Getting in gear for the summer, DJs and producers across electronic music's subgenres pumped out both fun, radio-friendly dance pop singles and chill, laid-back collaborations last month. Most notably, deadmau5 teamed up with The Neptunes for his first release of 2020, "Pomegranate," exploring a nu-disco sound.
Marshmello and Halsey also dropped a summery, 80s-inspired collaboration of their own called "Be Kind." Although it touches on the struggles of being in a serious relationship, Halsey described it as "cute," "optimistic," and "heartfelt" in a tweet. She went on to say they thought everyone "could use the vibes right now."
This same sentiment can be found in Martin Garrix's latest progressive house collaboration with John Martin. "Higher Ground" is all about not giving up and pushing forward so that someday we’ll get to where we want to be, to that "higher ground."
At the end of the month, Kygo dropped his third studio album, Golden Hour. The 17-track LP includes the two singles he released earlier in the month, "Lose Somebody" with OneRepublic and "The Truth" with Valerie Broussard, as well as his radio hit, "Higher Love," with Whitney Houston and a previous release, "Freedom," with Zak Abel.
In May, Matoma also released his own tropical house EP, RYTME. With tracks like "The Bender," his twist on Earth, Wind & Fire's hit "September," and the feel-good Captain Cuts and Georgia Ku collaboration, "Beside You," the 6-track EP is a pre-summer staple. "Above all my inspiration will always be incredible voices that can move you and fill you with different emotions," Matoma said in a press release. "This EP allowed me to work with a really exciting and diverse range of vocalists and capture a different range of vibes."
Keeping up with the pre-summer vibrations, Galantis and Ship Wrek teamed up on a fun anthem featuring R&B singer Pink Sweat$. Filled with a bunch of catchy pianos, "Only A Fool" combines the right amount of house with its dance pop sound. Two Friends also brought some tropical flair with their high-energy song "Looking At You." Referencing the movie classic Casablanca and its iconic line, "Here's looking at you, kid," the duo showcases their mastery of combining pop and future bass.
For more awesome future house, house, progressive house, trap and electronic songs, be sure to check out the rest of our playlist below.