How is Sam Smith related to Ellie Goulding?
He worked with Calvin Harris on "Promises." Harris also did "One Kiss" with Dua Lipa. Dua Lipa worked with Silk City on "Electricity." Diplo is in Silk City and he worked on "Close To Me" with Ellie Goulding.
There you have it!
- Matt
#1 TAKI TAKI / DJ Snake
Erin - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Turn it up" The transition at that first “Rumba” pulls me in and has me sold on the whole song. Selena’s verse starts out a little slow but by the time we get to “then have a siesta” I’m happy with what she brings to the collaboration.
Matt - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Turn it up" Love this one. DJ Snake stays true to--but expands--his signature sound. Features sound great, too. Ozuna sets it on fire right away and the track never lets up. Selena's verse is so ill. It fits perfectly but I'd never see it coming. Cardi B is showing chinks in her armor. The horrible flow on that Maroon 5 track exposed some of her weaknesses that her strengths covered up in other songs. That, and Nicki is running laps around her atm.
#2 PROMISES / Calvin Harris
Erin - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Turn it up" This song feels like an evergreen. It calls on enough eras and genres that I think it will be hard to place this as a 2018 song in the future. Future me is cringing at that prediction – what do you think?
Matt - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Turn it up" Tight and athletic. Everything right where it should be. Harris reminds me of Armand Van Helden. Able to produce for the underground and the radio equally well. Deceptively simple, but distinctive.
#3 ELECTRICITY / Silk City
Erin - ⭐️⭐️ "Leave it on" I want to like this song so much more than I do. It’s just not my feel. But please, give me more of the last 13 seconds. That’s the remix I’m waiting to hear.
Matt - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "My jam" Dua Lipa's powerful and suave voice lands her on so many killer cuts like this. Great sense of rhythm and attitude. This track heaps on the 90's house nostalgia for me, and it appears to be resonating in the modern popular circuit, which makes me happy.
#4 SOLO / Clean Bandit
Erin - ⭐️⭐️ "Leave it on" This song is fun and makes you want to move. The verses are thrown away, though. If you aren’t into lyrics, there’s nothing to keep you interested between choruses and the song ultimately doesn’t go anywhere fun enough to make up for that. All said, still on regular rotation in my ear buds.
Matt - ⭐️⭐️ "Leave it on" This one snuck up on me. A lot going on, and sometimes I'm in the mood for it and sometimes I'm not. When I am, though, WOOPWOOPWOOP!
#5 JACKIE CHAN / Tiësto
Erin - ⭐️ "Turn it off" I’m bored. The fun vibe isn’t fun enough to do the work of Dzeko, Preme and Post Malone. Tiësto is really carrying this track, and if I’m just here for Tiësto, then I’ll just hop over to his page and listen to his 2 decades worth of discography.
Matt - ⭐️⭐️ "Leave it on" Brilliant summer vibe and maybe it should have stayed there. If you haven't heard the song this remix is based on, then you're doing better than me. This song sounds like when the lousy garage band goes to Hollywood and the producer cranks the "studio magic" dial and turns the song into a hit.
#6 HAPPIER / Marshmello
Erin - ⭐️⭐️ "Leave it on" I actually have this track on my running playlist. It’s got a nice, driving beat and is light enough that I can put my thoughts elsewhere when listening to this.
Matt - ⭐️⭐️ "Leave it on" Not my style, but it's growing on me as a pop number. I'm unclear on Marshmello's point of view. His tracks are too generic to put his name on them. Marshmello does nothing interesting here, and lets Bastille do the heavy lifting.
#7 CLOSE TO ME / Ellie Goulding
Erin - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "My jam" Always a fan when Ellie Goulding pops up on the radio, and the unexpected note progression is a fun treat in the chorus.
Matt - ⭐️⭐️ "Leave it on" Goulding's voice is like hearing a friend on the radio. She's done such a nice variety of music over her lengthy career. It's like if she's on a track, you've got to at least give it a shot. Swae Lee's voice is another one that's fun to hear pop up here and there. I've liked a lot of Rae Srummerd, and I'm eager to see where he goes. "Close to Me" might not be remembered next year, as it strikes me as easily swept into the sea of this type of music, but for the moment, it holds its ground.
#8 ONE KISS / Calvin Harris
Erin - ⭐️⭐️ "Leave it on" This track is still not overplayed to me. It reminds me of sunnier days and happy memories. Still loving the deep voiced “one” going into the instrumental and the “do dey.”
Matt - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "My jam" Points lost for being around a long time now, and probably being a summer song. That said, dang dang double dang I love this cut. Calvin Harris doing what he does. Dua Lipa doing what she does. Lyrically, the impressionistic utterance of the single word "possibilities" in the midst of energetic imagery sends the imagination reeling on the dance floor.
