Confession and request for help

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So Cal Hugh

DJ Extraordinaire
Mar 8, 2008
3,111
308
59
Cheyenne, WY
www.anewsong.com
I was close to calling it quits, but my phone is ringing more and more. Turns out that a rural Wyoming DJ who charges $1500 or so is in high demand. Who knew?

Anyway, my confession is that I am not really up to date on music. I played a party about two weeks ago, and realized that I was playing music from about four years ago. While that is cool in a mix of stuff, I just don't have any idea about music from then to now.

So, my request is a few (or more) songs that are dancefloor hits since then. I am looking other places, so please hold off on the "do your own research" comments. This is part of my research. If you are willing to put a few songs that are recent, and working for you, I will gladly preview them, and get to know them.

Tnx!
 
There's been no dance floor for a couple of years now.
And most 'modern' music is shit.

What was the latest crap, go brandon? Go listen to that and would you play it anywhere? I'm in 'trump country' and I doubt it would go over well - maybe rural wyoming is even farther right? LOL

Abba has a new album out, Adele does too - what I've heard so far isn't inspiring me. I've heard OF a few ohters, but haven't listened to them.

Last three weddings I have request lists...all older stuff, well, the one bride is into punk, but hell, her list had the ramones on it and paul anka! She's 27.
The youngest couple i had was 22...and they wanted what I played in HS's about 5-7 years ago...at the newest.

The Git Up, that's I think the newest song I've got. I guess Travis Scott is hot, but what I have of him is 3 years old I think now. Pre-Pandemic
 
The last few weddings I've been to, the older hits were still hits.... Blurred Lines, Cha-Cha slide, Fireball, Billie Jean, etc... Some newer songs that may be worth checking out (or were new to me) were Astronaut and of course "Fancy Like" due to the recent Tik-Tok craze.
 
Dua Lipa has been pretty good in my market. Levitating seems to be the most popular one, but others like Don't Stop Now are good too.

Blinding Lights The Weekend
Stay Kid Laroi (This song will probably be gone by next summer honestly)

Despacito is 4 years old now, but still a hit at my events. Mi Gente if you have an hispanic crowd. Popular Reageton song.

Kiss Me More - Doja Cat. (This song will probably be gone by Spring) - This is one you want to mix in, and mix out of in 90 seconds. Not a song to play most of the song on.

TRUTH HURTS by LIZZO is a HUGE song at the weddings I have done this year. That might stand out as top of the pack for a newer song. JUICE is still a good one too. 2 years old, but still strong on the dance floor...at least for me.
 
Blinding Lights - The Weeknd
Anything Dua Lipa or Doja Cat
Tiesto - The business
Joel Corey - Head and Heart
Drake - Way 2 Sexy
Anything Cardi B
Farruko - Pepas
Meduza - Lose Control/Piece of Your Heart
Black Eyed Peas _ Ritmo
Ava Max - My Head and Heart
Truth Hurts - Lizzo
Ed SHeeran - Bad Habits

That's pretty much everything you need to know post covid that's mainstream. I can go deeper in any particular genre if you need, but if it's a couple 25-35 they'll recognize most of that... I dk how miuch further back you wanna go.
 
Like these guys said there's not a lot of good new stuff at least not what is hitting my crowds. I have had a few requests for Post Malone especially Circles, Ed Sheeran - Pretty much anything but Shivers and Bad Habits work well. Dua Lupa or Doja Cat
 
I was close to calling it quits, but my phone is ringing more and more. Turns out that a rural Wyoming DJ who charges $1500 or so is in high demand. Who knew?

Anyway, my confession is that I am not really up to date on music. I played a party about two weeks ago, and realized that I was playing music from about four years ago. While that is cool in a mix of stuff, I just don't have any idea about music from then to now.

So, my request is a few (or more) songs that are dancefloor hits since then. I am looking other places, so please hold off on the "do your own research" comments. This is part of my research. If you are willing to put a few songs that are recent, and working for you, I will gladly preview them, and get to know them.

Tnx!
How do you go about finding out what music a client want played at their event and what types of gigs including the age group of most of the clients who book you?
 
How do you go about finding out what music a client want played at their event and what types of gigs including the age group of most of the clients who book you?
I ask.

Simple questions can reveal a lot.
  • What do you listen to in the car, while working, while exercising, etc?
  • Where do you like to go out at night?
  • What is your favorite musical genre or era?
 
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I ask.

Simple questions can reveal a lot.
  • What do you listen to in the car, while working, while exercising, etc?
  • Where do you like to go out at night?
  • What is your favorite musical genre or era?
I ask what kind of music they want at the event? What they listen to in their private life might be different then what they want for their event. I hate when the client is very vague about what music they want for THEIR EVENT.
 
I ask.

Simple questions can reveal a lot.
  • What do you listen to in the car, while working, while exercising, etc?
  • Where do you like to go out at night?
  • What is your favorite musical genre or era?

Agreed. I also ask about age ranges attending, how I can get requests from them in advance, if I can put out request cards at the tables, etc. I also like to ask what radio stations they listen too, and look at their playlists online.
 
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Let me say this. Some events the client and the crowd won't want the latest hot songs right now that just came out and some will. You will need to find out what they prefer and the type of event it is.
 
Wow, can I relate to this thread.
Taso gave us a great list, but it just goes to show how awful the past three years have been for wedding music.
Gotta add In Da Ghetto by J Balvin.

Not gonna lie... what's most effective for couples right now is the whole throwback segment. Stuff that they loved from when they were in middle school-college. For some thats hip hop, some thats pop... some its rock... and many, it's all the above. They just wanna reminisce.
 
Gotta add In Da Ghetto by J Balvin.

Not gonna lie... what's most effective for couples right now is the whole throwback segment. Stuff that they loved from when they were in middle school-college. For some thats hip hop, some thats pop... some its rock... and many, it's all the above. They just wanna reminisce.

It's always been like that people love the music from when they were 15-25. In the 80's I was playing 60's 90's were the 70's and 2000 were the 80's. About 2010 the 90's became popular again. Recently I'm seeing a lot of early 2K on lists with a good spattering of 80's 90's. Except for a few the 70's are dying off again
 
Again I say find out what music the client wants you to play. Don't just automatically assume they are a certain age that they will want a certain kind of music. Ask questions and if they are very vague then I would suggest certain songs to see if they agree with me or not. The thing I like to do is find out about the music they want for their event before agreeing to do the event.
 
Again I say find out what music the client wants you to play. Don't just automatically assume they are a certain age that they will want a certain kind of music. Ask questions and if they are very vague then I would suggest certain songs to see if they agree with me or not. The thing I like to do is find out about the music they want for their event before agreeing to do the event.
I tend to disagree in some aspects.. if they're contacting you directly and it is because of a direct referral or they witnessed you... thy want you for what you do best. I don't really find out what clients want anymore, as most have seen me or have seen my videos and know what I tend to play.

What I do though is, at every consultation, I explain to them how I go over music, how I do song requests, and what I expect from them so I can get great results. That will help me filter out any couples that wanna have complete control of their music w/ 100 song lists, or couples who are a little too extreme in their music tastes.
 
Inna-up - will be a summer hit in Europe. Not sure about here

Shouse - Won't Forget You - closing wedding party song this season LOL
 
I tend to disagree in some aspects.. if they're contacting you directly and it is because of a direct referral or they witnessed you... thy want you for what you do best. I don't really find out what clients want anymore, as most have seen me or have seen my videos and know what I tend to play.

What I do though is, at every consultation, I explain to them how I go over music, how I do song requests, and what I expect from them so I can get great results. That will help me filter out any couples that wanna have complete control of their music w/ 100 song lists, or couples who are a little too extreme in their music tastes.
I said what I did because I take a beating on here at times because some DJs on here think I just do what I want to do and never mind what the client wants. That's not true and that's why I ask such questions. I like to get a feel for what they want. It's not about me. Every once in a while I get to do an event that is really fun for me to be the DJ at the event. Honestly some events I've done are boring to me and the reason is some crowds want to hear the same old tired stuff that they have heard 100's of times. When that happens I learned to put on my game face, smile, do the best job I can and get paid.

Now before I take a beating for what I posted I know every DJ has to have some songs they either don't like, never liked or are tired of playing. To all here what is at least one song you don't like to play but it's a must be played song at a certain event and what song is it that you just never liked but it's a song people will want to hear depending on the type of event? I will give you one song I never liked and don't like the artist. Freddy Jackson Jam Tonight. I cringe any time I have to play that song. There are others that I'm tired of playing or just plain never liked. I will leave it at that one.