Category: Song Of The Day

SONG OF THE DAY: Jenevieve X – “Scared”

It’s sad to realize that even though dance and house music originated in the United States, the majority of what becomes successful comes from the UK and Europe.? Filtering through a lot of US independent releases, you can kind of see why the 1 in 10 theory holds true – for every ten songs you listen to, there is one worth playing.? Well, “Scared” is definitely one worth listening to.? Darkly emotional, Jenevieve X’s song is almost a modern day dance version of No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak” both in lyrical content and vocal performance. The personal song tells of her current relationship and how she is afraid of what’s about to happen. It could easily connect with teenagers (along with adults), and with the current wave of EDM love on pop radio, this rhythmic track would be a great fit. The synth pop feel of the original is elevated in the Alus Nova remix, sounding like it was produced by Anything Box, except in 2013.?

Image Courtesy of Monitor Sound.

SONG OF THE DAY: Hardwell ft Matthew Koma – “Dare You”

After reaching the top spot on the DJ Mag list, all eyes are on the 25 year-old Hardwell to see what his next release is going to be. The day before the big announcement, he premiered “Dare You” with a live performance by Matthew Koma at his own Revealed label party. Buzz started quickly, as I started getting texts about it while it was happening. It’s easy to hear why, this is a step towards a full vocal, melodic song – going further than “Apollo” or “Never Say Goodbye” to create something that will work both in the big festivals and on commercial radio. Matthew Koma’s songwriting is top-notch, and just as he laid the ground work for Zedd’s major US crossover success with “Spectrum,” his emotional performance on “Dare You” strikes the same chord. This blend of banging club track and full-on vocal might just make this the song that takes Hardwell from the top of the DJ Mag chart to the top of the pop charts around the world.

Image Courtesy of Revealed.

SONG OF THE DAY: Bombs Away – “Better Luck Next Time”

I was talking to a record promoter on the phone and thought I was hearing my favorite track of the moment, Lazy Jay’s “On the Rocks,” playing in the background. When I asked what it was, it ended up being “Better Luck Next Time” by the Australian pranksters Bombs Away, the duo best known for their cartoon videos and party boy antics. “Better Luck Next Time” features the duo rapping and sounding like a cross between Example, Hypercrush and LMFAO with a bit of effected vocals (? la ’90s Daft Punk) over a commercial, yet progressive-sounding track. For me, it’s all about the genre-spanning mixes by Joel Fletcher (alternating trap, banging electro, and progressive phrases), a MOTi mix (full-on aggressive electro with staccato, accented vocal bits) and Reece Low (bounce and trap). It’s a solid package of tracks that just make the duo “explode” all over the world.