• The Chainsmokers – Paris (#28) [Spent 1 Week At #1]
• Maroon 5 – Don’t Wanna Know (#45) [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
• Aaron Carter – Sooner Or Later (#44)

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Justin Timberlake – Can’t Stop The Feeling (8th Of 10 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Julia Michaels – Issues (-13)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Tie between AJR – Weak and Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee – Despacito (+14)

– Our first debut this week comes from returning artist Demi Lovato with her new single Sorry Not Sorry. It looks like she’s going with a more EDM production than in her previous singles. It’s basically a kiss-off to the haters.  As for the rest of the song, I do think Demi sounds good here. However, the chorus is a bit of a turn off, in part because it’s a little louder. While it’s no Cool For The Summer, Confident, or even Really Don’t Care for the matter, it’s still a solid song. Overall, I kinda like this for now.
  

– Anyone tired of The Chainsmokers yet? Well, too bad, because they have replaced themselves with their new single Honest. Now, I won’t quite go there and say it’s as good as its predecessors, but this song show how good Andrew Taggart is at singing. This song is just about wanting to be honest in a relationship. The lyrics do make sense here. Will this be another hit for The Chainsmokers? We’ll have to wait and see, but I can see myself putting this in green soon.

– Last but not least, we have our best debut of the week. After about 4 years, we finally have the return of Kesha with what is probably the best comeback single we’ve have heard all year, which is titled Praying. It’s been a while since we’ve heard new music from her, especially since her lawsuit against Dr. Luke a few years ago. But today, she is back, and I’ll say these four words: this song is epic. Now, I’ll put in more detail. Despite Kesha going with a more piano ballad than an upbeat pop song, she still pulled it off perfectly. It starts off slow, but as the song progresses, we hear the powerful chorus kick in. I’m definitely in love with Kesha’s vocals, the piano is very well done, the lyrics are nearly perfect, and the rest of the production is excellent. From what I’ve heard, many critics are calling it one of the best songs of the year, and I definitely agree. Much like with Katy Perry, I’ve been a fan of her music since the beginning of this decade, with songs such as Tik Tok, We R Who We R, Die Young, and many more. Overall, this is easily one of the best songs of the year and I hope it does well. Making things even better is that it replaces one of the worst songs that many of us have been waiting for to leave. More on that in bit. But again, Praying is a near-flawless comeback single for Kesha, period.

– We’ll begin with the exits as always. First off, I’m deeply saddened that we’ve lost both Sooner Or Later and Paris. Of course, Sooner Or Later wasn’t gaining traction elsewhere, so it was not a surprise to see that one leave. However, Paris left sooner than expected, especially from a high position at #28. I thought it was going to stay longer like some of the other songs on the countdown, but I guess I was wrong. Both of these songs will be missed, at least by me. On a positive note, we must now celebrate as Don’t Wanna Know has finally left the countdown! Good riddance! I will not miss you in the slightest!

– Before introducing Stay Together, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Miley Cyrus’s sister Noah is the worst at texting people back. Heh, I mean, really? I don’t think you’re going to get many friends when you treat people like this, but I guess that’s her personality.

– Before introducing Crying In The Club, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Camila Cabello wants to go to Rio with her friends. He also mentioned that she hasn’t been on vacation in such a long time. I guess when you’re a celebrity, you don’t get as many vacations, sadly.

– I would appreciate if Starving were to leave soon. It has been here for a long time and not that many people enjoy this song anymore (except for WAMB10). As much as I really love Haliee Steinfeld as an artist, this song comes nowhere near her best work. Here’s to hoping she does better.

– Before introducing Sign Of The Times, Spyder Harrison mentioned that during an interview with Mikey Piff, Harry Styles has said that the members of One Direction being successful as solo artists was the best thing that’s ever happened to them. I’ll say that’s some pretty kind words from him, in part because Harry and its members were basically like a family.

– I’m thrilled to see Closer still here. It’s one week away from lasting a year on the countdown. C’mon, voters!  Let’s make it happen!

– Before introducing I’m The One, Spyder Harrison mentioned that after canceling the rest of his tour, Justin Bieber was just chilling and relaxing. At one point, he was watching the PGA Championship. Now that my friends, is a good way to rest from all that touring he’s been doing lately.

– All of the songs from #35-#31 (excluding our debuts) held their positions this week.

– I’m not necessarily pleased to see Weak make a shocking jump back into the Top 30. I’m very close to putting it in red, so I’m hoping it drops back down soon.

– Before introducing The Cure, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Lady Gaga actually served as a substitute teacher for a local middle school. That sounds pretty cool. There’s a YouTube video on that also. I heard this is part of a campaign to raise money for the Born This Way Foundation.

– Before introducing Strip That Down, Spyder Harrison mentioned that when Liam Payne got his haircut, his fans went crazy on social media. Not only that, but I heard his girlfriend likes it, too. It goes to show that he’s still a popular celebrity around the globe.

– Despacito made a massive jump into the Top 5 this week. I have a feeling it will hit #1 here, also, given that it’s still gaining ground. I’m hearing that it’ll break the record for most weeks at #1 on Billboard. Question is, will it actually do it? We’ll have to find out.

– Speaking of #1, we have Believer still at the top spot. A part of me wants Despacito to take over now, what with it still dominating the charts now. Still, I don’t mind Believer spending another week at #1 if it wants to.

Hit-Bound

– We have quite a shake-up on Hit-Bound with four new songs entering this week. First, we’ll begin with Demi Lovato who replaced herself with her collaboration with Cheat Codes in their single No Promises. I do think the beat drop and their vocals sounds pretty good, even if it’s not their best work thus far. It’s a little closer to green than it is to red. It’ll probably be there with more listens.

– Next up, we have more Halsey, in the form of Bad At Love. Now, this song is quite a big step up from Now Or Never, as her new single has more to it. The production and her vocals sound much better here. More words when it debuts.

– Then, we have Hey Violet once again, this time with their new single Hoodie. Not much I can say about this one, but I’m sure many people will like this one better than Break My Heart and Guys My Age, in part because the vocals sound good here.

– Finally, P!NK has released her comeback single titled What About Us. Now, to put it easy, I’m in love with this song. Sure, it’s not as good as her previous singles, but I can live with this. I’ll say more about this when it debuts soon.

5. Imagine Dragons – Thunder

YouTube 15

For this week, I’ve decided to review the YouTube 15. Here are the songs that are trending this week:

Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road
Martin Garrix featuring Troye Sivan – There For You
Madison Beer – Dead
DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts
Charli XCX – Boys
Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee – Despacito
Alan Walker featuring Gavin James – Tired
Ed Sheeran – Shape Of You
Jax Jones featuring Demi Lovato and Stefflon Don – Instruction
Charlie Puth – Attention
Rudimental featuring James Arthur – Sun Comes Up
Bruno Mars – That’s What I Like
Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug – Havana
DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber and Chance the Rapper – I’m The One
Dua Lipa – New Rules

– I’m not even going to comment on the fact that Body Like A Back Road somehow made it to the YouTube 15. Out of all the country songs out there, this one had to gain popularity.

– I’m not a fan of Camila Cabello’s new single Havana, which features Young Thug. It has the same generic rapping that flooding the charts nowadays, and Camila Cabello’s somewhat decent vocals can’t save this song from me putting it in red. Overall, it’s not her best choice for her next single. NEXT!

– I can’t really say I’m a fan of Madison Beer’s single, which is titled Dead. While her vocals sound good, the rest of the song is underwhelming to say the least. I personally think there are better songs out there.

– Charli XCX released a new single titled Boys. While it’s a step up from the terrible After The Afterparty, it’s still nothing when compared to Boom Clap. The vocals and production aren’t all that good. It’s closer to red than it is to green.

– Next we have more Demi Lovato once again, this time collaborating with Jax Jones and Stefflon Don with their latest single Instruction. Now, it’s slightly better than some of the other songs mentioned above, but I’m not really a fan of Demi’s super fast vocals, which makes it hard for me to understand the lyrics. I’m sure she’s done better.

– Dua Lipa has recently released her new single titled New Rules. I don’t quite think it’s as good as Blow Your Mind (Mwah), but I still like it for what it is. I wonder will this actually be a huge hit for her? I’m hoping so.

– Probably the best new song trending right now is Sun Comes Up, which is sung by returning artist James Arthur collaborating with Rudimental. This song showcases James Arthur’s vocals and he’s proven that he can sing. I do like the EDM production Rudimental has put together. Overall, I think this a great song for both artists and I’m hoping it keeps trending for a little longer.

– I’m actually not surprised to see Shape Of You and That’s What I Like still trending, especially considering they’re still somewhat popular. Despacito making the list is also not surprising; it’s still gaining enormous popularity and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. And that’s perfectly fine by me as I still enjoy this song a lot lately.

My Top 5 YouTube 15 Picks
1. Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee – Despacito
2. DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts
3. Bruno Mars – That’s What I Like
4. Rudimental featuring James Arthur – Sun Comes Up
5. Charlie Puth – Attention

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Mariah Carey – Emotions (1991)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Demi Lovato – Confident

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: LIGHTS – Giants

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Ariana Grande – Into You

Fifth Harmony – All In My Head (Flex): This is quite a cool single, especially during the summer when going to the beach. The girls actually sound better than they did in Work From Home. It’s too bad Hits 1 edited out the vocals from Fetty Wap, who actually contributes to the song. That said, I kinda wish it did better than only lasting 5 weeks here.

TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Heathens: Taken from the Suicide Squad movie soundtrack, this song got mixed reactions from the blogging community. However, I definitely enjoyed the new sound when compared to other songs such as Tear In My Heart, Stressed Out, & Ride. I’m very pleased that this became another big hit for this band and I’m hoping they make some more singles like this soon.