Last night on FOX, the top 20 contestants for season 9 of So You Think You Can Dance were revealed. I’ve been a fan of the dance competition since season 1 (though there are some seasons I’ve paid more attention to than others). The music that the choreographers and dancers use in the show is just as exciting as the dancing. I’ll be tuning in every week and reporting back to you guys about my favorite songs. Whether you follow the show or not, this is still a great opportunity to discover new music.

So how did last night go?

Efterklang, “Modern Drift”
There isn’t much to say except that it’s a beautiful song. It sounds like it belongs in an epic montage scene in a movie. Used in: Stacey Tookey’s contemporary piece with contestants Janaya, Matthew, Dareian, and Amelia.

AWOLNATION, “Sail”
Throughout “Sail” you can hear the deep bass element of the drops you can find in mainstream, Skrillex-style dubstep (what I like to refer to as ‘brostep’) but it’s much easier on the ears and actually enjoyable to listen to. Used in: Sonya Tayeh’s jazz piece with contestants Audrey and Tiffany.

Steed Lord, “Precognition (Steed Lord Machine Mix)”
Steed Lord has a unique sound that makes them stand out in the electronic house genre and this mix of “Precognition” takes the already cool song in an even cooler direction. I love the drums and vocals in this. Used in: Sonya Tayeh’s jazz piece with the top 10 boy contestants.

Check back here on Collaboreight on July 11th after the next episode of So You Think You Can Dance airs!