Hardwell Drops High Energy New Single – ‘Earthquake’
Festival season 2018 marked a turning point in the landscape of electronic dance music. The main stages and secondary stages across Tomorrowland, Ultra, and dozens of other major events were primed for high-energy releases that could command crowd attention in the outdoor summer environment. Into this moment stepped Hardwell, one of the undisputed architects of big room house, with “Earthquake” featuring Harrison—a track explicitly designed for the festival circuit and positioned as part of his larger bid to reclaim dominance in a scene where his influence had been challenged.
By 2018, Hardwell’s career had entered an interesting phase. Over the preceding year, he had deliberately experimented with stylistic diversity—exploring future bass elements, pursuing pop crossover opportunities, and releasing more contemplative material. These experiments showcased an artist willing to challenge his own formula. Yet “Earthquake” represented a deliberate return to what Hardwell did best: crafting uncompromising big room house productions designed to dominate festival stages. The track embodied the formula that had made him one of the world’s most recognizable DJs: driving rhythms, swelling synths, a compelling vocal feature, and a structure built to escalate tension before delivering cathartic drops.
The collaboration with Harrison added a human element to the production. Where instrumental big room bangers could feel mechanical, Harrison’s contribution provided emotional texture—a voice that connected to listeners on a personal level while the instrumentation maintained its aggressive intensity. The result was a track that aimed for mass appeal without sacrificing the energy that defines the genre.
Listen to “Earthquake” on Spotify below:
The Festival Booking Strategy
Hardwell’s 2018 calendar reflected his strategic positioning. High-profile festival bookings at Tomorrowland and across the Ultra brand of events positioned him at the upper tier of the global dance music hierarchy. These were the stages where “Earthquake” would first be tested, where thousands of listeners would experience it for the first time in the outdoor festival environment it was designed for. The track’s production—heavy on impact, clear in its melodic hook, relentless in its drive—aligned perfectly with what those settings demanded.
The Martin Garrix Factor
In 2018, Martin Garrix had become the dominant figure in mainstream EDM, a position Hardwell had held just years earlier. “Earthquake” was part of a larger narrative: could Hardwell reclaim his throne? The comparison between them highlighted generational and stylistic differences in EDM. Garrix represented the future of commercial electronic music—younger, with broader pop appeal and streaming success. Hardwell embodied the big room house tradition—powerful on festival stages, committed to the club experience, rooted in the genre’s history. “Earthquake” was Hardwell’s statement: that big room still mattered, that raw energy and dancefloor impact hadn’t been superseded by melodic EDM’s mainstream ascendance.
A Summer Anthem in Waiting
Festival summer 2018 would ultimately judge whether “Earthquake” achieved its aims. The track was designed to resonate in the moment—in the specific context of hundreds of thousands of fans packed into festival grounds across the world. Whether it would transcend into permanent cultural relevance or fade with the season remained to be seen, but Hardwell’s investment in the release suggested deep confidence that this was the kind of track capable of defining a summer and reasserting his place in EDM’s hierarchy.
