Who's ready to party this New Years' Eve!? I am looking at you disco/funk fan! 2021 was an epic year for disco! Artists like Kylie Minogue, Jean Tonique, Young Pulse, and Mark Lower are a sampling of the artists that blew the doors off the disco, so let's listen to 25 of the best disco/funk tracks that 2021 had to offer!
See Past Disco and Funk Charts Here
1. January: Situation – Beyond Compare (Laroye & Andre Vocal Remix)
Are you ready for some funk? I hope so because this remix of Situation's "Beyond Compare" will get you biting that bottom lip in no time! Andre Espeut is not only a brilliant singer but this time around he's in the producer seat alongside Laroye, giving the original track some serious funk flavor. Already getting some serious love from Craig Charles, it's your turn to get loose with this hot track!
2. January: Moogy Bee – Shake Your Rump (To The Funk) (Luisen Re-Touch)
"If you feel the funk, shake your rump, do the bump" is the opening line to Moogy Bee's amazing disco gem, with a little assist from Luisen! I think this needs to be the mantra for disco lovers everywhere! This track is everything that disco should be. It's fun, carefree, and is going to make you groove with your neighbor, whoever they might be! We are all the same on the dancefloor when the groove is right, and this groove is oh so right!
3. February: C. Da Afro – Let's Do It
"Let's Do It" is classic C. Da Afro. Taken from the Funk Force EP, this track leans heavily on '70s funk/disco inspirations, breathy vocals, deep thumping bass, brass notes, and tinkling piano chords, altogether making you realize you just might have on too many clothes for a jam this funky!
4. February: Lamadrid – About Disco
"Disco Will Never Be Gone" are the opening lyrics to Lamadrid's "About Disco," and are a true love letter to the genre. The lyric thoughtfully speaks to why we love disco, because it isn't just a sound, it's a sound and a vibe that is part of us. Disco has a way of working its way into the fabric of our DNA. "Something that is so, so good, so important, so great, can never die." Preach!
5. March: Young Pulse – Love Will Bring It feat. Natalie Nova
Julien Pulse aka Young Pulse is bringing the heat with his new Love Will Bring It EP and the title track is a perfect example of just what this young Parisian producer can do! Natalie Nova's vocals are shimmering with disco sexiness especially when she starts cooing in French. I recommend checking out the whole EP. You definitely won't regret it!
6. March: Mark Lower – Took Me By Surprise feat. Adeline
Mark Lower's (Quentin Volant) new record came out on April 2nd, so what better way to introduce it than with the fluid disco vocals of Adeline on "Took Me By Surprise"? This track comes from Lower's second album, his first since 2014. He has been honing his skills as a DJ since the age of 12, so "Took Me By Surprise" should just be the tip of the iceberg of the disco greatness we should expect from his new LP!
7. April: Mark Brickman – Classic feat. Mr. V (Yam Who? Remix)
"Classic" chugs in like a train, a disco train that is! Mark Brickman is back on Black Riot! Records with Mr. V telling us just what a classic is, sounding sexy as hell while doing it! Yam Who? is here to add his Midas touch to the mix, which is always welcome. "When you're a classic, everyone is always after you" is the lyric, and everyone should be playing this track because it's a "Classic"!
8. April: Drop Out Orchestra & Monsieur Van Pratt – Organ Fett
Drop Out Orchestra and Monsieur Van Pratt's Beginning EP just keeps bringing the heat, this time with the super funky "Organ Fett." The undeniable groove provided by the deep bass and even deeper sax mixes perfectly with the lightness of the '80s synth combinations. Don't forget to play this one loud at your next dance party!
9. May: Natasha Kitty Katt – Have Your Love (Manuel Costela Remix)
The opening bass groove to Manuel Costela's remix of "Have Your Love" is going to get even the timidest of people onto the dancefloor shaking their groove thang! The treatment is deeply funky and begs to be played under the magic of a disco ball! Natasha Kitty Katt is a chart favorite and this track was perfect for the deep disco remix treatment. Grab this fantastic track on Spa In Disco now!
10. May: Anoraak feat. Sarah Maison – Karma
Anoraak rarely misses and his partnership with Sarah Maison has been an especially successful one. "Karma" is oh so smooth, the kind of stuff you want to listen to on a yacht. You will remember Maison's sultry vocals from last year's "Bang" and the vocals are every bit as steamy here! Anoraak is simply creating music for a lifestyle we would all like to aspire to.
11. June: Bubs – All About Love (Radio Edit)
Hailing from Rennes, France, Bubs began his career as a DJ/Producer in 2019. Bubs is influenced by 80's music and French house, and comes scorching into the summer of 2021 with the absolute banger "All About Love!" "L-O-V-E love, it's all about love" is the opening lyric, and Bubs' message of love and acceptance couldn't be a more perfectly timed sentiment to celebrate Pride!
12. June: Alex Frankel – Still Got It (Breakbot's La Fiesta Remix)
While Holy Ghost! is on a little break, Alex Frankel is keeping us happy with his ready-for-summer "Still Got It." Breakbot adds his signature nu-disco flavor on the La Fiesta Remix and is a must-play at any summer party you attend! This track is happy and breezy, screams palm trees, suntan lotion, flip flops, and your choice of cool beverage. Welcome back, Alex!
13. July: Just Martina – For You
The 25 Best Disco & Funk Tracks of 2021
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Playlist: Dubfire Minimal Effort NYE Essentials
Martina Borošić aka Just Martina's "For You" has a classic disco sound that might make you think it was recorded in the '70s, but lucky for us, this track is brand new! The tone is sultry and measured, full of strings and male vocals that are there for tone rather than lyrics. It's doubly exciting to see a female producer bringing the disco heat! Check it out on Dusty Disko now!
14. July: Sentimental Animals feat. Nicki B – Love Vibration (Yuksek Remix)
Dicky Trisco and JKriv's new project Sentimental Animals features Escort's Nicki B shredding it on vocals while Faze Action's Robin Lee brings the heat on guitar, bass, and keys. As if that combination isn't enough, Yuksek takes the original disco mix of "Love Vibration" and adds his personal French house flair to the mix.
15. August: Strange Talk – The Good Days
Australia's Strange Talk has been dormant for a few years now, but if 2020 taught us anything, it is to appreciate the now. "The Good Days" has a breezy nu-disco feel that will keep you swaying all day and night. Their new album Speech Therapy dropped on September 17th and if you haven't picked it up yet, do it now!
16. August: NTEIBINT – What You Need feat. Matina Sous Peau
Greek artists NTEIBINT and Matina Sous Peau have worked together twice before and the third time is definitely charmed! "What You Need" is about finding your inner strength and discovering who you really are, all while being a fun, danceable nu-disco jam. Check it out on Eskimo Recordings.
17. September: LEFTI – Fiya
LEFTI is killing it with his hot, hot, fire track "Fiya"! The former chef has turned his attention full-time to the music world and we are eternally grateful for the career switch. "You should get funky with me" is the lyric and there really is no choice but to get funky with this chart burner!
18. September: Jean Tonique – Let Your Body Move
Jean Tonique's "Let Your Body Move" sounds like the waning days of summer in a song. The song is very danceable while maintaining its super chill vibe. The sighs are all in the right spots, the synths sweet and approachable, and the bass line that drives the groove home. Jean Tonique simply has the touch, the disco touch that is!
19. October: Kylie Minogue & Years & Years – A Second to Midnight
Kylie Minogue's love of Years and Years Olly Alexander knows no bounds! The duo is back with "A Second To Midnight," another disco-laden collaboration that appeared on Disco: Guest List Edition. The track is a light and bouncy dance track that is as welcome on pop radio as it is on the dancefloor.
20. Super Disco Club – Happiness feat. Sadako Pointer (SDC Classic Mix)
Super Disco Club is new to this chart, but they have arrived with full disco flair on "Happiness!" It's hard to go wrong when you have the vocal talents of Sadako Pointer, the granddaughter of Ruth Pointer, who also represents a third generation of The Pointer Sisters. What makes this song great is the classic disco sound that makes it sound like it could have been a hit in 1978 or now.
21. November: Little Boots – Landline
What a year 2021 has been for Little Boots! Victoria Hesketh slogged through 2020 just like everyone else, but the game-changer for her was she wrote and completed her upcoming album. "Landline" is a disco-tinged nod to those teenage relationships where you tie up the phone all night with your boyfriend or your friends, but it's also a commentary on the isolation of the pandemic itself.
22. November: Ready In LED – Nostaligenta (Soft Crimes LA Sunset 84 Mix)
Ready In LED is the complete package. By her own admittance, she isn't a prolific artist, but that is because she creates a complete concept with each of her tracks. With "Nostaligenta," she has created a space-themed vision of a planet that you might dream of even though you've never been there. The Soft Crimes (LA Sunset 84 Mix) gives the track an early 80's nu-disco vibe that is sure to get you moving.
23. December: Dave Mathmos – Feel It
Dave Mathmos has released back-to-back EP's to wrap up 2021 and both are stellar offerings to the disco gods! "Feel It" is off of the most current EP Sketch Of Noble Grooves. The track is a slow burner and by the time the sultry female vocals layer in you will be completely entranced in the groove.
24. December: Saucy Lady – Passport To My Love
Boston's own Saucy Lady has partnered up with Razor-N-Tape for her latest jam called "Passport To My Love." You will find this super funky track on the compilation Family Affair Vol. 1. Just listening to this lady's silky vocals, funky bass, string arrangements, and piano compositions is a vacation in itself. I don't need my passport to be in love!
25. December: Bobby Duffy & The Soulmates – Birthday Suit (Monsieur Van Pratt Re-Fix)
Dan and Inko from Drop Out Orchestra got together with vocalist Steven Kimber to put together Bobby Duffy & The Soulmates. The absolutely funky and hilarious "Birthday Suit" is the result and the video is truly a sight to behold! Monsieur Van Pratt's remix of the song removes a bit of the comedy and leans into the disco-funk nature of the song. Once you've seen the video, you will never be able to unsee it, and that is true of this fantastic remix as well!
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