New Entrants
– We have quite a shake-up in terms of new songs debuting this week.  Let’s kick things off with my least favorite debut this week, with Selena Gomez’s new single titled Fetish which features Gucci Mane.  I can’t really say it’s better than Bad Liar, mainly because I’m not sold on the lyrics.  Now, the only good thing about this is that there’s no whispering and her vocals are slightly better, so I’ll give her that.  But the rest of the song is not that good.  Overall, I’m just not a fan of her new single and I’m hoping she does better.  NEXT!

– Next up, we have Louis Tomlinson who has recently released his new single Back To You, which features Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals.  I’ve haven’t really explained too much on the song, in part because I’ve only heard it a few times.  But now, I’m going into more detail.  I do like the production and the vocals in this song.  Both Louis Tomlinson & Bebe Rexha show that they’ve got talent and there’s plenty of potential for them. The lyrics, which are basically about a back-and-forth relationship, are actually pretty good.  Overall, it’s a good start for Louis Tomlinson himself as a solo artist.

– Then, we have the return of Demi Lovato with her new single Sorry Not Sorry.  I’ve already shared my thoughts on the song, which debuted last week on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown.  You can read my previous post regarding the song.  But to sum it up, it’s basically a kiss-off to the haters.  Now, I do like that Demi went more EDM in her single.  While her vocals sound great, I’m not necessarily a fan of the chorus because it’s a bit loud.  Everything else about the song is pretty good.  I don’t expect it to stick with me in the long run, but I kinda like this for now.

– Finally, we have easily the best debut of the week (and one of the best songs of the year), and it comes from returning artist Clean Bandit collaborating with Zara Larsson in their single titled Symphony.  For those who don’t know, the song was trending on the YouTube 15 on Hits 1 since earlier this summer.  I’ve explained my thoughts on the song while reviewing the YouTube 15 a couple months ago.  Now, if you don’t know Zara Larsson, she was the one who brought us the amazing Never Forget You last year, which was among my favorite songs of 2016.  But anyway, let’s review the song itself.  Symphony is a big step up from Rockabye.  I’m absolutely in love with both the lyrics & the production, and I’m very impressed with Zara’s vocals.  I definitely love that it has a 90’s vibe to it.  Overall, it’s a great follow-up to Rockabye and it’s a definite contender for my Top 45 Songs of 2017.  I’m not thrilled that it’s starting to lose its popularity elsewhere, but at least it’s here, and it’s very pleasing to see that it made its debut this week.

Will You Blurb Me Tight And Not Let Go?
– As always, we’ll begin with the exits.  First off, we have Love On The Brain which nobody here cares about anymore.  Second, we have Stay Together & Malibu, both of which I was losing interest in (though I’m surprised to see Malibu drop off from a high position).  Finally, there’s Paris, which took a unexpected exit on Hits 1 last week, and today it follows suit on the AT40 as well.  That song will be missed by me.

– Issues had the biggest drop of the week for the second week in a row.  Much like on Hits 1, it fell 13 spots and out of the Top 30 altogether.

– I’m very pleased to see Praying being given the Biggest Jump Of The Week this week.  It’s still a amazing song and I’m very glad it’s starting to gain steam.

– However, we have some upsetting drops this week.  Something Just Like This dropped out of the Top 20, while That’s What I Like dropped out of the Top 10.  Here’s to hoping they can try to recover and stay with us for a little longer.

– So, Despacito spends another week at #1, which is not surprising at all.  I have a feeling it’s going to go after the record on Billboard.  Now I won’t necessarily be happy if it breaks the record held by One Sweet Day, but it’s not going to stop me from loving this song though.

Extras/Optional Extras

On The Floor by Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull
Swalla by Jason Derulo featuring Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla $ign
Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye featuring Kimbra
Bad Liar by Selena Gomez
Close by Nick Jonas featuring Tove Lo
HUMBLE. by Kendrick Lamar
Starboy by The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk
Cool For The Summer by Demi Lovato


Breakout/On The Verge

Know No Better by Major Lazer featuring Travis Scott, Camila Cabello, and Quavo
Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash
Mama by Jonas Blue featuring William Surge


Top 20 Breakdown
0 – Awful:
20. Body Like A Back Road by Sam Hunt

1 – Bad:
19. Redbone by Childish Gambino
18. Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo

2 – Mediocre:
18.  I’m The One by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper, and Lil’ Wayne

3 – Decent:
16. 2U by David Guetta featuring Justin Bieber
15. Now Or Never by Halsey
14. Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran
13. No Promises by Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great:
12. Slow Hands by Niall Horan
11. Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara
10. Attention by Charlie Puth
9. Believer by Imagine Dragons
8. Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran
7. It Ain’t Me by Kygo featuring Selena Gomez
6. That’s What I Like by Bruno Mars
5. Unforgettable by French Montana featuring Swae Lee
4. Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller
3. Feels by Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell and Katy Perry
2. There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes
1. Despacito by Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee

Total Score: 76/100 (C)

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Praying by Kesha
TIE: 1. Symphony by Clean Bandit featuring Zara Larsson
3. Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay
4. Despacito by Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee
5. There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Body Like A Back Road by Sam Hunt
2. Congratulations by Post Malone featuring Quavo
3. Location by Khalid
4. Fetish by Selena Gomez featuring Gucci Mane
5. Redbone by Childish Gambino