Music Review: Opposite of Adults - Chiddy Bang

Chiddy Bang - New Music - More Music Videos

Speed: 96 bpm

The DJ’s Take: Simple and unassuming, head-nodding percussion, and solid rapping. It’s like someone finally decided to take mainstream listeners seriously, and it works. I’ll be disappointed if this doesn’t become at least a minor hit. More importantly, with the key and general bpm, you can add this as another element in my go-to mix that I often use within the first hour or two of a set (see below).

Download the MP3: Opposite Of Adults

DJ’s - mix this with: Ridin Solo - Jason Derulo, Airplanes - B.o.B, Find Your Love - Drake, Flashing Lights - Kanye West, Replay - IYAZ, Renee - Lost Boyz

Music Review: DJ Got Us Fallin In Love - Usher ft. Pitbull

Speed: 120 bpm

The DJ’s Take: This song is so generic that during my first listen, it reminded me of at least 3 or 4 other recent hits. Off the top of my head, I had flashbacks to TiK ToK, Break Your Heart, and Please Don’t Stop the Music, mostly because of the pulsing percussion and/or the general feel. Just listening without mixing, none of these is really a match key-wise, but you could blend them together along with a bunch of other dance tracks in the 120-125 bpm range to keep the floor moving. Is this a hit? Probably. Just give me a couple months before I come around on it.

Download the MP3: DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love

Throwback Track: Get Busy - Sean Paul

Speed: 101 bpm

The DJ’s Take: This song is old enough that people forget to buy it on iTunes, but new enough that when they hear it, they remember how much they liked it when it came out. More importantly, a DJ can make this a key piece in a nice mix. Blend this in with Hold Yuh, No Letting Go and This Is How We Do It, and I can say from experience that your crowd will stick around.

Download the MP3: Get Busy (Album Version)

DJ’s - mix this with: Hold Yuh, No Letting Go, This Is How We Do It

Throwback Track: Call On Me - Eric Prydz

Speed: 127 bpm

The DJ’s Take: I may be a little biased, but as a heterosexual male, I believe this is the greatest music video ever made. Plus, I get requests for this from time to time, and people dance to it, which means it’s popular enough to get in your rotation. Is it cheesy? Absolutely. But it’s electronic, so it’ll fit right in with many of today’s 125-130 bpm hits.

Download the MP3: Call On Me (Radio Edit)

Music Review: Beautiful Monster - NeYo

Speed: 128 bpm

The DJ’s Take: As you already know, there’s always room for one more on the 130 bpm pop EDM bandwagon these days, and NeYo is one of the fashionably late arrivals. The chorus is sort of catchy, but the verses in between seem like undeveloped filler that’s rushing to get back to the singalong payoff. Very formulaic, but the familiar voice could go a long way in helping this aspiring top 40 track on its way up the charts.

Download the MP3: Beautiful Monster

DJ’s - mix this with: 3 - Britney Spears

Throwback Track: Renee - Lost Boyz

Speed: 92 bpm

The DJ’s Take: It’s not often you find younger folk who remember this forgotten hit from the 90s, but I actually had a dude come up to me the other night and tell me I was the man for spinning this. The key here is that I’d just played Find Your Love, Flashing Lights and Airplanes, all of which are in the same key if you turn on your key adjust. Moral of the story - play some old(er) school and some new school, and you’re bound to make somebody happy.

Download the MP3: Renee

DJ’s - mix this with: Ridin Solo - Jason Derulo, Airplanes - B.o.B, Find Your Love - Drake, Flashing Lights - Kanye West, Replay - IYAZ