1. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (#2) [+1] [3^rd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Niall Horan – Slow Hands (3^rd And Final Week At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind (–18)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: George Ezra – Shotgun (+11)

New Entrants
– It was almost one year ago that Sabrina Carpenter made her first ever appearance on the countdown with Why. Now this week, she makes her return with her new single, Almost Love. I don’t really have much I can say about this one. It’s a step up from her predecessor in a way. The production here is pretty decent for the most part. Although I’m not too big on Sabrina’s voice, it’s still quite an improvement from her previous singles. I do like the lyrics. I can see it growing on me a little bit, but it won’t stick with me long term.

– Oh boy…AJR is back again, and this time they bring in their latest single Burn The House Down. Once again, I’m going to rant about this just like I did with its predecessor. I’m pretty sure you all know how it’s going to go. Hits 1 is known for picking up on music from many unknown artists, including AJR. But every single they’ve released is straight up garbage, and Burn The House Down is no different. The vocals sound obnoxious and in some parts of the song, childish. The lyrical content is just dumb. I do not like the use of horns at all. I could go on and on about just how bad the song is. It’s just simply torture to my ears. Honestly, I don’t know why Hits 1 loves to pick up on their music. I really don’t. And they just recently released a deluxe version of The Click that includes this and two more new songs. Hopefully, we don’t see it last long here. But Hits 1 needs to stop with this madness.

– Immediately after that, we have another debut that I’m not very fond of either. A new group called LSD makes their debut in their single titled Thunderclouds. LSD is a collaboration between three artists: Labrinth, Sia, and Diplo. On paper, this seems like an interesting collaboration. But when I listened to the song in full, it’s anything but. Yeah, this is a mess. This was used in the commercial for the Samsung Galaxy Note, which I’ve seen so many times over the past two weeks. So, what’s wrong with the song overall? Well, I’ll begin by saying that Sia’s voice sucks. She sounds scratchy and just flat out annoying. And this is coming from someone who loves songs such as Chandelier. Labrinth did not impress me either. His part in the song sucks too. At least in Make Me (Cry) (which I absolutely despise), he sounded decent. But here he sounds bad, and I mean REALLY bad. Lastly, Diplo had a hand in working on the production of the song and it’s not good. It sounds to me that he was lazy and simply didn’t put forth the effort. I recently listened to two other singles from them and they all suck ass. It’s really difficult for me to figure out which is worse because all of them are straight up garbage. So yeah, whatever they’re doing it’s not working for me. I don’t think there are any redeeming qualities to the song whatsoever. Unfortunately, it’ll probably end up becoming a hit because of the commercial. Maybe I’m wrong, but hopefully it dies out fast because this is simply just a giant mess.

– Finally, there’s the return of Clean Bandit and they’re collaborating with Demi Lovato, who I’m still praying for her recovery as she is still going through a tough time. Their latest single is titled Solo. Clean Bandit hasn’t been a disappointment when it comes to their music. I love songs such as Rather Be, Rockabye, Symphony, and I Miss You. It’s too bad that the very latter failed to graduate from Hit-Bound earlier in the year. I had to wait patiently to see what they had in store. And to say the least, it was worth it. Demi shines with her vocals like she does most of the time. Clean Bandit had a hand with the production and they did very well in that aspect. I feel like these guys deserve some recognition for their work. Sure, they may have two big hits in Rather Be and Rockabye. But everything else didn’t really take off. I can’t really see this one doing well either, but it’s a fun song all around. The collaboration worked out very well for them.

Best Debut Of The Week: Clean Bandit featuring Demi Lovato – Solo

Oh, So Blurbs
– As always, we’ll begin with our exits. First off, Go Bang was repetitive and simply too childish, so I’m not sad by its departure. Alone has ended its run. And with it, this is the first time that we do not have a song from Halsey on the countdown in two years. That’s quite a run if you ask me. Want You Back has been here for a while, even though the same can’t be said for everywhere else because Hits 1 loves all things 5 Seconds Of Summer. The only exit that really saddens me is Growing Pains. It’s sad to see a comeback single from Alessia Cara become a flop. It deserves much better than what people give credit for.

– Before introducing On The Loose, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Niall Horan got angry at a fan saying that he was dating Hailee Steinfeld as a stunt. Oh, I’m sure whoever said it will learn their lesson about saying stuff like that. Better be careful to what you say to people.

– Both Nevermind and Summer On You took big drops all the way down to the Bottom 5. Neither of those songs are really all that appealing to me, so I would be okay with them leaving within the next week or so.

– Before introducing No Tears Left To Cry, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Ariana Grande owns a small pig. I never thought that Ariana would have a pet like that, but I’ll bet it’s really cute. I’m sure she’ll raise him to be the best. Maybe it’ll become a celebrity.

– Before introducing No Brainer, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Justin Bieber did not actually marry Hailey Baldwin. Well not yet, but many were wondering if they did. Looks like Justin and Hailey both have more time on their hands to put together an epic wedding. I have a feeling it’ll be the perfect wedding.

– Spyder Harrison mentioned upon introducing IDGAF that fans were kicked out of a concert Dua Lipa is performing in because they were dancing? Now, that’s absurd. I feel like the fans were just enjoying a good time. But I guess there were strict rules put in place.

– I’ve been losing interest in I Wanna Know lately, so I’m kinda happy that it took a big drop out of the Top 20 this week. It did have a nice countdown run for an unknown EDM duo, so I’ll give them that.

– I’m actually not surprised by Shotgun getting the Biggest Jump Of The Week because I heard Spyder Harrison spoiled it while I was out one day. It’s nice to see it gain a little momentum. Now the question is, how long will it last?

– For the first time, Whatever It Takes is finally out of the Top 20 this week. Talk about an incredible run. I’m sure this one will probably hang around for a long time like most Imagine Dragons songs.

– Before introducing Happier, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Marshmello is into everything, and guess what? He even owns a monster truck. I’m sure he’s going to get more attention with this kind of stuff. I’ll bet fans will be seeing him drive that truck all day and night.

– So, Ariana Grande is going to be selling perfume now? That’s what Spyder Harrison mentioned during the introduction for God Is A Woman. Sounds like Ariana must’ve heard about the success of Cardi B.’s perfume. So, I guess she wanted to make one of her own. I have a feeling there’s going to be some competition about “best perfume”.

– Ouch! The Way I Am took a rather quick drop out of the Top 10. I’m sure it’ll probably recover quickly given that it’s only been here for a few weeks. But I guess the voters didn’t want to see another Charlie Puth song have its success.

– This week, Maroon 5 have just confirmed that they will be performing at the Super Bowl next year. Something tells me that their fans are going to feel some nostalgia because they might perform a bunch of their older singles. We’ll see what happens.

– It was just announced that Closer has been certified Diamond. Congratulations to The Chainsmokers! I’ll bet they were very thrilled to hear this news. Definitely well-deserved.

– Don’t Go Breaking My Heart has now entered the Top 5. It would definitely be nice to see it #1, but I highly doubt it. Still, it’s definitely nice to see the Backstreet Boys have a song in that region since I don’t know how long.

– High Hopes is back at #1 this week. A part of me wishes that Youngblood would stay at the top given that it’s still a hit elsewhere. But I certainly don’t mind seeing Panic! At The Disco take back the crown because Hits 1 loves Brendon Urie. I still find the song to be enjoyable, even though it’s starting to die down on some people here.

Hit-Bound:

• Kim Petras – Heart To Break
• Shawn Mendes – Nervous (DEBUT)
• Pitbull featuring Theron Theron – Free Free Free
• Calvin Harris featuring Sam Smith – Promises
• Anne-Marie – 2002
• Tiesto & Dzeko featuring Preme and Post Malone – Jackie Chan
• Silk City featuring Dua Lipa – Electricity (DEBUT)
• The Struts featuring Kesha – Body Talks
• Jason Derulo & David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj and Willy William – Goodbye
• Bryce Vine – Drew Barrymore
• Walk The Moon – Kamikaze
• The Vamps – Just My Type
• Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It
• Loud Luxury featuring brando – Body
• Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside

Entrant Reviews:
– So, Shawn Mendes has apparently decided to choose Nervous as his next single off of his self-titled album. The song is pretty underwhelming in a way. There’s really not too much to the production, and Shawn doesn’t exactly shine here. I much prefer either Lost In Japan or Youth as one of his next singles. Oh well.

– As One Kiss is dying down elsewhere, Dua Lipa is collaborating with a new EDM duo named Silk City, which is a collaboration with Mark Ronson and Diplo. They released their first single titled Electricity. This is definitely an enjoyable song all around. I love Dua’s vocals here. I’ll save more of my words come its debut.

Best Debut On Hit-Bound: Silk City featuring Dua Lipa – Electricity

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Silk City featuring Dua Lipa – Electricity
2. The Struts featuring Kesha – Body Talks
3. Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside
4. Walk The Moon – Kamikaze
5. Kim Petras – Heart To Break

YouTube 15:

• Drake – In My Feelings
• Alan Walker featuring AuRa and Tomine Harket – Darkside
• Alec Benjamin – If We Have Each Other
• Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It
• Nick Jonas featuring Robin Schultz – Right Now
• Post Malone – Better Now
• One Bit featuring Louisa – Between You and Me
• DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, and Chance The Rapper – No Brainer
• R3HAB featuring Sophia Carson – Rumors
• Juice WRLD – Lucid Dreams
• Alex Aiono – Big Mistake
• Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You
• Jonas Blue featuring Jack & Jack – Rise
• Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies
• MKTO – How Can I Forget

Song Reviews:
– Let’s start with Alec Benjamin who has his latest single, If We Have Each Other. A part of me wants to like this, but it’s hard for me to do so. His vocals are a little too childish for my tastes. The guitars are okay, but nothing else about the song is special. While it’s in blue, it’s slightly closer to red than it is green.

– Next, we have a EDM duo named One Bit who is collaborating with Louisa in Between You And Me. Right off the bat, it’s definitely a fun and upbeat song. Louisa absolutely shines all throughout the song. Her voice is just amazing. One Bit did a good job themselves at handling the production. Easily the best song they’ve put out. It worked out very well for them.

– Alex Aiono has a new single out and it’s called Big Mistake. This one is pretty fun. I love the production in the song, and Alex does well with his vocals. It has quite a groove that pulls me in. Overall, it’s a enjoyable song.

– Finally, MKTO make their return with their new single, How Can I Forget. I don’t have too much to say about this one. While it’s not necessarily upbeat, it’s still rather enjoyable. I love the vocals we get from them, and the lyrical content is nice.

My Top 5 YouTube 15 Picks
1. One Bit featuring Louisa – Between You And Me
2. Alan Walker featuring AuRa and Tomine Hacket – Darkside
3. Alex Aiono – Big Mistake
4. Nick Jonas featuring Robin Schultz – Right Now
5. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
TIE: 20. Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess
19. Weezer – Africa

1 – Bad:
None!

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
18. Marshmello featuring Bastille – Happier
17. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great:
16. lovelytheband – Broken
15. Charlie Puth – The Way I Am
14. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) 
13. Imagine Dragons – Natural
12. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies
11. Post Malone – Better Now
10. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
9. Selena Gomez – Back To You
8. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
7. Taylor Swift – Delicate
6. Dan + Shay – Tequila
5. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones
4. Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
3. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects
2. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman

Overall Grade: 87/100 = 87% (B+)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Earth, Wind, & Fire – September (1979)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Mike Posner – I Took A Pill In Ibiza (Hello, Adrian)

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Captain Cuts – Love Like We Used To

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Avril Lavigne – Head Above Water

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Kesha – Praying (#5)

My Top 5 Picks
1. Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman
2. Zedd featuring Elley Duhé – Happy Now
3. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
4. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects
5. Clean Bandit featuring Demi Lovato – Solo

My Bottom 5 Picks
TIE: 1. AJR – Burn The House Down
TIE: 1. Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess
3. Train featuring Cam and Travie McCoy – Call Me Sir
4. LSD – Thunderclouds
5. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Kelly Clarkson – Love So Soft: This was her comeback single after about two years. She has done better, though it’s definitely not a bad song in my eyes mainly because I’m a huge fan of Kelly Clarkson and her music. I like how she went for a more soulful sound here. But after listening to her latest album Meaning Of Life, it just makes the song feel inferior, at least to me.
Zedd featuring Liam Payne – Get Low: Personally, I’d say that this is one of Zedd’s weakest singles, along with Starving. I didn’t think Liam was a good choice because he didn’t add anything to the song. Plus, the production is underwhelming, especially for Zedd. He can do better.
The Revivalists – Wish I Knew You: How did I not include this in My Top 50 Songs of 2017? I should have, because I like everything about the song. And believe it or not, this was actually released in 2016, a year before it made its debut on this countdown.
Sam Smith – Too Good At Goodbyes: Not many people care for Sam Smith when this song came around. Although I don’t find this song to be that amazing, I kinda wish people wouldn’t hate on it just because it’s a boring love song.

QOTW: Since Maroon 5 is going to be performing at the Super Bowl, what songs do you guys think they should perform?

1. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood (#1) [=] [2^nd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Niall Horan – Slow Hands (2^nd of 3 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Foster The People – Sit Next To Me (–16)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Marshmello featuring Bastille – Happier (+12)

I Blurb You Back
– Spyder Harrison mentioned during the introduction for I Like It that Nicki Minaj and Cardi B. got into a fight recently. Oooh, looks like there’s was something they disagreed upon and that’s probably why it happened.

– Sit Next To Me took a massive drop down to near the Bottom 5 at #39 this week. I was growing out of that song, though it did have a nice run here despite it not being popular elsewhere, so I’ll give them that.

– The guest DJ that introduced Shotgun dedicated the song to his friend. That was nice!

– Spyder Harrison mentioned while introducing IDGAF that Dua Lipa is a part of the car company Jaguar. I wonder will we see her drive one of those cars? Heh, I’m sure her fans would love to buy new cars from that place.

– So, Call Me Sir has now become my least favorite song on the countdown. I honestly cannot stand the song at all. I had thought about keeping Friends in orange for the rest of its tenure, but I chose not to because at least in that song, Anne-Marie’s vocals aren’t as obnoxious. As much as I hated Play That Song, I’d rather listen to it than this. Seriously, this is Train’s worst release since Hey, Soul Sister. But the sad thing is, it’ll probably stick around and become the next Play That Song, something which I don’t want.

– Remember when I said that I’m A Mess was a step up from its predecessor? Yeah, scratch that. Because this was only getting worse every time I hear it. Honestly, Bebe Rexha has been a big disappointment for me lately. This was not a good choice for a single. I do hope it doesn’t go any further because I don’t want to have to deal with again just like I did with Meant To Be.

– Ever since Natural entered the Top 20, it’s has remained stuck in the late teen’s for a while. Meanwhile, it’s currently near the top on iTunes. You would think that the song would at least gain a lot of traction right about now, but that appears to not be the case. Though that may change within a couple of weeks or so. We’ll see what happens.

– So, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Selena Gomez is celebrity Noah Centineo’s celeb crush. Oooooh, he must seem to really like her. I remember having many celeb crushes back in my youth. I’ll bet he could imagine meeting her in person.

– Before introducing Girls Like You, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Cardi B. recently worked someone on her lipstick and it sold out quickly. Oh wow, I guess people must’ve liked what they saw in her lipstick that they started buying it more often. I wonder will they make more of these?

– The guest DJ that introduced Don’t Go Breaking My Heart gave a shout-out to her friends all over the planet. Of course, she did say they were from Earth. Heh, I don’t think they’re from other planets.

– The Middle is suddenly back in the Top 10. I’m sure there are many people who will be super mad about this. Not me, though.

– Nothing really has changed in the Top 5 other than Love Lies hitting a new peak of #3. Could this possibly be our next #1? We’ll find out soon, and I wouldn’t mind that.

Hit-Bound:

• Loud Luxury featuring brando – Body (DEBUT)
• The Struts featuring Kesha – Body Talks
• Tiësto & Dzeko featuring Preme and Post Malone – Jackie Chan
• Bryce Vine – Drew Barrymore
• The Vamps – Just My Type
• Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside (DEBUT)
• Calvin Harris featuring Sam Smith – Promises
• Walk The Moon – Kamikaze
• Pitbull featuring Theron Theron – Free Free Free
• Sabrina Carpenter – Almost Love
• AJR – Burn The House Down
• Anne-Marie – 2002
• Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It
• Kim Petras – Heart To Break
• Jason Derulo & David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj and Willy William – Goodbye

Entrant Reviews
– On this week’s edition of Hit-Bound, we have two debuts this week. First off, we have Loud Luxury and brando in their song titled Body. I first heard this on Venus quite a few times. There’s some things I like about this, such as the vocals. But it’s pretty repetitive and not all that memorable. That’s all I can say about the song right now.

– Second, there’s Benny Blanco, Halsey and Khalid with the song Eastside. Although the song itself is pretty short, I still love pretty much everything about it. Both Halsey and Khalid did a nice job with the verses. I’m sure that one will make it to the countdown soon.

Best Debut On Hit-Bound: Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. The Struts featuring Kesha – Body Talks
2. Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside
3. Walk The Moon – Kamikaze
4. Kim Petras – Heart To Break
5. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It

YouTube 15:

Today, the host of the show Jenna Marbles celebrates her 32nd Birthday. So, I would like to wish her a Happy Birthday! Here are the songs trending on this week’s edition of the YouTube 15:

• Juice WRLD – Lucid Dreams
• Jonas Blue featuring Jack & Jack – Rise
• Hozier featuring Mavis Staples – Nina Cried Power
• DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, and Chance The Rapper – No Brainer
• R3HAB featuring Sofia Carson – Rumors
• Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You
• Sigala, Ella Eyre, and Meghan Trainor featuring French Montana – I Just Got Paid
• Post Malone – Better Now
• Alan Walker featuring AuRa and Tomine Harket – Darkside
• Drake – In My Feelings
• Lawrence – Make A Move
• Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies
• Nick Jonas featuring Robin Schultz – Right Now
• Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It
• Noah Cyrus featuring Gallant – Mad At You

– I’m pretty mixed on the songs listed here. First, we have Hozier who just recently released a brand new single titled Nina Cried Power. I’m sure many of you remember him from Take Me To Church, which was a breakthrough hit back in late 2014 or early 2015. He shows that he has a unique voice, and I like the chorus in the background. Overall, it’s a nice song.

– Sofia Carson is featured in a new single from R3HAB, which is titled Rumors. There’s really nothing special about the song. I find Sofia’s vocals to be pretty decent. But outside of that, nothing else stands out. I did like her debut single, Love Is The Name, back in 2016. This one, not so much.

– Sigala is back with yet another new single. And guess what? He’s collaborating with Ella Eyre, Meghan Trainor, and French Montana in I Just Got Paid. I’m not feeling the song too much. I do kinda like the production, but the verses aren’t too special for me. I feel like more could’ve been done to make the song interesting. Sigala has done better.

– Next, we have a new artist named Lawrence with Make A Move. I first heard the song in its entirety while I was out…and yeah, I don’t like it. First off, the production is just weak across the board. Also, I absolutely cannot stand Lawrence’s vocals at all. She sounds so annoying and just unbearable. Simply put, this song is a mess. NEXT!

– Nick Jonas is back with a new single, and he’s collaborating with Robin Schultz in Right Now. It’s quite an enjoyable song in my book. Nick shows that he has a good voice and I like the production. Unfortunately, I can’t picture it being a hit seeing that people have moved on from him. At least he’s been improving with his music.

– Finally, we have Noah Cyrus once again with her latest single titled Mad At You. Right off the bat, I’m not liking this song at all. It’s really Noah’s voice that kills it for me. The production is good to an extent, so I’ll give her that. But yeah, I’m not a fan of this. Sorry.

My Top 5 YouTube 15 Picks
1. Alan Walker featuring AuRa and Tomine Hacket – Darkside
2. Nick Jonas featuring Robin Schultz – Right Now
3. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies
4. Hozier featuring Mavis Staples – Nina Cried Power
5. Post Malone – Better Now

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
20. Weezer – Africa

1 – Bad:
None!

2 – Mediocre:
19. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know

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

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great:
17. lovelytheband – Broken
16. Charlie Puth – The Way I Am
15. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
14. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
13. Imagine Dragons – Natural
12. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies
11. Post Malone – Better Now
10. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
9. Selena Gomez – Back To You
8. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
7. Taylor Swift – Delicate
6. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
5. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones
4. Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
3. Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman
2. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle

Overall Grade: 91/100 = 91% (A–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: The Jackson 5 – I Want You Back (1969)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Bruno Mars – Treasure

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Bruno Mars – Chunky

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Silk City featuring Dua Lipa – Electricity

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Kesha – Praying (#11)

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Elley Duhé – Happy Now
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
3. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects
4. Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman
5. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Train featuring Cam and Travie McCoy – Call Me Sir
2. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
3. Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess
4. Weezer – Africa
5. PNAU – Go Bang

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
All-American Rejects – Sweat: It was nice to see these guys make their return after so long. Sure, it may not be as good as their previous single (such as Move Along and It Ends Tonight), but it was still enjoyable to a degree.

QOTW: What are your predictions for My Top 10 songs of the year?

1. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood (#4) [+3] [1^st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back (5^th and Final Week At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Tie between Shawn Mendes – In My Blood and Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry (–11)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects (+14)

New Entrants
– To kick off this week’s new entrants, we have the return of NF with his latest single, by the name of Lie. His predecessor wasn’t really to my liking. But this song is a step up from that. We don’t get to hear the chipmunk vocals in the background. It’s just NF singing and rapping in the song. I do like the piano work in this one. The lyrical content here is well-written. It talks about someone not being honest to one another. It’s a nice song overall. We’ll see how long it sticks around.

– Okay, so ever since Marshmello had a amazing collaboration with Selena Gomez in Wolves, his recent singles have been a mixed bag for me lately. You have songs like Everyday, which was pretty good for the most part. Buy you also have Friends which still annoys me to no end and probably won’t go away anytime soon (Despite the fact that it has dropped big, and I’ll talk more about it in the blurbs section). But what else does he have up his sleeve? Well, another new single of course. And he’s collaborating with the band Bastille, who you probably know had a huge hit back in 2014 with Pompeii. Anyway, the name of his new single is titled Happier. After listening to the song in its entirety, I can say that it’s only a little bit of a step up from its predecessor. Friends was just simply an embarrassment to the EDM genre because the production and everything else in it did not live up to my expectations whatsoever. As far as my opinion on the song goes…well, it’s still not quite what I was hoping for, but at least the production has improved. But do I think Bastille is the band that fits in the song? I mean, sure the vocals aren’t as bad because Dan Smith does have a good voice. But here he doesn’t stand out too much if I do say so myself. The lyrical content here is better as opposed to its predecessor in which is just a friend-zone anthem which doesn’t sit well with me at all. It’s basically about someone in a relationship wanting to find someone so he/she can be happy. I definitely can see where we can relate to this. But in terms of execution…I feel like Marshmello could’ve done more. I may have it in blue, but that could change. The verdict: it’s not all that interesting for me right now.

– So, we finally bid good riddance to a song from Camila Cabello. We’ll talk about that in just a moment. But because this is Hits 1, her new single will have to take the place of the one that just left. Actually, it’s NOT her new song. But she is in the remix of a song that I’ll talk about. Bazzi has another new single as Mine starts to die out elsewhere. In fact, it had left this countdown about two weeks ago. But he had another song that was waiting in the wings, and this week it makes it’s debut. The song in question is titled Beautiful. Bazzi made a rather nice impression with his predecessor, Mine (even though it was only a little over two minutes). Here in Beautiful, I think he shows that he can use his voice quite well. Camila does sound very good with her vocals and she doesn’t sound grating at all. The production here is relatively good throughout. But for me, it’s the vocals that stand out. I think they mix very well together. That’s one of the reasons why I like it quite a lot. After hearing this, I can say that it’s one of his best songs off of Cosmic. Now the question is, can this be another hit for this guy? That would be nice, but only time will tell on that. I do hope to see some success out of this one.

– It sounds like to me a lot of people here aren’t interested in what Zedd has to offer anymore especially after his latest singles make it seem like he is selling out and what not. It doesn’t help that The Middle spent so many weeks in the Top 5 and many here are begging for this song to leave (or at the very least, drop out of the Top 10). Although their wish was granted this week with The Middle no longer in that region, Zedd is not done yet. Believe it or not, he has another collaboration, this time with a new artist named Elley Duhé in his latest single titled Happy Now. Like I said, I’m sure people here are not looking forward to hearing more of Zedd because they think he’s selling out. I’m not the type who thinks this way. I judge based on the songs themselves. One of the reasons why I absolutely LOVE The Middle so much is because of Maren Morris. She sounds AMAZING!!! Plus, I thought the production was pretty good and not as annoying as some may say it is. I like Happy Now just the same. Despite it being a little bit more slow-paced than its predecessor, I still find this song to be amazing. First off, I LOVE Elley’s vocals! She’s the best thing about the song in general. The production is good in a way and not annoying at all. Before introducing the song, Spyder Harrison mentioned that it took about a year and a half for Zedd to create this. If I’m being honest, I think Zedd has done a nice job. He made another great choice in picking the artist for this one. I may feel alone in this opinion, but I simply don’t care. It’s definitely an enjoyable song in my book. I would love for it to have some success.

Best Debut Of The Week: Zedd featuring Elley Duhé – Happy Now

Blurb On, Eileen!
– Our exits consist of three songs that deserved to go, and one which I’ll miss most. Both I Like Me Better and Never Be The Same have left the countdown this week! It’s about damn time that’s happened! I can pretty much say the same for Wait. While it’s not quite as bad as the other two, it was still an undesirable listen. So, no complaints about that exit. The only exit that I’m sad about is Done For Me. It did last quite longer here as opposed to elsewhere. I’d say this is one of Charlie Puth’s best songs and it’s disappointing to see that it’ll miss the Year-End on the Hot 100. I do wish it had been more successful.

– So, I heard that Halsey is going to play the role of herself in a movie titled A Star Is Born. Something tells me that she may have a future in acting seeing as she’s been involved with her movie roles lately, such as playing Wonder Woman in the Teen Titans Go! movie. I’m sure she’ll do just fine. Maybe she’ll find a way to balance that and continue to make music?

– Shotgun really doesn’t seem to be getting anywhere at the moment. I get that it may not be popular, but I want it to at least move up somewhat. I do like the song and I’m hoping for better than this.

– On that note, we have Call Me Sir holding at #32. Frankly, this song is only getting worse with each listen. Between Pat Monahan’s obnoxious vocals and bad lyrical content, it’s very possible this could be orange soon.

– We have quite a few noticeable drops this week. In My Blood and No Tears Left To Cry both dropped out of the Top 20. I’m a little saddened by those drops, but they both did well here. However, Friends finally got the drop I was waiting for! All I simply have to say is it’s about damn time!

– The Way I Am jumped into the Top 10 faster than his previous singles. Looks like the song may end up being a success, but I can’t be certain yet. We’ll see what happens from here on out.

– It’s definitely nice to see Side Effects get the big jump in the Top 10. It’s an amazing comeback from The Chainsmokers. That one looks like it may end up being a hit, at least on this countdown.

– Jumping into the Top 5 this week is Love Lies. I do still like the song, so it’s nice to see it have some success despite it being out since early this year. I wouldn’t really mind it being #1 soon.

– Before introducing Say (Amen) Saturday Night), Spyder Harrison mentioned that Brendon Urie may have more roles in acting soon. If that’s true, then maybe he’ll become something more than just being a singer. I’ll be he wouldn’t object to that!

– Then we’ve come to our new #1. I figured Youngblood would take the crown sooner, given that Hits 1 loves 5 Seconds Of Summer. Plus, the song itself is actually still gaining popularity at this moment. It’s quite a stand-out from the title album. I wouldn’t mind seeing it hold the spot for at least a few more weeks.

Hit-Bound:

• Jason Derulo & David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj and Willy William – Goodbye
• LSD – Thunderclouds
• Sabrina Carpenter – Almost Love
• Calvin Harris featuring Sam Smith – Promises
• The Struts featuring Kesha – Body Talks
• Tiesto & Dzeko featuring Preme and Post Malone – Jackie Chan (DEBUT)
• Anne-Marie – 2002
• AJR – Burn The House Down
• Clean Bandit featuring Demi Lovato – Solo
• Pitbull featuring Theron Theron – Free Free Free (DEBUT)
• Kim Petras – Heart To Break (DEBUT)
• Walk The Moon – Kamikaze
• The Vamps – Just My Type
• Bryce Vine – Drew Barrymore
• Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It (RE-ENTRY)

– We’ve got three debuts this week, plus a re-entry from Hey Look Ma, I Made It. Let’s get right into them.

– First off, we have four artists (Tiesto, Dzeko, Preme, and Post Malone) with their song Jackie Chan. I talked about this song when it debuted on the American Top 40. I personally think Tiesto did a nice job as a DJ overall with the production. Post Malone pretty much stands out throughout the song. It’s definitely worth a listen.

– We have more Pitbull, and he’s collaborating with Theron Theron in the song Free Free Free. This was on the YouTube 15 not too long ago. I do like Theron’s vocals here and the production is quite solid. Not a stand-out from Pitbull, but it’s worth enjoying.

– Finally, we have a new artist named Kim Petras with her single Heart To Break, which I heard on Venus quite a few times. Simply put, this is definitely a great first impression from her. I love pretty much everything about the song from her vocals to the lyrical content. I’m hoping it can debut soon.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Clean Bandit featuring Demi Lovato – Solo
2. Walk The Moon – Kamikaze
3. Tiesto & Dzeko featuring Preme and Post Malone – Jackie Chan
4. Kim Petras – Heart To Break
5. The Struts featuring Kesha – Body Talks

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
20. Weezer – Africa

1 – Bad:
None!

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
19. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know
18. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great:
17. Charlie Puth – The Way I Am
16. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
15. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
14. lovelytheband – Broken
13. Imagine Dragons – Natural
12. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies
11. Post Malone – Better Now
10. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
9. Selena Gomez – Back To You
8. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
7. Taylor Swift – Delicate
6. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
5. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones
4. Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
3. Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
TIE: 1. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle

Overall Grade: 93/100 = 93% (A–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Dexys Midnight Runners – Come On Eileen (1982)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Tori Kelly – Should’ve Been Us

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Nathan Sykes featuring Ariana Grande – Over And Over Again

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Tori Kelly featuring Kirk Franklin – Never Alone

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between Kesha – Praying (#13) and Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do (#10)

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
TIE: 1. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Elley Duhé – Happy Now
4. Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman
5. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
2. Train featuring Cam and Travie McCoy – Call Me Sir
3. Weezer – Africa
4. Drake – In My Feelings
5. PNAU – Go Bang

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Harry Styles – Two Ghosts: While it’s not a stand-out from his self-titled album, I do like how Harry can make a rock ballad similar to that of the 70’s and 80’s.
Andy Grammer – Give Love: Ever since Honey I’m Good was pretty big back in 2015, Andy Grammer hasn’t had a surefire hit. This song has a nice sentiment to it.
Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still: I can definitely see why some have gotten sick of this. But at the time this was gaining popularity, many embraced this song simply because people wanted something to hear other than the likes of Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber.
Halsey – Bad At Love: After her on again, off again relationship with G-Eazy, I now start to see what this song is truly about. Basically, she goes through her history with her failed relationship with her past lovers. I like how she’s able to deliver with her vocals, and the production is catchy. I’ll talk more about this in my Year-End posts. Simply put, there’s nothing I hate about this at all.
Justin Bieber featuring BloodPop – Friends: Honestly, I wished this song had caught on with the public. But it was at that point where people were sick of Despacito and didn’t want to hear any more from Justin Bieber. It’s a pretty damn shame because I love everything the song has to offer.
Maroon 5 featuring SZA – What Lovers Do: Maroon 5 hasn’t been making music to my liking lately, but at least they were able to craft up this track that fits their sound. The addition of SZA was a nice idea.

QOTW: Since this week’s was Beyoncé’s birthday, what is your favorite song from her and why?

That will wrap it up for this week. But before I go, I have an important announcement to make.

One of my fellow bloggers named Adrian is going to start doing his very first rankdown, which is about the 2013 Billboard Hot 100 Year-End List. I, of course, do have plans to participate in this rankdown. For those of you who want to participate, you will have to submit your rankings by September 15 at 11:00am, which is next Saturday. More details, such as how the game works and the link to submit, will be on his page. As always, thank you all for reading my posts. I hope everyone here has a good weekend. I’ll see you guys next week!

1. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones (#1) [=] [2^nd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Niall Horan – Slow Hands (1^st of 3 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It (–20)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Weezer – Africa (+11)

New Entrants
– We have only one new entrant this week. DJ Khaled and Justin Bieber collaborate once again in their new single titled No Brainer. This song also features Quavo and Chance The Rapper, who were also on I’m The One. The only difference is that Lil’ Wayne is not in this song as opposed to its predecessor, thankfully. Right off the bat, No Brainer is basically a rehash of I’m The One. I do like Justin’s verses throughout the song. I think he does a nice job overall. But I feel like the song lacks something to make it more interesting. The production is quite underwhelming. I can probably see myself growing into this, but more likely than not I’ll get sick of it with time.

Blurbs Of ’69
– So, we sadly have to say good-bye to Let You Be Right. It’s such a damn shame that this song had to be underrated. Meghan Trainor deserves more success than this. And now with her new album being pushed back to January, I’m afraid it’s going to be a while before we hear more new music from her.

– It’s nice to see I Like It take a massive drop down to the Bottom 5. I don’t quite hate the song as much, but I just simply don’t really see the appeal to it.

– Before introducing Alone, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Halsey is officially back together with G-Eazy. It’s nice to see these two were finally able to work out something. I’m sure they’re hoping they can stay together.

– One Kiss took a rather surprising drop this week. And I say this because I heard it quite a bit last week. Though given that it’s starting to fade elsewhere, I have a feeling it won’t be with us for any longer. Oh well.

– Of course, Africa was bound to take a big jump in its second week. It looks like that one is going to stick around. I’m still not fond of that song, so hopefully it won’t last.

– Love Lies has made its way into the Top 10. That which I’m cool with. It’s nice to see Khalid get his first Top 10 hit on the Hits 1 Countdown. It helps that the song is still gaining elsewhere.

– So, I just recently watched Selena Gomez dance to the Michael Jackson classic, Rock With You. It reminds me of times like these where I could just dance to his music. This week would’ve been his 60th Birthday. He was a legend, and I loved his music.

– The Last Of The Real Ones hold the #1 spot this week. Sounds like Hits 1 has started to fall back in love with Fall Out Boy. I have a feeling that song is likely going to stay in the Top 5 for a while. I do love the song, so I have no complaints about this.

Summer Throwbacks:

Because this is the Labor Day Edition of the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown, they decided to play their summer throwback hits. Here below are the list of songs they played. Note that this will be updated throughout the weekend.

• Katy Perry – Teenage Dream
• Taylor Swift – You Belong With Me
• Ke$ha – Your Love Is My Drug
• Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo and Afrojack – Give Me Everything
• Florida Georgia Line – Cruise
• Flo Rida featuring Sia – Wild Ones
• Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe
• Meghan Trainor – All About That Bass
• One Direction – What Makes You Beautiful
• Sia featuring Sean Paul – Cheap Thrills
• Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road
• Robin Thicke featuring Pharrell and T.I. – Blurred Lines
• Katy Perry – Last Fright Night (T.G.I.F.)
• Eminem featuring Rihanna – Love The Way You Lie
• Jason Derulo – Want To Want Me
• Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber – Despacito
• LMFAO – Party Rock Anthem
• Owl City featuring Carly Rae Jepsen – Good Time
• Bruno Mars – The Lazy Song

Hit-Bound:

• Clean Bandit featuring Demi Lovato – Solo
• Walk The Moon – Kamikaze
• Zedd featuring Elley Duhé – Happy Now
• Anne-Marie – 2002
• Marshmello featuring Bastille – Happier
• Bryce Vine – Drew Barrymore
• Jason Derulo & David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj and Willy William – Goodbye (DEBUT)
• Sabrina Carpenter – Almost Love
• The Vamps – Just My Type
• AJR – Burn The House Down
• Calvin Harris featuring Sam Smith – Promises
• NF – Lie
• LSD – Thunderclouds
• Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello – Beautiful (Remix)
• The Struts featuring Kesha – Body Talks (DEBUT)

– So, we have two new songs on Hit-Bound this week. There’s the return of Kesha who is collaborating with The Struts in the song called Body Talks. I listened to the song quite a few times and I’m not exactly sure what to think of it yet. I do like Kesha’s contribution here. That’s all I’ve got for now.

– We have the return of Jason Derulo and David Guetta with their latest single titled Goodbye, which features Nicki Minaj and Willy William. I never thought of Jason doing a song from the Latin-based genre, but I’m kinda glad it worked out well. I like the verses from both Nicki and Willy. I’ll talk more about it when it debuts.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Zedd featuring Elley Duhé – Happy Now
2. Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello – Beautiful
3. Walk The Moon – Kamikaze
4. Clean Bandit featuring Demi Lovato – Solo
5. Calvin Harris featuring Sam Smith – Promises

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

1 – Bad:
None!

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
19. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know
18. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me
17. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You

4 – Good:
16. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood

5 – Great:
15. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
14. Charlie Puth – The Way I Am
13. lovelytheband – Broken
12. Imagine Dragons – Natural
11. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies
10. Post Malone – Better Now
9. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
8. Selena Gomez – Back To You
7. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
6. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
5. Taylor Swift – Delicate
4. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones
3. Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
2. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle

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

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Bryan Adams – Summer Of ’69 (1985)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars – Uptown Funk

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Little Mix – Touch

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Gabbie Hanna – Honestly

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between Kesha – Praying (#23) and Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do (#13)

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
TIE: 1. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects
3. Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman
4. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
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. Train featuring Cam and Travie McCoy – Call Me Sir
4. Weezer – Africa
5. Drake – In My Feelings

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato – No Promises: This is an interesting collaboration between these two. I love Demi’s contribution in the song. She sounds amazing. I’m glad it turned out well.
Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl: Although the song didn’t really gain much traction elsewhere, it was still successful here on Hits 1 because of their love for Ed Sheeran. This is still the best song off of Divide. Anything that has a folk vibe pulls me in.
Mono Mind – Save Me A Place: This underground EDM group made a great first impression with this song. Plus, the female vocals remind me of Ellie Goulding.
Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do: This was a controversial lead single for Taylor’s latest album, Reputation. Fans and YouTube critics were not very fond of this because it was too much of a departure of her previous singles. However, I myself kinda like it in a guilty pleasure way.