Month: March 2019

AT40: Benny Blanco, Halsey, & Khalid (3) – Week Of March 23, 2019

/ dhill92 / 2 Comments

Hello, fam! I’m thinking about setting up a personal chart sometime soon. I’ll let you guys know when it’s ready. But first, I’m still trying to catch up on some things. Here’s the first AT40 countdown of spring. Before we get to this week’s fresh 40. Here are the songs we’re saying goodbye to this week:

  • Lost In The Fire by Gesafflestein featuring The Weeknd (#21)
  • MIA by Bad Bunny featuring Drake (#26)
  • Nothing Breaks Like A Heart by Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus (#27)

The Countdown:
Last Week’s #1 Song: Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid
40. Lie by NF (#39) [–1]
39. Sue Me by Sabrina Carpenter (DEBUT)
38. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD (#37) [–1]
37. Shallow by Lady Gaga featuring Bradley Cooper (RE-ENTRY)
36. God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande (#35) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
35. Sucker by The Jonas Brothers (DEBUT)
34. Hurts Like Hell by Madison Beer featuring Offset (#34) [=]
33. Broken by lovelytheband (#32) [–1]
32. 365 by Zedd featuring Katy Perry (#40) [+8]
31. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B (#30) [–1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
30. Bad Liar by Imagine Dragons (#36) [+6]
29. Better Now by Post Malone (#28) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
28. You Say by Lauren Daigle (#33) [+5]
27. Beautiful (Remix) by Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello (#22) [–5]
26. 8 Letters by Why Don’t We (#31) [+5]
25. Breathin’ by Ariana Grande (#20) [–5]
24. I’ve Been Waiting by Lil’ Peep featuring iLoveMakonnen and Fall Out Boy (#38) [+14]
23. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini (#14) [–9]
22. Swan Song by Dua Lipa (#25) [+3]
21. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani (#22) [+1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
20. Who Do You Love by The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer (#29) [+9]
19. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#18) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
18. Undrunk by FLETCHER (#19) [+1]
17. Tequila by Dan + Shay (#16) [–1]
16. Break Up With You Girlfriend, I’m Bored by Ariana Grande (#23) [+7]
15. Be Alright by Dean Lewis (#17) [+2]
14. Please Me by Cardi B featuring Bruno Mars (#15) [+1]
13. Wow. by Post Malone (#12) [–1]
12. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake (#11) [–1]
11. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani (#13) [+2]
10. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max (#10) [=]
9. Happier by Marshmello featuring Bastille (#8) [–1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
8. Better by Khalid (#9) [+1]
7. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee (#7) [=]
6. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco (#6) [=] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
5. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee (#4) [–1]
4. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande (#5) [+1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
3. Without Me by Halsey (#2) [–1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
2. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande (#3) [+1]
1. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid (#1) [=] [3rd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Let You Down by NF (2nd And Final Week At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini (–9)
Biggest Rise Of The Week: I’ve Been Waiting by Lil’ Peep featuring iLoveMakonnen and Fall Out Boy (+14)
New Entrants:
– We get a re-entry from Shallow by Lady Gaga featuring Bradley Cooper, which was expected given that we’ve seen a resurgence of the song’s popularity ever since it hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 a while ago. I’m glad it’s back on the countdown. Hopefully, its second tenure will be better than its first.
– And now we have two newer songs entering the countdown. Sabrina Carpenter makes her return once more, this time with Sue Me. I haven’t really been a big fan of what Sabrina Carpenter has to offer. Why was pretty bland and Almost Love was decent. As for Sue Me, it kinda lands somewhere in the middle when it comes to my opinion on the song. I’m not huge on the production of the song. It reminds me of Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato in a way, except here it’s inferior. Her voice is decent, but nothing about it stands out. Overall, it’s just not something I’ll come back to in a year or so.

– Unless you’ve been living under a rock throughout the month of March, then you’ve probably heard that the Jonas Brothers are back together again. This time, they make their big comeback with Sucker, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and just recently had the highest debut in Hits 1 Weekend Countdown history. I do like the song, though it did took a couple of listens for me to come around to. I like the chorus somewhat and the instrumentation is pretty good. My only concern is that I don’t like the whistling that comes after the chorus. Hearing the song, it reminds me of Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man, which was a sleeper hit back in 2017. I’m sure this song will end up doing well on this countdown. Like I said, I do like the song, so I’ll be okay with this.

Best Debut Of The Week: The Re-Entry from Shallow by Lady Gaga featuring Bradley Cooper

Blurbs
I’m sorry, but because this is a late post, there won’t be any blurbs at the moment. However, I’ll update this post after I’m done catching up.

Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:

20. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake
19. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande
18. Happier by Marshmello featuring Bastille 

1 – Bad:
18. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored by Ariana Grande
17. Wow. by Post Malone

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
16. Without Me by Halsey
15. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great: 
14. Be Alright by Dean Lewis
13. Better by Khalid
12. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer
11. Please Me by Cardi B featuring Bruno Mars
10. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco
9. Undrunk by FLETCHER
8. Breathin’ by Ariana Grande 
7. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max
6. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee
5. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid
4. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee
3. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini
2. Tequila by Dan + Shay
1. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani

My Top 5 Picks
1. You Say by Lauren Daigle
2. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani
3. Shallow by Lady Gaga featuring Bradley Cooper
4. Tequila by Dan + Shay
5. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande
2. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake
3. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD
4. Happier by Marshmello featuring Bastille
5. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored by Ariana Grande

AT40: Benny Blanco, Halsey, & Khalid (2) – Week Of March 16, 2019

/ dhill92 / 4 Comments

Hello, guys! So once again, this is another late post. My apologies, but my motivation has been seriously lacking the past several weeks. Hopefully, I’ll try to catch up on my posts. Let’s just get to the late post. Before we get to this week’s fresh 40, here are the songs we’re saying goodbye to this week:

  • Body by Loud Luxury featuring brando (#22)
  • Love Someone by Lukas Graham (#35)
  • I Like It by Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin (#40)

The Countdown:
Last Week’s #1 Song: Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid
40. 365 by Zedd featuring Katy Perry (DEBUT)
39. Lie by NF (#38) [–1]
38. I’ve Been Waiting by Lil’ Peep featuring iLoveMakonnen and Fall Out Boy (DEBUT)
37. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD (#36) [–1]
36. Bad Liar by Imagine Dragons (DEBUT)
35. God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande (#34) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
34. Hurts Like Hell by Madison Beer featuring Offset (#37) [+3]
33. You Say by Lauren Daigle (#33) [=]
32. Broken by lovelytheband (#31) [–1]
31. 8 Letters by Why Don’t We (#30) [–1]
30. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B (#27) [–3] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
29. Who Do You Love by The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer (#39) [+10]
28. Better Now by Post Malone (#25) [–3] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
27. Nothing Breaks Like A Heart by Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus (#15) [–12]
26. MIA by Bad Bunny featuring Drake (#29) [+3]
25. Swan Song by Dua Lipa (#26) [+1]
24. Beautiful (Remix) by Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello (#23) [–1]
23. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored by Ariana Grande (#32) [+9]
22. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani (#21) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
21. Lost In The Fire by Gesafflestein featuring The Weeknd (#12) [–9]
20. Breathin’ by Ariana Grande (#19) [–1]
19. Undrunk by FLETCHER (#24) [+5]
18. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#17) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
17. Be Alright by Dean Lewis (#20) [+3]
16. Tequila by Dan + Shay (#18) [+2]
15. Please Me by Cardi B featuring Bruno Mars (#28) [+13]
14. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini (#9) [–5]
13. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani (#14) [+1]
12. Wow. by Post Malone (#13) [+1]
11. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake (#11) [=]
10. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max (#16) [+6]
9. Better by Khalid (#10) [+1]
8. Happier by Marshmello featuring Bastille [=] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
7. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee (#7) [=]
6. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco (#4) [–2] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
5. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande (#3) [–2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
4. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee (#5) [+1]
3. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande (#5) [+2]
2. Without Me by Halsey (#2) [=] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
1. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid (#1) [=] [2nd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Let You Down by NF (1st of 2 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Nothing Breaks Like A Heart by Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus (–12)
Biggest Rise Of The Week: Please Me by Cardi B featuring Bruno Mars (+13)
New Entrants:
– First, we have the return of Zedd. Last year, he gave us The Middle, which was my #1 favorite song of 2018. This time around, he collaborates with a big favorite of mine, Katy Perry, in 365. I talked about this one in my Hits 1 Weekend Countdown post when it debuted. I like the ticking clock that was used in songs like Stay and The Middle, both of which I enjoyed. Outside of that, everything else production-wise is good. Katy shines with her voice like she always does. Overall, it’s a solid song Zedd was able to release.
– Up next, we have a posthumous release from Lil’ Peep, who collaborates with iLoveMakonnen and the band Fall Out Boy in I’ve Been Waiting. My expectations were pretty low coming into the song. But after a while, I started to like it. The instrumentation is pretty good for the most part. I like the chorus overall and I think Patrick has a good voice. This is a nice collaboration between these guys and I hope it sticks around.
– Finally, we have more of Imagine Dragons with their next single off of Origins, titled Bad Liar. Hits 1 did pick up on Machine a while ago, which was just a mess and thankfully was not released as a single. Bad Liar is a much different story, however. Everything about the song is just spot on. I like Dan’s voice overall. He doesn’t yell obnoxiously like he did in Machine. The instrumentation is really good and not as messy. Hearing the song, it does remind me of one of their earlier singles, Demons, which I loved. Overall, this is easily the best song off of Origins and I’m glad they released it as a single.
Best Debut Of The Week: Bad Liar by Imagine Dragons
I Think About Blurbs All The Time
– So, I Like It finally makes its departure after a long tenure. Initially, I wasn’t a big fan of the song. But with time, it started to grow on me just a bit. Thus, I never hated it in the end. Love Someone flopping was not a surprise, which proves that Lukas Graham are basically just one-hit wonders. And I did enjoy Body for a while, but I’m not too sad about it leaving.
– In terms of the Top 10, we have Sweet But Psycho making its entrance. It’s good to see Ava Max getting recognition. She does have another song which just recently came out, though I haven’t heard it yet as of this typing.
– Please Me ends up getting the biggest jump of the week, which comes as no surprise really. I guess people were happy about Bruno being back after a while.
– It’s really disappointing to see big drops from Lost In The Fire and Nothing Breaks Like A Heart, the latter especially. Both songs are underrated and they deserved better. Oh well.
Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:

20. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake
19. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande

1 – Bad:
18. Wow. by Post Malone
17. Happier by Marshmello featuring Bastille

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
16. Without Me by Halsey
15. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great: 
14. Be Alright by Dean Lewis
13. Better by Khalid
12. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer
11. Please Me by Cardi B featuring Bruno Mars
10. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco
9. Undrunk by FLETCHER
8. Breathin’ by Ariana Grande 
7. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max
6. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee
5. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid
4. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee
3. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini
2. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani
1. Tequila by Dan + Shay

Total Score: 77/100 = 77% (C+)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Wanna Be Starting Somethin’ by Michael Jackson (1983)

Most Missed Song: Teenage Dream by Katy Perry

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Flux by Ellie Goulding

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey (#9) and Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B (#5)

My Top 5 Picks
1. You Say by Lauren Daigle
2. Tequila by Dan + Shay
3. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani
4. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini
5. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake
2. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD
3. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande
4. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored by Ariana Grande
5. Wow. by Post Malone

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Beg by Jack & Jack: Not much I can say about this one except it’s pretty forgettable. I like their vocals, but there’s not much to the production. So yeah, this isn’t really memorable.
Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie: I may have been a little too hard on this one. But it doesn’t excuse the fact that this is a friend-zone anthem, which is just not good. I much prefer something along the lines of Wolves, or his newer song for the matter.

Panic! At The Disco (2) – Week Of March 16, 2019

/ dhill92 / 4 Comments

Hello, fam! I would like to say Happy St. Patrick’s Day! What’s that? Nobody cares? Oh well. So yesterday, I went to see the new movie, Captain Marvel and I enjoyed it. The movie was just awesome, so I highly recommend checking it out if you haven’t already. As far as this week went, it was pretty interesting in a way. We have a return of a certain act who has made history on the countdown. You’ll have to read on and find out for yourself! Before we get to this week’s fresh 45, here are the songs we’re saying goodbye to this week:

  • Travis Scott featuring Drake – Sicko Mode (#39)

The Countdown:
Last Week’s #1 Song: Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It

45. Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess (#44) [–1]

44. lovelytheband – Broken (#45) [+1]
43. Charlie Puth – The Way I Am (#43) [=]
42. Jennifer Lopez – Limitless (#41) [–1]
41. George Ezra – Shotgun (#42) [+1]
40. Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (#40) [=]
39. Seeb featuring Bastille – Grip (#24) [–15]
38. Stephen Puth – Sexual Vibe (#34) [–4]
37. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B – Girls Like You (#36) [–1]
36. Post Malone – Wow. (#35) [–1]
35. Lauren Daigle – You Say (#26) [–9]
34. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies (#30) [–4]
33. Imagine Dragons – Natural (#38) [+5] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
32. Zedd featuring Katy Perry – 365 (#28) [–4]
31. Cardi B featuring Bruno Mars – Please Me (#16) [–15]
30. Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It’s Over (#19) [–11]
29. Jake Miller – Wait For You (#32) [+3]
28. Lil Peep featuring iLoveMakonnen and Fall Out Boy – I’ve Been Waiting (#27) [–1]
27. 5 Seconds of Summer – Youngblood (#29) [+2] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
26. Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next (#25)
25. Grandson – Apologize (#33)
24. Khalid – Better (#23)
23. Sabrina Carpenter – Sue Me (#31)
22. Dan + Shay – Speechless (#17)
21. Anne-Marie – 2002 (#21)
20. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Chlorine (#11) [–9]
19. Lauv featuring Troye Sivan – I’m So Tired (#37) [+18]
18. Kelsea Ballerini – Miss Me More (#22) [+4]
17. Imagine Dragons – Bad Liar (#20) [+3]
16. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower (#18) [+2]
15. Dean Lewis – Be Alright (#13) [–2]
14. Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside (#14) [=]
13. The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer – Who Do You Love (#15) [+2]
12. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger (#12) [=]
11. Dan + Shay – Tequila (#7) [–4]
10. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me (#10) [=]
9. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (#9) [=] [Spent 8 Weeks At #1]
8. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho (#6) [–2]
7. Jonas Brothers – Sucker (DEBUT)
6. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling (#2) [–4] [Spent 7 Weeks At #1]
5. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly [=] (#5)
4. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings [+4] (#8)
3. Marshmello featuring Bastille – Happier (#3) [=] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
2. Halsey – Without Me (#4) [+2] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
1. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It (#1) [=] [2nd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt – Let Me Go (1st And Only Week At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Tie between Seeb featuring Bastille – Grip and Cardi B featuring Bruno Mars – Please Me (–15)
Biggest Jump Of The Week: Lauv featuring Troye Sivan – I’m So Tired (+18)
New Entrants:
– History has been made on the Weekend Countdown as we have the highest debut ever. It comes from the return of the Jonas Brothers with their first single in six years, titled Sucker. The record for the highest debut was previously held by Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen. So, I would like to say congratulations to them for achieving this accomplishment. I’m familiar with most of their music since the last decade, when they’ve been relevant at the time. Songs such as Burnin’ Up are some of my favorites from them. So as far as their new song goes, I think it’s solid. The instrumentation is pretty decent here. I like their vocals quite a bit and I think they sound good in the chorus. Though, I’m not really a big fan of the whistling that comes after that. That’s my only concern. But it doesn’t really affect my thoughts on the song overall. Now that it’s here, I have a feeling that it could end up rising to the #1 spot within the next couple of weeks of so. And I would be fine with that since I like the song.
It’s True, I’m A Sucker For Blurbs
– As far as our exit goes, good riddance to Sicko Mode. It’s about time the song left the countdown. I know I have an unpopular opinion when it comes to the song, but I don’t care. The song is garbage. I’m glad it didn’t last very long on the countdown. NEXT!
– Of course, 7 Rings enters the Top 5 this week. Just lovely. The only reason it is up there is because the song is still gaining momentum elsewhere, which is infuriating. I would hate to see this take #1 because it is a mess. It’s a shame that it’s still getting big, yet songs like Breathin’ were killed off early. 
– *sees #19* I’m not thrilled about this either. I’m So Tired takes a massive jump to the Top 20 this week. This song is not good. I am not going to be very happy if this ends up staying for a long time.
– Please Me took a big drop out of the Top 30 this week. I would be surprised by this given that the song is still gaining momentum elsewhere. But given that Hits 1 doesn’t really care for hip-hop, I’m not all that shocked.
Hit-Bound:

  • NOTD featuring Felix Jaehn, Georgia Ku,  and Captain Cuts – So Close (DEBUT)
  • Avril Lavigne featuring Nicki Minaj – Dumb Blonde
  • lovelytheband – Maybe, I’m Afraid
  • Louis Tomlinson – Two Of Us
  • Bebe Rexha – Last Hurrah
  • Billie Eilish – Bury A Friend
  • Panic! At The Disco – Dancing’s Not A Crime
  • FLETCHER – Undrunk (DEBUT)
  • Austin Brown – In Betweenin’
  • Ally Brooke featuring Tyga – Low Key
  • Kelsy Karter – Harry
  • Ariana Grande – Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored (DEBUT)
  • LSD featuring Lil Wayne – Genius (Remix)
  • P!NK – Walk Me Home

  • Kygo featuring Valerie Broussard – Think About You

Entrant Reviews:
– So, we have the return of NOTD with a song that’s been around for a while, with So Close. I’ve heard it on Venus quite a few times, and it’s a step up from I Wanna Know, I like the production better in this one. Overall, it’s a good song. But I don’t envision myself coming back to this one in a year or so.
– Next, we have another song that’s been around for some time. Newcomer FLETCHER makes an appearance with Undrunk. I talked about this a little while ago in a couple of my previous posts. There’s some stuff to like about this one such as her voice. I like the chorus and the lyrics are nicely written. I’m in love with this and I would like to see it debut on the countdown soon.
– Finally, we have more of Ariana Grande, this time with Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored. I will say it is not as bad as her current representation on the countdown. But her latest single is undesirable for the most part. I do like her voice here and she sounds better. But the production isn’t too good and I’m not feeling the lyrics. I’m sure it’ll end up making its debut at some point, which I’m not looking forward to.
Best New Entrant On Hit-Bound: FLETCHER – Undrunk

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Billie Eilish – Bury A Friend
2. Bebe Rexha – Last Hurrah
3. FLETCHER – Undrunk
4. Kygo featuring Valerie Broussard – Think About You
5. Avril Lavigne featuring Nicki Minaj – Dumb Blonde

Top 20 Review:
0 – Crap:
20. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings
19. Lauv featuring Troye Sivan – I’m So Tired
18. Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE – Happier

1 – Bad:
17. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly
2 – Mediocre:

16. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Chlorine

3 – Decent:
15. Halsey – Without Me

4 – Good:
14. Dean Lewis – Be Alright

5 – Great:
13. Jonas Brothers – Sucker
12. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
11. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower
10. Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside
9. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It
8. The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer – Who Do You Love
7. Imagine Dragons – Bad Liar
6. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho
5. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me
4. Kelsea Ballerini – Miss Me More
3. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling
2. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger
1. Dan + Shay – Tequila

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Jonas Brothers – Burnin’ Up (2008)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill
Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: R5 – Smile
#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Ellie Goulding – Flux
Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B – Finesse (#15) and Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#3)

My Top 5 Picks
1. Lauren Daigle – You Say
2. Dan + Shay – Tequila
3. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger
4. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling
5. Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It’s Over

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess
2. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings
3. Lauv featuring Troye Sivan – I’m So Tired
4. Marshmello featuring Bastille – Happier
5. Post Malone – Wow.

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Kesha featuring The Dap-Kings Horns – Woman: A female-empowerment anthem if you will, and I’m a sucker for those types of songs. I like the cool vibe here and Kesha sounds great. That’s all I have for this one.
Khalid – Young, Dumb, And Broke: Hits 1 picked up on this one a little late. It’s not something interesting, but the song does show that Khalid has a good voice, and the lyrics do have something going for it.
Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends: Probably the worst song EDM has to offer last year. I can’t stand the whole “friend-zone” theme and Anne-Marie doesn’t sound good. Marshmello put forth a weak effort in this one. Yeah, this is a mess.
Niall Horan – On The Loose: Flicker was pretty solid for the most part. This is one of the stand-out tracks from his album. It’s too bad that Hits 1 edited out the guitar solo, because that was the best part about the song.

Panic! At The Disco (1) – Week Of March 9, 2019

/ dhill92 / 3 Comments

Hello, fam! I don’t really have much to say for my introduction. We got a new #1 for this week, and of course it comes from a certain band who Hits 1 adores with great intensity. We did get some activity here and there, though I’m not crazy about our debuts this week. More on that in just a bit. Before we get to this week’s fresh 45, here are the songs we’re saying goodbye to this week:

  • David Guetta featuring Anne-Marie – Don’t Leave Me Alone (#27)
  • Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus – Nothing Breaks Like A Heart (#36)
  • Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones (#42) [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

The Countdown:
Last Week’s #1 Song: The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling
45. lovelytheband – Broken (#44) [–1]
44. Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess (#45) [+1]
43. Charlie Puth – The Way I Am (#43) [=]
42. George Ezra – Shotgun (#40) [–2]
41. Jennifer Lopez – Limitless (#41) [=]
40. Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (#38) [–2]
39. Travis Scott featuring Drake – Sicko Mode (#39) [=]
38. Imagine Dragons – Natural (#37) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
37. Lauv featuring Troye Sivan – I’m So Tired (DEBUT)
36. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B – Girls Like You (#35) [–1]
35. Post Malone – Wow. (DEBUT)
34. Stephen Puth – Sexual Vibe (#32) [–2]
33. Grandson – Apologize (DEBUT)
32. Jake Miller – Wait For You (#34) [+2]
31. Sabrina Carpenter – Sue Me (#25) [–6]
30. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies (#29) [–1]
29. 5 Seconds of Summer – Youngblood (#28) [–1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
28. Zedd featuring Katy Perry – 365 (#30) [+2]
27. Lil Peep featuring iLoveMakonnen and Fall Out Boy – I’ve Been Waiting (#31) [+4]
26. Lauren Daigle – You Say (#33) [+7]
25. Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next (#17) [–8]
24. Seeb featuring BΔSTILLE – Grip (#24) [=]
23. Khalid – Better (#21) [–2]
22. Kelsea Ballerini – Miss Me More (#22) [=]
21. Anne-Marie – 2002 (#15) [–6]
20. Imagine Dragons – Bad Liar (#26) [+6]
19. Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It’s Over (#12) [–7]
18. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower (#19) [+1]
17. Dan + Shay – Speechless (#18) [+1]
16. Cardi B featuring Bruno Mars – Please Me (#23) [+7]
15. The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer – Who Do You Love (#20) [+5]
14. Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside (#13) [–1]
13. Dean Lewis – Be Alright (#16) [+3]
12. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger (#11) [–1]
11. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Chlorine (#14) [+3]
10. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me (#7) [–3]
9. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (#8) [–1] [Spent 8 Weeks At #1]
8. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings (#9) [+1]
7. Dan + Shay – Tequila (#10) [+3]
6. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho (#3) [–3]
5. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly (#4) [–1]
4. Halsey – Without Me (#5) [+1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
3. Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE – Happier (#6) [+3] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
2. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling (#1) [–1] [Spent 7 Weeks At #1]
1. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It (#2) [+1] [1st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (2nd of 9 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next (–8)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Tie between Lauren Daigle – You Say and Cardi B featuring Bruno Mars – Please Me (+7)

New Entrants:
– This week’s new class of entrants aren’t very appealing to me. We’ll start with my least favorite debut of the week. Lauv makes his return once more, and he teams up with Troye Sivan in their single, I’m So Tired. Those who have been following my blog for the past year or so should know that I was not very fond of what Lauv has to offer. I Like Me Better was absolutely horrific in every way and I placed it in my Bottom 10 Songs of 2018, where it landed at #4. Then he gave us There’s No Way, which wasn’t as bad as its predecessor because I kinda liked the production in a way. But it was still pretty undesirable from a vocal standpoint. Now we have I’m So Tired. When I first heard about a possible collaboration between the two artists, I knew then and there that it would not turn out to be very good and after hearing it for the first time, I was sadly proven to be right. Everything about the song is pretty bad. The production, while not as bad as it was in I Like Me Better, is still underwhelming as a whole. Lauv does not sound good singing in the chorus. Troye’s contribution to the song was decent, but even he couldn’t save the song unfortunately. And this is coming from someone who placed My My My! as my #34 best song of 2018. I also kinda liked Youth even though it didn’t stick with me. But this is the worst thing Troye has been a part of so far. Overall, I’m not a fan of this at all and I hope it doesn’t stay for too long.

– Up next, there’s more of Post Malone with his latest single Wow.. I’ve grown to enjoy his recent music, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the bad singles stopped coming in. Wow. is just underwhelming and not very good. I’ll say that it’s not nearly as bad as his other singles such as Congratulations, Rockstar, and Psycho. But the song itself doesn’t wow me very much. The production is too basic and I’m not feeling the lyrics. Post Malone sounds okay, but he doesn’t really stand out for much of the song. So yeah, I’m not a fan of this and I can’t really see it growing on me. NEXT!

– For our last debut, we have the artist named Grandson (no joke) making his first appearance on the countdown with Apologize. I don’t have too much to say about the artist himself because he’s not relevant just yet. I do like the instrumentation for the most part. But I’m not really feeling his voice here. He sounds just a little bit annoying in the chorus. I feel like the song would’ve been better if his voice was better. But it is what it is, I guess. While it’s not a bad song at all, it’s not really something that I’ll see myself coming back to in about a year or so.

Best Debut Of The Week: Grandson – Apologize

I’ve Been Blurbing
– For our exits, The Last Of The Real Ones had a very strong run here. And even though it was off the voting poll, I did hear the song quite a bit this week. But I thought the song left a little sooner than I expected. I kinda thought it would end up hanging around in the Bottom 5 for a while. But oh well. As for the other two exits, I’m very sad about Nothing Breaks Like A Heart. This song is just amazing and it definitely deserved better. But of course, it had to get underrated. And finally, I was slightly losing interest in Don’t Leave Me Alone, so I’m alright with it leaving.

– I figured Hey Look Ma, I Made It would get its #1 eventually, given how much Hits 1 still loves Brendon Urie and company. I certainly don’t mind this because it’s a good song. And this is actually their third song in a row from Pray For The Wicked to achieve the #1 spot. So congrats to them!

– There really wasn’t much to talk about this week. We did get a few big drops from Thank U, Next which I’m okay with. And it was nice to see 2002 finally dropping out of the Top 20 as well. Hopefully, this is the beginning of the end for that song.

– On the opposite side, we have big jumps from You Say and Please Me. I’m very pleased about the former, and it looks like with the song doing well in sales it may end up making the Year-End list for the Billboard Hot 100.

Hit-Bound:

  • LSD featuring Lil Wayne – Genius (Remix)
  • P!NK – Walk Me Home
  • Austin Brown – In Betweenin’
  • Kelsy Karter – Harry
  • Ally Brooke featuring Tyga – Low Key
  • Panic! At The Disco – Dancing’s Not A Crime
  • Maren Morris – GIRL
  • Kygo featuring Valerie Broussard – Think About You
  • Avril Lavigne featuring Nicki Minaj – Dumb Blonde (DEBUT)
  • Bebe Rexha – Last Hurrah (DEBUT)
  • YUNGBLUD & Halsey featuring Travis Barker – 11 Minutes
  • Meghan Trainor – All The Ways
  • Billie Eilish – Bury A Friend (DEBUT)
  • Madison Beer featuring Offset – Hurts Like Hell
  • lovelytheband – Maybe, I’m Afraid
  • Louis Tomlinson – Two Of Us (DEBUT)

Entrant Reviews:
– We get more of Avril Lavigne and she teams up with Nicki Minaj in Dumb Blonde. Right off the bat, this is a cool song to jam out to. I like the chorus here and the production is catchy in a way. Those who like the song can explain it better than I could. But everything about it works well for me.
– I’m still waiting for I’m A Mess to leave the countdown eventually. But Bebe Rexha has a new song looking to take its place soon, in the form of Last Hurrah. This is definitely a step up from its predecessor in every way. Her vocals sound better and I like the production. I really hope it make its debut soon.
– Hits 1 has finally picked up music from an artist who’s been around for quite a while. Billie Eilish brings us Bury A Friend. Unlike many people in the discord server, I actually have an unpopular opinion when it comes to Billie Eilish. I like a majority of her music. Bury A Friend is no exception. Her voice is unique and I like the dark vibe. I do hope to see it on the countdown soon.

– Finally, we have the return of Louis Tomlinson with Two Of Us. This song talks about his late mother, who passed away from leukemia two years ago. I like what the song has going for and his voice is nice. I’m sure it’ll end up making its debut at some point. It’s nice to see him make his comeback.

Best New Entrant On Hit-Bound: Billie Eilish – Bury A Friend

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
TIE: 1. Maren Morris – GIRL
TIE: 1. Meghan Trainor – All The Ways
3. Billie Eilish – Bury A Friend
4. Bebe Rexha – Last Hurrah
5. YUNGBLUD & Halsey featuring Travis Barker – 11 Minutes

Top 20 Review:
0 – Crap:
20. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings
19. Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE – Happier

1 – Bad:
18. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly

2 – Mediocre:
17. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Chlorine

3 – Decent:
16. Halsey – Without Me

4 – Good:
15. Dean Lewis – Be Alright

5 – Great:
14. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
13. Cardi B featuring Bruno Mars – Please Me
12. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower
11. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It
10. The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer – Who Do You Love
9. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho
8. Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside
7. Imagine Dragons – Bad Liar
6. Dan + Shay – Speechless
5. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger
4. Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It’s Over
3. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me
2. Dan + Shay – Tequila

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown
TIE: 1. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling

Overall Grade: 80/100 = 80% (B–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Michael Jackson – Another Part Of Me (1988)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Lady Gaga featuring Bradley Cooper – Shallow

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Disturbed – The Sound Of Silence

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Kacey Musgraves – Rainbow

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello – Wolves (#5) and Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#1)


My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Lauren Daigle – You Say
TIE: 1. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling
3. Dan + Shay – Tequila
4. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger
5. Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It’s Over

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Travis Scott featuring Drake – Sicko Mode
2. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings
3. Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess
4. Lauv featuring Troye Sivan – I’m So Tired
5. Post Malone – Wow.

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Keala Settle & The Greatest Showman Ensemble – This Is Me: This song is just beautiful. I love Keala’s powerful voice and the chorus gives me the chills. I love the way she hits those high notes. I don’t have much else I can say beyond that.
Meghan Trainor – No Excuses: It was this time one year ago that Meghan Trainor made her comeback. Lyrically, it’s not all that good. But the production and her vocals make up for it.

AT40: Benny Blanco, Halsey, & Khalid (1) – Week Of March 9, 2019

/ dhill92 / 1 Comment

Hello, fam! As far as my future posts go, I still have the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 Review which hasn’t been out yet. But I’m almost done with it. I should finally have it ready next week. And then, there’s the review for the performances at the Grammy Awards that I also want to get to. You’ll just have to bear with me for the time being. In the meantime, here’s the AT40 post. Before we get to this week’s fresh 40, here are the songs we’re saying goodbye to this week:

  • Ruin My Life by Zara Larsson (#19)
  • Let You Love Me by Rita Ora (#36)

The Countdown:
Last Week’s #1 Song: Without Me by Halsey
40. I Like It by Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin (#39) [–1]
39. Who Do You Love by The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer (DEBUT)
38. Lie by NF (#37) [–1]
37. Hurts Like Hell by Madison Beer featuring Offset (#38) [+1]
36. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD (#35) [–1]
35. Love Someone by Lukas Graham (#32) [–3]
34. God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande (#33) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
33. You Say by Lauren Daigle (#34) [+1]
32. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored by Ariana Grande (#40) [+8]
31. Broken by lovelytheband (#28) [–3]
30. 8 Letters by Why Don’t We (#30) [=]
29. MIA by Bad Bunny featuring Drake (#29) [=]
28. Please Me by Cardi B featuring Bruno Mars (DEBUT)
27. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B (#26) [–1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
26. Swan Song by Dua Lipa (#27) [+1]
25. Better Now by Post Malone (#24) [–1]
24. Undrunk by FLETCHER (#31) [+7]
23. Beautiful (Remix) by Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello (#22) [–1]
22. Body by Loud Luxury featuring brando (#23) [+1]
21. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani (#20) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
20. Be Alright by Dean Lewis (#25) [+5]
19. Breathin’ by Ariana Grande (#18) [–1]
18. Tequila by Dan + Shay (#21) [+3]
17. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#16) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
16. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max (#17) [+1]
15. Nothing Breaks Like A Heart by Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus (#13) [–2]
14. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani (#15) [+1]
13. Wow. by Post Malone (#14) [+1]
12. Lost In The Fire by Gesaffelstein featuring The Weeknd (#12) [=]
11. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake (#10) [–1]
10. Better by Khalid (#11) [+1]
9. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini (#9) [=]
8. Happier by Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE (#7) [–1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
7. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee (#8) [+1]
6. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee (#5) [–1]
5. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande (#6) [+1]
4. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco (#4) [=] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
3. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande (#3) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
2. Without Me by Halsey (#1) [–1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
1. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid (#2) [+1] [1st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: New Rules by Dua Lipa (4th And Final Week At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Tie between Love Someone by Lukas Graham and Broken by lovelytheband (–3)
Biggest Rise Of The Week: Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored by Ariana Grande (+8)
New Entrants:
– With This Feeling slowly dying out elsewhere, we have another song from The Chainsmokers. This time, they’re collaborating with 5 Seconds Of Summer in their single, Who Do You Love. I had no idea what to expect coming into the song. But after listening many times, I grew to love it. While the drop isn’t particularly amazing, I still like everything else about the song. The instrumentation in some parts of the song are nice. I love the vocals we get from these guys. I think they sound great in the chorus. The lyrical content is pretty well-written. Overall, it’s a good song all around. While it’s not the best The Chainsmokers have done, it’s definitely something I enjoy.
– Last year, Cardi B and Bruno Mars both gave us my #8 favorite song of 2018 in the form of Finesse. This time around, they bring us their latest single making its debut on the American Top 40 countdown, by the name of Please Me. This song is not nearly as good as Finesse production-wise. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the song is bad per se. My concern is that it’s missing the new jack swing, which is what made me love Finesse. However, I do like the verses we get from both artists. Bruno shows that he still has a good voice and Cardi B sounds decent in her verses. Overall, it’s not a bad song at all. But it may not be something that’ll stick with me in the long run.
Best Debut Of The Week: Who Do You Love by The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer

Who Do You Blurb?
– Our two exits will both be missed by me. Both Ruin My Life and Let You Love Me deserved better. But of course, they both ended up underrated. At least they were able to make the countdown down. I enjoyed both of those songs and depending on how the rest of the year goes, they may end up in My Top 50 Songs of 2019.

– It’s nice to see something other than Without Me take the top spot this week. I love the fact that Eastside has taken over the #1 spot. It took a pretty long time to reach the top, but I’m glad it’s taken the crown. The song is a great first impression for Benny Blanco.

– Of course, 7 Rings just had to enter the Top 5. As I’ve stated many times, this song is terribly produced, sung, and written. But sadly, it’s going to stay in the Top 5 for a while and really test my patience. I do hope it doesn’t get to #1, but one can only dream.

– I do, however, like the Top 10 entrant we get from Better. Although it’s not quite as good as its predecessor, I’ve grew to enjoy it recently. But I don’t really expect it to stick with me in the long run.

– Speaking of Ariana Grande, the big jump we get from Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored is not very pleasing. I’ll say that it’s not nearly as bad as its predecessor. But it’s still pretty undesirable, in large part because I don’t like the premise to the song and the production is not that good. I know Ariana is definitely capable of better. Her latest singles have been disappointing lately, especially 7 Rings.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

  • Damn by LIVVIA
  • Bad Liar by Imagine Dragons
  • I’ve Been Waiting by Lil’ Peep featuring iLoveMakonnen and Fall Out Boy
  • 365 by Zedd featuring Katy Perry

Extras/Optional Extras:
  • Shut Up And Dance by Walk The Moon
  • Cheap Thrills by Sia featuring Sean Paul
  • We Found Love by Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris
  • Lean On by Major Lazer featuring DJ Snake and MØ
  • I Don’t Wanna Live Forever by ZAYN featuring Taylor Swift
  • Cake By The Ocean by DNCE
  • Despacito by Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber
  • Here by Alessia Cara
  • Wake Up In The Sky by Gucci Mane featuring Bruno Mars and Kodak Black
  • Stressed Out by TWENTY ØNE PILØTS
Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:

20. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake
19. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande

1 – Bad:
18. Wow. by Post Malone
17. Happier by Marshmello featuring Bastille

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
16. Without Me by Halsey
15. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great: 
14. Be Alright by Dean Lewis
13. Better by Khalid
12. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer
11. Nothing Breaks Like A Heart by Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus
10. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco
9. Lost In The Fire by Gesafflestein featuring The Weeknd
8. Breathin’ by Ariana Grande 
7. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max
6. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee
5. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid
4. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee
3. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini
2. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani
1. Tequila by Dan + Shay

Total Score: 77/100 = 77% (C+)
Throwback Pick Of The Week: Into The Groove by Madonna (1985)
Most Missed Song: Shallow by Lady Gaga featuring Bradley Cooper
#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Rainbow by Kacey Musgraves

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey (#11) and Wolves by Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello (#6)

My Top 5 Picks
1. You Say by Lauren Daigle
2. Tequila by Dan + Shay
3. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani
4. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini
5. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake
2. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD
3. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande
4. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored by Ariana Grande
5. Wow. by Post Malone

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Hold Me Tight Or Don’t by Fall Out Boy: Although MANIA wasn’t really that good of an album, I love how they tried to go for something new in the song. I thought the Mexican vibe was pretty cool here.
Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons: This was probably one of the few stand-outs from Evolve, which was not that good of an album either. I love how fast-paced it is and the production is solid. It’s a motivational song that talks about achieving success no matter what.

The Chainsmokers & Kelsea Ballerini (7) – Week Of March 2, 2019

/ dhill92 / Leave a comment

Hello, fam! Sorry for the post coming out later than usual. Only this time, my motivation was seriously lacking this week. Laziness has become a weakness of mine lately. It just happens sometimes. But I’m going to improve on that. Let’s get right to the Hits 1 Countdown. Before we get to this week’s fresh 45, here are the songs we’re saying goodbye to this week:

  • Charli XCX featuring Troye Sivan – 1999 (#29)
  • Zara Larsson – Ruin My Life (#33)

The Countdown:
Last Week’s #1 Song: The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling
45. Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess (#45) [=]
44. lovelytheband – Broken (#41) [–3]
43. Charlie Puth – The Way I Am (#43) [=]
42. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones (#30) [–12] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
41. Jennifer Lopez – Limitless (#44) [+3]
40. George Ezra – Shotgun (#38) [–2]
39. Travis Scott featuring Drake – Sicko Mode (#42) [+5]
38. Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (#34) [–4]
37. Imagine Dragons – Natural (#25) [–12] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
36. Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus – Nothing Breaks Like A Heart (#39) [+3]
35. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B – Girls Like You (#36) [+1]
34. Jake Miller – Wait For You (#40) [+6]
33. Lauren Daigle – You Say (#28) [–5]
32. Stephen Puth – Sexual Vibe (#24) [–8]
31. Lil Peep featuring iLoveMakonnen and Fall Out Boy – I’ve Been Waiting (DEBUT)
30. Zedd featuring Katy Perry – 365 (#37) [+7]
29. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies (#26) [–3]
28. 5 Seconds of Summer – Youngblood (#12) [–16] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
27. David Guetta featuring Anne-Marie – Don’t Leave Me Alone (#27) [=]
26. Imagine Dragons – Bad Liar (DEBUT)
25. Sabrina Carpenter – Sue Me (#22) [–3]
24. Seeb featuring Bastille – Grip (#16) [–8]
23. Cardi B featuring Bruno Mars – Please Me (#31) [+8]
22. Kelsea Ballerini – Miss Me More (#35) [+13]
21. Khalid – Better (#18) [–3]
20. The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer – Who Do You Love (#19) [–1]
19. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower (#14) [–5]
18. Dan + Shay – Speechless (#23) [+5]
17. Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next (#20) [+3]
16. Dean Lewis – Be Alright (#21) [+5]
15. Anne-Marie – 2002 (#7) [–8]
14. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Chlorine (#15) [+1]
13. Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside (#11) [–2]
12. Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It’s Over (#17) [+5]
11. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger (#32) [+21]
10. Dan + Shay – Tequila (#10) [=]
9. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings (#13) [+4]
8. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (#6) [–2] [Spent 8 Weeks At #1]
7. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me (#9) [+2]
6. Marshmello featuring Bastille – Happier (#4) [–2] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
5. Halsey – Without Me (#3) [–2] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
4. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly (#8) [+4]
3. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho (#5) [+3]
2. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It (#2) [=]
1. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling (#1) [=] [7th Week At #1]
#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (1st of 9 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood (–16)
Biggest Jump Of The Week: Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger (+21)
New Entrants:
– So, we get an interesting single from the late Lil’ Peep, who collaborates with iLoveMakonnen and the band Fall Out Boy in their latest single titled I’ve Been Waiting. Coming into the song, I wasn’t really expecting much. But after hearing this in full, I actually like this. I think their vocals are decent. The chorus is probably what pulls me in, when combined with the production, which I think is solid. Patrick sounds good in the chorus as well. Overall, it’s pretty good. Not a bad collaboration between these guys.

– Not long after the departure of Machine, which was absolutely awful and maybe the worst single we’ve gotten from Imagine Dragons, we have a much better single from Origins, in the form of Bad Liar. It is a huge step up from its predecessor in every way. The instrumentation is better and not as messy. Dan Reynolds sounds good with his voice. He shines all throughout the song and we don’t get any obnoxious yelling from him. When I hear this come on, it reminds me of Demons, which I liked as well. Looking deeper into the song, it tells a story about the relationship between Dan and his wife. I like the lyrical content here. It definitely has some creativity and it provides in depth as to what the song is truly about.

Best Debut Of The Week: Imagine Dragons – Bad Liar

I’m A Bad Blurber
– Two of our exits this week will both be missed by me. Ruin My Life was a good comeback for Zara Larsson. It deserved better than what it ultimately had. 1999 is a superior song compared to 2002. It’s disappointing to see that one go whereas 2002 is still pretty high on the countdown. But at least it was here for a while and I enjoyed its presence.

– I’m not too thrilled about Let Me Down Slowly being in the Top 5 this week. I may like the instrumentation, but I’m not a big fan of the guy’s voice. That brings the song down for me. I do hope it doesn’t get any higher.

– Then, we have the extremely annoying 7 Rings in the Top 10. I hate this song like wildfire. It has no business being up there. But of course, it’ll end up staying for a while despite the song being absolute garbage.

– After not doing much at all last week, Dancing With A Stranger took a well-deserved biggest jump of the week this week. I’m in love with the song and I’m glad Hits 1 is treating it well so far. Hopefully, its momentum stays strong.

– We have quite a few songs dropping big this week. Youngblood finally dropped out of the Top 20 after spending a seemingly long time in the Top 10. Also, songs like Natural and The Last Of The Real Ones fell to the Bottom 10 this week. It looks like the end may be finally near for those songs.

Hit-Bound:

This week, the Jonas Brothers are back together again as they host Hit-Bound. As such, they have a new single which I’ll talk about in just a bit. Here’s the full Hit-Bound list:

  • lovelytheband – Maybe, I’m Afraid
  • Post Malone – Wow.
  • Maren Morris – GIRL
  • P!NK – Walk Me Home (DEBUT)
  • Madison Beer featuring Offset – Hurts Like Hell

  • Panic! At The Disco – Dancing’s Not A Crime
  • Kelsy Karter – Harry
  • Austin Brown – In Betweenin’ (DEBUT)
  • Meghan Trainor – All The Ways
  • Ally Brooke featuring Tyga – Low Key (DEBUT)
  • Grandson – Apologize
  • Jonas Brothers – Sucker (DEBUT)
  • LSD featuring Lil Wayne – Genius (Remix)
  • YUNGBLUD featuring Halsey and Travis Barker – 11 Minutes
  • Lauv featuring Troye Sivan – I’m So Tired
  • Kygo featuring Valerie Broussard – Think About You (DEBUT)

Entrant Reviews:
– We sadly say goodbye to two songs this week. Let You Love Me was really good, and it’s a shame that Rita Ora’s music is underrated. Lost In The Fire I enjoyed as well. It’s too bad the song didn’t end up being another hit for The Weeknd. Oh well.
– P!NK makes her comeback with Walk Me Home. It’s not the best she has to offer, but it’s still something enjoyable. Even though her voice doesn’t quite stand out, she still sounds good. I’ll have more on this when it debuts.
– We have new artist named Austin Brown with In Betweenin’. Not a whole lot I can say about this one except I’m not huge on the guy’s voice. That’s my only concern about the song. But everything else works well in my opinion. 
– Up next, we have former Fifth Harmony member Ally Brooke with her solo debut single titled Low Key. I first heard the song when it first came out and I wasn’t impressed for the most part. This was on the YouTube 15 and I explained why I wasn’t very fond of it. I personally* think Ally is a good singer. But she doesn’t really show it in the song. The chorus and her verses are underwhelming. And Tyga didn’t really add to the song. I expected more out of Ally, but this is just disappointing and not very good. Oh well.
– So, we have the Jonas Brothers getting back together again. And they have a new single titled Sucker. As it stands as of this typing, it looks destined to be #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 come next week. This song does have some good stuff that I like about. I’ll talk more about it when it debuts.
– Finally, we have the return of Kygo who was behind my #4 song of 2017. This time, he brings along Valerie Brousaard in Think About You. It’s not quite as good as It Ain’t Me, but I definitely love everything about this new single. I like Valerie’s voice and Kygo did great with the production overall. I’m hoping it ends up debuting soon.
Best New Entrant on Hit-Bound: Kygo featuring Valerie Broussard – Think About You

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
TIE: 1. Maren Morris – GIRL
TIE: 1. Meghan Trainor – All The Ways
3. Kygo featuring Valerie Broussard – Think About You
4. YUNGBLUD featuring Halsey and Travis Barker – 11 Minutes
5. P!NK – Walk Me Home

Top 20 Review:
0 – Horrific:
20. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings

1 – Bad:
19. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly
18. Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE – Happier

2 – Mediocre:
17. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Chlorine
16. Anne-Marie – 2002 

3 – Decent:
15. Halsey – Without Me
14. Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next

4 – Good:

None!


5 – Great:
13. Dean Lewis – Be Alright
12. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
11. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It
10. The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer – Who Do You Love
9. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho
8. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower
7. Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside
6. Dan + Shay – Speechless
5. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger
4. Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It’s Over
3. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me
2. Dan + Shay – Tequila

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling
Overall Grade: 78/100 = 78% (C+)
Throwback Pick Of The Week: NSYNC – Bye Bye Bye (2000)
Most Missed Countdown Song: P!NK – Try
Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Alesso featuring Nico & Vinz – I Wanna Know

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Ellie Goulding – Flux

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello – Wolves (#7) and Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#1)

My Top 5 Picks
1. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling
2. Dan + Shay – Tequila
3. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me
4. Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It’s Over
5. Lauren Daigle – You Say

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess
2. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings
3. Travis Scott featuring Drake – Sicko Mode
4. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly
5. Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE – Happier

Song That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Alan Walker featuring Noah Cyrus and Digital Farm Animals – All Falls Down: I actually find Darkside to be better than this one. But that doesn’t really change my opinion on the song per se. It’s probably the best thing Noah has been a part of.
Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes: It’s a motivational song that we don’t get a lot of nowadays. I like how fast-paced it is and Dan sounds better vocally. Along with Believer and Walking The Wire, this is one of the best songs off of Evolve.
5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back: Ah, yes. Their comeback single after about two years. Although I do think Youngblood is superior, I do like what it has to offer. It’s different from what they’ve released in the past, but it was something I liked.

AT40: Halsey (4) – Week Of March 2, 2019

/ dhill92 / 1 Comment

Hello, fam! So, March is upon us. That means it’s almost time for March Madness. Along with football, I’d say it’s one of the best time of the year in the world of sports. I’ll most definitely be watching. Other than that, I have nothing else I want to say for my introduction. Here’s the AT40 countdown. Before we get to this week’s fresh 40, here are the songs we’re saying goodbye to this week:

  • Wake Up In The Sky by Gucci Mane featuring Bruno Mars and Kodak Black (#31)
  • There’s No Way by Lauv featuring Julia Michaels (#35)
  • Mine by Bazzi (#40) [Spent 1 Week At #1]

The Countdown:
Last Week’s #1 Song: Without Me by Halsey
40. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored by Ariana Grande (DEBUT)
39. I Like It by Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin (#37) [–2]
38. Hurts Like Hell by Madison Beer featuring Offset (DEBUT)
37. Lie by NF (#36) [–1]
36. Let You Love Me by Rita Ora (#37) [+1]
35. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD (#34) [–1]
34. You Say by Lauren Daigle (#39) [+5]
33. God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande (#32) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
32. Love Someone by Lukas Graham (#33) [+1]
31. Undrunk by FLETCHER (DEBUT)
30. 8 Letters by Why Don’t We (#30) [=]
29. MIA by Bad Bunny featuring Drake (#28) [–1]
28. Broken by lovelytheband (#27) [–1]
27. Swan Song by Dua Lipa (#29) [+2]
26. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B (#23) [–3] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
25. Be Alright by Dean Lewis (#26) [+1]
24. Better Now by Post Malone (#20) [–4] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
23. Body by Loud Luxury featuring brando (#24) [+1]
22. Beautiful (Remix) by Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello (#10) [–12]
21. Tequila by Dan + Shay (#21) [=]
20. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani (#18) [–2] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
19. Ruin My Life by Zara Larsson (#17) [–2]
18. Breathin’ by Ariana Grande (#12) [–6]
17. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max (#19) [+2]
16. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#15) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
15. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani (#25) [+10]
14. Wow. by Post Malone (#22) [+8]
13. Nothing Breaks Like A Heart by Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus (#16) [+3]
12. Lost In The Fire by Gesaffelstein featuring The Weeknd (#14) [+2]
11. Better by Khalid (#13) [+2]
10. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake (#11) [+1]
9. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini (#8) [–1]
8. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee (#7) [–1]
7. Happier by Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE (#6) [–1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
6. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande (#9) [+3]
5. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee (#5) [=]
4. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco (#4) [=] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
3. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande (#2) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
2. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid (#3) [+1]
1. Without Me by Halsey (#1) [=] [4th Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: New Rules by Dua Lipa (3rd of 4 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Beautiful (Remix) by Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello (–12)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani (+10)


New Entrants:
– We have two not so good debuts and one that is pretty solid. We’ll start with Ariana Grande once more with another single from Thank U, Next titled Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored. As I mentioned before, I’m a big fan of Ariana. But I’ve definitely been mixed when it comes to her latest music. I despise 7 Rings with great intensity and as of right now, it’s my least favorite song of the year so far, though that may change as the year goes along. As for her latest single, it’s only a bit of a step up from 7 Rings. I do like how Ariana sounds better here as opposed to 7 Rings where she shows no vocal talent whatsoever. But other than that, I’m not feeling the rest of the song. The lyrics talk about wanting someone to break up with them so they can be together. I don’t think it sends a good message here. The production isn’t too bad, but there’s almost no melody here. So yeah, I’m not fond of the song. Obviously, Ariana is capable of better.
– Next, we have the return of Madison Beer who collaborates with Offset in her latest single named Hurts Like Hell. Last time, she gave us Home With You. Even though the song wasn’t anything special, I kinda liked it for the most part. I can’t say that about Hurts Like Hell. So, what’s wrong with the song overall? Well, Madison’s vocals are not good. She sounds pretty grating in some parts of the song. There’s not much to the production and I’m not fond of the beat. Offset’s verses aren’t good either. He didn’t really add anything to the song. I was hoping Madison would give me something better, but that didn’t turn out to be the case on my end. This is simply not a good song overall and I hope it doesn’t last long.
– With the highest debut of the week, we have a new artist named FLETCHER as she makes her first appearance with her song titled Undrunk. This was on the YouTube 15 about a month ago and I did a brief review of the song. I don’t have a whole lot I can say about the song. I like the production here and she sounds good with her vocals. Overall, I can say it’s a good song. It’s starting to gain some momentum at this moment, so hopefully it’ll end up becoming a sleeper hit.

Best Debut Of The Week: Undrunk by FLETCHER

‘Cause I’m Blurbing
– On the note of exits, Wake Up In The Sky didn’t last very long. Though, it wasn’t really that great of a song, so I’m kinda happy with that. There’s No Way thankfully flopped and wasn’t as big as its predecessor, so good riddance to that. Finally, we have the big one, in which Mine has officially left the countdown. Although I may be sick of it now, I’m just glad it became a sleeper hit for much of 2018. It was very close to lasting a year much like New Rules did. It would’ve been one of the songs that would never go away, much like Spyder Harrison said for songs such as My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light ‘Em Up), though Ryan Seacrest doesn’t really say that for many songs. Farewell, Mine. It’s been real.

– Speaking of Bazzi, Beautiful finally took a big drop out of the Top 10. Even though it wasn’t necessarily as big as its predecessor, it lasted quite longer here than I thought it would. But I guess now its time is nearing is end.

– It looks very likely that Love Lies will end up lasting a year, given that it’s still pretty high on the countdown. If it does happen, it’ll end up joining songs such as New Rules.

– We have two songs making their way into the Top 20 this week. First, there’s Wow., which I’m not excited about. But then, we have Dancing With A Stranger, which makes me happy.

Top 20 Breakdown:

0 – Garbage:

20. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande
19. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake

1 – Bad:
18. Wow. by Post Malone
17. Happier by Marshmello featuring Bastille

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
16. Without Me by Halsey
15. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande

4 – Good:
14. Better by Khalid

5 – Great: 
13. Ruin My Life by Zara Larsson
12. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer
11. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max
10. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco
9. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani
8. Nothing Breaks Like A Heart by Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus
7. Lost In The Fire by Gesafflestein featuring The Weeknd
6. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee
5. Breathin’ by Ariana Grande 
4. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid
3. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani
2. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini


Total Score: 78/100 = 78% (C+)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Livin’ On A Prayer by Bon Jovi (1986)

Most Missed Song: Airplanes by B.O.B. featuring Hayley Williams

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Last Hurrah by Bebe Rexha

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey (#16)

My Top 5 Picks
1. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini
2. Tequila by Dan + Shay
3. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee
4. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani
5. You Say by Lauren Daigle

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande
2. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD
3. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake
4. Wow. by Post Malone
5. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored by Ariana Grande