Madcon first burst on to the UK music scene in August 2008 when their single ‘Beggin’’ became a Top 5 summer smash and notched up sales of over 2 million worldwide. The single earned the duo a World Music Award the following year and topped the charts in France, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Austria, Belgium and Norway. It also has a combined total of more than 30 million views on Youtube.
With a sound that has elements of everything from soul, funk and reggae, comparisons have been drawn to bands like Outkast, Gnarls Barkley and the Black Eyed Peas. Coupled with support shows for the likes of Alicia Keys, 50 Cent and the Wu-Tang Clan, Madcon have been able to hone their sound and live shows into a thrilling spectacle.
Their pop appeal is also influenced largely by both retro and urban influences, in part due to their international roots. Tshawe Baqwa has South African parents, was born in Germany and grew up in a suburb in Oslo, Norway. Yosef Wolde-Mariam, born two years earlier in Norway, has parents from Ethiopia and Eritrea.
‘Outrun The Sun’ is an infectious slice of hip hop/pop and one that looks set to tear up the dancefloors across the country. Their album is set to be released later this year – with a working title of ‘CONtraband’ - and will feature ‘Beggin’ as well as tracks produced by the likes of Stargate, Jonas Jeberg and Element and features collaborations with Ne-Yo and Ludacris.
