NEW music that is working for your dance floor...

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andywilson

DJ Extraordinaire
May 19, 2010
356
77
Auckland, New Zealand
Generally the top 40 for the last couple of years has been barren for music that generates a dancefloor and the situation isn't getting better..

Just wondered what NEW STUFF anyone is playing that works for your dancefloor?

One of my newest ones , which is already 6 months old would be "Portugal the Man - Feel it still" [coming out of left-field].

And this one is fairly fresh : "Clean Bandit - Solo ft Demi Lovato"
 
I agree!! People definitely seem to dig that Portugal The Man song.

I get great reaction from "Finesse" ...its a couple months old as well...

Meghan Trainor - No Excuses
Charlie Puth - Done For Me
5 Seconds of Summer - Want You Back

Those are working with most crowds for me lately

cc
 
People definitely seem to dig that Portugal The Man song.

I've got a cool transition that goes from the "Let me kick it like it's 1986" line into Salt N Peppa - Push It. it's a lot of fun, and helps me cover a pretty useful transition range 79 to 127ish.

In a club, a lot of new(er) stuff is working well:

Drake - Nice for What
Cardi B - Drip
XXXTentacion - Sad! (people seem to care more about this sing since he was shot)
J. Cole - KOD
NERD - Lemon

I played the new Maroon 5 & Cardi B - Girls Like You, but people didn't seem to know it yet. I think that will eventually be a big song... probably need to give it a few weeks.

But, most of that just won't work at most private events. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
Three surprises at my last reception:

Live It Up by Nicky Jam / Will Smith / Era Istrefi;
Girls Like You by Maroon 5 (no Cardi B version);
Perfect (Dance Remix) by Ed Sheeran.

Other than those, biz as usual.

Had high hopes for Meghan Trainor's " Let You Be Right", but it bombed and I mixed out of it fairly quickly.
 
Generally the top 40 for the last couple of years has been barren for music that generates a dancefloor and the situation isn't getting better..

Just wondered what NEW STUFF anyone is playing that works for your dancefloor?

One of my newest ones , which is already 6 months old would be "Portugal the Man - Feel it still" [coming out of left-field].

And this one is fairly fresh : "Clean Bandit - Solo ft Demi Lovato"

I used that Portugal cut last night for the first time, it works.
 
Glad it's not just me being an old fart.
The good news is, I haven't had to download hardly ANY Top-40 stuff this year...
as most of my events have been for older crowds.
My wedding this past weekend had SOME potential...
but the bride and groom noted on my paperwork to play Top-40 music "sparingly".
 
Glad it's not just me being an old fart...
Not just you, but it could be that MANY of us are "old farts".[emoji1] I still think the music being produced these days (if you can call it music) SUCKS, but for the occasional and rare track.[emoji1] I'm not playing the kind of events where Top 40 is demanded, fortunately.[emoji4]
 
This past Saturday's gig was a Gringo Latin mixture of bodies (IMHO, it's much easier when I gig just one or the other). Anyway, I put on the long version of Quad Cities "C'mon N' Ride It" (The Train) from 22 years ago - they basically destroy the dance floor. What "New" do I put on after that, that's a killer, and appeals to both groups??

Sure, I can throw on some "Pit Bull Anything" and get all the Zumba Class women on the floor, but that's not really what I'm trying to do. I cannot say it any better than Bobcat!!
 
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This past Saturday's gig was a Gringo Latin mixture of bodies (IMHO, it's much easier when I gig just one or the other). Anyway, I put on the long version of Quad Cities "C'mon N' Ride It" (The Train) from 22 years ago - they basically destroy the dance floor. What "New" do I put on after that, that's a killer, and appeals to both groups??

Sure, I can throw on some "Pit Bull Anything" and get all the Zumba Class women on the floor, but that's not really what I'm trying to do. I cannot say it any better than Bobcat!!

Danza Kuduro?
 
Glad it's not just me being an old fart.
The good news is, I haven't had to download hardly ANY Top-40 stuff this year...
as most of my events have been for older crowds.
My wedding this past weekend had SOME potential...
but the bride and groom noted on my paperwork to play Top-40 music "sparingly".

ive had several grad parties and recently was booked by an African American family for one....i was so excited to get the request list back and glean all i could from it and learn what kids are listening to ...they sent back the paperwork and simply said.... play new stuff.... lol...my heart sunk. so i did my research... found all my drake and cardi b mumble rap.... was geared up to be a "hip" old white guy who knew all the cool songs.....i get there....the mom tells me to play jazz during dinner... a dinner that lasted 2 hrs... i played jazz... classic motown and funk.... the older ones worshipped me... the kids all left halfway thru dinner... the dance section ended up being just 45 minutes ....70s funk and 90s new jack swing for the parents who had a blast... the mumble rap never saw the light of day

im thankful we carry thumb drives instead of record crates now... i might have been in a pickle otherwise...

cc
 
Danza Kuduro?
Yes, a good choice, but still quasi-reggaeton built to a Zumba formula, and is actually 8 years old!

I'm sure money has a lot to do with it. Today, the cost of launching a new song, along with the mandatory Video production, must be tremendous. The result is once someone like Bruno Mars literally hits "Gold", everything he now does will use the same formula, and probably sound the same.

Of course, I'm probably just old and crotchety!
 
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Yes, a good choice, but still quasi-reggaeton built to a Zumba formula.

I'm sure money has a lot to do with it. Today, the cost of launching a new song, along with the mandatory Video production, must be tremendous. The result is once someone like Bruno Mars literally hits "Gold", everything he now does will use the same formula, and probably sound the same.

Of course, I'm probably just old and crotchety!
Probably ... ? :)
 
Danza Kuduro?

That's funny, cause the Columbian groom I worked for a few weeks ago
was nice enough to list some very specific songs to play for his family.
I threw in Dana Kuduro, because it's one of the few Latin songs I know...
(and I really like it)
The crowd loved it, and the groom looked at me in a surprised expression and gave me a thumbs up!
 
Used to be (in the olden days)... if you wanted to be a musician, but couldn't sing, you learned to play an instrument, and played backup in a band. NOW, you become a hip-hop artist (using the term loosely), and you're out front making a fortune.:laugh:
 
Yes, a good choice, but still quasi-reggaeton built to a Zumba formula,

usually by the time ive gotten to the high 130s like "ride the train" i will work right into a remix of some of the 70 bpm stuff ...something that has the extra beat to make it 140 ...then im officially in 70 and 80 bpm and can start to build all over again...

cc

ps - I cant get enough of that whole reggaeton and mommbahton thing these days.... it seems to make all ages hit the floor... i have some fun remixes of classics songs like Gloria Gaynor with the moombahton vibe... it is the best of both worlds...
 
ps - I cant get enough of that whole reggaeton and mommbahton thing these days.... it seems to make all ages hit the floor... i have some fun remixes of classics songs like Gloria Gaynor with the moombahton vibe... it is the best of both worlds...
The other group I DJ for, whch is 100% Latino, all on Social Security (except me, a Gringo on Social Security), give me nasty looks if I play more than a few songs of that! They grew up with Fania records - late 60's, early 70's Salsa Dura and Merengue.

Getting back to the OP's original question, because I'm interested myself. What current song is a monster on the floor, appeals to a wide group (both age and backgrounds), doesn't have to be redacted, and doesn't cause nausea?
 
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Ross,

Do you do the transition live or do you own the edit?

I have been playing Like I love you JT and then do an awesome slam mix after I loop the part where it says " I used to dream about this, da, da, da, da into Bodak Yellow. Do it--super easy too!
 
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