magic and Song of the Year for That’s What I Like
• Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez won Best Original Song at the Academy Awards for Remember Me from Coco
• US President Donald Trump awarded the late Elvis Presley, the Presidential Medal of Freedom
• Martin Garrix took the No.1 spot on the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs for 2018
• Ariana Grande was named Billboard Woman of the Year
• BTS became the youngest recipients of the Order of Cultural Merit from the South Korean government.
• Jess Glynne broke Cheryl Cole’s record for most number ones by a British female artist in the UK with 7 chart toppers.
• Billboard Hot 100 celebrated its 60th anniversary in August.
• Jennifer Lopez received the prestigious Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the MTV Video Music Awards
• Justin Timberlake performed at the Super Bowl LII Halftime Show
• Daddy Yankee was awarded the Icon Award for his contribution to Latin Music and Maluma was awarded the Extraordinary Evolution Award at the Latin American Music Awards
• Janet Jackson received the Icon Awards at the MTV Europe Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards and Radio Disney Music Awards
• Wolf Alice’s Visions of a Life won the coveted Mercury Prize
• Dame Kiri Te Kanawa was awarded the Member of the Order of Companions of Honour in the Queen’s 2019 Birthday Honours
• Kelly Clarkson was honored with the Icon Award at the Radio Disney Music Awards
• Mary Poppins Returns, the sequel to Walt Disney’s beloved musical-fantasy film was released after a lapse of 54 years starring Emily Blunt in the titular role.
• Cher, Reba McEntire, Philip Glass and Wayne Shorter were the honorees at the Kennedy Center Honors. 
• Taylor Swift became the most awarded female winner in American Music Awards history with a total of 23 awards, breaking the record held by Whitney Houston.

5. Shockers

• Spice Girls excluding Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice) announced their much anticipated return with the Spice World 2019 Tour with 13 shows.
• Boyzone released their seventh and final album Thank You & Goodnight marking their 25th anniversary and a farewell tour with the same name.
• Tulisa won the legal battle against Will.I.Am and Britney Spears for Scream & Shout ensuring a songwriting credit.
• The remaining members of Fifth Harmony declared a hiatus to pursue solo endeavors.
• The final judgment was delivered in favour of the Marvin Gaye estate in the Blurred Lines copyright suit against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams.
• Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso confirmed that Swedish House Mafia have reunited and will tour and release new music in 2019.
• The rap beef between Eminem and Machine Gun Kelly reached a climax with Not Alike released by Eminem with a response by MGK with Rap Devil and the final cannon shot at MGK by Eminem with Killshot.
• In her new memoir, Brutally Honest, Spice Girl Mel B revealed that just before the X Factor UK final in 2014 where she was a judge she had taken 200 aspirin pills in an attempt to end her life due to her difficult marriage to Stephen Belafonte.
• 6ix9ine was arrested by US police for racketeering and conspiracy murder charges and if found guilty, the rapper may face 32 years to life in prison.
• In the Woolsey Fires that burned through California several artists’ homes including that of Miley Cyrus, Robin Thicke and Lil Pump were burned to the ground.

6. Talent

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

• 63rd Eurovision Song Contest – Israel with Netta’s Toy
• The X Factor (15th Season) – Dalton Harris mentored by Louis Tomlinson  
• The Voice (14th Season) – Brynn Cartelli coached by Kelly Clarkson
• The Voice UK (7th Season) – Ruti Olajugbagbe coached by Sir Tom Jones
• The Voice (15th Season) – Chevel Shepherd coached by Kelly Clarkson
• The Four: Battle for Stardom (1st Season) – Evvie McKinney
• The Four: Battle for Stardom (2nd Season) – James Graham 

7. Obituaries

• Ray Thomas of The Moody Blues (29 December 1941 – 04 January 2018)
• Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries (06 September 1971 – 15 January 2018)
• Mark Salling of former Glee Cast (17 August 1982 – 30 January 2018)
• Dennis Edwards of The Temptations (03 February 1943 – 01 February 2018)
• Barbara Alston of The Crystals (29 December 1943 – 16 February 2018)
• Yvonne Staples of The Staple Singers (23 October 1937 – 10 April 2018)
• Avicii (08 September 1989 – 20 April 2018)
• XXXTentacion (23 January 1998 – 18 June 2018)
• Vinnie Paul of Pantera (11 March 1964 – 22 June 2018)
• Aretha Franklin (25 March 1942 – 16 August 2018)
• Ed King of Lynrd Skynyrd(14 September 1949 – 22 August 2018)
• Mac Miller (19 January 1992 – 07 September 2018)
• Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane/Starship (30 January 1942 – 27 September 2018)
• Freddie Hart (21 December 1926 – 27 October 2018)
• Roy Clark (15 April 1933 – 15 November 2018)
• Devin Lima of LFO (18 March 18 1977 – 21 November 2018)

Till next year...

At Ease!!!

Xposition - November, 2018

Attention!!!

2018 MTV Europe Music Awards

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

Best Pop Artist: Dua Lipa

Best Hip Hop Artist: Nicki Minaj

Best Rock Artist: 5 Seconds of Summer

Best Electronic Artist: Marshmello

Best Live Artist: Shawn Mendes

2018 Country Music Association Awards

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

Female Vocalist of the Year: Carrie Underwood

Album of the Year: Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour

Music Video of the Year: Thomas Rhett – Marry me

New Artist of the Year: Luke Combs

2018 People’s Choice Awards

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

Male Artist of 2018: Shawn Mendes

Country Artist of 2018: Blake Shelton

Latin Artist of 2018: CNCO

Concert Tour of 2018: Taylor Swift – Reputation Stadium Tour

Spice Girls announce reunion

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

Ariana Grande is Billboard’s 2018 Woman of the Year

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

Woolsey Fire and One Love Malibu Festival

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

Katy Perry is 2018’s Highest Paid Woman in Music

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

Bohemian Rhapsody waltzes to the top of the box-office

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

Netflix announces Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings

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

Chris Cornell’s Family sues doctor

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

Late Elvis Presley bestowed with Presidential Medal of Freedom

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

6ix9ine arrested on Racketeering Charges

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

Jason Derulo joins the star studded cast of Cats Movie Musical    

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

Chart News 

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

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

Other songs which became popular during the month were:

1.       Black Eyed Peas ft. CL – Dopeness

2.       Phantoms ft. Vanessa Hudgens – Lay with me

3.       Zara Larsson – Ruin my life

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

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

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

7.       Hailee Steinfeld – Back to life

8.       Backstreet Boys – Chances 

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

Most Underrated Songs of 2017

Attention!!!

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

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

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

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

2. DNCE ft. Nicki Minaj – Kissing strangers

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

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

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

4. Taylor Swift – Call it what you want

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

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

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

6. Nick Jonas – Find you

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

7. Ariana Grande ft. Future – Everyday

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

8. Echosmith – Goodbye

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

9. Niall Horan – Too much to ask

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

10. Stargate ft. Pink & Sia – Waterfall

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

Honorable mentions

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

12. Olly Murs & Louisa Johnson – Unpredictable

13. Gabrielle Aplin – Love so slow

14. Halsey ft. Lauren Jauregui – Strangers

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

Till the next chord...

At Ease!!!

Xposition - August, 2018

Attention!!!

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

·         Artist of the Year: Camila Cabello

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

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

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

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

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

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

·         Choice Male Artist: Louis Tomlinson

·         Choice Female Artist: Camila Cabello

·         Choice Breakout Artist: Khalid

·         Choice International Artist: BTS

·         Choice Song: Male Artist: Ed Sheeran – Perfect

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

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

·         Choice Summer Song: Selena Gomez – Back to you

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

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

·         Best EDM/Dance Artist or Group: Marshmello

·         Best Director: Drake – God’s plan

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

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

·         Fan Fav Single: Selena Gomez & Marshmello – Wolves

  

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

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

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

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

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

Other songs which became popular during the month were:

1.       Jess Glynne – All I am

2.       Marshmello & Bastille – Happier  

3.       The Chainsmokers ft. Emily Warren – Side effects

4.       Martin Garrix ft. Bonn – High on life

5.       Meghan Trainor – All the ways

      6.    Bazzi ft. Camila Cabello – Beautiful

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

Xposition - June, 2018

Attention!!!

It's the 2018 Radio Disney Music Awards and the K-Pop band BTS is the big winner taking home Best Group, Fiercest Fans for the BTS Army, Best Song That Makes You Smile for DNA and Best Dance Track for Steve Aoki's Remix of their Mic Drop. Their was only one good performance of the night and that was by Kelly Clarkson who won the Icon Award whose medley included her hits Miss Independent, Since U Been Gone, My Life Would Suck Without You, Catch My Breath, Stronger and Heat. Other wins of the night included:

• Best Artist: Shawn Mendes
• Breakout Artist of the Year: Camila Cabello
• Song of the Year: Camila Cabello - Havana
• Best New Artist: Bebe Rexha
• Best Collaboration: Kygo ft. Selena Gomez - It ain't me
• Impact Award: Janet Jackson

The BET Awards 2018 were also held in June with Cardi B and Kendrick Lamar each taking 2 awards with the former taking Viewer's Choice Award for Bodak Yellow and the Best Female Hip-Hop Artist and the latter winning Album of the Year for DAMN. and Best Male Hip-Hop Artist. A tribute to Anita Baker saw Yolanda Adams, Ledisi and Marsha Ambrosious performing a medley of Caught Up In Love, Sweet Rapture and You Bring Me Joy. Other good performances of the night included Nicki Minaj with a medley of Chun-Li and Rich Sex and Migos' Walk It Talk It and Stir Fry. Other significant wins of the night included:

• Video of the Year: Drake - God's Plan
• Best Collaboration: DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller - Wild thoughts
• Best Female R&B/Pop Artist: Beyonce
• Best Male R&B/Pop Artist: Bruno Mars 
• Best Duo/Group: Migos
• Best New Artist: SZA

With the 2018 FIFA World Cup taking place in Russia, the much awaited World Cup Anthem - Live It Up was released, a collaboration by Nicky Jam, Will Smith and Era Istrefi. This was such an abysmal attempt at creating an inspirational hit, that fell far short from much hyped up expectations. The song brought back a forgotten 90s rapper, combined it with a Kosovar artist to give it a Russian flavour and tried to wrap the whole melodic mess up with a popular Latin artist, exploiting the renewed Spanglish wave. Even the Coca Cola sponsored Colors by Jason Derulo is better. I don't even want to comment on the mediocre performance at the Opening Ceremony.  

In the latest developments in the lawsuit between Kesha vs. Dr.Luke, in a redacted document filed in court a text message to Lady Gaga by Kesha was found alleging that Dr.Luke had raped Katy Perry. Now in the defamation suit that is ongoing Dr.Luke is seeking damages for the harm caused by Kesha's alleged malicious falsehoods. However, Kesha is claiming that these may be already in public record via social media and even court filings and that an averse decision against her would have a detrimental future effect on rape and domestic violence victims. 

In other news, Boyzone announced its farewell tour marking their 25th Anniversary commencing from none other than Sri Lanka. Foreigner also announced their first ever reunion performance, this time featuring all the original members. The Cardigans also announced their 20th Anniversary Tour which would promote their new album Gran Turismo. Meanwhile, Britney Spears announced a mega collaboration alongside Pitbull and Marc Anthony. 

This month too, we bade farewell to a rising artist - XXXTentacion. Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy whose stage name was XXXTentacion was shot at a motorcycle dealership, when he was leaving the premises in an apparent robbery. He was in critical condition before being pronounced death at the hospital. This 20-year old had a bright future ahead of him, as he was just starting his career and experiencing commercial success for his albums and singles. His lead single Sad! off his second album peaked in the US following his murder. 

In chart news, in the US, Drake's Nice For What returned to the top ending Childish Gambino's short reign with This Is America in the last two weeks of May. Drake was overthrown by Post Malone ft. Ty Dolla $ign's Psycho in the third week which he regained in the fourth week, but only to be displaced by XXXTentacion's Sad! which peaked following the latter's death. During the month Ella Mai's Boo'd Up, BTS' Fake Love and Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B's Girls Like You entered the top 10.

In the UK, Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa's One Kiss continued its reign for the first three weeks of the month accumulating 8 whopping weeks at the top which was then replaced by Jess Glynne's I'll Be There, which in turn was replaced by Clean Bandit ft. Demi Lovato's Solo. During the month George Ezra's Shotgun, Cardi B, J Balvin & Bad Bunny's I Like It and Years & Years' If You're Over Me all entered the top 10.

Other songs which became popular during the month were:

1. Kanye West - Yikes
2. Lil Baby & Drake - Yes indeed
3. Selena Gomez - Back to you
4. Rita Ora, Cardi B, Bebe Rexha & Charli XCX - Girls
5. Shawn Mendes - Nervous 
6. Juice WRLD - Lucid dreams 

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

My Favorite Hits of 2017

Attention!!!

2017 was indeed an interesting year. While the greatest hits of the year failed to find a place on this list with the exception of Despacito, I found the average hits more to my liking. In terms of my taste, EDM, Rap and Pop clearly ruled the global charts and also this compilation. Genre wise it is a smorgasbord of sub-genres with a few entries from Latin Pop and Hip-Hop. Several artists have numerous entries, the highest of which is Nicki Minaj with 4 entries as a featured artist followed by Charlie Puth, Taylor Swift, Julia Michaels, Jason Derulo, Niall Horan, Cardi B, Maroon 5, SZA, The Weeknd, Demi Lovato, David Guetta and Bruno Mars each with 2 entries .   

However, my most favorite from all of last year’s releases was Kygo’s EDM smash hit It Ain’t Me containing Selena Gomez’ haunting vocals followed by G-Eazy’s pump anthem No Limit and Rita Ora’s Anywhere. So here are my top 50 favorite hits of 2017 in descending order:  

1. Kygo & Selena Gomez – It ain’t me
2. G-Eazy ft. Cardi B & A$AP Rocky – No limit
3. Rita Ora – Anywhere
4. French Montana ft. Swae Lee – Unforgettable
5. DNCE ft. Nicki Minaj – Kissing strangers
6. Maroon 5 ft. SZA – What lovers do
7. Charlie Puth – How long
8. Julia Michaels – Issues
9. Taylor Swift – Call it what you want
10. Portugal. The Man – Feel it still
11. Imagine Dragons – Thunder
12. Lana Del Rey ft. The Weeknd – Lust for life
13. Martin Jenson – Solo dance
14. Jason Derulo – Tip toe
15. Nick Jonas – Find you
16. Echosmith – Goodbye
17. Liam Payne ft. Quavo – Strip that down
18. Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber – Despacito
19. Demi Lovato ft. Iggy Azalea – Kingdom come
20. Harry Styles – Sign of the times
21. Cardi B – Bodak yellow (money moves)
22. Drake – Passionfruit
23. Maroon 5 ft. Future – Cold
24. Pixie Lott ft. Stylo G – Won’t forget you
25. Taylor Swift – Look what you made me do
26. Niall Horan – Too much to ask
27. Lorde ft. Post Malone, SZA & Khalid – Homemade dynamite
28. Shawn Mendes – There’s nothing holdin’ me back
29. David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj & Lil Wayne – Light my body up
30. The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk – I feel it coming
31. Jason Derulo ft. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign – Swalla
32. Jax Jones ft. Demi Lovato & Stefflon Don – Instruction
33. Dua Lipa – Be the one
34. Ariana Grande – Everyday
35. Halsey ft. Lauren Jauregui – Strangers
36. Stargate ft. Pink & Sia – Waterfall
37. Alesso – Falling
38. Bruno Mars – That’s what I like
39. CNCO ft. Little Mix – Reggaetón lento
40. Olly Murs & Louisa Johnson – Unpredictable
41. Julia Michaels – Uh huh
42. Gabrielle Aplin – Love so slow
43. Zara Larsson – I would like 
44. Charlie Puth – Attention
45. Bruno Mars vs. David Guetta – Versace on the floor
46. Anne Marie – Ciao adios
47. Ed Sheeran – Perfect
48. Rag N’ Bone Man – Human
49. Calvin Harris ft. Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry & Big Sean – Feels
50. Niall Horan – Slow hands

Till the next favs...

At Ease!!!

Artists that Laid the Foundation for the 2010s

Attention!!!

The 2010s have proven to be a smorgasbord of genres as well as producing some great artists who have clearly proven that they are a force to be reckoned with in the industry. The 2000s were an awesome decade where Pop and Alternative music flourished uninhibited alongside Rap, Electropop, Dancepop and Hip-Hop music. Eurodance had become virtually non-existent at that time and had paved the way for the more successful Europop and its sub-genre Romanian Pop. However, the trends of the 2000s have come and gone and now that we are 7 years into the 2010s, it is quite conspicuous that it has developed its own unique identity clearly different from any of the preceding decades. 

The decade will be known for producing tweaked and synthesized versions of the by-gone genres such as Doo-Wop and Reggae as well as giving rise to modernized genres such as Dancehall, Trap and an all-encompassing Electronic Dance Music, more popularly known as EDM. Sampling old hits is also a trend in the 2010s where only certain artists come up with their original hits and even the great Queen Bey is guilty of sampling Major Lazer’s Pon De Floor in her Run the World (Girls).

Certain artists helped lay the foundation for this decade which has now produced some of the most iconic and successful global smash hits such as Happy, Someone Like You, Uptown Funk, One Dance and Party Rock Anthem. However, there are a set of artists who initially laid the foundation for this decade and then helped mold and shape into what the decade has become. Here are the 10 artists which clearly laid that foundation:

1. Lady Gaga

Mother Monster began her run at fame in 2008 with her debut studio album, The Fame, which produced the titan hits Just Dance and Poker Face. Her second studio album, The Fame Monster, produced the global number one Bad Romance which proved that she was not just a one-album wonder. Her creativity and her unique blend of Art and Pop made her an instant celebrity. The showcasing of her bizarre originality made her extremely influential and the fact that she catered to the growing demand of Pop with significant contributions to Electropop and Dancepop makes her the most prominent pillar of this decade. 

2. Pitbull

Mr.Worldwide began his career in 2004, way before his mainstream success kicked off in 2009 with I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho). His style of rapping synced brilliantly with his up-tempo Latin and Electropop beats. He introduced into Dancepop the concept of featuring major artists in his songs, which instantly led them to the top of the charts such as Give Me Everything, International Love and Feel This Moment. He became and is the most wanted artist to be featured in Pop songs during the decade with ongoing collaborations with Enrique Iglesias and Jennifer Lopez.

3. David Guetta

Guetta is the father of mainstream House music and the only DJ to be featured on this list. He was in the House scene throughout the 2000s but it was his hit When Love Takes Over that brought him into the mainstream limelight. He is the DJ that began collaborating with the bigtime mainstream artists at the time. He targeted the trends in EDM and adapted accordingly and his albums One Love and Nothing But The Beat are evidence of this, as the former is distinctive of the House music in the latter stages of the 2000s while the latter left a monumental mark in the Progressive House scene with Titanium, Without You and She Wolf. 

4. Nicki Minaj

Roman Zolanski, the self-styled Queen of Rap first came into the scene as part of the Young Money crew singing BedRock. Her awesome talent is coupled with a robust personality. This includes different alter egos with varying rapping styles. In the early 2010s she became the most wanted female rapper to be featured (and overall second only to Rihanna). Her mainstream debut as a lead artist proved to be even more successful with Your Love, Super Bass and Starships each one reaching positions in the charts. She revolutionized female rapping and contributed immensely to Dancepop.     

5. Bruno Mars

Mars was a breath of fresh air in 2010, as his Pop music was reminiscent of the retro and classic styles of the yesteryears. He brought in elements from Disco, Doo-Wop and retro R&B popular during the 70s and 80s. With flair similar to Michael Jackson and a style similar to Boney-M, pop culture was got a revamped look. Focusing on the genre of Pop as it was back in the day, Mars ensured that his introduction of the bygone elements would be incorporated into the decade as it unfolded.   

6. Katy Perry

She started off as a rebel with I Kissed A Girl storming the charts in 2008. Her second studio album Teenage Dream spawned 5 No.1 hits – California Gurls, Teenage Dream, Firework, E.T. and Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.). Her predominance over the global charts in the early 2010s paved the way for a heavily Pop-influenced decade. She ensured that the pure essence of Pop as it had developed up to that point with its up-tempo, upbeat and light style survived the manipulation of the genre by other artists. 

7. Tinie Tempah 

He is the Prince of Grime with his own unique style of rapping. His debut single Pass Out was an overnight No.1 hit followed by back to back hits such as Written In The Stars, Wonderman and Frisky. He is the most wanted rapper by EDM artists be it House, Progressive House or Hip House. He has the credit for bringing rapping on EDM songs into the mainstream as his collaboration with Swedish House Mafia on Miami 2 Ibiza became an international hit and proved that it is not only powerful vocals that is needed to accompany EDM.  

8. Taylor Swift

Before the reigning Princess of Pop made her strategic genre switch, she was ruling the Country music scene. Her debut studio album Taylor Swift was pure Country while her second album Fearless proved that she was ambitious and was aiming for a much bigger audience. Fearless spawned the hits Love Story and You Belong With Me while her third album Speak Now also produced hits such as Mean, Back to December and Mine. Her dominance over the Country charts encouraged and paved the way for young female musicians to inspire to break into the mainstream from whatever genre. 

9. Adele

As the Queen of Soul, she introduced Blues and Soul into mainstream Pop. She proved to the industry that depth can still remain in music while everything else is changing and that slow music still has more than a niche market in the mainstream. She achieved success with her debut studio album 19 in the latter stages of the 2000s. However, with her second album 21 made it a point that Soul is here to stay and will form part of the major genres of the decade. Her hit single Rolling In The Deep in 2010 is one of the best-selling singles of all time breaking multiple records at the time. 

10. Flo Rida

He is the King of Hip-Hop especially when it comes to dance music. His 2008 megahit Low made the relatively unknown rapper, instantly famous. His big follow up to Low was Right Round which cemented his presence in the industry. He has shown time and time again that his music is extremely versatile and that his adaptation skills are even better. At the initial stages of the 2010s he too shifted like Pitbull and featured major artists in his songs and then began venturing into Dancepop and EDM to solidify the dance music genre of the decade. 

Some may wonder why certain artists missed the top 10. The reason to exclude particular artists is due to the fact that they were extremely popular during the 2000s and were established artists from the early 2000s and more or less had defined their genres by that time. These include artists such as Enrique Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Shakira, Eminem, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé and Kanye West and the groups such as Maroon 5, Black Eyed Peas and OneRepublic. Then there are those who had their peak in the 2000s but are still in the industry in the 2010s such as Sean Paul, Jay Sean, Sean Kingston, Nelly Furtado, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani and Akon.

Then there are the artists who entered the mainstream at the beginning of the decade but never made a significant impact to the genre from the inception like those listed above such as Avicii, Calvin Harris, Ellie Goulding, Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, Drake, Jason Derulo and Justin Bieber. Then we have artists like Ariana Grande, Iggy Azalea, Meghan Trainor, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, One Direction, Fifth Harmony and Little Mix who entered the industry too late to make it to the list.

P.S. – One artist who did make a huge impact at the beginning of the decade was Kesha (formerly known as Ke$ha). However, since her legal battle with Dr. Luke she has all but disappeared from the industry and the ones on the list are those who are still in the industry. If she does sort out her issues and do make a comeback (as we all hope) then she will definitely be added on to this compilation (and most probably within the top tier).

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!!!