The Chainsmokers (5) - Week Of February 16, 2019

Hey guys! I hope that you have all had a fantastic week. All set aside, the Grammy Awards that were on last Sunday were interesting, but honestly nothing special in my opinion. I was kind of bored this time around, there wasn't much that was great this year in my opinion. So, I am not going to give a full-fledged review of the show considering my overall feelings on the show. Now, onto the countdown. Before we get to this week's fresh 45, here's the list of songs that we are saying goodbye to.

• Alessia Cara - Trust My Lonely (#30)
• Selena Gomez - Back To You (#36)
• Ariana Grande - Breathin (#38)
• Panic! At The Disco - Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#39) [4 Weeks At #1]
• Pitbull & Rhea - Ocean To Ocean (#44)
• Shawn Mendes - In My Blood (#45) [2 Weeks At #1]

Last Week's #1 Song: Halsey - Without Me
#1 Song This Week 1 Year Ago: Charlie Puth - How Long

The Countdown
45. Charlie Puth - The Way I Am (#43)
44. Bebe Rexha - I'm A Mess (#40)
43. George Ezra - Shotgun (#41)
42. Benny Blanco & Calvin Harris - I Found You (#22)
41. lovelytheband - Broken (#33)
40. Jennifer Lopez - Limitless (#42)
39. The Chainsmokers & 5 Seconds Of Summer - Who Do You Love (DEBUT)
38. Imagine Dragons - Machine (#29)
37. Travis Scott - Sicko Mode (DEBUT)
36. Mark Ronson/Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart (#26)
35. Backstreet Boys - Don't Go Breaking My Heart (#37)
34. Sabrina Carpenter - Sue Me (DEBUT)
33. Maroon 5/Cardi B - Girls Like You (#35)
32. Sam Smith & Normani -  Dancing With A Stranger (DEBUT)
31. Fall Out Boy - The Last Of The Real Ones (#31) [2 Weeks At #1]
30. Jake Miller - Wait For You (DEBUT)
29. Zara Larsson - Ruin My Life (#21)
28. Khalid - Better (#24)
27. Seeb & Bastille - Grip (#25)
26. James Arthur - Empty Space (#27)
25. Charli XCX/Troye Sivan - 1999 (#28)
24. Imagine Dragons - Natural (#20) [1 Week At #1]
23. David Guetta & Anne-Marie - Don't Leave Me Alone (#17)
22. Dean Lewis - Be Alright (#18)
21. Ariana Grande - 7 Rings (DEBUT)
20. Lauren Daigle - You Say (#23)
19. Khalid & Normani - Love Lies (#15)
18. Avril Lavigne - Tell Me It's Over (#32)
17. Post Malone & Swae Lee - Sunflower (#19)
16. Dan + Shay - Speechless (#15)
15. Stephen Puth - Sexual Vibe (#34)
14. Ellie Goulding & Diplo - Close To Me (#13)
13. Ariana Grande - Thank U, Next (#9)
12. Twenty One Pilots - Chlorine (#16)
11. Alec Benjamin - Let Me Down Slowly (#10)
10. Benny Blanco, Halsey, & Khalid - Eastside (#8)
9. Ava Max - Sweet But Psycho (#11)
8. Dan + Shay - Tequila (#7)
7. Anne-Marie - 2002 (#6)
6. Panic! At The Disco - Hey Look Ma, I Made It (#12)
5. 5 Seconds Of Summer - Youngblood (#5) [5 Weeks At #1]
4. Marshmello & Bastille - Happier (#2) [2 Weeks At #1]
3. Halsey - Without Me (#1) [5 Weeks At #1]
2. Panic! At The Disco - High Hopes (#3) [8 Weeks At #1]
1. The Chainsmokers/Kelsea Ballerini - This Feeling (#4) [5th Week At #1]

Biggest DROP!!!... Of The Week: Benny Blanco & Calvin Harris - I Found You (-20)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Stephen Puth - Sexual Vibe (+19)

#1 Recommendation Of The Week: ROZES - Halfway There


New Entrants

~ First up this week, we have my new favorite countdown song from The Chainsmokers and 5 Seconds Of Summer. Who Do You Love has been a very pleasurable listen for me in this past week. The production here is unique, and great. I love the vocals offered up by 5 Seconds Of Summer, and the cut and chopped vocals we get from them throughout the song. I like that effect. It is very interesting. The drop is very good here too. All in all, this is what I like to hear from the The Chainsmokers. After their rather mediocre year in 2018, I am glad to see that they are starting 2019 off right with their music.

~ Next up this week we have Sicko Mode by Travis Scott--a song whose fate was a bit unknown on Hit-Bound for some time. However, it is a good thing that it is here now. It is nice to see Hits 1 diversify their playlist, especially with a good rap song like this. I mean, it can't always be pop and alternative, right? All set aside, I like what Travis Scott does with Sicko Mode. The uncredited features also add some nice flare to the song, especially Drake and what he has to offer. It's fresh and new, and has a nice production to back up the strangely not bad rapping skills of Travis Scott.

~ This week, we also bring Sabrina Carpenter into the mix with Sue Me. I am glad that her music has been increasingly recognized over the last couple of years, because she is really talented. Sue Me definitely confirms that. She has a very powerful voice on this track, and the catchiness factor on this one is very much alive. I am hoping to see this one prove to be a success on the countdown.

~ Next, we have Sam Smith and Normani with Dancing With A Stranger. I really admire this song. I think it is very well executed. Both of them have voices that fit this love-induced heartbreak track very nicely. It has a nice vibe, and solidifies my feelings of respect for both of these artists. I am hoping that this one is able to stay for a while. It is currently one of my favorite songs.

~ With our only debut of the week that doesn't quite reach the peak of the others, we have Jake Miller with Wait For You. This one just kind of misses the mark. It's okay, but it's really nothing special at all. The song is pretty repetitive as it goes on, and his vocals are not really showcased at all here. Additionally, the production here is good, but doesn't live up to its full potential. 

~ Finally with our highest debut of the week, we have Ariana Grande with 7 Rings. This song is certainly nowhere near her best single. It is probably her worst, aside from The Light Is Coming--which is extremely below average for her. 7 Rings is a song that I like in more of a guilty pleasure type of way at the moment, and I can definitely see myself growing sick of it in the near future. Ariana's vocals are not showcased here at all, and that is a little disappointing--but I suppose that was a given after we received Thank U, Next not too long before the release of this one. I just find it kind of sad that Ariana's more poorly conducted songs have received more success then her better and more well-executed ones.

Best New Entrant Of The Week: The Chainsmokers & 5 Seconds Of Summer - Who Do You Love 

Exit-to-Entrant Comparisons:

1. Who Do You Love > Trust My Lonely, Back To You, Say Amen (Saturday Night), Ocean To Ocean, In My Blood
2. Sicko Mode > Say Amen (Saturday Night), Ocean To Ocean
3. Sue Me > Say Amen (Saturday Night), Ocean To Ocean
4. Dancing With A Stranger > Say Amen (Saturday Night), Ocean To Ocean
5. Wait For You > Say Amen (Saturday Night), Ocean To Ocean
6. 7 Rings > Say Amen (Saturday Night), Ocean To Ocean

Hit-Bound 

• Imagine Dragons - Bad Liar
• Rita Ora - Let You Love Me
• lovelytheband - Maybe, I'm Afraid
• Maren Morris - Girl (DEBUT)
• Gesaffelstein & The Weeknd - Lost In The Fire 
• Panic! At The Disco - Dancing's Not A Crime
• Kelsea Ballerini - Miss Me More
• Post Malone - Wow.
• Grandson - Apologize
• Meghan Trainor - All The Ways (DEBUT)
• Lil Peep & iLoveMakonnen/Fall Out Boy - I've Been Waiting
• Madison Beer/Offset - Hurts Like Hell (DEBUT)
• Lauv & Troye Sivan - I'm So Tired...
• LSD/Lil Wayne - Genius (DEBUT)
• Kelsy Karter - Harry (DEBUT)

~ Our first new entrant to Hit-Bound this week comes from Maren Morris with Girl. I don't love her voice here, and the production isn't great overall. I feel like this is one of the songs that could be either good or bad, with no in between. For me, though, I do not like this song. I find her vocal offerings here very annoying, and I am hoping that it doesn't make it onto the countdown--given my current feelings towards it.

~ Next up, we have Meghan Trainor, who I swear just keeps getting worse and worse. All The Ways is nowhere near listenable. This girl cannot sing, I haven't heard a song from her ever where I thought that she sounded good. Her best track is Dear Future Husband. That is where she peaked, and every song that she has released since then has been increasingly worse. I don't know, I am just hoping that this one doesn't get onto the countdown. Her songs are just not good, and I don't think there is any use fixing it at this point.

~ With our only truly good debut to Hit-Bound this week in my eyes, we have Madison Beer with Hurts Like Hell, featuring Offset. I am not a huge fan of the Offset verse, but it has grown on me. Madison Beer sounds good on this track, and it definitely fits with the song very nicely. The production here is kind of unique, but I like it. Overall, it is a good song that I am hoping becomes successful here.

~ Hits 1 kind of picked up on Genius late. It was released quite a few months ago at this point. All set aside, this is LSD's best song--I just wish that they didn't decide to air the Lil Wayne remix, which is not nearly as good as the original. But, it is still enjoyable to some extent.

~ Finally, Kelsy Karter debuts on Hit-Bound this week with Harry. After only one listen, I am not sure how to feel about this song. It is okay--but I am not sure how it will all pan out for me in the long run. Her voice is definitely reminiscent of the traditional rock girl, but I don't know--something about this song doesn't completely click with me. I'll give more on this song if it is to debut on the countdown in the future.

Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks 
1. Lauv & Troye Sivan - I'm So Tired...
2. Gesaffelstein & The Weeknd - Lost In The Fire
3. Madison Beer/Offset - Hurts Like Hell
4. Imagine Dragons - Bad Liar
5. Kelsea Ballerini - Miss Me More


Who Do You Blurb

~ We see a return to the #1 spot from This Feeling. I'm not mad about it, but I would love to see some fresh faces in the top 10. We have had the same songs in and out for months now.

~ Speaking of fresh faces in the top 10, we get Ava Max - Sweet But Psycho reaching a new peak at #9 this week. I am hoping that this one can stay up there for a while.

~ It is nice to see our two superb debuts rocket into the top 20 this week. Welcome, Sexual Vibe and Tell Me It's Over! Especially the latter. 

~ Aside from that, nothing else that noteworthy occurred on the countdown this past week. As far as the exits go, though, Trust My Lonely and Breathin were definitely too short-lived. Back To You and In My Blood were here for a while, and I suppose their time had rightfully come to an end. Say Amen (Saturday Night) was here for a while, and I was indifferent on its departure...and thank god that we got rid of Ocean To Ocean after two weeks. It didn't even deserve to be here, but I am just glad that it is gone now. 

~ As of right now, I am working along on a new platform that will allow you all to see the Hot 45 Chart on a weekly basis, again--if interested. More on that in the coming weeks. I am truly excited about it! In addition, I have a new special series of posts in the works, and another competition--that I am hoping most of you will participate in. 


Let's Do A Top 20 Review!

0-Garbage
NONE

1-Bad
20. Dan + Shay - Tequila
19. Benny Blanco, Halsey, & Khalid - Eastside
18. Dan + Shay - Speechless
17. Anne-Marie - 2002
16. Twenty One Pilots - Chlorine 

2-Mediocre
NONE

3-Decent
NONE

4-Good
15. 5 Seconds Of Summer - Youngblood
14. Post Malone & Swae Lee - Sunflower
13. Khalid & Normani - Love Lies
12. Panic! At The Disco - High Hopes 

5-Great 
11. Panic! At The Disco - Hey Look Ma, I Made It
10. Marshmello & Bastille - Happier
9. The Chainsmokers/Keslea Ballerini - This Feeling
8. Halsey - Without Me
7. Alec Benjamin - Let Me Down Slowly
6. Ellie Goulding & Diplo - Close To Me
5. Lauren Daigle - You Say
4. Ariana Grande - Thank U, Next
3. Stephen Puth - Sexual Vibe
2. Ava Max - Sweet But Psycho
1. Avril Lavigne - Tell Me It's Over

Score: 76% (C-)


My Bottom 5 Countdown Picks
1. Imagine Dragons - Machine
2. Dan + Shay - Tequila
3. Charlie Puth - The Way I Am
4. Benny Blanco, Halsey, & Khalid - Eastside
5. Dan + Shay - Speechless

My Top 5 Countdown Picks
1. The Chainsmokers & 5 Seconds Of Summer - Who Do You Love
2. Avril Lavigne - Tell Me It's Over
3. Sam Smith & Normani - Dancing With A Stranger
4. Ava Max - Sweet But Psycho
5. Sabrina Carpenter - Sue Me

Thanks for reading!

~ Jack :)