Month: September 2017

Liam Payne (1) – Week Of September 30, 2017

/ dhill92 / 32 Comments

Hello, friends! You know, it’s really hard for me to come up with some cool introductions. But whatever, let’s just get to the countdown. This week, to put it simply, just wasn’t good. But you know, it’s one of the weeks you’ve got to fight through. Not much I can do about that. Before we get to this week’s fresh 45, we’re saying good-bye to these songs leaving us this week:

  • The Chainsmokers – Honest (#44)
  • Fall Out Boy – Champion (#45)
  • Linkin Park featuring Kiiara – Heavy (#41)
The Countdown
Last Week’s #1 Song: Niall Horan – Slow Hands
45. Hailee Steinfeld – Most Girls (#42) [-3]
44. Bruno Mars – That’s What I Like (#40) [-4] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
43. Hey Violet – Hoodie (#35) [-8]
42. All Time Low – Good Times (#43) [+1]
41. Lady Gaga – The Cure (#39) [-2]
40. Kygo featuring Selena Gomez – It Ain’t Me (#37) [-3]
39. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low (#33) [-6]
38. Sabrina Carpenter – Why (DEBUT) [=]
37. Andy Grammer – Give Love (#21) [-16]
36. Justin Bieber featuring BloodPop® – Friends (#31) [-5]
35. Ed Sheeran – Shape Of You (#36) [+1] [Spent 9 Weeks At #1]
34. Zedd featuring Liam Payne – Get Low (#29) [-5]
33. Linkin Park – One More Light (#24) [-9]
32. Bruno Mars – Versace On The Floor (#27) [-5]
31. Harry Styles – Two Ghosts (#38) [+7]
30. Selena Gomez – Fetish (DEBUT) [=]
29. Louis Tomlinson featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals – Back To You (#26) [-3]
28. Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road (#19) [-9]
27. Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato – No Promises (#16) [-11]
26. Panic! At The Disco – L.A. Devotee (#30) [+4]
25. Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid – 1-800-273-8255 (DEBUT) [=]
24. Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill (#25) [+1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
23. Charlie Puth – Attention (#18) [-5] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
22. Maroon 5 featuring SZA – What Lovers Do (#13) [-9]
21. Zedd featuring Alessia Cara – Stay (#10) [-11] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
20. The Revivalists – Wish I Knew You (#28) [+8]
19. Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee – Despacito (#20) [+1]
18. Kelly Clarkson – Love So Soft (#32) [+14]
17. The All-American Rejects – Sweat (#34) [+17]
16. Sam Smith – Too Good At Goodbyes (#23) [+7]
15. Halsey – Bad At Love (#22) [+7]
14. Imagine Dragons – Believer (#6) [-8] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
13. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do (#9) [-4]
12. Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still (#17) [+5]
11. Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey – Glorious (#14) [+3]
10. Kesha – Praying (#5) [-5]
9. The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#8) [-1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
8. P!NK – What About Us (#11) [+3]
7. Mono Mind – Save Me A Place (#12) [+5]
6. Imagine Dragons – Thunder (#15) [-9]
5. Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back (#2) [-3] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
4. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry (#3) [-1]
3. Niall Horan – Slow Hands (#1) [-2] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
2. Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl (#4) [+2]
1. Liam Payne – Strip That Down (#7) [+6] [1st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey – Closer (1st Of 8 Weeks At #1)
Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Andy Grammer – Give Love (-16)
Biggest Jump Of The Week: The All-American Rejects – Sweat (+17)
New Entrants
– I’m kinda mixed on this week’s entrants overall. To start us off, we have Sabrina Carpenter making her first appearance on the countdown, in the form of Why. Now, she brought us Thumbs, which I did kinda like, but never actually made it to Hit-Bound despite playing on Hits 1. As for her new single, I can’t say I care for this one. Her vocals seem a little weak, and the production is quite underwhelming to say the least. That’s just me, though, but my opinion could change. Right now, I’m not feeling this one. NEXT!

– So, here’s a question for you all: are you tired of Selena Gomez making all those nonsensical sultry songs? You are? Well, guess what? I am too. And unfortunately, she makes her return with her new single Fetish. I talked about this one when it debuted on the American Top 40 last month. To recap, it’s another one of those songs that tries to be sultry, and it just doesn’t work. It’s slightly better than Bad Liar in part because her vocals have improved, so I’ll give her that, but that’s not saying much because the lyrical content is terrible and its premise is dull across the board. It’s only been getting worse every time I hear it. Now, I’m going to ask you another question: what happened to the Selena Gomez I used to love? She simply just needs to stick to her upbeat pop songs, or heck even something from Revival. The sad thing is, I’d rather listen to it than the song that arrived on Hit-Bound, which we’ll get to later. Anyway, the point I’m trying to get across is, this song just blows. NEXT!

– Probably our best debut this week is a song that is currently gaining steam. It comes from Logic collaborating with Alessia Cara and Khalid, in the form of 1-800-273-8255. It’s nice to see this one become a sleeper hit, especially after the song’s performance on the VMA’s last month. It’s a pretty good song in terms of the lyrical content and I’m sure everyone can relate, especially given Chester Bennington’s passing after committing suicide two months ago. Overall, I do like it for what it is.

Blurbs So Soft, You Ain’t Had Nothing Softer
– In terms of our exits this week, Honest took its departure, and with it brings The Chainsmokers’ streak of big hits to an end. I know pretty much everyone is rejoicing over this song not being a big hit. Also, there’s Champion, which unsurprisingly left given that people aren’t really buying into Fall Out Boy’s music anymore. We’ll see if that one makes it to my Top 45 songs of the year. Lastly, we have the all-important exit, in which Heavy has officially departed from this countdown. It did have quite a weird tenure jumping and dropping all over the place, but it eventually lost its steam. Although I kinda stopped caring for it a while ago, I know there are some people who are going to be sad about its departure.

– Well, dang! Give Love surprisingly took a big drop this week. Also, Spyder Harrison did not mention that this was the Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week, because he didn’t recap the second set of five. Another fail on his part. Last week, he failed to mention one of the songs in his next set of five.

– Spyder Harrison mentioned upon introducing Back To You that Louis Tomlinson was secretly married to his girlfriend. I mean, really? I wonder how did we not know this before? Hmm…

– Thank the high heavens above for making Body Like A Back Road drop out of the Top 20! Now, can we PLEASE get this awful song out of the countdown soon?!

– Spyder Harrison also made a mistake by saying that both No Promises and Stay were tied for the Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week, when it actually Give Love that was given this honor. Spyder, you better step up your game soon. 😛

– After spending a long while in the Top 10, both Stay and Believer have managed to drop out, with the former just barely out of the Top 20. Meanwhile, the latter literally swapped places with Thunder, which is now in the Top 10.

– Speaking of Imagine Dragons, I have a feeling that Thunder is going to blow up here, because it soared to #1 on iTunes earlier this week and has been gaining sales elsewhere since. Keep in mind that this hasn’t made its debut on the American Top 40 yet.

– Finally, we come to our #1. As you can see, I’m not too kind about this one. I figured it was going to happen sooner or later, given that it’s still gaining in both sales and radio. Plus, with Hits 1’s love of One Direction, I shouldn’t be surprised by this. Here’s to hoping next week’s #1 is better.
Hit-Bound

  • The Script – Rain
  • Taylor Swift – …Ready For It?
  • Fergie featuring Nicki Minaj – You Already Know
  • ZAYN featuring Sia – Dusk Till Dawn
  • Why Don’t We – Something Different
  • Camila Cabello – Havana (DEBUT)
  • PRETTYMUCH – Would You Mind
  • Evaride – Heartless
  • Post Malone featuring 21 Savage – Rockstar (DEBUT)
  • Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be (DEBUT)
  • Dua Lipa – New Rules
  • Niall Horan – Too Much To Ask
  • Ed Sheeran – Perfect
  • Lauv – I Like Me Better

– So, we have a shake-up on Hit-Bound this week, and…I can’t say I’m fond of either of our debuts. Let’s get right into it.

– To begin, we have more Bebe Rexha with her new single Meant To Be, which features country band Florida Georgia Line. I’m kinda split on this one for that reason. Now it’s better than Body Like A Back Road, I’ll give them that. Not much else I can say about this one.

– So, I have a question. Who’s tired of Camila Cabello? You are? Well, too bad, because she’s back for another round, this time with Havana. I briefly talked about this one last month on the YouTube 15. But to sum it all up, it’s simply just not a good choice for her next single. Hits 1 did edit out rapper Young Thug, and she did improve on her vocals, so I’ll give her that. But the rest of the song is just underwhelming. Maybe it’ll change.

– Oh, boy. We’ve come to the one debut I was not looking forward to at all. We have Post Malone making his arrival along with 21 Savage in their new single Rockstar. This is going to be a long rant, so get ready. I’m going make it simple: this song is just trash. The production, the lyrics, etc. I don’t know why in the world would a song of this caliber, especially given that Hits 1 simply does NOT care for rap music of any kind, would make it here, instead of maybe Lorde, whose lead single from Melodrama was a huge flop?! I already talked about Congratulations being one of the worst songs of the year, and now he wants to bring this new single to Hits 1, over rising artist Lorde of all people?! Or Rachel Platten, whose new single is clearly 25 times better than this pile of trash?! You know what, I’m going to stop right here. I’ll say more when it inevitably debuts, but my reaction is NOT going to be pretty, at all.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Taylor Swift – …Ready For It?
2. PRETTYMUCH – Would You Mind
3. Evaride – Heartless
4. Dua Lipa – New Rules
5. ZAYN featuring Sia – Dusk Till Dawn

YouTube 15

So, I didn’t mention this at all, but this month marks YouTube 15 host, Jenna Marbles’s birthday. She turned 31 on September 15. So, I would like to wish her a Happy belated birthday! With that said, here are the songs trending this week:

  • Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid – 1-800-273-8255
  • Fifth Harmony – He Like That
  • Kungs featuring Olly Murs and Coely – More Mess
  • DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts
  • Why Don’t We – These Girls
  • Bruno Mars – That’s What I Like
  • Loote – Out Of My Head
  • Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry
  • Avicii featuring Rita Ora – Lonely Together
  • Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do
  • Kygo featuring Sasha Sloan – This Town
  • Ed Sheeran – Shape Of You
  • Charli XCX – Boys
  • Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee – Despacito
  • LANY – Super Far
– We have more Kungs, in the form of More Mess which features Olly Murs and Coely. Right off the bat, Kungs continues to impress me in terms of the EDM production. Both Olly Murs’s and Coely’s vocals blend together really well. Although I can’t say it’s as good as This Girl, it’s solid and it works for me.

– I haven’t really talked about Why Don’t We – These Girls when it was trending a few weeks ago. So, I’ll do so right now. While Something Different is kinda solid, this one is a different story. To put it easy, I can’t really say I’m a fan. The lyrical content isn’t all that good, and the song is too repetitive for my tastes. Maybe it’s just me, though. That could change.

– Similarly, I don’t really care for Loote – Out Of My Head. Their vocals don’t really shine in this one, and the production is decent at best. The lyrical content, however, is better than that of These Girls. I don’t have too much to say about this one.

– We have the return of Avicii, this time collaborating with Rita Ora in their new single Lonely Together. It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Avicii, when Wake Me Up became his biggest hit of 2013. To say the least, Rita Ora’s vocals definitely shine in this one, and the production here is vibrant too.  It also helps that the lyrical content is pretty solid. Once again, Avicii manages to impress me, and the duo made a great track overall.

– With Kygo making his presence known in the music industry, it’s no surprise that he has recently released a new single. Enter This Town, which features an unknown artist whose name is Sasha Sloan. His new single is pretty weak compared to his predecessors. The production isn’t quite as lively, and Sasha Sloan doesn’t add too much to the song. It’s definitely not as good as It Ain’t Me or the amazing First Time (w/ Ellie Goulding), the latter which unfortunately ended up being a flop. My opinion on this song could change, but right now, I’m not quite a fan yet.

– LANY has a new single called Super Far, and while it’s not quite as lively as some of the other songs mentioned above, it’s quite solid. It has that 80’s feel to it, and their vocals are pretty good. Other than that, not much to say here.

My Top 5 YouTube 15 Picks
1. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do
2. DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts
3. Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee – Despacito
4. Bruno Mars – That’s What I Like
5. Avicii featuring Rita Ora – Lonely Together

Top 20 Review
0 – Awful:
None!

1 – Bad:
20. Liam Payne – Strip That Down

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
19. Sam Smith – Too Good At Goodbyes
18. The All American Rejects – Sweat

4 – Good:
17. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry
16. Niall Horan – Slow Hands

5 – Great:
15. The Revivalists – Wish I Knew You
14. Imagine Dragons – Believer
13. Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still
12. Halsey – Bad At Love
11. Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey – Glorious
10. Imagine Dragons – Thunder
9. P!NK – What About Us
8. Mono Mind – Save Me A Place
7. Kelly Clarkson – Love So Soft
6. Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee – Despacito
5. The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This
4. Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl
3. Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back
2. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Kesha – Praying

Overall Grade: 91/100 (A-) (Things are getting better here)
Throwback Pick Of The Week: Celine Dion – That’s The Way It Is (1999) (Again, everything by Celine Dion is amazing)
Most Missed Countdown Song: Meghan Trainor – All About That Bass (I’m really REALLY sorry, Adrian, but I actually still like this)
#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Echosmith – 18 (I HIGHLY recommend listening to their new EP Inside A Dream. Trust me, it’s really good.)
Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey – Closer

My Top 5 Picks
1. Kesha – Praying
2. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do
3. Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back
4. Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl
5. The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road
2. Selena Gomez – Fetish
3. Sabrina Carpenter – Why
4. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low
5. Liam Payne – Strip That Down

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Gnash featuring Olivia O’Brien – I Hate U, I Love U: This is basically a better version of Unsteady. I love the message in this one, and I’m sure everyone can relate. I also like how their vocals blend together. That said, I wish everyone would appreciate this more.
Big Gigantic featuring Angela McCluskey – The Little Things: For an EDM song, it may be loud, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad per se. That saxophone in the end was pretty darn epic.

AT40: Charlie Puth (5) – Week Of September 30, 2017

/ dhill92 / 129 Comments

Hello, friends! So, after a week in which not much really happened, we certainly stepped up this week. Our #1 may be the same, but we did get a great deal of activity, mostly for the better. Also, we heading into the month of October, which means that some spooky things are right around the corner. Plus, we’re getting close to the end of the year. I have a feeling 2018 may come sooner than we think. I’m hoping things will continue to gain steam as we head into the new year. So without further ado, here are the songs exiting this week:

  • Honest by The Chainsmokers
    Last Week: #28 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 8
  • Mama by Jonas Blue featuring William Singe
    Last Week: #38 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 3
  • Say You Won’t Let Go by James Arthur
    Last Week: #40 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 30

The Countdown
Last Week’s #1 Song: Attention by Charlie Puth

40. Hoodie by Hey Violet (DEBUT)
Last Week: N/A | # Of Weeks On Chart: 1

39. Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran [-2] [Spent 10 Weeks At #1]
Last Week: #37 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 37

38. Something Different by Why Don’t We (DEBUT)
Last Week: N/A | # Of Weeks On Chart: 1

37. Two Ghosts by Harry Styles [+2]
Last Week: #39 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 3

36. Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran [-2]
Last Week: #34 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 22

35. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash [=]
Last Week: #35 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 4

34. Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay [-2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
Last Week: #32 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 29

33. Too Good At Goodbyes by Sam Smith (DEBUT)
Last Week: N/A | # Of Weeks On Chart: 1

32. Know No Better by Major Lazer featuring Travis Scott, Camila Cabello, and Quavo [+1]
Last Week: #33 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 6

31. That’s What I Like by Bruno Mars [-2] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
Last Week: #29 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 34

30. Mi Gente by J. Balvin featuring Willy William [+1]
Last Week: #31 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 5

29. Location by Khalid [+1]
Last Week: #30 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 8

28. It Ain’t Me by Kygo featuring Selena Gomez [-2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
Last Week: #26 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 30

27. Redbone by Childish Gambino [-7]
Last Week: #20 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 14

26. Now Or Never by Halsey [-2]
Last Week: #24 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 23

25. Bad At Love by Halsey [+11]
Last Week: #36 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 2

24. Back To You by Louis Tomlinson featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals [-1]
Last Week: #23 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 7

23. I’m The One By DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper, and Lil’ Wayne [-1]
Last Week: #22 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 30

22. Body Like A Back Road by Sam Hunt [-5]
Last Week: #17 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 17

21. Glorious by Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey [+4]
Last Week: #25 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 10

20. What Lovers Do by Maroon 5 featuring SZA [+7]
Last Week: #27 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 2

19. Fetish by Selena Gomez featuring Gucci Mane [+2]
Last Week: #21 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 7

18. 1-800-273-8255 by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid [+1]
Last Week: #19 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 18

17. What About Us by P!NK [+1]
Last Week: #18 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 5

16. Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara [-4] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
Last Week: #12 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 29

15. Praying by Kesha [=]
Last Week: #15 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 8

14. Feels by Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell, Katy Perry, and Big Sean [-6]
Last Week: #8 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 12

13. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato [+3]
Last Week: #16 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 7

12. Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man [+2]
Last Week: #14 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 6

11. Friends by Justin Bieber featuring BloodPop® [+2]
Last Week: #13 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 4

10. Unforgettable by French Montana featuring Swae Lee [+1]
Last Week: #11 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 11

9. Despacito by Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee [-2] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
Last Week: #7 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 19

8. No Promises by Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato [+2]
Last Week: #10 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 17

7. Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift [+2]
Last Week: #9 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 3

6. Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller [-2]
Last Week: #4 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 15

5. Believer by Imagine Dragons [=]
Last Week: #5 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 19

4. Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo [+2]
Last Week: #6 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 15

3. There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes [-1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
Last Week: #2 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 20

2. Slow Hands by Niall Horan [+1]
Last Week: #3 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 18

1. Attention by Charlie Puth [=] [5th Week At #1]
Last Week: #1 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 18

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Send My Love (To Your New Lover) by Adele (1st And Only Week At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Redbone by Childish Gambino (-7)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Bad At Love by Halsey (+11)

New Entrants
– To kick off this week’s new arrivals, we have more Hey Violet with their single titled Hoodie. I briefly talked about this one on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown when it made its debut. To recap, while the lyrical content isn’t necessarily the best, their vocals sound better than their predecessors, which is part of the reason why this song is more likable to the blogging community. Not much else I can say about this one. Seeing as this one isn’t gaining popularity elsewhere, it might not stay for too long, but we’ll see what happens.

– Next, we have newcomer band Why Don’t We making their first-ever appearance on the American Top 40. Enter Something Different, their single off of the Something Different EP. Now, I do like the beat here, and it has that cool vibe to it. My only concern is the song can get repetitive at times. That said, I can see definitely see myself growing into this someday.

– Lastly, we have the re-emergence of Sam Smith after three years out of the spotlight, in the form of Too Good At Goodbyes. As I’ve explained in my Hits 1 weekend countdown review, I wasn’t quite as wild about this one. However, he definitely shows that he at least has some personality going on, especially in the pre-chorus. Also, he has proven to be a good songwriter, as the lyrical content is great. Overall, it may be in blue for now, but it’s likely that I’ll have it in green soon.

I’m Way Too Good At Writing Blurbs
– As always, we’ll begin with our exits. To start, I’m shocked that Mama by Jonas Blue featuring William Singe had to leave us so soon. I thought it would stay for a least a few more weeks, but I guess I was wrong. As for the other two, I’m not surprised about Honest taking its departure since it’s been declining elsewhere, and its exit brings The Chainsmokers’ streak of big hits to an end. Say You Won’t Let Go I was ready to part with, but it did have a nice tenure and became a sleeper hit, so props to that.

– Our Top 3 remains the same, so nothing really to talk about here.

– Well, looks like this is it for Feels after that big drop out of the Top 10, what with it faltering elsewhere at this moment. Oh well, it was nice to have this song around for a while.

– The big jump from Bad At Love was destined to happen on its second week here. Although I kinda doubt this will end up big given it’s not gaining as much steam elsewhere, but I don’t really care either way.

– So, a remix to Mi Gente featuring Beyoncé came out earlier today, and I can’t say it’s any better. As much as I love Beyoncé, not even she can save it from being complete garbage. With it somewhat gaining steam, I have a bad feeling it’s going to be here to stay, so I’m preparing for the worst.

– Looks like this is the end for both Ed Sheeran songs, seeing as they’re now in the Bottom 5. I do still enjoy both of those songs to some degree, so I’ll be sad when they leave. One thing’s for sure, though: both of them will be making the Year-End list.

Breakouts/On The Verge

  • …Ready For It? by Taylor Swift
  • Why by Sabrina Carpenter

Extras/Optional Extras

  • Pillowtalk by Zayn Malik
  • Dark Horse by Katy Perry featuring Juicy J. (NOT an color-coding error, and DO NOT kill me for this, guys)
  • Get Low by Zedd featuring Liam Payne
  • All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor (I’m really, really sorry Adrian, but I actually still like this)
  • Jealous by Nick Jonas
  • Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars

Top 20 Breakdown
0 – Awful:
20. Fetish by Selena Gomez featuring Gucci Mane

1 – Bad:
19. Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
18. Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara
17. No Promises by Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato

4 – Good:
16. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato
15. Slow Hands by Niall Horan

5 – Great:
14. Believer by Imagine Dragons
13. Attention by Charlie Puth
12. Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man
11. 1-800-273-8255 by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid
10. What Lovers Do by Maroon 5 featuring SZA
9. Feels by Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell, Katy Perry, and Big Sean
8. Friends by Justin Bieber featuring BloodPop®
7. What About Us by P!NK
6. Unforgettable by French Montana featuring Swae Lee
5. Despacito by Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee
4. Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller
3. There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes
2. Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Praying by Kesha

Total Score: 86/100 (B)

My Top 5 Picks
1. Praying by Kesha
2. Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift
3. There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes
4. Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller
5. Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers

My Bottom 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Body Like A Back Road by Sam Hunt
TIE: 1. Mi Gente by J. Balvin featuring Willy William
3. Fetish by Selena Gomez featuring Gucci Mane
4. Location by Khalid
5. Know No Better by Major Lazer featuring Travis Scott, Camila Cabello, and Quavo

Niall Horan (3) – Week Of September 23, 2017

/ dhill92 / 22 Comments

What’s up, friends? This is the first countdown of autumn. For this week, it was quite a step up from last week. There was more activity going on, and we have a couple of familiar faces returning with new songs. Things are definitely picking up to speed and should continue to do so. Let’s get right into it. Before we get to the countdown, here are the songs leaving the countdown this week:

  • Julia Michaels – Issues (#42)
  • AJR – Weak (#44)
  • Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell and Katy Perry – Feels (#45)
  • The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey – Closer (#43) [Spent 8 Weeks At #1] (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

The Countdown
Last Week’s #1 Song: Niall Horan – Slow Hands
45. Fall Out Boy – Champion (#36) [-9]
44. The Chainsmokers – Honest (#31) [-13]
43. All Time Low – Good Times (#32) [-11]
42. Hailee Steinfeld – Most Girls (#33) [-9]
41. Linkin Park featuring Kiiara – Heavy (#40) [-1]
40. Bruno Mars – That’s What I Like (#41) [+1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
39. Lady Gaga – The Cure (#39) [=]
38. Harry Styles – Two Ghosts (#26) [-12]
37. Kygo featuring Selena Gomez – It Ain’t Me (#35) [-2]
36. Ed Sheeran – Shape Of You (#30) [-6] [Spent 9 Weeks At #1]
35. Hey Violet – Hoodie (#23) [-12]
34. The All-American Rejects – Sweat (#38) [+4]
33. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low (#37) [+4]
32. Kelly Clarkson – Love So Soft (DEBUT) [=]
31. Justin Bieber featuring BloodPop® – Friends (#27) [-4]
30. Panic! At The Disco – L.A. Devotee (#34) [+4]
29. Zedd featuring Liam Payne – Get Low (DEBUT) [=]
28. The Revivalists – Wish I Knew You (DEBUT) [=]
27. Bruno Mars – Versace On The Floor (#29) [+2]
26. Louis Tomlinson featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals – Back To You (#19) [-7]
25. Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill (#20) [-5] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
24. Linkin Park – One More Light (#24) [=]
23. Sam Smith – Too Good At Goodbyes (DEBUT) [=]
22. Halsey – Bad At Love (#25) [+3]
21. Andy Grammer – Give Love (#28) [+7]
20. Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee – Despacito (#21) [+1]
19. Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road (#8) [-11] (:D)
18. Charlie Puth – Attention (#13) [-5] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
17. Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still (#16) [-1]
16. Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato – No Promises (#17) [+1]
15. Imagine Dragons – Thunder (#14) [-1]
14. Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey – Glorious (#15) [+1]
13. Maroon 5 featuring SZA – What Lovers Do (#22) [+9]
12. Mono Mind – Save Me A Place (#10) [-2]
11. P!NK – What About Us (#18) [+7]
10. Zedd featuring Alessia Cara – Stay (#12) [+2]
9. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do (#9) [=]
8. The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#7) [-1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
7. Liam Payne – Strip That Down (#3) [-4]
6. Imagine Dragons – Believer (#6) [=] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
5. Kesha – Praying (#11) [+6]
4. Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl (#4) [=]
3. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry (#5) [+2]
2. Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back (#2) [=] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
1. Niall Horan – Slow Hands (#1) [=] [THIRD WEEK AT #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Daya – Don’t Let Me Down (3rd And Final Week At #1)
Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: The Chainsmokers – Honest (-13)
Biggest Jump Of The Week: Maroon 5 featuring SZA – What Lovers Do (+9)
New Entrants
– To kickstart our round of debuts this week, we have the return of one of my favorite artists, Kelly Clarkson. Enter Love So Soft, her lead single from her upcoming album Meaning Of Life. It’s been a while since we’ve last heard from her. Her last appearance on the countdown was back in 2015 with Heartbeat Song, which wasn’t too kind to the blogging community. I myself actually fell in love with that song. As for this one, I find this pretty divine, also. Now right off the bat, I like how she’s experimenting a new sound by going more soulful and R&B, and she does sound pretty much like Adele (especially in the intro). However, I do question some of the lyrics, such as “Love so soft, you ain’t had nothing softer”, which isn’t exactly the best expression. Now it’s most definitely not her best song, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad per say. I feel that if the song had been more lively, then this would be more likable. That said, we’ll see how long it sticks with me.

– Second, we have more Zedd in his new collaboration with Liam Payne in their latest single Get Low. Now this one is similar to Stay, except we have Liam Payne singing here. I did find this to be enjoyable at first, but it did erode on me quite a bit. I’m surprised this one made its debut, because it has been flopping elsewhere as of right now. But we’ll see how long this one stays.

– Next, we have the band The Revivalists making their arrival with Wish I Knew You. I didn’t quite think this would graduate from Hit-Bound given that it’s a song that was actually released in 2016, but it sure did. Anyway, this song took a while to grow on me, but I do like this now. They used the instruments really well here, especially with the guitars and saxophone, especially in the chorus. The lyrics are quite solid, also. Question is, will this alternative rock act have a hit? I kinda doubt it, but I’m hoping for the best.

– Finally, we have the highest debut of the week. After three years, Sam Smith has returned to the music scene. Enter Too Good At Goodbyes, the lead single off of his forthcoming album. Right off the bat, I wasn’t quite as wild about this one at first listen, but it kinda warmed up on me to some degree. Now when I listened to this more often, I find that Sam showed a little more personality leading up to the chorus. In terms of the lyrical content, it pretty good and he shows how talented he is in terms of his songwriting. Overall, I may come to appreciate this more.


Show Me The Blurbs I Need The Most
– Let’s begin with our exits. First and foremost, I didn’t quite expect Feels to leave us so soon. It had been receding elsewhere, so I’m not surprised. Still, I’m sad about its departure. Second, I know many are happy with the exit of Issues, and I can’t really say I’ll miss it too much either. Although it has been eroding on me for sometime now, I wasn’t as infuriated as some others, but still I was ready for it go anyway. Third, AJR – Weak needed to make its long-overdue exit eventually. Other than some of the cool lines (e.g. “No thank you”), the rest of the song has some stupid lyrical content and it got annoying after a while. Honestly, I don’t know what I was thinking when I kinda fell in love with that song. No wonder many people here hate AJR so much (other than a couple of songs that have been a guilty pleasure of mine, which I won’t get into right now). They just need to leave the music business for good. So, good-bye, AJR – Weak. You will most definitely not be missed. Finally, we have the all important exit. The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey – Closer, which had one of the longest tenures in the history of the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown, is officially no more. This was a song that broke nearly all kinds of records (on Billboard, at least). It spent 8 weeks at #1 here (12 weeks on Billboard). While many critics (Spectrum Pulse, and others) weren’t too kind this song, it was a favorite in the blogging community. Even after spending more than a year on the countdown, it somehow managed to stick with me to the very end. I’m quite surprised Spyder Harrison didn’t mention it, but it was the song that never goes away (much like he said for My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light ‘Em Up), which today still stands as having the longest-tenure ever). Now I know some people are going to be attending the Closer leaving party, but I won’t, as I’ll be grieving over its departure. Farwell, Closer. Thank you for your time on this countdown. I will truly miss you.

– Speaking of The Chainsmokers, Honest took a big drop down to the Bottom 5. I can’t say that I’m surprised, since that song is faltering pretty much everywhere else. Also, upon introducing that song, did Spyder Harrison fake his cough or is it just me?

– Spyder Harrison called Bruno Mars the most electrifying man in entertainment during his introduction of That’s What I Like. I agree, he is indeed electrifying.

– Two Ghosts took a surprise drop down 12 spots to #38 this week. I can’t say I’m too heartbroken about this seeing as this one is not very popular everywhere else right now.

– On that note, Hoodie also dropped 12 spots as well. In fact, we had some very noticeable drops this week, including the biggest drop (Honest) which I just mentioned.

– Spyder Harrison made a mistake by not mentioning Back To You when recapping the fourth set of five. Better be careful next time, Spyder. 😛

– On the note of other big drops, Body Like A Back Road thankfully dropped out of the Top 10! Now we won’t have to worry about it hitting #1. Let’s please get this piece of trash out of the countdown for good!

– Before introducing Stay, Spyder Harrison mentioned that when Zedd was in a relationship with Selena Gomez, he received a lot of press. He also mentioned that reporters we’re calling his parents and texting his friends’ phones. I mean, really? When you’re a celebrity, you don’t really have any privacy, but man! Talk about invading his privacy. Looks like Zedd may have to find another way to get everyone to respect his privacy.

– So, there’s a behind-the-scenes video of Look What You Made Me Do. It shows how the people were making Taylor Swift a zombie. As I’ve said before, that kinda reminds me of the music video Thriller when Michael Jackson was turned into a zombie and started dancing. Good times.

– Okay, so yesterday, I watched Kesha perform Praying on Ellen. And to say the least, it was divine. Kesha showed a lot of heart and emotion in her performance of the song. That was an epic performance. With that being said, I’m thrilled that it entered the Top 5 this week. It certainly helps that this song is still somewhat gaining elsewhere. I’m definitely pleased about this.

– Once again, Niall Horan stays at the top spot. It’s another song that’s continuing to gain steam everywhere else. Thus, I’m not surprised that it held at #1 for the second week in a row.


Hit-Bound

  • Evaride – Heartless
  • ZAYN featuring Sia – Dusk Till Dawn
  • Taylor Swift – …Ready For It?
  • Sabrina Carpenter – Why
  • Fergie featuring Nicki Minaj – You Already Know (DEBUT)
  • Niall Horan – Too Much To Ask (DEBUT)
  • Selena Gomez – Fetish
  • Why Don’t We – Something Different
  • The Script – Rain
  • Lauv – I Like Me Better (DEBUT)
  • Dua Lipa – New Rules
  • Ed Sheeran – Perfect
  • PRETTYMUCH – Would You Mind
  • Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line – Let Me Go

– In terms of Hit-Bound this week, we have three debuts. The first of which comes from Fergie collaborating with Nicki Minaj in their new single You Already Know. To put it easy, the song is quite a mess across the board. Fergie’s vocals just aren’t good, and the lyrics are kinda meh to say the least. I’ll have more on this when it debuts, but overall I’m just not fond of this track. NEXT!

– Second, we have more Niall Horan with another track titled Too Much To Ask. Although it’s not quite as good as Slow Hands, it definitely has a little more to it than This Town in terms of the production. Whether this becomes another hit for him or not, we’ll have to see.

– Finally, we have Lauv with his single titled I Like Me Better. I briefly talked about this one way back in June when it was trending on the YouTube 15. It just seems a little underwhelming, but that’s just me. I do like the guy’s vocals, though. Other than that, I don’t have much to say about this one.

– I’ll admit that my initial reaction to Dusk Till Dawn wasn’t the best at first listen. But after hearing it again, it’s not really as bad as I thought it would be. I do somewhat like how ZAYN’s and Sia’s vocals blend together. I don’t have much of an opinion yet. I’ll talk more about this should it debut.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Taylor Swift – …Ready For It?
2. PRETTYMUCH – Would You Mind
3. Evaride – Heartless
4. The Script – Rain
5. Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line – Let Me Go

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

1 – Bad:
19. Liam Payne – Strip That Down

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
18. Zedd featuring Alessia Cara – Stay
17. Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato – No Promises

4 – Good:
16. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry
15. Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still
14. Imagine Dragons – Believer

5 – Great:
13. Charlie Puth – Attention
12. Niall Horan – Slow Hands
11. Imagine Dragons – Thunder
10. Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey – Glorious
9. Maroon 5 featuring SZA – What Lovers Do
8. P!NK – What About Us
7. Mono Mind – Save Me A Place
6. Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee – Despacito
5. The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This
4. Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl
3. Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back
2. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Kesha – Praying

Overall Grade: 85/100 (B)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Kelly Clarkson – Since U Been Gone (2004)
Most Missed Countdown Song: Kelly Clarkson – Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)
#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Rachel Platten – Broken Glass (again, not a lot of new music I like lately)
Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between Ariana Grande – Into You and The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey – Closer

My Top 5 Picks
1. Kesha – Praying
2. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do
3. Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back
4. Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl
5. The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road
2. Liam Payne – Strip That Down
3. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low
4. I don’t know…Not too many awful songs to fit in
5. Same as above

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Calvin Harris – My Way: It’s a Taylor Swift diss track. Now this is better than This Is What You Came For, mainly because the production is more lively. If only this song had a little more to it.
Panic! At The Disco – Death Of A Bachelor: After the unexpected success of Victorious on Hits 1, they decided to bring in more music from Panic! At The Disco, this being one of them. The alien-like intro is weird, but a good kind of weird, and Brendon Urie at least has some personality, as he shows in this song.
DJ Snake featuring Justin Bieber – Let Me Love You: Like I said three weeks ago, I’m more obligated to listen to Justin Bieber even though most are sick of him by now. This came just as Cold Water started to gain popularity. Anyway, I find this better than Cold Water, in part because the beat drop is slightly better and Justin Bieber shows off his personality a little more than he did in its predecessor.

AT40: Charlie Puth (4) – Week Of September 23, 2017

/ dhill92 / 7 Comments

Hello, guys! This is the first day of fall, and with it comes the first American Top 40 countdown of autumn. To say the least, not a whole lot happened this week. Plus, I don’t have much in terms of the introduction, so I’m just going to get this post out for you guys. So without delay, here are the songs leaving this week:

  • Most Girls by Hailee Steinfeld (#30)
  • Get Low by Zedd featuring Liam Payne (#27)

The Countdown
Last Week’s #1 Song: Attention by Charlie Puth
40. Say You Won’t Let Go by James Arthur (#39) [-1]
39. Two Ghosts by Harry Styles (#40) [+1]
38. Mama by Jonas Blue featuring William Singe (#38) [=]
37. Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran (#36) [-1] [Spent 10 Weeks At #1]
36. Bad At Love by Halsey (DEBUT) [=]
35. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash (#37) [+2]
34. Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran (#33) [-1]
33. Know No Better by Major Lazer featuring Travis Scott, Camila Cabello, and Quavo (#34) [+1]
32. Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay (#31) [-1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
31. Mi Gente by J. Balvin featuring Willy William (#35) [+4]
30. Location by Khalid (#32) [+2]
29. That’s What I Like by Bruno Mars (#28) [-1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
28. Honest by The Chainsmokers (#26) [-2]
27. What Lovers Do by Maroon 5 featuring SZA (DEBUT) [=]
26. It Ain’t Me by Kygo featuring Selena Gomez (#25) [-1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
25. Glorious by Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey (#29) [+4]
24. Now Or Never by Halsey (#22) [-2]
23. Back To You by Louis Tomlinson featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farms Animals (#23) [=]
22. I’m The One by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper, and Lil’ Wayne (#18) [-4]
21. Fetish by Selena Gomez featuring Gucci Mane (#21) [=]
20. Redbone by Childish Gambino (#14) [-6]
19. 1-800-273-8255 by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid (#24) [+5]
18. What About Us by P!NK (#20) [-2]
17. Body Like A Back Road by Sam Hunt (#13) [-4]
16. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato (#17) [+1]
15. Praying by Kesha (#15) [=]
14. Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man (#19) [+5]
13. Friends by Justin Bieber featuring BloodPop® (#16) [+3]
12. Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara (#9) [-3] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
11. Unforgettable by French Montana featuring Swae Lee (#12) [+1]
10. No Promises by Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato (#11) [+1]
9. Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift (#10) [+1]
8. Feels by Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell, Katy Perry, and Big Sean (#8) [=]
7. Despacito by Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee (#7) [=] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
6. Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo (#6) [=]
5. Believer by Imagine Dragons (#4) [-1]
4. Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller (#3) [-1]
3. Slow Hands by Niall Horan (#5) [+2]
2. There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes (#2) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
1. Attention by Charlie Puth (#1) [=] [4th Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Cold Water by Major Lazer featuring Justin Bieber and MØ (1st Of 2 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Redbone by Childish Gambino (-6)
Biggest Rise Of The Week: Tie between 1-800-273-8255 by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid and Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man (+5)
New Entrants
– To kick off our two new arrivals this week, we have more Halsey with her second single off of Hopeless Fountain Kingdom titled Bad At Love. I’ve already talked about this one on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown two weeks ago when it debuted. But to recap, it’s a step up from Now Or Never in large part because this song has more to it in terms of the production, and Halsey shows off her vocals much better here. I’m hoping this will be a hit for her as a solo artist.

– Our second debut comes from returning band Maroon 5 in their collaboration with newcomer SZA in their new single What Lovers Do. I talked about this one also. Now to sum it up, it’s a huge step up from the mediocre Don’t Wanna Know and Cold. The lyrics are so much better than that of its predecessor. We’ll see if this becomes a hit or not.


Tryna’ Do What Blurbers Do, Ooh!
– So, we had two exits this week. Most Girls dropped out after doing virtually nothing here, not even cracking above #30 while spending six straight weeks at that position. Looks like the public didn’t quite catch on with Hailee Steinfeld since Starving became a sleeper hit. We also lost Get Low, which shockingly failed to gain any sort of steam especially given that both Zedd & Liam Payne were coming off their two biggest hits of the year, but I’m okay with it leaving.

– Ryan Seacrest mentioned upon introducing Lights Down Low that MAX is making music that allows pets to be more relaxed. I wonder is he moving towards making some slow songs to help them? Hmm…

– Yes, folks. You’re reading it right. I have three songs in orange. They’re so bad they make my ears scream. I’ve already talked about Fetish last week, and don’t even get me started on the absolutely putrid Body Like A Back Road. Good thing the latter is continuing to drop, and I’m hoping it stays that way. Also, Mi Gente by J. Balvin featuring Willy William is now officially in the orange tier. That song has only gotten worse every time I hear it, and today I’m calling it like it is: it’s a complete abomination to Latin music in general. I absolutely cannot stand that annoying loop and these two artists have no personality of any kind. I’m going to stop ranting about it right here, but here’s to hoping it leaves soon.

– Speaking of drops, I’m also thrilled about the big drop of Redbone. While it’s not as bad as the other three songs I just mentioned, it’s still underwhelming to say the least. It helps that it’s declining elsewhere, too. Thankfully, it won’t be much longer with us.

– On the opposite end, we have Feel It Still and 1-800-273-8255 both getting big jumps this week, the former which is still gaining some huge momentum. The latter I’m quite surprised about, but apparently its performance at the VMAs might have cemented its status as a hit, and it looks like it’s going to make the Year-End list if it’s lucky.

– So, I recently watched Kesha perform Praying on Ellen, and she absolutely killed that performance. I loved how she showed emotion and put a lot of heart into it. That was probably one of the most divine performances I’ve ever seen on live television. With that being said, this song just continues to get better with time. I’m quite surprised (and happy) that it’s still somewhat gaining traction elsewhere right now. Let’s hope it keeps rising.

– Not much has changed in terms of the Top 5. And yet again, Charlie Puth holds the #1 spot for the fourth week in a row. It won’t be much long until Taylor Swift enters that territory, but you never really know how long Attention can stay at #1. Slow Hands has a chance to get there, what with it still somewhat gaining on radio and (to an extent) sales.


Breakouts/On The Verge

  • New Rules by Dua Lipa
  • Something Different by Why Don’t We
  • Hoodie by Hey Violet
  • Too Good At Goodbyes by Sam Smith

Extras/Optional Extras

  • Talk Dirty by Jason Derulo featuring 2 Chainz
  • Good Feeling by Flo Rida
  • Stay Together by Noah Cyrus
  • Bailando by Enrique Iglesias featuring Sean Paul
  • Versace On The Floor by Bruno Mars
  • All Of Me by John Legend
  • Hey Mama by David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha, and Afrojack

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:
None!

3 – Decent:
17. Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara
16. No Promises by Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato

4 – Good:
15. Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man
14. Slow Hands by Niall Horan
13. Believer by Imagine Dragons
12. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato

5 – Great:
11. Attention by Charlie Puth
10. Friends by Justin Bieber featuring BloodPop
9. 1-800-273-8255 by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid
8. Feels by Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell, Katy Perry, and Big Sean
7. What About Us by P!NK
6. Unforgettable by French Montana featuring Swae Lee
5. Despacito by Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee
4. Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller
3. There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes
2. Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Praying by Kesha

Total Score: 80/100 (B-)

My Top 5 Picks
1. Praying by Kesha
2. Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift
3. There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes
4. Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller
5. Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay

My Bottom 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Body Like A Back Road by Sam Hunt
TIE: 1. Mi Gente by J. Balvin featuring Willy William
TIE: 1. Fetish by Selena Gomez featuring Gucci Mane
4. Location by Khalid
5. Know No Better by Major Lazer featuring Travis Scott, Camila Cabello, and Quavo

AT 40: Charlie Puth (3) – Week Of September 16, 2017

/ dhill92 / 8 Comments

Hello, folks! Sorry if this post was out a little later than intended. Anyway, we did have a good week for the most part. While our #1 may be the same, we got rid of one huge piece of garbage and replaced it with a solid debut. There was some activity here as well, good & bad. So let’s get into reviewing. With that said, here are the songs dropping out of the countdown this week:

  • Congratulations by Post Malone featuring Quavo (#28)
  • Versace On The Floor by Bruno Mars (#29)

The Countdown:
Last Week’s #1 Song: Attention by Charlie Puth
40. Two Ghosts by Harry Styles (DEBUT) [=]
39. Say You Won’t Let Go by James Arthur (#38) [-1]
38. Mama by Jonas Blue featuring William Singe (#40) [+2]
37. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash (#39) [+2]
36. Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran (#35) [-1] [Spent 10 Weeks At #1]
35. Mi Gente by J. Balvin featuring Willy William (#37) [+2]
34. Know No Better by Major Lazer featuring Travis Scott, Camila Cabello, and Quavo (#36) [+2]
33. Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran (#24) [-9]
32. Location by Khalid (#33) [+1]
31. Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay (#31) [=]
30. Most Girls by Hailee Steinfeld (#30) [=]
29. Glorious by Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey (#32) [+3]
28. That’s What I Like by Bruno Mars (#27) [-1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
27. Get Low by Zedd featuring Liam Payne (#19) [-8]
26. Honest by The Chainsmokers (#17) [-9]
25. It Ain’t Me by Kygo featuring Selena Gomez (#20) [-5]
24. 1-800-273-8255 by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid (#26) [+2]
23. Back To You by Louis Tomlinson featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals (#23) [=]
22. Now Or Never by Halsey (#16) [-6]
21. Fetish by Selena Gomez featuring Gucci Mane (#22) [+1]
20. What About Us by P!NK (#25) [+5]
19. Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man (#21) [+1]
18. I’m The One by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper, and Lil’ Wayne (#13) [-5]
17. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato (#18) [+1]
16. Friends by Justin Bieber featuring BloodPop (#34) [+18]
15. Praying by Kesha (#15) [=]
14. Redbone by Childish Gambino (#12) [-2]
13. Body Like A Back Road by Sam Hunt (#10) [-3]
12. Unforgettable by French Montana featuring Swae Lee (#14) [+2]
11. No Promises by Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato (#11) [=]
10. Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift (DEBUT) [=]
9. Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara (#9) [=]
8. Feels by Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell, Katy Perry, and Big Sean (#8) [=]
7. Despacito by Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee (#5) [-2] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
6. Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo (#7) [+1]
5. Slow Hands by Niall Horan (#6) [+1]
4. Believer by Imagine Dragons (#3) [-1]
3. Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller (#4) [+1]
2. There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes (#2) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
1. Attention by Charlie Puth (#1) [=] [3rd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Ride by TWENTY ØNE PILØTS (2nd And Final Week At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Tie between Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran and Honest by The Chainsmokers (-9)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Friends by Justin Bieber featuring BloodPop (+18)

New Entrants
– To start off our debuts this week, we have more Harry Styles with his new single called Two Ghosts. I pretty much explained this song in my Hits 1 weekend countdown post last week. But to recap, it’s basically a slow rock ballad with a 70’s-80’s vibe to it much like in Sign Of The Times. Although not as good as his predecessor, Harry Styles has proven that he can write great lyrical content, which is about being in a relationship despite that it’s not what it used to be. It may not stick with me in the big picture, but it’s a solid song overall.
– Finally, we have one of the highest debuts in AT 40 history. Now, unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you’ve probably have heard of Taylor Swift’s new single by now, which is titled Look What You Made Me Do. This song has received mixed reviews from critics and fans alike, but I beg to differ. I actually love this song even though it doesn’t fit Taylor at all. One of the best things I like about this is some of the cool lines, such as “The old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Oh, ’cause she’s dead.” Also, the music video which I’ve already talked about is sublime from start to finish, especially near the end where many different versions of Taylor come together. Too bad she just missed out on making history when Born This Way debuted at #9 six years ago. Still, it’s quite an unusual, but rather great song for Taylor Swift and I’m sure it’s going to do well here.

Ooh, Look What You Made Me Blurb

– Let’s begin by talking about our two exits. First off, good riddance to Congratulations. I was never fond of this to begin with and it was only getting worse with each listen. Thus, I have no complaints about it leaving at all. It’s definitely a candidate for my Bottom 10 songs of the year (which I plan on starting on sometime within the next week or so). On a very sad note however, we lost Versace On The Floor. I thought people were going to catch on with this song in the wake of That’s What I Like being a major hit, but that’s unfortunately not the case. It’s a shame that it got underrated for an artist who has had a majority of his songs hit the Top 10. So, good-bye Versace On The Floor. You will certainly be missed.
– My goodness, Most Girls doesn’t seem to want to do anything of note. Not that I really care about it that much anymore, but man! It’s quite a feat to see a song hold its position for six weeks in a row.

– Before introducing Say You Won’t Let Go, Ryan Seacrest mentioned that James Arthur is obsessed with boxing, by looking up UFC stats and photos of fights. I wonder did he travel to Las Vegas to watch the fight between Mayweather vs. McGregor a few weeks ago? Hmm…

– With Get Low taking a big drop this week, it’s pretty clear both Zedd & Liam Payne will end up with a flop. I have a feeling it won’t be around for long. Though it has been eroding on me quite a bit, I am shocked by how poorly is doing right now, especially in the wake of Stay becoming a big hit and Strip That Down continuing to gain steam.

– Speaking of which, Ryan Seacrest made a mistake that Honest dropped 6 spots when it was actually 9 spots. Better get your head in the game Ryan, because that was a fail on your part. That said, it doesn’t look like The Chainsmokers are getting another hit with that big drop. I thought for sure Honest was going to end up being big (or at least respectable), but that’s not the case.

– Ryan Seacrest mentioned upon introducing Now Or Never that Halsey is planning on starring in movies soon. I’m sure many hardcore fans will welcome this news. Her acting career does look good in helping her stay relevant. No word on what her first acting role will be, but I’m sure she’ll do great in that field, also.

– Fetish is only getting worse with each listen, so don’t be surprised if it ends up being in orange soon.

– Friends made a massive jump into the Top 20 this week. Something tells me that this will probably end up being another big hit for Justin Bieber. However, I’m afraid that people will end up getting sick of it much like they did with Despacito if it does indeed become big.

– Body Like A Back Road took a well-deserved exit out of the Top 10 after spending only 1 week in that territory. Now I don’t have to worry about it hitting #1. Our Top 10 is looking better already (Outside of mediocrity like Strip That Down).

– That brings us to our #1. Once again, Charlie Puth stays at the top for the third week in a row with Attention. Now, a part of me wants Taylor Swift to take over soon, but I don’t really mind Charlie Puth spending another week at #1 despite his song being here for a while.

Breakout/On The Verge

  • What Lovers Do by Maroon 5 featuring SZA
  • Something Different by Why Don’t We
  • Hoodie by Hey Violet
  • Bad At Love by Halsey

Extras/Optional Extras

  • Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) by Katy Perry
  • Down by Fifth Harmony featuring Gucci Mane
  • I Feel It Coming by The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk
  • Too Good by Drake featuring Rihanna
  • Can’t Hold Us by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton
  • Super Bass by Nicki Minaj

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

3 – Decent:
16. Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara
15. Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man

4 – Good:
14. No Promises by Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato

5 – Great:
13. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato
12. Believer by Imagine Dragons
11. Attention by Charlie Puth
10. Slow Hands by Niall Horan
9. Feels by Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell, Katy Perry, and Big Sean
8. Friends by Justin Bieber featuring BloodPop
7. Unforgettable by French Montana featuring Swae Lee
6. What About Us by P!NK
5. Despacito by Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee
4. Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller
3. There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes
2. Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Praying by Kesha

Total Score: 80/100 (B-)


My Top 5 Picks
1. Praying by Kesha
2. Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift
3. There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes
4. Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller
5. Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Body Like A Back Road by Sam Hunt
2. Mi Gente by J. Balvin featuring Willy William
3. Fetish by Selena Gomez featuring Gucci Mane
4. Location by Khalid
5. Know No Better by Major Lazer featuring Travis Scott, Camila Cabello, and Quavo

Niall Horan (2) – Week Of September 16, 2017

/ dhill92 / 7 Comments
Hello, guys! I don’t have a lot to say in terms of the introduction this week, so I figured I’d get this out quickly. After two weeks in which we had a lot of activity, things have slowed down quite drastically. We had some things go right, though, so I’ll give it that. So without delay, here is the one song dropping out of the countdown this week:

  • DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts (#43)
The Countdown:
Last Week’s #1 Song: Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back
45. Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell and Katy Perry – Feels (#39) [-6]
44. AJR – Weak (#28) [-16]
43. The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey – Closer (#45) [+2] [Spent 8 Weeks At #1]
42. Julia Michaels – Issues (#44) [+2]
41. Bruno Mars – That’s What I Like (#41) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
40. Linkin Park featuring Kiiara – Heavy (#42) [+2]
39. Lady Gaga – The Cure (#38) [-1]
38. The All-American Rejects – Sweat (DEBUT) [=]
37. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low (#26) [-11]
36. Fall Out Boy – Champion (#31) [-5]
35. Kygo featuring Selena Gomez – It Ain’t Me (#36) [+1]
34. Panic At The Disco – L.A. Devotee (#33) [-1]
33. Hailee Steinfeld – Most Girls (#24) [-9]
32. All Time Low – Good Times (#29) [-3]
31. The Chainsmokers – Honest (#25) [-6]
30. Ed Sheeran – Shape Of You (#27) [-3] [Spent 9 Weeks At #1]
29. Bruno Mars – Versace On The Floor (#30) [+1]
28. Andy Grammer – Give Love (#37) [+9]
27. Justin Bieber featuring Bloodpop – Friends (#32) [+5]
26. Harry Styles – Two Ghosts (#40) [+14]
25. Halsey – Bad At Love (#34) [+9]
24. Linkin Park – One More Light (#6) [-18]
23. Hey Violet – Hoodie (#21) [-2]
22. Maroon 5 featuring SZA – What Lovers Do (#23) [+1]
21. Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee – Despacito (#22) [+1]
20. Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill (#11) [-9] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
19. Louis Tomlinson featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals – Back To You (#18) [-1]
18. P!NK – What About Us (#15) [-3]
17. Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato – No Promises (#16) [-1]
16. Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still (#35) [+19]
15. Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey – Glorious (#20) [+5]
14. Imagine Dragons – Thunder (#17) [+3]
13. Charlie Puth – Attention (#14) [+1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
12. Zedd featuring Alessia Cara – Stay (#7) [-5] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
11. Kesha – Praying (#13) [+2]
10. Mono Mind – Save Me A Place (#12) [+2]
9. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do (#10) [+1]
8. Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road (#3) [-5]
7. The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#5) [-2] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
6. Imagine Dragons – Believer (#8) [+2] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
5. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry (#9) [+4]
4. Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl (#19) [+15]
3. Liam Payne – Strip That Down (#2) [-1]
2. Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back (#1) [-1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
1. Niall Horan – Slow Hands (#4) [+3] [SECOND WEEK AT #1]
 
#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Daya – Don’t Let Me Down (2nd Of 3 Weeks At #1)
 
Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Linkin Park – One More Light (-18)
 
Biggest Jump Of The Week: Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still (+19)

New Entrants
– We have only one entrant this week. It comes from returning band The All-American Rejects with their new single, Sweat. It’s been a seemingly long time since we’ve heard from them. Now, I’ve enjoyed many of their singles before (Move Along, It Ends Tonight, etc.). However, I’m not quite sure about this one yet. While it’s not that much different from its predecessors, some of the lyrics are quite questionable, and I’m not sure whether the whispering of the word “Sweat” was necessary, especially in the chorus. I do, however, like that they stayed true to their sound and not try something different. I can see myself growing into it at some point. We’ll see how long it sticks around here.

I Don’t Wanna Lose Your Blurbs Tonight
– Let’s first talk about our exit. We’ve lost Wild Thoughts, which is very disappointing given that it’s still relatively high on most charts. But of course, hip-hop is basically doomed on Hits 1. If I’m The One leaving two weeks ago was an indication, I had a bad feeling its successor wasn’t going to last long here, and sadly I was right. So farewell, Wild Thoughts. You will most certainly be missed.

– Good to see Weak take a huge drop down to the Bottom 5. I’m hoping it leaves us soon.

– Before introducing The Cure, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Lady Gaga broke up with her boyfriend apparently because they were fighting a lot. It seems like they didn’t get along too well, so I’m guessing that’s why we got into so many arguments. Lady Gaga will have to try to find someone better that she can actually get along with, heh.

– So, when Spyder Harrison recapped the third set of five, he mentioned that Mikey Piff would love to date Hailee Steinfeld and most girls. I mean, is he some kind of ladies’ man or what?

– Before introducing Give Love, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Andy Grammer’s mother is his greatest inspiration because she gave love to everybody. Also, Spyder Harrison mentioned that his mom’s birthday was this week. So, I would like to wish her a Happy Birthday!

– What the heck?! Just when One More Light started to gain steam, it took a surprising drop down to #24. Not that I really care for it like that, but dang!

– I like how Spyder Harrison tried to sing Despacito upon his introduction to the song. He also mentioned that his girlfriend was telling him to stop. I mean, can’t she let the guy sing for once?

– By no surprise, Feel It Still made a massive jump in its second week here, what with it gaining traction elsewhere in recent weeks, and it looks like it’s here to stay (not a Zedd & Alessia Cara reference).

– It looks like this is it for Stay, what with it dropping out of the Top 10 after spending seemingly forever in that region. It’s been here for a while, so I’m not surprised by this.

– Alright guys, here’s a bit of history I didn’t mention earlier. When Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do made its debut at #13 two weeks ago on September 2, 2017, it was tied for the HIGHEST DEBUT EVER in the history of the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown. The only other song to do this was Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe, which was five years ago on April 21, 2012. So, congratulations, Taylor!

– Good to see Body Like A Back Road out of the Top 5. That song still blows. Hopefully, it stays out of that region for good. It helps that this song is losing its steam elsewhere. Plus, we traded it for some better songs, so that’s good news.

– Speaking of which, we have both Sorry Not Sorry and Galway Girl entering the Top 5, with the latter taking a enormous 15-spot jump into that territory. I knew the former was going to enter that region at some point given that it’s still picking up steam elsewhere, but the latter I’m quite surprised about, although I shouldn’t be because of Hits 1’s love for Ed Sheeran. He does have a follow-up which we’ll get to in a moment, but yeah, I’m glad to see Galway Girl take a huge jump. I have a feeling it’s here to stay, also (again, not a Zedd & Alessia Cara reference).

– Finally, we’ve come to our #1, in which Niall Horan manages to reclaim the top spot. And here I was thinking Slow Hands would be a one-week #1, what with a certain artist looking to take the top spot very soon. Not that I’m complaining, though. We’ll see how long he stays at #1.

Hit-Bound

  • PRETTYMUCH – Would You Mind
  • Sam Smith – Too Good At Goodbyes
  • Sabrina Carpenter – Why
  • Zayn featuring Sia – Dusk Till Dawn
  • The Script – Rain
  • Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line – Let Me Go
  • Ed Sheeran – Perfect (DEBUT)
  • Why Don’t We – Something Different
  • Dua Lipa – New Rules (DEBUT)
  • Selena Gomez – Fetish
  • Evaride – Heartless
  • Kelly Clarkson – Love So Soft
  • Taylor Swift – …Ready For It?
  • Zedd featuring Liam Payne – Get Low
– We have two debuts on Hit-Bound this week. First we have more Ed Sheeran yet again, this time with Perfect. While it’s not my first pick to be his next single, I kinda like it for what it is. I’ll have more when it debuts.
 
– Our second debut comes from Dua Lipa with her new single, New Rules. After failing to graduate Hit-Bound with her predecessor, Blow Your Mind (Mwah), she’s back hoping her new single makes it big. I briefly talked about this song on the YouTube 15 when it was trending. But to recap, I don’t quite think it’s as good as its predecessor, but I still kinda like it. We’ll see if she makes her debut on the countdown soon.
 
My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Taylor Swift – …Ready For It
2. PRETTYMUCH – Would You Mind
3. Kelly Clarkson – Love So Soft
4. Evaride – Heartless
5. The Script – Rain
 
Top 20 Review
0 – Awful:
20. Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road
 
1 – Bad:
19. Liam Payne – Strip That Down
 
2 – Mediocre:
None!
 
3 – Decent:
18. Zedd featuring Alessia Cara – Stay
17. Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still
 
4 – Good:
16. Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato – No Promises
15. Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill
 
5 – Great:
14. Imagine Dragons – Thunder
13. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry
12. Imagine Dragons – Believer
11. Louis Tomlinson featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals – Back To You
10. Niall Horan – Slow Hands
9. Charlie Puth – Attention
8. Mono Mind – Save Me A Place
7. Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey – Glorious
6. P!NK – What About Us
5. Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl
4. The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This
3. Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back
2. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do
 
BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Kesha – Praying
 
Overall Grade: 86/100 (B)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: K-Ci & JoJo – All My Life (1998)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Adele – Someone Like You

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Lights – Giants (not a whole lot of new music I like lately)

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between Ariana Grande – Into You and The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey – Closer

My Top 5 Picks
1. Kesha – Praying
2. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do
3. Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back
4. The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This
5. Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road
2. AJR – Weak
3. Julia Michaels – Issues
4. Liam Payne – Strip That Down
5. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Kiiara – Gold: Described by some as a “mash-up of itself”, this song is a perfect example of how not to make a good first impression as an artist. The choppy vocals, the dull sentiment, and the poorly written lyrics makes this song forgettable to say the least. It’s no wonder why many bloggers and music critics alike were not very kind to this.
Hailee Steinfeld & Grey featuring Zedd – Starving: Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely LOVE Hailee Steinfeld as an artist, but this song comes nowhere near her best work. Her excellent vocals cannot make up for the scratchy guitar and the clunky lyrics. I’m sure she can do better.
Lady Gaga – Perfect Illusion: Ah yes, Lady Gaga’s comeback single, which unfortunately ended up being one of the biggest flops of 2016. I do like the heavy metal instrumentation, though. For those who don’t know, this song was produced by Mark Ronson, the same guy behind Uptown Funk.
OneRepublic – Kids: I actually like this more than I should. I personally think this is better than Wherever I Go. Much like its predecessor, it showcases their new sound, which I fell in love with. Despite spending only one week on the American Top 40, at least it had a nice tenure here.

Shawn Mendes (5) – Week Of September 9, 2017

/ dhill92 / 29 Comments

What’s up, guys! So, with the news that Hurricane Irma impacting Florida and many are still affected by Hurricane Harvey, I can’t help but think about all the people struggling to get through this. My hearts and prayers are still with them at this time. Despite this, Spyder Harrison somehow managed to host this week’s countdown. We did have a short week due to Labor Day weekend. To say the least, this was a heck of a week for the most part. We got rid of three big pieces of garbage (including the all important one), and there was a great deal of activity much like last week. Things are definitely heating up as we head into the fall. Before we get to this week’s fresh 45, here are the songs we’re saying good-bye to this week:

  • Halsey – Now Or Never (#36)
  • Shawn Mendes – Mercy (#35)
  • Steve Aoki featuring Louis Tomlinson – Just Hold On (#44)
  • Selena Gomez – Bad Liar (#45)
  • Train – Play That Song (#41)
  • Julia Michaels – Uh Huh (#33) (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

The Countdown:
Last Week’s #1 Song: Niall Horan – Slow Hands
45. The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey – Closer (#38) [-7] [Spent 8 Weeks At #1]
44. Julia Michaels – Issues (#44) [=]
43. DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts (#41) [-2]
42. Linkin Park featuring Kiiara – Heavy (#37) [-5]
41. Bruno Mars – That’s What I Like (#41) [+1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
40. Harry Styles – Two Ghosts (DEBUT) [=]
39. Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell and Katy Perry – Feels (#22) [-17]
38. Lady Gaga – The Cure (#39) [+1]
37. Andy Grammer – Give Love (DEBUT) [=]
36. Kygo featuring Selena Gomez – It Ain’t Me (#28) [-8]
35. Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still (DEBUT) [=]
34. Halsey – Bad At Love (DEBUT) [=]
33. Panic! At The Disco – L.A. Devotee (#29) [-4]
32. Justin Bieber featuring BloodPop – Friends (DEBUT) [=]
31. Fall Out Boy – Champion (#16) [-15]
30. Bruno Mars – Versace On The Floor (#30)
29. All Time Low – Good Times (#14) [-15]
28. AJR – Weak (#27) [-1]
27. Ed Sheeran – Shape Of You (#21) [-6] [Spent 9 Weeks At #1]
26. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low (#15) [-11]
25. The Chainsmokers – Honest (#24) [-1]
24. Hailee Steinfeld – Most Girls (#11) [-13]
23. Maroon 5 featuring SZA – What Lovers Do (DEBUT) [=]
22. Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee – Despacito (#32) [+10]
21. Hey Violet – Hoodie (#25) [+4]
20. Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey – Glorius (#20) [=]
19. Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl (#31) [+12] 
18. Louis Tomlinson featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals – Back To You (#19) [+1]
17. Imagine Dragons – Thunder (#26) [+9]
16. Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato – No Promises (#34) [+18]
15. P!NK – What About Us (#17) [+2]
14. Charlie Puth – Attention (#6) [-8] [Spent 1 Week At #1] (Dang!)
13. Kesha – Praying (#23) [+10]
12. Mono Mind – Save Me A Place (#18) [+6]
11. Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill (#10) [-1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
10. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do (#13) [+3]
9. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry (#12) [+3]
8. Imagine Dragons – Believer (#8) [=] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
7. Zedd featuring Alessia Cara – Stay (#7) 
6. Linkin Park – One More Light (#5) [-1]
5. The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#9) [+4] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
4. Niall Horan – Slow Hands (#1) [-3] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
3. Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road (#3) [=]
2. Liam Payne – Strip That Down (#2) [=]
1. Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back (#4) [+3] [FIVE WEEKS AT #1!] (WHEW!  AGAIN!)

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Daya – Don’t Let Me Down (1st Of 3 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell and Katy Perry – Feels (-18)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato – No Promises (+18)

New Entrants
– We have a major shake-up in terms of debuts this week. First, let’s start with returning artist and One Direction member Harry Styles in the form of Two Ghosts. This is another one of those 70’s-80’s type rock songs we’re getting from him. Two Ghosts isn’t as good as Sign Of The Times from earlier this year, but I still like this. It’s basically about being in a relationship, though it’s not what it’s used to be. Harry Styles has show he can write pretty good lyrical content. Despite being a slow rock ballad, it’s quite solid and it works for me.

– Second, we have the return of Andy Grammer with his new single called Give Love. With the recent news we’ve been watching lately, we needed a song about coming together and spreading love, and sure enough, he was able to release a song about it. Do I think it’s the best song? Not really, but at least it works for me, especially at this moment in time.

– Our next debut comes from a song that is currently gaining steam elsewhere. Enter Feel It Still, which is sung by the band Portgul. The Man. Feel It Still sounds much different compared to other pop songs currently on the countdown. It’s quite fun at times, and I like the groove in this. My main problem here is the vocals, in part because of the weak falsetto. I was juggling between blue and green on this one.  But right now, I’ll going with blue, though it may be green at some point.

– As one song from Halsey departs, another one takes it place.  Enter Bad At Love, the second single off of her album Hopeless Fountain Kingdom. This is a step up from her predecessor, mainly because the production is more lively and not as underwhelming. Halsey showcases her vocal talent much better in this one. Spyder Harrison mentioned upon introducing this one that Halsey was getting together with rapper G-Eazy and wondered is she going to be good at love? Time will tell on that and I’m sure their relationship will work out quite well. Anyway, we’ll see how long her new single sticks around.

– Is anyone tired of Justin Bieber, yet? If your answer is yes, too bad, because he’s back for another round in his follow-up new single titled Friends, as Despacito is losing steam elsewhere (it was recently dethroned by Taylor Swift’s new single this week). I know many are sick of its predecessor at this point, but not me. Now, Friends is basically another one of those break-up songs, only this time it’s about wanting to still be friends with his ex-girlfriend even after they broke up. As I mentioned this in my AT40 review, I read that it was rumored that Martin Garrix would collaborate with Bieber, but he turned it down. I wondered how that song would turn out if that actually did happen? Hmm…no one really knows. Anyway, most people will find this more likable, in large part because they’re sick of its predecessor right now.

– With the highest debut of the week, we have the return of Maroon 5 not long after the departure of Don’t Wanna Know, with their new single What Lovers Do which features SZA. This is quite a big step up from both Cold and its predecessor. While the production isn’t necessarily the best, the lyrical content here is much better. It still doesn’t live up to their best work, but for now, I kinda like this. Will this be another hit for Maroon 5? Only time will tell on that, but let’s see how well it does here.

Lookin’ At My History, I’m Bad At Blurbs
– Okay. Now, as much as I want to save the best for last, I always, ALWAYS start with the exits! No exceptions! And I have my pride, so be it! WE MUST NOW CELEBRATE AS JULIA MICHAELS – UH HUH, ONE OF THE WORST SONGS I’VE EVER HEARD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE, HAS OFFICIALLY LEFT THE COUNTDOWN!!! GOOD FREAKING RIDDANCE, YOU NEW-YORK-GIANTS SIZED PIECE OF TRASH!!!

– As for the other exits, good riddance to both Play That Song and Bad Liar, especially the latter of the two. Bad Liar was atrocious from the very beginning. I’m so glad it’s gone. That was absolute trash right there. And thank the high heavens above for the departure of Play That Song! That song has put the countdown through hell for so long! It’s about time Play That Song left us! I may never ever hear from it again! Okay, at least not until my Year-End posts. Now Or Never, on the other hand, I did kinda like to a degree unlike some people and it’s too bad Halsey didn’t score another big hit much like Closer, but it’s nothing worth losing sleep over. Finally, we have both Just Hold On and Mercy, the latter which was a big favorite of mine. I know some people are going to be happy about them leaving given that they’ve both spent a long time on the countdown, but not me. I enjoyed both of those songs for a while and they’ll likely have a place in My Top 45 Songs Of 2017. Goodbye Just Hold On and Mercy. You will both be missed.

– Shawn Mendes manages to hit #1 yet again for the fifth time this year, and his 10th week at #1 overall as an artist. I’m ecstatic to see that this song is getting much bigger than I expected it to be. I’ll most certainly take it over our #2 and #3 songs.

– On that note, can we please get Body Like A Back Road out of the Top 5, or even better, out of the countdown? I’m tired of constantly being on the edge of my seat hoping it doesn’t hit #1.

– While I don’t like seeing Body Like A Back Road in the Top 5, I do like the new Top 10 entries from both Sorry Not Sorry and Look What You Made Me Do. Look What You Made Me Do is almost certain to enter the Top 5 within the next week or so.  Sorry Not Sorry, while not quite as big as the latter, is still picking up steam.  Thus, I’m expecting it to enter that region, also.

– When I listened to Save Me A Place, I can’t help but think that the vocals sound pretty much like Ellie Goulding.  I wonder, did she have uncredited vocals in this one, or did she secretly joined the band itself?

– It’s good to see Praying jump back into the Top 20 this week!  I’m hoping it’ll hit the Top 10, or even Top 5, but I doubt it somehow, though I’ll be delighted if it did though.

– Before introducing Attention, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Charlie Puth loves James Taylor and says he’s the reason why he writes music. It’s always good to turn to someone for inspiration when writing music when you’re a rising artist. That said, I’m shocked that this dropped out of the Top 10 just after it hit #1 two weeks ago. Dang!

– Good to see Despacito make a nice recovery after two unnecessary drops in a row. I’m hoping it can stick around for a little longer. Also, I read somewhere that Rita Ora is tired of hearing it. She’s not the only one; pretty much everyone has basically soured on that song at this moment. It’s basically Shut Up And Dance all over again, where everyone in the blogging community got sick of it quickly and it was only made worse by spending seemingly forever at #1 on Hits 1 back in 2015.

– Before introducing Weak, Spyder Harrison mentioned that the trio is planning on working a theme song for the new documentary Supersize Me 2: Holy Chicken. I’ve watched its predecessor many times back in the day, and the feeling of eating too much fast food every day was scary. Good thing I cut down on fast food and focused on my diet, heh.

– Wow, guys. Epic fail right there: Spyder Harrison made a mistake by saying Champion had the Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week. I guess he didn’t want to acknowledge the fact that Feels dropped so many spots.
– Before introducing The Cure, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Lady Gaga threw a pizza party after canceling her show in Canada. Heh, I guess she cares more about the fans than her tour right now, probably because she loves them so much.

– Before introducing Feels, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom were spotted together at a beach. He also mentioned that there were rumors about them getting back together. I wonder how this will work out the second time around? Anyway, I’m not pleased to see it take a big drop, though it’s been losing ground elsewhere so I’m not surprised at all.

Hit-Bound

  • The Revivalists – Wish I Knew You (RE-ENTRY)
  • Taylor Swift – …Ready For It? (DEBUT)
  • PRETTYMUCH – Would You Mind
  • Why Don’t We – Something Different (DEBUT)
  • The All-American Rejects – Sweat
  • Kelly Clarkson – Love So Soft (DEBUT)
  • Sam Smith – Too Good At Goodbyes (DEBUT)
  • Sabrina Carpenter – Why
  • Zayn featuring Sia – Dusk Till Dawn (DEBUT)
  • Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line – Let Me Go (DEBUT)
  • The Script – Rain (DEBUT)
  • Selena Gomez – Fetish
  • Evaride – Heartless
  • Zedd featuring Liam Payne – Get Low

– Mikey Piff is back to hosting Hit-Bound after the band Evaride filled in for him last week. I’m sure glad he’s back, because we have a enormous, New-York-Giants sized shake-up this week. Let’s get right to it.
– We lost Rita Ora – Your Song, which I somewhat grew into recently. It would’ve been nice if it made the countdown, but it wasn’t seriously worth caring for in the big picture.

– We have a re-entry from Wish I Knew You, so we have 7 new entrants to cover this week.
– To kick off this week’s debuts, we have more Zayn, this time collaborating with Sia in their new single Dusk Till Dawn. To say the least, I’m not very fond of their vocals and the production. They both seem too underwhelming for my tastes. NEXT!

– After three years, we have the return of Sam Smith with his new single Too Good At Goodbyes. Stay With Me I did like to some degree, but I’m not quite sure I can say the same for this one. While the chorus and the lyrics are great, the rest of the song is just underwhelming to me. It’s pretty clear that Sam Smith is basically a soul/R&B type artist based on his last album alone. Maybe it’ll grow on me. We’ll see.
– Next, we have another new band, in the form of Why Don’t We with the single titled Something Different. This one I can get into, in part because the beat here sounds cool. Not much else to say about it.

– Who remembers The Script? Well, they’re back and they’ve released a new single titled Rain. This song is quite different unlike their previous singles. It has some cool production to it, although the lyrics are kinda questionable. Not much else to say beyond that.

– Next up, we have more Hailee Steinfeld. Here, she is collaborating with another EDM artist, whose name is Alesso and country music band Florida Georgia Line in their recent new single named Let Me Go. It’s a step up from Starving in terms of the production and the lyrics. It also shows just how talented Hailee Steinfeld is as an artist. I’ll talk more about this if it debuts.

– For our next debut, we have the return of one of my all-time favorite artists. Kelly Clarkson recently released her new single titled Love So Soft from her forthcoming album. This song is very different than what we normally hear from Kelly Clarkson. She is basically going for her new sound, which I heard is more soul & R&B. She sounds basically like Adele, especially in the intro. I’ll have more on this when it debuts.

– Finally, we have our best debut of the week. It’s from Taylor Swift with her successor titled …Ready For It?. I’m sure many here will find this much more likable than its predecessor. Again, Taylor Swift almost never disappoints. That’s all I’ve got to say right now. I’ll save my words for when it debuts.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Taylor Swift – …Ready For It?
2. PRETTYMUCH – Would You Mind
3. Kelly Clarkson – Love So Soft
4. Evaride – Heartless
5. The Script – Rain

YouTube 15

 This week’s YouTube 15 review should be a good one. Plenty has changed since last month. With that in mind, here are the songs trending this week:

  • DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber and Chance The Rapper – I’m The One
  • Hedley – Better Days
  • Fifth Harmony – He Like That
  • Ed Sheeran – Shape Of You
  • Glenn Travis – Feel My Love
  • Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry
  • Martin Garrix featuring Troye Sivan – There For You
  • DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts
  • Why Don’t We – These Girls
  • Bruno Mars – That’s What I Like
  • Charli XCX – Boys
  • Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee – Despacito
  • Thomas Rhett – Life Changes
  • Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do
  • Carson Lueders – Remember Summertime

– Better Days certainly has some cool stuff going on, although the drop and the vocals aren’t necessarily to my liking. 
– He Like That is slightly better than its predecessor, but it’s really not saying much, in part because the lyrics are still questionable. Probably the only good thing I like about this is the reggae production.
– Feel My Love is definitely a great song to use on special occasions (weddings, etc.). Glenn Travis shows us that he can write good lyrical content when it comes to writing love songs, and the melody is pretty lively. Overall, it’s a win for Glenn Travis and I hope he keeps making singles like this.
– When listening to Boys, I do hear the sound reminiscent to when a Game Boy is turned on. Also, there’s a music video in which many different male artists make cameos. Both of these were probably the cool parts about this song.

– Of course, Look What You Made Me Do would show up on the list eventually, because it’s Taylor Swift. Plus, the music video broke the record last week. I have a feeling it may reach 1-2 billion views when all is said and done.

My Top 5 YouTube 15 Picks
1. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do
2. DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts
3. Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee – Despacito
4. Bruno Mars – That’s What I Like
5. Glenn Travis – Feel My Love

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

1 – Bad:
19. Liam Payne – Strip That Down

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
18. Zedd featuring Alessia Cara – Stay
17. Linkin Park – One More Light

4 – Good:
16. Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato – No Promises

5 – Great:
15. Imagine Dragons – Thunder
14. Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill
13. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry
12. Imagine Dragons – Believer
11. Charlie Puth – Attention
10. Niall Horan – Slow Hands
9. Mono Mind – Save Me A Place
8. Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey – Glorious
7. Louis Tomlinson featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals – Back To You
6. P!NK What About Us
5. Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl
4. The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This
3. Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
TIE: 1. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do
TIE: 1. Kesha – Praying

Overall Grade: 88/100 (B+)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Mariah Carey – Vision Of Love (1990)

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Kesha – Learn To Let Go

Most Missed Countdown Song: Ellie Goulding – Lights

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between Ariana Grande – Into You and The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey – Closer

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Kesha – Praying
TIE: 1. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do
3. Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back
4. The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This
5. DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road
2. AJR – Weak
3. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low
4. Julia Michaels – Issues
5. Liam Payne – Strip That Down

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago: 
None!

AT 40: Charlie Puth (2) – Week Of September 9, 2017

/ dhill92 / 20 Comments

So, we had a short week due to Labor Day Weekend.  This was quite an eventful week for the most part, some for better and some for worse.  This may be a sign that things are beginning to pick up speed as we’re closing in on the fall season.  Also, my thoughts go out to those on the path of Hurricane Irma and to those still affected by Hurricane Harvey.  Now with that being said, here are the songs dropping out this week:


I Don’t Wanna Live Forever by Zayn featuring Taylor Swift (#40)
Rockabye by Clean Bandit featuring Sean Paul and Anne-Marie (#38)
Issues by Julia Michaels (#35)

The Countdown:
40. Mama by Jonas Blue featuring William Singe (DEBUT) [=]
39. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash (DEBUT) [=]
38. Say You Won’t Let Go by James Arthur (#32) [-6]
37. Mi Gente by J. Balvin featuring Willy William (#39) [+2]
36. Know No Better by Major Lazer featuring Travis Scott, Camila Cabello, and Quavo (#36) [=]
35. Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran (#29) [=] [Spent 10 Weeks At #1]
34. Friends by Justin Bieber featuring BloodPop (DEBUT) [=]
33. Khalid – Location (#34) [+1]
32. Glorious by Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey (#31) [-1]
31. Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay (#25) [-6]
30. Most Girls by Hailee Steinfeld (#30) [=]
29. Versace On The Floor by Bruno Mars (#18) [-11]
28. Congratulations by Post Malone featuring Quavo (#23) [-5]
27. That’s What I Like by Bruno Mars (#21) [-6]
26. 1-800-273-8255 by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid (#27) [+1]
25. What About Us by P!NK (#37) [+12]
24. Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran (#19) [-5]
23. Back To You by Louis Tomlinson featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals (#26) [+3]
22. Fetish by Selena Gomez featuring Gucci Mane (#28) [+6]
21. Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man (#33) [+12]
20. It Ain’t Me by Kygo featuring Selena Gomez (#15) [-5]
19. Get Low by Zedd featuring Liam Payne (#24) [+5]
18. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato (#22) [+4]
17. Honest by The Chainsmokers (#20) [+3]
16. Now Or Never by Halsey (#10) [-6]
15. Praying by Kesha (#17) [+2]
14. Unforgettable by French Montana featuring Swae Lee (#16) [+2]
13. I’m The One by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper, and Lil’ Wayne (#12) [-1]
12. Redbone by Childish Gambino (#14) [+2]
11. No Promises by Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato (#13) [+11]
10. Body Like A Back Road by Sam Hunt (#11) [+1] (…)
9. Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara (#7) [-2]
8. Feels by Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell, Katy Perry, and Big Sean (#9) [+1]
7. Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo (#8) [+1]
6. Slow Hands by Niall Horan (#6) [=]
5. Despacito by Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee (#4) [-1]
4. Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller (#5) [+1]
3. Believer by Imagine Dragons (#3) [=]
2. There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes (#2) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
1. Attention by Charlie Puth (#1) [=] [2nd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Ride by TWENTY ØNE PILØTS (1st of 2 Weeks At #1)
Biggest Drop Of The Week: Versace On The Floor by Bruno Mars (-11)
Biggest Jump Of The Week: Tie between What About Us by P!NK and Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man (+12)
New Entrants
– To start off our new round of entrants, we have Jonas Blue collaborating with William Singe with their new single called Mama.  Jonas Blue previously made a song titled Perfect Strangers, which I didn’t really care for that much.  His new single, Mama, is quite a step up from his predecessor.  William Singe’s vocals blend well with the tropical vibe and melody, both of which are much stronger than it was in Perfect Strangers.  I do like the lyrics about wanting to live life to the fullest and never looking back.  Overall, this track (although short clocking in at three minutes) is pretty solid and I’m hoping this one sticks around for a while.
– Next, we have a song that’s currently on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown, in the form of Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash.  Now to be honest, I’m just simply not a fan of this one.  This is one of those songs in which I really can’t explain why I don’t like it that much.  While I do somewhat like the lyrics and the vocals, the rest of the song is just underwhelming to me, in part because I just don’t find it fun and catchy.  Maybe it’s just me, though.  I feel like if it were done by someone else, then I’ll probably would like it.  But right now, I’m not enjoying it.
– Anyone tired of Justin Bieber, yet?  Yes?  Well, too bad, because he has just recently released his new single titled Friends.  With Despacito still losing its steam pretty much everywhere right now, he has decided to release its follow-up single.  It’s another break-up song like his previous singles have been lately.  This time, he about wanting to stay friends with his ex-girlfriend.  I do like the production BloodPop put together in this track.  I recently read somewhere that Bieber was collaborating with Martin Garrix but he turned it down.  This isn’t the first time BloodPop had been working with Bieber; they worked together on producing Purpose back in 2015.  I also read that he co-wrote it with Julia Michaels.  I guess she didn’t have any issues with helping him on this solid track.  But anyway, I’m sure most people will find this one more likable at this point.  We’ll see how long this one stays.

Hey, Mama, Don’t Blurb Your Mind
– As always, we’ll start with our exits.  I’m sure many are happy with the departure of Issues, and I won’t miss it too much either, at least not right now.  Also, there was I Don’t Wanna Live Forever which I did like, but it wasn’t seriously worth caring for in the long run.  Lastly, we have Rockabye, which was a huge favorite of mine and I enjoyed its presence.  While I know some are rejoicing its departure, I’m not one of them.  Farewell, Rockabye.  You will definitely be missed!
– Charlie Puth was able to hold at #1 for the 2nd week in a row.  I wonder how long he’ll last at the top spot until a new contender comes along.  I’m hoping for Wild Thoughts to spend a week at #1, but I still enjoy Attention somewhat.  Thus, I have no complaints about this one.
– I’m not at all pleased about the arrival of Body Like A Back Road in the Top 10.  I still think it’s one of the worst songs of the year.  I can’t believe North America is letting that New-York-Giants sized piece of trash get popular than some of the other country songs out there.
– I’m also not okay with Fetish getting closer to the Top 20.  Seriously, what happened to the Selena Gomez I used to know?  Her recent singles have not been good lately and I’m hoping this one does not get any higher.
– In terms of other not-so-good news, we have Versace On The Floor taking a huge drop this week.  It doesn’t look like Bruno Mars is going to have another hit.  I guess people were very fond of his upbeat groovy tracks than his slow songs.  Oh well.
– On a more positive note, we have What About Us taking a huge jump this week.  Perfectly fine by me as I do still enjoy this song at the moment, and as I’ve said before, P!NK almost never disappoints me with her music.  I’m hoping that this can end up getting big or at least stick around for a long while.
– So, I now have an opinion on Know No Better.  It sucks.  The production is underwhelming, the vocals aren’t too good, and the lyrics don’t make sense at all.  In this song, they’re basically singing about how people don’t know other artists better than them, which is completely false.  Guess what?  I know plenty of singers better than them.
– Looks like this is pretty much it for both Shape Of You & Say You Won’t Let Go, though they did have an great run while it lasted.  While I know some are rejoicing the latter, the former was more likable by most people.  I wonder how much longer will these two be with us?
Breakout/On The Verge

  • Two Ghosts by Harry Styles
  • Hoodie by Hey Violet
  • Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift
  • Something Different by Why Don’t We

– We can now celebrate as Uh Huh by Julia Michaels failed to debut on the American Top 40!

Extra/Optional Extras

  • The Way I Are (Dance With Somebody) by Bebe Rexha featuring Lil’ Wayne
  • Payphone by Maroon 5 featuring Wiz Khalifa
  • Symphony by Clean Bandit featuring Zara Larsson
  • This Town by Niall Horan
  • Bad Things by Machine Gun Kelly featuring Camila Cabello
  • Time Of Your Lives by Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo
  • Love Story by Taylor Swift

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

2 – Mediocre:
17. I’m The One by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper, and Lil’ Wayne
16. Now Or Never by Halsey

3 – Decent:
15. Get Low by Zedd featuring Liam Payne

4 – Good:
14. Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara
13. No Promises by Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato

5 – Great:
12. Honest by The Chainsmokers
11. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato
10. Slow Hands by Niall Horan
9. Believer by Imagine Dragons
8. It Ain’t Me by Kygo featuring Selena Gomez
7. Attention by Charlie Puth
6. Feels by Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell, Katy Perry, and Big Sean
5. Unforgettable by French Montana featuring Swae Lee
4. Despacito by Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee
3. Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller
2. There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown
1. Praying by Kesha

Total Score: 78/100 (C+)

My Top 5 Picks
1. Praying by Kesha
2. There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes
3. Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay
4. Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller
5. Despacito by Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Body Like A Back Road by Sam Hunt
2. Congratulations by Post Malone featuring Quavo
3. Mi Gente by J. Balvin featuring Willy William
4. Fetish by Selena Gomez featuring Gucci Mane
5. Location by Khalid

10,000 Pageview Special: My Top 30 Songs Of 2015

/ dhill92 / 9 Comments

So, this is my 10,000 Pageview Special!  For this one, I’m going to list my Top 30 favorite songs of 2015.  2015 was widely regard as the best year for music, at least for this decade.  There were plenty of break-out artists, and we had some of our favorites releasing better music in general.  With that in mind, here is a list of My Top 30 favorite songs of 2015:

30. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Downtown
Most rap songs nowadays generally have some of the worst lyrics I’ve ever heard.  It’s basically all nonsense (from money to drugs, etc.).  The lyrics to this song aren’t that good either, but least Macklemore can make up for it with his excellent rapping skills.  I do love the chorus in this one, though.  Although not his best, I still enjoy this.

29. Taylor Swift – Wildest Dreams
When it comes to writing love songs, Taylor Swift does it best.  She does a good job with the chorus overall, especially near the end.  I do like how she was portrayed as a actress in the music video.  Much like her other singles off of 1989, she basically has the same kind of energy and charisma in this song, albeit a little less.  Still, that doesn’t mean it’s bad per say; it’s quite enjoyable for the most part.

28. Ella Henderson – Ghost
Don’t you love it when an unknown artist comes into the fold and makes a great first impression?  That’s what Ella Henderson did with Ghost.  The nice guitar riffs, the excellent lyrics, and her amazing vocals blend together really well in this song.  Not much else to say about this, but overall it’s a win for Ella Henderson.

27. Elle King – Ex’s & Oh’s
Much like Ella Henderson impressed me with Ghost, Elle King managed to wow me just the same when she released Ex’s & Oh’s.  She has more charisma in this than some of the other artists trying to make a first impression.  I love the folk vibe in this song.  The lyrics about her ex-boyfriends as ghosts wanting to come back to her, were well written.  I’m glad we got some rock music like this being successful worldwide.

26. Alessia Cara – Here
Oh, look.  Another artist who succeeds at making a first impression.  The Alessia Cara in this one was quite different than what we hear today.  Both the intro and the outro were really cool.  We hear a man talking in the background before the song starts.  I can’t help but pull myself in.  Unlike most party songs in which people dance to the music, this is actually an anti-party anthem.  It helps that Alessia’s voice sounds good here.  Overall, it’s a great start for Alessia Cara.

25. Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar – Bad Blood
I would just review her solo version, but I actually like the one with Kendrick Lamar better. This is basically Dark Horse, except a tad better.  Unlike some critics who weren’t too kind to this mainly because it doesn’t fit Taylor very well, I’m not one of them.  Right off the bat, I love how Taylor mixed pop and hip-hop together.  Although I’m disappointed Hits 1 edited out Kendrick’s verses (most likely because they don’t seem to like hip-hop in general), at least it got to hit #1 twice.  Personally, I think if it weren’t for Shut Up And Dance, this probably would’ve been the biggest hit of the summer.  Still, I have no complaints about this at all.  I’m thrilled about the way it turned out for both Taylor & Kendrick.  It was a new sound Taylor Swift opted for and she did well.

24. One Direction – Night Changes
I love how a band can go from being upbeat to making a slow song.  Though it is boring, it’s one of the band’s best songs thus far.  You can make people love slow songs when done right, and that’s exactly what they did here.

23. DJ Snake featuring AlunaGeorge – You Know You Like It
The drop here is cryptic, yet it so good.  I definitely love the vocals in this one.  It’s so catchy that some called this the best song of 2015.  Although I don’t quite like it on their level, it’s still one of a kind.

22. The Weeknd – Can’t Feel My Face
I think this was a breakout hit for The Weeknd himself.  Right off the bat, this song has me dancing every time I play it.  Unlike Earned It which was slow and not as appealing, this is more upbeat and in general, more likable from a critical standpoint.  My favorite parts about this is both the chorus and the build-up leading to it.  This follow-up to Earned It (along with its successor) is what got me into liking The Weeknd as an artist.

21. Little Mix – Black Magic
I find Little Mix to be better than Fifth Harmony in general, in part because they make better music, and this one is no different.  I absolutely love the line, “Take a sip from a secret potion, I’ll make you fall in love”.  I can’t help but pull myself in.  It helps that they have better vocals than Fifth Harmony.  It’s definitely Little Mix’s best single to date.

20. Ellie Goulding – On My Mind
I absolutely love Ellie Goulding!  She is very gorgeous, and almost never disappoints me with her music.  This song is no different.  I like how she attempts to make a love song and executes it perfectly.  Although it didn’t quite get as big as her predecessor, I still love it for what it is.

19. Tori Kelly – Should’ve Been Us
Well, look what we have here: another artist making a great first impression.  This is easily Tori Kelly’s best single to date, with Hollow coming in a close second.  The chorus in this one, plus the catchy trap-like beat has me hooked.  Although the lyrics aren’t quite as good, at least they do make sense.  It basically reflects a lost relationship.  It definitely deserved to do better on the charts, because she sounds awesome in this track.  Here’s to hoping she becomes a big superstar in the music industry.

18. Kelly Clarkson – Heartbeat Song
Honestly, I feel very alone with this opinion, but I don’t care because I actually like this song.  And no, it’s not just because I have always loved Kelly Clarkson as an artist.  I love the lyrical content about making a comeback, and Kelly’s vocals are amazing as always.  Although this song doesn’t quite live up to her best singles, it’s still enjoyable for what it is.

17. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Tear In My Heart
Before this song and its successor came along, I’ve never really heard of TWENTY ØNE PILØTS.  Their vocals aren’t necessarily all that good.  But when it comes to certain songs, I don’t really care that much for the vocals; it’s about writing good lyrical content.  And they did a nice job with that.  I loved how they mixed rock with some EDM put into it.  Overall, it was a great first impression for them.

16. Fall Out Boy – Uma Thurman
Adrian’s most hated song of 2015, but I beg to differ.  It’s the perfect theme for an action movie.  There were a lot of rock elements put together.  I love the part after the chorus where the guitar comes in, and the drumroll in the end as well.  Overall, it’s one of Fall Out Boy’s best singles to date.

15. The Weeknd – The Hills
Arguably one of, if not the best single from The Weeknd by many YouTube critics (TheDoubleAgent ranked this as his #3 song of 2015) and fans alike, and for a good reason.  Although it was underrated on Hits 1, it was still a bigger hit elsewhere, reaching #1 on many charts.  The darker atmosphere definitely fits The Weeknd very well.  Based on the lyrics, we explore a different side of himself and find out what’s going on in his mind.  He created this masterpiece and it pretty much became a fan favorite (along with his successor I Feel It Coming and his other singles off Starboy).

14. Major Lazer featuring DJ Snake and MØ – Lean On
This was both Major Lazer & MØ’s successful song of their career thus far.  DJ Snake previously had some success when collaborating with Lil’ John in Turn Down For What.  I personally think this song opened the gateways to making tropical house a current trend in the music industry.  The tropical elements used in this sounds great and MØ’s vocals blend in pretty well.  Combine that with a catchy beat and you can see why most people (including myself) like this.

13. Jess Glynne – Hold My Hand
Not many people in the blogging community were very fond of this.  I’m sure many still like her collaboration with Clean Bandit in their single Rather Be.  I myself, think the opposite when it comes to Hold My Hand.  Jess Glynne has more energy in this than she did in Rather Be, especially in the chorus.  I do love the piano work done throughout.  Overall, it’s definitely one of Jess Glynne’s best and didn’t really deserved to be underrated like this.

12. Tove Lo – Talking Body
This song is very unique when compared to some of the other pop songs in general.  The part that I love about this song is the chorus.  The sexy lyrical content and some of the other cool stuff impresses me.  Tove Lo does a nice job with her sultry vocals overall.  It’s definitely one of the best sexy songs and I’m very thrilled to see her score a big hit worldwide.

11. Taylor Swift – Style
Again, Taylor Swift almost never disappoints.  There is a little more rock in this one than in her other singles in 1989.  This song actually takes place during a relationship and even though things might not turn out well, at least she’s willing to take that risk.  Taylor’s vocals are divine in this one.  Actually, pretty much everything about this song is divine, hence why some people consider this the best single off of 1989.

10. Walk The Moon – Shut Up And Dance
There are some people who still think this is overrated, mainly because it hogged the #1 spot for 12 weeks on Hits 1 and refused to give it up.  Here’s a question: which would you rather have at #1?  A rap song whose lyrics are nonsense, or an overrated dance song?  Anyway, this reminds me of an 80’s rock song, except they added some EDM to it.  It took a while for this to gain steam elsewhere.  But by then, pretty much everyone in the blogging community soured on it to the point where they just got annoyed with it in general.  I myself, on the other hand, say otherwise.  It stuck with me for a long while, and I pretty much enjoyed this 80’s rock & EDM mixed together in this one song.

9. Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth – See You Again
This song was a tribute to the late Paul Walker.  To put it easy, it was put together beautifully.  This was actually the first time we hear from Charlie Puth.  He impressed me with his vocals and his piano work.  Wiz Khalifa actually contributes to the song.  Although his vocals aren’t necessarily the best, at least he shows heart in this.  I’m glad it became a success that I wanted to be.  While I know some people who were sick of this song when it became overplayed, I wasn’t one of them. I’m glad this one stuck with me.

8. Demi Lovato – Cool For The Summer
Easily my favorite song from Demi Lovato, and her biggest hit to date.  While it was a departure from her days as a Disney star, Demi still delivered with her new mature sound.  From her energetic chorus to the electric guitar, this song definitely has me hooked every time I listen to this.  If this isn’t Demi’s best single, I don’t know what is.

7. Audien featuring Lady Antebellum – Something Better
EDM and Country generally don’t mix well.  But after listening to this I’ve got to say: I was very impressed with how it turned out!  It starts out with the piano.  Then the pre-chorus comes in and we get this awesome beat put together.  I absolutely love Hillary Scott’s vocals in this one.  Her voice has always been good ever since Need You Now became one of the biggest hits of this decade.  Audien put together a superb EDM production from start to finish.  It’s too bad this didn’t become a bigger hit I wanted to be, but at least this song charted and got some recognition.  As the title itself says, this was definitely something better.

6. Taylor Swift – Blank Space
Possibly her best single of all time, and for a very good reason.  From Taylor’s vocals to the amazingly catchy beat, I pretty much love everything about this song.  Personally, I think this song is even more divine than Style.  The lyrical content about her love life is excellent.  I easily fell in love with the music video, which shows her relationship with another man.  The fact that this hit #1 for six weeks on Hits 1 made me love this song even more.  I’m sure many people will still remember this as her most iconic single to date.

5. Ellie Goulding – Love Me Like You Do
Taken from the Fifty Shades Of Grey soundtrack, this became Ellie Goulding’s biggest hit of her career, and for a very good reason.  She has been a rising pop star since Lights became a hit back in 2011.   Ellie Goulding just looks absolutely beautiful, but that’s not why she’s had some success with her music.  As I mentioned with On My Mind, she almost never disappoints, releasing every single that grabs the attention of myself and many in the blogging community.  Falling in love with Ellie Goulding was easy enough for me, but this is just icing on the cake.  This song actually manages to impress me from start to finish.  Ellie’s vocals fit very well with this love song.  My favorite part about this is the line “What are you waiting for”, especially where the final chorus kicks in.  No, scratch that: the chorus is actually my favorite part of the song.  It showcases just how well Ellie Goulding can sing overall.  Looking back at this, I think this her best and I’m very pleased that it got the success it deserved.

4. Rachel Platten – Fight Song
Honestly, I actually like this way more than I should.  When it comes to songs such as Love Me Like You Do and a few others, there are people who can at least agree with me on why they like or dislike it.  Fight Song, however, is a different story.  Many YouTube critics weren’t very fond of this song, mainly because it’s seen as a generic self-empowerment anthem with no melody whatsoever. Much like with Heartbeat Song, this is another song in which I feel very alone with this opinion, but I don’t care because I absolutely love this song.  Rachel Platten definitely made a very good first impression with her single (not to mention she is absolutely beautiful!).  Her vocals, the chorus, the build-up leading to it, and its lyrics are all divine.  But the one thing that carries it to #4 for me, is that it’s one of the most deeper self-empowerment anthems I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing in my life.  It’s basically an inspiration to many people because it teaches them to never give up and motivate them to strive for the better.  Whether you’re struggling to get through a situation or whatever else that maybe holding you back, this song is for you.  Overall, it’s easily a win for Rachel Platten and I hope she continues to make more singles like this.

3. Adele – Hello
Ah, yes.  We have the triumphant return of Adele after three years.  Right off the bat, I fell in love with this song.  It starts off kinda slow, but then we get to the chorus and Adele delivered it perfectly.  The piano work and the lyrical content are very well done.  This is, in my opinion, the best lead single ever for any artist and I’m glad it became a massive success worldwide, reaching #1 in many different countries.

2. X Ambassadors – Renegades
If you’ve watched many car commercials, then you’ve probably have heard this song before.  It took a while for this to get mainstream, but I’m glad it caught on with the general public.  The vocals in this one are great, and I love the guitar solo at the end, which was very cool.  But the one other thing that makes this my #2 song is the deeper lyrics.  It’s basically about wanting to succeed in spite of one’s shortcomings.  What I didn’t realize back then was that one of the band members, Casey Harris, is actually blind.  Still, that didn’t stop him from contributing to creating this epic song for a car commercial.

And finally, my #1 favorite song of 2015 is….

1. Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars – Uptown Funk
You guessed it!  The #1 song on Billboard’s Year-End List for 2015 and one of Billboard’s biggest hits of all time.  The new funky sound mixed with Bruno’s vocals makes it sound like a Michael Jackson song.  Growing up, I’ve always listened to Michael Jackson and some other artists who broke color barriers and most of their songs sound very similar to Uptown Funk.  Bruno Mars actually started this new sound with Treasure back in 2013.  Many YouTube critics and fans alike praised this song, but the blogging community actually felt the exact opposite, especially when this song was massively overplayed.  And ever since then, they’ve basically stopped liking Bruno Mars in general.  They preferred his older singles better (Just The Way You Are, Grenade, Locked Out Of Heaven, and even When I Was Your Man).  As for me, I like both the old & new Bruno Mars.  True, his older work, despite being hits, wasn’t seen as great from a critical standpoint, but I say otherwise.  Bruno Mars has shown he has a incredible voice, and this is no different.  He is basically the Michael Jackson of our generation. Mark Ronson himself did an excellent job at putting together this epic dance song for the ages. Overall, this is stupendous win for both of them.

Niall Horan (1) – Week Of September 2, 2017

/ dhill92 / 14 Comments

So, fall is upon us, and that means football, sweaters, hoodies, etc.  Anyway, going off-topic.  Let’s talk about the countdown, shall we?  This is the Labor Day Edition of the Weekend Countdown, and we certainly had a great deal of activity, even if the results weren’t necessarily to my liking.  It helps that we do have a familiar face returning to the countdown.  I’ve decided to turn off comment moderation.  But if it gets out of control, I may turn it back on again.  Before we get to this week’s fresh 45, we say good-bye to these songs leaving us this week:

  • Childish Gambino – Redbone (#43)
  • Hailee Steinfeld & Grey featuring Zedd – Starving (#42) [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
  • DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber and Chance The Rapper – I’m The One (#41)
  • James Arthur – Say You Won’t Let Go (#27)

The Countdown:
Last Week’s #1 Song: Charlie Puth – Attention
45. Selena Gomez – Bad Liar (#45) [-5]
44. Steve Aoki featuring Louis Tomlinson – Just Hold On (#45) [+1]
43. Julia Michaels – Issues (#44) [+1]
42. Bruno Mars – That’s What I Like (#34) [-8] [Spent 1 Week At #1] (NOOOOO!!!)
41. Train – Play That Song (#37) [-4] (LEAVE OR I’M GONNA LOSE IT!)
40. DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts (#30) [-10] (NOOOOOOOO!!!!!)
39. Lady Gaga – The Cure (#38) [-1]
38. The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey – Closer (#39) [+1] [Spent 8 Weeks At #1]
37. Linkin Park featuring Kiiara – Heavy (#27) [-10]
36. Halsey – Now Or Never (#32) [-4]
35. Shawn Mendes – Mercy (#35) [=]
34. Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato – No Promises (DEBUT) [=]
33. Julia Michaels – Uh Huh (#31) [-2]
32. Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee – Despacito (#21) [-11] (HOW IS THIS EVEN OKAY?!)
31. Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl (DEBUT) [=]
30. Bruno Mars – Versace On The Floor (#18) [-12]
29. Panic! At The Disco – L.A. Devotee (#11) [-18] (YIKES!)
28. Kygo featuring Selena Gomez – It Ain’t Me (#23) [-5]
27. AJR – Weak (#26) [-1]
26. Imagine Dragons – Thunder (#33) [+7]
25. Hey Violet – Hoodie (#28) [+3]
24. The Chainsmokers – Honest (#25) [+1]
23. Kesha – Praying (#20) [-3]
22. Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell and Katy Perry – Feels (#16) [-6]
21. Ed Sheeran – Shape Of You (#13) [-8] [Spent 9 Weeks At #1]
20. Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey – Glorious (#36) [+16]
19. Louis Tomlinson featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals (#19) [=]
18. Mono Mind – Save Me A Place (DEBUT) [=]
17. P!NK – What About Us (#22) [+5]
16. Fall Out Boy – Champion (#15) [-1]
15. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low (#24) [+9]
14. All Time Low – Good Times (#17) [+3]
13. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do (HIGHEST DEBUT OF THE YEAR) [=] 
12. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry (#14) [+2]
11. Hailee Steinfeld – Most Girls (#12) [+1]
10. Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill (#6) [-4] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
9. The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#8) [-1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
8. Imagine Dragons – Believer (#2) [-6] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
7. Zedd featuring Alessia Cara – Stay (#10) [+3] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
6. Charlie Puth – Attention (#1) [-5] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
5. Linkin Park – One More Light (#9) [+4]
4. Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back (#3) [-1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
3. Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road (#4) [+1] (…)
2. Liam Payne – Strip That Down (#5) [+3]
1. Niall Horan – Slow Hands (#7) [+6] [1ST WEEK AT #1] (WHEW!)
#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Justin Timberlake – Can’t Stop The Feeling (10th And Final Week At #1)
Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Panic! At The Disco – L.A. Devotee (-18)
Biggest Jump Of The Week: Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey – Glorious (+16)

New Entrants
– To start off our round of debuts, we have more Demi Lovato collaborating with Cheat Codes in their new single No Promises.  When it was first announced that they would do a collaboration, I was interested to see how it would turn out.  I didn’t quite like it at first, but I slowly grew into it as it started to gain steam.  I don’t think it’s the best EDM song of the year, but these two do a good job on making the single together.  Both of their vocals are pretty good and I do like the lyrical content.  Overall, while it’s not their best, it’s certainly a keeper.

– Second, we have more of Ed Sheeran with the best song off of Divide.  Galway Girl has that folk vibe that makes me fall in love with this song.  I definitely love the lyrical content about him wanting to dance with his girl.  The lines “She played that fiddle in the Irish band” pulls me in.  Overall, this is easily a win for Ed Sheeran and I hope it becomes a hit.

– Our next debut surprisingly comes from Mono Mind with Save Me A Place.  I’ve heard this many times throughout the week.  I thought it was one of those songs that would play randomly throughout the week and not be on any weekend shows, but I was proven wrong.  It somehow managed to debut this week (and at a high position at #18).  Now, I do love the EDM production they put together, along with some nice vocals.  While it’s not the best EDM song, at least this is still enjoyable.  Overall, it’s a great first impression for Mono Mind.

– Finally, we have the highest debut of the year (and possibly the highest debut ever).  It comes from returning artist Taylor Swift with her brand new single titled Look What You Made Me Do.  Her new single seems to be getting mixed reactions from both YouTube critics and fans alike, mainly because it a major departure from her previous work.  Now, ever since I Don’t Wanna Live Forever left the countdown several weeks ago, I had been anxiously waiting for her return.  To put it easy, after first listening to this, she didn’t really disappoint me at all.  I’m intrigued by the dark and edgier direction she’s going for in her new album.  Her new music video which premiered last weekend was pretty darn epic.  I definitely love the intro where Taylor herself has arisen as a zombie when she starts singing.  That reminds of the time I watch Thriller so many times back in the day when Michael Jackson was turned into a zombie and starts dancing.  There were scenes of many different versions of Taylor, including a self-parody in the end where they all come together.  When all was said and done, her single broke all kinds of records.  In terms of how it’ll fare on the charts, it’s going to spend a insane amount of time at #1 for weeks (and maybe even months) to come.  This is pretty much the Closer of 2017.  Remember last year, The Chainsmokers were a rising EDM artist and that song spent 12 Weeks at #1 on Billboard.  Anyway, even though it comes close to topping her best work, it’s still a win for Taylor Swift and it’s almost certain to do extremely well on the charts.

I Blurb It Once, Then I Blurb It Twice, Oh!
I have a long list of blurbs, guys.  There’s plenty I want to say here.  So, get ready.

– Now to start things off, this was a important week in terms of the exits.  I’m The One dropped out of the countdown after not doing much, which is no surprise considering Hits 1 doesn’t care for hip-hop.  There’s also Say You Won’t Let Go, which managed to become a sleeper hit worldwide and I did enjoy it while it lasted, but I know a certain someone is going to throw a be-gone party over that one.  On a positive note though, I was never really fond of Redone, so I’m very pleased about its departure.  However, the exit that I am most pleased about is Starving.  Thank you voters for getting that song off the countdown!  It’s about time it left us!

– I’m surprised to see Just Hold On still here.  It’s been in the bottom 5 for a seemingly long time.  Goes to show that Hits 1 still loves One Direction no matter what.  I don’t really mind this song staying for another week as I still enjoy it.

– Looks like this is the end of the road for That’s What I Like.  Oh well.  It was nice having you around.

– I can’t believe people are still voting for Play That Song!  This song is torture to my ears!

– Before introducing Closer, Spyder Harrison mentioned that he thought the song was going to win a award at the MTV Video Music Awards, but it didn’t.  I’m sure he was disappointed when it lost to I Don’t Wanna Live Forever for Best Collaboration Video.  I was hoping it would win also, but I guess not.  At least it became a bigger hit, though.

– So, yesterday I watched a video on YouTube that was posted by album reviewer ARTV about a month ago.  He talked about Uh Huh, which he listed as his “Top 10 Fantastic Songs You NEED To Hear”.  However, I’m sure that many in the blogging community (myself included) will say otherwise, because almost nobody here is very fond of this song.  But that’s just his opinion, though.

– Wow, Hits 1.  Just wow.  Is this some kind of freakin’ joke?!  Just when I thought Despacito couldn’t get any lower, it drops out of the Top 30 entirely.  It’s still in the Top 5 elsewhere and yet somehow, it’s being underrated here.  I mean, how is this even okay?!  That is so not cool, Hits 1.  Not cool at all.

– On the note of other things that really pissed me off this week, we have Versace On The Floor taking a New-York-Giants sized drop out of the Top 20.  Wow, North America.  You’re really underrating some quality music here.

– Yikes!  L.A. Devotee I had been growing out of, but it took a shocking New-York-Giants drop this week.  It had been here for a while and had a nice run in the Top 20, so props to that.

– Before introducing Thunder, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Dan Reynolds launched a Love Loud foundation in order to talk about true love.  I like how’s he more open to spreading love, which we so desperately need given what’s going on right now.

– Before introducing Honest, Spyder Harrison mentioned that The Chainsmokers went to a friend’s wedding and performing one of their songs.  Hmm…I wonder, which songs did they sang?  The ones on the countdown, or maybe a brand new single we haven’t even heard yet?

– With Shape Of You dropping out of the Top 20, this may actually be the end for this song.  I’ll say this, though; it had an incredible run and became his biggest hit single to date.

– Glorious is certainly welcome in the Top 20.  I’m hoping it can stay there for a long time.  Also, when I heard it as Ear Poppin’ Music! earlier this week, it wasn’t the official voice-over for Hits 1 saying the name of the song.  It was actually Macklemore himself who did the voice-over.  That was pretty cool.

– So, I recently read an article saying that Shawn Mendes was sick while recording There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back.  According to him, his rasp voice that he had while he was sick actually made it sound cool.  Even if he wasn’t sick, whatever he was doing, I’m sure he did a fine job at it.

– I will scream out of anger if Body Like A Back Road hits #1.  Keep Strip That Down and Slow Hands at the top if necessary.  Just don’t let Body Like A Back Road get any higher than it already is.

– Thankfully though, Slow Hands manages to hit #1 over Strip That Down.  I had a feeling it was going to happen since Hits 1 loves One Direction, what with several of their songs either hitting #1 or enter the Top 5 and staying their for a while.  That song has been getting slightly better with each listen, so I’m glad it made the top spot this week!  And Niall, you better enjoy it while it lasts, because Taylor Swift is coming for that #1 spot very soon.

Summer Throwback

Hits 1 did their Summer Throwback hits yet again.  Here’s the list of songs they’ve played (NOTE: This list will be updated throughout the weekend):

  • B.O.B. featuring Hayley Williams – Airplanes
  • Katy Perry – Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)
  • One Direction – What Makes You Beautiful
  • 5 Seconds Of Summer – She Looks So Perfect
  • Fall Out Boy – My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (So Light ‘Em Up)
  • Eminem featuring Rihanna – Love The Way You Lie
  • Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX – Fancy
  • Maroon 5 – Payphone
  • Ellie Goulding – Love Me Like You Do (This song is still fantastic!)
  • Walk The Moon – Shut Up And Dance
  • Omi – Cheerleader
  • Ariana Grande – Dangerous Woman
  • fun. featuring Janelle Monae – We Are Young
  • Magic! – Rude
  • Florida Georgia Line – Cruise
  • Sia featuring Sean Paul – Cheap Thrills
  • Twenty One Pilots – Ride
  • Robin Thicke featuring Pharrell and T.I. – Blurred Lines
  • LMFAO – Party Rock Anthem
  • Taylor Swift – Bad Blood
  • Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe
  • Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth – See You Again
  • Katy Perry – California Gurls
  • Mike Posner – I Took A Pill In Ibiza
  • Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton – Can’t Hold Us
  • Maroon 5 – Love Somebody
  • Miley Cyrus – Party In The U.S.A.
  • Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo and Afrojack – Give Me Everything
  • Charli XCX – Boom Clap
  • Demi Lovato – Cool For The Summer


My Top 5 Summer Throwback Hits
TIE: 1. Eminem – Love The Way You Lie
TIE: 1. Ellie Goulding – Love Me Like You Do
3. Demi Lovato – Cool For The Summer
4. Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe
5. Mike Posner – I Took A Pill In Ibiza


Hit-Bound

  • The All-American Rejects – Sweat
  • Halsey – Bad At Love
  • Rita Ora -Your Song
  • Selena Gomez – Fetish
  • Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still
  • Sabrina Carpenter – Why
  • Zedd featuring Liam Payne – Get Low
  • Andy Grammer – Give Love
  • Evaride – Heartless (DEBUT)
  • Maroon 5 featuring SZA – What Lovers Do (DEBUT)
  • Justin Bieber featuring BloodPop – Friends
  • Harry Styles – Two Ghosts
  • PRETTYMUCH – Would You Mind

– We have new band Evaride hosting Hit-Bound this week.  Consisting of Hayden, Sean, & Josh, they’re a new band that’s formed in January.  Founding member Josh was actually a drummer for One Direction.  I wonder is he the guy behind their hits because he uses his instruments well. Anyway, let’s review Hit-Bound.

– First off, we have Evaride themselves with their debut single, Heartless.  This is a pretty good start for the band.  I do like the lyrics and the rock vibe.  While it’s not quite a stand-out, at least it’s a keeper.

– Next, we have Maroon 5 once again, this time with What Lovers Do.  I’ll say it’s a quite a step up from what they’ve been releasing lately.  However, it still pales in comparison to their previous work.  I can see myself growing into it in the near future, but right now I don’t have much of an opinion.  I’ll have more words when it debuts.

– Before introducing Why, Everide mentioned that one of Sabrina Carpenter’s embarrassing moments was when she performed with her teeth stained from her lipstick.  I’m sure she has something to wash all that off, but she’ll have to be careful next time and not put on too much lipstick, heh.

– Before introducing Get Low, that Liam Payne’s favorite movies are all from the Toy Story franchise.  Back when I was a kid, I used to watch the Toy Story movies all the time, especially the first one since it’s the one I remember the most.  A new Toy Story film is currently in the works, set to be released sometime in 2019.  I’m interested to see how the storyline plays out.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Hasley – Bad At Love
2. PRETTYMUCH – Would You Mind
3. Justin Bieber featuring BloodPop – Friends
4. Evaride – Heartless
5. Harry Styles – Two Ghosts

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

1 – Bad:
19. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low
18. Liam Payne – Strip That Down

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
None!

4 – Good:
17. All Time Low – Good Times
16. Linkin Park – One More Light
15. Hailee Steinfeld – Most Girls
14. Zedd featuring Alessia Cara – Stay

5 – Great:
13. Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill
12. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry
11. Mono Mind – Save Me A Place
10. Fall Out Boy – Champion
9. Imagine Dragons – Believer
8. Charlie Puth – Attention
7. Niall Horan – Slow Hands
6. Louis Tomlinson featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals – Back To You
5. P!NK – What About Us
4. Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey – Glorious
3. The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This
2. Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
TIE: 1. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do

Overall Grade: 84/100 (B)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Elton John – Candle In The Wind (1997) (In honor of Princess Diana’s passing)
Most Missed Countdown Song: Zedd featuring Hayley Williams – Stay The Night
#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me (I’m in LOVE with this song!)
Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between Ariana Grande – Into You and Coldplay – Hymn For The Weekend

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Kesha – Praying
TIE: 1. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do
3. Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back
4. Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl
5. Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee – Despacito (Sorry, Miles lol)

My Bottom 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road
TIE: 1. Julia Michaels – Uh Huh
3. Selena Gomez – Bad Liar
4. Train – Play That Song
5. AJR – Weak

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Katy Perry – Rise: This song was used for the 2016 Olympics.  Despite the fact that it wasn’t well-received by YouTube critics (ex. Spectrum Pulse), I actually didn’t really mind this song quite a bit, even though it’s nowhere near Katy Perry’s best.  
The Strumbellas – Spirits: One of Parker’s most hated songs of last year, but I beg to differ. I definitely love the folk vibe and that chorus gets stuck in my head.  The song kinda reminds me of The Lumineers – Ho Hey, which became a huge hit back in 2012.   
Flume featuring Kai – Never Be Like You: I actually like the twinkly stuff at the beginning, and Kai’s vocals are pretty good.  Is it me, or does that beat sounds very similar to Justin Timberlake’s 2007 hit, My Love?
Major Lazer featuring Justin Bieber and MØ – Cold Water: If I’m being honest, I’m more obligated to listen to this any day.  I don’t care what people say about Justin Bieber at this point. While it doesn’t quite live up to Lean On, it’s still pretty solid.