Alex Cameron Elite Entertainment 4
By: Alex Cameron

I hope everyone is having a great summer so far. Thankfully we still have a full month left until the school year comes around, which means there is plenty of time left to party! As we come to the halfway point of 2017, we’re still waiting for the perennial dance song of the year. Something like “Uptown Funk” or “Fireball”. But it seems the days of traditional dance music is not as popular anymore. 2017 is still a great year for music so let’s sum up the best songs of the year so far.

10.) Body Like a Backroad – Sam Hunt

An excellent country singer continues to be in the top charts. The “House Party” artist is comparing a woman to a road with the different curves . I’ll give him a lot of credit for keeping pop country somewhat relevant. He is a good-looking man so I’m sure that helps. Not the best song but it’s very catchy despite the odd lyrics.

9.) Malibu – Miley Cyrus
Welcome back Miley Cyrus!  She has sworn off weed and released a beautiful song, “Malibu.”  It is interesting to see her softer side with an amazing guitar rift and lyrics that perfectly describe her readiness for a new chapter.

8.) Sorry Not Sorry – Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato just recently released this song and she channels her inner Ariana Grande. A great soulful, revenge song that she belts to all her haters. This could be a massive comeback song for her. A personal favorite of hers for me.
CryingInTheClub
7.) Crying in the Club – Camilla Cabello
It appears Camilla Cabello is doing just fine without the rest of the members of Fifth Harmony. For those who don’t know, Camilla Cabello left Fifth Harmony to do a solo project and this song proves it. It is sexy and really compliments her vocal range. All she needs is a few more songs and she’ll be one of the better female artists today.

6.) I’m the One (feat. Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper, Quavo) – DJ Khaled
I’m not the biggest fan of DJ Khaled considering he’s not a “DJ”. But he is a great producer and I believe “I’m the One” is one of his best songs. Quavo is another guy who’s becoming popular each day with his features in Post Malone’s “Congratulations” and Liam Payne’s “Strip that Down”.

5.) HUMBLE (Explicit) – Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar continues to become a household name. With the release of his album DAMN, Lamar is on top of his game. The master lyricist will be continuing his reign for many years to come.

4.) Symphony (feat. Zara Larsson) – Clean Bandit
Very, very underrated song. Amazing music video. The UK producers are back again with Zara Larsson who is known for “Never Forget You”. The chorus is pure euphoria with a beautiful vocal melody and a stylish explosion in the production. Clean Bandit is known for “Rather Be” and “Rockabye”. This song is sure to be another huge hit for them.

3.) Castle on the Hill/Shape of You/Perfect – Ed Sheeran
Once again, Ed Sheeran is having a monumental year with the release of his album Divide. These three songs really stand out and have been all over the radio this year. “Perfect” has become a common First Dance song at weddings and “Shape of You” is a great song to dance to. Be sure to check out the Castle on the Hill Remix at the bottom!

Despacito_by_Luis_Fonsi2.) Despacito (Remix) (feat. Justin Bieber) and Original – Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee
Most likely the song of the summer. The song is catchy and attracts a variety of crowds. Both the original and the Justin Bieber remix have combined for the most streams on Spotify EVER. This song was released this year and Spotify has been in business since 2006. This release is the first time a Latin artist has held a top spot on Billboard’s Top 100 since Daddy Yankee (who co-produced Despacito) reached #32 for “Gasolina” in 2004.

1.) That’s What I Like – Bruno Mars
This is just a personal preference but I like this song more than Despacito. Bruno Mars is way more talented and is still being compared to great artists like Michael Jackson and Prince. He knows how to perform, sing and dance. This song rocks and is an early prediction for the song of the year.

Favorite Remix of 2017 so far:
Castle On The Hill (Kastra and Buzzmeisters Remix) – Ed Sheeran
Lots of energy and happiness in this perfect remix. The whistling is a great addition also!

Be sure to follow me on Mixcloud for my Pizza Party Mixes!