Saturday, July 30, 2016

July 30, 2016 - Justin Timberlake (6), plus GUEST DJ spot!


It looks like we're getting stuff going on here for a change. While it wasn't quite as active as I was prepared for it to be, there was one thing about this week that definitely stood out to me. I'll get to that in a bit (actually, the title of this post spoils it), but at least we're getting a lot of good stuff that has potential to succeed on the countdown. And as much as I should complain about our #1 song... Ah, what the heck. Overall, this had good activity and leaves me with a good feeling about what's to come. With that being said, here are the songs leaving us this week.
  • Wild Things by Alessia Cara (#37)
  • My House by Flo Rida (#38) (spent one week at #1)
  • Work by Rihanna featuring Drake (#45) (Good riddance!!!)
The Countdown!
Last Week’s #1 Song: I Took a Pill In Ibiza by Mike Posner
45. Me, Myself and I by G-Eazy and Bebe Rexha (#43)
44. Pillowtalk by Zayn Malik (#35)
43. Hands to Myself by Selena Gomez (#41)
42. Lost Boy by Ruth B. (#44)
41. You Don't Own Me by Grace (#40)
40. 7 Years by Lukas Graham (#39)
39. All About Us by Jordan Fisher (debut)
38. No by Meghan Trainor (#33)
37. Unsteady by X Ambassadors (#42)
36. Lovesick by Jacob Whitesides (debut)
35. Work From Home by Fifth Harmony (#34)
34. Youth by Troye Sivan (#30)
33. Kill 'Em With Kindness by Selena Gomez (#27)
32. Let It Go by James Bay (#36)
31. Body Say by Demi Lovato (debut)
30. Cake By The Ocean by DNCE (#30) (four weeks at #1)
29. History by One Direction (#25)
28. Wherever I Go by OneRepublic (#21)
27. Close by Nick Jonas and Tove Lo (#9)
26. The Sound by The 1975 (I was the guest DJ to introduce this one!)
25. Say by Symon (#29)
24. Missing You by All Time Low (#32)
23. New Romantics by Taylor Swift (#10) (two weeks at #1)
22. Toothbrush by DNCE (#15)
21. One Dance by Drake featuring WizKid and Kyla (#20)
20. Girls Talk Boys by 5 Seconds of Summer (#28)
19. Mama Said by Lukas Graham (#23)
18. Stressed Out by Twenty-one Pilots (#17) (five weeks at #1)
17. Me Too by Meghan Trainor (#22)
16. Figure Me Out by The Summer Set (#24)
15. Don't Mind by Kent Jones (#16)
14. Send My Love (To Your New Lover) by Adele (#19)
13. Once In A While by Timeflies (#14)
12. Victorious by Panic! At The Disco (#11) (one week at #1)
11. This Is What You Came For by Calvin Harris with Rihanna (#8)
10. Treat You Better by Shawn Mendes (#18)
9. I Took a Pill In Ibiza by Mike Posner (#1) (two weeks at #1)
8. We Don't Talk Anymore by Charlie Puth and Selena Gomez (#13)
7. Don't Let Me Down by The Chainsmokers featuring Daya (#5)
6. Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande (#7) (Still?)
5. Cheap Thrills by Sia featuring Sean Paul (#3)
4. Just Like Fire by P!nk (#6)
3. Sit Still, Look Pretty by Daya (#12) (...)
2. Ride by Twenty-one Pilots (#4) (#1 maybe?)
#1 Song This Week 1 Year Ago: Shut Up and Dance by Walk The Moon
1. Can't Stop the Feeling! by Justin Timberlake (#2) (six weeks at #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Close by Nick Jonas and Tove Lo (-18)


Biggest Jump Of The Week: Sit Still, Look Pretty by Daya (+9) (Really?)


New Entrants

- First up, we've got All About Us by Jordan Fisher. Giving this some more thorough listens, I'm seeing that this guy has some charisma and energy, and the production is alright. I don't see myself remembering this after the year's out, but for now, I'm liking it.

- Then we've got Lovesick by Jacob Whitesides. I laughed at Spyder Harrison's introduction to this song when he found out that Whitesides has ended a relationship of his last June. Guess the song fits his situation appropriately! xD That aside, there are some nice funk elements to the song and we'll see if it fares well here.


- Lastly, we have a returning face in the form of Body Say by Demi Lovato
I'll say right now that this is no Cool For The Summer or Confident, but it's definitely interesting for what it is. I might get sick of it, but it's solid right now.


This Is Not About Us, This Is All About Blurbs

- First up, our exits. Wild Things I didn't think would last, but dropping it does nothing to get rid of the garbage. My House had been here for a while, and thank the high heavens above for Work leaving. It had been doing absolutely nothing for a while and really should've left months ago. About time you left, Work!!! Now I never have to hear you again!! Well, maybe not until December for my year-end retrospectives.

- You know, one of the most common complaints I've heard about Selena Gomez is that she never cares about her music and has no personality or never sounds like she's having any fun. Well, earlier this week, I found out on the news that she posted an Instagram about how the day after her birthday last week (July 22), she felt "extremely unauthentic, unconnected to both herself and her music" and that she "needed to rethink some areas of her life creatively and personally". She claims she was still grateful for what she's gotten to do, but I guess that explains some of the things people always say about her. Heh. That said, I still can't wait for her two solo songs here to leave already.


- At least most of our red songs are taking some drops. And as for the biggest DRRRRRRROP!!!... Yeah, I still don't outright hate that one right now, but I won't be sad to see it off.


- Yes, one of the guest DJs this time around was indeed me. :) Gave the shout out to the head of these bloggers himself, Adrian. Feel like I could've said a little more, but it was still cool. And I got to introduce one of my favorites, The Sound by The 1975
which is pretty exciting. Spyder Harrison, thanks for having me! And to those who want the chance at it, tune in to his Thursday block from 12 to 5. And for those that didn't catch it or couldn't hear it very well, here's a clip that I recorded of it.


- Ever have those moments where a song hypnotizes you into liking it again? Because that's what New Romantics by Taylor Swift did here. This probably won't last long, though. But it's been dominant for the past two months, so that drop was to be expected eventually. Will it spend three more weeks here and last have the 1989 representations as a whole spend a full two year tenure on the countdown? We'll see. Also, I'm really not that surprised she didn't get any VMA nominations.


- I thought that Girls Talk Boys by 5 Seconds of Summer would have jumped more than it did, as I heard it quite a bit over the week.


- Despite being ambivalent to the song at first, after more listens, I've been finding myself unable to hate Mama Said by Lukas Graham. It'll probably get insufferable if it sticks around, but right now it's too funny to hate. That song also had a guest DJ who dedicated that introduction to her mother, how fitting.


- Of course, Me Too by Meghan Trainor had to jump into the Top 20 again. Thought it would jump higher, but mercifully not.


- Something tells me that Treat You Better by Shawn Mendes will make Top 5 and could potentially hit #1. While its sound is cool, its lyrics...eh.


- Dang! I Took a Pill In Ibiza by Mike Posner took a rather big hit from its #1 position last week. And my folks still don't get the whole meaning behind the guy being a "reminder of a pop song people forgot". Guess I know more about stupid music today than they do, haha.


- On a kinda different note, I am SO GRATEFUL that Cheap Thrills by Sia featuring Sean Paul is now #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Part of me wants to put it in purple for that reason alone, although I'm not rejoicing at this very second, because it's not leading in any of the component charts and One Dance supposedly still has that video that Drake would have released long ago if he actually cared. But provided Cheap Thrills continues to hold well, then hopefully Uptown Funk, along with One Sweet Day by Mariah Carey featuring Boyz II Men, won't be in danger of losing their records.


- I knew that Sit Still, Look Pretty by Daya was going to jump into the Top 5 because I heard it as "most Wutchuwanted" several times this week. Heaven knows why... 
Pretty underwhelming biggest jump of the week. Hopefully it won't be in the Top 10 long.


- I'm starting to think that Can't Stop the Feeling! by Justin Timberlake may never get old to me. But of course, now that I just jinxed it, watch me beg it to start dropping next week. In all seriousness, again, I don't mind it still being #1, but a little variety would be nice *cough Ride cough*. Also, four of its six weeks at #1 have been preceded by Shut Up and Dance by Walk The Moon being the #1 from one year ago. Could it be the spiritual successor to that one? Heh.


Hit-Bound


  • All In My Head (Flex) by Fifth Harmony (debut)
  • Fresh Eyes by Andy Grammer (debut)
  • Wild by Troye Sivan and Alessia Cara
  • Spirits by The Strumbellas
  • Into You by Ariana Grande (debut)
  • Never Be Like You by Flume featuring Kai (debut)
  • Heathens by Twenty-one Pilots (debut)
  • I'm Not Famous by AJR
  • Hymn For The Weekend (Seeb Remix) by Coldplay
  • Superstitious by MKTO (debut)
  • Rise by Katy Perry
  • Back 2 U by Steve Aoki & Boehm featuring Walk The Moon
  • Red Dress by MAGIC!
  • Brand New by Ben Rector

- So we say goodbye to I Wanna Know by Alesso featuring Nico and Vinz, which I didn't like as much as certain others but still would've been nice to have. But I'm not disappointed at all over losing No Broken Hearts by Bebe Rexha featuring Nicki Minaj or Hello Friday by Flo Rida featuring Jason Derulo, however.

- To start with our debuts, we have All In My Head (Flex) by Fifth Harmony. I'm annoyed that Hits 1 cut Fetty Wap out of the song because I think it's a lot better with him in it. Still, this is infinitely better than the trash that is Work From Home. I'd certainly welcome it on the countdown.


- We also have Fresh Eyes by Andy Grammer, which Nicole from the Mash-Up took literally every opportunity she could to promote the song by playing a clip of the chorus when she came up. It's not that great right now, but hey.


- Then we have the long-awaited arrival of Into You by Ariana Grande. This song is epic in every sense of the word. This is the song this year has needed to deliver some real punch and oomph. Heh... I bet some of you expected me to rave about this one, but I figured I may as well try to keep it short. Still, it's
 easily the new best song on Hit-Bound. Let's get it on the countdown soon!


- There's also Never Be Like You by Flume featuring Kai. It's another one of those songs with lyrics about trying to show emotional depth (like Sorry by Justin Bieber). And is it just me, or does the beat totally rip off of My Love by Justin Timberlake? Still respectable.


- We also have Heathens by Twenty-one Pilots. To me it's a pretty cool song, but it's not quite as good as Ride, or Stressed Out in the long run. Still, I like its theme.


- MKTO are back with a new track called Superstitious. Even though its name steals from a classic 70's song, it's funky indeed.


Top 20 Breakdown:

0 - Garbage:
20. Me Too by Meghan Trainor

1 - Bad:

19. Sit Still, Look Pretty by Daya

2 - Meh:

18. Victorious by Panic! At The Disco

3 - Decent:

17. Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande
16. Don't Mind by Kent Jones
15. Treat You Better by Shawn Mendes
14. This Is What You Came For by Calvin Harris with Rihanna
13. Stressed Out by Twenty-one Pilots

4 - Good:

12. Figure Me Out by The Summer Set
11. Mama Said by Lukas Graham

5 - Great:

10. We Don't Talk Anymore by Charlie Puth and Selena Gomez
9. Send My Love (To Your New Lover) by Adele
8. Don't Let Me Down by The Chainsmokers featuring Daya
7. Just Like Fire by P!nk
6. Girls Talk Boys by 5 Seconds of Summer
5. Once In A While by Timeflies
4. Can't Stop the Feeling! by Justin Timberlake
3. Cheap Thrills by Sia featuring Sean Paul
2. I Took a Pill In Ibiza by Mike Posner
1. Ride by Twenty-one Pilots

Overall score: 76/100 - Solid


Countdown Bottom 5

1. Me Too by Meghan Trainor
2. Kill 'Em With Kindness by Selena Gomez
3. No by Meghan Trainor
4. Work From Home by Fifth Harmony
5. Cake By The Ocean by DNCE

Countdown Top 5

1. Ride by Twenty-one Pilots
2. I Took a Pill In Ibiza by Mike Posner
3. The Sound by The 1975 (that guest DJ position upped it a bit, haha)
4. Cheap Thrills by Sia featuring Sean Paul
5. Can't Stop the Feeling! by Justin Timberlake

Hit-Bound Top 5

1. Into You by Ariana Grande
2. Back 2 U by Steve Aoki & Boehm featuring Walk The Moon
3. Spirits by The Strumbellas
4. Heathens by Twenty-one Pilots
5. Hymn For The Weekend (Seeb Remix) by Coldplay

Most Missed Song: Don't by Ed Sheeran - Heard it on the mash-up a few days ago JUST before Spyder Harrison's block; still solid.


#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Bacon by Nick Jonas featuring Ty Dolla $ign


Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:

Manana by Los 5 - Not a lot I can really say about this song. What is Manana, anyway?
Like I Can by Sam Smith - Here's a song by Sam Smith that definitely deserved to do better than it did. But the fact that it flopped shows that people preferred his slower songs.

So...this wasn't quite as good as I thought it would be, but it was still an interesting week. Not only did we get some decent activity, but one of my favorite songs of the year so far arrived, AND I got to be a guest DJ! Fun stuff. We're not among the golden age yet, but this definitely looks like a step in the right track.


Two more things I want to say before I close this out:

First, I made myself a Twitter that I can use to discuss matters related to Hits 1 and the like. I'm not sure how often I'll use it, but you can follow me at @sctheotter491. I'm not new to Twitter, and I'm not sure how much I'll use this one, but if it's necessary for anything, it's a thing.
Secondly, since my 1,000 pageview special, I have since thought of other ways that I can allow this to expand beyond just talking about the countdown. A handful of these bloggers do things like post their 10 favorite songs by certain acts, album reviews on rare occasions, among other things. And I do want to try to get more variety in my activity. So maybe at least once a month, I'll try to do something that isn't a Weekend Countdown post. It could be my Top 10 songs by a certain act, another retro Year-End Hot 100 post, something like that. And with that, thanks for reading, everybody!

Saturday, July 23, 2016

July 23, 2016 - Mike Posner (2)


So...yeah. This round was pretty weak. Why has the countdown been so inert since that 5-exit week? Is it the summer lull? Some people have already talked about how slow this year has been for music as a whole, and looking at the summers of 2014 and 2015 here in countdown land, I can say that's true this time around. I mean, I don't mind as much as most others do, but I do feel bad for them. We're entering the dark age of the countdown, unfortunately I did not find this blogging thing at the right time. That is disappointing. But at least our #1 song shows it could surely be worse. With that being said, here are the songs leaving us this week.
  • If It Ain't Love by Jason Derulo (#41)
The Countdown!
Last Week’s #1 Song: Can't Stop the Feeling! by Justin Timberlake
45. Work by Rihanna featuring Drake (#43)
44. Lost Boy by Ruth B. (#40)
43. Me, Myself and I by G-Eazy and Bebe Rexha (#45)
42. Unsteady by X Ambassadors (#44)
41. Hands to Myself by Selena Gomez (#39)
40. You Don't Own Me by Grace (#27)
39. 7 Years by Lukas Graham (#42)
38. My House by Flo Rida (#37) (one week at #1)
37. Wild Things by Alessia Cara (#32)
36. Let It Go by James Bay (#24)
35. Pillowtalk by Zayn Malik (#34)
34. Work From Home by Fifth Harmony (#35)
33. No by Meghan Trainor (#36) (Seriously?!)
32. Missing You by All Time Low (#26)
31. Youth by Troye Sivan (#30)
30. Cake By The Ocean by DNCE (#28) (four weeks at #1)
29. Say by Symon (#29)
28. Girls Talk Boys by 5 Seconds of Summer (debut)
27. Kill 'Em With Kindness by Selena Gomez (#25)
26. The Sound by The 1975 (#38)
25. History by One Direction (#20)
24. Figure Me Out by The Summer Set (#18)
23. Mama Said by Lukas Graham (#31)
22. Me Too by Meghan Trainor (#21)
21. Wherever I Go by OneRepublic (#10)
20. One Dance by Drake featuring WizKid and Kyla (#33)
19. Send My Love (To Your New Lover) by Adele (#22)
18. Treat You Better by Shawn Mendes (#19)
17. Stressed Out by Twenty-one Pilots (#12) (five weeks at #1)
16. Don't Mind by Kent Jones (#23)
15. Toothbrush by DNCE (#16)
14. Once In a While by Timeflies (#15)
13. We Don't Talk Anymore by Charlie Puth and Selena Gomez (#13)
12. Sit Still, Look Pretty by Daya (#13)
11. Victorious by Panic! At The Disco (#14) (one week at #1)
10. New Romantics by Taylor Swift (#11) (two weeks at #1)
9. Close by Nick Jonas and Tove Lo (#9)
8. This Is What You Came For by Calvin Harris with Rihanna (#8)
7. Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande (#7)
6. Just Like Fire by P!nk (#3)
5. Don't Let Me Down by The Chainsmokers featuring Daya (#6)
4. Ride by Twenty-one Pilots (#5)
3. Cheap Thrills by Sia featuring Sean Paul (#2)
2. Can't Stop the Feeling! by Justin Timberlake (#1) (five weeks at #1)
#1 Song This Week 1 Year Ago: Honey, I'm Good by Andy Grammer
1. I Took a Pill In Ibiza by Mike Posner (#4) (second week at #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: You Don't Own Me by Grace (-13)


Biggest Jump Of The Week: One Dance by Drake featuring WizKid and Kyla (+13) (Hm...)


New Entrants

- So we have but one new entrant this week, with a new track from the Ghostbusters movie soundtrack, in Girls Talk Boys by 5 Seconds of Summer. Because of course Hits 1 loves their 5SOS. I know that when it debuted last week I called it their best track yet, but that may have been exaggerating. Still, it feels like an unpopular opinion among this community to like this song, but it's definitely better than their two 2014 hits. I like that guitar riff and the harmonies are good, particularly in the post-verse. We'll see if this wears on me, but I'm liking it right now.

When The Girls Talk Blurbs

- And we have one exit...yet again, because Hits 1 knows what we want and gives us the opposite. They're the Trollfreak of radio. If It Ain't Love by Jason Derulo wasn't destined to last long after that huge drop last month, but as I said last week, I do wish Derulo was having more success with what he's had since Want to Want Me last year.

- I still don't find Lost Boy by Ruth B. as bad or boring as a lot of people do, but it's not a song that to me really fits on the countdown. Still, I can't see myself hating it.


The Sound by The 1975 took a jump up into the 30's? Sure, I'll take it!

- So Spyder Harrison mentioned this before introducing History by One Direction, but both Harry Styles and Liam Payne have apparently signed record deals. I remember the freakout that people had then and the #OneDirectionIsOverParty thing. I don't even know what to say. Now I'm really hoping that Perfect will make Billboard's Year-End Hot 100, which it has a chance to by the skin of its teeth, but that's a story for December.

- I thought for sure that One Dance by Drake featuring WizKid and Kyla would flop here like Hotline Bling did. Clearly, I was wrong, as it took the biggest jump of the week. It's still #1 on the Hot 100 right now, though, but it won't be for much longer.

- Me Too by Meghan Trainor continues to make me rage every time I hear it. Hopefully it can keep dropping.

- Along with Me TooWork by Rihanna featuring DrakeNo by Meghan TrainorPillowtalk by Zayn MalikWork From Home by Fifth HarmonyHands to Myself and Kill ‘Em With Kindness by Selena GomezYouth by Troye Sivan, and Cake By The Ocean by DNCE all need to leave the countdown!!!!! ...As does Sit Still, Look Pretty by Daya, but that one looks like it's a ways away from then.

- And for the elephant in the room, someone did notice this the previous week, but yes, I have Don't Mind by Kent Jones in pink. I don't know, I may just have a soft spot for most intentionally weird songs. It'll probably be red again eventually.

- All the songs through 7 - 9 held their spots from last week.

- Who saw Sia perform on Good Morning America yesterday? I liked the performances of Cheap Thrills and Unstoppable, but when she did Chandelier, she had to shift into her lower range and not belt out like on the original studio version. I still love the song, but yeah, it is not a song meant to be performed live. And like many, I was expecting Cheap Thrills to be #1.

- When they played Honey, I'm Good by Andy Grammer (the #1 song this week one year ago), I noticed they didn't censor out the word "ass" in the second verse. Am I weird for only now noticing that?

- But to see I Took a Pill In Ibiza by Mike Posner at #1 again? Again, it would've been nice to have Cheap Thrills at #1 this time around, but I'll take it. Also, before Spyder Harrison introduced it, he didn't refer to it as "this week's numero uno". And there wasn't the dramatic silent pause before saying "wutchuwanted", as there was synth going on then.

Hit-Bound

  • Rise by Katy Perry
  • All About Us by Jordan Fisher
  • Hymn For The Weekend (Seeb Remix) by Coldplay
  • Red Dress by MAGIC!
  • Brand New by Ben Rector
  • Body Say by Demi Lovato
  • No Broken Hearts by Bebe Rexha featuring Nicki Minaj
  • Lovesick by Jacob Whitesides
  • Spirits by The Strumbellas
  • Hello Friday by Flo Rida featuring Jason Derulo
  • Wild by Troye Sivan and Alessia Cara
  • I Wanna Know by Alesso with Nico and Vinz
  • I'm Not Famous by AJR
  • Back 2 U by Steve Aoki & Boehm featuring Walk The Moon (debut)

- Yes, you're reading that right. Rise by Katy Perry is in orange. I just find the song disappointing and not interesting. And seeing as it currently has an average rating of 3.5/5 stars on iTunes and isn't in the Top 10 there at the time of this typing, I'm not alone in feeling the same. Hello Friday, you're off the hook this week.

- On that note, Hello Friday by Flo Rida featuring Jason Derulo has actually grown on me a little. Not to the point of where I'll actively seek it out, but it won't make me change the station immediately. I highly doubt it'll be green, though, and there are other songs here I would rather see make the countdown.

- I've seen Brand New by Ben Rector get quite a bit of hate, and I've even seen a few call it one of the worst songs of the year so far. I don't think the song is great, but it definitely deserves better than that.

- Spirits by The Strumbellas has only gotten more interesting every time I hear it. We need more indie folk like this!

- And last, but certainly not least, we come to our one debut here, Back 2 U by Steve Aoki & Boehm featuring Walk The Moon. Nicholas Petricca's vocals fit the song well and the drop is pretty solid. Walk The Moon don't deserve to be one-hit wonders...

Top 20 Breakdown:
0 - Garbage:
None!

1 - Bad:
20. Sit Still, Look Pretty by Daya

2 - Meh:
19. New Romantics by Taylor Swift
18. One Dance by Drake featuring WizKid and Kyla

3 - Decent:
17. Don't Mind by Kent Jones
16. Victorious by Panic! At The Disco
15. Close by Nick Jonas and Tove Lo
14. This Is What You Came For by Calvin Harris with Rihanna
13. Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande

4 - Good:
12. Treat You Better by Shawn Mendes
11. Toothbrush by DNCE
10. Stressed Out by Twenty-one Pilots

5 - Great:
9. We Don't Talk Anymore by Charlie Puth and Selena Gomez
8. Don't Let Me Down by The Chainsmokers featuring Daya
7. Send My Love (To Your New Lover) by Adele
6. Just Like Fire by P!nk
5. Once In a While by Timeflies
4. Cheap Thrills by Sia featuring Sean Paul
3. Can't Stop the Feeling! by Justin Timberlake
2. Ride by Twenty-one Pilots
1. I Took a Pill In Ibiza by Mike Posner

Overall score: 77/100 - Solid

May The Following Please Refer To Blurb #7?
1. Me Too by Meghan Trainor
2. Work by Rihanna featuring Drake
3. Kill 'Em With Kindness by Selena Gomez
4. No by Meghan Trainor
5. Work From Home by Fifth Harmony

Countdown Top 5

1. I Took a Pill In Ibiza by Mike Posner
2. Ride by Twenty-one Pilots
3. Can't Stop the Feeling! by Justin Timberlake
4. Cheap Thrills by Sia featuring Sean Paul
5. The Sound by The 1975

Hit-Bound Top 5

1. Spirits by The Strumbellas
2. Hymn For The Weekend (Seeb Remix) by Coldplay
3. Back 2 U by Steve Aoki & Boehm featuring Walk The Moon
4. I'm Not Famous by AJR
5. Body Say by Demi Lovato

Most Missed Song: I Need Your Love by Calvin Harris with Ellie Goulding

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Greenlight by Pitbull featuring LunchMoney Lewis and Flo Rida


Yes, as you can see, I'm including these two sections like a few other of these bloggers have done. I know the second one isn't something Hits 1 will see, but it's cool to throw stuff out there that one thinks might fit well. Now I need to figure out how to include the "new songs out there" pages and what not...


Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:

Should've Been Us by Tori Kelly - Beautiful song and easily my favorite of Tori Kelly's three singles, but unfortunately all of them have had disappointing runs.
Stitches by Shawn Mendes - Already talked about this one on my 2015 Year-End Hot 100 breakdown. It's just meh with a not straightforward premise. Next!
Bad Girls by MKTO - Not really a lot to say about this one, these guys are silly but just fun.
She's Kinda Hot by 5 Seconds of Summer - This song's narrating goes all over the place and after the first chorus abandons the titular aspect completely.

So yeah, not the most exciting round. Let's hope for some more activity next week to actually liven this countdown up for a change. Thanks for reading, everybody!

Saturday, July 16, 2016

July 16, 2016 - Justin Timberlake (5)


Well this wasn't quite the boom that we've eagerly awaited, but it's always nice to see a shake-up. This week does make some big history, and we'll get to that in a bit, but things are definitely looking more interesting now. We had some good activity going on, so it does leave me with some hope that things won't be so stagnant. But it's the summer, and sometimes these things shake up but others they're inert. You never know. With that being said, here are the songs leaving us this week.

  • Irresistible by Fall Out Boy featuring Demi Lovato (#34) (!!!!!!!!!!)
  • Jet Black Heart by 5 Seconds of Summer (#44)
  • Never Forget You by Zara Larsson and MNEK (#43) (Nooooooo! :()
  • Messin' Around by Pitbull and Enrique Iglesias (#35)
Also, before I get to the countdown, two other things I'd like to mention:
1. I may as well mention that I've added a new color: Dark Red = Song is old but I don't mind and still like it. Kinda like what a few of the other bloggers have, as there are certain songs I'd be lying if I said they weren't old, but I still find them enjoyable even at that.
2. In case you missed it, I posted my 1,000 Pageview Special on Thursday evening, in the form of a full ranking of 2015's Year-End Hot 100. Here it is if you want to check it out. Anyway, enough about that. Let's go!

The Countdown!
Last Week’s #1 Song: Can't Stop the Feeling! by Justin Timberlake
45. Me, Myself and I by G-Eazy and Bebe Rexha (#39) (Unbelievable...)
44. Unsteady by X Ambassadors (#24)
43. Work by Rihanna featuring Drake (#45)
42. 7 Years by Lukas Graham (#42)
41. If It Ain't Love by Jason Derulo (#41)
40. Lost Boy by Ruth B. (#28)
39. Hands to Myself by Selena Gomez (#37)
38. The Sound by The 1975 (debut)
37. My House by Flo Rida (#31) (one week at #1)
36. No by Meghan Trainor (#38)
35. Work From Home by Fifth Harmony (#33)
34. Pillowtalk by Zayn Malik (#34)
33. One Dance by Drake featuring WizKid and Kyla (debut)
32. Wild Things by Alessia Cara (#19) (Yikes!)
31. Mama Said by Lukas Graham (debut)
30. Youth by Troye Sivan (#29)
29. Say by Symon (debut)
28. Cake By The Ocean by DNCE (#31) (four weeks at #1)
27. You Don't Own Me by Grace (#21)
26. Missing You by All Time Low (#26)
25. Kill 'Em With Kindness by Selena Gomez (#27)
24. Let It Go by James Bay (#11)
23. Don't Mind by Kent Jones (#24)
22. Send My Love (To Your New Lover) by Adele (#40)
21. Me Too by Meghan Trainor (#17)
20. History by One Direction (#8)
19. Treat You Better by Shawn Mendes (#23)
18. Figure Me Out by The Summer Set (#18)
17. We Don't Talk Anymore by Charlie Puth and Selena Gomez (#22)
16. Toothbrush by DNCE (#20)
15. Once In a While by Timeflies (#15)
14. Victorious by Panic! At The Disco (#30) (one week at #1)
13. Sit Still, Look Pretty by Daya (#9)
12. Stressed Out by Twenty-one Pilots (#14) (five weeks at #1)
11. New Romantics by Taylor Swift (#10) (two weeks at #1)
10. Wherever I Go by OneRepublic (#16)
9. Close by Nick Jonas and Tove Lo (#13)
8. This Is What You Came For by Calvin Harris with Rihanna (#12)
7. Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande (#6)
6. Don't Let Me Down by The Chainsmokers featuring Daya (#3)
5. Ride by Twenty-one Pilots (#4)
4. I Took a Pill In Ibiza by Mike Posner (#7)
3. Just Like Fire by P!nk (#2)
2. Cheap Thrills by Sia featuring Sean Paul (#5)
#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon
1. Can't Stop the Feeling! by Justin Timberlake (#1) (5th week at #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Unsteady by X Ambassadors (-20) (second week in a row...)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Send My Love (To Your New Lover) by Adele (+18)

New Entrants
The 1975 have had a few songs that have been featured on the countdown, like Chocolate from 2013, and they're back with a new one, The Sound. It's been on Hit-Bound for over two months now, but I don't mind its late arrival. This song has been getting a lot of acclaim from music critics, and I've seen some call it one of the best songs of the year so far, and I don't blame them, because between the production and some neat guitar work, this song is beautiful. I hope it does good on the countdown.

- So unless you've been under a rock for the past two months, you would know that One Dance by Drake featuring WizKid and Kyla has been dominating the Billboard Hot 100 for a while now, as it's currently at its 9th week at #1. I guess I can see the appeal, but with all the overexposure that Drake has had since 2015 with not only his two surprise albums last year in If You're Reading This It's Too Late and What A Time To Be Alive with Future, but Views as well as the Meek Mill beef and several other hits, I'm sure I speak for many when I say that I've gotten sick of Drake in general. That's why it's already in yellow. I'm sure many have wondered if he actually cares about his work that much, and it doesn't help that he still hasn't released a video for the song and it can't be put on YouTube at all. Some people are predicting that it might actually be the #1 song on the 2016 Year-End Hot 100, but it's going to face competition from Justin Bieber's two big hits, and doesn’t look like it’s much longer for #1, given both Katy Perry and Britney Spears have returned with new songs. We'll get to Katy Perry later, but ranting about that aside, I do feel as if the song is a little over-hated, but it is repetitive even by pop music's low standards. It probably won't be long before it turns red. However, given how quickly Hotline Bling got the boot from the countdown, this may not be with us too long. We'll see.

- Next up we have yet another song from supposed US one-hit wonders with Mama Said by Lukas Graham. After the success of 7 Years, we have Mama Said, which has apparently been successful in Denmark where this band originated. Unlike its "predecessor", at least the song is upbeat...but what the heck is with those children chanting throughout?

- Much like The Sound, Say by Symon had been stuck on Hit-Bound for a while. While I liked the song at first, I have realized that hearing that chorus with the looping drop and "Do what Symon say" over and over isn't that exciting. Not to mention that rap breakdown on the bridge is kinda grating. It hasn't hit Insta-Station Change yet, but it's definitely late to the party.

Higher Powers Blurbing A Hold On Me
- Oh my goodness... This week makes history as it is the first week since (if memory serves) February 2013, when Fall Out Boy made their return with My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light 'Em Up), where they don't have a single song on the countdown. The band as a whole has had a tenure of over three years here and now...it's cut short. I don't even know what to say, except that I know there are probably a lot of people throwing Fall Out Boy be-gone parties. Other than that, Never Forget You by Zara Larsson and MNEK got a sadly undeserved boot, but that was only a matter of time after those two big drops in a row. I'm not surprised that Messin' Around got the boot, and Jet Black Heart had been here a while.

- This is the second week in a row that Unsteady by X Ambassadors had the biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! of the week. Looks like these guys may be doomed to be one-hit wonders after all. :(

- I'm not even going to comment on the fact that Work by Rihanna featuring Drake is still here. Oh wait, I just did. But this is the third week in a row that the two songs in front of it have held at their positions.

- Uh-oh! Wild Things by Alessia Cara took a drop down to #32. Shame, as the song has underperformed and I think it deserved better than this after the success of its predecessor. Also, Spyder Harrison still has not introduced the song once.

- Looks like Let It Go by James Bay is finally starting to fall down. It had a good run, and I do like indie hits like that because we don't get much of that anymore.

- Remember how when Don't Mind by Kent Jones debuted, I called it a Pitbull ripoff because Spanish? Well, that sounds kinda funny when I discovered that a remix with Pitbull and Lil Wayne recently dropped. And didn't Pitbull throw a diss track at Lil Wayne back in 2013? That makes their duo presence ironic. Wow.

- That Biggest Jump of the Week should come as a surprise to nobody, because, well, Adele. There's no way it'll be as big as Hello was, but it's still going to get steam.

- Yay for Me Too by Meghan Trainor dropping out of the Top 20. Now if we can get it to drop further (read: leave the countdown), that'd be great.

- So, I went to see The Secret Life of Pets yesterday (cute movie by the way, would definitely recommend), and History by One Direction had come on just as I was arriving at the theater. Then, as I got back into my car after coming back from the movie, it was on again, but this time at the last chorus. It had been a little less than three hours, though. So I didn't think the song would drop to the tail-end of the Top 20 like that, but I have been hearing it less and less so it may not be much longer.

- In the meantime, Victorious by Panic! At The Disco took an out of nowhere jump back into the Top 15. I do like the rock elements of the song still, but it is odd.

- Okay, fine, Close by Nick Jonas and Tove Lo did do a Wherever I Go and grow on me a little bit. It'll probably be red again before too long, but I guess right now it's not the end of the world having to hear it.

- Once more, Spyder Harrison made a mistake when he said that Ride by Twenty-one Pilots went up one to #5...it went down. Silly Spyder. :P Would've liked for it to go up, though, that would've been nice. Maybe even hit #1 perhaps? I'm also amazed at how much staying power Stressed Out has had after Cake By The Ocean, My House and Work have all been dropping.

- Speaking of Wherever I Go, I'm honestly starting to see the appeal of it. I don't find it outright stellar, and it's not as good as any of the three main singles from Native, but I'm okay with it sticking around for now.

- And on that note, I'm very happy with our Top 5, which is kinda ironic seeing as most of the rest of this countdown didn't feel all that great per se (again, at least the first half of it). I don't mind Can't Stop the Feeling! by Justin Timberlake still at #1, in fact it may get interesting if it starts to really get with the big songs from recent years. But I would like to see Cheap Thrills by Sia featuring Sean Paul hit #1 as well, that's still fun.

Hit-Bound

  • I Wanna Know by Alesso with Nico and Vinz
  • Body Say by Demi Lovato (debut)
  • Spirits by The Strumbellas
  • No Broken Hearts by Bebe Rexha featuring Nicki Minaj
  • Hello Friday by Flo Rida featuring Jason Derulo
  • Girls Talk Boys by 5 Seconds of Summer (debut)
  • All About Us by Jordan Fisher
  • Wild by Troye Sivan and Alessia Cara (debut)
  • Hymn for The Weekend (Seeb Remix) by Coldplay (debut)
  • I'm Not Famous by AJR
  • Brand New by Ben Rector
  • Red Dress by MAGIC!
  • Lovesick by Jacob Whitesides
  • Rise by Katy Perry (debut)
So obviously after losing a bunch of songs from the countdown, it figures we'd get a lot of debuts here, so I'm giving it a full rundown this time.

- We have Demi Lovato back with another "sexy" song, and Body Say comes short in the face of Cool For The Summer, but it's good for now.

- With No Broken Hearts having been here so long, I've noticed that the song being slathered in autotune is kind of a turnoff. We'll see if it gets bad.

- So the new Ghostbusters movie released yesterday, and I've heard better about it than I'm sure most were prepared for. I almost saw that movie instead of the aforementioned one, but the place I went only had a 9:40 showing and I couldn't wait that long. I have seen the soundtrack, though, and here we have 5 Seconds of Summer with a new track on that front, Girls Talk Boys. This may be their best song yet. Fun fact, one of the writers on this track consisted of John Ryan, who not only was on Fireball by Pitbull from 2014, but has worked on several of One Direction's notable songs. I was very close to putting it in purple, but we'll get to the new debut that I gave that to in a bit.

- Then we have another debut, Wild by Troye Sivan and Alessia Cara. I guess it lives up to its name, with those scattered drum rolls and the background chanting. It might wear on me, though.

- Then we also have Coldplay yet again, with Hymn For The Weekend. Compared to their previous success, Adventure of a Lifetime from earlier this year, I wasn't the biggest fan of the original version of this song, but I do like the Seeb remix as it makes it sound cooler, but I can see why people may not like it. And some people have said Beyonce isn't in this one (she had uncredited vocals on the original), but that's not quite true - you can hear her in the second verse and at the very end. But it's my new favorite song on Hit-Bound.

- Finally, yesterday we got the long-awaited return of the pop juggernaut that is Katy Perry, in the form of Rise. This song is going to be used for the 2016 Rio Olympics, and... Right now I can't say I'm a fan. I've seen so many songs trying to be inspirational, but after both Firework and Roar, this is not what Katy Perry is best with as opposed to her tastelessness. Although I guess I'm gonna have to get used to it, at the very least, hopefully it'll end One Dance's reign on the Hot 100...

Why Couldn't You Guys Have Left Instead?
1. Me Too by Meghan Trainor
2. Work by Rihanna featuring Drake
3. No by Meghan Trainor
4. Cake By The Ocean by DNCE
5. Kill 'Em With Kindness by Selena Gomez

Countdown Top 5
1. Ride by Twenty-one Pilots
2. Cheap Thrills by Sia featuring Sean Paul
3. The Sound by 1975
4. Can't Stop the Feeling! by Justin Timberlake
5. I Took a Pill In Ibiza by Mike Posner (Wow, that's four of the Top 5 right there.)

Hit-Bound Top 5
1. Hymn For The Weekend by Coldplay
2. Girls Talk Boys by 5 Seconds of Summer
3. I'm Not Famous by AJR
4. Body Say by Demi Lovato
5. Spirits by The Strumbellas

Top 20 Breakdown:
0 - Garbage:
None!

1 - Bad:
None!

2 - Meh:
20. Sit Still, Look Pretty by Daya
19. New Romantics by Taylor Swift

3 - Decent:
18. Close by Nick Jonas and Tove Lo
17. This Is What You Came For by Calvin Harris with Rihanna
16. History by One Direction
15. Victorious by Panic! At The Disco
14. Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande

4 - Good:
13. Treat You Better by Shawn Mendes
12. Figure Me Out by The Summer Set
11. Toothbrush by DNCE
10. Stressed Out by Twenty-one Pilots
9. Wherever I Go by OneRepublic

5 - Great:
8. Once In a While by Timeflies
7. We Don't Talk Anymore by Charlie Puth and Selena Gomez
6. Just Like Fire by P!nk
5. Don't Let Me Down by The Chainsmokers featuring Daya
4. I Took a Pill In Ibiza by Mike Posner
3. Can't Stop the Feeling! by Justin Timberlake
2. Cheap Thrills by Sia featuring Sean Paul
1. Ride by Twenty-one Pilots

Overall score: 79/100 - Solid

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago: None.

Thanks for reading, everybody!