Influences: One Degree of Separation

Hiiiiiiii peeps. I'm starting a new series called "degrees of separation." Six degrees of separation is idea that all living things and everything else in the world are six or fewer steps away from each other so that a chain of "a friend of a friend" statements can be made to connect any two people in a maximum of six steps. I believe the same principle can be applied to music.

My plan is to take the top ten songs of a popular Spotify playlist and go one degree deeper to discover music that's right under the surface. As the series progresses, I'll do two degrees, three degrees, etc., until I can't do it anymore. Since one degree is the closest relationship songs can have, the selected songs will be pretty close to the original, but it'll get more complex as we go on.

Sound interesting? Check out my picks below.

One Degree of Separation from "Today's Top Hits":

1. "Him & I" by G-Eazy ft. Halsey >"Lie" by Halsey ft. Quavo

Another Halsey/male duet, but different because this is darker and more negative. "Lie" is less "let's takeover the world" and more ominous than "Him & I."

2. "River" by Eminem ft. Ed Sheeran > "End Game" by Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran, Future

If you feature Ed Sheeran on a song, it's a guaranteed hit (like it or not). While the Eminem/Ed collaboration may seem weird, producer Emile Haynie is more pop than anything, producing for artists like Lana del Rey and Dua Lipa. "End Game" was produced by pop-powerhouse Max Martin. I should do a full post on Martin, but for now, it's important to note that pop features (especially Ed Sheeran) is one major key to a successful release.

3. "MIC Drop" BTS ft. Desiigner [Steve Aoki Remix] > "Go Go" by BTS

Honestly this one was hard because I'm not super well versed in K-pop or Steve Aoki ahhh!!! But nonetheless, after some BTS research, I thought "Go Go" had some similar elements to Desiigner's "Panda," especially the heavy synth usage.

4. "Wait" by Maroon 5 > "Help Me Out" by Maroon 5 ft. Julia Michaels

Maroon 5 is low key prolific. Hear me out. They've had a ton of success since their debut album Songs About Jane (which I still listen to on a regular basis). "Wait" sounds a lot like the album's single "What Lovers Do" (ft. my girl SZA) and is produced, in part, by JRY. JRY is another pop-powerhouse, contributing large portions of One Direction's discography. "Help Me Out" which features songwriter-turned-solo artist Julia Michaels, is on the band's latest Red Pill Blues, but was produced in-part by Diplo.

5. "Home" by Machine Gun Kelly, X Ambassadors, Bebe Rexha > "Jungle [Remix]" by X Ambassadors ft. Jay-Z and Jamie N Commons.

X Ambassadors worked with producer Alex da Kid on their album VHS. Alex da Kid also produced this "Jungle" remix. "Home" is like "Jungle" in that it blends an alternative melody with pop and rap influences.

6. "Never Be the Same" by Camilla Cabello > "I Have Questions" by Camilla Cabello

This matchup is me being selfish. I love "I Have Questions" and couldn't not include it here. These are two very different kinds of love songs. Interestingly, producer Frank Dukes also did work on Lorde's Melodrama. See if you can hear the same synth-y influences.

7. "Candy Paint" by Post Malone > "Homemade Dynamite - REMIX" by Lorde ft. Khalid, Post Malone, and SZA

Louis Bell, Post Malone's #1 collaborator and producer, produced both "Candy Paint" and "Homemade Dynamite - REMIX." I'm not a huge fan of Malone, but I do love this remix.

8. "I Miss You" by Clean Bandit ft. Julia Michaels > "Worst in Me" by Julia Michaels

Julia Michaels kills me (obviously because she's already on this playlist). "Worst in Me" echoes a lot of the same sentiments as "I Miss You" about relationship woes, and both songs stay upbeat despite the songs' content.

9. "Let You Down" by NF > "If You Want Love" by NF

I didn't like NF at first; I wrote him off as a Eminem-wannabe. But, after some research, I realized, though his flow can mimic Eminem's, the content could not be more opposite. NF is considered a Christian rapper, which you can really hear in "If You Want Love."

10. "Ric Flair Drip" by Metro Boomin ft. Offset > "Dubai Shit" by Huncho Jack ft. Offset

Straight off the Huncho Jack (Travis Scott/Quavo) collaboration album comes "Dubai Shit." I'm still working through the album, but "Dubai Shit" is a clear standout hit.

Check out the playlist below, and subscribe if you're feelin' it: