• Imagine Dragons – Thunder (5 Weeks Total; 2 Weeks in 2017, 3 Weeks in 2018)
• Ed Sheeran – Perfect (2 Weeks Total; 1 in 2017, 1 in 2018)
• Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran and Future – End Game (1 Week)
• Charlie Puth – How Long (2 Weeks)
• Macklemore featuring Kesha – Good Old Days (1 Week)
• Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (9 Weeks)
• Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt – Let Me Go (1 Week)
• Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be (1 Week)
• Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same (1 Week)
• 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back (1 Week)
• Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes (1 Week)
• Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) (4 Weeks)

American Top 40:

• Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug – Havana (7 Weeks Total; 3 in 2017, 4 in 2018)
• Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé – Perfect (2 Weeks)
• Dua Lipa – New Rules (4 Weeks)
• NF – Let You Down (2 Weeks)
• G-Eazy featuring Halsey – Him & I (1 Week)
• Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix) (2 Weeks)
• Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (4 Weeks)
• Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same (5 Weeks)
• Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla Sign – Psycho (2 Weeks)

American Top 40:

Smallest “Biggest Fall Of The Week”:
Justin Timberlake – Filthy [–3] (February 24, 2018)
Imagine Dragons – Thunder [–3] (January 24, 2018)

Smallest “Biggest Rise Of The Of The Week”:
Halsey featuring Big Sean and Stefflon Don – Alone [+3] (May 5, 2018)
Shawn Mendes – In My Blood [+3] (May 5, 2018)
Lauv – I Like Me Better [+3] (May 5, 2018)

Biggest “Biggest Fall Of The Week”:
Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran and Future – End Game [–18] (March 10, 2018)

Biggest “Biggest Rise Of The Week”:
Shawn Mendes – In My Blood [+15] (April 21, 2018)

Smallest Combined Biggest Movers:
MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low and Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (9 Spots; April 28, 2018)

Biggest Combined Biggest Movers:
Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran and Future – End Game and Drake – God’s Plan (30 Spots; March 10, 2018)

Highest Debut Of The Year:
Justin Timberlake – Filthy (#20) (January 27, 2018)

Lowest Debut Of The Year:
Lauv – I Like Me Better (#40) (January 13, 2018)
Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same (#40) (January 20, 2018)
P!NK – Beautiful Trauma (#40) (February 10, 2018)
Troye Sivan – My My My! (#40) (February 17, 2018)
Fall Out Boy – Hold Me Tight Or Don’t (#40) (March 10, 2018)
Niall Horan – On The Loose (#40) (March 31, 2018)
Alice Merton – No Roots (#40) (April 14, 2018)
ZAYN – Let Me (#40) (May 19, 2018)
G-Eazy featuring Charlie Puth – Sober (#40) (June 16, 2018)

And that’s all I have for this post. It took me a while to be able to put this together, but I’ve finally finished it. This has been a post in which is basically about how 2018 has shaped up so far. I’ll be posting something similar to this in December, but I’ll be including more stuff. As always, I’d like to say thank you for taking the time to read this. I would love to hear your feedback in the comments section below. I hope you guys have a good week and I’ll see you all later this weekend!

1. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign (#1) [=] [3^rd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara (4^th of 5 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Everyday by Logic featuring Marshmello (–16)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. (+8)

New Entrants
– We have two new songs entering the countdown this week. First off, Enrique Iglesias makes his return along with Pitbull with their new single, by the name of Move To Miami. They last had a song called Messin’ Around back in 2016, which was hated by some but I didn’t really mind too much. As for their new single, I can say it’s a bit of a step up from that song. One of the best things I can say about this is Pitbull, in which he shows that he’s a good rapper. Enrique himself doesn’t sound too bad either for the most part. It has a latin-based production which sounds good. It’s not their best by any means, but I do like it.

– 5 Seconds Of Summer just recently released their latest album titled Youngblood, which instantly hit #1 on the Billboard 200. So, congrats to them for this achievement. The title track of the song makes its debut this week. I talked about this in detail when it first debuted on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown. For those who haven’t yet, you can check out my full review of the song. This is a good song in terms of the vocals, in which they sound more energetic throughout the song, especially in the chorus. Though, I’m not quite as big on the production, which is a step down from its predecessor. But it’s really the vocals that I like about the song. So yeah, I like this, though it may not stick with me in the long run.

I’m Just A Dead Man Blurbing Tonight
– So, our two exits consist of one song that did well throughout its tenure, and another which was cut short after only two weeks. Pray didn’t deserve to leave us so soon. I was hoping that one could catch on because it’s one of the best that Sam Smith had to offer, but it was just not meant to be. Also, the departure of Bad At Love wasn’t much of a surprise. It was quite a enjoyable song for the most part and we got to hear what Halsey was capable of. While it may not have hit #1 here, at least it had success. That song will be somewhat missed by me.

– Everyday took a massive drop all the way down to #40. Ouch! While I do like the song, I’m not too saddened by the drop given that the song wasn’t too big elsewhere.

– Before introducing Perfect, Bazzi mentioned that Ed Sheeran has been a inspiration to his music. Given that Ed has dominated pretty much all of 2017, I would have to agree with him.

– I’m not surprised about the big jump from Girls Like You given that it’s currently strong in sales at this moment. I’ll admit that the song isn’t nearly as bad after a few more listens, though it’s not quite enough for me to put it in blue. However, what I can say is that it’s better than their recent releases (save for What Lovers Do).

– One of the highlights one this week is that No Tears Left To Cry has made it into the Top 5. I can definitely see this being #1 real soon and I certainly will be happy, given our current #1. Honestly, I prefer this at the top over any other song right now.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Dinero by Jennifer Lopez featuring DJ Khaled and Cardi B.
• Home With You by Madison Beer
• Growing Pains by Alessia Cara

Extras/Optional Extras:

• Clarity by Zedd featuring Foxes
• Whatcha Say by Jason Derulo
• Hey Mama by David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha, and Afrojack
• Give Me Everything by Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo and Afrojack
• There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes
• Diamonds by Rihanna
• Location by Khalid
• Can’t Stop The Feeling! by Justin Timberlake
• No Promises by Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato

Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:
20. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
19. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
18. I Like Me Better by Lauv
17. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello

1 – Bad:
16. Wait by Maroon 5

2 – Mediocre:
15. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B.
14. God’s Plan by Drake

3 – Decent:
None!

4 – Good:
13. Alone by Halsey featuring Big Sean and Stefflon Don

5 – Great:
12. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes
11. Nice For What by Drake
10. Delicate by Taylor Swift
9. Mine by Bazzi
8. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons
7. Back To You by Selena Gomez
6. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar
5. Done For Me by Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani
4. IDGAF by Dua Lipa
3. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa
2. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande

Total Score: 70/100 = 70% (C–)

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

Most Missed Song: Good Time by Owl City featuring Carly Rae Jepsen

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Let You Be Right by Meghan Trainor

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back (#12) and Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers (#6)

My Top 5 Picks
1. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande
2. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.
3. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
4. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa
5. Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Backstreet Boys

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
2. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
3. All Night by Big Boi
4. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
5. I Like Me Better by Lauv

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Versace On The Floor by Bruno Mars: It’s one of those slow dance songs that pretty much reminds me of a Michael Jackson song. Bruno definitely displays his raw vocals throughout the song. Too bad that one didn’t really take off. David Guetta did remix the song to make it more radio-friendly, but I’d much prefer the original version, which is slow.
Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller: I’d say this was one of the best that DJ Khaled had to offer last year. It wasn’t until recently that I figured out that the song samples Maria Maria. Pretty much everything about the song rocks, especially the electric guitar.

1. Taylor Swift – Delicate (#2) [+1] [1^st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back (2^nd of 5 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho (–16)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (+22)

The Way You Make Me Blurb
– So, G-Eazy and Halsey decided to break up just as I started to think that they on the verge of supposedly becoming the power couple of the year. I guess they were not meant to be together in the long run after all.

– After spending a while in the 20’s, One Foot has finally dropped out of that region. It’s time on the countdown may sadly be coming to an end. At least it did good here, so props to that.

– However, I’m very pleased that Psycho was announced as the Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week this week. Hopefully this time around, it means that it can get out of the countdown soon.

– Before introducing Mine, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Bazzi has a really tiny pet. Wow, I haven’t seen the picture of it yet. But I have a feeling he may hold the record for having the smallest pet of all time.

– Before introducing Familiar, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Liam Payne also broke up with Cheryl. Oh my, I guess Liam is back to looking for a special someone. That said, it’s good to see Familiar enter the Top 20 this week.

– Whoa! High Hopes makes a big jump in its second week. I have a feeling that one is going to stick around for a long while given how much Hits 1 loves Brendon Urie right now. It helps that the hype around their new album is strong. If you haven’t listened to it yet, I highly recommend you check it out.

– We have a couple of new Top 10 entrants this week. I’m not too surprised to see Youngblood already in that region in its fourth week. Like I just mentioned with High Hopes, I have a feeling that one is going to stick around also. Spyder Harrison mentioned during the introduction of the song that one of the members of 5 Seconds Of Summer talked about naming their kids (if they have one) a different name. I wonder what creative names have they come up with? Hmm…

– Selena Gomez – Back To You enters the Top 10 as well, but in addition jumps to the Top 5 this week. Now the question is, can this finally be the #1 song for Selena? I would like to see it happen someday. But I’m just happy that it’s still gaining somewhat.

– And then, we’ve come to our new #1 for this week. I wasn’t too surprised to see Taylor Swift take the crown with Delicate. It’s a good song overall, so I’m cool with it being #1. Taylor has never really been the one to disappoint me with her singles, even though her album slightly pales in comparison to 1989.

Hit-Bound:

• Post Malone – Better Now
• Madison Beer – Home With You
• Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones
• Train featuring Cam and Travie McCoy – Call Me Sir
• MNEK featuring Hailee Steinfeld – Colour
• Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
• Julia Michaels featuring Trippie Redd – Jump
• lovelytheband – Broken
• Alessia Cara – Growing Pains
• Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess
• Big Boi – All Night
• Dan + Shay – Tequila
• Cole Redding – Father Father
• Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind (RE-ENTRY)
• BTS – Fake Love

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
2. Alessia Cara – Growing Pains
3. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones
4. Dan + Shay – Tequila
5. Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess

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

1 – Bad:
19. Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It

2 – Mediocre:
18. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You 

3 – Decent:
None!

4 – Good:
17. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know
16. Halsey – Alone

5 – Great:
15. Niall Horan – On The Loose
14. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
13. Taylor Swift – Delicate
12. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
11. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me
10. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
9. Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin – Familiar
8. Selena Gomez – Back To You
7. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me
6. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
5. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
4. Dua Lipa – IDGAF
3. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
TIE: 1. Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right
TIE: 1. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry

Overall Grade: 88/100 = 88% (B+)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Michael Jackson – The Way You Make Me Feel (1987)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Taylor Swift – New Romantics

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: R5 – Smile

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Halsey featuring Lauren Jauregui – Strangers

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#2) and Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back (#1)

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Ariana Grande – no tears left to cry
TIE: 1. Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right
3. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
4. The Wrecks – James Dean
5. Dua Lipa – IDGAF

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
2. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
3. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
4. Lauv – I Like Me Better
5. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
None!

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill (3^rd and Final Week At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Bad Wolves – Zombie (–16)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Tie between Cheat Codes featuring U2 – Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way and Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin – Familiar (+8)

New Entrants
– So after a week with no exits, we have five new songs making their debut this week as we continue to do some more house cleaning for the summer. We’ll start off with the return of the country duo Sugarland, who collaborate with Taylor Swift in their new song called Babe. It’s been a long time since we’ve heard from Sugarland, which I think was back in the early 2010’s or so. When it comes to their new song, I think it’s a good song for the most part. Jennifer Needles does well with her vocals, and I like Taylor Swift’s contribution to the song as well. The production here is nicely done. It pretty much reminds me of Taylor’s earlier singles before her 1989 album, when she was still in the country genre. So yeah, it was an interesting collaboration that turned out well. It’s nice to have Sugarland back after so long.

– We have a new band called The Wrecks who make their first appearance on the countdown with the song titled James Dean. There’s plenty to like about this song. Let’s begin with the production, which I found to be excellent on all levels. The rock vibe around it pulls me in. I do like the vocals here overall and the lyrics are pretty well-written. The song pretty much reminds me of I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll from The Arrows. I hear that classic song a lot back in my day, mainly when I watch commercials on TV just waiting for my favorite show to come back on. Those were the good times. Anyway, I love this song and I’m glad to see it graduate from Hit-Bound to the Weekend Countdown. We’ll see how long this one stays.

– With Brendon Urie and Panic! At The Disco hosting both Hit-Bound and the Weekend Countdown this week in celebration of their new album, Pray For The Wicked which recently came out just last week, I figured their latest single High Hopes would make its debut. Having listened to his first two singles he released back in the spring, it gave me a glimpse of what his album would sound like. I predicted it would be upbeat and enjoyable and that’s pretty much what happened. High Hopes is no exception. The song basically talks about having a vision for success and not giving up on one’s dreams. This is definitely something all of us can relate to. We all have goals in our lives and we stop at nothing to be able to achieve them. As for the rest of the song itself, the production here is great for the most part and the vocals are pretty awesome all throughout the song. Brendon Urie mentioned during the introduction of their brand new song that he used a cardboard guitar to play his music. I’ll bet that he probably learned to sing songs that way unlike most people who tend to use the piano. I guess he stands out different than the rest. Anyway, I do have high hopes (no pun intended) that Hits 1 will treat it well just like they’re doing with their current representation, which is still #1.

– I know this is going to be an unpopular opinion to some, but this next debut is one that I was looking forward to since it was released. Back in March, Meghan Trainor made her official return with No Excuses. Not very many people were thrilled about it since they don’t seem to like her music. I myself think the exact opposite, in a way. However, it did take me a while to grow into her earlier singles such as All About That Bass and Lips Are Movin’ when she started to become a presence back in 2014. But since then, her music has been a mixed bag. Songs such as Dear Future Husband, Me Too, and her feature with Charlie Puth in Marvin Gaye were terrible, Like I’m Gonna Lose You was great and NØ lands somewhere in the middle. Nevertheless, that doesn’t stop me from supporting her music. In fact, I like Meghan Trainor like that. This week, she comes in with Let You Be Right, her second single which is called from her upcoming album titled Treat Myself, which comes out in August. I did kinda like No Excuses for the most part, but didn’t quite stick with me in the big picture. Let You Be Right, however, is a whole different story. It’s a huge step up from her predecessor in many other ways. For starters, she sounds amazing with her vocals all throughout the song, and I love the chorus. The lyrical content here is better as well. It basically talks about not wanting to fight while in a relationship with someone. Personally, I think this song shows that Meghan Trainor has steadily improved from Thank You, which was pretty bad. She recently released another song called All The Ways and that one is pretty good, too. But I think Let You Be Right is probably one of the highlights off of Treat Myself. Believe it or not, I’m looking forward to see what she has in store for her upcoming new album. This is a great choice for her second single and I would absolutely love to see this become a hit.

– Finally, with the highest debut of the week, Cardi B. makes her debut with her solo single which is called I Like It. I didn’t really discussed this song in depth too much when it debuted on the American Top 40. But I’ll try to put my best effort on reviewing this one. Now, it’s not that much different when compared to her earlier singles. However, I will say that it is a step up from her singles such as Bodak Yellow (Money Moves), which I despised for the most part. It does have the Latin-based vibe and I tend to get into those type of songs. But frankly, there’s not really a whole lot to like about this one. She sounds pretty annoying in most parts of the song. Hits 1 did edit out Bad Bunny and J. Balvin, but it really doesn’t make too much of difference because I don’t think they contributed to the song. Their verses sound okay, but nothing really stands out. Overall, I’m not much of a fan of the song. But given that the song is doing well in both sales and streaming, I can see this one sticking around for a while.

Best Debut Of The Week: Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right

I Had To Have High Blurbs For A Living
– We’ll begin with our exits. First off, good riddance to Sober Up. That one had been around longer than it should, but I’m glad that it finally left. All I can say is that it’s about time that song left. I’m hoping we don’t hear from AJR again. Let Me didn’t really stick with me, so I was kinda happy about the departure also. That leaves us with three songs. Over My Head I’m a little sad about and I kinda wished the song deserved better. It would be nice if Echosmith had another single waiting in the wings. It’s disappointing to see Pray leave the countdown so soon, only lasting two weeks. Finally, the exit from How Long was expected. It had been here for a while and I’m sure some here are welcomed by this news. As for myself, I do still kinda like it, but I’m alright with it leaving.

– Before introducing Havana, Brendon Urie mentioned that the idea of that song came around while Camila Cabello was eating sushi. I guess she thought about that town when she decided what song she could come up with. I’m sure many other singers have had moments when they were out eating. Maybe they don’t have time for some quiet thinking, huh?

– Before introducing Let Me Go, Brendon Urie mentioned that Hailee Steinfeld had her first kiss back when she was a kid. I’m sure some people had some memories like that. But I never got my first kiss back then unfortunately. I guess I wanted to wait until I was a little older, heh.

– Bad Wolves – Zombie has now fallen to the bottom 5 of the countdown. I doubt it last much longer here unfortunately. It was nice having it around while it lasted.

– However, it was nice to see I Like Me Better take a big drop after that unnecessary jump last week. Hopefully this means that it won’t last much longer. But since I just jinxed it, watch it jump back up again next week.

– Brendon Urie mentioned upon introducing Mine that Bazzi was obsessed with space and that was the reason why he named his album, Cosmic. He even said that he would be an astronaut if he kept thinking about outer space. Heh, I’ve had some moments where I was obsessed with outer space as well. I’ll bet he would make other famous people proud if Bazzi took up a career in being an astronaut.

– During his introduction for Done For Me, Brendon Urie said that Charlie Puth dressed up as a Sesame Street character when he was four years old. I’ll bet he probably watched a lot of that show. I’m glad he had fun dressing up as one of the characters from that show.

– I figured Girls Like You would enter the Top 10 sooner or later. I’ll admit that it’s not nearly as bad as I thought after more listens, though not quite enough for me to put it in blue. It’ll probably stay for a long while.

– Before introducing IDGAF, Brendon Urie mentioned that one of Dua Lipa’s talents is her spelling, in which she knows how to spell every word. I wonder did she participate in any spelling bee contests back in her day? I mean, if she were to win every spelling bee, then she could be a worldwide champion. Oh boy, I’m sure that would make others jealous. 😛

– So, Marshmello has some videos on YouTube of him being a chef and learning others how to cook. Does he have some sort of secret job that involves cooking food? He’ll probably have to teach others while he continues to make music. Maybe he’ll like to multitask.

– Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry jumped back into the Top 5 this week! I’m glad that this song still has a chance at being #1 sometime in the near future. I anticipate that day when it happens.

– Before introducing Delicate, Brendon Urie mentioned that Taylor Swift supports Selena Gomez. I wonder does she stan for her or she just likes her music? That aside, I have a feeling that Delicate may be #1 soon since it just reached the #2 spot and I wouldn’t mind at all. This run kinda reminds me of Believer last year since that one took a while to catch on.

– And finally, the host himself, Brendon Urie and Panic! At The Disco holds at #1 yet again! What better way to be the guest host of the countdown that have your song still reigning the top spot.. I’m not complaining as I do still love that song. On that note, Charlie Puth came close last year when he hosted the countdown, as his song didn’t take #1 until the following week. It’s one of those moments in which the host actually has a song that’s #1. Talk about a rare feat!

Hit-Bound:

• Big Boi – All Night
• MNEK featuring Hailee Steinfeld – Colour
• lovelytheband – Broken
• Dan + Shay – Tequila (DEBUT)
• Julia Michaels featuring Trippie Redd – Jump
• Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
• Alessia Cara – Growing Pains (DEBUT)
• Train featuring Cam and Travie McCoy – Call Me Sir (DEBUT)
• Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess (DEBUT)
• Post Malone – Better Now (DEBUT)
• Madison Beer – Home With You (DEBUT)
• Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones
• BTS – Fake Love (RE-ENTRY)
• Cole Redding – Father Father

– Brendon Urie became the host of Hit-Bound this week, filling in for Mikey Piff. I’m sure he couldn’t have picked a better week to host, because we had a massive shake-up all around. First off, we say good-bye to two songs: HRVY – Personal and In Real Life – Tattoo (How ‘Bout You). I did find both of those songs okay, so their departures aren’t too saddening.

– We also have a re-entry from BTS – Fake Love after one week off of Hit-Bound. That leaves us with six, yes SIX new songs entering this week. S, let’s get down to reviewing, shall we?

– Country duo Dan + Shay have a new song that’s been around for a while, by the name of Tequila. I love pretty much everything about the song for the most part. The vocals here are good and I like the production. It definitely sounds like country music, unlike a certain song I won’t mention. I hope it can make its debut on the countdown soon.

– It’s been quite a while since we’ve heard from Alessia Cara, but she makes her return with a brand new single called Growing Pains. Having only listened to the song once, I’ll simply say that there’s a lot to like about the song. Alessia shines pretty much throughout the song with her voice. There’s a lot going on in terms of the production with great use of instruments. I’ll have more on this should it debut.

– The return of Train was something I wasn’t really looking forward to. But alas, here they are with their latest single titled Call Me Sir. The song also features Travie McCoy and country singer Cam. We last saw Train with Play That Song, which I wasn’t very fond of at all. I pretty much have the same opinion on this one. It may not be as stiff as two certain songs I won’t name, but it’s undesirable to be honest. So yeah, not a fan of this. NEXT!

– As Meant To Be is finally dying out, Bebe Rexha has a new single in its stead, by the name of I’m A Mess from her new album, Expectations which was just released a short time ago. Right off the bat, it’s a step up from her predecessor. I like how she shows off her voice and the production is good. The lyrical content is better written for the most part. I’ll talk more about this if it makes it to the countdown.

– Next up, we have Post Malone with his latest single titled Better Now. I talked about this when it debuted on the American Top 40. But to quickly sum things up, the song here basically reminds me of Rockstar. He has improved on his vocals, so I’ll give him that. But the rest of the song does nothing for me. Let’s move on.

– Finally, we have Madison Beer who makes her first appearance on Hit-Bound. Enter Home To You. I don’t have too much to say about this except it’s a pretty good song. Her vocals are nice and I kinda like the lyrics. The production may not be the best, but it’s decent.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
2. Alessia Cara – Growing Pains
3. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones
4. Dan + Shay – Tequila
5. Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
20. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
19. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
18. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be

1 – Bad:
17. Maroon 5 – Wait

2 – Mediocre:
16. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You 

3 – Decent:
None!

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great:
15. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know
14. Halsey – Alone
13. Niall Horan – On The Loose
12. Taylor Swift – Delicate
11. Selena Gomez – Back To You
10. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
9. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me
8. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
7. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
6. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me
5. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
4. Dua Lipa – IDGAF
3. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
TIE: 1. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry

Overall Grade: 80/100 = 80% (B–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Michael Jackson – Black And White (1991)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Calvin Harris featuring Ellie Goulding – I Need Your Love

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Shawn Hook featuring Vanessa Hudgens – Reminding Me

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Kygo featuring Imagine Dragons – Born To Be Yours

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back (#5) and The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#2)

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right
TIE: 1. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
4. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
5. The Wrecks – James Dean

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
2. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
3. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
4. Lauv – I Like Me Better
5. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Camila Cabello – Crying In The Club: Camila’s adventure as a solo artist started with this one. There’s nothing really interesting I can say about this other than the fact that it’s basically like a lighter version Cheap Thrills. Good thing she would improve with Havana.
Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell and Katy Perry – Feels: I’d say this is probably better than Slide, in large part thanks to Katy Perry making an amazing contribution like she always does. It’s too bad tha Hits 1 edited out Big Sean, since he played a part in making the song great as well. It was definitely one of my favorites from last summer.

QOTW: Drake has dropped his latest album titled Scorpion. How do you feel about this and why?

1. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign (#1) [=] [2^nd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara (3^rd of 5 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar (–5)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: I Like It by Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin (+7)

New Entrants
– To start off this week’s new arrivals, we have Big Boi making his debut with the song called All Night. Not too much I can say about this one. I listened to this a couple of times in its entirety…and simply put, it straight up sucks. It’s not really all that different in comparison to some of the hip-hop/rap songs we’ve been getting on Billboard. I’m not very fond of the guy’s voice. The production here is very bland pretty much across the board and the lyrics aren’t to my liking either. So yeah, pretty much everything about this song blows. Moving on.

– Oh, great. We have more Post Malone who replaces himself with his latest single, which is steadily gaining steam while his current representation spends another week at #1. Enter Better Now. Right off the bat, it’s really not all that different compared to his previous singles. The positive thing I can say about this is that Post Malone sounds okay with his vocals. But outside of that, the song really does nothing for me. The production pretty much reminds me of Rockstar, which I still loathe. Simply put, I’m not a fan of this either. But unfortunately, I can see it sticking around and probably become another hit for him. Maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, but we’ll just see.

– It was only a matter of time until we get another Maroon 5 song on the countdown as Wait begins to die out. With the highest debut of the week, they have a new single which is currently gaining a lot of steam. The song is called Girls Like You, which features Cardi B. who has made her presence known in 2018. I talked about this in depth when it debuted on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown two weeks ago. But to sum it all up, I just don’t like the idea of Adam Levine taking over the band. In their recent singles such as Don’t Wanna Know and Cold, that seems to be what he’s doing. This song is no exception. Cardi B’s contribution is okay, and so is Adam’s vocals. But the rest of the song is just mediocre all around. I know I said this before, but I miss the days of Maroon 5 sounding like a band. Oh well.

I Need A Blurb Like You
– We’ll begin with our exits. First off, All The Stars sadly left after weeks of decline. I was hoping it would catch on especially after the Black Panther hype, but it didn’t and was therefore underrated on the countdown. On The Loose was enjoyable and I felt that Niall should’ve had another hit. I’m hoping we hear more from him soon. On a more positive note, let us celebrate as I say good riddance Rockstar, which has left the countdown!

– We have Friends entering the Top 5. Blech. This is another song that continues to get worse with each listen. I can’t wait until this song starts moving down soon.

– I’m getting annoyed that I Like Me Better is now in the Top 10. Who is still supporting the song? This isn’t what I want to hear on the radio every day. I hope its time in the Top 10 is short-lived.

– Not too thrilled about the big jump from I Like It either. With the song doing well in sales and streaming, I unfortunately expect it to stick around.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Move To Miami by Enrique Iglesias featuring Pitbull
• Dinero by Jennifer Lopez featuring DJ Khaled and Cardi B.
• Home With You by Madison Beer

Extras/Optional Extras:

• Summer by Calvin Harris
• Almost Love by Sabrina Carpenter
• Break Free by Ariana Grande featuring Zedd
• Don’t Tell ‘Em by Jeremih featuring YG
• Thumbs by Sabrina Carpenter
• Latch by Disclosure featuring Sam Smith
• Send My Love (To Your New Lover) by Adele
• Locked Out Of Heaven by Bruno Mars
• Why by Sabrina Carpenter

Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:
20. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
19. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
18. I Like Me Better by Lauv
17. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello

1 – Bad:
16. Wait by Maroon 5 

2 – Mediocre:
15. God’s Plan by Drake 

3 – Decent:
None!

4 – Good:
None! 

5 – Great:
14. Alone by Halsey featuring Big Sean and Stefflon Don
13. Nice For What by Drake
12. Delicate by Taylor Swift
11. Mine by Bazzi
10. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes
9. Back To You by Selena Gomez
8. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons
7. New Rules by Dua Lipa
6. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar
5. IDGAF by Dua Lipa
4. Done For Me by Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani
3. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
2. One Kiss by Calvin Harris feautring Dua Lipa

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande 

Total Score: 74/100 = 74% (C)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Billie Jean by Michael Jackson (1983)

Most Missed Song: Praying by Kesha

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Let You Be Right by Meghan Trainor

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes (#12) and Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay (#3)

My Top 5 Picks
1. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande
2. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.
3. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa
4. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
5. Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Backstreet Boys

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
2. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
3. All Night by Big Boi
4. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
5. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Down by Fifth Harmony featuring Gucci Mane: One of their first singles without Camila, and if I’m being honest it sounds pretty much like Work From Home, which I detested. Only good thing I can say is that the vocals are slightly better.
Redbone by Childish Gambino: It took me a while to grow into the song after it left the countdown. I realized that the song has some throwback vibe to it. That kind of stuff pulls me in. I may have disliked it when it was new. But I’ve since grew into it.
2U by David Guetta featuring Justin Bieber: This was a good song for the most part. While it wasn’t David’s best work, I thought he did a nice job here, and I like Bieber’s vocals. With Justin Bieber as big as he was last summer, I thought he would give David a huge hit. But I was wrong. I guess people were starting to get tired of Bieber around that time, mainly due to his overexposure.

1. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#1) [=] [3^rd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (3^rd and Final Week At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Tie between Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore, and Dan Caplen – These Days and Echosmith – Over My Head (–16)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho (+23)

Blurbin’ On A Prayer
– It’s nice to see Brendon Urie and co. at #1 for the third week in a row. Like I said last week, I think this may be the song of the summer, at least on this countdown. They just recently released their album, Pray For The Wicked this week. I’m sure it’s really good. I’ll just have to take a listen.

– We have two new entrants in the Top 5 this week. The re-entry from Delicate isn’t surprising considering it’s still doing pretty well elsewhere, but I’m not complaining. Friends, on the other hand, I’m not thrilled about at all. That one shouldn’t even be up there. It needs to seriously move down, but I doubt it’ll happen unfortunately.

– …..Did we really need Psycho to be in the Top 10, let alone having the Biggest Jump Of The Week??? Who is voting for this? I’m already having to deal with this being #1 on the AT40. Let’s PLEASE not make it happen here.

– However, we do have some new songs entering the Top 10 that I’m pleased about. Sit Next To Me at #6 was pretty unexpected, but I’ll take it. I Wanna Know is also surprising. I wonder will these two somehow become elusive hits on this countdown? Only time will tell on that.

– On the note of other big jumps I’m not very thrilled about, we have I Like Me Better roaring back into the Top 20 again. Come on, people. I was just softening on that song. Now, it’s nearly impossible for me to hate the song a little less.

– As one song from 5 Seconds Of Summer drops out of the Top 20, another one takes its place in that region. Youngblood has made its way there in its second with that big jump. We’ll see how well Hits 1 can treat this one. I haven’t listened to their latest album yet. But judging by its first two singles, it sounds pretty good. Maybe there’s another song or two that I’ll probably like.

– The guest DJ that introduced One Foot called her kids by her superhero names! I’ll bet they watch a lot of superhero cartoons, kinda like I did back in the day.

Hit-Bound:

• Cardi B. – I Like It
• MNEK featuring Hailee Steinfeld – Colour
• Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones
• Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift – Babe
• Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
• lovelytheband – Broken
• Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
• Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind
• Julia Michaels featuring Trippie Redd – Jump (DEBUT)
• Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right
• In Real Life – Tattoo (How ‘Bout You)
• The Wrecks – James Dean
• HRVY – Personal
• Big Boi – All Night
• Cole Redding – Father Father

– So, we have only one debut on Hit-Bound this week. Julia Michaels makes her return with her new single titled Jump. I’m not really loving this one too much. Her vocals are okay, but Trippie Redd doesn’t do much for me and nothing else about the rest of the song stands out to me. I may have it in blue for now, but it could change.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
2. Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right
3. The Wrecks – James Dean
4. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
5. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
20. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
19. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
18. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
17. Lauv – I Like Me Better

1 – Bad:
16. Maroon 5 – Wait
 
2 – Mediocre:
15. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You

3 – Decent:
None!

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great:
14. Halsey – Alone
13. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know
12. Niall Horan – On The Loose
11. Taylor Swift – Delicate
10. Selena Gomez – Back To You
9. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
8. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me
7. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
6. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
5. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
4. Dua Lipa – IDGAF
3. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me
2. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
 
BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry

Overall Grade: 74/100 = 74% (C)

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

Most Missed Countdown Song: Disclosure featuring Lorde – Magnets

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Lorde – Green Light

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Kygo featuring Imagine Dragons – Born To Be Yours

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#1)

My Top 5 Picks
1. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
2. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
3. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle 

5. Dua Lipa – IDGAF
 
My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
2. AJR featuring Rivers Cuomo – Sober Up
3. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
4. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
5. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Jon Bellion – Overwhelming: While it’s not a standout track for Jon Bellion, I think it’s still a good song overall in terms of both the production and his vocals. I do wish it had some success like All Time Low did.
Erin Bowman – Good Time Good Life: This song kinda reminds of Right Here, Right Now from Fatboy Slim. I can simply say it’s an enjoyable song for the most part. Erin Bowman did impress me with this solid track.
Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber – Despacito: Unlike some people, I have not soured on this song at all. Not even a little bit. I like the idea of bringing Justin Bieber to sing Spanish. That was cool.
Noah Cyrus – Stay Together: I thought this song had potential mainly because the production is better than that of its predecessor. But my goodness, her vocals brought the song down for me.

QOTW: Panic! At The Disco just released a new album called Pray For The Wicked. What are your thoughts on the album?

1. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign (#2) [+1] [1^st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara (2^nd of 5 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Backstreet Boys (+7)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: On The Loose by Niall Horan (–9)

New Entrants
– So, we have only two entrant this week. First, we have the return of Sam Smith with his latest from The Thrill Of It All, by the name of Pray, which is remixed with Logic. I talked about this song last week when it debuted on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown. But to recap, I like the original version of the song. However, in the remix, Logic makes things better. I love the lyrical content in the song and both artists did a nice job with their vocals. So yeah, this is a good collaboration and a great song overall.

– Cardi B. comes in with her new single titled I Like It, which features Bad Bunny and J. Balvin. Simply put, it’s really not that different from her previous singles. While it’s better than songs like Bodak Yellow, I’m still not impressed for the most part. I just don’t like the production and some of the verses after pretty annoying. With the song doing well in sales, I can see it becoming a hit unfortunately. So I’ll have to get used to it for the time being. I might be exaggerating a bit, but we’ll see what happens.

Maybe I’ll Blurb
– Our two exits consists of short-tenured songs. Sober lasting only one week wasn’t too surprising. These Days definitely deserved better. It was a great song overall and a nice collaboration between four different artists. That song will be missed by me.

– And just like that, Post Malone has reached #1 this week. It’s even worse than having Never Be The Same being there for five consecutive weeks. I’m just not fond of his music, and this song is no different. Unfortunately, it’ll probably end up staying there for a while.

– I’m not too surprised about Delicate entering the Top 10. I won’t quite say it tops Taylor Swift’s best work. But it is a good song overall and it kinda reminds me of her songs from her 1989 album.

– The jump from Don’t Go Breaking My Heart was appreciated by me. I don’t see it becoming a huge hit for them, but it’s an enjoyable song overall. It’s nice to have the Backstreet Boys back.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Move To Miami by Enrique Iglesias featuring Pitbull
• All Night by Big Boi
• Dinero by Jennifer Lopez featuring DJ Khaled and Cardi B.

Extras/Optional Extras:

• Tell Me You Love Me by Demi Lovato
• Happy by Pharrell
• Heathens by TWENTY ØNE PILØTS
• Thunder by Imagine Dragons
• Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran
• Starving by Hailee Steinfeld & Grey featuring Zedd
• Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato
• That’s What I Like By Bruno Mars

Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:
20. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
19. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
18. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
17. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello
 
1 – Bad:
16. I Like Me Better by Lauv
15. Wait by Maroon 5

2 – Mediocre:
14. God’s Plan by Drake

3 – Decent:
None!

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great:
13. Nice For What by Drake
12. Delicate by Taylor Swift
11. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes
10. Back To You by Selena Gomez
9. Mine by Bazzi
8. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons
7. New Rules by Dua Lipa
6. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar
5. IDGAF by Dua Lipa
4. Done For Me by Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani
3. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
2. One Kiss by Calvin Harris feautring Dua Lipa

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande

Total Score: 70/100 = 70% (C–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: I’ll Make Love To You by Boyz II Men (1994)

Most Missed Song: Can’t Stop The Feeling! by Justin Timberlake

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: James Dean by The Wrecks

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay (#3)

My Top 5 Picks
1. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande
2. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.
3. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa
4. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
5. Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Backstreet Boys

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
2. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
3. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage
4. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
5. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Congratulations by Post Malone featuring Quavo: As I mentioned above, I’m not very fond of Post Malone. Though I’m slowly coming around to his music (Candy Paint, etc.), this song along with his two current representations was never to my liking.
Swish Swish by Katy Perry featuring Nicki Minaj: While the music video for the song wasn’t really good, I thought it was still a great collaboration between both Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj. Too bad this didn’t take off, in part because her momentum died down after its predecessor fizzed out.
Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo: Liam’s debut single is probably the weakest of the One Direction members going solo. I won’t say it’s as bad as many others are saying, but it still left me scratching my head as to why.

1. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#1) [=] [2^nd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (2^nd of 3 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Four-way tie between G-Eazy featuring Halsey – Him & I, Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt – Let Me Go, Bad Wolves – Zombie and Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me (–15)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Echosmith – Over My Head (+14)

New Entrants
– Alright, so we have a whole new bunch of new songs entering the countdown this week. Let’s first start with the lowest debut of the week (and also the lowest debut of the year so far at #42). It’s been a long time since a song debuted this low on the countdown. Anyway, the band whose name is Hundred Handed, make their very first appearance on the countdown with the song called Too Good. Hundred Handed consist of members Drew Langan, Matt Black, and singer Jordan McGraw. Right off the bat, the song pretty much reminds me of a Bruno Mars song, in which it has the throwback disco groove to it. The vocals are pretty darn good all throughout the song, and I love the production here. This is how you make a good first impression. I love when artists try to go for a throwback sound and execute it so well. We’ll see how long this one stays.

– Next, we have the return of Cheat Codes. And guess what? They collaborate with the band U2, who we haven’t heard from in a long time. Their new song that’s debuting this week is titled Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way. The last time we saw Cheat Codes was when they had a single with Demi Lovato in No Promises, which I did like. As for the new song, I pretty much have the same opinion as I did with its predecessor. I think Cheat Codes did a nice job with the production on the song. The vocals shine pretty much throughout the entire song, and I love the lyrics for the most part. So yeah, it’s a good song overall.

– Hits 1’s obsession with 5 Seconds Of Summer is still very high despite Want You Back starting to decline on the countdown. Their new album, Youngblood, just recently dropped yesterday. The title track of that album makes its debut at #37 this week. I’ll just say it’s pretty enjoyable for the most part, mainly because of the vocals alone. They shine pretty much throughout the song. But where the song is weak at is the production, which is a bit of a step down from its predecessor. It kinda feels like they’re trying to become more of a modern day pop artist, which is basically what Maroon 5 is right now and we’ll get to that in just a moment. Songs like Jet Black Heart are hard to top because they showed that more of a band. Even She Looks So Perfect at least had a band going for them, even though it wasn’t a good song (at least in my opinion). That’s not to say Youngblood is a bad song. In fact, I do like the song mainly for the vocals. However, I can see myself getting sick of this soon. We’ll see how long Hits 1 holds on to this song.

– Then, we have the return of Sam Smith with his latest single from The Thrill Of It All, by the name of Pray. Well, the remix of the song which features Logic enters the countdown. When I first listen to the original version of the song (which I believe was back in the winter when it was brand new), I thought it was good. But in the remix, Logic adds some life to it. The lyrics are well written for the most part, and I do like the piano work. So yeah, the song is just beautiful overall. I can definitely see it sticking to me in the long run as opposed to some of the other songs from Sam Smith (save for Like I Can, which I fell in love with but it didn’t get quite as big).

– Liam Payne makes his return to the countdown with a Latin-based single in the form of Familiar. The song also features J. Balvin, whose verse is edited out of the song for whatever reason on Hits 1 when I listened to it. Anyway, it pretty much reminds me of Despacito, which was obviously one of the biggest songs of 2017. There’s plenty to like about this. First off, Liam sounds good with his vocals just like he did with For You, which unfortunately was not a big hit in the US. He shows that he has improved from Strip That Down, which wasn’t to my liking. The Latin-based vibe fits him very well. Another thing I like about the song is J. Balvin himself. For those who don’t know, he did a song called Mi Gente back in 2017, which I hated with a fiery passion. It was my second least-favorite song of that year overall. But in Familiar, he does well with his verses. Unfortunately, Hits 1 edited out his verses as I just mentioned, which was disappointing. Overall, it’s a good collaboration between the two artists. I hope to see it do well on the countdown.

– Finally, for the highest debut of the week, we have Maroon 5 with another song from Red Pill Blues, by the name of Girls Like You which features Cardi B.. I’m going to be honest for a second. Maroon 5 has been disappointing me lately with their latest singles (with the exception for What Lovers Do). This song is really no different in comparison to their previous singles. Probably the one interesting thing I can say about the song is the music video itself, in which it shows a lot of different celebrities such as Camila Cabello, Ellen DeGeneres, etc. But outside of that, the song itself is just underwhelming. Once again, Adam Levine has taken over the band. Cardi B. makes a bit of a contribution here, but not much. While I don’t think it’s a bad as their previous singles, it mediocre all around. Think about for a second. When listening to this song and its predecessors (save for What Lovers Do), they basically sound like something you would hear from a solo artist. When it comes to Maroon 5 as a whole, that’s not a good thing. I remember songs such as She Will Be Loved and some older singles in which they have a band. Even some of the songs from V showed that. But now, I feel like they’ve become basically a one-man show with just Adam Levine, and nothing more. I miss those days of them having a band. Unfortunately, with this song now looking like its on its way to becoming another hit for these guys (It’s currently in the Top 5 on Billboard as of this typing), I’ll probably have to get used to it for a while. I could be wrong however, but we’ll see.

Best Debut Of The Week: Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin – Familiar

Blurbs Are Bigger Than Anything In Their Way
– Alright, fam. So we’ll start off with one exit that stood out to me. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low, which was one of the longest-running songs in the history of the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown, is officially no more. Having debuted on Hit-Bound back in January 2017 and then eventually making its way to the countdown all the way back in April 2017, this was a song that was loved by some here in the blogging community, while I wasn’t too fond of it. Up until the beginning of 2018, it was basically an afterthought in which it didn’t do so well here, in large part because at the time the song wasn’t known elsewhere outside of Hits 1. Then, starting in January of this year, more people would come to know the song. And when all is said and done, it reached a peak of #6 on the countdown, coming just short of the Top 5. I will admit, it got as far as it did on most charts, which was impressive for an artist not very well known. Whether this will be on Hits 1’s Top 45 of 2018, we don’t exactly know for sure. We’ll probably find out in about six months. But if it doesn’t, at least it had the distinction of being the song that never goes away, much like with songs such as My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light ‘Em Up), Radioactive, Closer, Shape Of You, and most recently Believer. If there’s one thing I’ve learned when I’ve started blogging, is that you never really know how long a song can last on the countdown. Good-bye, Lights Down Low. It’s been a wild ride.

– Now with that out of the way, we have other exits that I want to talk about. First off, Hurt Somebody burned on me pretty quickly, so I’m not too sad about its departure. No Excuses dropped out of the countdown relatively quickly after that big drop last week. I was expecting that song to maybe stick around for at least a few weeks, but I guess not. I do hope Let You Be Right can debut soon. That one is really good and I’ve been enjoying that song as opposed to its predecessor. All The Stars was bound to be underrated. It’s disappointing to see it suffer through this fate, while it does quite well elsewhere. Oh well, I can’t really do anything about it. That song will be missed by me. That leaves us with two songs. Bad At Love did have a good countdown run and I enjoyed the song while it was here. It showed what Halsey was capable of in terms of her vocals. I’m glad it got to the top spot. I will kinda miss it. Finally, we have the one exit that I’m sad about. Finesse is definitely an enjoyable song all around with the throwback new jack swing sound. It was one of the best off of 24K Magic. I can definitely see myself putting this in My Top 5 songs of 2018. I don’t think we’ll be having anything else from Bruno Mars for a while. We’ll just have to wait until his new album comes out. Farewell, Finesse. You will certainly be missed by me.

– Before introducing How Long, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Charlie Puth’s favorite room temperature to sleep in is around 60 degrees. Wow, I guess he doesn’t like sleeping in a warm room or something. He apparently doesn’t even think about getting a little warm for at least one night. I’m sure many of us are thinking the same thing, well at least until winter when it’s really cold outside.

– During the introduction for Him & I, the guest DJ was named Sam Smith (not the artist, but someone else). How cool was that? I would’ve been funny if he had announced the song from the artist Sam Smith which debuted this week.

– We had quite a lot of big drops this week. First off, Let Me Go was bound to drop down eventually. It had been going strong for a while now, but it looks like this may finally be the end.

– Let Me also took a big drop as well. I didn’t care about it too much so I’m not complaining about it fading away. Also, as I mentioned yesterday, I saw a picture of ZAYN having a purple hair color and I wondered to myself, “does he have some kind of hair-changing dye or what?”. I remembered dying my hair red once and I loved it. I wonder will ZAYN say the same about his new hair color this time?

– Before introducing Never Be The Same, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Camila Cabello’s secret to staying sane is by not using social apps. I guess if she doesn’t want to use social apps, that’s fine. That said, I can’t wait for this song to leave soon.

– Speaking of which, it’s nice to see both Sober Up and Psycho making big drops. The former isn’t a big hit, so it won’t be long until we hopefully see that one leave. The latter I unfortunately have to deal with for a while as it’s still big elsewhere.

– On that note, looks like Zombie may be on its way out as it dropped big as well, along with Tell Me You Love. It’s was nice having them around the Top 10 while they lasted. Now we’ll see how long they hang around the countdown. While we’re on that subject, I believe this is the first time we had four songs tied for the Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week. That is very rare. We recently had that happen back in February with three songs holding that honor.

– Spyder Harrison mentioned during his introduction for Mine that Bazzi is trying to revitalize pop music with his own sound. I can definitely agree with what he said. In fact, that song is still gaining elsewhere, though it still sits outside the Top 20. I would appreciate it if it’s not being underrated here on this countdown.

– On the flip side, we had some big jumps this week, with Fake Friends and Over My Head making their way into the Top 20. I don’t necessarily care about either of them, but I’m not complaining too much about it.

– Also, Selena Gomez – Back To You makes a big jump into the Top 20 just shy of hitting the Top 10. Hopefully it can jump one more spot into that region. Who knows? Maybe it has a chance at success.

– So, I just wanna say congratulations to Ariana Grande on her engagement with Pete Davidson! That said, it’s nice to see No Tears Left To Cry entering the Top 5 this week! I’m looking forward to seeing that song at the top spot. I anticipate that day.

– Speaking of #1, Brendon Urie and company hold that spot for the second week in a row. I wouldn’t even mind this song potentially becoming the song of the summer, at least here. Panic! At The Disco aren’t well known outside of Hits 1, but they do make good music and this song is no exception. I’m glad it’s doing well on this countdown.

Hit-Bound:

• Big Boi – All Night (DEBUT)
• Cole Redding – Father Father (DEBUT)
• In Real Life – Tattoo (How ‘Bout You)
• The Wrecks – James Dean
• Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind
• Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones
• Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
• Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right
• Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
• Cardi B. – I Like It
• lovelytheband – Broken
• HRVY – Personal
• Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift – Babe
• MNEK featuring Hailee Steinfeld – Colour (DEBUT)
• BTS – Fake Love (DEBUT)

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
TIE: 1. Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
TIE: 1. Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right
3. The Wrecks – James Dean
4. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
5. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
20. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
19. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be

1 – Bad:
18. Maroon 5 – Wait

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
17. Dustin Atlas featuring Erin Bowman – Fake Friends

4 – Good:
16. Echosmith – Over My Head

5 – Great:
15. Halsey – Alone
14. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know
13. Niall Horan – On The Loose
12. Taylor Swift – Delicate
11. Selena Gomez – Back To You
10. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
9. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back
8. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me
7. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
6. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
5. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me
4. Dua Lipa – IDGAF
3. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me
2. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry

Overall Grade: 84/100 = 84% (B)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Christina Aguilera – Beautiful (2002)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Katy Perry – Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)

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

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Halsey featuring Lauren Jauregui – Strangers

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#1)

My Top 5 Picks
1. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
2. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
3. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me
4. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
5. Dua Lipa – IDGAF

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
2. AJR featuring Rivers Cuomo – Sober Up
3. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
4. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
5. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
None!

1. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello (#1) [=] [5^th Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara (1^st of 5 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line (–7)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Tie between Nice For What by Drake and Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign (+5)

New Entrants
– So, only two new songs making their arrival this week. First up, we’ll begin with G-Eazy with his second song on the countdown along with Charlie Puth, who are collaborating with each other in Sober. This song is pretty good for the most part. Charlie shows that he has good vocals, and G-Eazy is a good rapper in the song for the most part. I don’t have too much else to say about the song except that it’s good. I don’t think it’ll get as big as Him & I in my opinion, but I do like it.

– For our second debut of the week, we have the return of the Backstreet Boys. It was the late 1990’s, and one of their first songs I’ve ever heard from them was Everybody (Backstreet’s Back). That one is a classic and probably what I’ve known them best for. Since then, they became a band that people would come to love. Today, after a while, they have a brand new single titled Don’t Go Breaking My Heart. This song is no different from their previous singles. As always, I love the vocals from both Nick Carter and AJ McLean.  The EDM-based production is really good and the groove & synths are pleasant. I also love the lyrical content. Basically, it’s about not trying to be heartbroken in a relationship and this is something most of us can relate to. Backstreet Boys have yet to disappoint me and this song shows that they can still make good music even after all those years.

Baby, Don’t Go Blurbing My Heart
– We’ll start with our two exits this week. First off, good riddance to Sober Up. That one thankfully only lasted two weeks and wasn’t with us for too long. AJR has not been the kind to make music to my liking. This song isn’t any different from what they’ve released in the past. It’s a good thing that it didn’t do well on most charts. We also have the important exit, in which Thunder makes its departure. Now that one I did like as opposed to our other song. While there were some who weren’t very fond of that one, it was something that caught my attention for a while. Eventually it did get old to me and I was ready to move on, but it was never something I hated at the end.

– Oh great. Psycho has now reached the #2 spot. This is even worse when it was #7 last week. I’m scared that this will be #1 soon. It’s bad enough that it’s still gaining, but the fact that it’s not slowing down only makes matters so much worse.

– We do have one other new song entering Top 5 in the form of Mine by Bazzi to shine some light in the darkness. It’s a good song, so I’m cool with that song being there. I would like it to be #1 at some point soon. But with our current #1 and #2, I have a feeling it’s going to take a while unfortunately.

– Then, we also have No Tears Left To Cry entering the top 10 this week! It’s nice to see that song still gaining some momentum since its debut. Ariana Grande mostly never disappoints, and this song is pretty much no exception, mainly because of her vocals alone. I’m hoping this can be a potential #1. The sooner the better.

– So, I recently saw a picture of ZAYN dying his hair purple. Oh boy, it was a couple weeks ago that he had dyed his hair green. Let me guess, did his hair dye had some ever-changing color or what?

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• All Night by Big Boi
• Pray by Sam Smith featuring Logic
• Move to Miami by Enrique Iglesias featuring Pitbull

Extras/Optional Extras:

• No Roots by Alice Merton
• Cool For The Summer by Demi Lovato
• Let Me Love You by DJ Snake featuring Justin Bieber
• Want You Back by 5 Seconds Of Summer
• Photograph by Ed Sheeran
• No Excuses by Meghan Trainor
• Cake By The Ocean by DNCE
• Sober Up by AJR featuring Rivers Cuomo
• Just Like Fire by P!NK

Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:
20. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
19. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
18. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
17. I Like Me Better by Lauv
16. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello

1 – Bad:
15. Wait by Maroon 5

2 – Mediocre:
14. God’s Plan by Drake

3 – Decent:
None!

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great:
13. Delicate by Taylor Swift
12. Mine by Bazzi
11. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes
10. Nice For What by Drake
9. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons
8. New Rules by Dua Lipa
7. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar
6. All The Stars by Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA
5. IDGAF by Dua Lipa
4. Done For Me by Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani
3. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa
2. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande

Total Score: 69/100 = 69% (D+)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) by The Backstreet Boys (1998)

Most Missed Song: Shower by Becky G

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Tie between Seeing Blind by Niall Horan featuring Maren Morris and Let You Be Right by Meghan Trainor

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay (#2)

My Top 5 Picks
1. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande
2. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.
3. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
4. Done For Me by Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani
5. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
2. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
3. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage
4. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
5. I Like Me Better by Lauv

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Crying In The Club by Camila Cabello: Speaking of Camila, this was her first attempt at her solo career. Not much I can say about this one other than it’s less interesting, and I’m not too fond of her vocals. This wasn’t on her debut album as a solo artist, so that’s probably a good thing.

The first performance of the night comes from an artist whose music I’ve been fond of for a while now. Ariana Grande took the stage with her latest single No Tears Left To Cry, which is one of my favorites at the moment. As for the performance itself, I was definitely impressed. I always thought she had a great voice, but she sounds amazing when singing live. I do like some of the dance moves that she put together. Simply put, this was a great start to the show and it shows just how talented Ariana is. I do think she had probably the best performance of that night.

Kelly Clarkson, the host of the awards show herself, has always been a favorite of mine. She performed a number of songs such as There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back, Shape Of You, Finesse, etc. She does have an amazing voice and I thought she sounded very good singing live. I love the way she is rapping in some of the songs, and then I like that she sings Shape Of You with the background music in Finesse. Yeah, I absolutely loved that performance and Kelly did not disappoint me at all. That was a great one for her.
Performance Grade: 9.5/10

• Dua Lipa – New Rules

While I do still like New Rules, I can’t really say the same about her performance of the song. I think she was a little off key in some parts of the performance. She is a pretty good dancer for the most part, but vocally I didn’t think she sounded good here. So yeah, I’m not big on that performance.
Performance Grade: 5/10

• Christina Aguilera featuring Demi Lovato – Fall In Line

I never thought of the idea of bringing these two together for this collaboration, but I’m glad it turned out well. Both of them have amazing voices, and their performance of the song at the awards was no exception. When I heard the song for the first time while watching the show, I was floored. It sounded really good live. The chorus is amazing. Both Christina’s and Demi’s voices blend together really well. They shined pretty much all throughout the whole thing. Simply put, I was in love with their performance overall and definitely one of my favorites from that night.
Performance Grade: 9.5/10

• Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl

Ed Sheeran gave us a performance all the way from Dublin. He sounded pretty good singing live, and his fans joined in to sing the song. The guitar was quite solid when he played it. To put it easy, I thought he did a nice job with the song’s performance overall.
Performance Grade: 8/10

• Jennifer Lopez featuring DJ Khaled and Cardi B. – Dinero

Out of all of the performances from that night, I think this is probably the weakest. I didn’t think JLo sounded good throughout the whole thing. DJ Khaled doesn’t add much to the performance. I’m not sure what the song is about, but judging by the sound it’s basically has some sort of trap-beat in the song. Yeah, I think this simply wasn’t a good performance. They can do better.

Performance Grade: 4/10