Tropical House Pop

tagStarted 2013Peak 2015-2017Last big hit 2019

Deep-house's mellow cousin pulled into pop: warm steel-pan and marimba-style synth plucks, soft sax leads, muted four-on-the-floor kick and easy 100-110 BPM grooves. Sun-soaked, melodic drops built from melody rather than aggression, paired with breezy topline vocals. The defining sound of mid-2010s summer radio: relaxed, glossy and beach-ready.

History

Coined around 2013 by Thomas Jack and crystallized by Kygo, tropical house exploded when Felix Jaehn's 2014 remix of OMI's 'Cheerleader' topped charts in over 20 countries. Kygo's 'Firestone', Lost Frequencies and Robin Schulz turned the plucky drop into the dominant pop-dance texture of 2015-2017.

Defining artists

KygoSpotify YouTube
Felix JaehnSpotify YouTube
OMISpotify YouTube
Lost FrequenciesSpotify YouTube
Robin SchulzSpotify YouTube
Jonas BlueSpotify YouTube

Essential listening

Firestone — KygoSpotify YouTube
Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix) — OMISpotify YouTube
Are You with Me — Lost FrequenciesSpotify YouTube
Sugar — Robin SchulzSpotify YouTube
Fast Car — Jonas BlueSpotify YouTube

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Sources

Wikipedia: Tropical house
Rate Your Music: Top Tropical House singles
Billboard Dance/Electronic charts