Beyoncé’s seventh solo album is single-handedly ushering in a new wave of dance and house music, proving once again that she is the queen. Every sound, lyric, and transition on Renaissance is perfection with samples and collaborations by some of the most iconic names in the underground including Grace Jones, Kevin Aviance and Big Freedia. Bey also borrowed heavily from Donna Summer, incorporating “I Feel Love” in the album’s final track. It is the second time she has pulled from the disco diva. “Naughty Girl,” from her solo debut, takes pieces from Summer’s “Love to Love You,” another gay anthem.
With dancefloors hotter than ever, music artists are eager to capitalize on the club craze with new beats of their own. Whatever you’re into — from bubble gum pop to hard tribal beats — there is sure to be something to get down to this season. Here are some of the best.
Kristine W
“Can’t Look Back”
One of the original dance divas, hailed by Billboard Magazine as Dance Artist of the Decade, returns with the first single from her soon-to-be released album. At its core, the track is a lush, soulful house groove that provides the perfect platform for Kristine’s powerful vocals. Its message is to rise up and appreciate the day because looking back isn’t going to heal the past. A global team of producers including James Hurr, J Squad’s Joey Mosk and Joel Dickinson, Beyond Chicago and Tony Moran all flavor the track with their personal styles of house beats and EDM, ensuring the track will continue playing across every imaginable dance floor long into the winter.
Joey Diamond and Jace M
“Tearin’ Up My Heart”
Miami-based singer Joey Diamond and Miami-based DJ Jace M are bringing back pre-millennial beats to dancefloors this fall with their re-imagining of *NSYNC favorite “Tearin’ Up My Heart.” While their version pays homage to the original, it takes the song in a new direction, incorporating house and disco elements for an uplifting club sound. Along with the radio edit, Jace M has called upon some of the biggest remixers and producers in the club industry to release their own versions of their track. The remix package includes eleven mixes of varying sounds from techno to hard tribal, making the track suitable for every dance floor. There is even an acoustic mix with a huge orchestral movement!
Stewart Taylor
“Maybe We Shouldn’t Talk”
If there is one thing Stewart Taylor has learned in his years as a young adult, it’s the importance of walking away from unhealthy relationships. He sings about it in “Maybe We Shouldn’t Talk”, his catchy true-to-life pop tune about breaking ties with an ex-lover. “My ex and I argued over anything and everything,” Taylor admits. “If there was a boundary that I set, he would cross it every time. I’m not saying he was a bad person. I did things, too, that hurt the relationship. It’s just that we all have our demons. I didn’t respond well to his and he didn’t respond well to mine. Some people simply shouldn’t be together.” But as another Taylor can attest to, bad relationships make great music.
THE ORACLE
“Cloud 9 Angel”
For those seeking a more celestial out-of-this world groove, THE ORACLE returns with “Cloud 9 Angel”, their magical, dreamy, ethereal track that offers a moment of surreal escapism while celebrating the abundance of nature. The track is the final release off Lost Amulet, THE ORACLE’s debut EP that received critical acclaim for its soaring vocals, futuristic sounds, and deeply emotional narratives. “Cloud 9 Angel” stands apart from the other moody tracks on the EP with its hopeless romanticism and naivete of the lyrics and sound. No other track on the EP features the bouncy glitches, progressive drums, and soaring melodies that carries “Cloud 9 Angel”.
JR Price
“Nightmare” (Casa de Galindo Galaxy Mix)
The title track to JR Price’s sophomore album is about realizing a person once considered a dream is, in actuality, a nightmare. Where the album version has deep emotional elements that bring tears to the eyes, the Casa de Galindo Galaxy Mix takes the song to a new level. It is full on techno with super high energy and high bpm. It’s less crying over the devastation of a failed relationship and more about letting the rage out. It’s one for all the vengeful boys in mesh shirts who want to air their grievances under a neon lit disco ball.
Bobby Newberry
“Blackout”
Bobby Newberry knows that the real party starts when the lights go out. He returns to the dancefloor with the fourth single from his upcoming EP. Written by Newberry and produced in collaboration with th3ory, the single is his most dance driven house track yet. It’s a hard-pounding, sultry ride that flips at the end with a surprise half tempo vibe-changer. When asked if he’s ever experienced a blackout in real life, Newberry admits that he has. “Especially when I’m in Miami. It’s like I leave my off button at home. I want hang out and dance all night. I wake up with a big headache and no memory about how I got to wherever I am.” We know the feeling, Bobby.
