The Chainsmokers (2) - Week Of December 22, 2018

Hey everyone! I hope that you all had a good week. I did release the first year-end post the other day, and if you have not seen it yet, please check it out! I'm sorry that the rankdown results are on a bit of a delay. Blogger doesn't like me...and whenever I type after a picture...it changes the structure of the whole post. They're coming. Don't worry. Anyways, before we get to this week's fresh 45, here are the songs that we are saying goodbye to.

• Imagine Dragons - Whatever It Takes (#31) [1 Week At #1]
• Shawn Mendes & Zedd - Lost In Japan (#33)
• Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper - Shallow (#37)
• Taylor Swift - Delicate (#43) [3 Weeks At #1]
• Calvin Harris & Sam Smith - Promises (#45)

#1 Song This Week 1 Year Ago: Ed Sheeran - Perfect
Last Week's #1 Song: The Chainsmokers/Kelsea Ballerini - This Feeling

The Countdown
45. Shawn Mendes - In My Blood (#44) [2 Weeks At #1]
44. NOTD/Bea Miller - I Wanna Know (#38)
43. George Ezra - Shotgun (#41)
42. Bazzi/Camila Cabello - Beautiful (#42)
41. Twenty One Pilots - My Blood (#21)
40. Zedd, Maren Morris, & Grey - The Middle (#40) [9 Weeks At #1]
39. Steve Aoki/BTS - Waste It On Me (DEBUT)
38. Charlie Puth - The Way I Am (#39)
37. Mark Ronson/Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart (DEBUT)
36. Panic! At The Disco - Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#34) [4 Weeks At #1]
35. Silk City & Dua Lipa - Electricity (#36)
34. James Arthur - Empty Space (DEBUT)
33. The Chainsmokers/Emily Warren - Side Effects (#26)
32. Lauv/Julia Michaels - There's No Way (#25)
31. David Guetta & Anne-Marie - Don't Leave Me Alone (#24)
30. Backstreet Boys - Don't Go Breaking My Heart (#27)
29. Selena Gomez - Back To You (#28)
28. Twenty One Pilots - Chlorine (DEBUT)
27. Ellie Goulding & Diplo - Close To Me (DEBUT)
26. Shawn Mendes - Nervous (#19)
25. Little Mix/Nicki Minaj - Woman Like Me (#22)
24. Maroon 5/Cardi B - Girls Like You (#29)
23. Lauren Jauregui - Expectations (#32)
22. Olly Murs - Moves (#35)
21. Bebe Rexha - I'm A Mess (#12)
20. Imagine Dragons - Natural (#6) [1 Week At #1]
19. Ariana Grande - Breathin (#7)
18. lovelytheband - Broken (#15)
17. Camila Cabello - Consequences (#20)
16. The Struts/Kesha - Body Talks (#17)
15. Ava Max - Sweet But Psycho (#30)
14. Alec Benjamin - Let Me Down Slowly (#23)
13. Benny Blanco, Halsey, & Khalid - Eastside (#18)
12. Dan + Shay - Tequila (#13)
11. Post Malone & Swae Lee - Sunflower (#14)
10. Ariana Grande - Thank U, Next (#16)
9. Panic! At The Disco - Hey Look Ma, I Made It (#11)
8. Anne-Marie - 2002 (#9)
7. Fall Out Boy - The Last Of The Real Ones (#8) [2 Weeks At #1]
6. Khalid & Normani - Love Lies (#10)
5. 5 Seconds Of Summer - Youngblood (#3) [5 Weeks At #1]
4. Halsey - Without Me (#5)
3. Marshmello & Bastille - Happier (#4) [2 Weeks At #1]
2. Panic! At The Disco - High Hopes (#2) [8 Weeks At #1]
1. The Chainsmokers/Kelsea Ballerini - This Feeling (#1) [2nd Week At #1]

Biggest DROP!!!... Of The Week: Twenty One Pilots - My Blood (-20)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Ava Max - Sweet But Psycho (+15)

#1 Recommendation Of The Week: Hailee Steinfeld - Back To Life


New Entrants 

~ First up this week in our class of five entrants is Waste It On Me from Steve Aoki and BTS. I don't have much to say about this one. It's pretty much like any other electronic/dance based song nowadays. There are good vocals on this one from BTS, better than any other song that they have released...mostly because I can understand it now. The production is good in this one too...it is nothing special, but it is good. So, with that being said, I hope this one has decent level of success here.

~ Our second new song to the countdown this week comes from Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus in the form of Nothing Breaks Like A Heart. This song has gotten better after recent listens. Miley sounds pretty good here, but it is nothing compared to what we have heard from her before. The production is fitting to this song, too...but there is just something about this one that prevents me from truly getting into it. I don't know.

~ Next up we have James Arthur with Empty Space. The thing that I like the most about this song is the songwriting. James Arthur always has incredible songwriting on his tracks. That being said, the vocals were merely predictable. So, that's why it is just "good". I wouldn't mind seeing it have success...but if it does a mediocre job here it would not be the end of the world.

~ Up next, we have our worst debut of the week with Twenty One Pilots and Chlorine. Tyler Joseph explored something different vocally here, and I am not a huge fan. The falsetto does not have a nice effect here...and the underlying alternative tones don't balance the scales. I respect how the duo was trying to take a new lane. But, respectfully--I would prefer if they stuck to their older styles, because this just isn't it. I hope this one doesn't take off too far here.

~ Our final new entrant to the countdown, and the best one of the week, comes from Ellie Goulding & Diplo in the form of Close To Me. This song is honestly nothing special, except for the fact that it is not something that we usually hear from Ellie Goulding in the slightest. They cut Swae Lee out of this one, too...which I am not extremely happy about--but I can live with it. But it does work. The vocals are nice. This is the best of the week because we had a pretty subpar class of debuts this week. I don't really care how well this one does here. I would like to see a decent level of success out of it, though.

Best New Entrant Of The Week: Ellie Goulding & Diplo - Close To Me


Hit-Bound

• Lauren Daigle - You Say
• Charli XCX/Troye Sivan - 1999
• Dan + Shay - Speechless
• 5 Seconds Of Summer - Killer Queen
• Alessia Cara - Trust My Lonely
• Seeb & Bastille - Grip
• Imagine Dragons - Machine
• Pitbull & Rhea - Ocean To Ocean (DEBUT)
• Avril Lavigne - Tell Me It's Over (DEBUT)
• Benny Blanco & Calvin Harris - I Found You (DEBUT)
• Dean Lewis - Be Alright
• Khalid - Better
• Stephen Puth - Sexual Vibe (DEBUT)
• Zara Larsson - Ruin My Life
• lovelytheband - Maybe, I'm Afraid (DEBUT)

~ Similar to our class of debuts on the countdown this week, Hit-Bound was no different. The debuts that appeared here this week were all less than satisfying. Our first debut onto Hit-Bound comes from Pitbull & Rhea with Ocean To Ocean. This song is just weird. It samples Africa by Toto...and has these weird verses from Pitbull in between. The vocals are not great either--which doesn't help. So, yeah. Hopefully we can get this one out of here and hopefully not onto the countdown.

~ Second up this week, we have Avril Lavigne with Tell Me It's Over. This one is good. Avril's vocals aren't that bad. It just doesn't really develop. I like the production and the beat fits the song well. Out of the debuts this week, this one may be the most promising.

~ Next up we have Benny Blanco and Calvin Harris both teaming up to bring I Found You. Calvin Harris provides the vocals to this one and Benny Blanco provides the production. I do like the production on this one a lot. I can get into it. The only thing that I am not digging is Harris's vocals. They are bland and boring. And it is the same words over and over, just no development. It could get better with more listens, but I don't know...I feel like I would just get more sick of it.

~ Next, we have the younger brother of Charlie Puth, Stephen Puth--with what I think may be his debut single. He brings Sexual Vibe to the table. This one really is nothing that special. Similar to what we just talked about, the vocals are boring and there is no development in them as the song progresses. So, I don't really see this song taking off in regards to my opinion.

~ Finally, we have lovelytheband--adding Maybe, I'm Afraid to the Hits 1 rotation. I am not a fan of this one at all. There is nothing that I like. The vocals here are less than appealing and everything else is just flat out atrocious. I seriously hope that this one does not debut on the countdown. 

My Bottom 5 Hit-Bound Songs
1. Dan + Shay - Speechless
2. Pitbull & Rhea - Ocean To Ocean
3. lovelytheband - Maybe, I'm Afraid
4. Imagine Dragons - Machine
5. 5 Seconds Of Summer - Killer Queen

My Top 5 Countdown Songs
1. Zara Larsson - Ruin My Life
2. Charli XCX/Troye Sivan - 1999
3. Lauren Daigle - You Say
4. Dean Lewis - Be Alright
5. Avril Lavigne - Tell Me It's Over


Nothing Blurbs Like A Heart 

~ We have a continuation of the throne this week. This Feeling remains at #1 for a second week in a row. I am okay with this, because it could be High Hopes--and that song's overwhelming success here is frankly getting a little annoying. 

~ Ariana Grande - Thank U, Next has annoyingly swapped top 10 placements with Breathin. I do like this song, but I would have truly preferred if Breathin had its moment to shine for a little longer than one week at #7.

~ We receive entry into the top 20 from two good songs in Let Me Down Slowly and Sweet But Psycho. I am glad, as the exchange was with two songs that are worse than these two. 

~ Olly Murs - Moves made a significant advance this week. I would like to see this one in the top 20 in the coming weeks. 

~ I find it kind of interesting that Girls Like You and Woman Like Me were back-to-back this week.

~ As far as the exits go this week, it was time for both Promises and Whatever It Takes to hit the road. I am sad to see Delicate go, but it was sadly time. I wished Shallow lasted a little longer, because it did pretty poorly in the short time that it was here. However, it was nice while it lasted. The same goes for Lost In Japan as does for Shallow.


Let's Do A Top 20 Review!

0-Garbage
20. Dan + Shay - Tequila

1-Bad
19. Imagine Dragons - Natural
18. Anne-Marie - 2002
17. Benny Blanco, Halsey, & Khalid - Eastside 

2-Mediocre
16. lovelytheband - Broken

3-Decent
15. Panic! At The Disco - High Hopes

4-Good
14. Khalid & Normani - Love Lies

5-Great
13. Panic! At The Disco - Hey Look Ma, I Made It
12. 5 Seconds Of Summer - Youngblood
11. The Chainsmokers/Kelsea Ballerini - This Feeling
10. The Struts/Kesha - Body Talks
9. Fall Out Boy - The Last Of The Real Ones
8. Post Malone & Swae Lee - Sunflower
7. Alec Benjamin - Let Me Down Slowly
6. Marshmello & Bastille - Happier
5. Halsey - Without Me
4. Ariana Grande - Thank U, Next
3. Ava Max - Sweet But Psycho
2. Ariana Grande - Breathin
1. Camila Cabello - Consequences

Score: 77% (C+)


Favorite Countdown Song This Week 1 Year Ago: Camila Cabello - Havana


My Bottom 5 Countdown Songs
1. Dan + Shay - Tequila
2. Zedd, Maren Morris, & Grey - The Middle
3. Charlie Puth - The Way I Am
4. Panic! At The Disco - Say Amen (Saturday Night)
5. Imagine Dragons - Natural

My Top 5 Countdown Songs
1. Camila Cabello - Consequences
2. Ariana Grande - Breathin
3. Ava Max - Sweet But A Psycho
4. Ariana Grande - Thank U, Next
5. Halsey - Without Me
 
See you again soon! Thanks for reading!

~ Jack :)              
 

A 2018 Year-End Special - The Artist 20, The Hit 20, and The Album 20 of 2018

Hello everyone! I know that I am throwing a lot of content out there lately, but I am just trying to squeeze in everything as fast as I can before the year ends. I cannot believe that 2018 is coming to an end. It seems as if this year just started. Anyways. I thought it would be a fitting time for me to post this, considering that Billboard has recently released its year-end charts. So, without further adieu, these are the top 20 artists of the year based upon their statistics, the top 20 songs of the year based on Hits 1 shows, radio play, and other charts, and the top 20 albums of the year based upon the same criteria. Let's get started!


The Artist 20 of 2017:

20. Juice WRLD
19. 5 Seconds Of Summer
18. Maroon 5
17. Bazzi
16. 6ix9ine
15. The Chainsmokers (last year: #11)
14. Dua Lipa
13. Ed Sheeran (last year #1)
12. Bebe Rexha
11. Imagine Dragons (last year: #5)
10. BTS
9. Halsey (last year: #16)
8. Travis Scott
7. Post Malone (last year: #13)
6. Shawn Mendes (last year: #4)
5. Taylor Swift (last year: #3)
4. Drake
3. Cardi B
2. Camila Cabello (last year: #7)
1. Ariana Grande (last year: #20) 

Ariana Grande did a complete 360 this year, and I am proud to say that she is the #1 most successful artist this year.


The Hit 20 of 2017:

20. Bruno Mars & Cardi B - Finesse
19. Ariana Grande - God Is A Woman
18. Taylor Swift - Delicate
17. Zedd, Maren Morris, & Grey - The Middle
16. Juice WRLD - Lucid Dreams
15. 5 Seconds Of Summer - Youngblood
14. Khalid & Normani - Love Lies
13. Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line - Meant To Be
12. Dua Lipa - New Rules
11. Camila Cabello - Never Be The Same
10. Drake - God's Plan
9. Maroon 5/Cardi B - Girls Like You
8. Bazzi - Mine
7. Post Malone - Better Now
6. Drake - Nice For What
5. Drake - In My Feelings
4. Post Malone/Ty Dolla $ign - Psycho
3. Ariana Grande - No Tears Left To Cry
2. Camila Cabello/Young Thug - Havana (last year: #10)
1. Ed Sheeran - Perfect

Ed Sheeran has reigned this category for a second year in a row, and Camila Cabello and Young Thug both appeared with Havana for a second year on this chart, showing its immense success.


The Album 20 of 2017:

20. Imagine Dragons, Evolve (last year: #7)
19. Eminem, Kamikaze
18. SZA, Ctrl (last year: #13)
17. Dua Lipa, Dua Lipa
16. XXXTENTACION, ?
15. Khalid, American Teen (last year: #16)
14. Bazzi, Cosmic
13. NF, Perception
12. Travis Scott, ASTROWORLD
11. Shawn Mendes, Shawn Mendes
10. Ed Sheeran, ÷ (last year: #1)
9. Various Artists, The Greatest Showman
8. Nicki Minaj, Queen
7. Halsey, hopeless fountain kingdom (last year: #14)
6. Post Malone, beerbongs & bentleys
5. Drake, Scorpion
4. Camila Cabello, Camila
3. Cardi B, Invasion Of Privacy
2. Ariana Grande, Sweetener
1. Taylor Swift, reputation (last year: #8)   

With that, Taylor Swift tops off our Album 20 this year--having the most successful collection of tracks in the end. 


Thank you all for reading!

~ Jack :)      

The Chainsmokers (1) - Week Of December 15, 2018

Hey guys! I hope that you all had a fantastic week. I will soon begin giving you year-end posts that I am really excited about! With all of that excitement, the countdown, as always, must come first. This week was a lot more eventful. We now have a fresh #1 song, which is good, but we also lost a couple of good songs this week. So, all in all, it was an okay week--I suppose. Anyways, before we get to this week's fresh 45, here's the songs that we are saying goodbye to this week. 

• Loud Luxury/brando - Body (#34)
• Alex Aiono - Big Mistake (#36)
• Ariana Grande - God Is A Woman (#45)

#1 Song This Week 1 Year Ago: Camila Cabello - Havana
Last Week's #1 Song: 5 Seconds Of Summer - Youngblood

The Countdown
45. Calvin Harris & Sam Smith - Promises (#43)
44. Shawn Mendes - In My Blood (#44) [2 Weeks At #1]
43. Taylor Swift - Delicate (#42) [3 Weeks At #1]
42. Bazzi/Camila Cabello - Beautiful (#41)
41. George Ezra - Shotgun (#37)
40. Zedd, Maren Morris, & Grey - The Middle (#38) [9 Weeks At #1]
39. Charlie Puth - The Way I Am (#39)
38. NOTD/Bea Miller - I Wanna Know (#40)
37. Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper - Shallow (#33)
36. Silk City & Dua Lipa - Electricity (#30)
35. Olly Murs - Moves (DEBUT)
34. Panic! At The Disco - Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#35) [4 Weeks At #1]
33. Shawn Mendes & Zedd - Lost In Japan (#32)
32. Lauren Jauregui - Expectations (DEBUT)
31. Imagine Dragons - Whatever It Takes (#31) [1 Week At #1]
30. Ava Max - Sweet But Psycho (DEBUT)
29. Maroon 5/Cardi B - Girls Like You (#20)
28. Selena Gomez - Back To You (#28)
27. Backstreet Boys - Don't Go Breaking My Heart (#25)
26. The Chainsmokers/Emily Warren - Side Effects (#26)
25. Lauv/Julia Michaels - There's No Way (#29)
24. David Guetta & Anne-Marie - Don't Leave Me Alone (#22)
23. Alec Benjamin - Let Me Down Slowly (#27)
22. Little Mix/Nicki Minaj - Woman Like Me (#19)
21. Twenty One Pilots - My Blood (#18)
20. Camila Cabello - Consequences (#16)
19. Shawn Mendes - Nervous (#13)
18. Benny Blanco /Halsey/Khalid - Eastside (#24)
17. The Struts/Kesha - Body Talks (#15)
16. Ariana Grande - Thank U, Next (#21)
15. lovelytheband - Broken (#11)
14. Post Malone & Swae Lee - Sunflower (#17)
13. Dan + Shay - Tequila (#9)
12. Bebe Rexha - I'm A Mess (#14)
11. Panic! At The Disco - Hey Look Ma, I Made It (#23)
10. Khalid & Normani - Love Lies (#10)
9. Anne-Marie - 2002 (#8)
8. Fall Out Boy - The Last Of The Real Ones (#7) [2 Weeks At #1]
7. Ariana Grande - Breathin (#12)
6. Imagine Dragons - Natural (#5) [1 Week At #1]
5. Halsey - Without Me (#6)
4. Marshmello/Bastille - Happier (#4) [2 Weeks At #1]
3. 5 Seconds Of Summer - Youngblood (#1) [5 Weeks At #1]
2. Panic! At The Disco - High Hopes (#3) [8 Weeks At #1]
1. The Chainsmokers/Kelsea Ballerini - This Feeling (#2) [1st Week At #1]

Biggest DROP!!!... Of The Week: Maroon 5/Cardi B - Girls Like You (-9)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Panic! At The Disco - Hey Look Ma, I Made It (+12)

#1 Recommendation Of The Week: Peter Manos - In My Head


New Entrants

~ First up this week we have the return of Olly Murs, after a bit of a hiatus, with Moves. This one is definitely different from what we have heard from him in the past. This song has a nice groove to it, different from his previous singles. I hope to see him release more like this in the future, because it is a good sound for him. I hope this one does well here. 

~ Our next debut this week comes from emerging solo artist and former Fifth Harmony member, Lauren Jauregui. She brings us Expectations. Personally, I like this song. I believe that all of the Fifth Harmony girls are extremely talented. While I do not think Lauren is the most talented, I do still thoroughly enjoy her solo projects. I like how this song conveys the troubled waters of love in such a unique way. I like that aspect almost as much as the other aspects of this track. The only thing I have criticism of is the chorus. The vocals aren't very strong there, but the rest of the song's content outweighs the bad. I'd like to see this one have some decent success, though.

~ Our third and final debut of the week comes from newcomer Ava Max with Sweet But Psycho. I have had this song in my sights for months now, and it just gets catchier after every listen. I like her voice, and I find this song just fun and enjoyable. I am hoping to see this one do well on the countdown.

Best New Entrant Of The Week: Ava Max - Sweet But Psycho


Hit-Bound

• Dan + Shay - Speechless
• Alessia Cara - Trust My Lonely
• Twenty One Pilots - Chlorine
• Seeb & Bastille - Grip (DEBUT)
• Zara Larsson - Ruin My Life
• Imagine Dragons - Machine
• Steve Aoki/BTS - Waste It On Me
• Dean Lewis - Be Alright
• Ellie Goulding & Diplo - Close To Me
• Mark Ronson/Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart
• James Arthur - Empty Space
• Charli XCX/Troye Sivan - 1999 (DEBUT)
• Khalid - Better
• Lauren Daigle - You Say (DEBUT)
• 5 Seconds Of Summer - Killer Queen

~ Our first new Hit-Bound entrant this week comes from both Seeb and Bastille. They bring Grip to the table. Seeb was featured on the remix of Mike Posner's I Took A Pill In Ibiza a couple of years ago, which is where you may know them from. They are very talented producers, and their work on Grip is very good. Bastille, as always sound good. I like how they are featured on electronic-influenced tracks in an increasing manner lately. This may be better than Happier, maybe not. We will have to see. In all, though, I would like to see this one debut on the countdown soon. 

~ Second up this week, we have a pair that I would have never thought to see collaborate. Charli XCX and Troye Sivan bring 1999 to Hit-Bound this week. I am a big fan of this song. Both of these artists have clashing styles, so I was doubtful going into this one. I guess opposites do attract sometimes, though. I hope to see this one debut on the countdown, it is just a really unique and funky song.

~ Finally, we have Lauren Daigle - You Say. This one has been around for a while now and I have been waiting for it to make it to Hits 1. This song is very slow and dialed back, and I like it. Lauren Daigle has a very nice voice, and I love the instrumentals in this track. This song, in the end, is just simply uplifting and it always puts me in a good mood. I have heard a good chunk of her newest album, and it is really good. I hope that we hear more from her in the mainstream arena in the future. I also hope to see this one graduate from Hit-Bound in the near future.

My Bottom 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Dan+Shay - Speechless
2. Imagine Dragons - Machine
3. 5 Seconds Of Summer - Killer Queen
4. Twenty One Pilots - Chlorine
5. Mark Ronson/Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Zara Larsson - Ruin My Life
2. Lauren Daigle - You Say
3. Ellie Goulding & Diplo - Close To Me
4. Dean Lewis - Be Alright
5. Seeb & Bastille - Grip


Blurb But Psycho

~ We now see The Chainsmokers and Kelsea Ballerini rise to the top with This Feeling. I am still a fan of this song, and I am glad to see it snatch the #1 spot away from the two songs that were playing ping pong with it (aka Youngblood and High Hopes). It is just nice to see something new atop the countdown.

~ Ariana Grande - Breathin has entered the top 10. I am very happy about this. Hopefully we can push this up to #1, its that good.

~ Panic! At The Disco - Hey Look Ma, I Made It has surged again. This time it makes it close to the top 10. Next week, we will probably seeing it make its way down again.  

~ Tequila has left the top 10, and hopefully for good.

~ Both Alec Benjamin - Let Me Down Slowly and Lauv/Julia Michaels - There's No Way are both having slow rises, but hopefully we can see both of them in the top 20 soon.

~ It looks like the run of Shallow is sadly coming to an end. I think I say it every week, but it is sad that it is coming to an end just as I began to like it.

~ As far as the exits go, I am sad to see God Is A Woman go, but it was time. Big Mistake's run was far too short here, and I am sad to see that one go as well. It was time for Body to go as well. That one was getting old.

~ The results for the rankdown that I am hosting are in full swing. The latest round of results was just posted! Check it out in the pages section, or by clicking here.


Let's Do A Top 20 Review!

0-Garbage
20. Dan + Shay - Tequila

1-Bad
19. Anne-Marie - 2002
18. Imagine Dragons - Natural
17. Panic! At The Disco - High Hopes 

2-Mediocre
NONE

3-Decent
16. lovelytheband - Broken
15. Benny Blanco, Halsey, & Khalid - Eastside
14. Khalid & Normani - Love Lies 

4-Good
NONE

5-Great
13. 5 Seconds Of Summer - Youngblood
12. Bebe Rexha - I'm A Mess
11. Fall Out Boy - The Last Of The Real Ones
10. Shawn Mendes - Nervous
9. Panic! At The Disco - Hey Look Ma, I Made It
8. The Chainsmokers/Kelsea Ballerini - This Feeling
7. Halsey - Without Me
6. Marshmello/Bastille - Happier
5. The Struts/Kesha - Body Talks
4. Post Malone & Swae Lee - Sunflower
3. Ariana Grande - Thank U, Next
2. Ariana Grande - Breathin
1. Camila Cabello - Consequences

Score: 77% (C)


Favorite Countdown Song This Week 1 Year Ago: Camila Cabello - Havana


My Bottom 5 Countdown Picks
1. Dan + Shay - Tequila
2. Imagine Dragons - Whatever It Takes
3. Zedd, Maren Morris, & Grey - The Middle
4. Calvin Harris & Sam Smith - Promises
5. Charlie Puth - The Way I Am

My Top 5 Countdown Picks
1. Camila Cabello - Consequences
2. Ariana Grande - Breathin
3. Maroon 5/Cardi B - Girls Like You
4. Ariana Grande - Thank U, Next
5. Post Malone & Swae Lee - Sunflower
 
Have a great week!

~ Jack :) 
             

5 Seconds Of Summer (5) - Week Of December 8, 2018

Hey guys! This week was not super eventful at all. There were a couple of significant drops and jumps here and there, but nothing much. Anyways, no exits this week--so let's just get right to it.

#1 Song This Week 1 Year Ago: Halsey - Bad At Love
Last Week's #1 Song: Panic! At The Disco - High Hopes

The Countdown
45. Ariana Grande - God Is A Woman (#44)
44. Shawn Mendes - In My Blood (#45) [2 Weeks At #1]
43. Calvin Harris & Sam Smith - Promises (#41)
42. Taylor Swift - Delicate (#40) [3 Weeks At #1]
41. Bazzi/Camila Cabello - Beautiful (#43)
40. NOTD/Bea Miller - I Wanna Know (#39)
39. Charlie Puth - The Way I Am (#38)
38. Zedd, Maren Morris, & Grey - The Middle (#37) [9 Weeks At #1]
37. George Ezra - Shotgun (#42)
36. Alex Aiono - Big Mistake (#26)
35. Panic! At The Disco - Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#36) [4 Weeks At #1]
34. Loud Luxury/brando - Body (#35)
33. Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper - Shallow (#30)
32. Shawn Mendes & Zedd - Lost In Japan (#31)
31. Imagine Dragons - Whatever It Takes (#32) [1 Week At #1]
30. Silk City & Dua Lipa - Electricity (#22)
29. Lauv/Julia Michaels - There's No Way (#34)
28. Selena Gomez - Back To You (#24)
27. Alec Benjamin - Let Me Down Slowly (#28)
26. The Chainsmokers/Emily Warren - Side Effects (#14)
25. Backstreet Boys - Don't Go Breaking My Heart (#20)
24. Benny Blanco, Halsey, & Khalid - Eastside (#18)
23. Panic! At The Disco - Hey Look Ma, I Made It (#25)
22. David Guetta/Anne-Marie - Don't Leave Me Alone (#29)
21. Ariana Grande - Thank U, Next (#27)
20. Maroon 5/Cardi B - Girls Like You (#17)
19. Little Mix/Nicki Minaj - Woman Like Me (#33)
18. Twenty One Pilots - My Blood (#23)
17. Post Malone & Swae Lee - Sunflower (#16)
16. Camila Cabello - Consequences (#21)
15. The Struts/Kesha - Body Talks (#15)
14. Bebe Rexha - I'm A Mess (#8)
13. Shawn Mendes - Nervous (#19)
12. Ariana Grande - Breathin (#12)
11. lovelytheband - Broken (#13)
10. Khalid & Normani - Love Lies (#10)
9. Dan + Shay - Tequila (#11)
8. Anne-Marie - 2002 (#3)
7. Fall Out Boy - The Last Of The Real Ones (#9) [2 Weeks At #1]
6. Halsey - Without Me (#5)
5. Imagine Dragons - Natural (#6) [1 Week At #1]
4. Marshmello/Bastille - Happier (#4) [2 Weeks At #1]
3. Panic! At The Disco - High Hopes (#1) [8 Weeks At #1]
2. The Chainsmokers/Kelsea Ballerini - This Feeling (#7)
1. 5 Seconds Of Summer - Youngblood (#2) [5th Week At #1]

Biggest DROP!!!... Of The Week: The Chainsmokers/Emily Warren - Side Effects (-12)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Little Mix/Nicki Minaj - Woman Like Me (+14)

#1 Recommendation Of The Week: The Chainsmokers - Beach House


Hit-Bound

• Steve Aoki/BTS - Waste It On Me
• James Arthur - Empty Space
• Olly Murs - Moves
• Dan + Shay - Speechless
• Ellie Goulding & Diplo - Close To Me
• Imagine Dragons - Machine
• 5 Seconds Of Summer - Killer Queen
• Zara Larsson - Ruin My Life
• Khalid - Better
• Lauren Jauregui - Expectations
• Twenty One Pilots - Chlorine
• Alessia Cara - Trust My Lonely
• Mark Ronson/Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart (DEBUT)
• Dean Lewis - Be Alright
• Ava Max - Sweet But Psycho

~ Our only song just dawning on Hit-Bound this week comes from Mark Ronson and the returning Miley Cyrus. They give us Nothing Breaks Like A Heart. Quite honestly, I am not a huge fan of this one. It pales in comparison to some of the other songs that both Ronson and Cyrus have given us in the past. The production here is pretty lackluster, and the vocals from Cyrus aren't very climactic either. At the moment I am not liking this one, but that could change after more listens. But, all in all, it is nothing that special. I woundn't really care it weren't to debut on the countdown.

My Bottom 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Dan + Shay - Speechless
2. Imagine Dragons - Machine
3. Twenty One Pilots - Chlorine
4. 5 Seconds Of Summer - Killer Queen
5. Mark Ronson/Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Zara Larsson - Ruin My Life
2. Ava Max - Sweet But Psycho
3. Dean Lewis - Be Alright
4. Ellie Goulding & Diplo - Close To Me
5. Steve Aoki/BTS - Waste It On Me


There's No Blurb

~ While I am okay with the return of Youngblood to the peak of the countdown, I would much rather see any of the other songs in green within the top 10 at the top at this point. It is not that this one is not good, it is--but I would like to switch it up a little in terms of our #1.

~ I'm glad to see the fall from Anne-Marie - 2002. That top 3 entry was rather frightening. On a related note, Tequila is now in the top 10--very frightening in regards to what is coming.

~ Every song from #12-#21 was an incredibly pleasurable listen. Included was many of my favorite songs at the moment. So, that was something worth pointing out, I suppose.

~ David Guetta/Anne-Marie - Don't Leave Me Alone is inching closer to the top 20. I am not happy about that. Hopefully we can restrain this one from going much higher--it's not great.

~ I am kind of disappointed that Shallow has decreased in success here just when I began to like it.

~ At this point the excessively long stays of both Panic! At The Disco - Say Amen (Saturday Night) and Zedd, Maren Morris, & Grey - The Middle are becoming incredibly annoying. Please just leave! Maybe in time for Christmas?


Let's Do A Top 20 Review!

0-Garbage
20. Dan + Shay - Tequila

1-Bad
19. Anne-Marie - 2002

2-Mediocre
18. Imagine Dragons - Natural

3-Decent
17. lovelytheband - Broken
16. Khalid & Normani - Love Lies 

4-Good
15. Panic! At The Disco - High Hopes

5-Great
14. Bebe Rexha - I'm A Mess
13. Fall Out Boy - The Last Of The Real Ones
12. Twenty One Pilots - My Blood
11. 5 Seconds Of Summer - Youngblood
10. Marshmello/Bastille - Happier
9. Shawn Mendes - Nervous
8. Little Mix/Nicki Minaj - Woman Like Me
7. The Chainsmokers/Kelsea Ballerini - This Feeling
6. Halsey - Without Me
5. The Struts/Kesha - Body Talks
4. Maroon 5/Cardi B - Girls Like You
3. Post Malone & Swae Lee - Sunflower
2. Ariana Grande - Breathin
1. Camila Cabello - Consequences

Score: 83% (B)


Best Countdown Song This Week Last Year: Taylor Swift - ...Ready For It?


My Bottom 5 Countdown Picks
1. Dan + Shay - Tequila
2. Zedd, Maren Morris, & Grey - The Middle
3. Anne-Marie - 2002
4. Imagine Dragons - Whatever It Takes
5. Charlie Puth - The Way I Am

My Top 5 Countdown Picks
1. Camila Cabello - Consequences
2. Ariana Grande - Breathin
3. Post Malone & Swae Lee - Sunflower
4. Ariana Grande - Thank U, Next
5. Maroon 5/Cardi B - Girls Like You


Before I go, here is the tentative schedule for year-end posts...

• The Artist 20, The Hit 20, & The Album 20 - Sunday, December 16, 2018
• Hits 1 Year-End Countdown Review - Tuesday, December 25, 2018
• 2018: A Year In Review - Friday, December 28, 2018
• My Top 45 Songs Of 2018 - Monday, December 31, 2018
• ??: Billboard 2018 Year-End Hot 100 Review - Wednesday, January 2, 2019
• ?? Possible Bonus Post

Have a great week!

~ Jack :)

  



   
 





  

Panic! At The Disco (8) - Week Of December 1, 2018

Hey guys! It is really hard to believe that we are already in December and that the year is almost over. It is about to come time to get the year-end posts out for this year--and I will have schedules for release hopefully next week. Aside from that, this week wasn't awful. Kid Kelly was the guest host this week. We lost a couple of good songs, one decent song, and one bad song--and our #1 isn't awful. We also had a lot of songs just moving all over the place. So...with that, before we get onto the countdown, here are the songs we are saying goodbye to this week. 

• LSD - Thunderclouds (#33)
• Walk The Moon - Kamikaze (#39)
• NF - Lie (#41)
• Juice WRLD - Lucid Dreams (#43) 

#1 Song This Week 1 Year Ago: Ed Sheeran - Galway Girl (4)
Last Week's #1 Song: 5 Seconds Of Summer - Youngblood

The Countdown
45. Shawn Mendes - In My Blood (#42) [2 Weeks At #1]
44. Ariana Grande - God Is A Woman (#31)
43. Bazzi/Camila Cabello - Beautiful (#45)
42. George Ezra - Shotgun (#44)
41. Calvin Harris & Sam Smith - Promises (#22)
40. Taylor Swift - Delicate (#40) [3 Weeks At #1]
39. NOTD/Bea Miller - I Wanna Know (#38)
38. Charlie Puth - The Way I Am (#37)  
37. Zedd, Maren Morris, & Grey - The Middle (#35) [9 Weeks At #1]
36. Panic! At The Disco - Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#36) [4 Weeks At #1]
35. Loud Luxury/Brando - Body (#20)
34. Lauv/Julia Michaels - There's No Way (DEBUT)
33. Little Mix/Nicki Minaj - Woman Like Me (DEBUT)
32. Imagine Dragons - Whatever It Takes (#29) [1 Week At #1]
31. Shawn Mendes & Zedd - Lost In Japan (#13)
30. Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper - Shallow (#21)
29. David Guetta & Anne-Marie - Don't Leave Me Alone (DEBUT)
28. Alec Benjamin - Let Me Down Slowly (#34)
27. Ariana Grande - Thank U, Next (DEBUT)
26. Alex Aiono - Big Mistake (#26)
25. Panic! At The Disco - Hey Look Ma, I Made It (#23)
24. Selena Gomez - Back To You (#24)
23. Twenty One Pilots - My Blood (#27)
22. Silk City & Dua Lipa - Electricity (#16)
21. Camila Cabello - Consequences (#28) 
20. Backstreet Boys - Don't Go Breaking My Heart (#17)
19. Shawn Mendes - Nervous (#32)
18. Benny Blanco, Halsey, & Khalid - Eastside (#18)
17. Maroon 5/Cardi B - Girls Like You (#19)
16. Post Malone & Swae Lee - Sunflower (#30)
15. The Struts/Kesha - Body Talks (#15)
14. The Chainsmokers/Emily Warren - Side Effects (#11)
13. Lovelytheband - Broken (#12)
12. Ariana Grande - Breathin (#14)
11. Dan + Shay - Tequila (#25)
10. Khalid & Normani - Love Lies (#9)
9. Fall Out Boy - The Last Of The Real Ones (#6) [2 Weeks At #1]
8. Bebe Rexha - I'm A Mess (#7)
7. The Chainsmokers/Kelsea Ballerini - This Feeling (#5)
6. Imagine Dragons - Natural (#8) [1 Week At #1]
5. Halsey - Without Me (#3)
4. Marshmello & Bastille - Happier (#4) [2 Weeks At #1]
3. Anne-Marie - 2002 (#10)
2. 5 Seconds Of Summer - Youngblood (#1) [4 Weeks At #1]
1. Panic! At The Disco - High Hopes (#2) [8th Week At #1]

Biggest DROP!!!... Of The Week: Calvin Harris & Sam Smith - Promises (-19)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Tie Between Post Malone & Swae Lee - Sunflower and Dan + Shay - Tequila (+14)

#1 Recommendation Of The Week: Sabrina Carpenter - Sue Me


New Entrants

~ First up, we have There's No Way from rising artists Lauv and Julia Michaels. I am a fan of this track overall. Together, they have a very nice vocal chemistry--the harmonies in this song are just outstanding. Furthermore, I am a huge fan of the lyrics of the song in it being just a sweet and simple love-oriented song. There's not a huge shift in production from Lauv's previous tracks, but I am very much a fan for what this song offers. Hopefully we can see some strides out of this one, considering its low popularity over other platforms.

~ Moving forward, we see a return from Little Mix featuring a new sound and Nicki Minaj on Woman Like Me. This track shifts from a sultry-esque sound from Jesy Nelson but quickly shifts to a power-filled chorus featuring the vocals of the rest of the girls. I thoroughly enjoy the vocals, especially in the chorus, and in Nicki's verse. The beat is very infectious as well. Overall, I am enjoying the new sound that is mixed with their older concepts. I hope to see some success out of this one. 

~ Our third and only underwhelming debut to the countdown this week comes from David Guetta & Anne-Marie with Don't Leave Me Alone. At this point, I truly find myself despising the voice of Anne-Marie. Her content overall is truly nothing special in my opinion and her studio album truly missed the mark in my opinion in terms of innovation. I will agree that the chorus structure here isn't awful, but the production is completely underwhelming. It is derivative of what has been heard in the electronic forum of music past few years. As far as the lyrics go, they are pretty basic and I am not digging them. Overall, this falls short and I hope it doesn't stay here too long.

~ To round off our class of debuts, we have the seemingly unstoppable Ariana Grande with her newest single, Thank U, Next. The song is a fun and playful one--speaking on behalf of her experiences with her exes in the forms of Big Sean, Ricky Alvarez, Pete Davidson, and the late Mac Miller. The track overall has a different vibe from her songs off of her recent album, Sweetener. The vocals are nice here, but nothing that stand out in the long run. However, I find the vibe of the track to be very cool and the emphasis on certain lyrics here is nice. In the end, this one is just a catchy and lively tune, with a basis of gratitude for her past relationships. Thank U, Next continues to dominate the chart, as it has had three weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 insofar. I am happy to see this one doing so well and hopefully that success carries over onto the countdown.

Best New Entrant Of The Week: Ariana Grande - Thank U, Next


Hit-Bound 

• Ellie Goulding & Diplo - Close To Me
• Dean Lewis - Be Alright (DEBUT)
• Zara Larsson - Ruin My Life
• Imagine Dragons - Machine
• Lauren Jauregui - Expectations
• Dan + Shay - Speechless (DEBUT)
• 5 Seconds Of Summer - Killer Queen
• Olly Murs - Moves
• Alessia Cara - Trust My Lonely (DEBUT)
• Khalid - Better (DEBUT)
• James Arthur - Empty Space
• Ava Max - Sweet But Psycho
• Steve Aoki/BTS - Waste It On Me
• Twenty One Pilots - Chlorine

~ Our first Hit-Bound entrant this week comes from rising artist Dean Lewis with Be Alright. This song has been around for a few months now, so I have been listening to it for a while. I like his voice a lot. It is not something that you hear a lot on mainstream radio, and I like that in an artist. Overall, I find this song to be very nice and delicate sounding. The lyrics are very derivative of a traditional breakup with a nice vibe behind them. I hope to see this one on the countdown in the near future. 

~ Next, we have Dan + Shay with Speechless. This one may be even worse than their current countdown charter, Tequila. I am not a fan of their voices in the slightest. I do not know what it is, but most country artists nowadays are all sounding the same to me. There is really no room for innovation in the genre, and this is an example of a song that just has no real innovation. The lyrics are basic and the production is bland--mixed with unsatisfying vocals. I hope that this song does not debut the countdown, but it probably will; considering Hits 1's recent affinity with Dan + Shay. 

~ Our third new Hit-Bound song this week comes from Alessia Cara with Trust My Lonely. This one isn't her best work by any means. I feel that she really showcases her voice in the chorus, but everything else in between is pretty bland in my opinion. I don't have really much else to say about this one. I may develop a better opinion on it in the future, but for now it is just okay. 

~ Finally, we have Khalid with Better. This song was released a few months ago, so I have been listening to it for a while now. I have lost a little bit of interest in this track. I do still enjoy it at times, but not as much as I used to. Khalid's vocals always seem to get to me in just a matter of time.
 

My Bottom 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Dan + Shay - Speechless
2. Imagine Dragons - Machine
3. Twenty One Pilots - Chlorine
4. 5 Seconds Of Summer - Killer Queen
5. James Arthur - Empty Space

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Zara Larsson - Ruin My Life
2. Ellie Goulding & Diplo - Close To Me
3. Dean Lewis - Be Alright
4. Ava Max - Sweet But Psycho
5. Steve Aoki/BTS - Waste It On Me


Thank U, Blurb

~ So, this has been one of the craziest weeks--no doubt, that we have seen in a while on the countdown; given all of the jumps and drops all over the place. However, we see the return from Panic! At The Disco - High Hopes to the #1 spot, only needing one more week to tie for the most weeks at #1 this year with The Middle. I wouldn't mind if this one tied, or even exceeded the record, considering that this one is definitely better than the current record holder #1 song for this year.

~ We see a scary leap into the top 3 this week from Anne-Marie - 2002. I really will not be happy if this song goes any further. I am not quite sure as to why this song is doing so well here, considering its poor success everywhere else, but I guess that is just how this station works. Anyways, this one needs to be on its way down after this. 

~ Next on the docket to discuss this week, we have the biggest jump of the week from Tequila back into the top 20, inching very close to the top 10. I really just wish this one would quit it already. There are better country songs that could be here, and yet we have this. I seriously hope that this just heads back in the other direction next week--and stays there this time.  

~ Tying with Tequila, we have the biggest jump of the week from Sunflower as well. I am, unlike Tequila, glad to see this one back in the top 20. It just keeps getting better and better after each listen.

~ #28-#21 was an incredibly pleasurable listen. I think it is one of the longest strings of exceptionally good songs in a row that we have had in a while. 

~ I have had quite the opinion change in Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper - Shallow this week. I was exposed to several listens to this song this week, and ultimately I found it to be better than I had originally believed. That being said, it is quite convenient that it makes a significant drop right after I begin to like it. 

~ It is kind of unfortunate to see the drop from Lost In Japan this week, but with that, we saw the jump from Nervous. So, I guess all bad can come with a little bit of good.  

~ Ariana Grande - God Is A Woman's run looks like it is coming to an end with that drop this week. However, I am glad with the level of success that it achieved here. 

~ In regards to my rankdown voting that is currently happening, I have extended the time to vote--to allow any stragglers for time to get their votes in. That being said, rankings are now due on Wednesday, December 5, 2018 at 8:00 PM ET. I need about two more participants in this competition for it to ideally happen. If any of you are planning, or willing, to take some time to participate, I would be incredibly grateful. :)

Directions/List: http://sxmhits1.blogspot.com/2018/11/200000-pageview-special-2018-year-end.html

Form: https://goo.gl/forms/1y6eHcUYp6gO7XnF3


Let's Do A Top 20 Review!

0-Garbage
20. Dan + Shay - Tequila

1-Bad
19. Anne-Marie - 2002
18. Imagine Dragons - Natural 

2-Mediocre
NONE
3-Decent
17. Backstreet Boys - Don't Go Breaking My Heart
16. Lovelytheband - Broken
4-Good
15. Benny Blanco, Halsey, & Khalid - Eastside
14. Khalid & Normani - Love Lies
13. Panic! At The Disco - High Hopes 

5-Great 
12. Bebe Rexha - I'm A Mess
11. Fall Out Boy - The Last Of The Real Ones
10. 5 Seconds Of Summer - Youngblood
9. Shawn Mendes - Nervous
8. The Chainsmokers/Keslea Ballerini - This Feeling
7. Marshmello & Bastille - Happier
6. Halsey - Without Me
5. The Chainsmokers/Emily Warren - Side Effects
4. The Struts/Kesha - Body Talks
3. Maroon 5/Cardi B - Girls Like You
2. Post Malone & Swae Lee - Sunflower
1. Ariana Grande - Breathin

Score: 80% (B-) 


Best Countdown Song This Week Last Year: Taylor Swift - ...Ready For It?


My Bottom 5 Countdown Picks
1. Dan + Shay - Tequila
2. Zedd, Maren Morris, & Grey - The Middle
3. Anne-Marie - 2002
4. Imagine Dragons - Whatever It Takes
5. Charlie Puth - The Way I Am

My Bottom 5 Countdown Picks
1. Camila Cabello - Consequences
2. Ariana Grande - Breathin
3. Ariana Grande - Thank U, Next
4. Post Malone & Swae Lee - Beautiful
5. Maroon 5/Cardi B - Girls Like You

Have a great week! Thanks for reading!

~ Jack :)