Finding the Rhythm

The latest Top 25 Dance Chart was up a day late this week (oops), but here’s a quick look at the notables.

Britney’s Break the Ice moved up to the #1 spot. I’ve mentioned it before, but she can be as much of a mess as she wants if this is what her producers and handlers manage to come-up with after her day in the studio. Eye Witness feat. Charlene Oliver continues moving up with I’ve Never Been to Me. And Elena leaps-up to #3 with the beautiful but lyrically heart-wrenching Before I Sleep.

It seems there are a number of tracks on the chart that are losing steam at the same time. Ron Perkov, Idina Menzel, OneRepublic, Basshunter and Jesse McCartney among them.

One interesting item here is that Jordin Sparks’ No Air makes a new entry at the very bottom of the chart. This is an anomaly of the approach I use to make these charts (which I’ve written about before and won’t dive into again now). But the bottom line is that other songs have more total plays in the period covered, despite No Air being hot right now and played a lot. This causes a sort of damping effect, but in general, it’s one I’m not disappointed about because it prevents the “flave of the week” effect (songs debuting at #1 or #2 like you see in so many other charts, notably Billboard and BBC Radio 1).

Another anomaly of the approach is that songs that fall off can quickly re-debut with just a few spins, like Filo & Peri who are back at #13. Of course, Anthem is not a new entry at all.

But enough database head scratching. Velvet’s Fix Me, a strong new release from Robbins, popped-in at #12, and Natasha Bedingfield at #21 with her latest. The rest of the new entries have bubbled-up from recent Hot Adds. A few of those are worth mentioning too.

Sam Sparro’s Black and Gold is a strong new track that once again, through a set of superb remixes, brings a non-dance artist into the dance realm. I’d never heard of him, but Sam is apparently a soulful singer-songwriter, and while he currently calls L.A. home, the Brits in particular seem to really be digging him right now. Speaking of the UK… UK-based producers H ‘Two’ O got added with What’s it Gonna Be, an R&B infused gem that’s getting a lot of attention on their home turf.

As usual, you can check it out on my web site, and click to buy tracks if so inclined as well. Enjoy.