Cascada

Cascada formed in Bonn, Germany, in 2004, built around singer Natalie Horler and producers Yanou and DJ Manian. They originally recorded as Cascade, but a threatened legal challenge from the American DJ Kaskade pushed them to rename the project Cascada; before settling on that name, the trio had also released tracks under several other aliases, including Siria and 3XM.

Their template was set early: a hard four-to-the-floor kick, synth hooks pitched high, and Horler's vocal carrying a chorus that arrives quickly and repeats. Their first single, "Miracle," released through the German label Andorfine in 2004, drew little attention until the group's next release changed that.

"Everytime We Touch," a rework of a 1992 Maggie Reilly song, became the group's calling card in 2006 and turned into a transatlantic hit, earning platinum certification in several countries. The parent album spent 24 weeks in the UK top 40, peaking at number two, and further singles followed, including covers of "Truly Madly Deeply" and "A Neverending Dream."

"What Hurts the Most" and the more electro-leaning "Evacuate the Dancefloor" followed in 2009, extending Cascada's run of hits. The group has been ranked among the most successful German acts of the current century, and its catalogue was the second-most downloaded in the dance category in both 2010 and 2014, trailing only David Guetta. Cascada represented Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013 with "Glorious."

Horler has been the constant on stage, fronting the live show, while Yanou and DJ Manian worked largely behind the scenes. The trio stayed together until 2021, marking their last track together, "One Last Dance"; since then Horler has fronted Cascada alone, confirmed by the 2024 album Studio 24, produced by Christian Geller. The sets lean on the singles, played at tempo, with little between them.