Niall Horan continues to be one of the most promising artists at the AC40 format. He’s come quite far as a solo artist from his One Direction days and his current single entitled   “On The Loose” (Capitol) further showcases just how strong he’s becoming as an artist. AJR has teamed up with Rivers Cuomo for a single that really deserves your musical attention. “Sober Up” (S Curve/EMI) is the track that is fast becoming a solid favorite from our vast list of music and radio programmers. Keep this song on the short list for sure.

Foster The People are making bold and beautiful moves at the format with a song that puts them back on track. “Sit Next To Me” (Columbia) is quite a great single for this format and it might be time to give this one a spin around the block. The pairing of the ever so talented Macklemore with the powerhouse that is Kesha, together these two top-notch artist are taking the single “Good Old Days” (Bendo/WB) out and about. It’s fast becoming a strong and memorable radio anthem that should be around for a long tome to come.

Imagine Dragons who continue to be one of the best pop bands on the planet are keeping their promise to release amazing music. Their latest offering to pop radio in the name of    “Whatever It Takes” (KIDinaKORNER/Interscope) is once again proving to be another winner for this grand band. Echosmith are back at radio and that’s always a good thing. The family band outfit has so much talent that it’s almost overbearing. They put it all together quite well and attractive in the song “Over My Head” (WB/WEA). It might be tine for you to give this a shot at radio as your listeners will be happy you did.

Maroon 5 continue their hit making ways and make no mistake about that. It doesn’t hurt that lead single Adam Levine is on the top rated The Voice (NBC) so when you see the single “Wait” (222/Interscope) moving to the top of the charts, please do not be surprised. Also back at it is the legendary U2. They are getting raves and praise as their red hot single “Get Out Of Your Own Way” (Interscope) takes flight. You can always count on a band like this to stand strong at multi-formats with no doubt more to come.

The pairing of Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line have them making amazing music together and it appears to be yielding major benefits. “Meant To Be” (WB/WEA) is their track that is not only setting the pop world on fire, it’s also a big hit at Country as well. Another blockbuster pairing that also has a Country and Pop connection is the teaming of superstar Justin Timberlake with rising star Chris Stapleton. Together they are taking “Say Something” to the top of the charts and this one has #1 potential written all over it.

Taylor Swift is finally back on track and make no mistake about that. “Delicate” (Big Machine/Universal) is her latest jam and it appears to be her strongest track in quite a while. Shawn Mendes is also back at the format and getting some major support from our panel of music and program directors. All of them are raving about his “In My Blood” (Island/UMG) single and that is a sign that there is something very special going on here. We’ll see how it all plays out in the coming weeks.

Garrett Young who is a big NMA winner is moving to the top of the charts. His fast rising    “My Oh My” (West Coast Collective) is doing so well that it makes him a contender for our next NMA Awards. John Ratliff and his band Receptacle who also picked up an NMA award are also closing in on the top spot with their strong “My Dear” (Ind) single. NMA winners Al & Trey are also getting some love and amazing attention for their new “Kings And Queens” (Tide Productions) single that is crossing over big time. Dianne Meinke who also picked up several NMA nominations is set for another #1 single as her latest “I’ll Be Here Waiting” (UVI Media Group) moves past the pack. This is our NMW Winners issue and you will find many messages in this magazine. I wish to congratulate all of the winners and nominees for their success. It appears that many of the independent artists that faired well have even more music that deserves praise and attention. We’ll see how this all plays out but so far it’s shaping up to be a best music year in 2018.