Most Underrated Songs of 2016

Attention!!!

Underrated means undervaluing something or not giving something the recognition it deserves. In the music industry it is particularly difficult for new artists to make headway in the mainstream as they have to compete with the already established and popular artists. So when highly overrated artists spew album after album and single after single backed by their record labels the smaller and lesser known artists or the new ones find it almost impossible to gain ground in the music scene. Pop culture is such however, that sometimes even the best of songs do not necessarily get chart success. Some of these songs which do get radio airplay, counts for almost nothing compared to physical and digital sales as well as streaming.

The following songs are the inverse of overrated as I believe they should have performed much better than they did on the global charts. Dua Lipa’s Hotter Than Hell tops the list as although it was a minor hit, the song deserves much more when taking the production as a whole.  She has two songs on the list as her follow-up single also failed to make any mark on the charts although now she is a worldwide phenomenon and is one of the most sought after artists to be featured. So here are the 20 most underrated songs of 2016:

1. Dua Lipa – Hotter than hell
2. Pitbull ft. Enrique Iglesias – Messin’ around
3. Flo Rida – Zillionaire
4. Tim McGraw – Humble and kind
5. Thomas Rhett – Die a happy man
6. Dua Lipa – Blow your mind (mwah)
7. RedOne ft. Enrique Iglesias, R.City, Shaggy & Serayah – Don’t you need somebody
8. Zedd ft. Kesha – True colors
9. Hailee Steinfeld ft. DNCE – Rock bottom
10. Bebe Rexha ft. Nicki Minaj – No broken hearts
11. Years & Years – Worship
12. Anne Marie – Alarm
13. Troye Sivan – Youth
14. OneRepublic – Kids 
15. Fifth Harmony – That’s my girl
16. Selena Gomez – Kill em with kindness
17. Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – I know what you did last summer
18. Alan Walker – Sing me to sleep
19. Zara Larsson – Ain't my fault 
20. Alessia Cara – Wild things

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

Most Inspirational Songs of 2014

Attention!!!

When I compiled the list for inspirational songs for 2013, I believed that it was just a coincidence that there were so many inspirational songs during that year. However, now I believe that it is a trend for artists to come up with at least one motivational song in their albums. Although there were not so many inspirational songs during 2014 there were enough to compile a list. I think the reason for artists to come up with so many inspirational songs is due to the fact that there is a popular demand for such songs. During this hectic era, the younger generation can be heavily burdened with work, life and love and so to cater to the market wants and needs, artists come up with these songs. The songs are sometimes purely inspirational while others deal with motivation to handle breakups. The genres vary from Rap, Hip-Hop and Pop to Rock, EDM and Country. Eminem ft. Sia's Guts Over Fear featured in the film The Equalizer takes the crown with Taylor Swift's global smash hit Shake It Off at second followed by the X-Factor winner Ben Haenow's winning single Something I Need at third. Sia and Fall Out Boy are the only artists with two entries with the latter having both entries within the top 10. So here are the 25 most inspirational songs of 2014:

1. Eminem ft. Sia – Guts over fear
2. Taylor Swift – Shake it off
3. Ben Haenow – Something I need (Original by OneRepublic)
4. Idina Menzel – Let it go
5. Fall Out Boy – Immortals
6. The Script – Superheroes
7. Ella Henderson – Glow
8. Imagine Dragons – Warriors
9. OneRepublic – I lived
10. Fall Out Boy – Centuries
11. Sia – Chandelier
12. Colbie Caillat – Try
13. Nico & Vinz – Am I wrong
14. Avicii – The days
15. Foxes – Let go for tonight
16. Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne – Rather be
17. Carrie Underwood – Something in the water
18. Aloe Blacc – The man
19. Paramore – Ain’t it fun
20. Tinie Tempah ft. Ella Eyre – Someday (A place in the sun)
21. American Authors – Best day of my life
22. Lily Allen – Air balloon
23. Cheryl Cole – I don’t care
24. Union J – Tonight (We live forever)
25. Ariana Grande ft. Zedd – Break free

Till the next chord…

At Ease!!!

Most Successful Artists Who Were Initially Featured

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Not everyone is offered a record deal like Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Eminem and Flo Rida who have now gone on to become some of the best selling artists of all time. Some need a helping hand such as Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber who are discovered and then signed on to labels while others need to prove their worth to those in the business of producing music. A good set of vocals is not the only talent sought by these producers but also that distinct star quality or X Factor as obviously seen in most of these reality shows. Susan Boyle can bring an audience to their feet at the end of her performance with her powerful vocals but that may not be enough to launch a continuous successful career in music. 

This list looks at those artists who commenced their careers being featured on songs of those acclaimed and popular artists and thereafter went on to have successful solo careers of their own. Kesha formerly known as Ke$ha tops this list as she was not even properly credited for her vocals on Flo Rida's Right Round, but subsequently she managed to launch one of the most successful solo careers of the 21st Century beginning with her global smash hit Tik Tok. At a close second is OneRepublic. The original version of OneRepublic's Apologize did gain some radio airplay but it was Timbaland's remix which ultimately made the single a worldwide chart topper. So here are 20 most successful artists who were initially featured before launching their solo careers:

1. Kesha
   
2. OneRepublic
   
3. Bruno Mars
   
4. Nicki Minaj
   
5. Sam Smith
   
6. Sia
   
7. Rita Ora
   
8. Labrinth
   
9. Emeli Sande
   
10. Keri Hilson
    
11. Jess Glynne
    
12. Dev
    
13. Charli XCX
    
14. The Weeknd
    
15. Foxes
    
16. John Martin
    
17. Ella Eyre
    
18. Wynter Gordon
    
19. Nayer
    
20. Eric Turner
    

Till the next chord…

At Ease!!!

Most Influential Artists/Bands of 2014

Attention!!!

Influence can be defined as the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behaviour of someone or something. In the music industry this is quite significant as the trends are determined by the musicians as well as their record labels. One hit single could spark off and lay the foundation for an entire genre of music. 

2014 was indeed an interesting year as there was less controversy in the industry with Bieber and Gaga on the down low, and there were no really controversial songs as such, with the exception of Meghan Trainor's All About That Bass. Whilst the influence exerted by some artists/bands is positive, others are detrimental to those fans who are highly influenced by these artists/bands. For instance when Miley Cyrus twerks or lights a joint of weed on stage, that sets a negative standard for young girls. 

However, out of all the artists and bands this year, country crossover artist Taylor Swift who entered the mainstream pop industry takes the crown as the most influential artist of 2014. She has also been shortlisted for this year's TIMES Magazine Person of the Year. #Swiftmania has affected from prepubescent teenage girls to old grandfathers who now love to Shake It Off. She has harped on and usurped her widely publicized break ups with prominent singers such as One Direction's Harry Styles and John Mayer.

The British boy band One Direction is the second most influential, as they are now considered the next best thing to enter the music industry from the United Kingdom after The Beatles and Spice Girls. Television stars who have entered the music industry are also quite influential such as Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez. However, older artists/bands such as Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce and OneRepublic also still wield quite a great deal of influence. So here are the 20 Most Influential Artists/Bands of 2014:

1. Taylor Swift
   
2. One Direction
   
3. Selena Gomez
   
4. Ariana Grande
   
5. Nicki Minaj
   
6. Pitbull
   
7. Miley Cyrus
   
8. Demi Lovato
   
9. Eminem
   
10. Beyonce
    
11. Iggy Azalea
    
12. 5 Seconds of Summer
    
13. OneRepublic
    
14. Pharrell Williams
    
15. Cheryl Cole
    
16. Ed Sheeran
    
17. Jennifer Lopez
    
18. Imagine Dragons
    
19. Sam Smith
    
20. Ellie Goulding
    

Till the next beat…

At Ease!!!

Most Inspirational Songs of 2013

Attention!!!

One amusing fact that I noticed about 2013 is that most of the mainstream music and the chart-toppers were inspirational and the popular artists and bands were all harping on upbeat and chirpy rhythms and melodies to entertain worldwide audiences. So here are the 25 of the most inspirational songs of 2013: 

1. OneRepublic – Counting stars
2. Katy Perry – Roar
3. Imagine Dragons – On top of the world
4. Ellie Goulding – Burn
5. Swedish House Mafia ft. John Martin – Don’t you worry child
6. Avicii ft. Aloe Blocc – Wake me up
7. Pharrell Williams – Happy
8. Pink – Try
9. Sara Bareilles – Brave
10. Miley Cyrus – We can’t stop
11. Avril Lavigne – Here’s to never growing up
12. Daft Punk ft. Pharrell Williams – Get lucky
13. Sam Bailey – Skyscraper (Original by Demi Lovato)
14. The Wanted – We own the night
15. Havana Brown – Warrior
16. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Ray Dalton – Can’t hold us
17. Eminem ft. Liz Rodrigues – Survival
18. Fun. – Carry on
19. Will.I.Am ft. Justin Bieber - #that Power
20. Kelly Clarkson – People like us
21. Krewella – Live for the night
22. Avril Lavigne – Rock n’ roll
23. One Direction – One way or another (teenage kicks)
24. Jennifer Lopez ft. Pitbull – Live it up
25. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Mary Lambert – Same love

At Ease!!!