Hello, fam! My 200,000 Pageview Special has now been posted. In case you missed it, I did a Q&A and I was able to answer some questions you guys have sent me. I put a lot of work into it. Feel free to check it out if you haven’t already. Also, we’re halfway through the month of August. The 2012 Billboard Year-End Rankdown is still going on. You have until the end of this month to submit your rankings. If you haven’t already, now is the time to do so. Before we get to this week’s fresh 45, here are the songs we’re saying goodbye to this week:

• P!NK – Walk Me Home (#45)

The Countdown:
Last Week’s #1 Song: Shawn Mendes – If I Can’t Have You
45. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho (#44) [–1]
44. Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE – Happier (#43) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
43. Kaskade featuring Meghan Trainor – With You (#41) [–2]
42. Imagine Dragons – Bad Liar (#40) [–2]
41. Halsey – Without Me (#33) [–8] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
40. Andy Grammer – Don’t Give Up On Me (#22) [–18]
39. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (#37) [–2] [Spent 8 Weeks At #1]
38. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling (#38) [=] [Spent 7 Weeks At #1]
37. P!NK – Hustle (#26) [–11]
36. Asher Angel featuring Wiz Khalifa – One Thought Away (#42) [+6]
35. SHAED – Trampoline (#36) [+1]
34. Dan + Shay – Speechless (#28) [–6]
33. Ava Max – So Am I (#23) [–10]
32. Stephen Puth – Look Away (#34) [+2]
31. Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie – ME! (#31) [=]
30. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly (#30) [=]
29. Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus – Old Town Road (Remix) (#17) [–12]
28. Katy Perry – Small Talk (DEBUT)
27. Lizzo – Truth Hurts (#7) [–20]
26. Marshmello featuring CHVRCHES – Here With Me (#27) [+1]
25. Post Malone featuring Young Thug – Goodbyes (#29) [+4]
24. OneRepublic – Rescue Me (#32) [+8]
23. Mark Ronson featuring Camila Cabello – Find U Again (#35) [+12]
22. Blanco Brown – The Git Up (#25) [+3]
21. AJR – 100 Bad Days (#20) [–1]
20. Miley Cyrus – Mother’s Daughter (#39) [+19]
19. PUBLIC – Make You Mine (#24) [+5]
18. The Chainsmokers featuring Bebe Rexha – Call You Mine (#19) [+1]
17. Alec Benjamin – If We Have Each Other (#3) [–14]
16. Khalid – Talk (#10) [–6]
15. Panic! At The Disco – Dancing’s Not A Crime (#18) [+3]
14. Katy Perry – Never Really Over (#21) [+7]
13. Halsey – Nightmare (#4) [–9]
12. Ed Sheeran featuring Justin Bieber – I Don’t Care (#13) [+1]
11. Billie Eilish – Bad Guy (#16) [+5]
10. MAX featuring Quinn XCII – Love Me Less (#12) [+2]
9. Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved (#9) [=]
8. Taylor Swift – You Need To Calm Down (#15) [+7]
7. Shawn Mendes featuring Camila Cabello – Señorita (#8) [+1]
6. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Easier (#5) [–1]
5. Jonas Brothers – Cool (#14) [+9]
4. The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer – Who Do You Love (#2) [–2] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
3. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It (#11) [+8] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
2. Jonas Brothers – Sucker (#6) [+4] [Spent 13 Weeks At #1]
1. Shawn Mendes – If I Can’t Have You (#1) [=] [6^th Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (2^nd of 8 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Lizzo – Truth Hurts (–20)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Miley Cyrus – Mother’s Daughter (+19)

New Entrants:
– We have more of Katy Perry as she gives us her follow-up to Never Really Over, which I absolutely ADORE with a burning passion. Enter Small Talk. This single is actually written by Charlie Puth, which I find to be interesting. Coming into the song, I was expecting this one to be just as good, maybe even better. But ultimately, it just didn’t happen that way. I like the well-written lyrics for the most part, though Charlie did most of the work on that aspect. Aside from that, there’s not a whole lot to the production, and the beat here is a little too simplistic. Katy sounds pretty decent here, but she’s not at her best. I’m very interested in what Katy Perry will bring in the future. But I’m not totally in love with the song as a whole. This may grow on me, but we’ll see.

I Knew You Were Blurbing
– I grew back into P!NK – Walk Me Home and of course, this is the week that it leaves. Though I won’t exactly be missing this song too much, it was still pretty good despite it not being P!NK’s best.

– So, Spyder Harrison mentioned that The Chainsmokers are now the highest paid DJ duo. Wow, that’s pretty darn impressive!

– *sees #27* Well, this didn’t last very long. Truth Hurts is right back to square one after only spending one week in the Top 10.

– Before introducing Rescue Me, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Ryan Tedder wrote the song in about 8 minutes. Heh, never knew Ryan was a fast writer. Or maybe he typed the lyrics on a computer. We don’t know for sure.

– That big jump we get from Find U Again is nice to see. That one I’m enjoying with each listen, so I’m cool with that! Also, Spyder Harrison mentioned during the introduction for the song that Camila Cabello has made it official. She and Shawn are actually dating. Figured this would happen sooner or later. Wow.

– Mother’s Daughter would wound up making the Biggest Jump Of The Week. And to cap it off, it kicked 100 Bad Days out of the Top 20. Good stuff!

– Along with Truth Hurts, If We Have Each Other didn’t spend long in the Top 10 either. It actually dropped out big time this week following its massive jump all the way into the Top 3 last week. Looks like its 15 seconds of fame was over quick!

– Our Top 10 entrants are ones I’m pretty mixed on. I’m not thrilled seeing You Need To Calm Down back up there. That song is just a disappointment for Taylor Swift overall. But she does have a much better single on Hit-Bound which I’m fixing to get to eventually. And don’t even get me started on Love Me Less. I cannot stand this song and the fact that its gaining momentum is only making matters worse. -_-

– In terms of the Top 5, Hey Look Ma, I Made It is still a good song and even though its close to lasting a year, I’m not sick of it yet. I may never get sick of it. I don’t know. But Cool should not be in the Top 5. It’s only up there because Hits 1 started falling in love with the Jonas Brothers since their comeback this year. But the song is just bad in and of itself.  I’m certain this will be on their Year-End list as well.

Hit-Bound:

• Ed Sheeran featuring Khalid – Beautiful People
• Waterparks – Dream Boy (DEBUT)
• Dominic Fike – 3 Nights
• Zara Larsson – All The Time
• Panic! At The Disco – Roaring 20s
• Lizzo – Good As Hell
• Jax Jones featuring Bebe Rexha – Harder
• TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – The Hype
• Jonas Brothers – Only Human
• Ellie Goulding featuring Juice WRLD – Hate Me
• Alec Benjamin – Jesus In LA
• Taylor Swift – Lover (DEBUT)
• Ariana Grande featuring Social House – Boyfriend
• Thomas Rhett – Look What God Gave Her
• Sam Smith – How Do You Sleep?

Entrant Reviews:
– First up, we get an appearance from the band Waterparks as they bring us Dream Boy. Right off the bat, it’s a pretty cool song. I love the rock vibe here and these guys sound good. I’ll have more on this if it manages to debut.

– More of Taylor Swift is nice. We’re one step closer to her new album Lover as this week, she brings us the title track from her album. It’s pretty slow, but I love her voice in this one and the production is better. That chorus is just divine. I’ll save my words for if it debuts.

Best Hit-Bound Entrant Of The Week: Taylor Swift – Lover

Hit-Bound Breakdown:
0 – Crap:
15. Ariana Grande featuring Social House – Boyfriend

1 – Bad:
14. Sam Smith – How Do You Sleep?

2 – Mediocre:
13. Dominic Fike – 3 Nights
12. Alec Benjamin – Jesus In LA

3 – Decent:
11. Jax Jones featuring Bebe Rexha – Harder

4 – Good:
10. Ellie Goulding featuring Juice WRLD – Hate Me

5 – Great:
9. Panic! At The Disco – Roaring 20’s
8. Jonas Brothers – Only Human
7. Thomas Rhett – Look What God Gave Her
6. Waterparks – Dream Boy
5. Zara Larsson – All The Time
4. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – The Hype
3. Lizzo – Good As Hell
2. Ed Sheeran featuring Khalid – Beautiful People

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On Hit-Bound:
1. Taylor Swift – Lover

Overall Grade: 58/75 = 77% (C+)

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Alesso featuring Nico and Vinz – I Wanna Know

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Taylor Swift – Lover
2. Ed Sheeran featuring Khalid – Beautiful People
3. Lizzo – Good As Hell
4. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – The Hype
5. Zara Larsson – All The Time

YouTube 15:

• Lizzo – Truth Hurts
• Ed Sheeran featuring Travis Scott – Antisocial
• Grace Vanderwaal – Waste My Time
• Khalid – Talk
• Sebastian Yatra featuring Jonas Brothers, Daddy Yankee, and Natti Natasha – Runaway
• Billie Eilish – Bad Guy
• Bazzi – No Way!
• Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved
• Alan Walker featuring Sabrina Carpenter and Farruko – On My Way
• Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus – Old Town Road (Remix)
• Ruel – Face To Face
• Taylor Swift – You Need To Calm Down
• Becky G featuring Myke Towers – Dollar
• Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger
• Megan Thee Stallion featuring Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla $ign – Hot Girl Summer

Song Reviews:
– I’m not thrilled about the YouTube 15 list for this week at all. First, we’ll kick things off is the former winner of America’s Got Talent, Grace Vanderwaal with her new single, Waste My Time. I think this pretty solid for the most part. Grace is talented and she shows it in this song. I love pretty much the instrumentation and lyrics. Yeah, this is a nice song.

– Following that, we have more of Bazzi as he gives us No Way! from his latest album Soul Searching. Personally, I much prefer his singles off of Cosmic over what he has to offer in his new album. Paradise didn’t exactly appeal to me and I’m not feeling his new single for the most part. It doesn’t have a whole lot to offer here and Bazzi doesn’t sound his best here. Then again, this is based on my initial reaction and it could change with more listens. But right now, I’m not impressed.

– Next is more of Ruel with Face To Face. There’s not much I can say about this one. I’m not exactly feeling his voice and everything else leaves a lot to be desired. Again, this is based on my initial reaction. We’ll see if it ends up growing on me.

– Finally, we have Megan Thee Stallion, and she is collaborating with Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla $ign in Hot Girl Summer. I’m not sure how I feel about this one overall. I like the beat here, but I’m not feeling the rest of the song. There’s not a whole lot of chemistry between those artists. Nicki’s verse is probably the best thing about it. I have it in blue for now, but it could change.

YouTube 15 Breakdown:
0 – Crap:
15. Becky G featuring Myke Towers – Dollar
14. Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus – Old Town Road (Remix)

1 – Bad:
13. Taylor Swift – You Need To Calm Down
12. Bazzi – No Way!

2 – Mediocre:
11. Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved
10. Khalid – Talk
9. Ruel – Face To Face

3 – Decent:
8. Alan Walker featuring Sabrina Carpenter and Farruko – On My Way
7. Megan Thee Stallion featuring Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla $ign – Hot Girl Summer
6. Ed Sheeran featuring Travis Scott – Antisocial

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great:
5. Sebastian Yatra featuring Jonas Brothers, Daddy Yankee, and Natti Natasha – Runaway
4. Lizzo – Truth Hurts
3. Grace Vanderwaal – Waste My Time
2. Billie Eilish – Bad Guy

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The YouTube 15:
1. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger

Overall Grade: 43/75 = 57% (F)

Most Missed YouTube 15 Song: Sofia Carson – Love Is The Name

My Top 5 YouTube 15 Picks
1. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger
2. Billie Eilish – Bad Guy
3. Grace Vanderwaal – Waste My Time
4. Lizzo – Truth Hurts
5. Sebastian Yatra featuring Jonas Brothers, Daddy Yankee, and Natti Natasha – Runaway

Hits 1 Weekend Countdown Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Crap:
20. MAX featuring Quinn XCII – Love Me Less

1 – Bad:
19. Jonas Brothers – Cool
18. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Easier
17. Taylor Swift – You Need To Calm Down

2 – Mediocre:
16. Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved
15. Khalid – Talk

3 – Decent:
14. The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer – Who Do You Love
13. Ed Sheeran featuring Justin Bieber – I Don’t Care
12. Halsey – Nightmare
11. Alec Benjamin – If We Have Each Other

4 – Good:
10. Panic! At The Disco – Dancing’s Not A Crime

5 – Great:
9. Jonas Brothers – Sucker
8. PUBLIC – Make You Mine
7. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It
6. Miley Cyrus – Mother’s Daughter
5. Shawn Mendes featuring Camila Cabello – Señorita
4. Billie Eilish – Bad Guy
3. The Chainsmokers featuring Bebe Rexha – Call You Mine
2. Shawn Mendes – If I Can’t Have You
1. Katy Perry – Never Really Over

Overall Grade: 68/100 = 68% (D+)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Aretha Franklin featuring Georgia Michael – I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) (1987) (One year since she passed…)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Adele – When We Were Young

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Carly Rae Jepsen – Julien

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects (#20) and Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (#13)

My Top 5 Picks
1. Marshmello featuring CHVRCHES – Here With Me
2. Katy Perry – Never Really Over
3. Shawn Mendes – If I Can’t Have You
4. The Chainsmokers featuring Bebe Rexha – Call You Mine
5. Billie Eilish – Bad Guy

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. MAX featuring Quinn XCII – Love Me Less
2. AJR – 100 Bad Days
3. Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus – Old Town Road (Remix)
4. Kaskade featuring Meghan Trainor – With You
5. Jonas Brothers – Cool

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
PNAU – Go Bang: There’s not a whole lot I can say about this one. Production-wise, it’s okay. But it’s repetitive and too childish for my tastes. NEXT!
Dan + Shay – Tequila: I’m glad Hits 1 picked up on this song and it ended up being a success. I’m sure this’ll make their Year-End list. This won an award at the Grammys for Best Country Duo/Group Performance, which says a lot about it. It’s a divine song with good vocals from these guys, good lyrical content, and good harmonies. It’s much better than a certain country song that shall not be named.
Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess: Yeah, the title of the song speaks for itself. Everything about this song is literally a mess. The guitars are asinine and the beat is brittle. To top it all off, Bebe shows no effort in her verses and she is heavily DRENCHED in auto-tune when singing the chorus. All of those combined certainly does not make this a fun listen at all.