This has to rank in the top three of collaborations so far in 2018. Not only do we get another stellar Hip Hop beat from the Mello man, it's Logic who got the chance to do lyrical gymnastics all over it. Everyday is a slow-rolling, positive affirmation special. Like the majority of Logic's tracks, there's a clear underlying message in his verses. This one just so happened to be grind hard and don't let anyone stop you. It's a big reason why Logic continues to stand out in a crowded crop of mumble rappers who always seem to fill entire tracks with empty, substance-less bars. His delivery is consistently coherent, sharp, and tinged with motivation. Shoot he's even mastering the sing-songy rap right before our eyes. He may not yet have the swagger of a young Drake, but there are plenty of positive comps to Logic and Drizzy circa 2010...#Everyday
It's generally, a sad, lonely place, but the Friendzone is real. If you're a man who has been Friendzoned, it's likely you've spent entirely too much time wishing, hoping, and praying you'd one day make it out of the dreaded "you're such a good friend" place. As if the prospect of being F-zoned wasn't enough, Marshemllo went ahead and made an anthem for you to (pretend) to be happy about.
FRIENDS is all capped for a reason. It implies that the guy isn't listening, so the woman needs to make it super clear that WE'RE JUST FRIENDS. Might be a little corny that they actually spell it out in the song, but the bleeped out F word followed by the word sh*t is pretty comical. It's much more pop than we'd normally get from Marshemllo, but if you were an EDM artist would you consider doing a pop track that could make you a ton of money. No need to answer that rhetorical question, just head on over to iTunes or Spotify if you want a nice slice of angsty nostalgia...#FRIENDS
About a week and a half ago, there was sizeable buzz surrounding Selena Gomez's upcoming new single. No, it wasn't another epic Kygo collaboration, but it was pretty damn close...
Did not know she referred to her base as "Selenators", so learned something new with that post too. Getting to the music, it's in the ballpark of her other EDM crossovers with Zedd on I Want You to Know and Kygo on It Ain't Me. Wolves is soaked with emotional, angst-y lyrics and a soothing chord progression cooked up by the 'Mello man. It skews heavily toward Top 40 pop rather than something you'd listen to at a club, but as long as that's what you're expecting, it's all good. In other words rent or buy it while it's hot and you're not hearing it at every teenage clothing store in the mall...#Wolves
Fun mix of real videos, novelty, and a documentary in this week's top five. Led by Calvin Harris and Marshmello, there were some entertaining Hip Hop and EDM collabos. The visuals on Faking It were downright stunning with Lil Yachty and Kehlani literally iced out in a winter setting. Then Marshmello and Khalid turned to the streets to illustrate a higher message on Silence. It isn't a usual thing for EDM tracks to have deeper messages, so kudos to them for reaching higher.
In the world of novelty, Machlemore and Lin-Manuel Miranda stole the week. It seems apropos that Macklemore get his astrological chart read given his latest album is titled Gemini, but there's plenty of comedy gold buried in that one. Cool that he had it done in SF too. And if you're wondering whether Lin-Manuel could hold his own as a rapper, just listen to him freestyle off the cuff with ammo from Fallon's studio audience. Rounding out this week's top five is a documentary highlighting the good, bad, and the ugly of being a high profile DJ on tour nowadays. Sure it comes with a lot of fame, glamour, and wealth, but as Biggie Smalls put it, "mo' money, mo' problems." Despite the somewhat eye opening content, it's interesting to see someone pull back the curtain a bit to give a real feel for the mental and physical toll it can put on DJs...#DJSounds
Calvin Harris feat Kehlani & Lil Yachty - Faking It (Video)
Marshmello & Khalid - Silence (Video)
Macklemore Gets His Astrological Chart Read
Lin-Manuel Miranda Stops in to Freestyle with The Roots
Pretty cut and dried with today's post centered around one artist I really like remixing another one of my favorites. Two months back I posted the original version of Marshmello's Silence with Khalid. It was an interesting foray into R&B flavored, Chill House for both collaborators.
Fast forward two months to this week where some big names stepped up to the plate and took a crack at the track. To their credit, SUMR CAMP, Slushii, Illenium, and Tiesto all flipped the track in their own unique way. While Tiesto's Big Room remix was fun and Slushii's mix was as playful and vibrant as usual, Illenium's version emerged as my favorite. His ethereal style fit like a glove with the vocals of the original. It's that whiny, love making drum-and-bass that gets me every time. There's a little bit for everyone on the four song remix EP, so don't be bashful about copping it on iTunes or Spotify...#Mellogang
A few weeks after dipping his toe in Jersey Club, the mello man is back with a slow burner. Silence puts on full display Khalid's vocal abilities and serves as a reminder that Marshmello can run the full gauntlet of tempos. Without the gentle, slow drop, you'd be hard pressed convincing me this fits in the electronic phylum. But, therein lies the intrigue. It's not what you'd expect as it attempts to build a bridge to R&B that has yet to be fully paved. If you're in between relationships or debating whether to start one, you'll have a lot to latch onto with the one below...#Silence
Evidently Marshmello was tired of being predictable. Just when we'd all warmed up to his happy-go-lucky style, he goes and drops a bangin' Jersey Club remix of Future's Mask Off. What's Jersey Club you ask? Well...it's similar to a lot of the Baltimore Club tracks I posted waaaay back in 2010. If you're looking for a reference from back in the day, check out DJ Class's Party Crackin'.
I'm not sure which is more surprising, that Marshmello took a quick Hip Hop detour or that he dabbled in a style he's never touched before. Whatever the case, the mello man flipped the original like a pro. It's a perfect break beat style track to bang out in between tracks at a show. Admittedly, I'm not a big Future fan, but I can zone out to the mix below all day long. Tip of the cap to Marshmello as I'm going to have to re-evaluate what the breadth of music I thought you were capable of making...#MaskOff
Only in a made up, happy Zelda music world can we all collectively imagine three EDM bosses like marshmello, Skrillex, and Slushii graduating from high school together. Moving On is a shameless nostalgia play using moving onto college as an apropos analogy that fits in nicely with the vibe of the track. It might be the most play dough soft EDM imaginable, but damn is it easy to listen to. Everything from the heavy bounce to the video game synths aligns perfectly with everything we've heard thus far from mello. Consider it a nice light snack with added novelty if you're in the market for a new motivational anthem...#MovingOn
Pardon the cheesy pun, but color me excited about the collaboration below. About a month ago, I heard a live snippet of the track at Bill Graham in SF when Marshmello came to town. I've gotta say, it's as bubbly and hard hitting as it sounded live. Equipped with the Passion Pit-esque vocals from Noah Cyrus, it's every bit as quirky as you expected, chalked full of high pitched samples and bouncy funtime beats that both Marshmello and Ookay are known for. This one may be more of a niche favorite, but there's always room on my playlists for chill, bass heavy EDM...#ChasingColors
Marshmello & Ookay feat Noah Cyrus - Chasing Colors
Strange week for videos in that it was dominated by odd music videos and quirky cover performances. Leading off is marshmello's video for his new single Summer where he shares a moment with Vine star Lele Pons. It's hard to hate on any video at a skating rink, but the added eye candy is always appreciated. Then there was the over the top 80s and creepy video from The Weeknd for Party Monster. Put it this way, his videos make you think that there may be some things going on in his head that we find hard to imagine.
Moving on from music videos with an endearing Fresh Prince Theme cover from Ed Sheeran. His new music is downright dope, so I'll be tuning in to anything his name is attached to in the near future. Speaking of a Midas touch, The Chainsmokers felt the need to release a hype video to drum up some excitement for 2017. No disrespect, but I have a hard time imagining this being as successful as 2016 was. They've proven me wrong many times, though, so I guess nothing should surprise me at this point.
Just when you thought this was turning into a music only post, you knew I had to mix in some silly with Fallon. This time he was on stage with Kevin Bacon doing a word spelling parody of The Kinks 1970s hit Lola. Before you listen, I challenge you to think of as many words that rhyme with Lola. Let's just say they came up with a few more creative things to rhyme than the mental list you just came up with. Needless to say, I'm humming Lola now as I write this, so it'll stick with you...#Lola
marshmello - Summer (Video) (feat Lele Pons)
The Weeknd - Party Monster (Video)
Ed Sheeran Covers The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Theme Song
The Chainsmokers Are Out to Slay in 2017
Kevin Bacon and Jimmy Fallon Struggle to Spell Words to the 70s Hit Lola
What an entertaining week of live performances! First off, apologies if you caught SNL last week because it was dominated by Chance the Rapper...who then dominated the top five this week. Thanks to SNL, we got glimpses of a few recent singles, Finish Line and Drown, from The Coloring Book. Oh and who could forget the SNL holiday time capsule track, Jingle Barack? Pay attention to the lyrics, there's plenty of cultural and political references like gay marriage, marijuana legalization, Trump, etc. My guess is, when we watch that in about a decade, it will inspire quite a bit of nostalgia.
Before I move on from performances, I'd be remiss not to mention Weeknd's live debut of Sidewalks with Kendrick Lamar. If you're curious whether people are digging his new music, press play on that one and witness everyone singing along. Switching gears, Fallon debuted a pretty futuristic, Tilt Brush version of Pictionary this week with guests Michael Che (of SNL) and Andrew Rannells. I'm not sure whether to be amazed or freaked out that a whole studio audience would be watching you create drawings out of thin air as if they were in your head. Definitely a cool concept that takes communication to another level, but a bit hard to wrap your head around performance wise. Finishing off this week's top five was my favorite video of the week. Evidently there's a three year old kid named Lethan who is a proud member of the Mellogang. A few weeks back, Marshmello posted a video of Lethan dancing to his music. So, being an awesome person, he surprised Lethan in a hotel room where they both got to wild out to Alone together. Priceless is the best I got, but it's fitting for the holiday season...#Mellogang
Chance the Rapper Performs Finish Line and Drown on SNL
Chance the Rapper Performs Jingle Barack on SNL
The Weeknd Performs Sidewalks With Kendrick Lamar (Presented by Vevo)
Jimmy Fallon Debuts Virtual Reality Pictionary with Michael Che and Andrew Rannells
Marshmello Surprises 3 Year Old Fan Lethan From Dallas
As someone who moves on quickly from music created for Top 40 consumption, I'm already tired of hearing DJ Snake and Bieber's Let Me Love You. Yes, it's catchy af, but I'm more than ready for a reinterpretation already. Thankfully Marshmello came to the rescue this week with a characteristically vibrant mix of the original. The way he can chop up vocal samples into tones and use them as samples to spice up a track never fails to entertain. It's like adding some sriracha or hot sauce to leftovers, you still get the taste of the original, but now it tastes a little better than it did when you first made it. If you dig it, you know the drill, iTunes or Spotify to rent or buy...#LetMeLoveYou
DJ Snake feat Justin Bieber - Let Me Love You (Marshmello Remix)
When an artist comes out and proudly exclaims that a new track is the favorite song they've ever made, fans should probably take notice...especially when their upcoming tour bears the same name. Take marshmello's new one Ritual for example...
That was all the way back in July when he first teased the track featuring the vocals of Wrabel during his live set. My gut reaction to the track is that it's awesome to see marshmello getting into the business of collaborating with talented vocalists. Much of his past music has been solely instrumentation with high pitched vocal samples, which while awesome, can grow old if there's no logical evolution. The track is very progressive house sounding, but the vocals and excitable chord progression make for a solid single. Oh and here's the freshly minted video for the track if you're more of a visual person. Looking forward to seeing some of you late January in SF when marshmello lights up Bill Graham...#Ritual
First off, I can't tell you how pumped I am to finally cross "seeing marshmello in concert" off my bucket list in a few months. To this date, he's been elusive, always seeming to come to town when I had prior obligations or when I was out of town. On January 21st, I'm assuming I'll be privy to new material like his new single below. Last week I shared his collaboration with Far East Movement and Chanyeol. This week mello carried the momentum forward with Walking Out. The vibe leans more on the chill dubstep side, but manages to maintain the same high pitched, melodic style that I've grown to love. You're not going to start a party with this one, but it's more than adequate for zoning out to. You know the drill, iTunes or Spotify if you're interest is piqued...#WalkingOut
It never crossed my mind, but a Far East Movement and marshmello collaboration makes a lot of sense. I know that probably sounds super contrived now that I have the song below as an frame of reference, but wow, what a dope track. The stop and go, choppy verses that Far East have become known for fit really well over the bouncy synths that marshemllo churns out. I'm gushing about the two headliners, but Tinashe's hook might be my favorite part of the track. Her mellow vocals cut provided the steadiness to allow the choppy verses to work. And taking it one step further, I got an intro to Chanyeol, a member of the South Korean/Chinese rap group EXO. To me, he may as well have been part of Far East Movement he fit their style so well. You know the drill, add this sucker to iTunes or Spotify before your friend tells you about it...#FrealLuv
Far East Movement x Marshmello feat Chanyeol & Tinashe - Freal Luv
Live performances were the name of the game in this week's top five. Led by The Chainsmokers and Desiigner's 360 video from their recorded performance at Austin City Limits, the bar was set high from the start. It was set high, but Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals brought every ounce of funk the set of Ellen when performing Come Down. I'm still in awe of how he's solving the timeless problem of Hip Hop not being able to be translated into a live show. "You're damn right it can be and this is what it should look like," says Anderson. And even though it's probably more of a personal novelty to me, seeing Slushii, Skrillex, and Marshmello share the same decks on a B2B2B was a cool sight. I don't expect you to be interested enough to watch the hour long Shanghai set, but if you skip around you might just be as entertained as I was.
Then there was the trippy forest video for Frequency that Kid Cudi self-directed. It was about what I expected from Cudi, but music aside, I'm in total support of him tackling his demons head on and seeking help this week. It takes a real man to admit when he needs help and I'm extremely glad he reached out before doing any harm to himself. In case you missed it, here was his incredibly brave and transparent note about why he was choosing to seek help during a time when he's releasing an album. And in case the music wasn't entertaining enough, there was that time Kevin Hart and Jimmy Fallon made their way through NYC's scariest haunted house wearing GoPros. There's always something funny about seeing comedians get scared to death, even if it's staged...#WhatNow
The Chainsmokers' 360 Video for Closer and Desiigner's Panda at Austin City Limits
Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals Perform Come Down! on Ellen
That Time Slushii, Skrillex and Marshmello Performed an Epic B2B2B in Shanghai
In an attempt to keep the momentum from Shark Week going, Jauz reeled in his fluffy friend Marshmello for a tasty new banger. You'd like to think that collaborations of this magnitude bring out the best of both parties and I'm glad to report that mission was accomplished on Magic. You've got some sharp, intense chords from Jauz mixed with bubbly, whimsical synths throughout that will remind you of #mellogang. Both styles are brought together through a vibrant, deep baseline that serves as a reminder of how both are more than capable of speaker rattling, trap goodness. All in all a fun collabo from two of the biggest rising stars in EDM...#Magic
It's an understated lineup, but this week's top five is chalked full of a lot of new artist that I'd call emerging favorites of mine. Led by the joker/mad lyricist Lil Dicky and the mysterious Marshmello, there's plenty to be excited about below. If you've never seen Lil Dicky on the mic, you need to see him hold his weight next to Desiigner and Anderson .Paak in this year's 2016 XXLFreshman Cypher. Then, if you're stuck on thinking Lil Dicky is merely a rapper, take in his new video for Molly. Needless to say, there's a bit more depth and storytelling than you'd expect from an up and coming rapper.
If EDM is what you crave then I don't need to tell you how much you need to make an Electric Forest pilgrimage. I haven't been to all the festivals, but I do appreciate the wrap up videos and how well the capture the sentiment and energy of the festival. Speaking of EDM, #mellogang rolled deep on the Alone video. He may make happy-go-lucky dance music, but you can't hate on how carefree and fun it is to listen to. And last, but probably first, the behind the scenes look at how the Hundred Waters, Skrillex, Chance the Rapper collaboration came to fruition was a really cool watch. Seeing how the vibed off one another and the remix organically came together was a fun watch. It's easy to assume that these live performances just come together, but in reality it usually takes months of making it right before we finally get to listen to it. Such a fun collabo...#ShowMeLove
Desiigner, Lil Dicky, Anderson .Paak XXL Freshman Cypher
Lil Dicky feat Brendan Urie - Molly (Video)
Electric Forest Festival Wrap Up Video
Marshmello - Alone (Video)
Behind the Scene on Hundred Waters Collaboration With Skrillex & Chance the Rapper
If you're in the mood for some quirky new videos, you'll be in heaven this week. The only video I'd characterize as "normal" would be Drake's 30 second trailer for his upcoming Views from the 6 album. Yes, it will be annoying when the album is released solely on Apple Music for the first week on April 29th, but sadly, it's something that's become a reality with music releases these days.
Marshmello's video for Keep it Mello reminded me why I'm such a big fan of his. Uplifting, bass heavy, Zelda music is the best comp I have for his style, but I love it. In other news, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis continue to blaze their own path and do fun, creative things with their videos. It is true that tons of people now have the "Macklemore haircut". Speaking of weird and artsy, that's about all the adjectives I have for will.i.am. and Nicole Scherzinger's new video for Smile Mona Lisa. Lots of augmented reality in that one, but it'll appeal to the art buffs for obvious reasons. And last, but certainly not least, holy crap can Common break dance! Daaaaamn man, he put on a surprise, spur of the moment show that had me yellin' at the computer in my living room...#Common
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Brad Pitt's Cousin (Video)
If you've listened to any marshmello track, you already know how perfect his music translates to video games. Seeing him features on the latest League of Legends soundtrack was about as big of a match made in heaven as you can get. Even though his new one below may not be made for a video game, if you can't imagine some epic e-adventure happening to the beat of Colour, you're out of your mind. marshmello's style is the epitome of happy. The high pitched, bouncy synths consistently make for an easy listening, at times motivational vibe. I'm a huge fan of feel good vibes, which is why the mello that marsh brings will always have a home on GWDJ's lawn of the internet...#Colour
