12 Pop Artists Who Crossed Over Into EDM (And Nailed It)
EDM (A.K.A. Electronic Dance Music) has single handedly taken over the music industry, and artists of every stripe are jumping on the glow stick-covered bandwagon. The genre has spawned music festivals, fashion trends, and a legion of passionately pogo-ing devotes. EDM has the fans, and it also has the finances: Forbes recently ranked Calvin Harris the highest paid DJ with an annual salary of $46 million!
Clearly there's a huge incentive for pop and rap stars to branch out, leading artists to test the EDM waters. Many have failed spectacularly, but some like Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears and Jay Z passed with flying neon colors. Luckily for you, VH1 has created a handy playlist to serve as your gateway to the land of bass and beat drops. Read on to see which of your favorite artists have successfully crossed over into EDM.
"One (Your Name)" by Swedish House Mafia ft. Pharrell Williams (2010)
Pharrell Williams is all about crossing genres. Williams lays down vocals for this SHM power track and a hit was born.
"Without You" by David Guetta ft. Usher (2011)
The magical combination of Usher and David Guetta spawned a monster song that became a fall anthem.
"Automatic" by Nicki Minaj (2012)
Rap's barbie isn't afraid to push boundaries when it comes to her music. She'll slay a verse over a hip hop or EDM beat. She kills it all.
"Rest of My Life" by Ludacris ft. Usher + David Guetta (2012)
The King of the South tried his hand at EDM with the help of the crossover dream team: Usher and David Guetta.
"Calling (Lose My Mind)" by Ingrosso & Alesso ft. Ryan Tedder (2012)
Known for his gentle vocals, Ryan Tedder surprised many with a gritty new sound on this track.
"Wake Me Up" by Avicii // Vocals by Aloe Blacc (2013)
Going EDM was 100% the best decision for Aloe Blacc, who ate up the charts with "Wake Me Up."
"Play Hard" by David Guetta ft. Ne-Yo + Akon (2013)
With the help of David Guetta and Akon, hit maker Ne-Yo's voice could be heard at every club with this fun EDM banger.
"Work B-tch" by Britney Spears (2013)
Of course Britney would try the EDM route. The Queen of Pop is always on top of every new trend in music and she works, b-tch!
"Higher" by Just Blaze + Baauer ft. Jay Z (2013)
Even Jay Z dabbled in EDM with "Higher," confirming that the impact EDM has made in other genres is undeniable.
"Gold" by Adventure Club ft. Yuna (2013)
It's amazing to see another side to Yuna. Her voice and versatility is truly impressive.
"Come Alive" by Paris Hilton (2014)
Paris does what she wants. Pop? She's done it. EDM? She's done it. EDM video with lots of glitter and an unicorn? She's done it.
"Break Free" by Ariana Grande ft. Zedd (2014)
Ariana Grande took her soulful sound and vamped it up with this new single featuring Zedd.
[Photo: Getty]