Hello, fam! Wow, this was quite an interesting week in the first full weekend of summer. We had plenty of action on the countdown this week, including the one debut that I’m excited about. I don’t have very much else to say, so let’s jump right in. Before we get to this week’s fresh 40, here are the songs we’re saying goodbye to this week:

• Who Do You Love by The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer (#18)
• Don’t Call Me Up by Mabel (#20)
• Here With Me by Marshmello featuring CHVRCHES (#22)
• Boy With Luv by BTS featuring Halsey (#26)
• I’m So Tired… by Lauv featuring Troye Sivan (#31)

The Countdown:
Last Week’s #1 Song: Sucker by Jonas Brothers
40. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani (#40) [=] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
39. Love Me Less by MAX featuring Quinn XCII (DEBUT)
38. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#37) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
37. Just Us by DJ Khaled featuring SZA (DEBUT)
36. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake (#35) [–1]
35. Speechless by Dan + Shay (#39) [+4]
34. Truth Hurts by Lizzo (DEBUT)
33. Happier by Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE (#32) [–1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
32. So Close by NOTD, Felix Jaehn, & Captain Cuts featuring Georgia Ku (#33) [+1]
31. Wake Up by Travis Scott featuring The Weeknd (#38) [+7]
30. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande (#30) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
29. Walk Me Home by P!NK (#36) [+7]
28. All My Friends by AJ Mitchell (#34) [+6]
27. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee (#25) [–2]
26. Never Really Over by Katy Perry (DEBUT)
25. La La Land by Bryce Vine featuring YG (#29) [+4]
24. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee (#23) [–1]
23. Cross Me by Ed Sheeran featuring Chance The Rapper and PnB Rock (DEBUT)
22. Better by Khalid (#21) [–1]
21. Easier by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#28) [+7]
20. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco (#27) [+7] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
19. Con Calma by Daddy Yankee & Katy Perry featuring Snow (#19) [=]
18. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid (#16) [–2] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
17. When The Party’s Over by Billie Eilish (#15) [–2]
16. Nightmare by Halsey (#24) [+8]
15. Without Me by Halsey (#13) [–2] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
14. Hey Look Ma, I Made It by Panic! At The Disco (#14) [=]
13. Cool by Jonas Brothers (#12) [–1]
12. Bad Guy by Billie Eilish (#17) [+5]
11. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande (#11) [=]
10. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored by Ariana Grande (#6) [–4]
9. If I Can’t Have You by Shawn Mendes (#10) [+1]
8. I Don’t Care by Ed Sheeran featuring Justin Bieber (#9) [+1]
7. ME! by Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie (#7) [=]
6. Talk by Khalid (#8) [+2]
5. Old Town Road (Remix) by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus (#5) [=]
4. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max (#3) [–1]
3. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani (#2) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
2. Wow. by Post Malone (#4) [+2]
1. Sucker by Jonas Brothers (#1) [=] [7^th Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign (1^st of 4 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored by Ariana Grande (–4)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Nightmare by Halsey (+8)

New Entrants:
– We have five debuts this week, so buckle up everyone. To start, MAX makes his return and he collaborates with Quinn XCII in their single called Love Me Less. Unlike some people here, I never actually cared for MAX’s music for the most part. He did have Lights Down Low last year, which I couldn’t really get into even though I saw the appeal. As far as his new single goes, I’m not feeling the song. This did debut on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown a couple months ago. But with time, I’m starting to realize that there’s very little about the song worth caring about. MAX’s voice is okay, but the production is not interesting and I don’t like Quinn XCII’s verse. He sounds so high pitched and it’s annoying to listen to. Yeah, this is not good. NEXT!

– We have more of DJ Khaled with his newer single, this time with SZA in Just Us. Personally, I think Higher is the better of his two singles released this year. But Just Us is still solid on its own, in part because of SZA. She is talented and she shows that throughout the song. The beat is pretty good and I like the lyrics as well. Not much else to say beyond that. I would like to see this one go far.

– Lizzo makes her return not long after the departure of Juice. She has a song that’s actually been around for a while, despite it starting to gain some momentum, titled Truth Hurts. I liked Juice because it had a throwback vibe and I love the groove. But in Truth Hurts, the production is different compared to that song. That doesn’t make it bad per se, but it’s not quite as good as its successor. I still like her voice and the lyrics are solid. Overall, this is a good song.

– Katy Perry makes her comeback this week with her new single, Never Really Over! I adore Katy and I’ve been a big fan of her music following her breakout hit I Kissed A Girl back in 2008. I’ll admit that I didn’t enjoy Witness for the most part aside from Chained To The Rhythm, which I loved. As far as her new single goes, it is amazing. Katy’s vocals are divine as always. I love the production as well. Looking at the lyrics, it tells a story about her relationship with Orlando Bloom, to whom she is recently engaged with, so congrats to her! Anyway, I love this song overall. We’ll see if it ends up having any success, which I hope it will.

– Finally, we have Ed Sheeran with probably my least favorite single to date, as he gears up for his new album No. 6 Collaborations Project which comes out next month. He collaborates with Chance The Rapper and PnB Rock in Cross Me. I’ll say that I do kinda like I Don’t Care even though it’s nowhere near his best work thus far. But Cross Me is a different story. The production is not interesting and I’m not in love with the beat. The verses from Chance The Rapper and PnB Rock are pretty bad. Ed sounds decent though, but that’s really the only bright spot here. Yeah, everything about the song is underwhelming and frankly, not good.

Best Debut Of The Week: Never Really Over by Katy Perry

It’s Just Blurbs
– We’ll begin with our exits. To start, Who Do You Love left from a high position. I’m starting to kinda get over the song, so I’m okay with its departure. Don’t Call Me Up and Here With Me were destined to leave soon since their perspective momentum has long died down. They were both good songs, but I’m not totally sad about their exits. Also, good riddance to both Boy With Luv and especially I’m So Tired…. Good to see that one didn’t become the next I Like Me Better.

– Before introducing Speechless, Ryan Seacrest mentioned that while Dan + Shay are on tour, they set up their fitness equipment outside the bus every morning. Looks like they’re motivated to get lots of exercise, and I am too.

– Whoa there! High Hopes suddenly jumps back into the Top 20 this week. I thought the song was on its way out, but I guess not. This is definitely going to last a year on the countdown, isn’t it?

– On that note, Nightmare takes a big jump into the Top 20 as well. Heh, I guess people aren’t really tired of Halsey after all.

– Before introducing Sweet But Psycho, Ryan Seacrest mentioned that the only way Ava Max could transform herself from sweet to psycho is if somebody sees her without having any coffee. Oh boy, I’m not sure how I would feel about that.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Medicine by Jennifer Lopez featuring French Montana
• Chlorine by TWENTY ØNE PILØTS
• Summer Days by Martin Garrix featuring Macklemore and Patrick Stump

Extras/Optional Extras:

• Shallow by Lady Gaga featuring Bradley Cooper
• Titanium by David Guetta featuring Sia
• Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD
• Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
• Out Of Love by Alessia Cara
• Shut Up And Dance by Walk The Moon
• Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara
• Mirrors by Justin Timberlake
• Give Me Everything by Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo and Afrojack
• Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
• Juice by Lizzo
• The Monster by Eminem featuring Rihanna
• Let Me Down by NF

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. Nightmare by Halsey
12. I Don’t Care by Ed Sheeran featuring Justin Bieber

4 – Good:
11. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid
10. Sucker by Jonas Brothers

5 – Great:
9. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco
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. ME! by Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie
3. Con Calma by Daddy Yankee & Katy Perry featuring Snow

2. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani
1. If I Can’t Have You by Shawn Mendes

Total Score: 66/100 = 66% (D+)

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

Most Missed Song: Till The World Ends by Britney Spears

#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 (#6)

My Top 5 Picks
1. Never Really Over by Katy Perry
2. If I Can’t Have You by Shawn Mendes
3. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani
4. Speechless by Dan + Shay
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. La La Land by Bryce Vine featuring YG
5. Cross Me by Ed Sheeran featuring Chance The Rapper and PnB Rock

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Pray by Sam Smith featuring Logic: This is probably one of the stand-outs from The Thrill Of It All. I like what the song is going for, and adding Logic to the remix helps a lot.
I Like It by Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin: Initially, I wasn’t fond of this. But after a while, I’ve started to kinda appreciate the song, mainly for the Latin vibe.