Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Meghan Trainor – No Excuses (–20)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho (+15)

New Entrants
– So, with The Middle still doing very well on all fronts, it was only a matter of time until Maren Morris would bring in one of her solo songs. At #35, she brings in her second song on the countdown titled Rich. If you’ve been following my blog, then you probably know that I still have a huge liking towards The Middle (mainly because I really like Maren Morris). Unfortunately I can’t say the same for this song. I’m not in love with the lyrical content of the song. One of the reason I love The Middle so much is because she’s having fun just singing. But here, she sounds conceited and thinks she’s all that. I’m sorry, but this kind of stuff doesn’t impress me. She sounds okay, but that doesn’t make the song any better. I’m hoping it doesn’t stay for too long and end up getting big.

– Dua Lipa has become a presence in 2018, what with songs like New Rules getting big and IDGAF starting to gain some momentum. Now, she brings in her third song to the countdown as she collaborates with Calvin Harris in his latest release titled One Kiss. I talked about this when it debuted on the American Top 40 a while ago. It’s not his best single by any means, but Calvin Harris still did well as a DJ. Dua Lipa does great with her unique vocals. I do think it’s a great collaboration overall. I’m hoping it does well on the countdown.

Best Debut Of The Week: Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss

One Blurb Is All It Takes
– We’ll begin with our two exits. To start, Feel It Still had quite a run for a band not really known elsewhere. I’m sure some here are happy about its departure. But the one I’m saddest about is Wolves. I never thought Marshmello would make an amazing collaboration with Selena at first, but I’m glad that it worked out well to my liking. It’s definitely a candidate for my Top 10 or maybe even Top 5 songs of 2018 depending on how the rest of the year goes. Goodbye, Wolves. It’s been real.

– The guest DJ that introduced Lights Down Low copied Spyder Harrison’s line when he introduces that song. How cool is that?!

– We had some big drops this week, most of which I’m pleased about. I Like Me Better and Never Be The Same both took some drops which were very pleasing to see. Then, we have No Excuses taking the biggest drop this week all the way down to #31. I was starting to grow out of that song, so I was okay with this. I’m hoping Let You Be Right can debut soon. That song is really good in my opinion.

– So, Spyder Harrison mentioned that ZAYN has anxiety when singing on stage, yet he still plans on touring. If that’s the case, then I’m sure fans will finally be able to come hear him sing. Hopefully, he’ll be able to overcome his anxiety.

– Are you kidding me?! Psycho takes a big jump right back into the Top 20 this week. I’m annoyed by this. But with it still gaining elsewhere, I don’t see it leaving us anytime soon. I honestly cannot believe I actually jinxed it last week when I said it was going to jump big.

– Before introducing I Wanna Know, Spyder Harrison mentioned that NOTD would rather play fortnite rather than make music. I’m not sure how that’ll work out. If they can be able to do that, then the public might take them seriously.

– So, Spyder Harrison said that Ariana Grande’s boyfriend got two tattoos of herself. Man, I guess he must really love Ariana. I’m sure she’ll probably say the same and maybe do something to return his favor.

– Want You Back dropped out of the Top 10 rather quickly. I thought it might stay there for a long time, what with how much Hits 1 loves 5 Seconds Of Summer. But I guess it spent enough time there as it is.

– Spyder Harrison mentioned upon introducing Wait that Adam Levine managed to get a gig at Porsche. I have a feeling this is going to get more people interested in buying one of those. Maybe Adam will find a way to give them one.

– IDGAF has now entered the Top 10 this week. It has now peaked higher than her predecessor New Rules, which is currently in the bottom 5 of the countdown. I’m hoping this time Dua Lipa can get higher on the countdown, but you never know for sure. Pretty much anything can happen on this countdown.

– In My Blood entered the Top 10 as well. I’m sure this will end up staying there for a while, given how Hits 1 has treated Shawn Mendes’s music in the past. Also, his new album has hit #1 on the Billboard 200. Congrats to him.

– But wait, we also have another new song entering that region. Done For Me has reached a new peak of #7. I’m sure this one will get higher eventually. If his two previous singles were able to hit #1, then so can this. Though, it’s not doing quite well in sales and streaming, so it might be a stretch.

– That brings us to our new #1 this week! Brendon Urie and company have hit the top spot with Say Amen (Saturday Night). It’s definitely an fun song and probably one of my songs of the summer. I’m cool seeing it at #1. They may not be known elsewhere, but I’m glad Hits 1 is treating their music well.

Hit-Bound:

• Sam Smith featuring Logic – Pray
• HRVY – Personal
• Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones
• Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift – Babe
• Hundred Handed – Too Good
• Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
• 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
• Cardi B. – I Like It
• In Real Life – Tattoo (How ‘Bout You)
• Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin – Familiar
• lovelytheband – Broken
• Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right
• Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind
• The Wrecks – James Dean
• Cheat Codes featuring U2 – Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way (DEBUT)
• Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (DEBUT)
• Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You (DEBUT)

– We have three songs entering Hit-Bound this week. First, Maroon 5 are back with another new single, titled Girls Like You. Right off the bat, it’s really not that different from what they’ve been releasing lately. Once again, Adam Levine has taken over the band. His vocals are decent, but they’re not enough to save this song from being red. I’ll have more words about this come its inevitable debut.

– Next, we have an unexpected collaboration between Cheat Codes and the band U2, who we haven’t heard from in a while, in the song Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way. It’s really a good song overall. I love how Cheat Codes does with the production, and I like the vocals. More on this when it debuts.

– Finally, we have the best debut of the week. After a long time, the Backstreet Boys have finally made their comeback! Their new single is titled Don’t Go Breaking My Heart. Right off the bat, this is just amazing on many different levels. They haven’t really disappointed me with their music. I’ll have more to say about this song when it debuts.

– For the past week or so, I’ve been enjoying Let You Be Right more than I do with No Excuses. Meghan sounds better with her vocals, and I’m in love with the production. She seems to have improved from Thank You. I do hope to see it on the countdown soon.

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. Hundred Handed – Too Good

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:
None!

3 – Decent:
None!

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great:
16. Halsey – Alone
15. Niall Horan – On The Loose
14. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know
13. Taylor Swift – Delicate
12. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
11. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back
10. Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore, and Dan Caplen – These Days
9. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me
8. Bad Wolves – Zombie
7. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
6. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
5. Dua Lipa – IDGAF
4. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me
3. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love 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: 82/100 = 82% (B+)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Prince – When Doves Cry (1984) (This week would’ve been his 60th Birthday. So, Happy Birthday to the late Prince)

Most Missed Countdown Song: OneRepublic – Counting Stars

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Welshly Arms – Legendary

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Niall Horan featuring Maren Morris – Seeing Blind

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

My Top 5 Picks
1. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
2. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
3. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix)
4. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me
5. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. AJR featuring Rivers Cuomo – Sober Up
2. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
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!

QOTW: What are your thoughts on Shawn Mendes’s new album? What is your favorite song from that album?

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

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Foster The People – Sit Next To Me (+14)

New Entrants
– For our only entrant of this week, we have the return of Echosmith. It’s been a while since we’ve heard from this band. Back in 2014, they made a breakthrough with Cool Kids, which I did kinda like. This week, they debut with their latest single titled Over My Head. They recently released their EP titled Inside A Dream back in the fall, which is filled with great songs such as 18 and Get Into My Car. As for Over My Head, well I guess you can say I do like it. Though I would much prefer if songs like 18 debuted. Anyway, about the song itself, I can say that I do like the vocals from Sydney Sierota. But I’ll admit that the chorus can be a bit underwhelming. The production here is good for an Echosmith song, and I do like the lyrics. The song is nothing amazing, but I do enjoy it for the time being. I can’t say it’ll stick around for too long given that the song isn’t popular right now. But we’ll see happens during its tenure here.

I Can Feel You Blurb
– For the second week in a row, we have only one exit. God’s Plan leaving wasn’t much of a surprise given that Hits 1 tends to underrated some of the biggest songs outside of this countdown. I don’t really like the song very much, so I can say I’m happy about it leaving.

– All The Stars doesn’t look like it’ll be lasting very long here either. It’s too bad because I really like that song. But then again, it’s starting to falter elsewhere too.

– It’s nice to see Psycho taking a big drop this week. I’m hoping this means it won’t last long on the countdown. But now that I’ve just jinxed it, watch it take a massive jump next week.

– This is the first time Thunder is not in the Top 30 since I don’t know how long. I’m sure some here are happy about this. Now we’ll see how much longer it can hang around.

– Spyder Harrison mentioned during his introduction for Let Me that ZAYN was sporting another new hairstyle. This time, he dyed it green. At this rate, I’m sure he’ll continue to change his hairstyle to make his fans interested. I dyed my hair once and it was red. Oh, how I miss those days.

– So, NOTD and Bea Miller just recently did a cover for In My Blood. Even though it was short, I thought they did a nice job. I think these two make a great collaboration.

– Before introducing No Tears Left To Cry, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Ariana Grande and her boyfriend were have s’mores at a Memorial Day dinner. My goodness! Now, I’m hungry for some s’mores! With summer just now getting warmed up, I won’t be surprised to see many other people try to make s’mores for dinner.

– Not too much has changed in the Top 10 other than Delicate making its entry in the Top 5. I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up getting the #1 spot given how Hits 1 has treated Taylor Swift’s music in the past.

– On that note, our new #1 for this week is one I’m sure many here are greatly happy about. Whatever It Takes has now taken over the #1 spot after spending a while in the Top 5. I do think it’s one of the more superior songs off of Evolve, so I happy about that.

Hit-Bound:

• In Real Life – Tattoo (How ‘Bout You)
• Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
• 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
• Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
• Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind
• Maren Morris – Rich
• Sam Smith featuring Logic – Pray
• Hundred Handed – Too Good
• Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones
• The Wrecks – James Dean
• HRVY – Personal
• Cardi B. – I Like It
• Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right
• Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift – Babe
• Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin – Familiar
• lovelytheband – Broken

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
TIE: 1. The Wrecks – James Dean
TIE: 1. Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right
3. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
4. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
5. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones

YouTube 15:

• Drake – God’s Plan
• Poo Bear featuring Justin Bieber and Jay Electronica – Hard 2 Face Reality
• Lauv – Bracelet
• Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
• Calum Scott – What I Miss Most
• The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me
• Bazzi – Beautiful
• Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
• Jax Jones featuring Ina Wroldsen – Breathe
• Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
• Don Diablo featuring Nina Nesbitt – Put It On For Me
• Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
• Lil Dicky featuring Chris Brown – Freaky Friday
• Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
• Mike Shinoda featuring Grandson – Running From My Shadow

My Top 5 YouTube 15 Picks
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
TIE: 1. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
3. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me
4. Don Diablo featuring Nina Nesbitt – Put It On For Me
5. Jax Jones featuring Ina Wroldsen – Breathe

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
20. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
19. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
18. Lauv – I Like Me Better

1 – Bad:
17. Maroon 5 – Wait

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
None!

4 – Good:
16. Meghan Trainor – No Excuses

5 – Great:
15. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
14. Taylor Swift – Delicate
13. Halsey – Alone
12. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back
11. Niall Horan – On The Loose
10. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
9. Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore, and Dan Caplen – These Days
8. Bad Wolves – Zombie
7. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me
6. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
5. Dua Lipa – IDGAF
4. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me
3. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me

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

Overall Grade: 81/100 = 81% (B–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Faith Hill – Breathe (1999)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Tove Lo – Talking Body

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Carly Rae Jepsen – Cut To The Feeling

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Niall Horan featuring Maren Morris – Seeing Blind

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

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
TIE: 1. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
3. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix)
4. Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello – Wolves
5. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. AJR featuring Rivers Cuomo – Sober Up
2. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
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:
Ocean Park Standoff – Good News: For a band not really known elsewhere, it was definitely refreshing to hear a song that basically talks about wanting some good news (hence the title).
Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road: I pretty much said everything about this when it debuted last year. Honestly, it’s a shame that this had to be the biggest country song of last year when there were much better songs from that genre.
Hey Violet – Break My Heart: Some may not like this mainly because of the vocals alone, but I didn’t really mind. It’s just simply a love song that talks about not wanting to feel the pain and this is something we can relate to.
Hailee Steinfeld – Most Girls: The idea of making a female empowerment song was a good one. It may not be that memorable, but it did work out for Hailee Steinfeld.
Selena Gomez – Bad Liar: This was Selena Gomez basically hitting rock bottom. Hands To Myself at least had something going on; this doesn’t. But at least in her current representation on the countdown, she shows that she is improving from that song.

QOTW: Who do you want to win the NBA Finals? Also, who are you rooting for in the NHL Stanley Cup Finals?

Biggest Fall Of The Week: No Excuses by Meghan Trainor (–8)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Nice For What by Drake (+9)

New Entrants
– To start off our new round of debuts, we have the return of a band that many here are not looking forward to. AJR make their return with the single called Sober Up, which features Rivers Cuomo of Weezer. I already explained why I dislike the song so much. AJR has been the type of band that hasn’t impressed me at all. If you remember, I did like Weak at first but I realized how stupid the lyrics were and the chorus was obnoxious. Here in Sober Up, it has the same result. While the chorus isn’t quite as bad with the high falsetto getting on my nerves, it’s still very undesirable all around. The lyrics are no good. Yeah, I’m hoping it doesn’t stick around.

– Our second debut is much better than the one I just finished talking about. Selena Gomez makes her return to the American Top 40 countdown this week not long after the departure of Wolves last week. Her new single is titled Back To You, which is taken from the 13 Reason Why Soundtrack for Season 2. Now right off the bat, this is the type of song I want to hear from Selena. She doesn’t do any mumbling or whispering whatsoever throughout the song. Here, she actually sounds good singing with her vocals and we get to hear what she’s truly capable of. This is an improvement for Selena Gomez and I’m looking forward to seeing that one be successful.

Best Debut Of The Week: Back To You by Selena Gomez

I Want To Blurb Something Again
– As far as our exits go this week, Want You Back leaving wasn’t much of a surprise given that 5 Seconds Of Summer aren’t very popular outside of Hits 1. Then we have No Roots, which I felt deserved better. I personally thought it was one of the best songs in alternative music. It’s unfortunate that it failed t do well on this countdown.

– Not much has changed in the Top 5 except Never Be The Same is #1 for the third week in the row (ugh). But Whatever It Takes has entered that region, which is nice to see and I don’t mind it being there for a while.

– New Rules has now left the Top 10 for the first time in about six months. Talk about an incredible run. Now we’ll see how long this can hang around. I have a feeling it’s going to be ranked very high on the year-end list come December.

– We had quite a couple of big drops this week. Him & I has now left the Top 20. It had a nice run while it lasted. No Excuses, on the other hand, took another big drop and now is at the end of its rope. I won’t be too surprised if it leaves soon.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Pray by Sam Smith featuring Logic
• Sober by G-Eazy featuring Charlie Puth
• Tattoo (How ‘Bout You) by In Real Life

Extras/Optional Extras:

• Redbone by Childish Gambino
• Treat You Better by Shawn Mendes
• Side To Side by Ariana Grande featuring Nicki Minaj
• Say Something by Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton
• Scars To Your Beautiful by Alessia Cara
• Can’t Feel My Face by The Weeknd
• Mi Gente by J. Balvin featuring Willy William
• Unsteady by X Ambassadors

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
16. I Like Me Better by Lauv

1 – Bad:
15. Wait by Maroon 5

2 – Mediocre:
14. Let You Down by NF
13. God’s Plan by Drake

3 – Decent:
None!

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great:
12. Mine by Bazzi
11. Delicate by Taylor Swift
10. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes
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. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa
4. IDGAF by Dua Lipa
3. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.

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

Total Score: 67/100 = 67% (D+)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Breathe by Faith Hill (1999)

Most Missed Song: Talking Body by Tove Lo

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Seeing Blind by Niall Horan featuring Maren Morris

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

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

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Sober Up by AJR featuring Rivers Cuomo
2. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
3. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage
4. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
5. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
HUMBLE. by Kendrick Lamar: Easily the best song Kendrick Lamar has done. He definitely showcases his talent as a rapper in this song. It is unfortunate that it didn’t really do well on this countdown, but it did well elsewhere.
Slow Hands by Niall Horan: While this isn’t quite his best song, it’s different from the acoustic guitar. It’s more upbeat than This Town.
Attention by Charlie Puth: It was the start of something new for Charlie Puth, and it worked out well for him. Even though the song is only a year old, I still enjoy it to this day.

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same (–19)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho (+14)

New Entrants
– We’ve somehow got a re-entry from Dua Lipa – New Rules, which is nice to see even though it’s dying out elsewhere. This is the first time we had a re-entry since last year when Castle On The Hill made it back to the countdown. However, there are no new songs from Hit-Bound debuting this week, so let’s move on.

I Know I’d Go Blurb To You
– Let’s first talk about our exit. We say good-bye to Alice Merton – No Roots this week. I was hoping we could get another alternative hit from another artist, but the song never really caught on elsewhere. It was, of course, underrated and deserved better.

– So, Spyder Harrison mentioned that a hospital worker was fired because they looked at Ed Sheeran’s medical records? Hmm…I guess the people wanted to keep it private or something. But anyway, at least Ed Sheeran did give a performance of Galway Girl last weekend. I thought it was a good performance overall.

– Before introducing No Tears Left To Cry, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Ariana is dating a new person who is actually from Saturday Night Live and he mentioned that he’s the coolest person on the cast. I have a feeling that they may end up being the coolest couple of the year. I mean, they should be given that award, don’t you think? That is unless G-Eazy and Halsey still prove to be a strong couple.

– I’m not thrilled about the big jump from Psycho at all. Hopefully, it doesn’t stay in the Top 20 for too long and starts dropping back down, but at this point it’s not likely.

– Before introducing Meant To Be, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Nick Jonas and Bebe Rexha are meant to be (no pun intended)? Really? Did Bebe Rexha found a special someone? If that’s the case, then I hope it works out well.

– During his introduction for In My Blood, Spyder Harrison had a conversation with Shawn Mendes about his new album which was released just yesterday. He recently did a performance of Youth (with Khalid) at the Billboard Music Awards. Honestly, I thought it was a moving performance. However, I do hope he releases Lost In Japan as a single soon.

– Bad Wolves – Zombie has made its way into the Top 10 this week. I have a feeling that it’ll try to be an elusive hit on this countdown in general. This wouldn’t be the first time, as some songs that weren’t popular elsewhere have did really well. I hope the same rings true for that song.

– The guest DJ that introduced Friends called Spyder Harrison the best DJ on the planet. I’ll say that was a nice complement.

– Niall Horan – On The Loose has now entered the Top 5. I wasn’t too surprised about this given that I heard this a lot the past two weeks. Also, the guest DJ that introduced the song gave a shout out to all of the students at her school. Seeing as the kids are out for the summer, that was a very nice complement.

– Finally, we’ve come to our #1 this week, in which The Middle holds the #1 spot once again! As you probably can tell, I still really, really like that song, so I very pleased with this. I did watch a performance of the song at the Billboard Music Awards and I thought it was great. I’ll probably have more to say about it. But yeah, I did enjoy it overall.

Hit-Bound:

• Sam Smith featuring Logic – Pray
• HRVY – Personal
• Fall Out Boy – Last Of The Real Ones (DEBUT)
• The Wrecks – James Dean
• Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
• 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
• Cardi B. – I Like It
• Maren Morris – Rich
• Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin – Familiar
• Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right
• lovelytheband – Broken
• In Real Life – Tattoo (How ‘Bout You)
• Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind
• Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift – Babe
• Hundred Handed – Too Good
• Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (DEBUT)

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. The Wrecks – James Dean
2. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
3. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
4. Fall Out Boy – Last Of The Real Ones
5. Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right

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

1 – Bad:
16. Maroon 5 – Wait

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
None!

4 – Good:
15. Meghan Trainor – No Excuses

5 – Great:
14. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
13. Taylor Swift – Delicate
12. Halsey – Alone
11. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back
10. Niall Horan – On The Loose
9. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
8. Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore, and Dan Caplen – These Days
7. Bad Wolves – Zombie
6. Dua Lipa – IDGAF
5. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
4. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me
3. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me

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

Overall Grade: 77/100 = 77% (C+)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Christina Aguilera – What A Girl Wants (1999)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Demi Lovato – Cool For The Summer

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Carly Rae Jepsen – Run Away From Me

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Céline Dion – Ashes

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

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
TIE: 1. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
3. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix)
4. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me
5. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me

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

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Liam Payne featuring Quavo – Strip That Down: I wasn’t fond of Liam’s decision to go hip-hop. I’d say this was probably the weakest debut single from a former member of One Direction. I’m sure many here will say the same.
Miley Cyrus – Malibu: Although the song itself isn’t all that memorable, I did like how Miley was able go back to her country roots. After her last album, Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz, was not to my liking at all whatsoever, it was nice to hear something refreshing from her.

QOTW: Who do you think gave the best performance in the 2018 Billboard Music Awards last week? Why?

Biggest Fall Of The Week: No Excuses by Meghan Trainor (–7)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Tie between Done For Me by Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani and No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande (+7)

New Entrants
– For our first debut of this week, we have the return of Liam Payne with his brand new single titled Familiar. This song also features J. Balvin, who last year had his single Mi Gente, which I absolutely detested. As for the new song, I’ll simply say it’s pretty good and a step up from Strip That Down, which I wasn’t a fan of either. The latin-based vibe is what gets me. I do like the verses from both of the artists overall. The production in the song is pretty interesting and not as lazy as it was in Strip That Down. Both of these artists managed to win me over with the song. I hope to see it do well.

– Our second debut comes from EDM group Rudimental, who has a big collaboration with Jess Glynne, Macklemore, and Dan Caplen in the song titled These Days. This one been around for a while now. I talked about it in full when it debuted on the Weekend Countdown last month. But to sum it up, I pretty much like everything about the song from the production on down to the verses. The best thing about the song is Jess Glynne, who sounds great in the chorus. I love the lyrical content throughout the song. It’s a great song overall and I hope for success out of it.

Best Debut Of The Week: These Days by Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore, and Dan Caplen

Ain’t Got No Blurbs Left To Cry
– As far as our exits go, our two songs that left the countdown will be greatly missed by me. Tell Me You Love Me was very underrated and deserved much better. Wolves had a good countdown run for the most part and it was definitely one of the best things Selena Gomez has been a part of. Farewell, Wolves. Thank you for your time on this countdown.

– Of course, Never Be The Same holds the #1 spot this week. Honestly, this song is just annoying in terms of her vocals. But apparently, I guess people seem to disagree. I’d absolutely love to have The Middle back at #1, or just even just a good song at the top spot period.

– In other Top 5 news, Pray For Me reaches a new peak at #3. I would love to see it replace our current #1, but I don’t think it’s likely given that it’s dying out elsewhere. At least it was successful.

– No Excuses took a big drop out of the Top 20 this week. Looks like Meghan Trainor isn’t going to have another hit after all. I was starting to slightly grow back out of the song, though. So I would be okay with it departing.

– I figured Done For Me would make a big jump in its second week. Not that I’m complaining as I’m very fond of the song as of this moment. I do think it’s one of the best tracks off of Voicenotes.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Sober Up by AJR featuring Rivers Cuomo
• Pray by Sam Smith featuring Logic
• Sober by G-Eazy featuring Charlie Puth

Extras/Optional Extras:

• How Long by Charlie Puth
• Bailando by Enrique Iglesias featuring Sean Paul
• Hello by Adele
• Here by Alessia Cara
• Say You Won’t Let Go by James Arthur
• That’s What I Like by Bruno Mars
• Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo

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
16. I Like Me Better by Lauv

1 – Bad:
15. Wait by Maroon 5

2 – Mediocre:
14. Let You Down by NF
13. God’s Plan by Drake

3 – Decent:
None!

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great:
12. Mine by Bazzi
11. Delicate by Taylor Swift
10. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes
9. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey
8. New Rules by Dua Lipa
7. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons
6. IDGAF by Dua Lipa
5. All The Stars by Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA
4. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar
3. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.
2. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey

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

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Larger Than Life by Backstreet Boys (1999)

Most Missed Song: Dark Horse by Katy Perry featuring Juicy J.

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Ashes by Céline Dion

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

My Top 5 Picks
1. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
2. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande
3. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.
4. Done For Me by Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani
5. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar

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:
Human by Rag’n’Bone Man: Not much I can say about this one. It’s definitely a good tune that talks about our shortcomings as a human. Too bad it didn’t get much success
Believer by Imagine Dragons: It was a different sound for these guys. I do love the rock elements in this one. I did hear this often in commercials when the Nintendo Switch came around.
Despacito by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber: I’m sure some people are still sour about this one, but not me. Probably one of the best Latin-based songs of last year in my opinion.

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me (–15)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Dua Lipa – IDGAF (+16)

New Entrants
– To kick off this week’s debuts, we have Dustin Atlas making his first appearance, I think, with the song called Fake Freinds He is collaborating with Erin Bowman, who makes her return to the countdown. The last time we saw her was last year when she brought us Good Time, Good Life. I thought that was a good song overall. As for this one, I can’t really say I’m loving it too much. I’m not too fond of the production. I think it’s a little too basic for my tastes. The vocals here are somewhat underwhelming. They do sound good in some parts of the song, but I’m not sold on the chorus. It’s not really a bad song, but I can’t see myself remembering this in a year or so.

– For our next debut of the week, we have another single from the Black Panther movie soundtrack that has been around for a while. Kendrick Lamar has his second song making its debut on the countdown, by the name of All The Stars. This song also features SZA, who recently had a countdown song not too long ago when she also collaborated with Maroon 5 with What Lovers Do. One of the things I like about the song is the big contribution we get from SZA, in which she shines in the chorus. I do like the verses from Kendrick Lamar, also. As I said before, I do think he’s one of the best rappers out there and he shows what he’s capable of in this song. Simply put, it’s a great song overall and I want to see it do well here.

– Now that Wolves seems to be finally near the end of the road, we have another single from Selena Gomez entering the countdown this week. Enter Back To You, her brand new single taken from the 13 Reasons Why Season 2 soundtrack. I’m going to simply say that it’s a big step up from what she’s been releasing lately in terms of her solo music. She doesn’t do any whispering or mumbling in any part of the song at all. In fact, she sounds really good singing in this one. I love the chorus leading up to the drop. Not only that, but we also see an improvement in the production as well, in which it has the guitar in some parts of the song and the EDM-like production that pulls me in. This is definitely a step back in the right direction for Selena Gomez. I’m actually looking forward to seeing that one be more successful.

Best Debut Of The Week: Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA – All The Stars

Never Gonna Blurb You Up
– We’ll start with our exits. End Game had a nice countdown run for a Taylor Swift song off of Reputation. We lost two other songs this week. Beautiful Trauma failed to live up to the expectations of its predecessor. I guess that song wasn’t meant to be another hit for P!NK. Oh well. Good Old Days, on the other hand, did well on this countdown and got to spend one week at #1. It’s unfortunate that we won’t see it on the Billboard Year-End as it wasn’t successful there. But at least it’ll be on Hits 1’s Top 45 Of 2018 come December. It was a beautiful song overall and I’m sure many here will be sad over this departure. Good-bye, Good Old Days. You will be missed.

– So, The Middle is now back at #1. Perfectly fine by me as it’s still a huge favorite of mine at this moment. It’s really nice to see back at the top spot on my one-year anniversary of starting this blog. I’m glad this song became successful and helped put Maren Morris on the map. Keep in mind that this song is being performed at the Billboard Music Awards. I’m sure the performance will be good, but I can’t be certain.

– Jumping to #4 this week, we have Say Amen (Saturday Night) reaching the Top 5 for the first time. It’s definitely an enjoyable song, so I’m cool with this. I do think it has a chance at #1 even though it may not be as popular elsewhere. If Victorious was able to do so two years ago, then I’m sure the same will ring true in 2018.

– I’m definitely cool with Tell Me You Love Me entering in the Top 5 as well. I’m quite surprised that it’s doing well on this countdown despite not being big elsewhere. I have no complaints about this as I’ve been enjoying it more and more, hence why I have it as my favorite song, along with our #1. Demi shines all throughout the song and I’m in love with the chorus. I would like to see it take the top spot someday, but I may be asking for too much. I’m just happy about it’s success here so far.

– So, Spyder Harrison mentioned during his introduction for On The Loose that being a musician is demanding for Niall Horan. I know what it’s like. I’m sure some others feel the same way. I guess they just don’t have that much free time on their hands, heh.

– Are you kidding me? Friends has now made its way into the Top 10 this week. Who the hell is voting for this song to be in that region? We have much better songs that are more deserving of it than this.

– However, Meant To Be has dropped out of the Top 10, hopefully for good. Now I’m hoping it continues its downward trajectory, though I’m sure it’ll stick with us for a while.

– IDGAF makes its way into the Top 20 with that big jump this week. That one I’m perfectly fine with and I hope it continues to jump. Dua Lipa deserves to be successful on this countdown.

– How is I Like Me Better jumping like that?! This has no business being on this countdown any longer. Let’s please get this song to drop back down soon.

– The guest DJ that introduced Perfect said that it’s one of her favorite songs. That I can agree with. I think it is indeed perfect (no pun intended).

Hit-Bound:

• The Wrecks – James Dean
• Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right
• lovelytheband – Broken
• Echosmith – Over My Head
• Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind (DEBUT)
• 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood (DEBUT)
• Sam Smith featuring Logic – Pray
• Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
• In Real Life – Tattoo (How ‘Bout You)
• Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin – Familiar
• Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift – Babe
• Cardi B. – I Like It (DEBUT)
• Maren Morris – Rich
• Hundred Handed – Too Good
• Portugal. The Man – Live In The Moment
• HRVY – Personal

– We have three songs making their arrival on Hit-Bound this week. First, we’ll begin with Dennis Lloyd with the song called Nevermind. I only find this okay for the most part, mainly because he doesn’t do too much with the vocals. The production is nice, so I’ll give him that.

– 5 Seconds Of Summer have a new song entering Hit-Bound this week (mainly because Hits 1 loves these guys so much), by the name of Youngblood. I juggled between putting this in blue or green, and I decided to stick with the latter, at least for now. It’s a bit of a step down from its predecessor. I do like the chorus, but the production isn’t quite as good. While it’s in green for now, it could easily change to blue.

– Cardi B. has her new single from her album Invasion Of Privacy, which is called I Like It. Right off the bat, it’s really not that different when compared to songs such as Bodak Yellow, which I detested. I’ll just say that it’s a step up from that song, but that’s not saying too much. I’ll talk more about this when it debuts. But yeah, I’m not a fan of this.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. The Wrecks – James Dean
2. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
3. Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right
4. Hundred Handed – Too Good
5. Portugal. The Man – Live In The Moment

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
20. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
19. Lauv – I Like Me Better
18. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same
17. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be

1 – Bad:
16. Maroon 5 – Wait

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
None!

4 – Good:
15. Meghan Trainor – No Excuses

5 – Great:
14. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
13. Taylor Swift – Delicate
12. Halsey – Alone
11. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back
10. Niall Horan – On The Loose
9. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me
8. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
7. Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore, and Dan Caplen – These Days
6. Bad Wolves – Zombie
5. Dua Lipa – IDGAF
4. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
3. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
TIE: 1. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle

Overall Grade: 77/100 = 77% (C+) 

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Rick Astley – Never Gonna Give You Up (1987)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Lorde – Team

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

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#4)

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
TIE: 1. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me
3. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix)
4. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
5. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me

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. Lauv – I Like Me Better
5. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
ZAYN featuring PARTYNEXTDOOR – Still Got Time: Those who dislike the song can explain why better than I can. But simply put, the production here is pretty nonexistent, and ZAYN himself doesn’t shine in any part of the song. He’s had much better.
Kehlani featuring G-Eazy – Good Life: Taken from The Fate And The Furious movie soundtrack, this song only spent one week on this countdown. It’s a shame because I thought it was really good. Luckily, the two artists seemed to have made their comeback this year with their respective songs.
Jason Derulo featuring Ty Dolla $ign and Nicki Minaj – Swalla: All I can say about this is that it’s a guilty pleasure of mine. There’s just something about it that pulls me in. Fun fact: this was the second year in a row that Jason Derulo has had a song make its debut on the countdown. The first was If It Ain’t Love.
DNCE featuring Nicki Minaj – Kissing Strangers: I’d say this is probably the weakest the group has released after their three singles. Although Hits 1 did edit out Nicki Minaj’s verses, I’m not a fan of what the song brings. I’m sure they can do better.
Machine Gun Kelly featuring Hailee Steinfeld – At My Best: I remember falling in love with this before, but now I realize why this was hated. Not even Hailee Steinfeld could save the song unfortunately.

QOTW: What are your thoughts on Charlie Puth’s new album, Voicenotes? 

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Tie between Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug, Tell Me You Love Me by Demi Lovato, and Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. (–4)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande (+8)

New Entrants
– We have a shake-up with new songs entering this week. To start, we have the return of ZAYN with his new single that’s been around for about a month or so, by the name of Let Me. Now, I did find this to be pretty enjoyable from the first listen. But I did start to slightly lose interest in it. I’ll say that it’s not as good as Dusk Till Dawn. ZAYN does sound pretty good throughout the song and I do like the lyrical content, so I’ll give him that. The production is nice, but it lacks something that makes it stand out. I’ve juggled between putting this in blue or green for this one, and I decided to stick with the former for now. Though, I can see myself putting it back in green soon.

– Next, we have more Drake with his latest single that just recently hit #1 after its predecessor did. Enter Nice For What. I don’t really have too much to say about this one. What I can say is that it’s a step up from God’s Plan. I do like that Drake sounds pretty energetic throughout the song, and it’s pretty fast paced than its predecessor. It’s a good song. I’m looking forward to seeing that one do well here.

– So, unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week or so, then you probably have heard that Charlie Puth, who replaces himself on the countdown this week, has just released his new album, Voicenotes this past week. One of the songs from the album makes its long-overdue debut. Enter Done For Me. This song also features Kehlani, who last year did have a song with G-Eazy called Good Life which didn’t take off. After listening to his first two singles from his album, it was obvious that Charlie Puth has indeed improved upon himself. Done For Me is another example of such. The production is very good throughout the song. Just like with his two predecessors, Charlie does most of the work in that aspect and I think he did a good job with it. I love the vocals from Kehlani, and how they blend together makes things better. When looking at the lyrical content, it’s basically a love story about what one has done for the other. I’m glad this was able to debut because this song is really good. I’d say this is probably one of my favorites from Charlie Puth thus far. I hope it ends up having the same success as How Long and Attention.

Best Debut Of The Week: Done For Me by Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani

I’d Do Anything For Blurbs
– We’ll begin with our exits. First off, the departure of Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato is one I’m sure some here are happy about. How Long by Charlie Puth lasted a little shorter on this countdown than I had expected it to. I thought it might hang around in the 30’s for a little while. Finally, we sadly lost Say Something by Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton. I was hoping this song would be a success after the flop of its predecessor, but that wasn’t the case. And it’s pretty unfortunate that it’ll miss the Year-End list for Billboard. That song definitely deserved better.

– I’m not thrilled by our new #1 song to celebrate my one-year anniversary. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello is not what I wanted to see take the top spot. This song is bad in and of itself, in large part because Camila doesn’t sound good at all. As I said in one of my posts, I wasn’t fond of Havana from the beginning because I wasn’t looking forward to hearing from her at that time. I have since grown into Havana. But Never Be The Same is a different story unfortunately. So yeah, seeing it at #1 is really a shitty way to start off my weekend.

– Blech. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie makes an unwelcome entry into the Top 10. I honestly don’t get what people like about this. Anne-Marie just doesn’t do well with the verses. But the production is straight up garbage and the lyrics are poorly written. I’m certain Marshmello and Anne-Marie are capable of better. But apparently, America seems to be in love with a friend-zone anthem such as this. I’m afraid this song will be stuck with us for a while.

– Speaking of which, our Top 10 isn’t looking very good right now. We have three songs that are really annoying. Then there’s two songs that are simply mediocre. And finally, we have four really good songs (Hint: there’s one I really, really still like. Can you guess what it is?). Again, not a good Top 10 if I do say so myself.

– The best thing that’s probably happened is the big jump from No Tears To Cry by Ariana Grande. I’m pretty sure this will probably end up being another hit for Ariana. I’ll be waiting.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• These Days by Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore, and Dan Caplen
• Merengue by Kent Jones
• Sober Up by AJR featuring Rivers Cuomo

Extras/Optional Extras:

• Needed Me by Rihanna
• Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man
• Stay With Me by Sam Smith
• Stitches by Shawn Mendes
• I Took A Pill In Ibiza by Mike Posner
• Water Under The Bridge by Adele
• Slide by Calvin Harris featuring Frank Ocean and Migos
• Despacito by Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber
• Gold by Kiiara
• Location by Khalid

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
14. Let You Down by NF

2 – Mediocre:
13. God’s Plan by Drake

3 – Decent:
12. No Excuses by Meghan Trainor

4 – Good:
11. Mine by Bazzi

5 – Great:
10. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes
9. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey
8. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé
7. New Rules by Dua Lipa
6. All The Stars by Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA
5. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons
4. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande
3. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.
2. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar

Total Score: 62/100 = 62% (D–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Anything For You by Gloria Estefan (1988)

Most Missed Song: Anything Could Happen by Ellie Goulding

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Back To You by Selena Gomez

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

My Top 5 Picks
1. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar
2. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
3. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.
4. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande
5. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
2. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage
3. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
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:
There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes: The idea of Shawn Mendes doing a song with a latin vibe kinda came out of nowhere, but I’m glad it worked out well. It’s still a favorite of mine to this day.
I’m The One by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper, and Lil’ Wayne: As I said before, Justin Bieber does make the song more decent than what I give credit for. But I feel without him, it’s not memorable. 

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Tie between Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello – Wolves and G-Eazy featuring Halsey – Him & I (–13)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Maroon 5 – Wait (+11)

New Entrants
– We have two debuts that I’ll be covering this week. We’ll begin with the return of Foster The People with their new single called Sit Next To Me. If you know the band, then you probably remember that they made a breakthrough with Pumped Up Kicks back in 2011. We haven’t seen these guys since and some were even wondering will we ever hear from them again someday, until this week. Sit Next To Me is a pretty good song. Mark Foster who himself does the vocals did a nice job throughout the song. The production is nice. I would like to see this one get some success on the countdown.

– Dua Lipa has made her presence known since New Rules became a sleeper hit worldwide. Now, she makes her second appearance on the countdown with her latest single titled IDGAF. When looking at the song’s lyrics, it basically talks about cutting off someone you used to love. While there’s not much in terms of the production, she shows what she is capable of vocally. I do like the chorus and the pre-chorus. I talked about this one in full when it debuted on the American Top 40. Overall, while not as good as New Rules, it’s still enjoyable for what it is.

I Want To Blurb It Slowly, Slowly
– So, we begin with our two exits. First off, the departure of Let You Down was pleasing to see, for me at least. I’m sure some here will be sad about it, though. However, the exit from Live In The Moment is one I’m not all that thrilled about. Though that one isn’t gone for good, as it just re-entered Hit-Bound. I’m hoping it can make a re-entry back to the countdown soon. Also, for some reason Spyder Harrison didn’t mention it as an exit. I guess he didn’t think the song was going to leave so soon?

– If I was new to Hits 1, I’d probably would be shocked by our new #1 song given that 5 Seconds Of Summer are not relevant elsewhere. But since I’ve been listening for about three years or so, I saw it coming from a mile away. Hits 1’s love for these guys is at an all-time high. I knew Want You Back would be#1 one way or another, and that’s what happened this week. But I don’t have any complaints about this since I do like the song. I don’t mind it being there for a while so long as keep songs like Never Be The Same out. Hopefully, that’s the last time I see that song at #1.

– The re-entry from Wait into the Top 5 is one I saw coming as well since I’ve heard it as Most Wutchuwanted throughout this week, though I’m not thrilled about it. The song isn’t really that awful unlike their recent singles such as Don’t Wanna Know and Cold, but it’s still pretty undesirable mainly because they’ve became basically a one-man band with Adam Levine taking over. I’m hoping it doesn’t hit #1, but if anything I’ll take it over Never Be The Same any day.

– Before introducing These Days, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Macklemore stays sober because of his fear for losing his family. I’ll bet that gave him some added motivation to stay that way. If everybody was like him, I’ll bet the universe will get better.

– So, Charlie Puth’s latest album, Voicenotes, has finally been released. I wonder what the YouTube critics think of this one, after his last album was not to their liking.

– Thunder is really starting to test my patience. This was good at first, but now it’s really fading on me. Imagine Dragons have had better. I would appreciate if the song starts back making its way down soon.

– Well, this was short-lived. After Wolves made an unexpected jump last week, it’s now back to square one. It’s not likely to recover like it did last week. Looks like this may actually be it for this song. Selena Gomez does have a new song on Hit-Bound, and we’ll get to that in just a bit. But I’m thankful for the run Wolves had on this countdown.

Hit-Bound:

• Sam Smith featuring Logic – Pray
• Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
• In Real Life – Tattoo (How ‘Bout You)
• Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift – Babe
• Dustin Atlas featuring Erin Bowman – Fake Friends
• Echosmith – Over My Head
• The Wrecks – James Dean
• Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA – All The Stars
• HRVY – Personal
• Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin – Familiar
• Portugal. The Man – Live In The Moment (RE-ENTRY)
• Selena Gomez – Back To You (DEBUT)
• Maren Morris – Rich
• Hundred Handed – Too Good
• lovelytheband – Broken
• Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right (DEBUT)

– So, we got a re-entry from Live In The Moment since it left the countdown this week.

– Speaking of Selena Gomez, she has a new single titled Back To You, which is taken from the 13 Reasons Why Soundtrack. I’ll just simply say that right off the bat, it’s better than two certain songs I won’t name. I’ll talk more about this when it makes its inevitable debut.

– Next up, we have Meghan Trainor who dropped two songs this week, one of which is Let You Be Right. I think this is a step up from No Excuses in which her vocals are better. More on this when it debuts.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
2. Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA – All The Stars
3. Hundred Handed – Too Good
4. Portugal. The Man – Live In The Moment
5. Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right

YouTube 15:

• Drake – God’s Plan
• Jax Jones featuring Ina Wroldsen – Breathe
• Kaskade featuring Charlotte Lawrence – Cold As Stone
• Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix)
• The Chainsmokers featuring Drew Love – Somebody
• Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
• Chantel Jeffries featuring Offset and Vory – Wait
• Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
• Lil Dicky featuring Chris Brown – Freaky Friday
• Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
• Afrojack featuring Jewelz & Sparks – One More Day
• Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
• Poo Bear featuring Justin Bieber and Jay Electronica – Hard 2 Face Reality
• Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same
• Louisa featuring 2 Chainz – Yes

My Top 5 YouTube 15 Picks
1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
2. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix)
3. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
4. Kaskade featuring Charlotte Lawrence – Cold As Stone
5. Afrojack featuring Jewelz & Sparks – One More Day

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
20. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
19. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
18. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same

1 – Bad:
17. Maroon 5 – Wait

2 – Mediocre:
16. Imagine Dragons – Thunder

3 – Decent:
15. Meghan Trainor – No Excuses

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great:
14. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
13. Taylor Swift – Delicate
12. Halsey – Alone
11. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back
10. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
9. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me
8. Niall Horan – On The Loose
7. Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore, and Dan Caplen – These Days
6. Walk The Moon – One Foot
5. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me
4. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
3. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me
2. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle

Overall Grade: 77/100 = 77% (C+)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Taylor Dayne – Don’t Rush Me (1988)

Most Missed Countdown Songs: Ellie Goulding – On My Mind (This left the countdown on this week two years ago) and Ellie Goulding – Love Me Like You Do

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Ellie Goulding – Still Falling For You

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Céline Dion – Ashes (This song is AMAZING!!!)

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

My Top 5 Picks
1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
2. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix)
3. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
4. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me
5. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes

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. Lauv – I Like Me Better

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
ONE OK ROCK – American Girls: I do kinda like this, mainly because it has a hard rock vibe and I have a thing for songs like this. But it’s not something that amazing. Still, it’s a good song for a band not really known elsewhere.
Aaron Carter – Sooner Or Later: Oh, boy. I’m going to hate some people for this one. I did like this song at first and I even thought about putting it in My Top 50 Songs Of 2017. But looking back on it, I’m not sure what I was thinking then. Yeah, I don’t like how he comes off as possessive here. That’s all I can say about it.
DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber and Chance The Rapper – I’m The One: I probably would’ve liked this more if it had something going for it in terms of the production. Justin Bieber was a standout in this one. But I feel like without him, it would probably be forgettable.
Niall Horan – Slow Hands: This is one of the more upbeat songs I like to hear from him, along with his representation currently on this countdown, which I find to be the best song off of Flicker. While this isn’t quite as good as On The Loose, I do think it’s different from the acoustic guitar.

And that concludes my countdown recap, but first I like to make an announcement.

A blogger whose name is Matthew has just started a rankdown of the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 of 2017 here. If you want, you can participate in this rankdown. I myself am participating. More details are on his blog. Thank you all for reading! I’ll be back next week for my one-year anniversary! Have a good Mother’s Day Weekend!