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!!!

Xposition - October, 2016

Attention!!!

Summer has come and gone and Drake’s One Dance clearly ruled the roost. What will be interesting to see is if the gargantuan hit will close 2016 as the year-end No.1. It does seem to have stiff competition from Sia’s Cheap Thrills, Justin Bieber’s Love Yourself, Rihanna’s Work and The Chainsmokers’ Closer.

The Voice UK has announced its judges for the 2017 edition. Fan favorite Sir Tom Jones is back along with new comers lead singer from the rock band Bush Gavin Rossdale and Academy Award winner and American Idol alumni Jennifer Hudson.

The award season is once again upon us as BBC Radio 1 Teen Awards 2016 was held in October. Taylor Swift, Shawn Mendes, The Vamps and Adele were among the big winners:

·         Most Entertaining Celeb – Taylor Swift

·         Best International Group – 5 Seconds of Summer

·         Best British Group – The Vamps

·         Best British Solo Artist – Adele

·         Best International Solo Artist: Shawn Mendes

·         Best Single: Shawn Mendes – Stitches

The 2016 MTV Europe Music Awards nominations have been released with Beyonce and Justin Bieber leading the pack with five nods each. Rihanna, Adele and Coldplay have four nods each. For best song we have heavyweights Adele’s Hello, Bieber’s Sorry, and Rihanna’s Work against underdogs Lukas Graham’s 7 Years and Mike Posner’s I Took A Pill in Ibiza.

Next up the 2016 American Music Awards nominations were released with Drake breaking a 32-year record for the most number of nominations with 13 nods, beating Michael Jackson’s previous high mark of 11 from 1984. If he wins any of the categories it will make his first win. Rihanna was just behind Drake with 7 nominations followed by Adele and Justin Bieber with 5 nods each.

Lily Allen was at the receiving end of a rampage of social media and mainstream media backlash as she apologized on behalf of UK to a youth refugee from Afghanistan while visiting Calais Jungle camp. Allen who took a break from recording her next album, visited the refugee camp in France and during an interview with a 13-year old broke down and said “We’ve bombed your country, put you in the hands of the Taliban and now put you in danger of risking your life to get into our country. I apologize on behalf of my country. I’m sorry for what we have put you through.” The backlash centered on how she is privileged wealthy and that these are crocodile tears coupled by that she cannot apologize on behalf of UK as she can only represent herself.

At the 11^th Annual Billboard Women in Music Madonna will be felicitated as Billboard’s 2016 Woman of the Year. She achieves this accolade after she extended her record as the highest grossing female touring artist of all time with her recently concluded Rebel Heart tour. She also continues her reign as the best-selling female recording artist of all time.

The 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature, the last of the esteemed Nobel Prize to be awarded in the calendar was bestowed on Bob Dylan. This marks the first time the prize has been awarded to someone primarily seen as a musician.

Meanwhile, Selena Gomez cancelled the remaining dates on her Revival tour as she checked into a rehab facility outside Nashville, Tennessee to deal with her anxiety, panic attacks and depression. The singer also suffers from lupus and went into rehab in 2014 to treat her auto immune disease.

Probably the best news of the month came at the end as ABBA, one of the best-selling musical acts of all time have announced a reunion. The quartet is to return in 2018 and according to sources will be a groundbreaking venture using the latest digital and virtual technology.  

Moving onto chart news, in the US the Chainsmokers’ featuring Halsey’s Closer reigned supreme throughout the month accumulating altogether 9 weeks at the top and tying for the highest number of weeks at the top alongside Drake’s One Dance. The duo’s collaboration seems unstoppable as the song topped all three formats of the Billboard Hot 100 – Radio, Sales and Streaming. The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk’s Starboy, DJ Snake featuring Justin Bieber’s Let Me Love You, Gnash featuring Olivia O’ Brien’s I Hate U I Love U, Ariana Grande featuring Nicki Minaj’s Side to Side and D.R.A.M. featuring Lil Yachty’s Broccoli all entered the top 10 during the month.

Throughout October people were dancing to the PPAP Song by Pikotaro. This song also known as the Pen Pineapple Apple Pen Song reached monumental viral status as it was trending throughout the month. As a result of the popularity it reached No.77 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the shortest song on the chart’s history with a length of only 45 seconds.

In the UK, James Arthur ended The Chainsmokers’ rule with his comeback hit Say You Won’t Let Go which ruled for three weeks before being overthrown by Little Mix’s Shout Out To My Ex, the lead single taken from their newest album Glory Days. Throughout the month, Bruno Mars’ 24K, The Weeknd’s Starboy and Hailee Steinfeld’s Starving and Niall Horan’s This town all entered the top 10.  

Other songs which became popular during the month were:

1. Zay Hilfiger & Zayion McCall – Juju on that beat (TZ anthem)
2. Fifth Harmony – That’s my girl 
3. Alessia Cara – Scars to your beautiful 
4. Rihanna – Love on the brain 
5. The Chainsmokers ft. Phoebe Ryan – All we know
6. Shawn Mendes – Mercy 

Till the next beat...

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!!!

Xposition - September, 2016

Attention!!!

September started off with a surprise gift from the Black Eyed Peas as they released a new version of Where is the love? stylized as #WHEREISTHELOVE featuring The World. Although it is exciting to see the quartet back together, it is not in any way leading to another album. The new release features additional vocals from Justin Timberlake, Jamie Foxx, Ty Dolla $ign, Mary J. Blige, Diddy, Cassie, Andra Day, The Game, Tori Kelly, V. Bozeman, Jessie J, French Montana, DJ Khaled, Usher, Nicole Scherzinger, ASAP Rocky, Jaden Smith and a 40-member children's choir. All proceeds from the song will go to will.i.am's non-profit foundation, i.am.angel., a which charity funds educational programs and college scholarships. 

As summer draws to a close the UK and the US have released their songs of the summer lists, as the figures of streaming, sales and airplay are finalized. Drake ft. WizKid & Kyla’s One Dance takes the top spot in both countries as it flooded the dancefloors, radios and clubs throughout the summer worldwide. The top ten in the UK are as follows:

1. Drake ft. WizKid & Kyla – One Dance
2. Kungs vs. Cookin’ On 3 Burners – This girl
3. Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna – This is what you came for
4. Drake ft. Rihanna – Too good
5. Calum Scott – Dancing on my own
6. Justin Timberlake – Can’t stop the feeling!
7. The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey – Don’t let me down
8. Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber & MØ – Cold water
9. Clean Bandit ft. Louisa Johnson – Tears
10. Jonas Blue ft. JP Cooper – Perfect strangers

Leading the annual Song of the Summer chart in the US from start to finish, Drake grabbed the coveted crown after staying at the top for all 14 weeks. It’s the third song this decade to rule from start to finish, following Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX’s Fancy and Katy Perry ft. Snoop Dogg’s California Gurls. The top ten in the US are as follows:

1. Drake ft. WizKid & Kyla – One Dance
2. Justin Timberlake – Can’t stop the feeling!
3. The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey – Don’t let me down
4. Sia ft. Sean Paul – Cheap thrills
5. Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna – This is what you came for
6. Desiigner – Panda
7. Rihanna – Needed me
8. Twenty One Pilots – Ride 
9. Fifth Harmony ft. Ty Dolla $ign – Work from home
10. Adele – Send my love (to your new lover) 

On 7th September 2016 the music video of Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth’s See You Again entered the exclusive 2 billion views club which logically means that more than a quarter of the world’s population has watched it. Taken from the Furious 7 soundtrack it was dedicated as a tribute to Paul Walker who died in a tragic car accident months before the completion of the movie. This video follows K-Pop viral sensation Gangnam Style by PSY which first hit the 2 billion mark back in 2014. 

Moving on to reality TV news, after a drought of four years, a singer has won America’s Got Talent. Twelve year-old singer, songwriter and ukuleleist Grace VanderWaal won the 11th season of AGT beating psychic duo The Clairvoyants and magician Jon Dorenbos. She is the second female and the second child act to win in the show’s history. 

The Latin Grammys 2016 nominations are in and leading the way with four nods each are Colombian star Fonseca nominated for two albums: Conexion up for Album of the Year and Homanje (A La Musica De Diomedes Diaz) up for Best Cumbia/Vallenato Album along with Mexican duo Jesse & Joy, Brazilian singer/songwriter Djavan, sound engineer Ricardo Lopez Lalinde and producer/engineer Julio Reyes Copello (the last two for their work with Fonseca, Andres Cepeda and Diego Torres). Marc Anthony has been named the 2016 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year who will be honoured during Latin Grammy week on November 16, the night before the awards ceremony in Las Vegas. 

Selena Gomez has been accumulating her fan base on a monumental scale as she becomes the first person to reach 100 million Instagram followers. Meanwhile, Lady Gaga released her latest single Perfect Illusion accompanied by a less than mediocre video, as the lead single off her highly anticipated upcoming fifth studio album Joanne. The Weeknd who’s last album Beauty Behind The Madness, which has been certified multi-platinum worldwide, announced that his next album will be called Starboy.

Omarion and DJ Mustard have been sued by BMG Rights Management for intellectual property rights infringement for a whopping USD 300,000. Back in 2014, Jon Redwine penned a song called Came To Do for Chris Brown and assigned 50% of the rights to BMG which was produced by Nic Nac. BMG alleges that Omarion’s most successful hit to date Post To Be, a collaboration with Chris Brown and Jheine Aiko is a sampling of the music from Came To Do. The lawsuit is not only seeking damages but BMG is also seeking an injunction to prevent Omarion from performing the song and preventing any sales and/or airplay. 

Moving on to chart news, in the US, the reign of Sia ft. Sean Paul’s Cheap Thrills came to an end as The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey’s Closer took over and remained at the top for the rest of the month. The Chainsmokers succeed on their fourth attempt to reach the top after #Selfie in 2013 and Roses in 2015 and Don’t Let Me Down in 2016. Meanwhile, they are the first duo to reach the top since Macklemore & Ryan Lewis in 2013 and also the first EDM song to top the chart since Baauer’s Harlem Shake in 2013. During the month Twenty One Pilots’ Heathens rose to a peak of No.2 and Ride ascended to No.5. Moreover, Shawn Mendes’ Treat You Better and Charlie Puth ft. Selena Gomez’s We Don’t Talk Anymore entered the top 10. In addition Drake’s One Dance ended its monumental run at the top and inside the top 10 as it exited the top 10 during the month, ending Drake’s streak of 51 consecutive weeks in the Top 10. With this feat Drake becomes the best streak ever by a male artist to remain within the top 10, second among all acts only to Katy Perry’s 69-week run in 2010-2011. 

In the UK, Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber & MØ’s Cold Water continued its stay at the top extending its reign to five weeks but The Chainsmoker’s Closer grabbed the top spot in the UK as well and remained there for the rest of the month. During the month Martin Garrix ft. Bebe Rexha’s In The Name Of Love, Sia ft. Kendrick Lamar’s The Greatest, Ariana Grande ft. Nicki Minaj’s Side To Side and James Arthur’s Say You Won’t Let Go all entered the top 10.

Other songs which became popular during the month were:

1. Calvin Harris – My way
2. Zara Larsson – Ain’t my fault 
3. Dua Lipa – Blow your mind (mwah)
4. D.R.A.M. ft. Lil Yachty – Broccoli
5. Hailee Steinfeld ft. Grey & Zedd – Starving 

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!

Best of Today’s First Dance Songs for Weddings

Attention!!!

Weddings are hectic, chaotic and extremely stressful. However, there are moments during this joyous occasion that are romantic and one such instance is the First Dance. The first dance is a precious moment that the couple shares at a wedding sometimes to their song but mostly to trending love songs that are about holding each other for the rest of eternity or loving some one with their whole heart and soul. The following ten songs are handpicked from this decade as the most popular ones on the dance floor by most newly betrothed and out of that Christina Perri's A Thousand Years is the most hyped up and loved by all. More recently we have Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud storming the dance floors at weddings. Only One Direction has two entries on the list. So here are the top 10 of today's best first dance songs for weddings:  

1. Christina Perri ft. Steve Kazee – A thousand years part 2

This sappy yet romantic love song was initially written as a solo version for the fourth installment of the vampire love fest movie series – Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1. Perri re-recorded the song as a duet along with her husband Steve Kazee for the fifth installment of the series – Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2. While her solo version fared better on the charts, it is the duet version that is ideally cheesy for weddings.

Pick of the Lyrics: “I have loved you for a thousand years, I’ll love you for a thousand more.”

2. Ed Sheeran – Thinking out loud

A fan favorite at weddings and is indeed Sheeran’s legacy as an artist. This global smasher is taken from his album x, and has gone on to break chart records as well as earning the Song of the Year at the 58th Grammy Awards. It is one of the best-selling singles of all time and is now a clichéd first dance song at weddings

Pick of the Lyrics: “Maybe we found love right where we are”

3. Birdy – Wings

This is definitely the best song on the list and one of my favorites of all time. The haunting yet melodious vocals of Birdy can take the bride and groom to the most romantic atmosphere possible. This song describes a precious moment between a couple and what moment is better than the first dance at a wedding.

Pick of the Lyrics: “We’d remember tonight. For the rest of our lives”

4. Rihanna – Diamonds

This powerful love ballad is now one of the best-selling singles of all time. Penned by Sia Furler the song captures the essence of the backdrop needed for the first dance and this coupled by Rihanna’s vocals can take any grinch to a romantic place. 

Pick of the Lyrics: “So shine bright tonight, you and I, we're beautiful like diamonds in the sky”

5. One Direction – Night changes

This moderately successful hit for One Direction was the last featuring Zayn Malik who left the band to pursue a solo career few months later. A very mellow and slow paced track which sets the romantic mood perfectly for the first dance. 

Pick of the Lyrics: “Even when the night changes, it will never change me and you”

6. John Legend – All of me

This extremely whiny yet somewhat romantic song was a dedication by Legend to his wife Chrissy Teigen. It has goo-goo-gaga all over it and a note of caution as barfing from an overdose of love-sickening madness may be the result at the end of it. 

Pick of the Lyrics: “Give your all to me, I'll give my all to you, you're my end and my beginning”

7. Lindsey Stirling ft. Alisha Popat – We found love

Although the original is an uptempo EDM dance collaboration by Rihanna and Calvin Harris, Stirling managed to produce this masterful string cover with an African flavor. Stirling’s violin interludes are brilliant and provides the perfect rhythm for the first dance. 

Pick of the Lyrics: “We found love in a whole new place”

8. Thomas Rhett – Die a happy man

This is Rhett’s biggest hit to date. With a hint of Country flavor backing the track, the song does not go overboard with any hillbilly antics. With an almost acoustic feel to the song, Rhett’s calm and cool vocals is what all couples want to destress them during that first awkward dance.

Pick of the Lyrics: “Oh, if all I got is your hand in my hand, baby, I could die a happy man”

9. Ellie Goulding – Love me like you do

If you want a song that is gushing barfworthy lyrics throughout, then this is the first dance song you want. Taken from the controversial Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack, it is Goulding’s best-selling single to date. 

Pick of the Lyrics: “I'll let you set the pace, cause I'm not thinking straight, my head's spinning around I can't see clear no more”

10. One Direction – Perfect

This is one of the more mature songs by One Direction released as a quartet after Malik’s departure. Commercially it enjoyed moderate success but won critical acclaim. The song is reminiscent of a love song from the 90s or 2000s such as those from Edwin McCain.

Pick of the Lyrics: “If you like to do whatever you've been dreaming about, then baby, you're perfect”

Till the next beat...

At Ease!!!