#BILLCSTop30 #616 – June 21/21

It’s officially summer in Canada and as things start to reopen, I expect there will be a need for more high energy dance music.  I’ve noticed that there are also a lot of personal and reflective songs being released because of people’s experiences in the pandemic.  But all of these songs should make it a quite interesting next few months!

Zipping back to #1 is Los Angeles-based producer Mahalo with “Got That Love”.  This one is all about the build up to the rollicking chorus, a bit different from what Mahalo has produced before, but I’m loving it all the same.  You’ll recall that Mahalo’s “Not Watching Anymore”, which just departed the chart, was #1 right before Idris Elba and Inner City’s “No More Looking Back” which held court for four appearances (eight weeks).  “Got That Love” is Mahalo’s third #1 on this chart.

Moving up 3-2  is Lordnox and Victor Perry’s “Myself In You”. This is a dance release that shows off Victor’s amazing range, and matches the #2 peak of his ballad from last year called “What I Deserve”. Victor’s latest concurrent chart entry, this time with French producer Kislaw, also moves up the chart.  “Slip Away” climbs 25-20.

Jessie Ware’s glorious “Please” soars 6-3 and matches the #3 peak of last year’s “Save A Kiss”, also from the What’s Your Pleasure album.  Jessie has been to #1 twice before, in 2014 with “Say You Love Me” and just before that with her appearance on Miguel’s reworked “Adorn”.

Also with its designs on #1 is “Sideways” by the excellent collaboration of Illenium, singer Valerie Broussard, and fellow producer Nurko.  From Illenium’s forthcoming album Fallen Embers, it climbs 15-7 to become Illenium’s 8th Top 10 entry.

 

Singer/songwriter Chris Blue gets his first Top 10 with “Moon” climbing 11-8.  I’m looking forward to hearing what this Season 12 winner of “The Voice” has coming up next!

Vancouver’s Glass Petals arrive in the Top 10 with “Heartbeat” rising 13-9.  It’s one of those great dance songs I referenced up top that you might not hear in a club yet but you can enjoy wholeheartedly before they reopen.

 

The same sentiments go for “I Want Love” by Gryffin in a punchy Cat Dealers remix that moves up 12-10.  The Brazilian brothers who are Cat Dealers will be touring North America, but just got hit with a setback with passport issues, so hopefully they will be resolved soon!

The Fastest Riser on the chart is the no holds barred rave up by Cash Cash and Alex Newell called “The Feels”.  It vaults 23-12 and is culled from Cash Cash’s new album Say It Like You Feel It.

Also making a bold move is Greyson Chance, who has also announced a fall North American tour that will be coming to a city near you!  From his upcoming album Trophies is the fun and seductive “Hellboy”, moving up 22-16.

The highest of four debuts belongs to Sweden’s Darin with his English-language pop/dance delight “Can’t Stay Away”, which arrives at #22.  It’s Darin’s first chart entry since 2010’s #8 “Lovekiller”, so a big ‘welcome back’ is in order!

Next up at #25 is Toronto indie teenage singer of Portuguese heritage who calls herself CMagic5. Her sultry new single “Love Me If You Can” deserves your attention with its incredibly catchy chorus.

Then at #27 there’s the first appearance on the chart for Dutch producer Regard with “You”. It’s a unique track boosted by excellent vocals from Troye Sivan (his 9th chart entry) and Canada’s Tate McRae, also appearing on the chart for the first time.

The final new addition to the chart is the beautiful new electropop song “Waves” by Belgian producer Anzano and go-to vocalist/songwriter Robbie Rosen at #28.  It’s Robbie’s fourth consecutive entry – though “Habits” departs after reaching #20, “When I Lost You” is still hanging in at #15 after peaking at #4. 

NEW!! I’m pleased to announce that I will be your weekend announcer on Halton Hills Online and Radio GTA starting in July for my show “Your Weekend Music Mix”.  The show will air Saturday and Sunday afternoons on Halton Hills Online and Saturday and Sunday evenings on Radio GTA.  Watch for it in less than two weeks!!

Planet Radio Canada has returned to the interwebs with ‘The Musicman’ James Rogers and his “3D Variety Show” each week for three hours of great music as well as a few features.  Listen to my New Music Pick of the Week (usually featuring a song on the chart) in the second hour of the show.  Tomorrow, the show will feature the music of The Bee Gees!  Planet Radio Canada’s “3D Variety Show” is simulcast on http://www.classichits.ca and http://www.radiogta.ca from 6 to 9 pm EST.

The music from this chart and blog are also featured regularly on the online radio station Radio GTA. You can hear their Big 20 on Wednesday evenings, also with ‘The Musicman’ James Rogers, and listen for songs from the chart too 🙂Scroll down the station’s main page to listen to lots of variety from across the decades!   You can start by joining Radio GTA’s new interactive Facebook group too!!

View the full BILLCS Top 30 right here!  Click on the hyperlink on the song titles to hear the songs or watch the videos!

Listen to the BILLCS Top 30 Songs on Spotify! Click on this link to take you there, and follow me on Spotify: BILLCS Top 30 Songs

Check out and ‘like’ the BILLCS Music Projects Facebook page 🙂

 

 

Producer @YungBae pairs up with rapper @Channel_Tres for disco and hip hop flavoured electronica of “Wonder”

YUNG BAE and CHANNEL TRES, “Wonder”

Yung Bae’s recent single with UPSAHL called “Woman On The Moon” had its lens on alternative flavoured pop, and his latest release “Wonder” couldn’t be anything more different.  This time with Compton rapper Channel Tres taking the vocal reins, the Portland, Oregon native has opted for a semi-sung hip hop song that charges right in with disco lights and mirror ball ablaze! I could be wrong but I think there is a sample in there too that helps drive the song with its orchestral melody.  “Wonder” is very well crafted, with interesting lyrics and vocal that don’t come off too heavy.  I guess the best thing to bear in mind with the music of Yung Bae is to expect the unexpected and ride those cool grooves.

Quebec’s @Kayliox is back with the chic house groove of “Lighter” with American singer @JessicaChertock

KAYLIOX x JESSICA CHERTOCK, “Lighter”

After a few rough relationships, we usually change our focus and start looking for someone better.  “Lighter”, by Quebec City native Kayliox and NYC singer/songwriter Jessica Chertock, chronicles that search and zeros in on someone who has that special light inside them.  We already had a splendid taste of Kayliox’s rich house, melodic sound earlier this year with “Lost Control” featuring the voice of Victor Perry.  Jessica Chertock’s lovely voice and adds the golden touch to this production to make it a winner. The song is co-written by her with best buddy Jesse Blumenfeld, and its hopeful lyrics and gentle strokes are exactly what music lovers need right now.  Expect more great things from both Kayliox and Jessica very soon!

Boston’s @AlmostOwenmusic returns with post-pandemic anthem “State of Mind”

ALMOST OWEN, “State of Mind”

I’ve written about the music of Boston’s indie alt.rocker Almost Owen several times over the past few years. He’s an inventive songwriter, singer and musician who has unique perspectives on life that get translated into song.  I didn’t connect with many of his songs last year, but “State of Mind” is a refreshing and joyous anthem that he wrote as a way to break out of the pandemic rut that we’ve all experienced.  The video is bright and uplifting, and we now get to see an updated visual side of Almost Owen that only makes you want more.  I particularly like his vocal in “State of Mind”, it seems to have drawn some soulful inspiration from Jamie Foxx’s “Blame It”.  All I can ask is for more songs like “State of Mind” please!

Serbian producers @Vantizofficial bring you soulful and alluring deep house track “Preach”

VANTIZ, “Preach”

Serbian production duo Vantiz have been known over the past few years for their live performances, having played some of the best of them thus far like TomorrowLand, as well as the Ibiza club circuit, and a month long tour in China.  “Preach” is deep down soulful house music, with an alluring uncredited vocal that’s likely a royalty-free “splice” sample, as I’ve heard it before in GRAEY’s “High There”.  Regardless, it’s a very well placed sample, and the guys structure a balanced and ear-catching song with lots of big synths and beats around it.  Vantiz has ongoing support from some of the best like Showtek, Fedde LeGrand and Firebeatz, so a welcome back to live performances is imminent.

Acclaimed electronic producer Moby @thelittleidiot returns with new album Reprise featuring reworks of his songs like “Natural Blues” with @GregoryPorter and @AmythystKiah

MOBY featuring GREGORY PORTER and AMYTHYST KIAH, “Natural Blues” (reprise)

Much respected electronic dance producer Moby caps a 30 year music career with a new album called Reprise. It reworks many of his more popular songs such as “We Are All Made Of Stars” and “Go”, and features such diverse talent as Kris Kristofferson, Skylar Grey, and on “Natural Blues”, Grammy Award winning jazz/R&B singer Gregory Porter and Grammy-nominated Americana singer Amythyst Kiah of the group Our Native Daughters. You’ll remember  that the hook of the original 2000 version of “Natural Blues” revolved around a sample of classic Blues singer Vera Hall’s “Trouble So Hard”. And while the sample is included in this new take, the potent voices of Gregory and Amythyst take centre stage in an orchestral setting and truly elevate the song. While I will always appreciate the innovation of the original “Natural Blues” 20 years ago, this new version joins it in kind of a tie as my second favourite Moby song (next to the remix of 1995’s “Every Time You Touch Me”). Congratulations to Moby for taking “Natural Blues” to this unexpected next level.

Watch out for Toronto’s @_MaxParkermusic with pop earworm “Good Time”

MAX PARKER, “Good Time”

You won’t find a much more ear-catching pop tune around than “Good Time” by new Toronto pop singer/songwriter Max Parker.  This one is already being played nationally on radio in Canada, much thanks to Max being named as an iHeart Radio Future Star.  Max also previously had one of his songs featured among the Top 12 of one of CBC Radio’s previous Music Searchlight competitions.  So it’s quite clear that  his talent is shining through the rest, and comparisons to the music of fellow Canucks Tyler Shaw, Johnny Orlando or even Justin Bieber are not unwarranted.  Max Parker is definitely one to watch in 2021.

“Secrets” is crisp, tidy house music from Ireland’s @LeeJamesmusic and English/Irish duo @Gold88music

LEE JAMES and GOLD 88, “Secrets”

While there are a lot of dance music songs that are now much shorter than they used to be in today’s busy music market, a song that’s under three minutes will still get significant notice if it’s tightly packed with all kinds of musical goodness. And the less-is-more theory suits “Secrets” by Ireland’s Lee James and English/Irish producers Gold 88 just fine.  Lee is a popular DJ in Ireland, still in his teens, and he’s got great symmetry with duo Gold 88, who also recently released one of my new favourites called “Give Me That” with Charlie Lane and Kate Wild.  “Secrets” is as crisp and tidy that a house track could be in 2:23 but it’s elongated to 3:07  for clubs, and has a well-kept secret of its own with a sparkling vocal from an uncredited female singer. 

“Daisies” is a bright, shiny delight from L.A. singer/songwriter RayeRobinson @itsjustraye

RAYE ROBINSON, “Daisies”

L.A.’s Raye Robinson is out to charm you with her new single “Daisies” from an upcoming EP called Crushes & Love Songs.  “Daisies” puts her in a bright, sometimes comical “he loves me, he loves me not” setting, and the song melodically transports me back to classic early 1970’s pop songs sung by Karen Carpenter, Carly Simon and others.  Looking to more contemporary vocal comparisons, Lily Allen and Katy Perry (she of another “Daisies” song) come to mind. Wherever your thoughts might take you, there’s no denying the hook and vocal prowess of “Daisies” should be enough to get Raye Robinson some attention from key music industry tastemakers.

Pittsburgh-based indie singer/songwriter Bishop Ivy brings touching new pop single “tunnel vision”

BISHOP IVY, “tunnel vision”

Set to a soothing, lilting melody that will stay stuck in your head, Pittsburgh indie singer/songwriter Bishop Ivy returns with “tunnel vision”. This song finds the protagonist in the dilemma where he can’t bring himself to let go of a relationship.  Many other listeners will truly relate as the song starts off as more of a narrative that gradually becomes more affecting right down to the distorted vocal near the end. “tunnel vision” is not the first I’ve heard from Bishop Ivy, in fact his songwriting has grown considerably compared to the others that I’ve heard over the past few years. With songs like “tunnel vision”, Bishop Ivy is sure to find fans who appreciate his down-to-earth style that comes complete with several twists.