Hello, fam! Happy Father’s Day weekend to you all! Hopefully, you guys find him a nice gift. I’m sure he’ll love it. Anyway, the rankdown involving the 2012 Billboard Year-End Hot 100 is still open! The deadline is set for July 31, so you guys have some time to send me your submissions. It’s likely I’ll extend the deadline to give you some extra time. Before we get to this week’s fresh 40, here are the songs we’re saying goodbye to this week:
- Shallow by Lady Gaga featuring Bradley Cooper (#28) [x2]
- Out Of Love by Alessia Cara (#29)
- Juice by Lizzo (#39)
The Countdown:
Last Week’s #1 Song: Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani
40. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani (#39) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
39. Speechless by Dan + Shay (DEBUT)
38. Wake Up by Travis Scott featuring The Weeknd (DEBUT)
37. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#36) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
36. Walk Me Home by P!NK (#40) [+4]
35. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake (#34) [–1]
34. All My Friends by AJ Mitchell (#37) [+3]
33. So Close by NOTD, Felix Jaehn, & Captain Cuts featuring Georgia Ku (#35) [+2]
32. Happier by Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE (#32) [=] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
31. I’m So Tired… by Lauv featuring Troye Sivan (#25) [–6]
30. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande (#30) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
29. La La Land by Bryce Vine featuring YG (#29) [+4]
28. Easier by 5 Seconds Of Summer (DEBUT)
27. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco (#26) [–1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
26. Boy With Luv by BTS featuring Halsey (#27) [+1]
25. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Swae Lee (#23) [–2]
24. Nightmare by Halsey (#31) [+7]
23. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee (#20) [–3]
22. Here With Me by Marshmello featuring CHVRCHES (#14) [–8]
21. Better by Khalid (#19) [–2]
20. Don’t Call Me Up by Mabel (#17) [–3]
19. Con Calma by Daddy Yankee & Katy Perry featuring Snow (#22) [+3]
18. Who Do You Love by The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer (#11) [–7]
17. Bad Guy by Billie Eilish (#24) [+7]
16. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid (#15) [–1]
15. When The Party’s Over by Billie Eilish (#18) [+3]
14. Hey Look Ma, I Made It by Panic! At The Disco (#21) [+7]
13. Without Me by Halsey (#13) [=] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
12. Cool by Jonas Brothers (#16) [+4]
11. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande (#8) [–3]
10. If I Can’t Have You by Shawn Mendes (#12) [+2]
9. I Don’t Care by Ed Sheeran featuring Justin Bieber (#10) [+1]
8. Talk by Khalid (#9) [+1]
7. ME! by Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie (#7) [=]
6. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored by Ariana Grande (#5) [–1]
5. Old Town Road (Remix) by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus (#6) [+1]
4. Wow. by Post Malone (#4) [=]
3. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max (#3) [=]
2. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani (#1) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
1. Sucker by Jonas Brothers (#2) [+1] [6th Week At #1]
#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello (5th And Final Week At #1)
Biggest Fall Of The Week: Here With Me by Marshmello featuring CHVRCHES (–8)
Biggest Rise Of The Week: Tie between Nightmare by Halsey, Bad Guy by Billie Eilish, and Hey Look Ma, I Made It by Panic! At The Disco (+7)
New Entrants:
– Up first in our new round of arrivals, we have more of Dan + Shay with a song that’s been around for sometime, titled Speechless. The country duo have been impressing me with their music since last year, when they bought Tequila to Hits 1 and eventually the American Top 40. Speechless is no different. First off, I love the way the song opens with the piano and excellent vocals from Shay. And from there, the rest is history. The chorus is divine. The instrumentation is nice and I love the creative lyrics as well. They’ve just released a remix of the song with Tori Kelly. If you haven’t I highly recommend that you check it out! If I someday get married, I want this to be our song. It’s a really good song overall and with the remix being released last week, I have a feeling it’s going to gain some momentum!
– Next, we have the collaboration between Travis Scott and The Weeknd, who bring us Wake Up. Anyway, the song’s not that appealing to me. The Weeknd sounds okay in the chorus. But other than that, I don’t like the guitar and the rest of the production just seems underwhelming. Looking into the song, it basically talks about them being in a relationship. But the lyrical content is repetitive in most of the song, and thus it lacks creativity. John Mayer helped produced the song, which explains why there is a acoustic guitar. Yeah, it’s not bad, but certainly not memorable.
– As Youngblood is near the end of its tenure and Who Do You Love is dying down, we get the next single from 5 Seconds Of Summer, in the form of Easier. I initially liked this one quite a bit. But it has slightly faded on me quickly. I do like the vocals we get from these guys. But the chorus isn’t really special. I feel like it’s lacking something. I don’t know what it is. As for the rest of the song, the production and the beat are inferior to me, and it shows that they’re becoming less of a band. So yeah, this is okay overall.
Best Debut Of The Week: Speechless by Dan + Shay
Is It Easier To Blurb?
– As always, we’ll begin with our exits. To start, we say goodbye to Shallow by Lady Gaga featuring Bradley Cooper, this time for good. I felt like it should’ve gone further in its second tenure after it hit #1 on Billboard. But ultimately, it just didn’t happen that way. That song will definitely be missed by me. As for Out Of Love by Alessia Cara…yeah, not really complaining about its exit. I don’t really care for it too much, but it’s better than Trust My Lonely. And Juice by Lizzo did not last very long at all. I guess the momentum died down rather quickly. Oh well.
– Sucker by Jonas Brothers is back at #1 this week, which I’m fine with so long as it blocks mediocrity such as Wow. and Old Town Road. Hopefully, it can hold the #1 spot for just a little while longer until we get some better music in the Top 5.
– If I Can’t Have You by Shawn Mendes enters the Top 10 this week! It’s good to see the song catching on. I do hope it ends up getting into the Top 5 soon. I’m looking forward to see what his new album has in store.
– Hey Look Ma, I Made It jumps into the Top 20. I have a feeling that one will end up becoming another hit for Panic! At The Disco. It’s good to see them finally get some love outside of Hits 1. And Bad Guy having a big jump is also very pleasing. I personally think it’s the best song Billie Eilish has put out so far, though I like the majority of her album.
– Here With Me dropped big this week, and it’s disappointing given that it’s one of Marshmello’s better songs. It’s too bad CHVRCHES won’t get the recognition they deserve. And it’s nice to see I’m So Tired… drop as well. Thankfully, that one didn’t become a sleeper hit. Hopefully, it’s on its way out soon.
Breakouts/On The Verge:
- Medicine by Jennifer Lopez featuring French Montana
- Chlorine by TWENTY ØNE PILØTS
- Cross Me by Ed Sheeran featuring Chance The Rapper and PnB Rock
- Love Me Less by MAX featuring Quinn XCII
- Never Really Over by Katy Perry
Extras/Optional Extras:
- Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage
- Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller
- Cake By The Ocean by DNCE
- Starving by Hailee Steinfeld & Grey featuring Zedd
- Be Alright by Dean Lewis
- Love Yourself by Justin Bieber
- Only Girl (In The World) by Rihanna
- Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B
Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:
20. Old Town Road (Remix) by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus
19. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande
18. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored by Ariana Grande
1 – Bad:
17. Wow. by Post Malone
16. Cool by Jonas Brothers
2 – Mediocre:
15. Talk by Khalid
3 – Decent:
14. Without Me by Halsey
13. Who Do You Love by The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer
12. I Don’t Care by Ed Sheeran
4 – Good:
11. Don’t Call Me Up by Mabel
10. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid
9. Sucker by Jonas Brothers
5 – Great:
8. Hey Look Ma, I Made It by Panic! At The Disco
7. When The Party’s Over by Billie Eilish
6. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max
5. Bad Guy by Billie Eilish
4. Con Calma by Daddy Yankee & Katy Perry featuring Snow
3. ME! by Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie
2. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani
BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. If I Can’t Have You by Shawn Mendes
Total Score: 66/100 = 66% (D+)
Throwback Pick Of The Week: Gloria by Laura Branigan (1982)
Most Missed Song: Midnight City by M83
#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Now That I Found You by Carly Rae Jepsen
Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande
My Top 5 Picks
1. If I Can’t Have You by Shawn Mendes
2. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani
3. Speechless by Dan + Shay
4. ME! by Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie
5. Con Calma by Daddy Yankee & Katy Perry featuring Snow
My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Old Town Road (Remix) by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus
2. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande
3. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake
4. I’m So Tired… by Lauv featuring Troye Sivan
5. La La Land by Bryce Vine featuring YG
Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Sober by G-Eazy featuring Charlie Puth: Nothing really to say about this one. I think the lyrics are solid and their vocals are good. This did last only one week on this countdown, though I’m not complaining about it as it wasn’t that memorable in the big picture.
Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Backstreet Boys: Ah yes, the comeback single from a big favorite of mine back when I was young. Everything about the song just works well for them. This deserved to be a bigger hit than what it ultimately got.
Music Reviews + More 