Tonight, I took some time to search and listen to a few chr rhythmics and top 40, and I must admit that I am VERY IMPRESSED by what many of them are doing! I remember last year at this time when I was excited about every small dose of whatever I could get and if Rihanna made a hit like "disturbia" and it resembled dance, I presented a novel to you. Well, I also told you last year that this year would put last year to shame, and geezus, I didn't imagine I'd be searching around the U.S. and hearing so much dance on so many stations! It may be all mostly limited to mix shows, but still, that's one large step for dancekind! We might have some ways to go on at least occupying 35 - 40 % of the regular playlists on top 40's and rhythmics nationwide, but as long as we have the weekends on lock down (the most important part of the week for most folks and also when most people actually listen to music to party and feel good, not just to get through a mundane work day), that is an achievement to be proud of!
We also must look at the fact that many stations have not only picked up or considered featuring an electro-hiphop and house program, but there are dj's out there who have those types of shows now in syndication! Maybe we've lost quite a few traditional dance stations across the U.S. in the past year, but when you think about how many people are not only making use of and embracing our sound in addition to the amount of rhythmics and top 40's that are now thriving as a result of this new generation sound, we really have more to be proud of than we do to be ashamed of, regardless of who is singing over the beats and despite the fact that many don't realize or want to deny that they are playing/listening to a form of dance or electronic influenced material.
Maybe, this entire generation of sound may just be a trend, but KEEP IN MIND that we are not trying to forever "take over the game"! We just want enough to be done to bring dance back up to an acceptable level in mainstream so at least the mainstream hits can continue to coexist on the charts with whatever the future generation sounds and trends should be! That is all we need! Notice how after Rock-n-roll era, rock didn't die, it just faded out of chart domination, but continued to exist with the next big thing. The same thing with hip hop now. Just because that era has ended, that doesn't mean hip hop died, it just means it's no longer the next big thing. However, it managed to be big enough to maintain it's coexistence with future generation sounds to come.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHERE WE NEED DANCE TO ADVANCE TO!
We need to get to the point where we manage to survive this time without being almost completely blocked out and vanished due to another sound. Yes, maybe hip hop did push an incredible amount of other things out of the way during the 00's, even reggaeton that popped up and died ALL WHILE HIP HOP continued to live on, but if anything shall happen like this, then I want dance to be strong enough like alternative and pop rock, which managed to maintain a few hits on rhythmic top 40 during the "hip hop takeover". We don't need to forever dominate, but to co-exist.
We are pretty much back in "the game". Now it's only a matter of time before time passes and NEW ARTISTS have to start popping up (just like in all other genres of music). THIS MEANS THE VERY HIGH POSSIBILITY OF NEW DANCE ARTISTS BREAKING IN AS DANCE ARTISTS FIRST, AND EVERYTHING ELSE SECOND instead of vice versa. I'm so glad we've gotten this far, even though we are not completely there yet. Now, I look back to how I was feeling last year and almost laugh at how puny many of the things I was excited about are today. It's also nice to see how we've nearly doubled the amount of uptempo hits on the radio within the past year alone, and when I say this, I mean everything from the house beat style to electro-pop to breakbeat pattern styles. I think Katy Perry's new "california gurls" is weak lyrically, but has a decent instrumental production (even though I think it needs a little Jody Den Broeder or Dave Aude help). Look at the recognition that song is getting! It's like the Tupac "california love" of the new electro-pop / dance generation and people seem to be accepting that! Anyway, we are in a good spot right now. We are currently inside A WHOLE NEW GENERATION OF SOUND! Well.... maybe since we're in it, it's not so new anymore... or is it? The younger generation teenagers of the mid to near end of hip hop generation surely thinks so.
We also must look at the fact that many stations have not only picked up or considered featuring an electro-hiphop and house program, but there are dj's out there who have those types of shows now in syndication! Maybe we've lost quite a few traditional dance stations across the U.S. in the past year, but when you think about how many people are not only making use of and embracing our sound in addition to the amount of rhythmics and top 40's that are now thriving as a result of this new generation sound, we really have more to be proud of than we do to be ashamed of, regardless of who is singing over the beats and despite the fact that many don't realize or want to deny that they are playing/listening to a form of dance or electronic influenced material.
Maybe, this entire generation of sound may just be a trend, but KEEP IN MIND that we are not trying to forever "take over the game"! We just want enough to be done to bring dance back up to an acceptable level in mainstream so at least the mainstream hits can continue to coexist on the charts with whatever the future generation sounds and trends should be! That is all we need! Notice how after Rock-n-roll era, rock didn't die, it just faded out of chart domination, but continued to exist with the next big thing. The same thing with hip hop now. Just because that era has ended, that doesn't mean hip hop died, it just means it's no longer the next big thing. However, it managed to be big enough to maintain it's coexistence with future generation sounds to come.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHERE WE NEED DANCE TO ADVANCE TO!
We need to get to the point where we manage to survive this time without being almost completely blocked out and vanished due to another sound. Yes, maybe hip hop did push an incredible amount of other things out of the way during the 00's, even reggaeton that popped up and died ALL WHILE HIP HOP continued to live on, but if anything shall happen like this, then I want dance to be strong enough like alternative and pop rock, which managed to maintain a few hits on rhythmic top 40 during the "hip hop takeover". We don't need to forever dominate, but to co-exist.
We are pretty much back in "the game". Now it's only a matter of time before time passes and NEW ARTISTS have to start popping up (just like in all other genres of music). THIS MEANS THE VERY HIGH POSSIBILITY OF NEW DANCE ARTISTS BREAKING IN AS DANCE ARTISTS FIRST, AND EVERYTHING ELSE SECOND instead of vice versa. I'm so glad we've gotten this far, even though we are not completely there yet. Now, I look back to how I was feeling last year and almost laugh at how puny many of the things I was excited about are today. It's also nice to see how we've nearly doubled the amount of uptempo hits on the radio within the past year alone, and when I say this, I mean everything from the house beat style to electro-pop to breakbeat pattern styles. I think Katy Perry's new "california gurls" is weak lyrically, but has a decent instrumental production (even though I think it needs a little Jody Den Broeder or Dave Aude help). Look at the recognition that song is getting! It's like the Tupac "california love" of the new electro-pop / dance generation and people seem to be accepting that! Anyway, we are in a good spot right now. We are currently inside A WHOLE NEW GENERATION OF SOUND! Well.... maybe since we're in it, it's not so new anymore... or is it? The younger generation teenagers of the mid to near end of hip hop generation surely thinks so.