Connect with us

World News

Shazam turns 20

Published

on

Shazam turns 20

Shazam turns 20 today, and as of this week, it has officially surpassed 70 billion song recognitions. A mainstay in popular culture, the platform has changed the way people engage with music by making song identification accessible to everyone. For more than 225 million global monthly users, to “Shazam” is to discover something new.

To mark the occasion, Shazam invites fans to take a trip down memory lane with a special playlist comprised of the most Shazamed song of each calendar year for the past 20 years. Featuring everything from Train’s “Hey, Soul Sister” to Sia’s “Cheap Thrills,” the playlist is a true reflection of the music fans across the globe actively searched for over the past two decades. Listen now exclusively on Apple Music.

Over the years, Shazam’s global charts have played a crucial role in helping to identify breaking new talent like Masked Wolf, who was one of Shazam’s 5 Artists to Watch in 2021 and ended up having the most Shazamed track globally that year with “Astronaut In The Ocean.”

Shazam Introduces Concert Discovery Worldwide

Advertisement

“The fact that people all over the world took time out of their day to pull out their phone and Shazam my songs is a huge honor for me as an artist,” said Masked Wolf. “You know you’ve got something special if you see the Shazam stats moving.”

Shazam’s charts have also become a barometer for unexpected pop culture moments. Kate Bush’s 1985 song “Running Up That Hill” being featured in “Stranger Things” led to an all-time peak in Shazams of the singer, and the track took No. 1 on the Shazam Global Top 200 for 10 days. It ended up reaching the top of 25 national charts — more than any other song in 2022.

Keeping its finger on the pulse of music, Shazam has also played a key role in bringing local artists to a global audience. The longest-running global No. 1 song of 2021 was “Love Nwantiti [Remix]” by Nigerian artist CKay, which became the second song to ever surpass one million Shazams in a week.

“Shazam has played an impactful role in my career,” said CKay. “It allowed millions of people all over the world to discover me and my unique Nigerian sound. It made me a global sensation even before I started to perform all over the world. The story of CKay cannot be told without Shazam connecting me to the world.”

With its continued commitment to innovation over the past two decades, Shazam is pioneering new ways to bring fans closer to the music and artists they love with new tools like the concert discovery feature, which spotlights concert information and tickets on sale for shows nearby, simply by Shazaming a song, or by searching for it in the Shazam app or website.

Advertisement

While Shazam remains focused on the future of music discovery, today’s anniversary offers an opportunity to look back at the notable moments and milestones that make up its two-decade history.

Important Dates

  • August 2002: Shazam launches as a text message service based in the UK. At the time, users could identify songs by dialing “2580” on their phone and holding it up as a song played. They were then sent an SMS message telling them the song title and the name of the artist.
  • July 2008: Shazam launches on the brand-new App Store. Shazam later launched its Android version in October 2008.
  • April 2015: Shazam becomes available on the first Apple Watch.
  • September 2018: Shazam joins the Apple family.
  • June 2021: Shazam surpasses 1 billion Shazams per month.
  • May 2022: Shazam surpasses 2 billion lifetime installs.
  • August 2022: Shazam celebrates 20 years of music discovery and hits 70 billion all-time Shazams.
Notable Firsts
  • First-ever Shazamed song: “Jeepster” by T. Rex (April 19, 2002)1
  • First Shazamed song on the iOS app: “How Am I Different” by Aimee Mann (July 10, 2008)
  • First track to reach 1,000 Shazams: “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” by Eminem (September 2002)
  • First track to reach one million Shazams: “TiK ToK” by Ke$ha (February 2010)
  • First track to reach 10 million Shazams: “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye feat. Kimbra (December 2012)
  • First track to reach 20 million Shazams: “Prayer In C (Robin Schulz Radio Edit)” by Lilly Wood & The Prick and Robin Schulz (October 2015)
  • First artist to hit 1 million Shazams: Lil Wayne (February 2009)
  • First artist to hit 10 million Shazams: Lil Wayne (June 2011)
  • First artist to hit 100 million Shazams: David Guetta (May 2015)
Fastest Tracks to Accumulate Shazams
  • Fastest track to reach 1 million Shazams: “Butter” by BTS (nine days)
  • Fastest track to reach 10 million Shazams: “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran (87 days)
  • Fastest track to reach 20 million Shazams: “Dance Monkey” by Tones And I (219 days)
Most Shazamed of All Time
  • Drake is the most Shazamed artist of all time with over 350 million Shazams across songs the artist has led or featured on. “One Dance” is Drake’s most popular track at over 17 million Shazams.
  • “Dance Monkey” by Tones And I is the most Shazamed song ever with over 41 million Shazams.
  • “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley was the most Shazamed song using the “2580” text service.
Top Shazamed Songs by Genre
  • Top Hip-Hop/Rap: “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton
  • Top Dance: “Prayer In C (Robin Schulz Radio Edit)” by Lilly Wood & The Prick and Robin Schulz
  • Top R&B/Soul: “All of Me” by John Legend
  • Top Latin: “Mi Gente” by J Balvin and Willy William
  • Top Pop: “Let Her Go” by Passenger
  • Top Alternative: “Dance Monkey” by Tones And I
  • Top Singer/Songwriter: “Take Me to Church” by Hozier
  1. The first Shazamed song used the service’s prelaunch public beta.
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

World News

MICHAEL MCINTYRE CONFIRMS SOUTH AFRICAN DATES FOR HIS “MACNIFICENT” COMEDY TOUR

Published

on

MM short banner

Michael McIntyre remains one of the top-selling comedy tours ever in SA and will perform September 2024, on Thursday 12th at Sunbet Arena at Times Square, Menlyn and Friday 13th at GrandWest, Cape Town.

Much has happened in the five years since his last tour and Michael will be making mirth from the madness of it all. Michael is the host of two of the BBC’s most successful entertainment shows, the BAFTA-winning Michael McIntyre’s Big Show and The Wheel, which he devised and also hosts for NBC in America. His previous tours have sold over four million tickets and broken box-office records around the world. Michael’s return to stand-up is not to be missed!

Age restriction: STRICTLY 14+. Children younger than this will not be admitted even if accompanied by an adult Tickets available at TicketPro.co.za.

Pre-sales from 10 am THURSDAY 28th March.

Follow Real Artist Management on Facebook for access to pre-sales for Michael McIntyre with a code MACNIFICENT for the Menlyn and Cape Town shows.

General Public on sale from 11am Tues 2nd April – i.e. no code required

Advertisement
Continue Reading

World News

Beast of Two Worlds (Ajakaju) Movie Premiere: Where Cinema Meets Couture

Published

on

BEAST OF TWO WORLDS AJAKAJU ENIOLA AJAO 3

On Sunday, March 25, 2024, the Nollywood industry saw a historic moment as the much-awaited debut of Beast of Two Worlds (Ajakaju) took center stage at Film House Cinemas, Circle Mall, Lekki. The film’s grand premiere, which was produced by Eniola Ajao in association with Anthill Studios, was a momentous occasion in the history of epic blockbuster movies.

Beast of Two Worlds (Ajakaju) had its much-awaited debut attracting a star-studded cast of industry professionals. A bit of star power was added to the premiere by the presence of well-known people like Toyin Abraham, Mercy Aigbe, Odunlade Adekola, Femi Adebayo, Iyabo Ojo, Yomi Fash-Lanso, Gbenga Adeyinka, Ronke Oshodi-Oke, Denrele Edun, Rukayat Lawal, Wasila Coded, Wumi Toriola, Phyna, Peju Ogunmola, Dayo Amusa, Iyabo Ojo, Antar Laniyan, and others.

Beast of Two Worlds (Ajakaju) opened with a grandiose fashion show that went above and beyond the usual moviegoing experience. The red carpet was a glistening display of avant-garde and opulent looks that added even more excitement to the evening’s festivities.

Directed by Odunlade Adekola and Adebayo Tijani, “Beast of Two Worlds” looks at the life of a desperate king facing banishment due to his three wives’ inability to produce a son, he takes a new wife from another world who promises him an heir but her arrival brings unforeseen chaos to the kingdom forcing the king to confront his fears and fight to secure his dynasty future.

The cast includes Odunlade Adekola, Eniola Ajao, Sola Sobowale,  Femi Adebayo, Lateef Adedimeji, Mercy Aigbe, Bimbo Akintola, Fathia Balogun, Ibrahim Chatta, amongst others.

Advertisement

Beast of Two Worlds is set to show nationwide in cinemas from March 29, 2024, and distributed by Film One.

Watch the trailer here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17aQ8ibDXVg 

About Beast of Two Worlds

Beast of Two Worlds looks at the life of a desperate king facing banishment due to his three wives’ inability to produce a son, he takes a new wife from another world who promises him an heir but her arrival brings unforeseen chaos to the kingdom forcing the king to confront his fears and fight to secure his dynasty future. 

Advertisement
Continue Reading

World News

Electric Forest Announces Additional Artists for Sold Out 2024 Edition

Published

on

2024 ElectricForest Billing Refresh 1080x1350 WEB

New Additions Feature Seven Lions, Sara Landry, G Jones, Hiatus Kaiyote, ODD MOB & OMNOM present HYPERBEAM, Layton Giordani, Boogie T, Cannabliss, Levity, Chaos in the CBD, Emo Nite, Brandi Cyrus + Many More

Taking Place June 20-23 in Rothbury, Michigan

Limited Wristbands Back On Sale Friday, March 29

https://www.electricforest.com

Today, Electric Forest announces 40+ additional artists joining the lineup for its sold out 2024 edition. Taking place June 20-23 in Rothbury, Michigan, Electric Forest remains one of the world’s most interactive festivals, fostering an immersive atmosphere of connection and discovery upheld by the pillars of community, creation, and inclusion.

Advertisement

Electric Forest’s new lineup additions include melodic bass maestro Seven Lions, experimental bass veteran G Jones, high priestess of hard techno Sara Landry, and Grammy-nominated band Hiatus Kaiyote. The billing expands with techno new school selector Layton Giordani, post-punk revivalists Emo Nite,Nashville’s Brandi Cyrus, Kiwi brother-duo Chaos in the CBD, multi-instrumentalist live legend Boogie T,  Chicago’s rising electronic trio Levity, and the new collaborative project of tech house sensations ODD MOB & OMNOM present HYPERBEAM.

Electric Forest’s latest additions join a stacked roster of headliners including Forest favorite Pretty Lights, the bone-rattling sounds of Excision, and Cyclops Recordings founder Subtronics. A variety of rare collaborative artist sets are also on deck, including EVERYTHING ALWAYS (Dom Dolla + John Summit), LSZEE (CloZee + LSDREAM), and Big Gigantic and NGHTMRE teaming up for their Gigantic NGHTMRE project.

Jam fans can rejoice as The String Cheese Incident returns to perform two Incidents, plus sets from fellow torchbearers of the genre The Disco Biscuits and Umphrey’s McGee. Some of the more unexpected names on the lineup include Grammy-winning singer Nelly Furtado and famed Atlanta hip-hop artist Ludacris, each bringing their iconic sounds to the forest. The list of headliners is rounded out by Belgian techno queen Charlotte de Witte, a solo set from John Summit, and performances by Black Tiger Sex Machine, Ben Böhmer, and Knock2.

This year, Electric Forest will continue its offering of elevated culinary experience add-ons. Highlights include breakfast with a side of sass at the Drag Brunch, a four course meal inspired by the Forest, seasonal produce, and mystical creatures at Forest Feast, Buena Vida, an Agave spirits interactive cocktail tasting experience, and Wig Out Pig Out, a wig wearing authentic BBQ. Additional offerings include Brie Our Guest, Champagne French Fry, The Gouda Life, Forest Food Tour, and Good Life Brunch with Chef Sarah.

Fans will also be able to purchase exclusive guided tour experiences, allowing them to explore Sherwood Forest or experience the Dream Emporium before festival gates officially open. The exclusive tours will give fans an exclusive sneak peek at the new art, installations, and surprises the Forest has to offer while learning about the artists, history, and production process of the festival directly from the Electric Forest team. Sherwood Forest tours will conclude at TheWoodlands Bar for happy hour and are extremely limited capacity.

Advertisement

Electric Forest also recently announced the full programming for its beloved Plug In Programs, offering fans the unique opportunity to contribute and collaborate directly with the festival’s production teams. Highlights include the Art Installation Sponsorship Program, allowing artists to bring their creations to life in the forest, The Brainery which offers educational workshops and classes, The Wish Machine which grants a wish in exchange for inspirational and charitable deeds done in the community, and the Electric Forest Radio On Air ExtraordinAIRE Program for aspiring radio personalities, show hosts, behind-the-scenes technicians, fan interviewers, and more.

Since 2011, Electric Forest has remained committed to the constant reimagination of what a festival experience can be. It’s this thoughtful and innovative approach to production and programming that has helped foster one of the world’s most dedicated festival communities. It’s a place where acceptance, safety, and self-expression are the most valuable currency, surprise and wonder hide around every corner, and no two journeys are the same.

Wristbands for Electric Forest 2024 are currently sold-out, but limited wristbands will go back on sale this Friday, March 29 at 12pm EST. More information can be found at ElectricForest.com.  Add-Ons, Vehicle Passes, Early Arrival, Group Camping, Shuttles, Lockers, and more can be found here.

The complete list of Electric Forest 2024 artists is available below.

Electric Forest 2024 Lineup (A-Z)

Advertisement

ACRAZE

ALLEYCVT

ATLiens

AYYBO

Baggi

Advertisement

Barclay Crenshaw

Ben Böhmer

Black Tiger Sex Machine

Boogie T

Brandi Cyrus

Advertisement

Calussa

Cannabliss

Cannons

Caspa

Cassian

Advertisement

Chaos in the CBD

Charlotte De Witte

Chase & Status

Coco & Breezy

Cuco (DJ Set)

Advertisement

Dimension

Dirtwire

Dixon’s Violin

DJ Susan

DJ Tennis

Advertisement

DRAMA

Dumpstaphunk

Eggy

Emo Nite

Equanimous

Advertisement

EVERYTHING ALWAYS (Dom Dolla + John Summit)

Excision

G Jones

Gigantic NGHTMRE

Green Velvet

Advertisement

Hamdi

Hiatus Kaiyote

INZO

it’s murph

Jenna Shaw

Advertisement

JJUUJJUU

John Summit

Juelz

Kenny Beats

Kiltro

Advertisement

Knock2

Layton Giordani

Levity

Le Youth

Lettuce

Advertisement

LEVEL UP

Levity

Libianca

Little Stranger

LP Giobbi

Advertisement

LSZEE (CloZee + LSDREAM)

Luci

Ludacris

LYNY

Maddy O’Neal

Advertisement

MÆSØNIC

Major League Djz

Mascolo

Marsh

Matroda

Advertisement

Mau P

Michaël Brun

Mojave Grey

NEIL FRANCES

Nelly Furtado

Advertisement

Neoma

ODD MOB & OMNOM present HYPERBEAM

ODEN & Fatzo

Only Fire

PAPERWATER

Advertisement

Peach Tree Rascals

Polyrhythmics

Pretty Lights

Próxima Parada

Ranger Trucco

Advertisement

Rawayana

Redrum

Sammy Virji

Sara Landry

Seven Lions

Advertisement

Shae District

Slayyyter

Subtronics

Sultan + Shepard

Super Future

Advertisement

SWAYLÓ

The Disco Biscuits

The String Cheese Incident

Thought Process

Tripp St.

Advertisement

TSHA

Umphrey’s McGee

Unusual Demont

venbee

Vini Vici

Advertisement

VNSSA B2B Nala

Westend

Whyte Fang

Will Clarke

Wooli

Advertisement

Zen Selekta

Continue Reading

World News

Diddy reportedly sells off all his Revolt TV shares to anonymous buyer amidst home raids

Published

on

diddy

One day after Homeland Security descended upon his residences in Los Angeles and Miami, Diddy has reportedly relinquished his Revolt TV shares. (more…)

Continue Reading

World News

Titanic’s door frame prop that helped Rose stay afloat sells for $718,750

Published

on

door

The floating piece of wood that kept Titanic’s Rose alive has been sold for $718,750 (£569,739) at auction. (more…)

Continue Reading

World News

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs breaks silence after federal agents raid his homes

Published

on

diddy

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ team breaks their silence just over 24 hours after Homeland Security raided his homes. (more…)

Continue Reading

Trending