In an on-going effort to introduce new article ideas to Melismatic, each month or so I'll be releasing a "set list" of my some of favorite current club jams (that's DJ Melismatic to you...). February is Love Month, so the majority of my cuts are reflective of my current mood: dancing with your (girl/gay boy)friends at the club.
Melismatic's February 2012 Club Set List:
01. Jin Akanishi - Test Drive (feat. Jason DeRulo)
02. Whitney Houston - I'm Your Baby Tonight (Dronez Club Mix)
03. Kelly Clarkson - Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) (Project 46 Remix)
04. M.I.A. - Bad Girls
05. Far East Movement - Jello (feat. Rye Rye)
06. David Guetta - Titanium (feat. Sia)
07. OMG Girlz - Gucci This (Gucci That)
08. Melissa Molinaro - Dance Floor
09. Skrillex - Bangarang (feat. Sirah)
10. Cassie - King of Hearts
Listen to the entire set via my Spotify playlist (and subscribe), or click the cut below and listen to the entire thing online now, complete with commentary (c'mon, ppl - you know the drill...)
01. Jin Akanishi - Test Drive (feat. Jason DeRulo) {watch the music video here}
Jin is a popstar from Japan, and a former member of the popular boyband KAT-TUN, who successfully gained themselves a literal slew of #1s on the Japanese equivlant of the Hot 100 (the Oricon Charts). He left the group in 2010, and "Test Drive," produced by Beluga Heights production wonder J.R. Rotem and featuring Jay-SUN Da-RULE-oh, is his first solo effort in English. He's since been signed to Warner Music Group, and the song is doing considerably well on the Billboard Dance Charts here in the US, despite very little promotion. Hurrah for (more) globalization of quality Asian Pop!
02. Whitney Houston - I'm Your Baby Tonight (Dronez Club Mix) {listen here}
It kinda goes without saying, right? Included on her Greatest Hits disc released back in 2000, in my humble opinion, it's one of the remixes featured that is truly timeless.
03. Kelly Clarkson - Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) (Project 46 Remix) {listen here}
I'm so happy that this Kelly single is really taking off, becoming the hit to return her to her Breakaway form. The song in its original form is so girl-powery in itself, but literally every remix is good too...
04. M.I.A. - Bad Girls {watch the music video here}
Her Super Bowl "incident" be damned (if you even spotted it -- I didn't first time 'round; you know us Americans, so pointlessly touchy about things that don't really matter in the slightest), Ms. M.I.A. attempts to win another official hit to her name in the US after "Paper Planes" took everyone's mon-eh. "Bad Girls" isn't nearly as catchy as "Paper Planes", but it features a similar ethnic tone that sets M.I.A. apart in the mainstream landscape. It's a catchy little ditty.
05. Far East Movement - Jello (feat. Rye Rye) {watch the music video here}
I can't be the only ones who kind of prefers Far East Movement to the Black Eyed Peas these days, even though their dancefloor mentality sounds are strikingly similar. "Jello", featuring one of my favorite underrated female rapsters Rye Rye, is the first offering from their upcoming sophomore major label bow (dubbed Dirty Bass), and while it's nothing new (at all), it's still a great party record. If I have to choose between FM or LMFAO, I'ma go former. All the way, all day, broham.
06. David Guetta - Titanium (feat. Sia) {listen here}
It's already a monster over in the UK. It's a real shame that Sia isn't as appreciated over here, and even stranger that she is starting to turn mainstream thanks to derivitive club pop (first with Flo Rida, now with Guetta). That sad fact coupled with the fact that to the US, Guetta's name is synonomous with mostly flood-filler hip/pop (some cases good, like with Nicki Minaj in "Turn Me On", but in most cases, atrocious) makes me not have high hopes for "Titanium"'s critial success and chart appeal here, but for the clubs? Heck yeah.
07. OMG Girlz - Gucci This (Gucci That) {watch the music video here}
OK, total guilty pleasure alert. OMG Girlz (Officially Miss Guided Girlz...seriously, no jokes) are basically like the female version of Mindless Behavior (in fact, they recently went on tour together). One of the girls is the daughter of "Tiny" Cottle, a member of 90's R&B group XScape who co-wrote TLC's "No Scrubs," but is currently best known to be the other half of rapper T.I. Their current hype single, "Gucci This (Gucci That)," is the epitome of chick flossing (see, I'm down with the lingo) for the tween set. It's totally mindless but frustratingly catchy, too. Do you also see the hypocrisy that is flauting you're all Gucci this, Gucci that, yet wear no Gucci in your vid? Hmmm...seems with the kids these days, namedrop a bit and everything should be kosher...
08. Melissa Molinaro - Dance Floor {watch the music video here}
A lot of people would mock Canadian popstar wannabe Melissa Molinaro, but I'm not gonna. Homegirl first popped up on the scene in 2005 on MTV's Making the Band 3, and was almost drafted into the pop group that would go on to become Danity Kane. From there, she went on to become a finalist on The Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll. She finished 3rd. In the years since, she appeared in a barrage of "cameo" appearances on television shows and commercials, most notably in that ad for Old Navy that everyone likened to Kim Kardashian (yes, she's that girl). She's finally taking a serious run at the solo music game, and what other genre would be appropriate than eurotrashastic 4-on-the-floor dancefloor? "Dance Floor" gets right down to the point. More (cringe-worthy) acting roles are to come in the months ahead, but I'm not afraid to state I'm kinda stoked to hear more of her dancey solo tunage via her solo release, set for mid-2012.
09. Skrillex - Bangarang (feat. Sirah) {watch the music video here}
The most buzzworthy name in mainstream dubstep never fails to disappoint. Add the single "Bangarang" to the list of club-bangers that somehow seems to leap from the underground clubs to the radio (bewilderingly enough). I'm still confused that hyper dubstep is "mainstream" now, but as long as we've got stuff like this to groove to, it's all good. I wish I was eating Fun Dip right now...
10. Cassie - King of Hearts {watch the music video here}
The world is still waiting on Cassie's sophomore release (it's been six years), but "King of Hearts", her most recent single release, is the first I've heard from the myriad of leaks over the years to actually make me interested in hearing what she has up her sleeve. If you were like me back in 2006, and completely unimpressed by the thin and lazy "Me & U", be forwarned that "King of Hearts" is still very thin, but vocal chops was never Cassie's selling point. While she leaves something to be desired in a mainstream sound, Cassie as a dance artist is the route she should have went with all along. Full of handclappy, plinky-plunky fun...
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