My Favorite Hits of 2016

Attention!!!

2016 was a year which definitely catered to my taste. From EDM and Reggae Fusion to Pop and Alternative Rock there were awesome hits galore. One thing is for sure the songs of 2016 were much better than 2014 and were on an equal level with 2015. Although there was only a lone floorfiller last year in the form of Sia’s Cheap Thrills there were a few mind-blowing EDM hits. Alan Walker rules this list with his global hit Faded. The slow and relaxing beats of the tune are accompanied by the uncredited soothing vocals of Iselin Solheim. At second place is Stressed Out the Alternative Rock hit for the duo Twenty One Pilots followed by Swedish newcomer Zara Larsson's Lush Life at third place. 

Genre wise EDM has numerous entries followed by Pop, Reggae and Rap. Alan Walker, Dua Lipa, Sean Paul and Zara Larsson lead the list with three entries each followed by Twenty One Pilots, Clean Bandit, Anne Marie, Zedd, Hailee Steinfeld, DNCE, Justin Bieber, Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull, Rihanna, Jonas Blue, Ariana Grande and Louisa Johnson all have two entries each, either as a lead or featured artist. So here are my 50 favorites hits of 2016:  

1. Alan Walker – Faded
2. Twenty One Pilots – Stressed out
3. Zara Larsson – Lush life
4. RedOne ft. Enrique Iglesias, R.City, Shaggy & Serayah – Don’t you need somebody
5. Dua Lipa – Hotter than hell
6. The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk – Starboy
7. Rihanna – Love on the brain
8. Tinie Tempah ft. Zara Larsson – Girls like
9. Twenty One Pilots – Heathens
10. David Guetta ft. Zara Larsson – This one’s for you
11. Pitbull ft. Enrique Iglesias – Messin’ around
12. Halsey – Castle
13. Sia ft. Sean Paul – Cheap thrills
14. Dua Lipa – Blow your mind (mwah)
15. Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber & MØ – Cold water
16. Sean Paul ft. Dua Lipa – No lie
17. Olly Murs – You don’t know love
18. Zedd ft. Kesha – True colors
19. Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna – This is what you came for
20. The Veronicas – In my blood
21. Kungs vs. Cookin’ On 3 Burners – This girl
22. Hailee Steinfeld ft. DNCE – Rock bottom
23. Clean Bandit ft. Anne Marie & Sean Paul – Rockabye
24. Thomas Rhett – Die a happy man
25. Troye Sivan – Youth
26. The Chainsmokers ft. Daya – Don’t let me down
27. DJ Snake ft. Justin Bieber – Let me love you
28. Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa & Imagine Dragons ft. Logic, Ty Dolla $ign & X Ambassadors – Sucker for pain
29. Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – I know what you did last summer
30. Ariana Grande – Into you
31. Years & Years – Worship
32. Alan Walker – Alone
33. Anne Marie – Alarm
34. Flo Rida – My house
35. Ellie Goulding – Something in the way you move
36. Clean Bandit ft. Louisa Johnson – Tears
37. Mike Posner – I took a pill in Ibiza (SeeB Remix)
38. G-Eazy & Bebe Rexha – Me, myself & I
39. Jonas Blue ft. JB Cooper – Perfect strangers
40. James Arthur – Say you won’t let go
41. Pitbull – Freedom
42. Alan Walker – Sing me to sleep
43. Ariana Grande ft. Nicki Minaj – Side to side
44. Selena Gomez – Kill ‘em with kindness
45. Pink – Just like fire
46. Coldplay – Hymn for the weekend
47. Hailee Steinfeld & Grey ft. Zedd – Starving
48. Jonas Blue ft. Dakota – Fast car
49. Louisa Johnson – So good
50. DNCE – Body moves 

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

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!!!

Xposition - January, 2017

Attention!!!

January kicked off after reeling from the hangover of an awesome 2016. The charts were settling down after the impact of Justin Bieber, Sia, Rihanna, Clean Bandit and of course Drake. Moreover, the buzz was all about the Grammys to be held in February as the heavyweights in the industry as Beyonce and Adele were up against each other for the major grabs. 

We start off the year with US President-elect Donald Trump frantically searching for artists and bands to perform at his inauguration. With snubs from the likes of Elton John, Celine Dion, The Beach Boys, Charlotte Church, 2 Chainz and Rebecca Ferguson the final line up of artists included 3 Doors Down, Toby Keith, Tony Orlando, The Piano Guys and Sam Moore. This is definitely a step down from the star-studded inauguration of Barack Obama’s second term which included Alicia Keys, fun., Brad Paisley, Glee Cast, John Legend and Stevie Wonder. 

Meanwhile, most of the stars were to be seen at the Women’s March on Washington following the inauguration to advocate policies and laws regarding human rights, racial equality, women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, freedom of religion etc. Artists such as Alicia Keys, Cher, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Madonna, John Legend, Rihanna etc. were seen at the march. Meanwhile, following Madonna’s remarks at the march HITS 105 in Texas even went to the extent of banning Madonna’s songs from airplay. 

The headlining acts of Coachella 2017 were announced as the annual event takes place for the 18th time in April. Beyonce, Radiohead and Kendrick Lamar have been announced as headliners this year. It will be the third time Radiohead will be headlining while Beyonce will become only the second female headliner since Björk. The full lineup also includes Lorde, Bon Iver, Mac Miller, New Order, DJ Khaled, Schoolboy Q and composer Hans Zimmer.     

The 74th Golden Globes were held in January where La La Land outshone all others while sweeping all 7 awards that it was nominated for. Justin Hurwitz won for Best Original Score and the film’s lead single City of Stars penned by Hurwitz and Pasek & Paul and performed by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone won Best Original Song. 

Meanwhile, edging out competition from Rag N’ Bone Man and Raye, R&B singer Ray BLK won the BBC Music’s Sound of 2017. Alumni of this honour include Adele, Mika, Ellie Goulding, Sam Smith and Years & Years. 

Little Mix, Skepta and Rihanna lead this year’s 2017 BRIT Awards nominations with three nods apiece. Little Mix who is now the longest reigning girl band with their fourth album Glory Days since the Spice Girls’ Spice with five non-consecutive weeks at the top is nominated for Best British Group, Best British Single for Shout Out To My Ex and Video of the Year for Hair. Skepta who scooped the 2016 Mercury Music Prize for his fourth album Konnichiwa is up for British Male Artist, British Breakthrough Act and Album of the Year. Rihanna has been nominated for International Female as well as for her featured hit Calvin Harris’ This Is What You Came For in both Best British Single and Video of the Year. 

Moving onto chart news, in the US Rae Sremmurd featuring Gucci Mane’s Black Beatles was replaced by The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk’s Starboy after struggling 8 non-consecutive weeks at No.2. However, Black Beatles replaced Starboy in the second week only to be overthrown by Migos featuring Lil Uzi Vert’s Bad and Boujee. In the fourth week, Ed Sheeran’s surprise single Shape of You from his upcoming album ÷ topped the chart, thus leading to four different singles at the top during the month. Meanwhile, Ed Sheeran’s Castle On The Hill debuted at No.6 on the chart. 

In the UK, Clean Bandit featuring Anne Marie and Sean Paul’s Rockabye began the year at the top and remained there for two weeks before being replaced by Ed Sheeran’s mammoth hit Shape of You which stayed at the top during the last week. Close behind Shape of You, Sheeran’s Castle On The Hill debuted at No.2 and Zara Larsson’s I Would Like and Jax Jones featuring Raye’s You Don’t Know Me peaked at No.2 and No.3 respectively during the month. 

Other songs which became popular during the month were:

1. Sia - Move your body 
2. The Chainsmokers - Paris 
3. JP Cooper - September song
4. Starley - Call on me 
5. Snakehips & MØ - Don't leave 
6. Tinie Tempah ft. Tinashe - Text from your ex

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

Best Love Songs of 2016

Attention!!!

Well, 2016 was not the best when it came to the production of love songs. With the resurgence of Reggae in the form of Dancehall and the mainstream success of EDM, R&B and Rap in the yesteryear Pop songs took a back seat; and without Pop, there's no hope for love songs. There was no fan favourite Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran or a staple wedding song like Wings by Birdy. With the usual love song junkies of Pop out of commission, we will have to make do with whatever that was released last year. However, it is an over-exaggeration to state that there were no good love songs produced as Thomas Rhett's Die a Happy Man is an awesome love song followed by Rihanna's over-the-top yet brilliant Love On The Brain as well as James Arthur's come back mega hit Say You Won't Let Go.

What is quite conspicuous is the fact that genres such as EDM and Dancehall also produced love songs alongside the usual Pop, Country and Soul. Ellie Goulding, Hailee Steinfeld, John Legend, Justin Bieber and Bebe Rexha all have two entries each. So here are the top 25 love songs of 2016:   

1. Thomas Rhett – Die a happy man
2. Rihanna – Love on the brain
3. James Arthur – Say you won’t let go
4. Kenny Chesney ft. Pink – Setting the world on fire
5. Hailee Steinfeld ft. DNCE – Rock bottom
6. Ellie Goulding – Still falling for you
7. Meghan Trainor ft. John Legend – Like I’m gonna lose you
8. Zara Larsson & MNEK – Never forget you
9. Charlie Puth – One call away
10. Nick Jonas ft. Tove Lo – Close
11. John Legend – Love me now
12. Martin Garrix ft. Bebe Rexha – In da name of love
13. Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber & MØ –  Cold water
14. The Veronicas – In my blood
15. Hailee Steinfeld & Grey ft. Zedd – Starving
16. RedOne ft. Enrique Iglesias, R.City, Shaggy & Serayah – Don’t you need somebody
17. Little Mix ft. Jason Derulo – Secret love song
18. DJ Snake ft. Justin Bieber – Let me love you
19. Bebe Rexha – I got you
20. Florida Georgia Line – H.O.L.Y.
21. Ariana Grande – Into you
22. The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey – Closer
23. Inna – Heaven
24. Sigala ft. Imani & DJ Fresh – Say you do
25. Ellie Goulding – Something in the way you move

Till the next sonnet...

At Ease!!!

Best Dance Hits of 2016

Attention!!!

2016 is the year where tropical beats entered the dancefloor. With Reggae and Dancehall fusing with the mainstream genres of dance music such as EDM, Pop, Rap and R&B, dance music as a whole evolved. Hip-Hop was virtually non-existent during the year while Latin Pop and Progressive House took a backseat giving way to this immensely popular tropical rhythms and melodies.

Sia featuring Sean Paul’s Cheap Thrills takes the crown as it is now a floor filler at any party, but sadly this is the only floor filler that joins the elite club of songs such as Pitbull featuring Kesha’s Timber and Enrique Iglesias featuring Gente De Zona and Descemer Bueno which makes anyone want to join the dancefloor. At a close second is Kungs vs. Cookin’ On 3 Burners’ This Girl and at third place is Major Lazer featuring Nyla and Fuse ODG’s Light it up. This is Major Lazer’s second stint at a top three position as the trio’s mammoth hit collaboration with DJ Snake and MØ’s Lean On topped the list last year.

New faces to the dance scene include DJs such as Kungs and Jonas Blue as well as artists such as Zara Larsson, Dawin, Anne Marie and Sofia Carson. Sean Paul, the kingpin of Dancehall has 6 entries on the list followed by Zara Larsson with 5, Calvin Harris, Fifth Harmony and Enrique Iglesias with 3 and Sia, Major Lazer, Pitbull, Flo Rida, Anne Marie, Meghan Trainor, Rihanna, AronChupa and Drake all having 2 entries each. So here are the 60 best dance hits of 2016 (yes, we are continuing with 60):

1. Sia ft. Sean Paul – Cheap thrills
2. Kungs vs. Cookin’ On 3 Burners – This girl
3. Major Lazer ft. Nyla & Fuse ODG – Light it up
4. Zara Larsson – Lush life
5. Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna – This is what you came for
6. Ariana Grande ft. Nicki Minaj – Side to side
7. Sak Noel & Salvi ft. Sean Paul – Trumpets
8. Pitbull ft. Enrique Iglesias – Messin’ around
9. RedOne ft. Enrique Iglesias, R.City, Shaggy & Serayah – Don’t you need somebody
10. Tinie Tempah ft. Zara Larsson – Girls like
11. Zara Larsson – Ain’t my fault
12. Jason Derulo – Get ugly
13. Flo Rida – My house
14. Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber & MØ – Cold water 
15. Justin Timberlake – Can’t stop the feeling!
16. Sean Paul ft. Dua Lipa – No lie
17. Jennifer Lopez – Ain’t your mama
18. AronChupa ft. Lil Sis Nora – Little swing
19. Rihanna ft. Drake – Work
20. Jay Sean ft. Sean Paul – Make my love go
21. G Girls – Call the police
22. Sofia Carson ft. J. Balvin – Love is the name
23. The Chainsmokers ft. Daya – Don’t let me down
24. Drake ft. WizKid & Kyla – One dance
25. Enrique Iglesias ft. Wisin – Duele el Corazón
26. Dizzee Rascal & Calvin Harris – Hype
27. Fifth Harmony – That’s my girl
28. David Guetta ft. Zara Larsson – This one’s for you
29. Anne Marie – Alarm
30. Pitbull – Freedom
31. Fifth Harmony ft. Ty Dolla $ign – Work from home
32. Clean Bandit ft. Anne Marie & Sean Paul – Rockabye
33. Hailee Steinfeld and Grey ft. Zedd – Starving
34. Zay Hilfigerrr and Zayion McCall – Juju on that beat (TZ Anthem)
35. Ricky Martin & Maluma – Vente pa’ca
36. 99 Souls ft. Destiny’s Child & Brandy – Girl is mine 
37. Krewella – Team
38. Calvin Harris – My way
39. Dawin – Dessert
40. Meghan Trainor – Me too
41. The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk – Starboy
42. Alexandra Stan – I did it, mama!
43. Little Mix ft. Sean Paul – Hair
44. Cheat Codes & Kriss Kross Amsterdam – Sex 
45. Zara Larsson – I would like
46. Iggy Azalea – Team
47. Flo Rida – Zillionaire
48. Meghan Trainor – No
49. Bruno Mars – 24K magic
50. Sia ft. Kendrick Lamar – The greatest
51. Jonas Blue ft. JB Cooper – Perfect strangers
52. Fifth Harmony – I’m in love with a monster
53. Galantis – No money
54. Inna – Rendez vous
55. Fergie – M.I.L.F. $
56. OMI ft. AronChupa – Drop in the ocean
57. Kygo ft. Maty Noyes – Stay
58. Jonas Blue ft. Raye – By your side
59. Sigala ft. John Newman & Nile Rodgers – Give me your love
60. Desiigner – Panda 

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

Greatest Hits of 2016

Attention!!!

2016 belonged to EDM, Dancehall and Reggae Fusion. Justin Bieber began the year at the top of the global charts, but it’s Drake whose mammoth collaboration One Dance with WizKid and Kyla that takes the crown this year as chart performance in most of Europe have already been tallied for Bieber’s Love Yourself for 2015. The smash hit collaboration which brought Dancehall into the mainstream also paved the way for veteran Sean Paul to emerge from the depths of the forgotten 2000s to reignite Reggae Fusion which he succeeded with collaborations with Sia on Cheap Thrills and Clean Bandit on Rockabye.

It was an awesome year for most genres. EDM evolved to a stage where Synthpop and Dancehall was incorporated to form a much mellowed tone than that which the previous years produced such as Progressive House. R&B did not entirely disappear from the mainstream as Rihanna’s newest album Anti produced her global hit Work another collaboration with Drake. Alternative Rock music also entered the mainstream once again in the form of Twenty One Pilots whose album Blurry Face is quite reminiscent of the bygone era of Linkin Park. Pop music took on a more tropical feel to keep up with the increasing popularity of Dancehall and Reggae.   

Social media and viral music proved once again to play a massive part in contributing to the mainstream charts. Young stars such as Alessia Cara and Troye Sivan amassed quite a following throughout the year as their hits managed to fare better with social media fame. Viral hits such as Zay Hilfigerrr and Zayion McCall’s Juju On That Beat and Rae Sremmurd ft. Gucci Mane’s Black Beatles surged to the top of the charts, the former with its unique dance moves and the latter fueled by the extremely popular Mannequin Challenge which was the next best thing after Donald Trump Memes in the last quarter of the year.

Soundtracks continued to be successful similar to 2015 where Justin Timberlake’s Can’t Stop The Feeling! from Trolls and almost the entire soundtrack of Suicide Squad particularly Twenty One Pilots’ Heathens faring extremely well on the global charts. We bade adieu to One Direction as the group went on a hiatus in early 2016 and Camila Cabello left Fifth Harmony just two weeks ago which may lead to the end of the girl group which only just received a proper mainstream following.

Justin Bieber has the highest number of entries with 4 followed by The Chainsmokers, Drake and Rihanna with 3 each and Zara Larsson, Twenty One Pilots, Sean Paul, Shawn Mendes, Ariana Grande, Adele and Selena Gomez all having two each on the list. So here are the best 50 songs of 2016 was compiled based on worldwide charts, sales and accolades received:

1. Drake ft. WizKid & Kyla – One dance
2. Justin Bieber – Love yourself
3. Sia ft. Sean Paul – Cheap thrills
4. The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey – Closer
5. Justin Timberlake – Can’t stop the feeling!
6. Rihanna ft. Drake – Work
7. Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber & MØ – Cold water 
8. Twenty One Pilots – Stressed out
9. Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna – This is what you came for
10. Mike Posner – I took a pill in Ibiza (SeeB Remix)
11. Lukas Graham – 7 Years
12. The Chainsmokers ft. Daya – Don’t let me down
13. Alan Walker – Faded
14. Zayn – Pillowtalk
15. DJ Snake ft. Justin Bieber – Let me love you
16. Shawn Mendes – Stitches
17. Twenty One Pilots – Heathens
18. DNCE – Cake by the ocean
19. Zara Larsson – Lush life
20. Adele – Hello
21. Clean Bandit ft. Anne Marie & Sean Paul – Rockabye
22. Fifth Harmony ft. Ty Dolla $ign – Work from home
23. Kungs vs. Cookin’ On 3 Burners – This girl
24. Rae Sremmurd ft. Gucci Mane – Black Beatles
25. James Arthur – Say you won’t let go
26. G-Eazy & Bebe Rexha – Me, myself & I
27. Pink – Just like fire
28. The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk – Starboy
29. Ariana Grande ft. Nicki Minaj – Side to side
30. Jonas Blue ft. Dakota – Fast car
31. Justin Bieber – Sorry
32. Desiigner – Panda
33. Gnash ft. Olivia O’ Brien – I hate u, I love u
34. Drake ft. Rihanna – Too good
35. The Chainsmokers ft. ROZES – Roses  
36. Zara Larsson & MNEK – Never forget you
37. Meghan Trainor – No
38. Flo Rida – My house
39. Little Mix – Shout out to my ex
40. Shawn Mendes – Treat you better
41. Bruno Mars – 24K Magic
42. Coldplay – Hymn for the weekend
43. Enrique Iglesias ft. Wisin – Duele el Corazón
44. Adele – Send my love (to your new lover)
45. Charlie Puth ft. Selena Gomez – We don’t talk anymore
46. Hailee Steinfeld & Grey ft. Zedd – Starving
47. Selena Gomez – Hands to myself
48. Ariana Grande – Dangerous woman
49. Alessia Cara – Here
50. Maroon 5 ft. Kendrick Lamar – Don’t wanna know 

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

Xposition - November, 2016

Attention!!!

The awards season is once again in full swing as the 2016 MTV Europe Music Awards was held in November, hosted by Bebe Rexha. Some good performances of the night were DNCE’s medley of Body Moves and Cake By The Ocean, Zara Larsson’s medley of Lush Life and Ain’t My Fault, The Weeknd’s Starboy and Bebe Rexha’s I Got You. Justin Bieber was the big winner of the night winning the Best Song for Sorry and for Biggest Fans. Martin Garrix, Shawn Mendes and Twenty One Pilots also received two awards each with Garrix receiving for Best Electronic Artist and Best World Stage Performance and Mendes receiving Best Male and Best Canadian Act, and Twenty One Pilots receiving Best Alternative and Best Live Act. Green Day was bestowed with the Global Icon Award. Some of the other significant wins included:

·         Best Video: The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk – Starboy

·         Best Female: Lady Gaga

·         Best New Act: Zara Larsson

·         Best Pop: Selena Gomez

·         Best Rock: Coldplay

·         Best Hip-Hop: Drake

·         Best Push Act: DNCE

·         Best UK Act: Little Mix

·         Best Norwegian Act: Alan Walker

·         Best Australian Act: Troye Sivan

·         Best US Act: Ariana Grande

Next up we have the 2016 American Music Awards hosted by Gigi Hadid and Jay Pharoah. Justin Bieber was the winner of the night grabbing four awards including Video of the Year for Sorry. Drake managed to garner 3 awards from his record-breaking 12 nominations and Rihanna too managed to take away 3 awards. However, Ariana Grande fended off heavyweights such as Adele and Bieber to seize the Artist of the Year award. The show opened with a fantastic performance by Bruno Mars of his newest hit single 24K Magic. There were also awesome performances by Fifth Harmony with That’s My Girl, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj with Side to Side, Twenty One Pilots with a medley of Stressed Out and Heathens, John Legend with Love Me Now and Lady Gaga with Million Reasons. The other significant wins include:

·         New Artist of the Year: Zayn

·         Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist: Justin Bieber

·         Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist: Selena Gomez

·         Favorite Pop/Rock Song: Justin Bieber – Love yourself

·         Favorite Pop/Rock Album: Justin Bieber – Purpose

·         Favorite Country Song: Tim McGraw – Humble and kind

·         Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Song: Drake – Hotline bling

·         Favorite R&B/Soul Song: Rihanna ft. Drake – Work

·         Favorite EDM Artist: The Chainsmokers

·         Top Soundtrack: Purple Rain

·         Collaboration of the Year: Fifth Harmony ft. Ty Dolla $ign – Work from home

·         Tour of the Year: Beyonce - The Formation World Tour 

The curtains closed on the Country Music Association Awards 2016 co-hosted by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley for the ninth consecutive year as the show celebrated its 50th edition. Beyonce made a special appearance at the CMAs where she performed her song Daddy Lessons taken from her newest album Lemonade alongside the Dixie Chicks. Moreover, Garth Brooks who won the coveted Entertainer of the Year performed a medley of hits including Jackson, Rose Garden and Golden Ring. Dolly Parton was bestowed with the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award before which Jennifer Nettles and the Pentatonix performed her hit Jolene followed by Reba McEntire singing 9 to 5. Some of the other significant wins included:

·         Song of the Year: Tim McGraw – Humble and kind (written by Lori McKenna)

·         Single of the Year: Thomas Rhett – Die a happy man

·         Album of the Year: Eric Church – Mr. Misunderstood

·         Male Vocalist of the Year: Chris Stapleton

·         Female Vocalist of the Year: Carrie Underwood

·         Vocal Group of the Year: Little Big Town

·         Musical Event of the Year: Dierks Bentley with Elle King – Different for girls

·         Pinnacle Award: Kenny Chesney

Forbes has released the list of highest paid women in music and it is none other than Taylor Swift who tops the list with a whopping US$ 170 million. Far behind Swift at second place is Adele with US$ 80 million. The rest are as follows:

3. Madonna – US$ 76.5 million

4. Rihanna – US$ 75 million

5. Beyonce – US$ 54 million

6. Katy Perry – US$ 41 million    

7. Jennifer Lopez – US$39.5 million

8. Britney Spears – US$ 30.5 million

9. Shania Twain – US$ 27.5 million

10. Celine Dion – US$ 27 million

It was a disappointing outcome for many artists as their endorsements of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton fell short, when Donald Trump triumphed at the 2016 Presidential Election. The likes of Beyonce, Jay-Z, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga supported Clinton and now will have to wait what happens when Trump takes oaths, if there will be repercussions for those who took sides in the bitter race.

BBC Music has revealed its long list of the Sound of 2017. The following 15 acts have been tipped for success next year. This annual list was compiled by 170 influential music industry experts where former winners include Years & Years, Sam Smith, Ellie Goulding, Keane and 50 Cent:

1. AJ Tracey
2. Anderson .Paak
3. Cabbage
4. Dave
5. Declan McKenna
6. Jorja Smith
7. Maggie Rogers
8. Nadia Rose
9. Rag 'n' Bone Man
10. Ray BLK
11. RAYE
12. Stefflon Don
13. The Amazons
14. The Japanese House
15. Tom Grennan

Meanwhile, legendary singer and songwriter Leonard Cohen passed away at the age of 82. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau led tributes to Cohen who was buried in a simple pine casket at a cemetery at Mount Royal in Montreal. 

Moving onto chart news, in the US the Chainsmokers’ featuring Halsey’s Closer reigned supreme for three weeks becoming the longest reigning number one of 2016 with 12 weeks at the top. However, Rae Sremmurd featuring Gucci Mane’s Black Beatles toppled the EDM duo in the final week of November to grab the crown. Black Beatles received a big boost from its usage in the viral Mannequin Challenge videos which sparked off from an October 26 tweet showing students at Jacksonville, Florida’s Edward H. White High School in mannequin poses (though that clip did not feature this song). Another viral rap song Juju On That Beat (TZ Anthem) by Zay Hilfigerr and Zayion McCall propelled through to the Top 10 after fan made videos flooded YouTube with its unique dance steps.

In the UK, Little Mix’s Shout Out To My Ex ruled for the first two weeks in November before being overthrown by Clean Bandit’s new single Rockabye which is a mammoth collaboration between Sean Paul and Anne Marie which continued to be at top for the remainder of the month. As Christmas week gets closer we get ready for the biggest battle on the UK Charts which is for the coveted Christmas Number One. The contenders were revealed at the end of November and of course on top we have the X Factor winner’s single which has grabbed the crown in the past but have also failed in the recent years. It would all depend on the winner as well as the song. It could also be a charity single which are always released during this time such as last year’s A Bridge Over You by Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir which claimed the number one with help from Justin Bieber who promoted the single despite his Love Yourself being removed from the top position.

Other songs which became popular during the month were:

1. Lady Gaga – Million reasons
2. Drake – Fake love
3. Maroon 5 ft. Kendrick Lamar – Don’t wanna know
4. Zara Larsson – I would like
5. NEIKED ft. Dyo – Sexual
6. Sigma ft, Birdy - Find me 

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!! 

Best New Artists of 2016

Attention!!!

This is the first of the year-end lists as we start the count down to the Greatest Hits of 2016. This year we witnessed a drove of immense talent flooding the industry. With varied genres and vocal ranges the acts ranged from solo artists to duos and groups. We have former reality/talent show contestants, former boy band members as well as social media enthusiasts. 

Taking the crown are Rock duo Twenty One Pilots who dominated the charts with their unique Alternative/Rap fusion style. They are followed by vocal powerhouse Zara Larsson whose songs went onto become global smash hits. At No.3 we have Shawn Mendes who is turning out to be the male counterpart of Taylor Swift with a gargantuan fan following. I have excluded the Chainsmokers from this list as they had their first hit #Selfie three years ago. So here are the Top 20 New Artists of 2016:   

1. Twenty One Pilots

They are an Alternative Rock duo that captured our hearts with Stressed Out and went onto score other popular hits such as Ride and Heathens.

2. Zara Larsson

She is a force to be reckoned with in the music industry as her hits Never Forget You, Lush Life, Ain’t My Fault and I Would Like were all global smash hits and she even collaborated with David Guetta and Tinie Tempah.

3. Shawn Mendes

This Canadian heartthrob speaks to prepubescents through his whiny and cheesy lyrics and he has had hits such as Stitches, Treat You Better and Mercy and also collaborations with Camila Cabello and The Vamps.

4. DNCE

Definitely the best Pop Rock band of this decade so far, their global smash Cake By The Ocean is now an anthem on the dancefloor and they have had hits such as Toothbrush and Body Moves.

5. Alan Walker

One of the most unique DJs of this decade who released his global chart topper Faded followed by Sing Me To Sleep and more recently Alone.

6. Daya

The Hideaway hit maker did not stop there, she collaborated with the Chainsmokers’ on their worldwide hit Don’t Let Me Down and again returned to the charts with Sit Still and Look Pretty.

7. Alessia Cara

Her anti-social hymn Here became a party hit over night and she went on to score with Wild Things and Scars To Your Beautiful.

8. G-Eazy

He’s the new white kid on the block, but his style of rapping is distinctive and his collaboration Me Myself & I with Bebe Rexha was a global hit and he has gone onto collaborate with Britney Spears and Grace.

9. Bebe Rexha

With powerful vocals she can sing as well as rap. Her single Me Myself & I alongside G-Eazy was a worldwide hit and she also spawned hits such as No Broken Hearts and I Got You.

10. MØ

Her Danish Indie Pop style doesn’t go unnoticed. Entering the mainstream from Major Lazer’s Lean On, she has now released hits such as Final Song, Kamikaze and Drum and also collaborating with Major Lazer again on Cold Water.

11. Zayn

This former One Directioner proved that he can stand on his own as he topped the charts with his debut single Pillowtalk and has also had hits such as Like I Would and It’s You.

12. Dua Lipa

As a vocal powerhouse she entered the mainstream with Be The One and Hotter Than Hell and then went on to score with Blow Your Mind (Mwah) and being featured on Sean Paul’s No Lie.

13. Troye Sivan

As a social media titan, Sivan’s followers will swallow anything and everything that he spews out; although his singles are good and Youth, Wild and Talk Me Down went onto become hits.

14. Louisa Johnson

She won the X Factor last year and entered the charts covering Bob Dylan’s Forever Young. She then collaborated with the Clean Bandit on their hit Tears and also her own hit So Good.  

15. Lukas Graham

They may be hyped up but their 7 Years was a mega hit around the world which they followed up with Mama Said and You’re Not There.

16. Anne Marie

Her hit Alarm took the charts by storm after which her collaboration with Clean Bandit and Sean Paul on Rockabye reached the summit worldwide.

17. Halsey

Her New Americana, Colours and Castle were all moderately successful but it was Closer, her collaboration with the Chainsmokers that propelled her to No.1 world over.

18. Calum Scott

He finished sixth on the ninth series of Britain’s Got Talent and released his audition song cover of Robyn’s Dancing On My Own which became a worldwide hit. 

19. Kiiara

Her bass heavy, trap style, rap became very popular through her hit Gold which was used by Apple to promote their Apple Watch. 

20. Nathan Sykes

He may have not earned the same popularity as his former band The Wanted but he did gain chart success with Over and Over Again, Give It Up and Famous. 

Till the next ensemble...

At Ease!!!

Best Songs About the Rich/Lush Life

Attention!!!

So on my recent trip to Macau, I witnessed firsthand how the rich and powerful in that part of Asia live their lives. Surrounded by the casinos and the glamorous hotels anyone gets carried away with the helipads, private jets, limousines, heated pools, branded showrooms and of course the service staff that is there to attend at your beck and call. The fancy lifestyles of the celebrities and the superficial lives of the elite who thrive on these little first world intricacies have been the subject of particular songs.

The following hits are all about the lush life. Crowning the list is Psy’s Gangnam Style which is one of the biggest hits of the decade and the first video to hit 1 billion views on YouTube (recently it passed 2 billion views). At second place is none other than hip-hop duchess Fergie with her worldwide hit Glamorous followed by Iggy Azalea’s Fancy. No specific genre stands out as it is a mishmash of genres ranging from Hip-Hop, Rap and Pop to Rock, K-Pop and even a song from a James Bond Soundtrack. So here are the top 15 songs about the rich/lush life: 

1. Psy – Gangnam style
2. Fergie ft. Ludacris – Glamorous
3. Iggy Azalea ft. Charlie XCX – Fancy 
4. Gwen Stefani ft. Eve – Rich girl 
5. Rich Gang ft. Young Thug & Rich Homie Quan – Lifestyle
6. Zara Larsson – Lush life 
7. Travie McCoy ft. Bruno – Billionaire 
8. Nickelback – Rockstar
9. Far East Movement ft. The Cataracs & Dev – Like a G6
10. Shania Twain – Ka-ching
11. Chamillionaire ft. Krayzie Bone – Ridin’
12. Flo Rida – Zillionaire 
13. Shirley Bassey – Diamonds are forever
14. Sheila E. – The glamorous life
15. Madonna – Material girl

Till the next chord...

At Ease!!!