Global Connections: Europe – North America

Times are changing slowly. An slowly growing interest for European acts finds its way into the commercial charts. This recent week we can count 11 tracks with participation of at least one European act. Very popular are right now collaborations between North-American and European acts. We find three of them actually rocking the top of the charts with Snoop Dogg vs. David Guetta at number 2, Pitbull and his all star collective including Dutch Afrojack entering at 11 and Martin Solveig plus Dragonette still sneaking at number 13 this week. All three working the same way: a popular act from America (it is very likely a hiphop act, except Dragonette that is a straight poprock project) is remixed or reworked by an European DJ. And even the number one On The Floor credited to JLO feat. Pitbull is in the end produced and mixed by no one else than Moroccan-Swedish producer RedOne who became popular by producing most of the hits for Lady Gaga.

It is an open secret now that international collaborations hit the nerve of a global society much more than national defined sounds. Of course such music has its fans too. Completely German productions can be found at 18, 19 and 20 with Die Atzen mit Nena, a steadily rising Jupiter Jones and Bushido feat. J-LUV. The sound of these three could not be more different: electro party, rockpop and rap mixed with soul. Last time we had three German productions within the Top 20 was end of March when Lena, Milk&Sugar and culcha candela crowded up the upper places.

We will have the European focus for sure the next days cause the Eurovision Song Contest is knocking at the door. First prognoses are talking bout a win of Hungarian Kati Wolf. We know more in seven days time.