"I Like It," Narcotic Thrust

[Deleted]

I thought there was a topic on this, but I don't see one.  #9 on Billboard's Dance Radio Airplay chart.

[krescendo]

Thats a grt song, its much better than Safe From Harm.

[coolcat13]

I heard it for the first time today, it's okay I guess. It's not going to be in my top ten of the year, but it's still a good song I'll listen to.

[jaxxalude]

This song (and this band) has all the same trappings as Dirty Vegas. What do I mean? The typical trappings of that kind of dance music that tries to be accessible/radio-friendly and artistically credible all at once. And ends up sounding lame and very half-assed, really.

[Moonshadow]

Z100 added this track this week...it's gotten 14 plays. Not a big surprise as they've been polling it since the summer.

It's obvious that they (as well as CHR in general) are in dire need of a good crossover dance track. "Something Happened On The Way To Heaven" and "Like A Prayer" made 2004's Top 100; SHOTWTH should have gotten more national attention but didn't, and LAP is from 2002...

The question remains, then: will ILI get pushed, or will Z100 keep it in low rotation ala Mynt's "How Did You Know" (a stronger track IMO), which, after medium rotation in July and August, has been consistently getting about 10 plays per week since that time.

Thoughts? Oh, and did anyone catch what version was played? I have the radio edit but it doesn't sound right...it's too slow and dry to be a catchy dance track.

[Twiloboy]

Absolutely love this one. Although just like Nevins/Holly James-I'm In Heaven (and something else I can't remember at the moment), the vocal is different from when it was first promo'ed which annoys me. I get used to the vocal and then they change it. I personally like the original vocal on this one, but it's still a great track either way.

Peace,
Ben

[magicmk]

The said:

I thought there was a topic on this one but I don't see one.  I like it!  #9 on Billboard's Dance Radio Airplay chart.

This is still actually on Billboard? That shows how much attention I give to Billboard (virtually none)... "When The Dawn Breaks" was released during the holidays over in the UK, I'd expect to see it stateside here soon.

[Spoken Word]

I am a huge fan of "When The Dawn Breaks"

[Deleted]

magicmk said:

This is still actually on Billboard? 

Look at the date on my post.

[[upsilon]™]

magicmk said:

This is still actually on Billboard?  That shows how much attention I give to Billboard (virtually none)... "When The Dawn Breaks" was released during the holidays over in the UK, I'd expect to see it stateside here soon.

Yep. I didn't like "When The Dawn Breaks" much when it first came out in the UK (heard it on BBC's Top of the Pops website) but I'll give it another listen.

[KikiMets]

I've been hearing this on Z100 a lot lately. I love it.

[DJ 7Up]

Ahhh - and if you want a kick-ass CD maxi, check this one I
picked up earlier this year:

www.discogs.com/release/416011
(and yes, I'm AstroLab on Discogs - hehe)

Wow - this is almost like a 'best of' maxi with all the right
mixes!

[[upsilon]™]

KikiMets said:

I've been hearing this on Z100 a lot lately. I love it.

It's gettin' a lot of plays, which hopefully means more people noticing it and some other dance counterparts. Hey, maybe Z100 will play more dance songs if this one gets enough recognition? I know that'd be awesome.

[Deleted]

Upsilon710 said:

It's gettin' a lot of plays, which hopefully means more people noticing it and some other dance counterparts. Hey, maybe Z100 will play more dance songs if this one gets enough recognition? I know that'd be awesome.

Z100 always picks one dance song to play every several months. Then they play the hell out of it before picking a new one to play. I don't think this is going to be any dance revolution at radio.

[Moonshadow]

The said:

Z100 always picks one dance song to play every several months. Then they play the hell out of it before picking a new one to play. I don't think this is going to be any dance revolution at radio.

Emancipation has this right. CHR stations really aren't going to pick up on new dance music with the current market, although I seriously hope this will change sooner rather than later. A solid hit is needed now. The last tracks that received national attention were probably Lasgo's "Something, Dirty Vegas' "Days Go By", and DJ Sammy's "Heaven." All of these tracks are great crossovers, but they're all from 2002. The presence of two to three power dance music tracks on CHR playlists from the beginning of the decade is scarce.

Z100 is a strong test market for crossover dance, and they're good about keeping a least one on the playlist at all times - usually the one that has a lot of success at KTU and sounds radio friendly. Checking weekly playlists, 2003 had "Something" (fall 2002),"Simply Being Loved","Never", and "Alone." 2004 had "Alone", "Love Me Right", "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven","How Did You Know", and "Like A Prayer."

The majority of these tracks stayed on for months. "I Like It" is getting a lot of attention now, which I think is awesome even if it's not the most stellar track out there, but unless people are calling the station and requesting it frequently, and other CHR stations test it and like it, it'll probably be off the playlist next month but will get played infrequently through the end of the year. At least Cubby is good about keeping dance on the playlist (especially during the summer), which is far better than most CHRs.

"I Like It" is at #11... it'll probably go to 7, fall back to 11, and then spend a few weeks in the 20s (while KTU will play it till 2008). I'm just glad it's on right now.

[botoxic]

Since Z100 began playing Narcotic Thrust, a couple other pop stations have also added "I Like It:"

WZNR in Norfolk, added last week, currently 16 spins per week
WSPK in Poughkeepsie, added last week, currently 30 spins per week

Also KBIG in L.A. gave ILI 3 spins, and WXXL in Orlando gave it 1 test spin last week.

"I Like It" currently has nearly 13 million audience impressions, according to Mediabase.

[reception]

I haven't heard it although with that many spins I guess its not limited to just mixshows.

[Chelsea Press 2]

According to John Parker at Robbins, they have signed Narcotic Thrust. This is being done to expose "I Like It" on the radio some more.

[[upsilon]™]

moonshadow said:

The said:

...then spend a few weeks in the 20s (while KTU will play it till 2008).

Haha, I've noticed that they keep the same songs for like 3 years on their playlists. Jeez, I'm seriously thinking on e-mailing them about this; it just needs to stop. And then I'll request "Falling Stars".

Edit: Forgot to add that I'm thoroughly shocked that this was actually sent to Mainstream...whoo.

[Chelsea Press 2]

upsilon710 said:

moonshadow said:

The said:

...then spend a few weeks in the 20s (while KTU will play it till 2008).

Haha, I've noticed that they keep the same songs for like 3 years on their playlists. Jeez, I'm seriously thinking on e-mailing them about this; it just needs to stop. And then I'll request "Falling Stars". 

Edit: Forgot to add that I'm thoroughly shocked that this was actually sent to Mainstream...whoo.

They may have gotten the slightly subdued version of the song that totally dropped all the trance elements. If they are playing the regular one, then I'd be really shocked!

[Minor Scratch]

mms://66.186.0.101/allaccess/narcilik.wma

Full AllAccess clip.

[MJM]

de781 said:

Moonshadow has it right about Z100.  I've been a long time Z100 listener, and loved the strong support they gave for dance music straight through the 1990's.  Basically any hit dance song that KTU was playing would show up to some extent on Z100, and most of them would then crossover and become national pop hits.

Z100 backed off on new dance in 2000, preferring recurrents like "Feel It", "Sexual", "Your Loving Arms", "Nobody's Supposed To Be Here", etc.  "It Feels So Good" peaked and faded quickly (suprised it peaked so high on the Hot 100), and Z100 basically ignored new dance, with the exception of Amber, until the summer of 2001.

But, Z100 really seemed to be going dance-crazy in the spring/summer of 2001, adding "Stranger In My House", "Sandstorm", "Castles In The Sky", "I Never Knew", & "I'll Fly With You" in a matter of weeks--ALL in heavy rotation.  This was essentially the only time in recent years that Z100 was playing so many different new dance songs, so often, at one time.

In addition to the post-2002 songs that Moonshadow has already mentioned, Z100 gave Reina's "No One's Gonna Change You" heavy airplay a few months after KTU added it.  This was probably Z100's last current dance song to be added.

"Days Go By", "Alone", & "Something" all got heavy Z100 play for a long period of time, but months after they were big on KTU.  "Rapture", "Never", and "Simply Being Loved" received moderate to high airplay, but faded quickly.  "How Did You Know" & "Love Me Right" were barely played.  So, "I Like It" seems to be Z100's biggest dance hit since at least "Alone" or "Something".  And the number of added 2005 dance songs currently being played at least somewhat regularly on Z100 ("Listen To Your Heart [playing both versions, but usually the dance one], "If I Close My Eyes", "I Like It"), as well as upping the amount of play for "How Did You Know", "Heaven", "Like A Prayer", & "Something" is a good sign.

Maybe this batch of songs, as well as some others that might still be added (I could see "Easy As Life", Winona, or mayber even a new Amber single), could do a repeat of the summer of 2001 for Z100 with dance music.

AH I miss the 1990's when dance music thrived :'( I loooved La Bouche. And Livin' Joy. And Haddaway, Amber, Le Click, Real McCoy, Ace Of Base, and so many more.

[Chelsea Press 2]

millerlite11059 said:

de781 said:

AH I miss the 1990's when dance music thrived  :'( I loooved La Bouche. And Livin' Joy. And Haddaway, Amber, Le Click, Real McCoy, Ace Of Base, and so many more.

Me too. There were some great acts. We have our old mix CDs and compilations to satisfy our cravings for such music.

This Narcotic Thrust track has that mid-90s sound to it when the trancey synths come in. I wish there was a trance mix of this song.

[Moonshadow]

de781 said:

But, Z100 really seemed to be going dance-crazy in the spring/summer of 2001, adding "Stranger In My House", "Sandstorm", "Castles In The Sky", "I Never Knew", & "I'll Fly With You" in a matter of weeks--ALL in heavy rotation.  This was essentially the only time in recent years that Z100 was playing so many different new dance songs, so often, at one time.

2005......could do a repeat of the summer of 2001 for Z100 with dance music.

Awesome summary. Also from 2001 was "Let Me Love You Tonight" and, if you want to call it dancey-type-pop, "Around The World" and "Look At Us." Pretty much every dance song that year save "Sandstorm" entered the countdown at the end of the year, spanning #19 to #89. "It Feels So Good" peaked at #2 on their playlist on 04-27-00 and landed at #12 for the year. Also in 2002 "One Day In Your Life" got airplay and finished at #87.

"I Like It" is at #6 on their playlist right now. It's exceeded my expectations as a dance single x 10...BUT, it's OLD! Mynt and Reina are back up in airplay, but, again...OLD! When Z100 added the slew of dance during the summer of 2001, most of the songs weren't terribly outdated. They need to add songs A LOT more timely to ensure better crossover.

That said, "I Like It" will probably be kept on through the summer and fair very well this year. I can totally see "Listen To Your Heart" getting pumped in the summer as the dance version and pulling a "Heaven" (which was #2 for the year and still gets played constantly). Other than that...something newer needs to get added to get national attention, and fast.

That said, I do feel that 2005 will be a much better year for dance on the station than the past few have been.