Ed Sheeran (1) - Week Of April 15, 2017

So, this was undoubtedly one of the strangest weeks we've had in a while. This countdown was okay at times, but at others, the strange components got a little annoying. There were some random jumps and drops, a good class of debuts, a new #1 that is very odd, and four exits, two being long overdue, one being a bit aggravating, and one that made me furious beyond belief. Before we get to this week's top 45 songs, here's the four songs that are leaving us this week.

• Ariana Grande/Future - Everyday (#30) [Are you freaking kidding me Hits 1?!?!]
• Alessia Cara - Scars To Your Beautiful (#32)
• Coldplay/SeeB - Hymn For The Weekend (#42)
• Bebe Rexha - I Got You (#43) [Really?!?!]

Last Week's #1 Song: Ed Sheeran - Shape Of You

#1 Song This Week 1 Year Ago: DNCE - Cake By The Ocean

The Countdown

45. Rihanna - Love On The Brain (#45)
44. Panic! At The Disco - Death Of A Bachelor (#44)
43. Ariana Grande/Nicki Minaj - Side To Side (#41)
42. Niall Horan - This Town (#38)
41. The Weeknd/Daft Punk - Starboy (#39)
40. Halsey - Now Or Never (DEBUT)
39. James Hersey - Miss You (#27)
38. Twenty One Pilots - Heathens (#31) [2 Weeks At #1]
37. MAX/Gnash - Lights Down Low (#40)
36. Snakehips/MØ - Don't Leave (#37)
35. Harry Styles - Sign Of The Times (DEBUT)
34. Calvin Harris/Frank Ocean/Migos - Slide (DEBUT)
33. Maroon 5 - Don't Wanna Know (#36) [3 Weeks At #1]
32. Zayn & Taylor Swift - I Don't Wanna Live Forever (#21)
31. The Chainsmokers & Coldplay - Something Just Like This (DEBUT)
30. Adele - Water Under The Bridge (#28)
29. Bruno Mars - 24K Magic (#35)
28. Shawn Mendes - Treat You Better (#29) [2 Weeks At #1]
27. Panic! At The Disco - L.A. Devotee (#33)
26. Steve Aoki & Louis Tomlinson - Just Hold On (#25)
25. Lady Gaga - Million Reasons (#19)
24. AJR - Weak (#23)
23. Katy Perry/Skip Marley - Chained To The Rhythm (#20)
22. The Vamps/Matoma - All Night (#34)
21. Jon Bellion - All Time Low (#22)
20. Hailee Steinfeld & Grey/Zedd - Starving (#12) [4 Weeks At #1]
19. Train - Play That Song (#15)
18. Julia Michaels - Issues (#17)
17. Fitz & The Tantrums - HandClap (#3)
16. Machine Gun Kelly & Camila Cabello - Bad Things (#24)
15. Imagine Dragons - Believer (#11)
14. The Chainsmokers/Halsey - Closer (#6) [8 Weeks At #1]
13. Maroon 5 - Cold (#9)
12. Clean Bandit/Sean Paul/Anne-Marie - Rockabye (#10)
11. Twenty One Pilots - Heavydirtysoul (#18)
10. The Weeknd/Daft Punk - I Feel It Coming (#16)
9. Ed Sheeran - Shape Of You (#1) [9 Weeks At #1]
8. Bruno Mars - That's What I Like (#2)
7. Shawn Mendes - Mercy (#7)
6. The Chainsmokers - Paris (#14)
5. Linkin Park/Kiiara - Heavy (#26)
4. Kygo & Selena Gomez - It Ain't Me (#8)
3. James Arthur - Say You Won't Let Go (#5)
2. Zedd & Alessia Cara - Stay (#4)
1. Ed Sheeran - Castle On The Hill (#13) [1st Week At #1]

Biggest DROP!!!... Of The Week: Fitz & The Tantrums - HandClap (-14)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Linkin Park/Kiiara - Heavy (+21)

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Aquilo - Silhouette 

#1 Recommendation For You: Kungs/Ephemerals - I Feel So Bad

New Entrants

~ First up this week, we have returning countdown artist, Halsey, with her new single, Now Or Never. Last weekend, I first heard this song. Sure, it was pretty good as I was expecting, but nothing near the masterpiece Colors was, or even the very catchy New Americana. This song, however, does have a lot of repetition, which may become annoying in the long run. It's certainly good, but it's unclear to me how long it will stick with me. For now, though, it's a good single, and a pretty good taste on what we're looking to hear from her new album coming in a couple of months. I hope to see this one do well here.

~ Next up, we have One Direction member Harry Styles venturing out on his own for his first solo endeavor. Sign Of The Times is definitely one of the more calm and collected songs we're used to hearing nowadays. It took me a few listens to grow into it last weekend, but I now have a strong opinion that I like it. Is it better than the other One Direction members's debut solo singles? No. ZAYN's Pillowtalk definitely was the best of them all. For now, though, I am absolutely liking the calm feel of his voice, and the production of the song is decent. The production is a little weird, but, at least it's working for me. I don't doubt this song will do well here, so I don't think I need to wish it luck.

~ Our third debut this week comes in the form of Calvin Harris/Frank Ocean/Migos - Slide. First off, I'm glad this song left HitBound last weekend and didn't just disappear. Second, I am very surprised that Hits 1 didn't cut Migos from this song, considering it would probably be something they'd do. The weird high-pitched voice is the only main issue with this song. I mean, it's not that awful, but it gets annoying at times. Other than that, the chorus is the best part, and Migos's parts flow better than I had expected. All in all, I would like to see this song do well here.

~ Our final entrant this week comes from The Chainsmokers & Coldplay. The song is Something Just Like This. Never had it crossed my mind that these two groups would collide for a song. I had my doubts diving into the listen, but in the end I found myself being really impressed. The vocals on this song are very calming and well done. The drop is very cool, and something I've been waiting to hear in a song like this for a while. Although the song may be long, this one's a keeper. Hits 1 better treat it well.

Best Debut Of The Week: The Chainsmokers & Coldplay - Something Just Like This

HitBound

• Mansionz/G-Eazy - Wicked
• DNCE - Kissing Strangers (DEBUT)
• Kungs/Ephemerals - I Feel So Bad
• Erin Bowman - Good Time Good Life
• Flo Rida/99 Percent - Cake
• Ocean Park Standoff - Good News
• Jon Bellion - Overwhelming
• COIN - Talk Too Much
• Hey Violet - Break My Heart (DEBUT)
• G-Eazy & Kehlani - Good Life (DEBUT)
• ONE OK ROCK - American Girls
• ZAYN/PARTYNEXTDOOR - Still Got Time (DEBUT)
• Aaron Carter - Sooner Or Later
• Jason Derulo/Ty Dolla $ign/Nicki Minaj - Swalla

Top 5 HitBound Songs

1. Hey Violet - Break My Heart

2. Ocean Park Standoff - Good News

3. Jason Derulo/Ty Dolla $ign/Nicki Minaj - Swalla

4. Jon Bellion - Overwhelming

5. ONE OK ROCK - American Girls

Something Just Like Blurbs

~ First off, I would like to say that I am very glad by the departures of Alessia Cara - Scars To Your Beautiful and Coldplay/SeeB - Hymn For The Weekend. These two songs were really overdue for those exits, and I'm glad it finally happened. What I am not happy about is the departure of Bebe Rexha - I Got You. That song deserved a lot more here, yet it got short lived success, and dropped to the butt of the countdown in just a matter of a few weeks. Finally, what really made me irritated was the departure of Ariana Grande/Future - Everyday. I understand that this song has dropped off of the Billboard chart already, but that doesn't mean you carry songs like Niall Horan - This Town, that lost it's fame months ago and even Panic! At The Disco - Death Of A Bachelor, which isn't even an official freaking single, and that I'm not sure if charted on Billboard for months on end. The point is, Hits 1 needs to get over their unhealthy obsessions with artists and give newer songs, like the two good ones that left this week, time to shine. It's really annoying, and this is one of the few things I hate about this station.

~ Well, veering away from rant time, we had a very large jump to #1 from Ed Sheeran - Castle On The Hill. This was really weird. Don't get me wrong, this song is good, but the one that was here for nine weeks is undeniably better and should have stayed here over this one, but I don't expect this song to last here for a long time, so hopefully everything returns to the way it was.

~ Wow. Zedd & Alessia Cara - Stay really caught on quick. When we got down to the top 2, I was really thinking this was going to be #1, but I got a huge surprise. Hopefully this one can pull it off in the near future.

~ Okay, even though Linkin Park/Kiiara - Heavy is the best song here, and I'm glad it made a jump into the top 5, these weird jumps and drops all over the place are really confusing me. Are you staying, or are you leaving. Please stay here, you're very welcome, but if you have to go, know that we'll miss you.

~ With the new #1, Ed Sheeran - Shape Of You dropped a few spots. I hope to see this recover a little bit, because I'm not ready for it to leave the top 10 just yet.

~ After over half of a year in the top 10, The Chainsmokers/Halsey - Closer finally broke its streak and left. Although it won't be the same there without it, it's good to let it roam free just outside the top 10, just so it doesn't prevent the newer music from shining.

~ Fitz & The Tantrums - HandClap took a bit of a tumble this week. Maybe this is the end, but maybe not. I am hoping so right now, just because the song is starting to fade on me a bit.

~ The Vamps/Matoma - All Night clearly had a good second week. Hopefully we can see it in the top 20 next week.

~ I cannot say how long it has felt that Shawn Mendes - Treat You Better has been in the #25-#30 area. It's starting to get on my nerves. This one really needs to get itself together and leave.

~ On the note of songs that need to leave, Bruno Mars - 24K Magic took a jump this week back into the top 30. This is the worst song here right now and it seriously needs to drop out. This song has been on my nerves for some time now, and it's too old, it better not start to be successful again.

~ Okay then. Zayn & Taylor Swift - I Don't Wanna Live Forever doesn't look like it has a bright future ahead of it. This song is starting to decline, and I don't necessarily like it. Last week was a tumble, but it just did it again this week. If it were back in the top 20, even at the bottom, I would be happy, below the top 30 just isn't okay right now.

~ Well two of our debuts clearly didn't have much success on their second weeks. Snakehips/MØ - Don't Leave and MAX/Gnash - Lights Down Low both had very small inclines in spaces this week. I really hope this doesn't define their futures here.

~ James Hersey - Miss You cannot catch a break. Every time it jumps up, it just drops back down. I really didn't want this kind of tenure for this song.

~ Ariana Grande/Nicki Minaj - Side To Side is still hanging on. I, with all honesty, would have been just fine if this one had left this week, rather than her other song. It probably will leave next week, but just saying.

~ I apologize for The Hot 45 Chart being late these past few weeks. I've been busy with a lot of things. Such as, on Thursday, I went to New York City for my Advanced Placement Global and English field trip to the Metropolitan Museum Of Art, and my 15th Birthday is coming up next Monday, but I am on spring break right now, so hopefully I will have more time to get things out this week.

Let's Do A Top 20 Review!

0-Crap
NONE

1-Bad
20. Train - Play That Song

2-Mediocre
NONE

3-Decent
19. Shawn Mendes - Mercy
18. Hailee Steinfeld & Grey/Zedd - Starving

4-Good
17. Fitz & The Tantrums - HandClap

5-Great
16. Ed Sheeran - Castle On The Hill
15. The Chainsmokers/Halsey - Closer
14. Machine Gun Kelly & Camila Cabello - Bad Things
13. James Arthur - Say You Won't Let Go
12. Twenty One Pilots - Heavydirtysoul
11. The Weeknd/Daft Punk - I Feel It Coming
10. Julia Michaels - Issues
9. The Chainsmokers - Paris
8. Imagine Dragons - Believer
7. Clean Bandit/Sean Paul/Anne-Marie - Rockabye
6. Maroon 5 - Cold
5. Bruno Mars - That's What I Like
4. Ed Sheeran - Shape Of You
3. Zedd & Alessia Cara - Stay
2. Kygo & Selena Gomez - It Ain't Me
1. Linkin Park/Kiiara - Heavy

Score: 91% (A-)

Bottom 5 Countdown Songs
1. Bruno Mars - 24K Magic
2. Niall Horan - This Town
3. Panic! At The Disco - Death Of A Bachelor
4. Twenty One Pilots - Heathens
5. Train - Play That Song

Top 5 Countdown Songs
1. Linkin Park/Kiiara - Heavy
2. Kygo & Selena Gomez - It Ain't Me
3. AJR - Weak
4. MAX/Gnash - Lights Down Low
5. Zedd & Alessia Cara - Stay

Love you guys!

~ Jack :)