Attracting over seven billion views worldwide and other music videos surpassing that threshold has given dance a larger presence in society than ever. Artistry flourishes while diversity starts to emerge more readily.
Nathan Dawe and Ella Henderson’s song ’21 Reasons’ features an iconic sample from Rune (now Kolsch)’s song Calabria which was an incredible dance hit back in 2003.
EDM
EDM (Electronic Dance Music) has rapidly gained in popularity over recent years. This genre features numerous subgenres that draw inspiration from various musical styles and cultures, impacting pop music immensely with many well-known artists employing EDM production techniques in their songs. Unfortunately, some critics have attacked EDM as being too formulaic and lacking innovation or experimentation found elsewhere within musical genres.
Electronic dance music (EDM) dates back to the 1980s when DJs started remixing disco music in clubs. This led to several new genres forming such as house and techno music. Later development saw artists such as Tiesto, Daft Punk and David Guetta taking electronic dance music mainstream worldwide – they helped transform it from being niche into an international trend.
As DJing became more popular, digital technology in music production exploded. There are now an abundance of programs and software for DJs to use when producing tracks themselves, including sound effects, synthesizers, drum machines and more. Furthermore, many DJs utilize computer software specifically tailored for live performances at events or clubs with features like beat matching, crossfading and automatic beat.
DJs typically utilize both computers and mixers to manage audio output for professional-sounding performances, and many DJs opt to add additional visual effects such as smoke machines or lasers to further their performances.
Drum and bass is one of the major subgenres of EDM. This genre draws elements from multiple other musical genres such as hip hop and electro, featuring high tempo music with repetitive rhythms and machine-like beats that give this subgenre its signature sound. Highly popular artists like Skrillex have made drum and bass part of their sound palette.
Dependent upon the genre, electronic dance music tends to feature a standard tempo between 120 and 160 beats per minute and typically features four-on-the-floor rhythm reminiscent of DJs from Chicago’s underground club culture.
Pop
Dance music encompasses an expansive genre spectrum that ranges from techno, electropop, trance, house and UK garage to older styles like funk or new jack swing or contemporary R&B music. Prominent artists performing this form include Cher, Madonna, Mariah Carey Britney Spears and Rick Astley among many others.
YouTube music videos have become a widely watched phenomenon since their creation, with some becoming immensely successful, such as Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style’ which amassed over 5 billion views on the video platform. But not every hit has reached such success levels; other hits may not reach as far; examples being Chris Rea’s “On the Beach” and York’s ‘Better Off Alone”. Latto sampled both these songs for her 2021 hit “Big Energy”.