I didn’t think another duet would ever happen, and I don’t think they did either, but Peter Wilson and Sean Smith are back in magnificent form with their take on Robert Miles’ 1997 classic “One And One” from Peter’s new album Electricity. The Australian and British singers are solid talents in their own right, but something utterly unexpected and delightful happened with the release of their first duet, “Verona”, a few years back (check it out below if you don’t know it!). It’s a song that I still play frequently and reached #2 on my personal chart. This version of “One And One” doesn’t rely on Robert Miles’ original as its reference point, rather it dances a few years back to the heyday of Erasure for a fun, vibrant spin on early 90’s electropop, so feel free to dance your heart out. Both voices shine and one thing’s for certain – we must have more!
LUCAS ESTRADA, MATVEY EMERSON, JAMES CARTER and MKLA, “Never Leave You”
Veteran Swedish producer Lucas Estrada teams up with another master, Russian producer Matvey Emerson, as well as British producer James Carter – who I wrote about at the star of his career and is now keeping very good company – and fellow Torontonian, vocalist MKLA for “Never Leave You”. This song is as slick as it gets, given the global cadre of talent behind it, though it may take a few listens to really grab you. And that’s precisely why you can expect this song might pop up on your favourite dance music radio station sometime soon. It’s pure dance music goodness, minus any significant (and usually annoying) effects, and giving a real showcase to MKLA, whose vocal is effortless and memorable. Buoyant rhythms meet sparkling synths which help make “Never Leave You” really shine.
It is indeed the Ides of March, and I hope they bear good tidings on us for the rest of 2021. The year has started off well with music, and for the first time since 2014, this chart has had two number ones in a row that clocked up one appearance at the top each – the last to do this were the back-to-back #1’s “Latch” by Disclosure and Sam Smith, and “Proxy” by Martin Garrix.
So the successive one-two punch given by NOTD and Catello’s “Nobody” and “Like Gold” by Loud Luxury, Frank Walker and Stephen Puth yields to this chart’s new topper, “Synthesizer” by Faithless and vocalist Nathan Ball, which climbs 4-1. The veteran dance group would have had a #1 on this chart in 1997, had it existed when their classic “Insomnia” was released. That song became my#7 song of 1997.Not only are the music and arrangement in “Synthesizer” brilliant, but its wry lyrics catch you off guard and will make you smile while you’re singing.
“Lucid” by Rina Sawayama has been beaten to #1 by “Synthesizer”, but it moves up 3-2 anyway. Good luck to Rina at the Brit Awards – they recently got past some awkwardness and deemed her “British enough” to be included!
Illenium, Dabin and Lights have one of the biggest electronic dance songs in North America with “Hearts On Fire” (above), as it climbs 10-6. Illenium quickly included red hot “Mood” guy Iann Dior for his newest alt.rock flavoured release “First Time”, below.
The three latest arrivals to the Top 10 are “Jealous” (above) by French producer Wizzay climbing 11-8; Mahalo’s dance radio hit “Not Watching Anymore” (also above), up 12-9; and Brandyn Burnette’s “Airplane Mode” (below) which moves up 13-10. You can find Brandyn’s voice now at many Canadian Top 40 radio stations thanks to his appearance and co-write on “All Time”, with my fellow Canadians, producer Takis and Juno Awards nominated singer/songwriter Jamie Fine, also below.
Eyes are on the Top 10 in two weeks for electronic dance producer Jay Bird and vocalist Chrxstal Sarah with “Escape” (above), which jumps 17-11, as well as the Fastest Riser on the chart, which is the delightful ballad “Stories” (below) by Victor Perry with German producers Cal1 and L’essay, which soars 19-12. Watch for more new music on Friday from Victor with “Ready For Love”!
If you’re looking for a feel good, catchy dance pop song then “By Heart” by India’s DJ Shaan and vocalist/songwriter Londin Thompson is for you. It climbs 20-15.
While the rest of the chart is brimming with activity by some songs rising five or six places, I’ll catch up with them in two weeks in favour of the four newcomers to the chart.
Leading the new arrivals to the chart are two songs that I wrote about in a post about90’s house music being in comeback mode. With the Highest Debut at #25 it’s dynamic pairing of actor/producer Idris Elba and early 90’s house legends Inner City with the powerful and slick “No More Looking Back” (above), featuring a potent vocal by Steffanie Christi’an, whose voice is also heard throughout Inner City’s most recent album We All Move Together. And then at #26 is a song that has already become a surprise UK Top 5 hit for British producer Riton with the super fun “Friday” (below), featuring that classic sample from Nightcrawlers’ “Push The Feeling On” and additional vocals by Mufasa and Hypeman.
At #27 is the first chart appearance for Norwegian dance producer Dunisco with “When I Lost You”. The song is sung and co-written by “American Idol” Top 16 finalist Robbie Rosen, who recently appeared on the chart with “Fantasy” with Saxity and Victor Perry. This one is a banger with destination firmly targeted for the dance clubs when they resume.
Rounding out the chart at #28 is the first entry by Irish pop/rock artist Four Nights, which is actually the one person project by Tommy Buckley, called “Want You Always”. Its minimal production, keen vocal and 80’s pop flair are all winners in my book.
A reminder that the music from my chart and blog are featured regularly on the online radio station The New Radio GTA. You can hear their Big 20 on Wednesday evenings 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! I’m the new music consultant for the station so you can expect even more 🙂 You can start by joining Radio GTA’s new interactiveFacebook group too!!
View the full BILLCS Top 30right 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
“When is enough?” From its first thirty seconds, you’ll be pondering what is coming up next in the latest single by Spokane, Washington native BLAZAR along with co-producer DJ Chophead called “Enough”, for Anti-Fragile Music through Universal. Its immediate, brusque start may seem polarizing, but “Enough” is anything but that. There’s a lot of creativity in this production, which BLAZAR can describe himself for you quite aptly:
“The song is really about the zeitgeist of the world, we’ve all had enough, 2020 was hard, it felt like collective anxiety on a global level as we all sit in isolation.”
The music is a blend of rock with progressive electronica and effects, but strip away the latter and there’s a sincere melodic style that reflects on BLAZAR’s songwriting skills. Otherwise known as pop singer/songwriter Jerad Finck, BLAZAR previously won the grand prize in the USA Songwriting Championship, also won by the likes of Meghan Trainor and American Authors. Vocally, his now-edgy alt.rock style could blend in easily sandwiched between Green Day or grandson, and wins you over after the first minute thanks to some very touching, raw qualities. Overall “Enough” is intentionally quite a grab bag, but its ability to reach out to your senses and draw you in makes it a unique and promising listen.
Although he’s been making music for the better part of the last decade, you may have only encountered the music of Shuhandz recently, as it was for me with last year’s “Sweet Spot” with Mahalo. The L.A. producer definitely has a flair for the chill side of electronic dance music as would be evidenced by the original version of “Deliverance”. The recent remix by Joseph Thrash is less deliberately paced and much more fluid, kind of like a rhythmic and cinematic travelogue, which you can hear in music of similar producers like Tez Cadey and Cloudchord. I really appreciate the classical-oriented piano in “Deliverance” which really stands out and brightens the mix. This is hardly background music – there’s lots here to tweak your ears.
“Better For You” is spicy R&B/pop of a slightly different bent, with plenty of lounge jazz flavour from NYC Latinx singer/songwriter Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez. It’s a very pointed look at women who want to both desire someone and be desired, and questions men through this song why it has to be so complicated. Yes, “Better For You’ is all about sex and is designed to make men uncomfortable while also giving extra thought to what it’s saying to them. Raina has a classic pop style that surely draws from singers like Lena Horne, Judy Garland and Billie Holiday, while invoking a directness you hear in more contemporary singers like Pink and Amy Winehouse that doesn’t mince words to drive her messages home. “Better For You” is entertaining and provoking, proving the two can co-exist in one song.
I’m looking forward to seeing what the 2021 EuroVision song contest has to offer, having only watched it on TV for the first time two years ago, the first time it was shown in my country. I have been following Sweden’s Melodifestivalen contest for about 10 years, and this year is bringing back two of my favourites, both of whom I’ve written about many times, but both are on the comeback trail after some radio silence for a few years, and face off against each other in the upcoming finals. And for EuroVision, I have some words about the song that is Slovenia’s entry this year.
Eric Saade was on a huge roll 10 years ago with his engaging albums Saade Vol. 1 and Saade Vol. 2. These were led by the song “Popular”, which won Melodifestivalen, finished third at EuroVision, and was my #1 song of 2011. And smashing songs kept on coming, particularly “Hotter Than Fire” and “Backseat” (both reached #1 on my chart), plus other gems like “Made Of Pop”, “Sting”, “Fingerprints” and the strange but cool “Killed By A Cop”. After recording a few releases in Swedish, Eric is back with one of his most accomplished songs to date, “Every Minute”. His thoughtful and taut vocal leads a vibrant deep house track that recalls last year’s “Breaking Me” by Topic & A7S at times. The official video for the song is below.
Anton Ewald actually danced behind singers like Danny Saucedo for several years in Melodifestivalen, and then he broke out on his own with the Swedish #2 hit “Begging”, which finished 4th in Melodifestivalen that year. Again, numerous engaging singles followed like “Can’t Hold Back”, “This Could Be Something”, and “L.I.L.Y.”, all of which reached the Top 5 on my chart. His new song “New Religion”, starts off like a sultry ballad and then busts open into a rhythmic house arrangement. Anton’s enthusiasm for the song shines through and makes it a compelling if unconventional entry for Melodifestivalen, albeit with some slick choreography.
Both Eric and Anton have fierce competition from songs by The Mamas, Dotter, and Tusse, and while neither may win it is great to hear both gents back making fine pop songs.
Ana Soklič won the 2020 Slovenian song contest which didn’t take her to EuroVision because of the pandemic, so her win carries over to 2021 with the song “Amen”. Like others who have won or participated in EuroVision, 2021 could be a breakout year for the singer, who has been popular in Slovenia for more than 15 years. “Amen” is a gorgeous, hopeful ballad with a sweeping arrangement known to entice EuroVision audiences and juries. The lyrics were written by my friend and former EuroVision winner himself, Charlie Mason, who won in 2014 with Austria’s “Rise Like A Phoenix” (and previously had songs recorded by Eric Saade too). If it makes the finals, I will be happily rooting for “Amen” while I’m watching the event.
While American electronic producer ZAXX has been known in the past for his dynamic big room sets, as well as potent remixes for the likes of The Chainsmokers, Elephante, and 3LAU, his new song “CHAOS” is on a bit of a different bent. With some instrumentation that could be a sample from Martin Garrix’s “Animals” setting the stage, “CHAOS” is a throwback to the 2013-14 years after big room and high arpeggios made their mark, and producers were searching for more innovative, often techno-inspired rhythms. And when you have a song called “CHAOS”, expect some well-placed big drops. A huge future bass mid-section becomes the song’s main hook, around an affecting uncredited female vocal. No question, this song is supposed to be played very loud at clubs and festivals, and I hope DJ’s will remember to include “CHAOS” for maximum effect.
Following the redux of his own “Let You Go” and the ferocious techno-Italohouse of “Love Is Never Ever Wrong”, Italy’s DJ Mirko B is back with something more for your deep house palates, “Celebrate (The Love)”. It’s an early 90’s-inspired track that could pepper any deep house playlist, particularly ahead of any late evening romance. The uncredited vocal is appropriately luscious and sensuous, while the mix draws from some big name classics, but in versatile fashion carves out its own path for your distinct and immense enjoyment.
When you first hear “When We Love”, your initial reaction will be one of familiarity, but the good kind, based on classic pop-dance song structure. So undoubtedly Virginia producer LZRD and vocalist Sam Tinnesz are out to turn heads with “When We Love”. And it works just fine – the production is very European-oriented, with retro vibes from 10 years ago in particular, and Sam’s voice soaring with the best of them. Although LZRD has been releasing songs, and especially remixes (for names like Kygo and 3LAU, no biggie 😉 ), over the past few years, I know him from a throwback fave from 2016 that I still play a lot called “Take Me Apart” (which reached #5 on my chart). While I’m not familiar by name with Sam Tinnesz, judging by his credits, we probably all are, with numerous TV placements on dozens of shows, previous credits working with the likes of Super Duper, Yacht Money, and Built By Titan, and one song approaching 100 million streams. “When We Love” is magnetic and enjoyable, and you’ll want to keep spinning this one.
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