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!!!

Xposition - April, 2017

Attention!!!

The 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards 2017 was held in March where Fifth Harmony and Kelsea Ballerini were the big winners. Song of the Year however went to Shawn Mendes’ Treat You Better while Britney Spears was honored with the first Icon Award for her contribution to music. Some of the best performances of the night included Hailee Steinfeld’s medley of Most Girls and Starving, Train’s Play That Song, Julia Michaels’ Issues and of course the Spears’ tribute where a medley of Oops!... I Did It Again, Circus, …Baby One More Time and Till The World Ends were sung by Kelsea Ballerini, Sofia Carson, Hailee Steinfeld and Jamie Lynn Spears. The other significant winners of the night were:

·         Best Female Artist: Ariana Grande

·         Best Male Artist: Niall Horan

·         Best Group: Fifth Harmony

·         Best Band: DNCE

·         Breakout Artist of the Year: Alessia Cara

·         Best New Artist: Grace VanderWaal

·         Best Collaboration: Machine Gun Kelly & Camila Cabello – Bad things

·         Fiercest Fans: Harmonizers

·         Country Favorite Artist: Kelsea Ballerini

·         Country Favorite Song: Kelsea Ballerini – Peter Pan

Next up we have the 2017 Billboard Latin Music Awards where Nicky Jam made a massive comeback winning 6 awards where his song Hasta El Amanecer won the Hot Latin Song of the Year as well as Digital, Streaming and Latin Rhythm Song of the year. Artist of the Year was won by Late Juan Gabriel who also won the Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year – Male, Latin Pop Albums Artist of the Year – Solo and his album Los Duo 2 won Top Latin and Latin Pop Album of the Year. Enrique Iglesias took away 4 awards including Latin Pop Songs Artist of the Year – Solo and Latin Pop Song of the Year for his collaboration with Wisin on Duele El Corazon. Other winners of the night include:

·         Artist of the Year: New – CNCO

·         Tour of the Year: Marc Anthony

·         Social Artist of the Year: Jennifer Lopez

·         Hot Latin Song Artist of the Year: Female – Shakira

·         Hot Latin Songs Label of the Year: Sony Music Latin

2017 Academy of Country Music Awards was also held in April where Jason Aldean was awarded Entertainer of the Year. Meanwhile, ACM Song of the Year went to Thomas Rhett’s Die A Happy Man and Album of the Year was awarded to Miranda Lambert’s The Weight of these Wings. The other winners of the night were:

·         Male Vocalist of the Year: Thomas Rhett

·         Female Vocalist of the Year: Miranda Lambert

·         Vocal Group of the Year: Little Big Town

·         Songwriter of the Year: Lori McKenna

·         Single Record of the Year: Florida Georgia Line – H.O.L.Y

·         Video of the Year: Artists of Then, Now & Forever – Forever country

The world’s apparent greatest songwriter, Ed Sheeran has privately settled a case against him which was lodged last year. In 2016, Sheeran was sued by songwriters Martin Harrington and Thomas Leonard, writers of Matt Cardle's 2011 single Amazing, for USD 20 million for copyright infringement. US judge James Selna confirmed Ed’s case had been dismissed last month after the Suffolk born star reached an agreement with the writers, with no admission of guilt. Details of the settlement have not been made public. Following this saga, his titanic global hit Shape of You also came under fire as critiques alleged plagiarism from TLC’s legendary 90’s smash hit No Scrubs. Since then Sheeran has added both Kandi Burruss and Tameka Cottle who penned the R&B track as co-writers alongside the song's producer Kevin Briggs.

Glastonbury Festival 2017 has announced its full line-up where along with its headlining acts – Ed Sheeran, Foo Fighters and Radiohead, a number of other high profile artists such as Lorde, Shaggy, Katy Perry, Clean Bandit, Birdy and Stormzy are to perform. Glastonbury will take place at Worthy Farm, Somerset from June 23-25.

Good news for N-Dubz fans as the Hip-Hop trio have indicated that they will reunite in the near future. Fazer confirmed that the group was anyway only on a hiatus and that he along with Dappy and Tulisa will return to the studio to produce new music. When that will exactly be God only knows.

Moving onto chart news, in the US Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You remained unmoved at the top during the entire month accumulating 12 non-consecutive weeks at No.1. Meanwhile, Drake’s Passionfruit, Kendrick Lamar’s Humble and Harry Style’s debut single Sign of the Times all debuted in the top 10. Future’s Mask Off and Sam Hunt’s Body Like a Back Road also entered the top 10.  

In the UK, Sheeran’s reign with Shape of You was only interrupted when Harry Styles debuted atop the charts with his Sign of the Times.  During the month Julia Michaels’ Issues, Zedd & Alessia Cara’s Stay and Kendrick Lamar’s Humble all entered the top 10.  

Other songs which became popular during the month were: 

1.       Drake ft. Travis Scott & Quavo – Portland

2.       Future ft. Rihanna – Selfish

3.       Kyle ft. Lil Yachty – iSpy

4.       Zayn ft. PARTYNEXTDOOR – Still got time

5.       Stargate ft. Pink & Sia – Waterfall

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

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!