Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Hundred Handed – Too Good (–17)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Post Malone – Better Now (+19)

New Entrants
– Our first of three new entrants this week comes from the return of Khalid with a song that has been around for a while. He is collaborating with former Fifth Harmony member Normani in their single titled Love Lies, which is taken from the Love, Simon movie soundtrack. This was on the YouTube 15 back in March when the song was brand new. Now, it’s looking like it may become a hit. Now about this song, I’d say this is one of Khalid’s best. I do like that he showcases his voice a little more here. Normani does well with her part in the song. Overall, it’s a solid track and I hope it sticks around.

– With Drake dominating 2018 so far, I’m not surprised that he would bring his latest single from Scorpion titled In My Feelings, which is currently #1 on Billboard as of this typing. Right off the bat, I’m not feeling this song. I do like Drake’s vocals at least somewhat. He sounds pretty decent here. But the problem I have for the song is the production itself, which I find to be underwhelming. There’s not a whole lot of melody to speak of, and I don’t like the part after the chorus. Simply put, it’s a pretty underwhelming track, moreso than Nice For What and even God’s Plan for the matter. So yeah, I’m not too thrilled seeing this become one of his biggest hits off of that album. I’m sure there’s worse songs from Scorpion than this (*cough* I’m Upset *cough). But I’m not fond of what he has to offer here.

– Imagine Dragons have recently released a new single. Surprisingly, it graduates to the Weekend Countdown after spending only one week on Hit-Bound. Their latest single is called Natural. Before the song came along, I was expecting Next To Me to be their next single off of Evolve or maybe even have Born To Be Yours (with Kygo) enter the countdown. But I guess they decided to go along with a new song instead. Anyway, Dan Reynolds really shows off his voice in Natural especially when the chorus starts kicking in. As for the rest of the song itself, I do like the production and the lyrics. Will this become another hit for these guys? Only time will tell on that.

Best Debut Of The Week: Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies

Show Me Where Your Blurb Lies
– Let’s begin with our exits. First, it’s pleasing to see the departure of Psycho. I’m glad that one didn’t become a huge hit here as opposed to everywhere else. Bad Wolves – Zombie lasted a little bit longer than I thought it would. Finally, we have Perfect leaving us this week. And with that, this is the first countdown to not have a song by Ed Sheeran since January 2017. Talk about a nice run for a year and a half. I’m sure some here are bidding good riddance to Perfect, but I’m not among that crowd. I’ll instead be saddened over its departure. Good-bye Perfect. Thank you for your time and service on this countdown. It’s been a fun ride.

– So, before they went to the countdown, Fall Out Boy made a huge mistake when recapping last week’s Top 5. Silly Fall Out Boy, Friends was not in the Top 5 last week (and rightfully so).

– Believe it or not, Fall Out Boy mentioned during the introduction for Familiar that this week was the anniversary of One Direction. My goodness, how time flies by so fast! I remember when they first came along and they have many good songs together.

– Well, that big jump Too Good had last week was short-lived, because it’s right back to where it was with that big drop this week. Looks like that song wasn’t meant to be successful. Oh well.

– On the opposite end of the spectrum, last week’s debuts made some big jumps this week, especially Better Now. However, only Home With You dropped a spot.

– I’m surprised to see The Last Of The Real Ones not doing much despite the band hosting this week’s countdown. I’m sure deep down they’re not thrilled about this.

– In My Blood took quite a big drop out of the #1 spot. I guess the voters decided two weeks in the Top 5 was too much and decided not to let it stay there for too long.

– Meanwhile, we have Friends still hanging around in the Top 10. Who the hell is supporting this?! This isn’t what I want to hear while I’m driving around. Stop this madness, now.

– I’m not surprised about Youngblood entering the Top 5 this week because, hello? It’s 5 Seconds Of Summer, and Hits 1 loves these guys! Also, with the song gaining elsewhere and actually doing somewhat well in sales, I have a feeling that one will end up being a real hit.

– Delicate is back at the #1 spot this week. Fine by me as I still do like the song. I wonder how long the song will hold on to the top spot. The song has become a real hit off of Reputation. Hopefully, her next single follows suit.

Hit-Bound:

• Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind
• PRETTYMUCH – Summer On You (DEBUT)
• Big Boi – All Night
• Dan + Shay – Tequila
• Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess
• Justin Timberlake – SoulMate
• Zedd featuring Elley Duhé – Happy Now (DEBUT)
• Train featuring Cam and Travie McCoy – Call Me Sir
• The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects (DEBUT)
• Years & Years – If You’re Over Me
• Brown & Gray – Top Down
• Charlie Puth – The Way I Am
• lovelytheband – Broken
• Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman
• Weezer – Africa (DEBUT)

– Since Fall Out Boy had the weekend takeover, they were hosting Hit-Bound this week in place of Mikey Piff. We have some activity going on here, so let’s get into it!

– First off, we say good-bye to three songs. BTS – Fake Love wasn’t to my liking, so I don’t have any complains about it leaving at all. Jump I didn’t really care for that much either, and I can say the same for Somebody. However, The Chainsmokers do have a new song in its place and we’ll get to that in just a bit.

– We have PRETTYMUCH with a new song titled Summer On You. We last saw them with Would You Mind, which I thought was really good but unfortunately didn’t graduate Hit-Bound. As for their new single, I can’t say it’s as good as its predecessor. I do like the vocals for the most part and the production is nice, but doesn’t quite stand out for me to make it enjoyable. I’ll probably have to give it more listens.

– Next, we have more of Zedd. And this time, he collaborates with new artist Elley Duhé in his new single titled Happy Now. I can’t quite say it’s as good as The Middle, but I still like how Zedd is continuing to take a risk with his sound and it’s working to my liking. I love Elley’s vocals. I’ll have more on this when it debuts.

– We have The Chainsmokers who replaced themselves on Hit-Bound with their brand new single which was just released yesterday by the name of Side Effects which features Emily Warren. I had been mixed on their music lately, with their latest singles not impressing me too much. But Side Effects is a huge step back in the right direction for them. We’ll see if it ends up making its debut.

– Finally, we have the group Weezer with the single Africa, which I believe is a cover of the song from Toto. I took one listen of this one…and simply put, it’s bad all around. This is nowhere near as good as the original version. More on this if it debuts.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
TIE: 1. Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman
TIE: 1. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects
3. Dan + Shay – Tequila
4. Brown & Gray – Top Down
5. Zedd featuring Elley Duhé – Happy Now

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
20. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends

1 – Bad:
19. Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
18. Post Malone – Better Now
17. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You
16. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know

4 – Good:
15. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me
14. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood

5 – Great:
13. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes 
12. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
11. Taylor Swift – Delicate
10. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
9. Selena Gomez – Back To You
8. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
7. Dua Lipa – IDGAF
6. Alessia Cara – Growing Pains
5. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
4. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
3. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones 
2. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
TIE: 1. Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart

Overall Grade: 84/100 = 84% (B)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Mariah Carey – Hero (1993)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Demi Lovato – Give Your Heart A Break

Most Missed Hit-Bound Droput: Demi Lovato – Stone Cold

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Shawn Mendes featuring Khalid – Youth

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#8)

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Jumpsuit
TIE: 1. Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
3. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
4. The Wrecks – James Dean
5. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Lauv – I Like Me Better
2. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
3. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
4. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same
5. Drake – In My Feelings

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Linkin Park – One More Light: This was basically a tribute to the late Chester Bennington, who passed away last year. It definitely fits the mood all around. I’d say Linkin Park did well producing this.
Louis Tomlinson featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals – Back To You: Louis’ first solo single was a solid one. Though Bebe took over much of the song, she made a great contribution. Fun fact: this song actually has the same title as Selena Gomez’s representation currently on the countdown.

QOTW: 
1. DJ Khaled and Justin Bieber collaborate again. How do you feel about this?

2. Also, what is your favorite song from Demi Lovato and why?

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello (–5)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Remind Me To Forget by Kygo featuring Miguel (+5)

New Entrants
– We only have one new entrant for this week. NF brings his second song to the countdown with his new single Lie. So, I can say that the song is a step up from its predecessor. The difference here is that it doesn’t having the annoying chipmunk voice. It’s just NF singing. I do like the piano work here somewhat. The lyrical content here is good for the most part. What it talks about is someone just simply not being honest in a relationship. Overall, it’s a pretty good song. Though it may not stick with me in the long run, I’m alright with seeing this one gain some ground.

I Don’t Wanna Fight Tonight, I’ma Let Blurbs Be Right
– We’ll begin with our one exit. We would like to say good-bye to Finesse. And with no new Bruno Mars singles coming soon, that means that the 24K Magic era has come to a close. It all goes back to the fall of 2016 when Bruno made his comeback with the title track from the album, and then the next year we had That’s What I Like which was one of his biggest hits for 2017. Though Versace On The Floor didn’t take off, we did have Finesse which brings back the new jack swing sound I fell in love with back then. I’ll be grieving for its departure while I wait to see what he has in store soon. Farewell, Finesse. You will be missed.

– New Rules is still going strong here on this countdown even though it has faded elsewhere. Question is: can this song possibly last a year on the countdown? Only time will tell on that.

– Remind Me To Forget makes a big jump in its second week of its tenure. Sounds like people are starting to embrace Kygo after It Ain’t Me became a huge hit for him last year. I hoping this one will follow suit.

– Before introducing Don’t Go Breaking My Heart, Ryan Seacrest mentioned that the Backstreet Boys are going on a tour soon. Wow, I’ll bet people are going to be crazy about them again, just like they did back when they were still popular. That aside, it’s nice to see this one gain some momentum as it enters the Top 20 this week.

– Before introducing Better Now, Ryan Seacrest mentioned that Post Malone doesn’t really make the music and that he just sings. Let me guess, he has people who knows what sounds good to the audience. With his recent singles having been successful, I guess they know what they’re doing.

– It’s about time that Never Be The Same has dropped out of the Top 10. I’m hoping it leaves the countdown soon, but it’ll probably hang around for a long while and slowly continue its descent.

– Again, I’m probably one of the few people around here that still really likes The Middle, even though some people will disagree. I’m glad this was a #1 hit here. Too bad it’s no longer in the Top 5. It was fun while it lasted.

– Before introducing In My Blood, Ryan Seacrest mentioned that fans of Shawn Mendes are planning on doing something special for his birthday, which is actually coming up next month. Whatever they do for him, I’m sure it’s going to be very nice. Shawn would definitely appreciate that.

– Delicate entering the Top 5 isn’t much of a surprise given that the song is still going strong, at least somewhat. I certainly wouldn’t mind it hitting #1 in the near future. It’s not Taylor’s best by any means, but it’s still a good song that basically reminds me of some of her songs from 1989.

– On that note, this is the second week in a row in which we have a new #1 song, and a great one at that! No Tears Left To Cry has taken the well-deserved spot that I was waiting for! It’s probably one of her best lead singles for an album since Problem. Ariana has been a favorite of mine ever since, so I’m glad the song was able to take the top spot this week!

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Fake Love by BTS
• I’m A Mess by Bebe Rexha
• Nevermind by Dennis Lloyd

Extras/Optional Extras:

• IDGAF by Dua Lipa
• What Do You Mean? by Justin Bieber
• Rude by Magic!
• Let Me by ZAYN
• Work From Home by Fifth Harmony featuring Ty Dolla $ign
• Shut Up And Dance by Walk The Moon
• Done For Me by Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani
• 1-800-273-8255 by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid

Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:
20. I Like Me Better by Lauv
19. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
18. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
17. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello

1 – Bad:
16. I Like It by Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin

2 – Mediocre
:None!

3 – Decent:
15. Better Now by Post Malone
14. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B.
13. Alone by Halsey featuring Big Sean & Stefflon Don

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great:
12. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes
11. Nice For What by Drake
10. Sit Next To Me by Foster The People
9. Mine by Bazzi
8. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani
7. Delicate by Taylor Swift
6. Back To You by Selena Gomez
5. Growing Pains by Alessia Cara
4. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
3. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
TIE: 1. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa
TIE: 1. Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Backstreet Boys

Total Score: 75/100 = 75% (C)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Fantasy by Mariah Carey (1995)

Most Missed Song: Into You by Ariana Grande

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Jumpsuit by TWENTY ØNE PILØTS

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay (#11)

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Backstreet Boys
TIE: 1. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa
3. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande
4. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
5. Growing Pains by Alessia Cara

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. I Like Me Better by Lauv
2. All Night by Big Boi
3. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie 
4. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
5. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Glorious by Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey: Macklemore’s big return also helped gave Skylar Grey a brief presence. Almost everything about this is just amazing, and we got to hear what Skylar is really capable of with her voice. Plus, the lyrics talking about wanting to start again is just mesmerizing on every level.
The Way I Are (Dance With Somebody) by Bebe Rexha featuring Lil’ Wayne: I’d say this is one of Bebe’s more decent songs. Only problem I have is that I’m not huge on Lil’ Wayne’s contribution. But I’ll certainly take this over Meant To Be any day.

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin – Familiar (–15)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Hundred Handed – Too Good (+18)

New Entrants
– Hailee Steinfeld left the countdown last week when Let Me Go made its departure. It was the first time that a song from her was not on the countdown, meaning that her almost two-year run came to an end. But one week off the countdown was too much in Hits 1’s eyes, as they seem to be fond of Hailee Steinfeld for sometime, what with songs such as Starving and Let Me Go having successful runs on this countdown. While she doesn’t seem to have any solo music coming anytime soon, she is collaborating with MNEK in his single titled Colour. The last time we saw MNEK was when he was collaborating with Zara Larsson in Never Forget You, which was a huge favorite among the blogging community and YouTube critics alike, and mine as well. But sadly, we would never hear from those two rising artists since that song became a hit. Zara Larsson released a few singles but never really had another hit, while MNEK himself was virtually non-existent for most of last year. Fast forward to today, and he’s back at making music. Now, onto the song. Colour basically talks about a relationship in which before someone came along and helped them saw colors all around, everything around him/her was black and white. I think what it means is that things were boring before someone came and made everything fun to that someone. There’s quite a lot I like about this. First off, MNEK does well with his vocals. I do like how he can hit the high notes in the chorus. Hailee Steinfeld shines throughout the song as well. Yeah, it’s a great collaboration between the two artists.

– Look, I may not be the biggest fan of Post Malone in terms of his music. But I’ll go ahead and admit that he does have some good music. Songs such as Candy Paint are one of the best off of his latest album and I do hope that it’s released as a single soon. Right now, he has his second song making its debut on the countdown with Better Now. When I first talked about Havana when it first came around, I initially didn’t like that song in large part because I was simply getting tired of Camila Cabello and I was not looking forward to any new music from her at that time. The same can be said for Post Malone. If you’ve been following my blog, then I’m sure you probably know by now that I simply had a strong disliking towards his music, mainly because it sounded like some of the generic hip-hop/trap songs that have no meaning whatsoever, which is why my opinions on Congratulations, Rockstar and Psycho are negative. But after hearing Better Now, I feel like he’s improving just a little bit. Sure, I’m not too big on the production. But in terms of his vocals, he sounds a little more energetic, especially when he sings the chorus. I’m still mixed on the song right now, but it’s possible that I may find this decent.

– We have a newcomer making her very first debut on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown. Madison Beer has a song titled Home With You from her EP, As She Pleases. I won’t really go in detail about this one as not very much is known about Madison Beer. I do like pretty much everything about this. Madison shows that she does have good vocals throughout the song. The production here isn’t necessarily the best, but it’s decent enough to make it listenable. Looking at the lyrical content of the song, it basically is her telling someone that she does not want to go home with them and that she wants them to respect her. Overall, it’s a good first impression for the most part.

– Finally, we have the return of TWENTY ØNE PILØTS! These two guys (John Dun and Tyler Joseph) have dominated 2016 with songs such as Stressed Out, Ride, and Heathens becoming huge hits. Here on Hits 1, they had the #1 song of 2016 with Stressed Out. That one is a huge favorite of mine and it’ll always hold a special place in my heart, mainly because that song is something that everyone can relate to. Their success pretty much fizzled out in 2017 after Heavydirtysoul sadly didn’t take off, in large part because by that point, everyone had gotten tired of them. Some were wondering what do they have next as they waited for about a year or so to hear any new music from them. This week, they make their comeback with a brand new single, which is titled Jumpsuit. It has strong rock vibes that get me going. Their singles from Blurryface were a little more pop-friendly. But in Jumpsuit, they decided to lean towards heavy rock. We get some nice vocals from Tyler, and towards the end after the bridge we hear him yelling in the chorus as the production starts kicking in. Simply put, this is a great comeback single for TWENTY ØNE PILØTS overall. They had also released another new song called Nico And The Niners. That one I like as well. But I’m really enjoying Jumpsuit right now. It’ll be interesting to see how well it does on the countdown.

Best Debut Of The Week: TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Jumpsuit

Blurbsuit, Blurbsuit, Cover Me
– We’ll begin with our exits as always. First off, the departure of Him & I was expected. It had quite a nice run here. I didn’t really care that much for Fake Friends. I am saddened by the exit from These Days. I feel like that one deserved better than what it got. Finally, New Rules has left us for the second time (this time for good). It was nice having this song around while it lasted. Although it didn’t have the success here on Hits 1, it was bigger elsewhere and Dua Lipa got a huge hit. New Rules will be missed by me.

– We had quite a few big drops this week. The big drops from Rich and I Like Me Better are pleasing to see. However, I’m not thrilled about the big drop from Familiar. Looks like that one won’t be sticking around after all.

– We also had a big drop from Done For Me. It’s sad to see that this song is basically done elsewhere. I was hoping that one would become a bigger hit than it is. But I guess not.

– Too Good took a rather surprising jump all the way close to the Top 20 this week. It’s definitely an enjoyable song with some groovy throwback vibes, I would like for the song to go higher.

– Before introducing Let You Me Right, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Meghan Trainor is planning on having a winter wedding. Oh, boy. I wonder where will she be planning on going? The North Pole, perhaps?

– Before introducing On The Loose, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Niall Horan would stop any performance at a concert if somebody were to get hurt. I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t want anything to happen to anybody because he loves his fan base. It’s nice that there’s someone who will do anything for his fans.

– Along with Too Good, we also had some big jumps from last week’s debuts. The Last Of The Real Ones and Don’t Go Breaking My Heart made their way into the Top 20. I enjoy these songs very much, so they’re definitely welcome in that region.

– Honesty, I think I may be the only person here that still really likes The Middle, even though it’s been in the Top 5 for seemingly forever.

– So, High Hopes swapped places with Say Amen (Saturday Night) to enter the Top 5. I’m pretty certain this will be #1 at some point in time. I’ll be waiting.

– On that note, In My Blood holds the #1 spot this week, which means that it’s the first time (I believe) that the same artist that had the #1 this week one year ago hits #1 today. Shawn Mendes is one of the few artists to do this, so congrats to him!

Hit-Bound:

• Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess
• Charlie Puth – The Way I Am (DEBUT)
• Brown & Gray – Top Down
• Imagine Dragons – Natural (DEBUT)
• Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind
• Big Boi – All Night
• The Chainsmokers featuring Drew Love – Somebody
• lovelytheband – Broken
• Julia Michaels featuring Trippie Redd – Jump
• Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman (DEBUT)
• Train featuring Cam and Travie McCoy – Call Me Sir
• Justin Timberlake – SoulMate
• Dan + Shay – Tequila
• Years & Years – If You’re Over Me (DEBUT)
• BTS – Fake Love

– Now with Done For Me being done elsewhere, Charlie Puth has another new single from Voicenotes, by the name of The Way I Am. Once again, Charlie Puth does well with the production and the vocals overall. I do like the lyrics. I’ll have more about this when it inevitably debuts.

– Imagine Dragons have just recently released a new single titled Natural. Right off the bat, it’s a enjoyable song. Dan Reynolds shows off his vocals a little more. I’ll talk more about this if it debuts.

– Up next, we have Ariana Grande with her new single titled God Is A Woman, from her upcoming album Sweetener. This song is just amazing. I’ll simply leave it at that.

– Finally, we have Years & Years with a new single titled If You’re Over Me. Not too much I can say about this one. The vocals are enjoyable and I kinda like the production. We’ll see if it debuts.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman
2. Dan + Shay – Tequila
3. Brown & Gray – Top Down
4. Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess
5. Charlie Puth – The Way I Am 

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
20. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends

1 – Bad:
19. Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
18. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You 

4 – Good:
17. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know

5 – Great:
16. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me 
15. Niall Horan – On The Loose
14. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
13. Taylor Swift – Delicate
12. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
11. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
10. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
9. Selena Gomez – Back To You
8. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
7. Dua Lipa – IDGAF
6. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones
5. Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right
4. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
3. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
2. Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss

Overall Grade: 89/100 = 89% (B+)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Linkin Park – In The End (2001) (One year since Chester Bennington passed)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Ed Sheeran – Don’t

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Sia – Elastic Heart

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Halsey featuring Lauren Jauregui – Strangers

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#5)

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Jumpsuit
TIE: 1. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
3. Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
4. The Wrecks – James Dean
5. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Lauv – I Like Me Better
2. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
3. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
4. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
5. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
All Time Low – Good Times: The band has some memorable songs that I like. Sure, the premise for this one is good, but not quite something I can enjoy in the big picture.
Fall Out Boy – Champion: A step up from a disaster that was Young And Menance. This song definitely reminded me of the Fall Out Boy we know and love.
DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts: One of DJ Khaled’s best of last year. I love the electric guitar solo after the chorus. And I should mention that the song uses a sample from Maria Maria, which I hated.

QOTW: What is your favorite guilty pleasure song and why?

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Wait by Maroon 5 (–3)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Better Now by Post Malone (+12)

New Entrants
– The return of Meghan Trainor is something that people aren’t thrilled about, but I’m not among them. I was hoping her next single, Let You Be Right, would make its debut and it did this week. I discussed this song in full detail when it debuted on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown. This song is a step up from her predecessor No Excuses in pretty much every way. Meghan sounds amazing from start to finish in terms of her vocals. The production here has improved overall. I love the lyrics for the most part. Basically, it talks about not wanting to start a fight with someone and wanting to get along. Overall, Let You Be Right is one of the highlights from her upcoming album Treat Myself, which comes out next month. Hopefully, this song can be successful.

– We have newcomer Bryce Vine who makes his first appearance on the countdown. His debut single is named Drew Barrymore. I’m quite surprised that he chose the name of the actress for his new song. Anyway, I don’t really have too much to say about this one. Judging by the first listen, the song is okay for the most part. I’m not really big on his vocals. I do however think the production is pretty decent all around. So yeah, while not a bad song, it’s not something I’ll come back to in about a year. Maybe I’ll need to listen to the song more. My opinion may change. We’ll see.

– Last year, Kygo came out with a #1 song here on the AT40 with It Ain’t Me (with Selena Gomez). He makes his return this week with his latest called Remind Me To Forget, which features vocals from Miguel. Right off the bat, Kygo has managed to impress me again as a EDM artist in terms of the production. I do like Miguel’s vocals for the most part. I think he shines pretty much throughout the song. I don’t have too much else to say beyond that. Overall, it’s a great song.

Remind Me To Blurb
– So, we lost three really good songs this week. Familiar was not destined to last a long time here. It’s kinda sad to see one of Liam’s better songs flop. Done For Me dropped out relatively quickly after that big drop last week. It’s a shame to not see this one become successful as Charlie Puth’s two predecessors, both of which were in the Top 3. Finally, IDGAF by Dua Lipa surprisingly left from a very high position at #14. If I’m correct, this is probably the highest drop-off from the countdown ever. Dang!

– We’ve finally got a good #1 song for the first time in about two months! Mine by Bazzi has taken over the top spot this week. The song itself may be short, but there are some good things I like about. So yeah, it’s nice to see the song catch on.

– However, we have I Like Me Better continuing its slow rise in the Top 10. Who the heck is still supporting this song?! Almost everything about this is just bad all around. It needs to drop like right now.

– Girls Like You makes its inevitable entry into the Top 10. Since that one is still gaining across the board, I can tell you right now that it’s going to stay in that region for quite a long time.

– Better Now makes a big jump this week into the Top 20. I’ll admit that the song has slightly grown on me, but I’m still not necessarily a fan of Post Malone in general. I have a feeling that one is going to stick around just like his two predecessors.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Fake Love by BTS
• Lie by NF
• I’m A Mess by Bebe Rexha

Extras/Optional Extras:

• Talk Dirty by Jason Derulo featuring 2 Chainz
• Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
• Cheap Thrills by Sia featuring Sean Paul
• Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug
• Don’t by Ed Sheeran
• Wolves by Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello
• Tattoo (How ‘Bout You) by In Real Life
• Stressed Out by TWENTY ØNE PILØTS
• How Long by Charlie Puth

Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:
20. I Like Me Better by Lauv
19. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
18. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
17. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello

1 – Bad:
16. Wait by Maroon 5
15. I Like It by Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin

2 – Mediocre:
14. Better Now by Post Malone

3 – Decent:
13. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B.
12. Alone by Halsey featuring Big Sean & Stefflon Don

4 – Good:
11. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes

5 – Great:
10. Nice For What by Drake
9. Sit Next To Me by Foster The People
8. Mine by Bazzi
7. Delicate by Taylor Swift
6. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani
5. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons
4. Back To You by Selena Gomez
3. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
2. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa

Total Score: 65/100 = 65% (D)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: In The End by Linkin Park (2001)

Most Missed Song: Teenage Dream by Katy Perry

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Jumpsuit by TWENTY ØNE PILØTS

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay (#6)

My Top 5 Picks
1. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa
2. Let You Be Right by Meghan Trainor
3. Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Backstreet Boys
4. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.
5. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. I Like Me Better by Lauv
2. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
3. All Night by Big Boi
4. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
5. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Unforgettable by French Montana featuring Swae Lee: I’d say this is probably one of the few enjoyable songs of last year. Again, those who like this can explain it better. But yeah I’d say French Montana did a nice job of impressing me with this one.
1-800-273-8255 by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid: This song is definitely something we can relate to. I remember the song becoming more of a presence since the passing of Linkin Park’s very own Chester Bennington. It really took off after the mesmerizing performance at the MTV Awards. Yeah, there’s plenty I like about this.

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Bazzi – Mine (–12)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me (+9)

New Entrants
– For those who don’t know Alessia Cara, she made a breakthrough with Here back in 2015, and thus would be the beginning of her being quite a mainstay in the music scene with subsequent singles such as Scars To Your Beautiful and her feature in Zedd’s single Stay, both of which were hits back in 2017. Today, she’s looking to keep things going as her new single, Growing Pains, makes its debut on the countdown this week. Let me just say that Alessia has been impressive to me with pretty much every release. Growing Pains is no exception. There’s plenty of things I like about this. The production here is well done throughout. She shines in basically every aspect of the song, both with her vocals and in the chorus. The song reminds me of Wild Things, the only difference being is that it was a little more fast-paced than this song. Overall, Alessia has done well to impress me once again. Yet despite me thinking very highly of the song, this is not the best debut of the week, as you’ll soon find out.

– Fall Out Boy’s latest album, MANIA, has been quite an interesting one, what with trying new things in the awful Young And Menace and the rather solid Hold Me Tight Or Don’t. Their new single, The Last Of The Real Ones, is probably the best song off of the album. Much like I talked about with Champion last year, this is definitely the Fall Out Boy that we know and love. I love the piano work. And then making the song better is the rock vibes that kick in with the awesome chorus. It’s more fast-paced than its predecessor. I love the vocals from Patrick Stump. He shines in pretty much every aspect of the song. Simply put, this is definitely a highlight off of MANIA.

– It was the late 90’s when the Backstreet Boys rose to prominence. They had songs such as I Want It That Way and Larger Than Life which I fell in love with back in the day. But they’re probably best known for the song Everybody (Backstreet’s Back), which first got me interested in these guys. Fast forward to today, we have the guys AJ McLean, Nick Carter, Howie D, Kevin Richardson, and Brian Littrell make their comeback with their brand new single titled Don’t Go Breaking My Heart. First off, I absolutely love the lyrical content here. It talks about not being heartbroken in a relationship and this is something we all can relate to. As for the rest of the song itself, everything about it is just magical in every sense of the word. The EDM-based production is top notch across the board, plus the piano work is just great. I love the vocals from Nick and AJ. So yeah, this is easily the best debut of the week. It’s really nice to have the Backstreet Boys back!

Best Debut Of The Week: Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart

I Blurb It That Way
– Let’s begin with our exits. First off, Thunder ends it’s long tenure here. I’m sure there will be some people who are bidding good riddance to that song, while there are others who like the song will miss it. As for myself, I can say that I was ready for it to leave for some time. Both Let Me Go and Havana will be missed by me, however. The departure of Let Me Go means that this is the first time that we do not have a song from Hailee Steinfeld since September 10, 2016. Talk about an incredible run. Goodbye, Let Me Go. It’s been a fun ride.

– Before introducing Him & I, Spyder Harrison mentioned that the reason G-Eazy and Halsey broke up was because that G-Eazy himself cheated. Oh boy, looks like he is somewhere scratching his head wondering why he would cheat on Halsey. I’ll bet that triggered a rather unexpected break-up.

– Bazzi – Mine took quite a big drop this week out of the Top 30. I’m not too heartbroken about this since it was successful elsewhere. But it goes to show how Hits 1 underrates some of the biggest songs in the country.

– Spyder Harrison mentioned during the introduction for Familiar that Liam’s gaming addiction was the reason why his relationship with Cheryl turned sour. Heh, I guess video games is all he seems to care about. Sure, he continues to make music, but I wonder will he get a job as a video game developer?

– So, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Cardi B. gave birth to a new girl this week. Congratulations to her!

– I had thought High Hopes would make a jump into the Top 5 quickly given how many times I heard that song as Most Wutchuwanted throughtout the week. But I was wrong. Say Amen (Saturday Night) is still up there, while this jumped only a spot to #11. Maybe next week, it’ll probably change. I don’t know yet.

– Before introducing Youngblood, Spyder Harrison mentioned that their favorite things to do as a band are yoga and playing Fortnite. They seem to find time to balance exercise and playing that game. I’ll bet Liam Payne is taking some notes from them, heh.

– So, In My Blood is our new #1 this week. I would say this was rather unexpected, given that it’s declining elsewhere. But this is Hits 1, and they love some Shawn Mendes, so I figured this would happen. I’m definitely cool with it, though. It’s not as good as There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back, but I find myself enjoying it at times.

Hit-Bound:

• Julia Michaels featuring Trippie Redd – Jump
• Justin Timberlake – SoulMate (DEBUT)
• lovelytheband – Broken
• Dan + Shay – Tequila
• Big Boi – All Night
• Madison Beer – Home With You
• Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess
• Train featuring Cam and Travie McCoy – Call Me Sir
• MNEK featuring Hailee Steinfeld – Colour
• The Chainsmokers featuring Drew Love – Somebody (DEBUT)
• Brown & Gray – Top Down (DEBUT)
• Post Malone – Better Now
• Cole Redding – Father Father
• BTS – Fake Love
• Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind

– We have Justin Timberlake with a new single that just recently came out, by the name of SoulMate. When compared to Say Something from earlier this year, this one is only okay to me. I’m not too big on Justin’s vocals for the most part. I’ll have more on this when it debuts.

– Next, The Chainsmokers make their return by collaborating with Drew Love in their single titled Love Somebody. I talked about this when it was on the YouTube 15 a couple months back. While it’s only a little bit of a step up from Everybody Hates Me, it still shows that The Chainsmokers have lost their ability to stand out. Drew’s vocals are good throughout the song, though. I may have it in blue for now, but it could change.

– Finally, we have a new country duo making their appearance on Hit-Bound this week. Brown & Gray have their very first single titled Top Down. It’s one of the more enjoyable country songs we’ve had all year, along with Tequila. Their vocals are good and I like the production. Not much else to say after that.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Dan + Shay – Tequila
2. MNEK featuring Hailee Steinfeld – Colour
3. Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess
4. Madison Beer – Home With You
5. Brown & Gray – Top Down

YouTube 15:

• Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It
• Youngr – Lost In Translation
• Jonas Blue featuring Joe Jonas – I See Love
• Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
• Halsey featuring Lauren Jauregui – Strangers
• Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
• Jax Jones featuring Mabel and Rich The Kid – Ring Ring
• Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
• Lil’ Dicky featuring Chris Brown – Freaky Friday
• Selena Gomez – Back To You
• Khalid featuring Ty Dolla $ign and 6lack – OTW
• Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You
• Jonas Blue featuring Jack & Jack – Rise
• Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
• Pitbull featuring Theron Theron – Free Free Free

– We have a bunch of new songs to talk about. First, Youngr has a new single titled Lost In Translation. Not too much I can say about this one. I’m not all that big on his vocals, though I do like how he can sing in a different language. The production here is decent, so I’ll give him that.

– Jonas Blue has two new songs on the YouTube 15 this week. First off, he has a new single with Joe Jonas titled I See Love, which is taken from the Hotel Transylvania 3 movie soundtrack. Right off the bat, it’s definitely an enjoyable song all around. Joe shows off his great vocals all throughout. I love the work Jonas Blue has done here in terms of the production. Overall, it’s a great song.

– Next up, Halsey is collaborating with former Fifth Harmony member Lauren Jauregui in probably her best single from Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, which is titled Strangers. Pretty much everything about the song is divine across the board. The production here is better than that of Alone and Bad At Love on every level. Both Halsey’s and Lauren’s vocals stand out for the entire song. I do hope this can be a huge hit.

– Jax Jones has yet another new song trending on the YouTube 15 this week. This time, he has a new single titled Ring Ring, which features Mabel and Rich The Kid. Right off the bat, I’m not too big on the production here. I do kinda like Mabel’s vocals throughout the song. However, I feel like more could’ve been done. I did enjoy its predecessor while it was on the YouTube 15 for several months. But this one…not as much. Jax Jones has had better.

– While Love Lies is starting to catch on elsewhere, Khalid has another new single in its stead. He is collaborating with Ty Dolla $ign and 6lack in his latest titled OTW. Compared to its predecessor, I’m not quite enjoying this one much. Khalid’s vocals are pretty good. But where the song lacks at is the production, which I find to be decent at best. It’s not a bad song overall, but it’s not something I’ll be remembering in a year or so.

– Jonas Blue has his second single here titled Rise, which features Jack & Jack. While it’s not quite as good as I See Love, this one is still pretty solid. Again, Jonas Blue does pretty well as a EDM artist, and I like the vocals. That’s all I have for this song right now.

– Finally, we have Pitbull who is collaborating with Theron Theron in his latest single titled Free Free Free. I think this is one of the more enjoyable songs from Pitbull. Again, he shows that he’s a pretty good rapper. The production here is great, and I like Theron’s vocals. So yeah, I do like this overall.

– The music video for Girls Like You is pretty interesting, mainly because it features celebrities such as Camila Cabello, Rita Ora, and Ellen DeGeneres, among others. That’s the biggest reason why the song is trending right now. Personally, I think the music video for Sugar where they crashed the wedding is the best, along with their parody of Pokémon Go in the music video for Don’t Wanna Know.

My Top 5 YouTube 15 Picks
1. Halsey featuring Lauren Jauregui – Strangers
2. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
3. Selena Gomez – Back To You
4. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
5. Jonas Blue featuring Joe Jonas – I See Love

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
20. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
19. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be

1 – Bad:
18. Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It

2 – Mediocre:
17. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You 

3 – Decent:
16. Halsey – Alone

4 – Good:
15. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know

5 – Great:
14. Niall Horan – On The Loose
13. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
12. Taylor Swift – Delicate
11. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
10. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me
9. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
8. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
7. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me
6. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me
5. Selena Gomez – Back To You
4. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
3. Dua Lipa – IDGAF
2. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry

Overall Grade: 81/100 = 81% (B–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Backstreet Boys – I Want It That Way (1999)

Most Missed Countdown Song: M83 – Midnight City

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: PRETTYMUCH – Would You Mind

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#3)

My Top 5 Picks
1. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
2. Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
3. The Wrecks – James Dean
4. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
5. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
2. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
3. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
4. Lauv – I Like Me Better
5. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Childish Gambino – Redbone: I can understand why some people here dislike the song, mainly because of the strange vocals throughout the song. I remember hating this one too for the same reason. But after a while, I realized that this kind of music that reminded me of the classic soul music was just too good to resist.
Bruno Mars – Versace On The Floor: A nice, calm song in which Bruno shows a great display of raw vocal talent. Though they did play the remix with David Guetta, it kills the purpose of the song, which is meant to be slow.

QOTW: TWENTY ØNE PILØTS are back with two new songs: Jumpsuit and Nico And The Niners. Which of these is your favorite and why?

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Done For Me by Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani (–7)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: I Like It by Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin (+9)

New Entrants
– Okay, so we’re cleaning house this week have four new songs making their debut. To start, we have Nicki Minaj with her latest new single titled Bed. She collaborates with Ariana yet again. They did recently release The Light Is Coming. It seems to me like these two make a great duo. Anyway, onto the song itself. This one is only okay for the most part. There’s really not a whole lot going on in terms of the production, which I find to be a little underwhelming. Ariana’s vocals are nice, but doesn’t really stand out too much throughout the song. Personally, I’d say that The Light Is Coming is slightly better than this and I would prefer it over this. But those types of songs are often overlooked. While it’s not a bad song overall, it’s not something I’ll be coming back to in about a year or so. Ariana and Nicki have done better.

– Jennifer Lopez makes her return this week with a song that she performed at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards. She collaborates with DJ Khaled and Carid B. in the song called Dinero. I talked about this song briefly while it was grading the performance, which I wasn’t very fond of at all. The song on its own isn’t that good either. The production here is just bad all around. I found out that “dinero” means “money” in Spanish. This song basically talks about how they want it. I don’t know about you, but this is the kind of stuff that doesn’t appeal to me whatsoever. J-Lo herself doesn’t sound good in the song. She has virtually no personality when she is singing. Cardi B. does make a decent contribution. But she couldn’t save the song unfortunately. Jennifer Lopez has done much better in the past. Hopefully, it won’t last long.

– Next, we have a new artist whose name is Madison Beer. She makes her debut with the song, Home With You. There’s really not too much I can say about this one. One thing that I like about it is that Madison does have good vocals throughout the song. The lyrical content in the song is pretty good. While the production isn’t necessarily the best, at least its decent to some degree. So yeah, I do like the song overall.

– We have Alessia Cara making her return this week. This time, she has a new single titled Growing Pains. The last time we saw her was when she was collaborating with Zedd in one of their biggest hits of 2017 with Stay, which was liked by some but pretty much turned on it near the end. Growing Pains is definitely the type of song that I’d like to hear from Alessia. It may sound like I’m biased in large part because I fell in love with most of her music, such as Here and Scars To Your Beautiful. But let me be honest: she hasn’t disappointed me yet, and this song shows that she clearly has talent with her vocals. I love the chorus and the production here is rock solid. When hearing the song, it pretty much reminds me of her other single Wild Things, except it was a little more fast paced in comparison. Overall, the song is enjoyable. I hope it sticks around.

Best Debut Of The Week: Growing Pains by Alessia Cara

‘Cause Growing Blurbs Are Keeping Me Up At Night
– Let’s begin with our exits. First off, Everyday dropped out of the countdown after that big drop this week. It’s a shame that we let songs such as Friends become hits, and not this particular song. I feel like it deserves much better. Tattoo (How ‘Bout You) leaving wasn’t a surprise at all given that In Real Life aren’t well known. Let Me by ZAYN is one I didn’t care too much about in the big picture. The one exit that stands out to me is Havana, which is Camila’s biggest hit. It was one in which Camila improved on her vocals and it was definitely something I got into. While some may find you old right now, it’s still fresh for me. Good-bye Havana, you will not be forgotten.

– Before introducing Perfect, Ryan Seacrest mentioned that Ed Sheeran was planning to do a live performance for his fans. I’m sure he has such a huge fan base that he’d probably want someone to build a bigger stadium. I’ll bet he’ll have a good performance.

– It’s very disappointing to see Done For Me dropping big this week. This is Charlie Puth’s best song on the album and it’s not getting the success it deserves. Looks like that one will not stick around for long, unfortunately. 

– Before introducing Back To You, Ryan Seacrest mentioned that Selena Gomez would like to return to television someday. I remember when she was the star in Wizards Of Waverly Place. I watched that show a lot back in the day and it was one of my favorites. I do hope that whatever role she takes, it’ll turn out well.

– Ryan Seacrest mentioned during the introduction for The Middle that Zedd loves using computers to help him get through the day. I mean, I don’t blame him. A lot of people nowadays rely on computers for basically everything they do in their lives. I’m willing to bet that he may get a job working on computers someday.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Let You Be Right by Meghan Trainor
• Fake Love by BTS
• Drew Barrymore by Bryce Vine

Extras/Optional Extras:

• Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage
• Rockabye by Clean Bandit featuring Sean Paul and Anne-Marie
• Believer by Imagine Dragons
• Pray by Sam Smith featuring Logic
• Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande
• Slow Hands by Niall Horan
• On The Loose by Niall Horan
• Attention by Charlie Puth

Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:
20. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
19. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
18. I Like Me Better by Lauv
17. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello

1 – Bad:
16. Wait by Maroon 5
15. I Like It by Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin

2 – Mediocre:
14. God’s Plan by Drake
13. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B.

3 – Decent:
12. Alone by Halsey featuring Big Sean & Stefflon Don

4 – Good:
11. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes

5 – Great:
10. Mine by Bazzi
9. Delicate by Taylor Swift
8. Nice For What by Drake
7. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani
6. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons
5. Back To You by Selena Gomez
4. IDGAF by Dua Lipa
3. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa
2. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande

Total Score: 64/100 = 64% (D)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis (2007)

Most Missed Song: Break Free by Ariana Grande featuring Zedd

#1 Recommendations For The American Top 40: Jumpsuit by TWENTY ØNE PILØTS and God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This

My Top 5 Picks
1. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande
2. Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Backstreet Boys
3. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.
4. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
5. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
2. All Night by Big Boi
3. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
4. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
5. I Like Me Better by Lauv

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Most Girls by Hailee Steinfeld: This was quite an interesting single, especially since it was about female empowerment. Sure, it’s not the best Hailee Steinfeld has offered, but it was something worthwhile.
Feels by Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell, Katy Perry, and Big Sean: Honestly, I think this is Calvin Harris’s best of the two singles he released last year. The new groovy sound he was going for turned out well for him. The addition of Katy Perry was a good one, especially since she makes an amazing contribution to the song.

• Imagine Dragons – Thunder (5 Weeks Total; 2 Weeks in 2017, 3 Weeks in 2018)
• Ed Sheeran – Perfect (2 Weeks Total; 1 in 2017, 1 in 2018)
• Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran and Future – End Game (1 Week)
• Charlie Puth – How Long (2 Weeks)
• Macklemore featuring Kesha – Good Old Days (1 Week)
• Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (9 Weeks)
• Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt – Let Me Go (1 Week)
• Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be (1 Week)
• Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same (1 Week)
• 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back (1 Week)
• Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes (1 Week)
• Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) (4 Weeks)

• Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug – Havana (7 Weeks Total; 3 in 2017, 4 in 2018)
• Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé – Perfect (2 Weeks)
• Dua Lipa – New Rules (4 Weeks)
• NF – Let You Down (2 Weeks)
• G-Eazy featuring Halsey – Him & I (1 Week)
• Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix) (2 Weeks)
• Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (4 Weeks)
• Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same (5 Weeks)
• Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla Sign – Psycho (2 Weeks)

Smallest “Biggest Rise Of The Of The Week”:
Halsey featuring Big Sean and Stefflon Don – Alone [+3] (May 5, 2018)
Shawn Mendes – In My Blood [+3] (May 5, 2018)
Lauv – I Like Me Better [+3] (May 5, 2018)

Biggest “Biggest Fall Of The Week”:
Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran and Future – End Game [–18] (March 10, 2018)

Biggest “Biggest Rise Of The Week”:
Shawn Mendes – In My Blood [+15] (April 21, 2018)

Smallest Combined Biggest Movers:
MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low and Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (9 Spots; April 28, 2018)

Biggest Combined Biggest Movers:
Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran and Future – End Game and Drake – God’s Plan (30 Spots; March 10, 2018)

Highest Debut Of The Year:
Justin Timberlake – Filthy (#20) (January 27, 2018)

Lowest Debut Of The Year:
Lauv – I Like Me Better (#40) (January 13, 2018)
Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same (#40) (January 20, 2018)
P!NK – Beautiful Trauma (#40) (February 10, 2018)
Troye Sivan – My My My! (#40) (February 17, 2018)
Fall Out Boy – Hold Me Tight Or Don’t (#40) (March 10, 2018)
Niall Horan – On The Loose (#40) (March 31, 2018)
Alice Merton – No Roots (#40) (April 14, 2018)
ZAYN – Let Me (#40) (May 19, 2018)
G-Eazy featuring Charlie Puth – Sober (#40) (June 16, 2018)

And that’s all I have for this post. It took me a while to be able to put this together, but I’ve finally finished it. This has been a post in which is basically about how 2018 has shaped up so far. I’ll be posting something similar to this in December, but I’ll be including more stuff. As always, I’d like to say thank you for taking the time to read this. I would love to hear your feedback in the comments section below. I hope you guys have a good week and I’ll see you all later this weekend!

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Everyday by Logic featuring Marshmello (–16)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. (+8)

New Entrants
– We have two new songs entering the countdown this week. First off, Enrique Iglesias makes his return along with Pitbull with their new single, by the name of Move To Miami. They last had a song called Messin’ Around back in 2016, which was hated by some but I didn’t really mind too much. As for their new single, I can say it’s a bit of a step up from that song. One of the best things I can say about this is Pitbull, in which he shows that he’s a good rapper. Enrique himself doesn’t sound too bad either for the most part. It has a latin-based production which sounds good. It’s not their best by any means, but I do like it.

– 5 Seconds Of Summer just recently released their latest album titled Youngblood, which instantly hit #1 on the Billboard 200. So, congrats to them for this achievement. The title track of the song makes its debut this week. I talked about this in detail when it first debuted on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown. For those who haven’t yet, you can check out my full review of the song. This is a good song in terms of the vocals, in which they sound more energetic throughout the song, especially in the chorus. Though, I’m not quite as big on the production, which is a step down from its predecessor. But it’s really the vocals that I like about the song. So yeah, I like this, though it may not stick with me in the long run.

I’m Just A Dead Man Blurbing Tonight
– So, our two exits consist of one song that did well throughout its tenure, and another which was cut short after only two weeks. Pray didn’t deserve to leave us so soon. I was hoping that one could catch on because it’s one of the best that Sam Smith had to offer, but it was just not meant to be. Also, the departure of Bad At Love wasn’t much of a surprise. It was quite a enjoyable song for the most part and we got to hear what Halsey was capable of. While it may not have hit #1 here, at least it had success. That song will be somewhat missed by me.

– Everyday took a massive drop all the way down to #40. Ouch! While I do like the song, I’m not too saddened by the drop given that the song wasn’t too big elsewhere.

– Before introducing Perfect, Bazzi mentioned that Ed Sheeran has been a inspiration to his music. Given that Ed has dominated pretty much all of 2017, I would have to agree with him.

– I’m not surprised about the big jump from Girls Like You given that it’s currently strong in sales at this moment. I’ll admit that the song isn’t nearly as bad after a few more listens, though it’s not quite enough for me to put it in blue. However, what I can say is that it’s better than their recent releases (save for What Lovers Do).

– One of the highlights one this week is that No Tears Left To Cry has made it into the Top 5. I can definitely see this being #1 real soon and I certainly will be happy, given our current #1. Honestly, I prefer this at the top over any other song right now.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Dinero by Jennifer Lopez featuring DJ Khaled and Cardi B.
• Home With You by Madison Beer
• Growing Pains by Alessia Cara

Extras/Optional Extras:

• Clarity by Zedd featuring Foxes
• Whatcha Say by Jason Derulo
• Hey Mama by David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha, and Afrojack
• Give Me Everything by Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo and Afrojack
• There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes
• Diamonds by Rihanna
• Location by Khalid
• Can’t Stop The Feeling! by Justin Timberlake
• No Promises by Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato

Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:
20. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
19. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
18. I Like Me Better by Lauv
17. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello

1 – Bad:
16. Wait by Maroon 5

2 – Mediocre:
15. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B.
14. God’s Plan by Drake

3 – Decent:
None!

4 – Good:
13. Alone by Halsey featuring Big Sean and Stefflon Don

5 – Great:
12. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes
11. Nice For What by Drake
10. Delicate by Taylor Swift
9. Mine by Bazzi
8. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons
7. Back To You by Selena Gomez
6. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar
5. Done For Me by Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani
4. IDGAF by Dua Lipa
3. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa
2. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande

Total Score: 70/100 = 70% (C–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: End Of The Road by Boyz II Men (1992)

Most Missed Song: Good Time by Owl City featuring Carly Rae Jepsen

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Let You Be Right by Meghan Trainor

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back (#12) and Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers (#6)

My Top 5 Picks
1. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande
2. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.
3. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
4. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa
5. Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Backstreet Boys

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
2. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
3. All Night by Big Boi
4. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
5. I Like Me Better by Lauv

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Versace On The Floor by Bruno Mars: It’s one of those slow dance songs that pretty much reminds me of a Michael Jackson song. Bruno definitely displays his raw vocals throughout the song. Too bad that one didn’t really take off. David Guetta did remix the song to make it more radio-friendly, but I’d much prefer the original version, which is slow.
Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller: I’d say this was one of the best that DJ Khaled had to offer last year. It wasn’t until recently that I figured out that the song samples Maria Maria. Pretty much everything about the song rocks, especially the electric guitar.

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho (–16)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (+22)

The Way You Make Me Blurb
– So, G-Eazy and Halsey decided to break up just as I started to think that they on the verge of supposedly becoming the power couple of the year. I guess they were not meant to be together in the long run after all.

– After spending a while in the 20’s, One Foot has finally dropped out of that region. It’s time on the countdown may sadly be coming to an end. At least it did good here, so props to that.

– However, I’m very pleased that Psycho was announced as the Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week this week. Hopefully this time around, it means that it can get out of the countdown soon.

– Before introducing Mine, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Bazzi has a really tiny pet. Wow, I haven’t seen the picture of it yet. But I have a feeling he may hold the record for having the smallest pet of all time.

– Before introducing Familiar, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Liam Payne also broke up with Cheryl. Oh my, I guess Liam is back to looking for a special someone. That said, it’s good to see Familiar enter the Top 20 this week.

– Whoa! High Hopes makes a big jump in its second week. I have a feeling that one is going to stick around for a long while given how much Hits 1 loves Brendon Urie right now. It helps that the hype around their new album is strong. If you haven’t listened to it yet, I highly recommend you check it out.

– We have a couple of new Top 10 entrants this week. I’m not too surprised to see Youngblood already in that region in its fourth week. Like I just mentioned with High Hopes, I have a feeling that one is going to stick around also. Spyder Harrison mentioned during the introduction of the song that one of the members of 5 Seconds Of Summer talked about naming their kids (if they have one) a different name. I wonder what creative names have they come up with? Hmm…

– Selena Gomez – Back To You enters the Top 10 as well, but in addition jumps to the Top 5 this week. Now the question is, can this finally be the #1 song for Selena? I would like to see it happen someday. But I’m just happy that it’s still gaining somewhat.

– And then, we’ve come to our new #1 for this week. I wasn’t too surprised to see Taylor Swift take the crown with Delicate. It’s a good song overall, so I’m cool with it being #1. Taylor has never really been the one to disappoint me with her singles, even though her album slightly pales in comparison to 1989.

Hit-Bound:

• Post Malone – Better Now
• Madison Beer – Home With You
• Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones
• Train featuring Cam and Travie McCoy – Call Me Sir
• MNEK featuring Hailee Steinfeld – Colour
• Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
• Julia Michaels featuring Trippie Redd – Jump
• lovelytheband – Broken
• Alessia Cara – Growing Pains
• Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess
• Big Boi – All Night
• Dan + Shay – Tequila
• Cole Redding – Father Father
• Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind (RE-ENTRY)
• BTS – Fake Love

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
2. Alessia Cara – Growing Pains
3. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones
4. Dan + Shay – Tequila
5. Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
20. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends

1 – Bad:
19. Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It

2 – Mediocre:
18. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You 

3 – Decent:
None!

4 – Good:
17. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know
16. Halsey – Alone

5 – Great:
15. Niall Horan – On The Loose
14. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
13. Taylor Swift – Delicate
12. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
11. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me
10. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
9. Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin – Familiar
8. Selena Gomez – Back To You
7. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me
6. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
5. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
4. Dua Lipa – IDGAF
3. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
TIE: 1. Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right
TIE: 1. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry

Overall Grade: 88/100 = 88% (B+)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Michael Jackson – The Way You Make Me Feel (1987)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Taylor Swift – New Romantics

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: R5 – Smile

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Halsey featuring Lauren Jauregui – Strangers

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#2) and Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back (#1)

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Ariana Grande – no tears left to cry
TIE: 1. Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right
3. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
4. The Wrecks – James Dean
5. Dua Lipa – IDGAF

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
2. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
3. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
4. Lauv – I Like Me Better
5. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
None!

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Bad Wolves – Zombie (–16)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Tie between Cheat Codes featuring U2 – Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way and Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin – Familiar (+8)

New Entrants
– So after a week with no exits, we have five new songs making their debut this week as we continue to do some more house cleaning for the summer. We’ll start off with the return of the country duo Sugarland, who collaborate with Taylor Swift in their new song called Babe. It’s been a long time since we’ve heard from Sugarland, which I think was back in the early 2010’s or so. When it comes to their new song, I think it’s a good song for the most part. Jennifer Needles does well with her vocals, and I like Taylor Swift’s contribution to the song as well. The production here is nicely done. It pretty much reminds me of Taylor’s earlier singles before her 1989 album, when she was still in the country genre. So yeah, it was an interesting collaboration that turned out well. It’s nice to have Sugarland back after so long.

– We have a new band called The Wrecks who make their first appearance on the countdown with the song titled James Dean. There’s plenty to like about this song. Let’s begin with the production, which I found to be excellent on all levels. The rock vibe around it pulls me in. I do like the vocals here overall and the lyrics are pretty well-written. The song pretty much reminds me of I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll from The Arrows. I hear that classic song a lot back in my day, mainly when I watch commercials on TV just waiting for my favorite show to come back on. Those were the good times. Anyway, I love this song and I’m glad to see it graduate from Hit-Bound to the Weekend Countdown. We’ll see how long this one stays.

– With Brendon Urie and Panic! At The Disco hosting both Hit-Bound and the Weekend Countdown this week in celebration of their new album, Pray For The Wicked which recently came out just last week, I figured their latest single High Hopes would make its debut. Having listened to his first two singles he released back in the spring, it gave me a glimpse of what his album would sound like. I predicted it would be upbeat and enjoyable and that’s pretty much what happened. High Hopes is no exception. The song basically talks about having a vision for success and not giving up on one’s dreams. This is definitely something all of us can relate to. We all have goals in our lives and we stop at nothing to be able to achieve them. As for the rest of the song itself, the production here is great for the most part and the vocals are pretty awesome all throughout the song. Brendon Urie mentioned during the introduction of their brand new song that he used a cardboard guitar to play his music. I’ll bet that he probably learned to sing songs that way unlike most people who tend to use the piano. I guess he stands out different than the rest. Anyway, I do have high hopes (no pun intended) that Hits 1 will treat it well just like they’re doing with their current representation, which is still #1.

– I know this is going to be an unpopular opinion to some, but this next debut is one that I was looking forward to since it was released. Back in March, Meghan Trainor made her official return with No Excuses. Not very many people were thrilled about it since they don’t seem to like her music. I myself think the exact opposite, in a way. However, it did take me a while to grow into her earlier singles such as All About That Bass and Lips Are Movin’ when she started to become a presence back in 2014. But since then, her music has been a mixed bag. Songs such as Dear Future Husband, Me Too, and her feature with Charlie Puth in Marvin Gaye were terrible, Like I’m Gonna Lose You was great and NØ lands somewhere in the middle. Nevertheless, that doesn’t stop me from supporting her music. In fact, I like Meghan Trainor like that. This week, she comes in with Let You Be Right, her second single which is called from her upcoming album titled Treat Myself, which comes out in August. I did kinda like No Excuses for the most part, but didn’t quite stick with me in the big picture. Let You Be Right, however, is a whole different story. It’s a huge step up from her predecessor in many other ways. For starters, she sounds amazing with her vocals all throughout the song, and I love the chorus. The lyrical content here is better as well. It basically talks about not wanting to fight while in a relationship with someone. Personally, I think this song shows that Meghan Trainor has steadily improved from Thank You, which was pretty bad. She recently released another song called All The Ways and that one is pretty good, too. But I think Let You Be Right is probably one of the highlights off of Treat Myself. Believe it or not, I’m looking forward to see what she has in store for her upcoming new album. This is a great choice for her second single and I would absolutely love to see this become a hit.

– Finally, with the highest debut of the week, Cardi B. makes her debut with her solo single which is called I Like It. I didn’t really discussed this song in depth too much when it debuted on the American Top 40. But I’ll try to put my best effort on reviewing this one. Now, it’s not that much different when compared to her earlier singles. However, I will say that it is a step up from her singles such as Bodak Yellow (Money Moves), which I despised for the most part. It does have the Latin-based vibe and I tend to get into those type of songs. But frankly, there’s not really a whole lot to like about this one. She sounds pretty annoying in most parts of the song. Hits 1 did edit out Bad Bunny and J. Balvin, but it really doesn’t make too much of difference because I don’t think they contributed to the song. Their verses sound okay, but nothing really stands out. Overall, I’m not much of a fan of the song. But given that the song is doing well in both sales and streaming, I can see this one sticking around for a while.

Best Debut Of The Week: Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right

I Had To Have High Blurbs For A Living
– We’ll begin with our exits. First off, good riddance to Sober Up. That one had been around longer than it should, but I’m glad that it finally left. All I can say is that it’s about time that song left. I’m hoping we don’t hear from AJR again. Let Me didn’t really stick with me, so I was kinda happy about the departure also. That leaves us with three songs. Over My Head I’m a little sad about and I kinda wished the song deserved better. It would be nice if Echosmith had another single waiting in the wings. It’s disappointing to see Pray leave the countdown so soon, only lasting two weeks. Finally, the exit from How Long was expected. It had been here for a while and I’m sure some here are welcomed by this news. As for myself, I do still kinda like it, but I’m alright with it leaving.

– Before introducing Havana, Brendon Urie mentioned that the idea of that song came around while Camila Cabello was eating sushi. I guess she thought about that town when she decided what song she could come up with. I’m sure many other singers have had moments when they were out eating. Maybe they don’t have time for some quiet thinking, huh?

– Before introducing Let Me Go, Brendon Urie mentioned that Hailee Steinfeld had her first kiss back when she was a kid. I’m sure some people had some memories like that. But I never got my first kiss back then unfortunately. I guess I wanted to wait until I was a little older, heh.

– Bad Wolves – Zombie has now fallen to the bottom 5 of the countdown. I doubt it last much longer here unfortunately. It was nice having it around while it lasted.

– However, it was nice to see I Like Me Better take a big drop after that unnecessary jump last week. Hopefully this means that it won’t last much longer. But since I just jinxed it, watch it jump back up again next week.

– Brendon Urie mentioned upon introducing Mine that Bazzi was obsessed with space and that was the reason why he named his album, Cosmic. He even said that he would be an astronaut if he kept thinking about outer space. Heh, I’ve had some moments where I was obsessed with outer space as well. I’ll bet he would make other famous people proud if Bazzi took up a career in being an astronaut.

– During his introduction for Done For Me, Brendon Urie said that Charlie Puth dressed up as a Sesame Street character when he was four years old. I’ll bet he probably watched a lot of that show. I’m glad he had fun dressing up as one of the characters from that show.

– I figured Girls Like You would enter the Top 10 sooner or later. I’ll admit that it’s not nearly as bad as I thought after more listens, though not quite enough for me to put it in blue. It’ll probably stay for a long while.

– Before introducing IDGAF, Brendon Urie mentioned that one of Dua Lipa’s talents is her spelling, in which she knows how to spell every word. I wonder did she participate in any spelling bee contests back in her day? I mean, if she were to win every spelling bee, then she could be a worldwide champion. Oh boy, I’m sure that would make others jealous. 😛

– So, Marshmello has some videos on YouTube of him being a chef and learning others how to cook. Does he have some sort of secret job that involves cooking food? He’ll probably have to teach others while he continues to make music. Maybe he’ll like to multitask.

– Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry jumped back into the Top 5 this week! I’m glad that this song still has a chance at being #1 sometime in the near future. I anticipate that day when it happens.

– Before introducing Delicate, Brendon Urie mentioned that Taylor Swift supports Selena Gomez. I wonder does she stan for her or she just likes her music? That aside, I have a feeling that Delicate may be #1 soon since it just reached the #2 spot and I wouldn’t mind at all. This run kinda reminds me of Believer last year since that one took a while to catch on.

– And finally, the host himself, Brendon Urie and Panic! At The Disco holds at #1 yet again! What better way to be the guest host of the countdown that have your song still reigning the top spot.. I’m not complaining as I do still love that song. On that note, Charlie Puth came close last year when he hosted the countdown, as his song didn’t take #1 until the following week. It’s one of those moments in which the host actually has a song that’s #1. Talk about a rare feat!

Hit-Bound:

• Big Boi – All Night
• MNEK featuring Hailee Steinfeld – Colour
• lovelytheband – Broken
• Dan + Shay – Tequila (DEBUT)
• Julia Michaels featuring Trippie Redd – Jump
• Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
• Alessia Cara – Growing Pains (DEBUT)
• Train featuring Cam and Travie McCoy – Call Me Sir (DEBUT)
• Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess (DEBUT)
• Post Malone – Better Now (DEBUT)
• Madison Beer – Home With You (DEBUT)
• Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones
• BTS – Fake Love (RE-ENTRY)
• Cole Redding – Father Father

– Brendon Urie became the host of Hit-Bound this week, filling in for Mikey Piff. I’m sure he couldn’t have picked a better week to host, because we had a massive shake-up all around. First off, we say good-bye to two songs: HRVY – Personal and In Real Life – Tattoo (How ‘Bout You). I did find both of those songs okay, so their departures aren’t too saddening.

– We also have a re-entry from BTS – Fake Love after one week off of Hit-Bound. That leaves us with six, yes SIX new songs entering this week. S, let’s get down to reviewing, shall we?

– Country duo Dan + Shay have a new song that’s been around for a while, by the name of Tequila. I love pretty much everything about the song for the most part. The vocals here are good and I like the production. It definitely sounds like country music, unlike a certain song I won’t mention. I hope it can make its debut on the countdown soon.

– It’s been quite a while since we’ve heard from Alessia Cara, but she makes her return with a brand new single called Growing Pains. Having only listened to the song once, I’ll simply say that there’s a lot to like about the song. Alessia shines pretty much throughout the song with her voice. There’s a lot going on in terms of the production with great use of instruments. I’ll have more on this should it debut.

– The return of Train was something I wasn’t really looking forward to. But alas, here they are with their latest single titled Call Me Sir. The song also features Travie McCoy and country singer Cam. We last saw Train with Play That Song, which I wasn’t very fond of at all. I pretty much have the same opinion on this one. It may not be as stiff as two certain songs I won’t name, but it’s undesirable to be honest. So yeah, not a fan of this. NEXT!

– As Meant To Be is finally dying out, Bebe Rexha has a new single in its stead, by the name of I’m A Mess from her new album, Expectations which was just released a short time ago. Right off the bat, it’s a step up from her predecessor. I like how she shows off her voice and the production is good. The lyrical content is better written for the most part. I’ll talk more about this if it makes it to the countdown.

– Next up, we have Post Malone with his latest single titled Better Now. I talked about this when it debuted on the American Top 40. But to quickly sum things up, the song here basically reminds me of Rockstar. He has improved on his vocals, so I’ll give him that. But the rest of the song does nothing for me. Let’s move on.

– Finally, we have Madison Beer who makes her first appearance on Hit-Bound. Enter Home To You. I don’t have too much to say about this except it’s a pretty good song. Her vocals are nice and I kinda like the lyrics. The production may not be the best, but it’s decent.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
2. Alessia Cara – Growing Pains
3. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones
4. Dan + Shay – Tequila
5. Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
20. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
19. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
18. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be

1 – Bad:
17. Maroon 5 – Wait

2 – Mediocre:
16. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You 

3 – Decent:
None!

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great:
15. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know
14. Halsey – Alone
13. Niall Horan – On The Loose
12. Taylor Swift – Delicate
11. Selena Gomez – Back To You
10. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
9. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me
8. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
7. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
6. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me
5. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
4. Dua Lipa – IDGAF
3. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
TIE: 1. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry

Overall Grade: 80/100 = 80% (B–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Michael Jackson – Black And White (1991)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Calvin Harris featuring Ellie Goulding – I Need Your Love

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Shawn Hook featuring Vanessa Hudgens – Reminding Me

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Kygo featuring Imagine Dragons – Born To Be Yours

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back (#5) and The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#2)

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right
TIE: 1. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
4. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
5. The Wrecks – James Dean

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
2. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
3. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
4. Lauv – I Like Me Better
5. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Camila Cabello – Crying In The Club: Camila’s adventure as a solo artist started with this one. There’s nothing really interesting I can say about this other than the fact that it’s basically like a lighter version Cheap Thrills. Good thing she would improve with Havana.
Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell and Katy Perry – Feels: I’d say this is probably better than Slide, in large part thanks to Katy Perry making an amazing contribution like she always does. It’s too bad tha Hits 1 edited out Big Sean, since he played a part in making the song great as well. It was definitely one of my favorites from last summer.

QOTW: Drake has dropped his latest album titled Scorpion. How do you feel about this and why?