Bubblegum Eurodance
Statistics |
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| Total projects: |
| 305 |
| Total songs: |
| 1658 |
"Bubblegum Eurodance", or "Bubblegum Dance" for short, is a term coined by fans to describe happy, cheesy, and often childish eurodance music. This style of eurodance music was most popular from the year 1995 through to around 2005, with peak production in 1999/2000. Although Bubblegum Eurodance was produced later and is still produced today, it has changed dramatically in form, merging with other styles of dance and pop music. As a result, many projects after 2000 are better described as Bubblegum Dance-Pop, or if they were created in Italy Bubblegum Italodance.
This section describes Traditional Bubblegum Eurodance and those artists associated with this genre. "Bubblegum dance" was not an industry term used by artists during the 1990s and 2000s to describe their music, and instead, projects were categorised under general genre labels such as "Eurodance" and "Euro House".
Iconic Projects
Below are some of the most iconic bubblegum eurodance acts:
Active Projects 2022 - 2023
Below are the currently active Bubblegum Eurodance projects who have recently released new music (either in 2022 or 2023), or are expecting new music soon:
Iconic Bubblegum Dance Releases
Listed below are 10 of the most iconic bubblegum dance releases (random selection):
What is Bubblegum Eurodance?
"Bubblegum Eurodance", or bubblegum dance for short, is a term coined by fans to describe a particular style of eurodance music. Bubblegum dance typically has a high-pitched female vocalist singing upbeat and melody driven verses and choruses, and a male singing back up vocals or rap, which was typical of traditional eurodance music.
Crispy celebrated life, love and youth with their simple and happy lyrics, bouncy beats, and a fun colourful universe.
The lyrics and style of bubblegum dance music is often playful and child-like. Common singing topics include fantasy characters such as wizards and princesses, and songs about having fun, love, partying, and eating candy. Original bubblegum dance projects, such as Aqua, Toy-Box, Crispy, Bambee and Miss Papaya are easily recognizable for their childish topics, tongue in cheek lyrics, and high-pitched vocals.
Brief history
Aqua's controversial song "Barbie Girl" sparked a lawsuit with Mattel that made headlines worldwide.
Bubblegum dance was arguably first heard in 1993, with the release of the Bubblegum Italodance song "Saturday Night" by Whigfield. After the popularity of Saturday Night, European dance producers began to jump at the opportunity to produce happy, high energy dance music. The next big bubblegum hit was "Dub-i-Dub" by Me & My, a fast-paced and sugar-coated song with non-sensical lyrics "dub-i-dub-i-dub-dub-dub" that became an anthem and inspiration for dance producers and singers all around the world. However, bubblegum dance did not receive world-wide recognition until 1997, when Aqua released their smash hit single "Barbie Girl." Barbie Girl topped the charts worldwide and sold more than 8 million copies. The success of Barbie Girl encouraged many other artists to write music in the same style, and as a result bubblegum dance production skyrocketed in the late 1990s, mostly in the form of eurodance and italodance (which is essentially Italian eurodance), but also dance-pop as the style evolved.
Bubblegum dance originates in Scandinavia and Italy, particularly in Denmark where a large percentage of bubblegum dance music is produced. The late 1990s and early 2000s marked the high-point in bubblegum dance production.
Bubblegum dance music has a huge following in Japan, probably due to its use in popular dance games such as Dance Dance Revolution (DDR), In The Groove (ITG) and the Dancemania series. Many artists, such as Smile.dk, Bambee, Rebecca and Miss Papaya, have gained recognition and fame through these games. As well as this, Anime has a large bubblegum dance following, and many fans choose to use bubblegum dance styled music in their fan-made Anime Music Videos (AMVs).
Target audience
Bubblegum dance music does not have a specific target audience. It's happy, often childish lyrics make it popular with young children; and the hidden meaning and innuendos in the lyrics make good entertainment for adults. Research shows that adults who enjoy bubblegum dance music like it because the positive and innocent message it conveys reminds them of their childhood.
Bubblegum Dance-Pop girl group Djumbo from the Netherlands are best known for their kid-friendly happy dance music.
Because bubblegum dance music is often created by adults, it therefore often includes adult themes. Lyrics sometimes reference adult themes in a cheeky and humorous way through the use of innuendos. An example of an innuendo lies in Toy-Box's popular song, "Super-Duper-Man," While the naughty lyrics "Can I touch your ting-a-ling?" will be understood by adults, the hidden sexual reference will most likely go unnoticed by children.
Nevertheless, there are many bubblegum dance acts whose lyrics and music are aimed directly at children and do not include these innuendos. These are usually acts that are either headlined by children, for example "Bubbles," or are marketed by a children's television station, for example "Banaroo."
Overall, bubblegum dance music is not restricted to a particular age group or gender; it is made for anyone who wants to listen to happy music with a positive message.
Production peak and comeback
Bubblegum dance production, in all its forms, marked its peak around 1999, when artists such as Aqua, Me & My, Daze and Toy-Box were receiving worldwide recognition and modest success with their tongue-in-cheek dance hits. Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, producers were jumping at the opportunity to produce bubblegum dance music - the simple lyrics and melodies, combined with the technological advancements in electronic music production - made bubblegum dance a relatively simple (and cheap) genre to make. The genre was also a breath of fresh air in a world that was focusing on the grim and becoming more and more serious.
Around 2001, the number of bubblegum dance productions began to decline, perhaps due to the dwindling popularity of eurodance and a maturing audience in which sex appeal was taking over the music scene. Several new projects created in 2002, such as Blue Monster & Bikki failed to make an impact on the charts, discouraging other artists to continue making the genre, and several groups who released a follow up album in 2001 and 2002 were disappointed by the lack of success and as a result further releases were abandoned.
The huge success of Ch!pz from the Netherlands inspired many more artists to write music in their style, contributing to the second rise in bubblegum dance production from 2004 to 2007.
Bubblegum dance music production declined even further until 2003 when the introduction of a new Dutch children's pop group called Ch!pz re-sparked an interest in the genre. Many of the original producers and writers from the late 90's (including Hartmann & Langhoff) jumped on the opportunity to produce music for the group, whose first single "Cowboy," and eventually album, were topping charts all over Europe. Following the success of Ch!pz, many other bubblegum pop/dance acts were formed in Europe, most of them with children as their target audience. The most popular groups were Banaroo (Germany) and Djumbo (Netherlands). A children's Television show from Iceland called LazyTown also experimented with the genre, writing and producing bubblegum dance songs for its episodes.
The success of German-British dance act Cascada may have also contributed to bubblegum dance's rising popularity in 2005-2007, whose 2005 worldwide smash hit "Everytime We Touch" reintroduced the world to eurodance and simple catchy synth-driven melodies. What Bubblegum Dancer calls the "Second bubblegum dance revolution" peaks in 2007 and then gradually begins to decline again with cheesy dance music once again fading from the charts. Will bubblegum dance music make another comeback in the future? And if it does, what form will it be in? Only time will tell...
Random Song
Cinderella by Miss Papaya
...Na-na-na-na-na (oh-e-oh) / Na-na-na-na-na (oh-e-oh) / Na-na-na-na-na (oh-e-oh) / Na-na-na-na-na (oh-e-oh) / / If you'll be my prince, I'll be your Cinderella / Cinderella oh-oh-oh / Fall in love with me, before the night is over / Cinderella oh-oh-oh / / Dancing ... [more]
Technical Information
Bubblegum Dancer would like to thank producer/songwriter Dirty-Z for compiling the below information and mp3 samples on bubblegum dance production.
Music Writing
- STRUCTURE
Generally, a bubblegum dance song will consist of a chorus, pre-chorus, two verses (though sometimes more), and a bridge. Sometimes a pre-chorus and/or bridge will be absent. A common bubblegum dance song layout is as follows: chorus, verse 1, pre-chorus, chorus, verse 2, pre-chorus, chorus, bridge, chorus. The pre-chorus serves as a connecting piece to the verse and chorus while the bridge usually connects 2 final chorus repetitions together. Like a lot of other pop music, a common way to finish a song is with the chorus pitch shifted up by one or two notes. - COMPOSITION
In terms of composition, most BGD consists of simple triad chords. Appropriately, the melodies confine to the keys in which the corresponding chords are written (i.e. if the triad chord played is A minor, the melody will only consist of keys that conform to the A minor key, at least for the duration of that chord). - TEMPO
Most bubblegum dance ranges from 130 to 145 beats per minute, though other reggae or pop-influenced productions are generally slower ("Barbie Girl" by Aqua clocks in at 130 beats per minute and "Space Invaders" by Hit'n'Hide is 137 BPM, but "Poppa Joe" by Yummie is only 110 BPM). Some bubblegum dance exceeds 145 beats per minute, especially that which borders on the happy hardcore genre ("Play With Me" by Evelyn is 160 BPM).
Production
Vocals
Usually, bubblegum dance is sung by a chirpy female. Producers will employ various studio effects to make the vocals sound high-pitched or helium-filled. In addition to the female, it is very common for a low-toned male to rap or sing, which was also popular in '90s Eurodance music.
Synthesizer Elements
- PADS
Pad:Chords are often played as whole or half notes throughout the song's entirety using synthesizer pads. A common technique in bubblegum dance is to also layer pads with supporting gated pads with a phaser plugin and panning from the left speaker to the right speaker, giving the following effect.
Gated pad:
- LEAD SYNTHESIZER
Typically a lead synthesizer will supplement the vocal chorus, which either conforms to the vocal melody or is a different arrangement of related notes.
Popular Leads & Supporting Elements:- Acoustic Piano
Acoustic Piano:Borrowed from the genre of house music, some bubblegum dance consists of rhythmically played piano chords. The piano sound itself often has a sharp, spiky sound, which was also immensely popular in the genre of Eurodance. (Examples: "Hit'n'Hide On A Ride" - Hit'n'Hide, "In The Game (The Football Song)" - Ch!pz, "Candy Girl" - Bambee)
- Detuned Saw
Detuned Saw:As Trance music became widely popular in the late '90s and early '00s, frequently used elements elements such as the detuned saw lead began seeping into BGD productions. (Example - a lot of tracks from Bambee's "Fairytales" album use this as a lead synth, "Jet Set Life" - Smiles & More).
- Nylon Guitar
Nylon Guitar:Popularized by and used in a large number of Johnny Jam & Delgado productions, its use in BGD was innovative as being played in short, rhythmic repetitions (sixteenth notes or shorter) of triad chords, a lot like the acoustic piano element. Though this sound originated from the Roland JV1080, future synthesizer releases from the company would contain the patch, such as the JX-305. (Examples: "Barbie Girl" - Aqua, "Together Forever (The Cyber Pet Song) - Daze", "Little 1" - Creamy, ""Baywatch" - Blue Monster & Bikki, "Bumble Bee" - Bambee, "Hero" - Miss Papaya, and many, MANY more)
- Pizzicato
Pizzicato:A short and lovely plucking sound, the pizzicato saw widespread use in many genres of popular European dance music after being featured as the lead synth sound in "Encore Une Fois!" by Sash! and "Insomnia" by Faithless. (Examples: "Lilali" - Kim'Kay, "Captain Karaoke" - Tiggy, "Supermodel" - Bambee, "The 7 Jump" - Ken-D)
- Sawtooth Wave
Sawtooth Wave:Found in a wide variety of synthesizers, this simple but highly useful sound wave is highly distinguishable and recognized as being crucial to the success of a lot of catchy European dance melodies from the late '90s to the early '00s. This is another element that has been characterized as belonging to the Trance genre, though many different genres incorporate its use. In BGD, the sawtooth wave is often used as the lead synth. (Examples: "Vad Heter Du?" - Caramell, "Dam Doo Bee Doo" - Kinga,"We Like To Party (The Vengabus)" - Vengaboys, "The Happy Hook" - Ch!pz, "I Do" - Solid Base)
- Acoustic Piano
Bass
Bass - A large number of bubblegum dance songs have simple bass lines that hit on every offbeat. However, some have more creative, house-inspired bass line arrangements.
Popular Bass Sounds:- Lately Bass
Solid Bass:An extremely popular bass sound for BGD comes from a patch known as the "Lately Bass", a preset found on the FM synthesizer Yamaha TX81Z. Also common is the "Solid Bass" preset from the Yamaha DX100, which is related to but slightly different from the "Lately Bass". The following is a sample of the "solid bass" hitting on every offbeat with a percussion track.
- Organ Bass
Organ Bass:The "organ bass" is prominent in a lot of songs by the Vengaboys. The organ can also used as a supporting element to the main bass line, which is seen in a lot of House Of Scandinavia and Johnny Jam & Delgado productions. (Examples: "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!" - Vengaboys, "Summer Boogie Nights" - Coconut Girl, "Sunqueen From Hula Bay" - HulaGirl)
Percussion
Like a lot of electronic dance music, one of the primary features of bubblegum dance is its "four to the floor" percussion. This consists of symmetrically spaced kick drums that hit on each beat of the 4/4 measure. The kick drums used in BGD are usually tight and compressed, which make the percussion track thump. Generally for the chorus percussion, there is a clap that hits on every other beat and an open hat that hits on every offbeat. Closed hats often hit on every beat and many times are shuffled in various ways.
The exact arrangements of the percussion can vary from the verse, bridge, pre-chorus, and chorus, sometimes incorporating "breakbeats" that differ from the usual four to the floor pattern. Snare drum rolls are often used in building up or transitioning from one portion of the song to the other (i.e. from the pre-chorus to the chorus) and crash cymbals usually signify the end of a transition within the song (i.e. the first beat of the chorus after the pre-chorus).
It's also common to use other percussive elements like ride cymbals and rimshots to texturize the percussion track. Many of the percussive elements present in BGD come from or sound close to instruments present on the Roland TR-909, a drum machine that has been incorporated in many, many dance tracks. The following sample contains a typical percussion arrangement with the kick, hats, and clap for the first measure, with ride cymbals and differently arranged closed hats added onto the second measure for comparison. There is also a crash cymbal present on the first beat.
Sound Effects
Bubblegum dance is usually littered with a wide variety of sound effects. These can include sci-fi sounds, rising effects, filtered noise, magical effects (such as a rising/falling harp effect, cartoon sound effects, and more.
