Headhunterz quits DJ Mag Top 100: “I feel the need to take this weight off my shoulders”

By Leonie Schott 22 October 2019

The DJ Mag Top 100 list is out since a couple of days and six harder styles artists made it on it. Headhunterz is one of them and even scored the highest ‘hard award’. Now, the hardstyle producer published a video in which he explains he’s quitting with taking actively part in this competition.

READ ALSO: This is the DJ Mag Top 100 2019

Being in the DJ Mag Top 100 is a big success for every artist, especially for harder styles DJs since the hard dance scene is much smaller than the mainstream EDM scene. Artists spend a lot of money on campaigns to motivate fans to vote, also because being on the list gives credit and can be beneficial for the career. Therefor, this voting is often seen as controversial and more like a popularity contest or even a marketing contest, than a list based on quality.

Now, Headhunters surprisingly shared a video of him, where he announces this was the last time he has taken part in the contest. By that he means from now on, he won’t put out a campaign anymore to ask his fans to give him the vote. After he gave a thanks to all his fans who voted for him again this year, he tried to explain his reasons:

“Hereby I’m announcing that this was the last time that I have part taken… competing in the DJ Mag Top 100. I felt that this is the right thing to do for me now. For me personally, I feel the need to take this weight off my shoulders to have the feeling that I have to hold up this position as the number 1 hard dance act. Doesn’t feel right anymore. I want to shift the focus to myself. Not to have the feel that I’m in a competition and trust in my own capabilities as an artist. And also if I look in my ambitions as an artist if feel like that maybe also have shifted.”

Headhunterz: “I’m just going to focus on my own things”

He tells he doesn’t have specific goals anymore, like playing at Tomorrowland mainstage, because he already accomplished playing at parties that he dreamed of, e.g. Defqon.1 and Qlimax. Nowadays his goals are much smaller and more personal, he says:

“My goals are developing my skills and being an even better producer than I was. I also want to focus on growing my label and also helping other artists out, so I get a lot of satisfaction out of that. I feel very grateful for what I have and I’ve gotten this award for 7 times and I just feel like it’s a nice thing to just call it quits when it comes to that. And to be satisfied with that and if some other artists get the award next year, I’ll be very happy for them and I hope it’s gonna do nice things to them. But I’m okay, I’m satisfied with this. I’m just going to focus on my own things. Music production, becoming a better producer and enjoying the shows that I’m able to play in the future.”

Headhunterz: “I’m quitting the DJ Mag Top 100 contest”

Many artists don’t take actively part in the contest, e.g. one of the world’s most famous EDM DJs Martin Garrix who is still ranked at #2 this year. This time, over 1,3 Million people took part in the voting. It was the 9th time Headhunterz made it to the DJ Mag Top 100 and the 7th time he got the highest spot as a harder styles artist.

Footage taken from Facebook page Headhunterz