Dance
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12/10/2024
The list reflects data collected at 146 events during the October dance music gathering in Amsterdam.
12/10/2024
Billboard is revamping its dance charts offerings at the outset of the new year to better recognize the varied sounds of the genre.
While the metrics of Hot Dance/Electronic Songs will remain the same, the songs eligible to debut on the ranking will, as of the charts dated Jan. 18, 2025 (reflecting activity Jan. 3-9, the first full chart week of the year), be those primarily recorded by DJs or producers with an emphasis on electronic-based production.
Billboard’s weekly multimetric Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart currently ranks the top 50 songs based on U.S. streaming (official audio and official video) and sales data, according to Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, plus radio airplay audience impressions, as measured by Mediabase. The sales metric reflects purchases of physical singles and digital tracks from full-service digital music retailers.
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Billboard launched the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart in January 2013. It became the publication’s first multimetric chart to rank the most popular dance and electronic songs.
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Concurrently with the charts dated Jan. 18, Billboard is also launching the 25-position Hot Dance/Pop Songs chart, utilizing the same multimetric methodology as Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, featuring titles with dance-centric vocals, melody and hooks by artists not considered rooted in the dance/electronic genre. Songs co-billed to both a DJ/producer and a singer who extends beyond the dance genre may be eligible for both Hot Dance/Electronic Songs and Hot Dance/Pop Songs.
With the start of Hot Dance/Pop Songs, Billboard will also introduce corresponding Dance/Pop Songwriters and Dance/Pop Producers charts, based on total points accrued by a songwriter and producer, respectively, for each attributed song that appears on each respective chart.
Further, Billboard is also renaming the Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart to Top Dance Albums to better represent the cross-reference of dance titles that appear on the ranking. The chart ranks the most popular dance albums of the week, based on multimetric consumption, blending traditional album sales, streaming-equivalent albums and track-equivalent albums, as compiled by Luminate.
It was a très joyeux occasion for Paris and the world beyond this past Dec. 7, when the city’s Notre-Dame Cathedral reopened its doors after a five-year closure, which followed a 2019 fire which burned through the building’s roof. After years of rebuilding and renovations, the 860-year old Gothic cathedral has been restored to new glory.
This past weekend, celebrities and politicians including First Lady Jill Biden and President Elect Donald Trump traveled to Paris for the reopening of Notre-Dame, which included prayer, religious rites and speeches, including one from French President Emmanuel Macron.
Also, there was techno.
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A series of musical performances featured artists including Pharrell (who sang his 2013 hit “Happy”), French singer Garou, famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Gustavo Dudamel conducting the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and French electronic producer Michael Canitrot. His 10-minute set in front of the soaring cathedral included his own tracks “Light Odyssey” and “Niteroi,” along with an unreleased production called “Icon” and a remix of Moby‘s 1991 classic “Go.”
“It was incredible, you could feel the emotion in all the artists,” Canitrot tells Billboard. “And as an electronic music artist, it was also a great opportunity to meet other artists like the violinist Gautier Capuçon or Pharrell, who played just before me with a 60-strong choir.”
See video and exclusive photo from the performance below.
Canitrot is well-acquainted with playing in the presence of historic buildings. His ongoing performance series, Monumental, has included sets in front of structures like the Eiffel Tower, the Notre-Dameof Laon cathedral in northern France and nearly 20 other architecturally and culturally signifiant buildings, largely in France, with some funding by the French National Commission for UNESCO.
With these shows, Canitrot presents historic monuments in futuristic ways, using electronic music, lights and video mapping to create immersive experiences that Canitrot says “resonate with both electronic music audiences and the wider public.” His track record with conceptualizing and pulling off these shows “certainly played an important role in securing the Notre-Dame gig,” he says.
He and his team from Monumental, made of roughly 30 visual designers, lighting experts, technical producers and more, worked for months to make this show perfect. The focus was, he says, “on paying tribute to the greatness of Notre-Dame while offering a show that highlights electronic music and heritage.”
The pressure was high for the show, especially as Canitrot had to play it without rehearsing, given that his rehearsal was cut short by heavy winds the night prior. “That’s always quite stressful on such an important and technical show,” he says, “but in the end everything went well.”
Although his performance was relatively brief, Canitrot accomplished a lot in ten minutes. His performance was sequenced into visual and sonic chapters that went through themes of architectural renaissance and honoring builders from the past and present, then nodded to life and elevation via plant-inspired visuals, then paid homage the the cathedral’s new reliquary before shifting to a message of universal peace. These visuals were created in collaboration with Canitrot’s teams at Monumental Tour, AVExtended, and frequent collaborators Jérémie Bellot, and François Deretz, who altogether brought created music and visuals that bathed the famous cathedral in swirling lights and lasers.
With this performance, Canitrot not only added a globally significant performance to his resume, but helped expose electronic music to those who may not often hear it.
“I’ll always remember the moment when, at the end of my set, one of the church officials came to congratulate me,” he says. “To be able to play [electronic] music at such a moment was really important for me, it puts it on the same level as all other music and continues to democratize it for a wider audience.”
Michael Canitrot at Notre-Dame
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Michael Canitrot at Notre-Dame
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Michael Canitrot at Notre-Dame
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Cult classic in your eardrums.
This week in dance music: Lightning In a Bottle announced its 2025 lineup featuring John Summit, Jamie xx and Khruangbin, and Electric Forest dropped a 2025 lineup featuring Justice, Sara Landry and Tiësto. Meanwhile, we spoke with jungle boss Nia Archives, EMPIRE signed Palestinian American DJ Habibeats, Depeche Mode said they’re not currently focused on making new music, we went backstage at Portola to see the festival’s hybrid battery system that saved the use of a whopping 6,053 gallons of diesel fuel.
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But that’s not all: Charli XCX revealed that she’s frequently in “a lot of pain” due to nerve damage, we spoke with Charli’s Club Sweat tour partner Troye Sivan, electronic pioneers Kraftwerk announced a 2025 North American tour, and Burning Man art car Titanic’s End announced the launch of a new record label, Titanic’s End Records.
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And as we see the end of the year in the headlights, these are the best new tracks of the third-from-last Friday of 2024. (And watch this space for our best of the year dance lists, unrolling right here next week.)
Rebecca Black, “Sugar Water Cyanide”
After a buzzy Boiler Room set in October and standout performances at Portola in September, Rebecca Black is further establishing herself as our new favorite Brat-lite club queen with “Sugar Water Cyanide.” The track is pop on its face via Black’s silken-voiced verses, but ultimately it’s club-coded in its pitched-up vocals laid over a hyper-pop-tinged house production. Coming from Black’s album Salvation, out January 17, the song is one Black says is “like if my drug of choice were a person. This is one of those songs that feels as though it’s been inside of me my whole life and was waiting for the right day and time to be ready for it to pour out. I wanted to make THAT song you could only really hear on 100% volume in your car or busting through the bass in the club.”
RL Grime & Knock2, “come aliv3”
Hitting hard with waves of 2012-era mainstage nostalgia, the latest collab from San Diego wunderkind Knock2 and bass icon RL Grime hits as hard as you want it to, with the pair shifting from a throwback progressive sound to oversized, ride-that-rail trap fare that is both their specialities. “come aliv3” is third single from Knock2’s forthcoming debut album, nolimit, coming on 88rising, on a date that’s yet to be announced. The 25-year-old producer will tour behind on the album on a run of more than two dozens dates that starts in February and wraps in April all the way over in Australia. This release comes after a three-show residency from Knock2 and his pal ISOxo (performing as Isoknock) at the Bill Graham Auditorium in San Francisco, where special guests included genre titans Hudson Mohawke, Baauer and 100 gecs’ Dylan Brady.
Tokimonsta, “For You”
After pushing the release date for her forthcoming album back in September due to a personal matter, Tokimonsta is back with a new single and a revised schedule. A collaboration with multi-instrumentalist and producer Kaelin Ellis, album single “For You” is a softly gorgeous and soothing but still swiftly moving production that puts crisp, complex polyrhythms at the fore and layers it up with bass and other instruments that create something with genuine soul. “After taking necessary time off to prioritize caring for a loved one, I’ve realized that creating and sharing my art remains my deepest purpose,” the Los Angeles-based producer says. “‘For You’ is a reflection of my journey forward, embracing joy and connection through music. It’s a gift from my heart to the world, and I hope it resonates with everyone who listens.” Tokimonsta’s seventh album, Eternal Reverie, is now coming in 2025 via her own Young Art label. The project will feature collaborations with Cakes da Killa, Anderson .Paak and more.
Bubble Love, “Original Mix”
Bubble Love is a side project from longstanding U.K. producer Ross From Friends, with the artist saying that this alter-ego gives him the ability to harness the wilder and more experimental energy of his clubs sets without feeling pressure to change his de facto sound. It’s a welcome addition to his oeuvre, with the fusion of rap and two-step on his Cameo Lush colla “Close Your Eyes” giving a good indication of the overall sound and spirit of the 10-track eponymous LP.
Storken, “Totoish”
Swedish producer Storken absolutely outdoes himself on the seven-and-a-half-minute nu-disco opus “Totoish.” Weaving in bits of Moroder, Vangelis, Todd Terje and ’80s power pop, this multi-movement production — made in collaboration with fellow Swedish producer Gusteau — melds piano, hand drums and a shimmering, chord-changing synth at the center. “Enjoy this Swedish baked assemblance of the rock n roll hall of fame legacies, a try to unite a lot of bands that never saw daylight,” Storken says of the independently released single.
A federal judge is refusing to dismiss a civil lawsuit accusing electronic producer Bassnectar of sexually abusing three underage girls, sending the long-running case to a jury trial.
In a ruling Thursday (Dec. 6), Judge Aleta Trauger dismissed some aspects of the case but said that the overall lawsuit against the DJ (whose real name is Lorin Ashton) would be resolved by a jury of his peers. A trial is currently scheduled for February.
Attorneys for Bassnectar had made various arguments for why the case should be tossed out, including that he hadn’t known how old the accusers were and that they had lied about their ages. But in her order, Judge Trauger was unswayed.
Ruling on claims made by plaintiff Jenna Houston, the judge noted that she was “only sixteen” when they met and that Ashton was “obviously able to observe her in person,” meaning a jury could find that he had “recklessly disregarded the fact that Houston was underage during the first thirteen months of their sexual relationship.”
The judge cited deposition testimony from Ashton — in which he agreed that Houston “does not look like she’s 19 years old” in an old photo she allegedly emailed him, but later also said she looked “like 19, 20, 21” when they first met.
“A jury must resolve the question of whether Ashton deliberately disregarded obvious facts from which he should have known that Houston was still a minor when they met,” the judge wrote. “A reasonable jury could believe — based on photographs of Houston taken at or around the time she met Ashton and Ashton’s confusing testimony when he was confronted with such photos — that no reasonable person would have believed she was eighteen or older.”
Thursday’s order came more than three years after the three women — Rachel Ramsbottom, Alexis Bowling and Houston — filed their lawsuit, accusing Ashton of using his “power and influence to groom and ultimately sexually victimize underage girls.”
The lawsuit, which accuses Ashton of sex trafficking, child pornography and negligence, claims that the star would invite minors to his shows, bring them to a hotel room and provide “large sums of cash and other items of value” in exchange for sex.
In her ruling Thursday, Judge Trauger tossed out certain elements of those allegations. She ruled that Ramsbottom in particular had failed to show that she received any payments after she turned 18 — meaning she could not accuse him of sex trafficking after that point. And she rejected claims that the DJ had used “force, fraud or coercion” on any of his alleged victims.
“The psychological force she alleges he exerted over her amounts to nothing other than a desire to please a famous man she clearly admired and whose approval she sought,” the judge wrote of Bowling’s accusations.
Ditto for Houston: “The conduct she identifies as coercive — conduct that allegedly manipulated her into loving and trusting him, making her afraid to do anything that would cause her to lose his affection — does not qualify,” the judge wrote. “Heartbreak is simply not the form of harm envisioned by the sex-trafficking statute.”
But the ruling still leaves Ashton facing most of the lawsuit’s allegations, including claims that he had sex trafficked them as minors by paying them in return for sex. The DJ’s attorneys strongly deny that anything given to the women was a payment, but the judge said a jury might see otherwise.
“There is a question of fact as to whether the ‘travel money,’ free concert tickets, and free airfare Houston received from Ashton were causally related to Ashton’s allegedly enticing Houston to have sex with him and to provide her the means of traveling to see him again while she was underage in order to have sex,” the judge wrote.
In a statement to Billboard on Friday, the lead attorney for the accusers, M. Stewart Ryan, said: “Our clients are very happy that the Court agreed with us that this case must be heard by a jury. Rachel, Alexis, and Jenna all look forward to their day in court, yet another step on their journey to justice in this case.”
Representatives for Ashton did not immediately return requests for comment on Friday.
UPDATE: This story was updated at 2:03 pm EST on Dec. 6 with a statement from an attorney for the plaintiffs.
German electronic pioneers Kraftwerk are going on tour next spring, announcing on Thursday (Dec. 5) a 25-city North American run that starts on March 6 in Philadelphia. The trek includes the group’s previously announced performances at Coachella 2025. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Ticket for the […]
In the opening moments of his latest project, Troye Sivan makes it clear that his career would not be what it is today had it not been for the queer artists who came before him. “I’m definitely not fighting for my life on the street — I get to make music videos and I get to be true to who I am,” he said. “I do feel like I really carry that with me with kind of a sense of guilt because of how lucky I feel.”
The acknowledgement comes from Sivan’s appearance on a new installation of the Audible original series Origins. Throughout the episode, Sivan dives deep into his personal backstory, examining key moments from his early life that helped foster his love of music today. In the process, he takes a look forward at where his career is headed — and what that means for music at large.
Sivan isn’t the only artist taking a deep dive on the new series. With four episodes released on Thursday (Dec. 5), Origins also delves into the childhood stories of Victoria Monét, Kali Uchis and Dominic Fike.
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Ahead of his appearance on the series, Billboard spoke with Sivan about the importance of acknowledging his queer forebearers, the “lightning in a bottle” feeling of his co-headlining Sweat Tour with Charli XCX and what’s giving him hope in dark times.
You speak a bit in this episode about the queer artists and bits of pop culture who came before you that helped pave the way for your career. Why is it important for younger listeners to learn more about our queer elders?
I feel that understanding the contributions of queer artists who came before us is vital. They navigated challenges we can’t even imagine, often at great personal risk, to express their truths and create art that resonated with their experiences. For me, it’s about honoring their legacy and understanding the cultural and historical context that shapes our present.
When you look at the very queer pop moment that we’re living in now, how do you acknowledge your place in pushing this genre forward?
I feel incredibly fortunate to feel a small part of a moment where queer voices are more visible and celebrated in pop culture. My aim has always been to create authentic art that felt true and genuine to me. I’ve always felt that people are smart and in tune to what is real, which actually makes my job fairly easy — to listen to myself and to make something real to me, that I like, and that I am proud of.
You also speak in the episode about the internet as a place for you to explore your sexuality. Obviously, the internet has changed a lot, especially over the last few years. Do you find yourself worrying for the continued curation of those safe spaces online?
I don’t know what I would have done without the internet — it has been a crucial platform for so many in the LGBTQ+ community to explore and express themselves. It’s changed a lot, and I think people always need to be weary and keep safety in mind, but I do also feel that there will always be those safe havens and communities online that foster a feeling of being seen and heard, if you know where to look.
We also get to hear you talk about the start of your acting career in the episode. Do you see yourself returning to acting any time soon, or are you more interested in focusing on your musical career?
Acting has always been a passion of mine, and I cherish the opportunities I’ve had in that realm. While music remains my primary focus, I’m open to exploring acting projects that resonate with me and scare me. I feel lucky to be able to approach acting like this, as a passion, rather than a day job.
You wrapped up the Sweat Tour with Charli last month. How do you feel looking back now on that experience today in terms of the arc of your career?
The Sweat Tour felt like lightning in a bottle. Reflecting on it, I already feel so nostalgic for it and see it as a bright highlight in my life. It spoke to all the things that feel so important to me — pop, community, collaboration, friendship.
We’re living through some pretty scary times for queer and trans people around the world. What’s giving you hope about our collective future with everything going on?
The resilience and solidarity within the queer and trans communities gives me hope. The same strength and resilience that’s got us to this point is present in our communities today.
The vibrant, graffiti-washed streets of Shoreditch form the nexus of Nia Archives’ world. Teeming with a mix of giddy twentysomethings and bankers looking to dance and release pressure at kitschy nightclubs, the east London neighborhood has been pivotal to the 25-year-old’s rise since she first moved from Manchester to the capital three years ago.
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Between hosting raves at pubs, rooftop dance parties and a local multi-arts space, Archives has immersed herself in every community hub or wild Shoreditch has offered her. Last year, her close affinity with the area was immortalised in mural, when an 80-square-meter image of Archives was created to celebrate the release of her third EP, Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against Tha Wall.
Eighteen months on, when the Bradford-born artist dials in for her Billboard UK interview, her apartment stretches out behind her on our Zoom call. Every inch of visible wall space has art on it, from a framed cover of Aphex Twin’s Windowlicker LP to a ‘Pour Yourself a Junglist’ print, in homage to the iconic Guinness Toucan advertising campaign.
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Like her winsome take on jungle, it is decorated with curiosities across varying aesthetics, but the space looks invitingly lived-in. Archives, born Dehaney Nia Lishahn Hunt, released her debut album, Silence Is Loud, via Island Records in April, which peaked at No. 16 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart before earning a nomination for the prestigious Mercury Prize. The 13-track collection documents her in a state of messy uncertainty. Themes including complex familial bonds and self-esteem are layered over elements of pop, indie and drum ‘n’ bass, broadening her sound without sacrificing brevity.
Archives debuted as a soft-spoken but animated producer with her first single “Sober Feels” in 2020. She has since gone on to have a tectonic impact on U.K. jungle, introducing a new generation of music fans to the genre while also being commissioned for remixes by stars including Fred again.., Jamie xx and Jorja Smith. On Nov. 8, she played a rapturous set at London’s O2 Academy Brixton, which saw her taking on more vocal duties than ever before, skipping around the stage with excitement as she rocked the mic.
Her ascent is built on deep foundations – leaving home at 16, parental estrangement, finding her voice as a songwriter. But by taking a zealously hands-on approach to everything she does, Archives’ followers have continued to turn to her emphatic, euphoric music in troubling times. Back in east London, Archives beams as she tells Billboard UK how she is “surrounded by love”; her closest friends live on the same street, and she is enjoying some downtime after recent tours across the U.K. and Europe.
Fittingly, Silence Is Loud trades in the dizziness and angst of Archives’ earlier music for soaring serenity. Though she still sings about forgiveness and her own resilience, it’s now with the remove of a successful musician that’s conquered an uphill climb to get to where they are today.
Having toured relentlessly in the past few months, how does it feel to finally adjust back to reality?
I do love being on the road, but when I’m away, I really miss my house and my friends. I’m really happy to be back to seeing people, going out and doing things – I’ve got to live life so that I have something to talk about. I’m very happy to be in that mode at the moment. In the past year, I’ve also tried to work out what I want my personal space to look like as being on tour all the time is so disruptive. When I come home, I want to feel calm.
I’m really enjoying life at the moment. I’ve been boozing and reconnecting with friends that I may have lost contact with. When you’re busy playing shows, you don’t always get to speak to everyone all the time so I’ve been trying to be more present in my loved ones’ lives.
What is the emotional exchange between you and the audience like now that you’re not chained to the decks so much in your live shows?
Because I have played so many festivals this year, during these headline shows, it’s been nice to play to rooms of people who really know my music. I do enjoy a festival crowd because I see it as a challenge to win over new listeners but I love seeing people really vibe with the tunes. The audience reactions have been quite mad; I’ll be DJing, then I’ll move away to start singing and feel really connected to people.
We have elevated the set visually too, and I’m really happy with how it has all turned out. I have spotted a lot of moshpits during my shows, which I never expected – it’s quite overstimulating doing what I do! Also, I’ve got really bad eyesight which means I can’t see that far into the crowd but I know that all the vibe controllers are down the front anyway. I love it.
Silence Is Loud introduced your music to more people than ever before. Do you feel like you’ve crossed a threshold, in that regard?
I don’t know. I really love my album, but I will say making an album in 2024 is so anti-climatic. You know, I’m proud of what I’ve done, but I recently saw Goldie say that when he made [1994’s] Inner City Life, people didn’t get it at the time and it only became what it was years later. I feel like that might ring true with my album as well, to be honest.
How do you think the reaction to the album differed to what you had anticipated?
I’m already doing quite a niche thing, which is jungle music. And then I have my own specific take on it, which is bringing in all these different sounds to the genre while I’m singing about my life as well. It’s quite fresh. I think people don’t always understand something new straight away, so I think it’s a bit of a grower. That happens quite a lot with dance music, where songs often become hits years after they are released.
Why do you feel so attracted to telling the story of your life in your music?
I had never really spoken about my life before, and I thought my debut album would be a good way to have a “planting my flag in the sand” moment. Like, my name is Nia Archives and I am making an archive of my life stories. If I have done anything in my life, I have made this album and it’s told the world about who I am, what my story is, and what I am interested in. Album one had to be really real to me: it had to represent who I am and where I come from, and I felt like I only had one chance to do that.
Honestly, I just wrote a lot of songs and tried to sing them as best I could. I don’t think I’m like the best vocalist in the world, but I don’t think I’m the worst. I’m not a f–king powerhouse, Adele-style singer, but I’ve got a lot of charm in what I do.
Did being so vulnerable in your songwriting present any new challenges during the album creation process?
There’s one song [“F.A.M.I.L.Y”] that I didn’t want to put on my album, but my label and manager really wanted that to be the lead single. And I was like, “I don’t want to do that, because that’s such an embarrassing song.” But I’m glad to put it on there because you know what, people that come up to me at shows and tell me they really relate to the song.
Your album has been attributed with bringing jungle sounds and aesthetics to a new audience, serving as a gateway for a lot of people. In what ways has your own relationship with the genre evolved?
My relationship with jungle has honestly grown so much. Hanging out with Goldie has been amazing, he’s become a proper presence in my life. I’ve needed it. He understands what I’m going through and what I’m doing with my music. Also, it has been nice just reconnecting with loads of people from the jungle scene. I’ve got really good relationships with everybody.
In the background, for 2025, I’m looking to put on and work with some new-gen junglists, people that are younger than me. I’m going to Bristol, I’m hanging out with people in Manchester – I want to help new artists coming through. I’m just quite excited, really, and I’m definitely feeling stronger in my love for jungle once again.
What do you see as the big changes in dance music as of late?
Dance music is definitely one of the biggest genres in the world right now. I’ve traveled all over the world and seen people of all ages and from all walks of life enjoying themselves to different DJs’ sets. That post-COVID party boom continues, I think: Charli XCX is huge and rave sounds are everywhere. I’m super happy to be part of it and to also see my friends doing so well.
On the flipside, you can tell who went out [clubbing] before the pandemic and who only started after, right? That’s not being disrespectful, but for the younger ones, the core years of their lives were taken away and they’re still figuring out how to experience live music. I’m not really into berating them or making them feel bad – I just want to encourage them to dance and to not worry about their phones.
How have you dealt with the way your life has changed this past year?
So much has happened these past few months that it still feels like a blur! Like, I still can’t believe that I was able to take my album to Japan and play it out there. It was so cool to see such an enthusiastic reaction to jungle music on the other side of the world – it makes me so excited to see the genre go global. There’s so much left on the bucket list, too. I feel like I’ve only just started and I have so many dreams that I hope to achieve with my second album.
Electric Forest has announced an hefty lineup for its 2025 event, with French titans Justice, a DJ set from brother duo Disclosure, hard techno boss Sara Landry, psych rock outfit Khruangbin, Aussie favorite Fisher, dance legend Tiësto, U.K. phenom Barry Can’t Swim, bass mainstay Of The Trees, dubstep producer Liquid Stranger, festival regulars Louis the […]