The 10 Best EDM Songs Of 2016

3) “So Long” – Slushii featuring Madi

At this point, it’s no secret that the future bass formula dominated in 2016, becoming the latest EDM genre to fall victim to over-saturation. It’s not hard to see why the style became so popular over the last year, and luckily there were still a few producers who managed to offer up some innovation to the increasingly overcrowded market. Slushii is one such producer, and along with an impressive output in 2016 overall, his collaboration with Madi on “So Long” was one of the year’s standouts.

Part of the reason Slushii has gained the kind of momentum he has is because of his ability to conjure up emotional melodies in addition to delivering top tier production quality. “So Long” is the perfect example of his bittersweet melodic approach, as he layers fluttery future bass synths against a nostalgic motif, punctuated by some seriously crisp drum hits. Couple that with some sublime music box samples and you have a formula for emotive dance music gold.

2) “Generationwhy” – ZHU

Serving as the title track to ZHU‘s debut album from earlier this year, “Generationwhy” is the kind of song that leaves an immediate impression on you. The track would go on to receive an ambitious music video/short film with a dark, dystopian vibe, contrasting the hedonistic lyrics and dance friendly production present in the music.

“Generationwhy” is a futuristic pop tune with a solid dance backbeat layered beneath catchy falsetto vocal hooks. The delayed tones of pristine synth melodies drip against a plucked chord progression, as ZHU offers up a lively rhythmic section. “Generationwhy” managed to carve out an identity all its own, further cementing ZHU as one of the best producers of the moment while standing out as one of the finest dance tracks of 2016.