Superlatones: Most Likely to Succeed
posted in: Features • Pop
Good music comes from different sources. But when two artists come together in a collaboration, what takes precedence? Who writes the melodies, and who keeps the lyrics fresh? Nowadays, it may seem that mainstream music has grown increasingly diverse, and yet more and more we are hearing from new and unexpected partnerships between genres spanning from funk to opera and beyond. This is why, through Superlatones, we are creating our very own directory”a musical wish-list, if you will”of artists who have yet to join the collaborative bandwagon.
The Dynamic Duo
Florence + The Machine and Calvin Harris
Although Florence + The Machine released their debut album in 2009, their real claim to fame came with the song “Dog Days Are Over,” which was featured on television as well as the movie Eat, Pray, Love. Apart from that however, the band has long been popular amongst the indie music scene. Though it is true that Florence Welch’s distinct voice and insightful lyrics have played a major role in the band’s popularity, what has truly won fans over is undoubtedly the larger-than-life vision that is evident not just in their music, but in their overall style as well.
DJ and producer Calvin Harris began his rise to fame in the US with another collaboration: Rihanna’s “We Found Love”, which rose to the top of the charts and now holds the No.1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. His sound has proven to be very much in line with the digital, dubstep-inspired wave taking over today’s music, winning him a following of electronic and mainstream listeners alike. Harris however”who released his debut album in 2007”has long been a European golden boy, writing and producing his own music as well as songs for other artists such as Dizzee Rascal and Kylie Minogue.
What these two artists have most in common then (despite their wildly different styles) is the large following that has become common amongst musicians with such head-on approaches to music. Harris’ popular club sound has already taken over international radio, and combined with Florence’s loyal cult following the duo would possess the musical qualities and the audience that has earned them our honorary title of Most Likely to Succeed. Through Welch’s vocals and quirky style, Harris could gain the interest of more indie-centric listeners, while giving Florence another opening into the mainstream music world that has so eagerly welcomed him into their iPods. The only challenge, then, would be to stitch together Florence’s epic sound with Harris’ more straightforward beat¦ without turning into an overwhelming disaster. Get past that, and the duo could serve as a platform for a renewed interest in European music”bringing a successful year not just to themselves, but to a whole array of undiscovered artists.