Xposition - April, 2018

Attention!!!

April was a devastating month for EDM as we bade farewell to Avicii, a powerhouse and an reckoning force in the industry. The global superstar who produced the hits Wake Me Up, Levels and Hey Brother even collaborated with the likes of Coldplay, Rita Ora, Robbie Williams and Leona Lewis. Avicii whose real name is Tim Bergling committed suicide by inflicting injuries upon himself through a broken wine bottle. This beloved artist was known to be struggling with alcohol use as well as mental stress for which he had earlier retired from touring in 2016. 

The awards season was full on swing as the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards were held with Chris Stapleton being the big winner of the night winning Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year for From a Room: Volume 1 although the Entertainer of  the Year went to Jason Aldean. Some great performances included Carrie Underwood's Cry Pretty, Kane Brown & Lauren Alaina's What Ifs, Florida Georgia Line & Bebe Rexha's Meant To Be and Maren Morris' Rich. Other significant wins of the night included:

• Female Vocalist of the Year: Miranda Lambert
• Vocal Duo of the Year: Brothers Osborne
• Vocal Group of the Year: Old Dominion
• Single Record of the Year: Sam Hunt - Body like a back road
• Song of the Year: Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert & John Randall - Tin Man
• Video of the Year: Brothers Osborne - It ain't my fault

The 25th Billboard Latin Music Awards were also held with Daddy Yankee sweeping the wins with 8 including Hot Latin Song of the Year and Songwriter of the Year for Despacito which won all 6 of its nominations. The Mexican rock band Maná was bestowed with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Some of the other major wins included:

• Artist of the Year: Ozuna
• New Artist of the Year: Christian Nodal
• Hot Latin Songs Artist of the Year - Male: Luis Fonsi 
• Hot Latin Songs Artist of the Year - Female: Shakira
• Top Latin Album of the Year: Nicky Jam - Fénix
• Latin Pop Song of the Year: Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber - Despacito

The Billboard Music Awards 2018 announced its nominations with Kendrick Lamar, Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars each with 15 nods followed by Post Malone with 13, Imagine Dragons with 11 and Drake with 9. 21 Savage, Camila Cabello, Khalid and Kodak Black all vie for the coveted Top New Artist award. The ceremony is to be held in May hosted by Kelly Clarkson. 

The Voice UK in its seven season crowned Ruti Olajugbagbe coached by Sir Tom Jones. Her coronation song was Dreams by The Cranberries whose lead singer Dolores O'Riordan passed away earlier this year. 

Songwriting credits is a serious matter, as many in the industry found out the hard way ie. Blurred Lines, Photograph etc. The latest is when Tulisa won a 5-year legal battle against Will.I.Am and Britney Spears for Scream & Shout, which she claimed helped to write. Tulisa claimed that she co-wrote the song I Don't Give A Fuck for her debut album The Female Boss. While the song did not make the final cut, Will.I.Am went on to collaborate with Spears using this song for Scream & Shout. The lawsuit revealed that Tulisa's vocals were still on the song alongside Spears’ in the finally-released track. The victory ensures Tulisa of an official songwriting credit on the song and 10% of the worldwide publishing rights and income for the record. All money made from the track was frozen when the lawsuit was launched in 2012.

In chart news, in the US Drake continued his reign with God's Plan accumulating altogether 11 weeks at the top of the charts, after which he replaced himself at the top with Nice For What, which remained at the top till the end of the month. During the month The Weekend's Call Out My Name, Cardi B, J Balvin and Bad Bunny's I Like It, Nicki Minaj's Chun-Li and Migos ft. Drake's Walk It Talk It all entered the top 10. 

In the UK, with the end of March came Drake's reign as Rudimental ft. Jess Glynne, Macklemore and Dan Caplen's These Days finally overthrew God's Plan in the first week. However, this was short lived as Lil Dicky ft. Chris Brown's Freaky Friday became No.1 in the second week which again was toppled by Drake's Nice For What and then again by the mammoth collaboration between Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa's One Kiss which claimed the top spot. During the month Sigala & Paloma Faith's Lullaby and The Weeknd's Call Out My Name both entered the top 10.  

Other songs which became popular during the month were:

1. David Guetta & Sia - Flames
2. Khalid & Normani - Love lies 
3. Years & Years - Sanctify 
4. Kylie  Minogue - Dancing
5. Imagine Dragons - Whatever it takes 

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

The Latin Resurgence

Attention!!!

Despacito is the newest buzz word in town for any dance party. The global phenomenon of this titanic hit has led to the mainstream resurgence of a genre that has been dormant for sometime. Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee never expected their music video to go viral, neither did they expect the Justin Bieber remix of the song to become one of the best-selling singles of all time. 

Latin music has been a genre since the 1940s but it was only in the 1980s that it became quite popular with hits from Julio Iglesias, Juan Gabriel, Roberto Carlos and Celia Cruz. The early 90s saw the gradual rise and decline of Eurodance wherein certain hits were infused with Latin music. Selena's contribution to Latin music via her push for Tejano was short lived following her tragic death in 1995. 

By the mid 90s it was clear that Latin music was here to stay with the mega hit Los Del Rio's Macarena taking the world by storm with its Bayside Boys Mix. The hit which was accompanied by a step dance and a memorable music video was the biggest hit of the 90s. Post Macarena era witnessed Latin Pop becoming the ambassador for Latin music in the mainstream. Young artists such as Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, Enrique Iglesias, Marc Anthony and Shakira entered the mainstream with monumental force in the late 90s and ruled the charts in the early 2000s. Particularly songs such as Martin's Livin' La Vida Loca, Iglesias' Bailamos and Shakira's Hips Don't Lie made a massive impact on the charts. 

After Latin Pop's gradual decline, Reggaeton took over in the mid 2000s with artists such as Daddy Yankee, Wisin & Yandel and Nina Sky. However, while their songs were a staple on the dance floor at the time, they did not make much of an impact on the charts. The last of the sub-genres of Latin music to crossover to the mainstream was Bachata where Prince Royce and Romeo Santos are making a recognizable impact. After 2010, Latin music was all but in the past, with no real presence in the charts except for the one off hit by either Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez or Shakira. 

In 2014, Iglesias made a huge comeback with Bailando which soared to the top in many charts and was a global floorfiller at parties. However, it never managed to score success in the charts that mattered - US, UK and Australia. While proving to be definitely one of the best Latin songs of all time, it was evident that the mainstream was not ready to embrace Latin music as a whole. 

All of this changed with Despacito. Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's original Spanish version did not fare all that well in the English speaking countries. However, the Bieber remix proved to be more successful than the collaborators ever imagined. Justin Bieber not only contributed his vocals to the remix perfecting the Spanish lines, his association with the single alongside the fact that he is the most influential and successful artist of yesteryear not to forget the fact that he is also the most sought after artist to be featured at present made this song the Song of the Summer of 2017 and also equaled a record which was set in 1995. 

With Despacito it is clear that Latin music is enjoying more popularity than before. The first song to experience this is J Balvin and Willy William's Mi Gente. Next up we have Iglesias re-releasing his Súbeme la Radio as a Spanglish version with X Factor winner Matt Terry and Sean Paul. This was followed by Jennifer Lopez's newest single Ni Tú Ni Yo. The last to enter this party was Little Mix where they collaborated with the new Latin boy band sensation CNCO and re-released a Spanglish version of the latter's hit Reggaetón Lento. 

Others that could possibly join this fold include Pitbull, Shakira, Sean Paul, Maluma, Nicky Jam, Don Omar, Wisin, Camila Cabello, Kat DeLuna and even Ricky Martin who might use this opportunity to make his long awaited comeback. All in all this resurgence could very well be a result of the mainstream swaying gradually towards a more tropical taste given the rise of Reggae Fusion as well as tropical beats entering Pop, Hip-Hop, R&B and Rap. It could also be just a fluke with the recent resurgence attributable to the Bieber Remix of Despacito. At the end of the day we will have to wait and see, whether Latin music is here to stay in the mainstream or will disappear as soon as whence it came. 

Till the next rhythm...

At Ease!!!

Most Inspirational Songs of 2016

Attention!!!

This segment of the year-end compilation is here to stay. This is mostly because unlike other decades, each year there are enough and more inspirational songs that are released. Even most movies and animated films include many inspirational songs, which is clearly reflected on this list. While inspirational songs did not chart high worldwide in 2016 like the preceding year, there were some really good songs. Particularly Andra Day's Rise Up is an exceptional song which has now been covered by hundreds of artists. It is also a favorite at auditions in reality contests. At second place is Sia with her Never Give Up from the film Lion and at third is Sucker for Pain by Lil Wayne and a number of artists from the film Suicide Squad. 

Sia is the only artist with two entries while Fergie has two entries as she is also a part of the Black Eyed Peas. The film Trolls also has two songs on the list. Other films include Zootopia, Alice Through the Looking Glass, and Star Trek Beyond. Some other interesting facts are that Fifth Harmony's last single as a quintet is on the list as well as the Black Eyed Peas' final song before Fergie's departure; the official song for the UEFA Euro 2016 by David Guetta and the official English song for the Olympics 2016 by Katy Perry are also on the list. So here are the top 25 most inspirational songs of 2016:

1. Andra Day – Rise up
2. Sia – Never give up 
3. Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa & Imagine Dragons ft. Logic, Ty Dolla $ign & X Ambassadors – Sucker for pain 
4. Katy Perry – Rise 
5. Shakira – Try everything 
6. Rihanna – Sledgehammer 
7. Charlie Puth – One call away 
8. Justin Timberlake – Can’t stop the feeling!
9. G-Eazy & Bebe Rexha – Me, myself & I 
10. Selena Gomez – Kill ‘em with kindness 
11. Iggy Azalea – Team 
12. Alan Walker – Alone 
13. Fifth Harmony – That’s my girl
14. Pink – Just like fire 
15. David Guetta ft. Zara Larsson – This one’s for you 
16. Tim McGraw – Humble and kind 
17. Sia ft. Kendrick Lamar – The greatest 
18. Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber & MØ –  Cold water 
19. Anna Kendrick – Get back up again 
20. Fergie – Life goes on
21. Zedd ft. Kesha – True colors 
22. Dami Im – Fighting for love 
23. Black Eyed Peas ft. The World – #WHEREISTHELOVE 
24. Robbie Williams – Love my life 
25. Beyonce – Formation 

Till the next chord...

At Ease!!!

Best Dance Hits of the 2000s

Attention!!!

The best years of those born in the 80s were during the 2000s when they would be in the latter ages of their teens. The 2000s may also prove to be the last vestiges of Alternative Rock and Hard Rock as the 2010s have massacred the genres to the point of no return. Eurodance was dead and in its place Europop was building itself as a genre with a significant contribution from Romanian Pop. As far as dance music goes Rap, Dancepop and Hip-Hop ruled the dance floors with the likes of Flo Rida, Black Eyed Peas, 50 Cent, Sean Paul, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira and Pitbull shaping the industry as they took over the mainstream charts. With an immense stress on beat and rhythm rather than lyrics, the dance music of the 2000s is unique. 

Those artists that began their careers in the 90s such as Britney Spears, Eminem, Jennifer Lopez and Enrique Iglesias have become superstars with several dance hits and some like Shakira, Pitbull, Rihanna, Sean Paul and David Guetta have entered the mainstream with several dance hits. With his debut dance anthem Low, Flo Rida entered the hearts and minds of the party people during the 2000s and claims the top spot on this compilation. At No.2 we have Usher's Yeah in which he collaborated with veteran rappers Ludacris and Lil Jon. With a different flavour at No.3 we have Shakira's Hips Don't Lie where former Fugees member Wyclef Jean is featured. With the highest number of entries we have Black Eyed Peas with 8 whopping entries followed by Sean Paul with 7, 50 Cent and Jennifer Lopez with 6 each, Timbaland, Akon, Pussycat Dolls, Rihanna, Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake with 5 each, Flo Rida, Britney Spears, Madonna, Shakira, Bob Sinclar, Pitbull, Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Inna with 4 each, David Guetta, Kylie Minogue, Sugababes, Missy Elliot, Ludacris, Beyonce, Gwen Stefani, Eve, Pink, Destiny's Child and Cascada with 3 each. So here are the best dance hits from 2000-2009: 

1. Flo Rida ft. T-Pain – Low
2. Usher ft. Ludacris & Lil Jon – Yeah
3. Shakira ft. Wyclef Jean – Hips don’t lie
4. Pitbull – I know you want me (Calle ocho)
5. Sean Paul – Get busy
6. Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg & Kurupt – The next episode
7. 50 Cent – In da club
8. Nelly – Hot in herre
9. Flo Rida ft. Kesha – Right round
10. Black Eyed Peas – I gotta feeling
11. Timbaland ft. Keri Hilson & D.O.E – The way I are
12. Bon Jovi – It’s my life
13. Rihanna – Don’t stop the music
14. Lady Gaga ft. Colby O’Donis – Just dance
15. David Guetta ft. Akon – Sexy bitch
16. Eve – Tambourine
17. Justin Timberlake – Sexyback
18. Madonna ft. Justin Timberlake & Timbaland – 4 minutes
19. Vengaboys – Shalala lala
20. 50 Cent ft. Olivia – Candy shop
21. Kelis – Milkshake
22. Black Eyed Peas – Let’s get it started
23. Bob Sinclar ft. Gary Pine – Love generation
24. Sean Paul – Temperature
25. Missy Elliot – Get ur freak on
26. Black Eyed Peas – Hey mama
27. David Guetta ft. Kelly Rowland – When love takes over
28. Daft Punk – One more time
29. Eminem – The real Slim Shady
30. Black Eyed Peas – Boom boom pow
31. Yves Larock – Rise up
32. Las Ketchup – The ketchup song (Asereje)
33. DMX – Party up (Up in here)
34. Jennifer Lopez – Let’s get loud
35. Black Eyed Peas – Pump it
36. Pussycat Dolls ft. Busta Rhymes – Don’t cha
37. 50 Cent ft. Snoop Dogg, Lloyd Banks & Young Buck – P.I.M.P.
38. Baha Men – Who let the dogs out?
39. *NSYNC – Bye bye bye
40. Destiny’s Child – Jumpin’ jumpin
41. Sean Kingston – Fire burning
42. Spiller ft. Sophie Ellis Baxtor – Groovejet (If this ain’t love)
43. Alex Gaudino ft. Crystal Waters – Destination Calabria
44. Lady Gaga – Poker face
45. Benny Benassi – Satisfaction
46. Jay Sean ft. Lil Wayne – Down
47. Daddy Yankee – Gasolina
48. Atomic Kitten – The tide is high (Get the feeling)
49. Chamillionaire ft. Slick Rick – Hip hop police
50. Steve Angello & Laidback Luke ft. Robin S. – Show me love
51. Cascada – Evacuate the dancefloor
52. LMFAO – I’m in Miami bitch
53. Shakira – Whenever wherever
54. Gwen Stefani ft. Eve – Rich girl
55. No Doubt ft. Bounty Killer – Hey baby
56. Eve ft. Gwen Stefani – Let me blow ya mind
57. Modjo – Lady (Hear me tonight)
58. Snoop Dogg ft. Pharrell – Drop it like it’s hot
59. Basshunter – Now you’re gone
60. Edward Maya ft. Vika Jigulina – Stereo love
61. Eric Prydz – Call on me
62. Fergie – London bridge
63. 50 Cent – Just a lil bit
64. Kevin Lyttle – Turn me on
65. Britney Spears – Toxic
66. Rihanna – Disturbia
67. Guru Josh Project – Infinity 2008
68. R.Kelly ft. Wisin & Yandel – Burn it up
69. Pink – Get the party started
70. Crazy Town – Butterfly
71. Timbaland ft. Justin Timberlake & Nelly Furtado – Give it to me
72. Nelly ft. City Spud – Ride wit me
73. Puddle of Mudd – She hates me
74. Outkast – Hey ya!
75. Jennifer Lopez ft. Jadakiss & Styles – Jenny from the block  
76. Black Eyed Peas – Don’t phunk with my heart
77. Beyonce ft. Jay-Z – Crazy in love
78. Kat DeLuna ft. Elephant Man – Whine up
79. Counting Crows – Accidentally in love
80. Beyonce – Single ladies (Put a ring on it)
81. Nelly Furtado – Maneater
82. Eminem – Just do it
83. Soulja Boy – Crank that
84. Sugababes – Round round
85. Bomfunk MC’s – Freestyler
86. Junior Senior – Move your feet
87. Britney Spears – 3
88. Blue – All rise
89. Fragma – Toca’s miracle
90. Shaggy ft. Rikrok – It wasn’t me
91. Mary J. Blige – Family affair
92. S Club 7 – Don’t stop movin’
93. Nicole Scherzinger ft. T.I. – Whatever u like
94. Smash Mouth – I’m a believer
95. Chris Brown ft. Juelz Santana – Run it!
96. Jennifer Lopez – Play
97. Missy Elliot – Work it
98. Inna – Hot
99. Bob Sinclar with Cutee B ft. Dollarman, Big Ali  & Makedah – Rock this party (Everybody dance now)
100. Britney Spears – Gimme more
101. Madonna – Hung up
102. Axwell ft. Steve Edwards – Watch the sunrise
103. Eminem – Without me
104. Pussycat Dolls – When I grow up
105. Truth Hurts ft. Rakim – Addictive
106. Britney Spears – Circus
107. LL Cool J ft. Jennifer Lopez – Control myself
108. Inna – Amazing
109. Sugababes – Get sexy
110. R. Kelly – Ignition (Remix)
111. Teriyaki Boyz – Tokyo drift
112. Akcent – Jokero
113. Michael Buble – Save the last dance for me
114. Terror Squad ft. Fat Joe & Remy Ma – Lean back
115. Destiny’s Child – Bootylicious
116. Cascada – Everytime we touch
117. Basshunter – All I ever wanted
118. Jamelia – Superstar
119. Flo Rida ft. Nelly Furtado – Jump
120. Nina Sky ft. Jabba – Move ya body
121. Chris Brown ft. Lil Wayne & Swiss Beatz – I can transform ya
122. DJ Sammy & Yanou ft. Do – Heaven
123. Pitbull – Hotel room service
124. Shakira – Objection (Tango)
125. Kylie Minogue – Love at first sight
126. Sean Paul – Gimme the light
127. Andreea Banica ft. Dony – Samba
128. Nelly Furtado ft. Timbaland – Promiscuous
129. Crazy Frog – Axel F
130. Rihanna – SOS
131. Panjabi MC – Mundian to bach ke
132. Ashley Tisdale – Crank it up
133. Pink, Christina Aguilera, Mya & Lil’ Kim – Lady Marmalade
134. Nelly Furtado – Say it right
135. Bob Sinclar ft. Steve Edwards – World, hold on (Children of the sky)
136. DJ Laz ft. Flo Rida, Pitbull & Casely – Move shake drop  
137. Destiny’s Child – Lose my breath
138. Sidney Samson – Riverside
139. Lumidee – Never leave you (Uh oooh, uh ooh)
140. Sugababes – About a girl
141. Beyonce ft. Slim Thug – Check on it
142. Dizzee Rascal ft. Armand van Helden – Bonkers
143. Pussycat Dolls ft. Timbaland – Wait a minute
144. Black Eyed Peas – Shut up
145. Bob Sinclar with Cutee B ft. Gary Pine & Dollarman – Sound of freedom
146. Pussycat Dolls ft. Snoop Dogg – Buttons
147. Akon ft. Eminem – Smack that
148. Justin Timberlake – Rock your body
149. Anastacia – I’m outta love
150. iiO – Rapture
151. Rihanna ft. Sean Paul – Break it off
152. Madonna – Music
153. Ludacris – How low
154. Sean Paul – Like glue
155. Kylie Minogue – Can’t get you out of my head
156. O-Zone – Dragostea din tei
157. Pink – So what
158. Inna – Love
159. Katy Perry – I kissed a girl
160. DJ Otzi – Hey baby (Uhh, ahh)
161. Holly Valance – Kiss kiss
162. Jennifer Lopez – Ain’t it funny
163. Madonna – Sorry
164. Daniel Bedingfield – Gotta get thru this
165. Pitbull ft. Akon – Shut it down
166. Fergie ft. will.i.am – Fergalicious
167. Rihanna – Pon de replay
168. Fatman Scoop – Be faithful
169. Enrique Iglesias – Be with you
170. Tinchy Stryder ft. N-Dubz – Number 1
171. Shakira – She wolf
172. The Offspring – Pretty fly (For a white a guy)
173. 50 Cent ft. Ne-Yo – Baby by me
174. Mr.C The Slide Man – Cha-cha slide
175. Cascada – What hurts the most
176. Sean Paul – We be burnin’
177. Jennifer Lopez – Love don’t cost a thing
178. Sophie Ellis-Bexter – Murder on the  dancefloor 
179. Cobra Starship ft. Leighton Meester – Good girls go bad
180. David Guetta ft. Estelle – One love
181. Kylie Minogue – In your eyes
182. Ludacris ft. Shawnna – Stand up
183. Akon – Belly dancer (bananza)
184. Black Eyed Peas – My humps
185. Michael Buble – Sway
186. Cupid – Cupid shuffle
187. DJ Bobo with Irene Cara – What a feeling
188. Blu Cantrell ft. Sean Paul – Breathe
189. Gwen Stefani ft. Akon – The sweet escape
190. Mika – Grace Kelly
191. Missy Elliot ft. Ciara & Fatman Scoop – Lose control
192. Inna – Deja vu
193. 50 Cent ft. Justin Timberlake – Ayo technology
194. A.R. Rahman & Pussycat Dolls ft. Nicole Scherzinger – Jai ho! (You are my destiny)
195. David Deejay ft. Dony – Sexy thing
196. Mary Mary – Shackles (Praise you)
197. JLS – Beat again
198. Chamillionaire ft. Krayzie Bone – Ridin’
199. Avril Lavigne – Girlfriend
200. Chayanne – Boom boom  

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

The Ultimate Stripper Playlist

Attention!!!

Stripping is probably the oldest profession in the world, as taking one's clothes off precedes any sort of prostitution. Moreover, if you are going to take your clothes off, you might as well get paid for it. Stripping or exotic dancing or whatever you may want to call it involves a performance, which more or less involves music. The music involved is almost always a slow beat accompanied by lyrics full of sexual innuendo. Slow paced dance-pop and R&B dominates the list with numerous entries by girl bands especially the Pussycat Dolls. PCD takes the crown with their global hit Dontcha, followed by Nelly's Hot in herre and Snoop Dogg's Wet. Most of the songs on the list are full of sultry imagery with girls/women giving it to someone or getting it from someone, or just plainly referring to their bodies, or body parts. Nicole Scherzinger leads with 8 entries along with 4 from her days with PCD and Britney Spears has 6 entries, while Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg have 4 entries each. So here is the Best Stripping Songs of All Time:-

1. Pussycat Dolls ft. Busta Rhymes – Dontcha
2. Nelly – Hot in herre
3. Snoop Dogg – Wet
4. Britney Spears – Gimme more
5. 50 Cent ft. Olivia – Candy shop
6. Pussycat Dolls – Buttons
7. Lil Wayne ft. Static Major – Lollipop
8. Britney Spears – I’m a slave 4 u
9. Christina Aguilera ft. Redman – Dirrty
10. Nicole Scherzinger ft. T.I. – Whatever u like
11. Beyonce & Shakira – Beautiful liar
12. LL Cool J – Doin’ it
13. Christina Aguilera, Mya, Lil’ Kim & Pink – Lady Marmalade
14. Kelis – Milkshake
15. Fergie – London bridge
16. Brown Eyed Girls – Kill bill
17. Beyonce ft. Sean Paul – Baby boy
18. Ginuwine – Pony
19. Pixie Lott – Mama do (uh oh, uh oh)
20. Britney Spears – Piece of me
21. Sugababes – Get sexy
22. Jennifer Lopez ft. Iggy Azalea – Booty
23. Rihanna – Pour it up
24. Alexandra Stan – Lollipop (param pam pam)
25. Santana ft. Rob Thomas – Smooth
26. Destiny’s Child – Bootylicious
27. Marvin Gaye – Sexual healing
28. Enrique Iglesias ft. Lil Wayne – Push
29. Nicole Scherzinger – Wet
30. ACDC – You shook me all night long
31. Ciara – Body party
32. R.Kelly – Thoia thong
33. Pussycat Dolls – Bottle pop
34. Soulja Boy – Pretty boy swag
35. Beyonce – Naughty girl
36. Stella Mwangi ft. Mohombi – Hula hoop
37. Dev – In my trunk
38. Tinashe ft. SchoolBoy Q – 2 on
39. Britney Spears – Circus
40. Timbaland ft. Dev – Break ya back
41. Quentisha Benjamin – Get loose
42. Ciara – Goodies
43. Jennifer Lopez ft. Lil Wayne – I’m into you
44. Truth Hurts ft. Rakim – Addictive
45. Jessica Simpson ft. Lil Bow Wow – Irresistible
46. Beyonce – Dance for you
47. DJ Snake with Dillon Francis – Get low
48. Girls’ Generation – Hoot  
49. Fergie – L.A. Love (la la)
50. Dev ft. Sage the Gemini – Kiss it
51. Mike WiLL Made-it ft. Miley Cyrus, Wiz Khalifa & Juicy J – 23
52. Akon ft. Eminem – Smack that
53. P. Diddy ft. Nicole Scherzinger – Come to me
54. Shaggy ft. Brian & Tony Gold – Hey sexy lady
55. David Guetta ft. Timbaland & Dev – I just wanna f
56. Fergie – Bailamos
57. Iggy Azalea – Pu$$y
58. Usher ft. Ludacris & Lil Jon – Yeah
59. Britney Spears – My prerogative
60. Janet Jackson – That’s the way love goes
61. Ariana Grande ft. The Weeknd – Love me harder
62. Marvin Gaye – Let’s get it on
63. Will.I.Am ft. Miley Cyrus, Wiz Khalifa & French Montana – Feelin’ myself
64. R.Kelly – Ignition (Remix)
65. Far East Movement ft. The Cataracs & Dev – Like a G6
66. TLC – Red light special
67. Daddy Yankee ft. Nicole Scherzinger – Papi lover
68. Lloyd ft. J.Cole & Nicki Minaj – Take it off
69. Sisqo – Thong song
70. Def Leppard – Pour some sugar on me
71. Sean Paul ft. Alexis Jordan – Got 2 luv u
72. Brown Eyed Girls – Abracadabra
73. Shakira ft. Timbaland & Lil Wayne – Give it up to me
74. Jeremih ft. 50 Cent – Down on me
75. Chingy – Right thurr
76. Destiny’s Child – Nasty girl
77. Pussycat Dolls ft. Will.I.Am – Beep
78. 2 Chainz ft. Nicki Minaj – I luv dem strippers
79. Madcon ft. Ameerah – Freaky like me
80. Fifth Harmony ft. Kid Ink – Worth it
81. Dev – Fireball
82. Hilary Duff – Reach out
83. Far East Movement – Girls on the dance floor
84. Jason Derulo ft. Snoop Dogg – Wiggle
85. Britney Spears – Break the glass
86. Belly ft. Snoop Dogg – Hot girl
87. Donna Summer – Love to love you baby
88. Ludacris – How low
89. Timbaland ft. Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake – Give it to me
90. Kesha – Run devil run
91. Tyga – Rack city
92. Flo Rida ft. Ne-Yo – Be on you
93. Inna ft. Marian Hill – Diggy down
94. Girls’ Generation – The boys
95. Robin Thicke ft. Kendrick Lamar & 2 Chainz) – Give it 2 u
96. Will.I.Am – I got it from my mama
97. Enrique Iglesias – Ring my bells
98. Kardinal Offishall ft. Akon – Dangerous
99. Snoop Dogg ft. Pharrell – Drop it like it’s hot
100. Mohombi – Sex your body

Till the next beat…

At Ease!!!

Best Dance Hits of 2014

Attention!!!

2014 has been an extremely lousy year for dance music. With traditional pop music gaining momentum in the mainstream music scene, proper dance music has taken a back seat. Happy, All About That Bass and Shake It Off proved to be extremely popular at parties whereas Calvin Harris, David Guetta and Harwell the only EDM artists who came up with good hits this year failed to impress anyone. Robin Schulz was definitely the DJ to follow as he came up with two brilliant remixes. Hip hop music managed rather poorly to come up with hits like Anaconda, Wiggle and Don't Tell 'Em, but those hits do not stand out compared to those of yesteryear. Latin dance music scored rather well together with the FIFA World Cup Songs and Anthems by Shakira, Pitbull, Wisin and Enrique Iglesias.

However, the best dance hit this year goes to Turn Down for What by somewhat unknown DJ Snake and rapper Lil Jon. Heavily reminiscent of Baauer's Harlem Shake. Second place is now the heavily overplayed Bailando by Enrique Iglesias ft. Gente de Zona, Descemer Bueno and Sean Paul. So here are the Best Dance Hits of the 2014:

1. DJ Snake & Lil Jon – Turn down for what
2. Enrique Iglesias ft. Gente de Zona, Descemer Bueno & Sean Paul – Bailando
3. Calvin Harris – Summer
4. Lilly Wood and the Prick – Prayer in C (Robin Schulz Remix)
5. Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea – Problem
6. The Chainsmokers – #SELFIE 
7. DVBBS & Borgeous ft. Tinie Tempah – Tsunami (jump)
8. Shakira – Dare (La, la, la)
9. David Guetta ft. Sam Martin – Lovers on the sun
10. Jason Derulo ft. Snoop Dogg – Wiggle
11. Pitbull ft. John Ryan – Fireball
12. Martin Garrix & Jay Hardway – Wizard
13. will.i.am ft. Miley Cyrus, French Montana & Wiz Khalifa – Feelin’ myself
14. Hardwell & Joey Dale ft. Luciana – Arcadia
15. AronChupa – I’m an Albatraoz
16. Wisin ft. Ricky Martina & Jennifer Lopez – Adrenalina
17. Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne – Rather be
18. Calvin Harris ft. John Newman – Blame
19. Nicki Minaj – Anaconda
20. Taylor Swift – Shake it off
21. Inna – The cola song
22. Hardwell ft. Matthew Koma – Dare you
23. Enrique Iglesias ft. Pitbull – I’m a freak
24. Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj – Bang bang
25. Ariana Grande ft. Zedd – Break free
26. Calvin Harris ft. Ellie Goulding – Outside
27. Alesso ft. Tove Lo – Heroes (we could be)
28. Cheryl Cole ft. Tinie Tempah – Crazy stupid love
29. Meghan Trainor – All about that bass
30. Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX – Fancy
31. Afrojack ft. Wrabel – Ten feet tall
32. Jeremih ft. YG – Don’t tell ‘em
33. Tiesto – Red lights
34. Mr. Probz – Waves (Robin Schulz Remix)
35. Jennifer Lopez ft. Iggy Azalea – Booty
36. David Guetta & Showtek ft. Vassy – Bad
37. Pharrell Williams – Happy
38. Iggy Azalea ft. MO – Beg for it
39. Cash Cash ft. Bebe Rexha – Take me home
40. Krewella – Enjoy the ride  
41. DJ Fresh vs. Jay Fay ft. Ms. Dynamite – Dibby dibby sound
42. Chris Brown ft. Lil Wayne & Tyga – Loyal
43. Tiesto ft. Matthew Koma – Wasted
44. Kiesza – Hideaway
45. Oliver Heldens & Becky Hill – Gecko (overdrive)
46. Pitbull ft. Jennifer Lopez & Claudia Leitte – We are one (ole, ola)
47. David Guetta ft. Skylar Grey– Shot me down
48. Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – Uptown funk!
49. Bobby Shmurda – Hot nigga
50. Michael Jackson & Justin Timberlake – Love never felt so good

Till the next beat…

At Ease!!!

Best Music Videos of 2014

Attention!!!

Gone are the days when a song is only measured by its lyrics, pitch and rhythm. Now the audiences need a good video to accompany that song as well. For those of you who only listen to the radio can limit yourselves to the bygone era. However, we are now in the era of the YouTube, where millions of music videos are uploaded everyday by artists and bands all over the world. It is no secret that the best-selling artists/bands make it a point to go all out and spend on big budget videos to market their songs, which may sometimes sell or become popular mostly because of the accompanying video. Although 2014 fell short of producing controversial and entertaining videos such as Miley Cyrus' Wrecking Ball, We Can't Stop, Adore You and Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines, it did manage to have its own anacondas and animals in the fray. Whatever said and done, music videos are for your entertainment and the focus should not just be upon the substance and the quality of the video but also about the entertainment factor.

Taking the crown is the critically acclaimed video of Sia's Chandelier directed by Daniel Askill, featuring the young talented dancer Maddie Ziegler. Iggy Azalea with her Fancy comes in at second place with her remake and/or parody of the popular television series and movie Clueless. DJ Snake & Lil Jon's Turn Down For What comes in third and it has to be mentioned that it is probably the funniest video of the year. Iggy Azalea and Ed Sheeran have the most number of entries each with three and David Guetta, Chris Brown, Shakira, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Sam Smith all have two each. So here are the Best Music Videos of 2014 based on the quality, views and accolades received. 

1. Sia – Chandelier
   
2. Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX – Fancy
   
3. DJ Snake & Lil Jon – Turn down for what
   
4. Katy Perry ft. Juicy J – Dark horse
   
5. Taylor Swift – Shake it off
   
6. Calvin Harris – Summer
   
7. Shakira ft. Carlinhos Brown – La la la (Brazil 2014)
   
8. Taylor Swift – Blank space
   
9. Enrique Iglesias ft. Gente de Zona & Descemer Bueno – Bailando
   
10. Ed Sheeran – Don’t
    
11. Sam Smith – I’m not the only one
    
12. Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea – Problem
    
13. Hardwell ft. Luciana & Joey Dale – Arcadia
    
14. Ed Sheeran – Thinking out loud
    
15. Iggy Azalea ft. Rita Ora – Black widow
    
16. Ed Sheeran – Sing
    
17. Magic! – Rude
    
18. Carrie Underwood – Something in the water
    
19. Jason Derulo ft. Snoop Dogg – Wiggle
    
20. 5 Seconds of Summer – She looks so perfect
    
21. Ella Henderson – Ghost
    
22. Bobby Shmurda – Hot nigga
    
23. Lady Antebellum – Bartender
    
24. The Veronicas – You ruin me
    
25. Chris Brown ft. Lil Wayne & Tyga – Loyal
    
26. Nicki Minaj – Anaconda
    
27. Maroon 5 – Animals
    
28. Meghan Trainor – All about that bass
    
29. David Guetta ft. Sam Martin – Dangerous
    
30. Cher Lloyd – Sirens
    
31. Pitbull ft. John Ryan – Fireball
    
32. Coldplay – Magic
    
33. Cheryl Cole ft. Tinie Tempah – Crazy stupid love
    
34. Fall Out Boy – Centuries
    
35. Shakira ft. Rihanna – Can’t remember to forget you
    
36. Sam Smith – Stay with me
    
37. Beyonce – Pretty hurts
    
38. Fifth Harmony – BO$$
    
39. Dierks Bentley – Drunk on a plane
    
40. Echosmith – Cool kids
    
41. Foxes – Let go for tonight
    
42. David Guetta ft. Sam Martin – Lovers on the sun
    
43. Little Mix – Salute
    
44. Katy Perry – This is how we do
    
45. OneRepublic – Love runs out
    
46. Lady Gaga – G.U.Y.
    
47. Jennifer Lopez ft. Iggy Azalea – Booty
    
48. Beyonce – Partition
    
49. Hozier – Take me to church
    
50. Chris Brown ft. Usher & Rick Ross – New flame
    

Till the next stream…

At Ease!!!