Not usually known for smooth pop tracks, Steve Aoki is continuing to fight my attempt to put his style in a nice, tidy box. His new one, All Night, is the type of chill, vocal driven EDM that you'd expect from a Zedd or Martin Garrix. Lauren Jauregui (of 5th Harmony) did everything in her power on the track below to get on the GWDJ radar. Her calm, sultry vocals are exactly what the steady, rhythmic beat needed. Keep an ear out for this one on top 40 and join me in continuing to re-evaluate preconceived notions on the music Aoki is capable of making...#AllNight
Here's another one that admittedly slipped through the GWDJ cracks. Given the novelty of Steve Aoki, Ma$e, and Big Gigantic getting together on a track together, I have no idea how I missed it. Generally Steve's brand of EDM is hit or miss with my tastes, but this one kicks a whole lot of a$$. That sax breakdown post-drop from Big Gigantic alone is worth the price of admission. Beyond that, it was dope hearing some vintage M-A-$-E on the mic. His buttery smooth delivery hasn't changed a bit over the years and it's kind of crazy how well it works when layered on top of the craziness that Steve Aoki put together on $4,000,000. Chances are you've already seen this ebb and flow out of your playlists, but in case you're like me and missed it, don't let this one slip by any longer...#4000000
Steve Aoki & Bad Royale feat Ma$e & Big Gigantic - $4,000,000
It was bound to happen at some point, but this week there's a rare top five filled with all music. Leading the way was Snakehips and MØ's in studio cover of Childish Gambino's Redbone. I'll admit, it was a lot jazzier than I thought it would be, which was a cool surprise. After that there was a little bit of dark EDM (I Love You) and a little bit of fun EDM (Just Hold On) brought to you by Axwell Λ Ingrosso, and Steve Aoki. Both were cases where I got to re-live two songs I really like and had written about previously, but in more intimate ways.
If you were wondering whether Bebe Rexha was as good looking as her vocals led you to believe, you got a resounding answer to that question in her FFF video. Her and G-Eazy make for a dynamic duo and their chemistry is palpable. And if you haven't gotten a big enough dose of sexy, Jeremih has you covered on I Think of You. As a bit of icing on the cake, this week's top five ended on a high note with a roller skating dance video. Who doesn't love a good Hip Hop video at a roller rink??...#IThinkOfYou
Childish Gambino - Redbone (Snakehips & MØ Cover)
Axwell Ingrosso feat Kid Ink - I Love You (Video)
Steve Aoki feat Louis Tomlinson - Just Hold On (Video)
Bebe Rexha feat G-Eazy - FFF (Video)
Jeremih feat Big Sean and Chris Brown - I Think of You (Video)
For the first time in a while, this week's top five was directly centered around late night. Three out of the five videos had ties to either SNL or Fallon or both in one case. Led by Aziz Ansari's stellar opening monologue, this week started off with a bang. I don't think anyone could have appropriately summed up what everyone was thinking about Trump being elected than he did. Then, Steve Aoki and Louis Tomlinson showed why their new song, Just Hold On, is skyrocketing up EDM charts as we speak. And to wrap up the late night stuff in a nice neat little bow, Big Sean went on Fallon to talk about his first appearance on SNL. #FullCircle
If you need a music fix, Louis the Child has your back with a fiery new video for their new single with Evalyn. It's apropos because anything Louis touches is white hot fire right now *spoiler alert their new single released today is dope*. And last but certainly not least is a video that got me hype as hell. Being from Indiana, I've been to the big race a few times. I've only been once since they went full on EDM with the Snake Pit, but this year's lineup is more than worth the price of admission. The trio of Zedd, marshmello, and RL Grime is about as dope as it gets for a one day lineup. If you're on the fence about going, the fence should now be like a mile behind you because you're sprinting to get tickets...#SnakePit
Aziz Ansari SNL Monologue
Steve Aoki & Justin Tomlinson Perform Little Things on Fallon
When I think of the craziness of Steve Aoki's music, dance ballads don't usually come to mind. That being said, his new collaboration with Louis Tomlinson (of One Direction) is straight fire. It's squarely targeted at Top 40 radio, but that's more of a testament to how incredibly catchy it is. Between the Soca rhythms, chanting, and steady release of good vibes, Just Hold On has plenty to latch onto. You won't get the mind-numbing drops or speaking rattling bass, but there's good reason for the track already ascending to #1 in the U.K....#JustHoldOn
Skewing a bit heavy on the EDM videos this week, but that's not a problem when they bring the type of energy that the three videos below do. Leading the way is another visual for DJ Snake's Middle featuring a superhero you'd want to cheer for in Josh Hutcherson. You might remember him from Hunger Games? You also might remember this other video for DJ Snake's Middle. Tough call on which is better, but as much as I lot the plot of the the new video, it's hard to argue against Lexi Panterra.
Both collective groups of Steve Aoki/Headhunterz and Baauer/M.I.A./G-Dragon made a convincing case for top music video of the week. If you like extreme sports and balls to the wall EDM, you'll probably side with the Aoki/Headhunterz side. Still, it's hard to go against the bangin' Middle Eastern samples that Baauer brought with his glow stick heavy video for Temple. Aside from music, there were a few Fallon sightings. First, the legendary Roots crew flexed some Irish accents and Black Thought rocked out a few freestyles, which was cool. Brining up the caboose this week was Jesse Eisenberg's spot on Fallon where he talks his basketball game and time spent on the Batman vs Superman set. Rotten Tomatoes still doesn't have a read on the movie, but I'm cautiously optimistic that the movie will be a good watch...#BatmanvSuperman
DJ Snake feat Bipolar Sunshine - Middle (Video)
The Roots Freestyle Improv on Fallon
Steve Aoki & Headhunterz – Feel (The Power of Now) (Video)
While I wouldn't call Steve Aoki my favorite EDM artist, I can't help but respect his ability to keep churning out great albums. I don't think anyone would question how stacked from front to back both Neon Future and Neon Future II ended up being and now we're lucky enough to get a 28 track compilation of new tracks and the best of the first two discs.
Neon Future Odyssey is like getting to watch all three Hunger Games at once with bonus scenes added. And here's one of the best bonus scenes featuring the uber talented Borgore. Phenomena is a fun progressive house track with a bubbly chord progression that will suck you right in. Even though it follows the formulaic build up, drop, rinse and repeat, the jubilant synths are what you'll end up remembering. If you're interested in hearing the massive compilation in its entirety, head on over to Soundcloud and turn up the volume...#NeonFutureOdyssey
So nice it had to be done twice! That's the only logical answer to another Steve Aoki and Linkin Park collaboration. In case you missed it, they released a track back in 2013 titled A Light That Never Comes. Press play below on the lyric video for a quick catch up...
Needless to say, the unstoppable collaboration set the bar extremely high for a sequel.
In case you missed it, their new track was debuted on Twitch earlier this week when Steve Aoki and Mike Shinoda (of Linkin Park) battled in Mortal Kombat X. I wouldn't go as far as saying Darker Than Blood surpasses their first effort, but it's every bit as awesome. It follows the dark, electro-ballad style, but this time with a bit more Top 40 appeal than club appeal. The track is scheduled to land on Steve's upcoming album Neon Future II that will hit stores in about a month. I'm not sure about you, but I'm looking forward to the less poppy, darker style of the new album...#NeonFutureII
Just when you thought The Chainsmokers were nestling into a familiar groove, they smack you in the face with something new and bangin'. Alex and Drew took Steve Aoki's original version of Back to Earth with Fall Out Boy and gave it a bit more boom and bounce. Feel free to peruse the original below for comparison...
All in all, the two tracks are different types of cool. While the original is much more rock sounding with the various guitar riffs, the remix takes on a more bass heavy, trap vibe. The methodic clap on the remix is much more head nod worthy, providing a much more methodical take on an already great song. This track along with a few other mixes of the song should be arriving on iTunes any day now, so keep on F5-ing through the weekend if you so choose...#BackToEarth
Steve Aoki feat Fall Out Boy - Back To Earth (The Chainsmokers Remix)
Interesting mix of Hip Hop and EDM for this week's top 5. Shady Records made a big splash with their lengthy cypher that is being used to create momentum toward the new Shady XV Compilation. Along the same lines of stand out performances, anybody who had any doubt in Logic making it big time needs to watch his performance on Fallon. The kid can rock a mic, that much I know.
On the EDM front, Ellie & Calvin delivered an emotional video for their latest single Outside. On the other end of the wild spectrum we have Steve Aoki's new one. The video is so incredibly Will i am it's not even funny. The futuristic tech with plenty of crazy futuristic CGI mixed in. And to top it all off, how about a slice of silly thanks to Jimmy Fallon and Channing Tatum. I might as well carve out a permanent spot on the weekly top 5 for something related to the Tonight Show as it continues to set the bar higher and higher for late night television...#LateNightFallon
After listening to Steve Aoki and Fall Out Boy's Back to Earth, I'm left wanting to hear more Patrick Stump on EDM tracks. His unique blend of pop sass and high pitched, energetic delivery sound so perfect over an electronic beat. I've already posted a handful of tracks off of Steve Aoki's latest album Neon Future 1, but I can now say I have a new favorite. I spend a lot of time hyping up all of the Hip Hop and EDM collaborations, maybe I should be spending just as many words demanding more rock related collaborations. If you take away anything from this track, it should be that Steve Aoki is a great producer and Patrick Stump is one of the better vocalists that doesn't get the due he deserves...#BackToEarth
On first impression, you would expect a track by Steve Aoki and Flux Pavilion to be a rage-fest. Both are known for their ability to ignite clubs, so you'd think combining the two forces would be like putting gasoline on dynamite, right? Not exactly, but that doesn't take anything away from their soothing, melodic dubstep concoction below.
Kill those preconceived notions of the word soothing because even though the tempo of Get Me Outta Here doesn't push the needle, the drop still packs a punch. The controlled synths result in a formulaic ebb and flow, but the heavy bottom provides plenty of oomph. This is one of a hand full of tracks that I'm excited about on Steve Aoki's upcoming sophomore album Neon Future I...#NeonFutureI
Lots of excitement around the globe with World Cup in full swing and that includes the former soccer doormats of the world, the good ol' USA. Enter Lupe Fiasco who just so happens to have a super inspirational new track that could be the rallying cry for the USA's run through the lose or go home tournament that starts next week. In the world of EDM, Steve Aoki has been making a lot of noise of late, both through his music and through his new video for Free the Madness. I'm still a bit skeptical of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles upcoming movie, but in Megan Fox...err...I mean Michael Bay we trust? Please don't mess up bringing to life the actions figures of my childhood.
If you're wanting some random entertainment, check out some old folks being introduced to Google Glass. Man I hate that one day I'm going to be that out of touch with technology. And in case you're still not sure what in the heck turning down for what means, how about asking random people on the streets? It really is amazing how much lyrics sometimes don't make sense...at...all...#TurnDownForWhat
Lupe Fiasco - Stellar Light (US Men's National Team Anthem)
Steve Aoki feat Machine Gun Kelly - Free the Madness (Video)
Well shoot, Lil Jon already broke the ice this week, so how bout another EDM track with a splash of Hip Hop. Who would have though we'd ever hear Machine Gun Kelly vocalizing a bit? Man, he sounds like he could be a Mike Shinoda replacement if Linkin Park was ever down a man.
Like most Steve Aoki tracks, this one goes balls to the wall throughout the majority of the song. It's upbeat, lose yourself type party music that is destined to be played loudly. Selfishly, I really hope the whole Hip Hop EDM blending continues because I miss hearing good Hip Hop. If I can't get really listenable Hip Hop anymore, then I'll continue to keep hoping the two genres blend into each other so that I can have my cake and eat it too...#FreeTheMadness
Ah yes, an eclectic week for videos led by the much anticipated Electric Zoo 2014 trailer. Honestly, we should all be happy that the entire festival isn't cancelled after last year's fiasco. In other news, Coldplay has a new dope album coming out and they were gracious enough to let us in on another single with Always In My Head.
Further, you had to expect Steve Aoki and Waka Flocka would craft a hype video for Rage the Night Away. The real question is who yells better over EDM, Lil Jon or Waka Flocka? Tough call! And to close the week out, Dr. Dre gets the title as the first billionaire in Hip Hop as Beats By Dre gets bought up by Apple. Exhale folks and feel free to press play below as Tyrese attempts to crip walk and do just to the large scale business deal that just happened...#BeatsByDre
Electric Zoo 2014 Trailer
Coldplay Perform In My Head on Late Nite With Jimmy Fallon
Steve Aoki feat Waka Flocka - Rage the Night Away (Video)
The sheer fact that Major Lazer got Terry Crews (comedian, Old Spice guy) to play the role of Major Lazer in their latest video made my week. Who cares if the video is slightly over the top and corny, I really hope the continue to get Terry to personify the guys they keep putting on their cover art. In other news, Big Sean is still tearing up the promo circuit in preparation for his new Hall of Fame album dropping. Was it me or are the flames a little over the top in the video below?
The most noteworthy video I found to be Linkin Park's collaboration with EDM extraordinaire Steve Aoki. The track is supposed to hype up Linkin Park's new online gameLP Recharge. Haven't looked into the game, but the track has some serious potential. In other news, RZA/Wu Tang and martial arts are mixing again, which is a surprise to no one. Have a good weekend y'all...#SummersOver
Major Lazer feat Peaches, Timberlee & Terry Crews - Scare Me (Video)
Big Sean Performs Fire in Studio For Sirius XM
Linkin Park & Steve Aoki - A Light That Never Comes (Trailer)
All I've gotta say is it's about time people started embracing this whole Mayan end of the world on Friday. End of the world, shut down the club music is how I'd describe @steveaoki and @AnggerDimas's new single Singularity. The track features some soothing vocals from @mynameiskay that offset the high intensity synths. Coincidentally, the track landed on Steve's new It's the End of the World as We Know It, which has some pretty awesome cover art (above).
Well, at least if the world is ending we'll have some pretty epic EDM to rage with. Wouldn't that be crazy of Dr. Dre all the sudden made his mythical Detox album available to stream on Friday? If that happened, I would probably start freaking out and believing all the crazy zealots out there. In all seriousness though, hopefully the date just gives people a good reason to go out and have a good time...but still wake up the next day...#Apocalypse
Steve Aoki & Angger Dimas feat My Name Is Kay - Singularity (iTunes)
A little bit of everything in this week's round of videos, mixing entertainment, music and even a little bit of Dubstep beatbox. Yea you heard it right, @iknowdavecrowe is about as filthy as it gets when it comes to making electro, robotic symphonies. Maybe I haven't been paying attention closely, but I haven't seen many YouTube videos that have 118,000 likes. It's one of those you have to see it to believe it, so if you're at all curious, that's the video you need to watch this week...#NoveltyItem
Pitbull feat TJR - Don't Stop the Party (Video)
Dave Crowe Dubstep Beatboxing Legend
Iron Man 3 Trailer
T.I. - Ball ft. Lil Wayne (Video)
Steve Aoki – Emergency ft Lil Jon & Chiddy Bang (Video)
Real busy last couple days for videos with @drake dropping his new Take Care video with @rihanna and surprising everyone with a double shot by simultaneously releasing a video with @liltunchi for HYFR. Shout out to Yoann Lemoine for directing the abstract video for Take Care where the random animals seem to strangely lock in the emotional energy in a symbolic way. You know art class type of stuff that get people talking because there's a lot to analyze...(let's be honest I have no idea what I'm talking about). All I know is Rihanna was lookin' like the white witch in Narnia. Also deserving dap is @idirectorx for the Jewish wedding themed, slightly more normal Hip Hop video with HYFR.
I think it was only fitting that I included @ritaora's new video for R.I.P. with @TINIETEMPAH. I say that because she's a spitting image of Rihanna in just about every way. Maaaybe she's a lil more light skinned and slightly thicker, but the alarmingly red lipstick and general sexiness routine comes off like a doppelganger. That's not a bad thing though, so don't even try and run with that like I'm hatin'. I'm pretty excited to hear the full version of @thekickdrums's new track featuring the polar opposites @_ASAPROCKY and @lanadelrey. Doesn't get much more interesting with a collabo than that! Have a good Easter weekend y'all!
Drake feat Rihanna - Take Care (Video)
Drake feat Lil Wayne - HYFR (Video)
Rita Ora feat Tinie Tempah - R.I.P. (Video)
Steve Aoki feat Kid Cudi & Travis Barker - Cudi the Kid (Video)
Preview of The Kickdrums track with A$AP Rock & Lana Del Rey
The Cool Kids, The Workaholics & Tommy Sandoval Preview LRG's Summer Lineup
A couple weeks back I took notice of a new Cudi track that was featuring a guy named Steve Aoki. Hmm...never heard of him and then googling ensued. What I found was that he's becoming a pretty well known electronic/house DJ. I say well known because his new album is chalked full of cameos that you would recognize like Lil Jon, Chiddy Bang, LMFAO, Kid Cudi and Travis Barker. Adding to that, @steveaoki already contributed with the likes of internationally recognized DJs like Afrojack and Tiesto.
Before I get too far into the lead single off his new album, you should probably view it for the first time by watching the video. I don't know why it's so entertaining, but seeing a guy get absolutely wrecked by a fine looking woman is fun to watch. Go @wyntermusic!
As I'm becoming more of a fan of electronic music in general, I'm getting a feeling that dubstep is starting to slowly become part of the genre. I say that because there is a notable dubstep influence on the beat below that blends flawlessly with the electronic rhythms. I like it though, it keeps the energy high and plays well at parties.
Do yourself a favor and go check out Steve's new album Wonderland that hit iTunes last week. I'm midway through it now and starting to really like it as I listen more.
