Going on hiatus for a while

Hey everyone. Now, this announcement is something that many of you won't be wild about. To start, you probably already know that I skipped a week, the June 3 week (although that week I was on vacation so that excuses it kinda), and I didn't get out the June 10 week, either. And I've gone on record many times as feeling a lack of motivation to get these out, but I have my reasons.

Initially, this was going to be a VERY long-winded ramble about opinions, having to defend them all the time, overplay, the fact that sometimes stating my opinions on multiple pages can end up conveying the same thing, and even the fact that this blog kind of started out of boredom and not really having anything else to do one weekend and trying to find interest in something else. Not to mention how I feel like it's kind of turned me into a prick and how I say things that I feel aren't necessary. It was proving really hard for me to find the right way to put it.

Instead I'll just leave you guys with this: please understand, people, it's not that I don't like (talking about) pop music, I don't like blogging, or that I'm sick of listening to Hits 1 and their countdown. Or that it has anything to do with the music that has been released this year or last year. Nothing like that at all. But this all feels like a lot of high maintenance, and being associated with all these people can feel supportive, but at the same time it's very draining, and there's a part of me that has wanted to go on hiatus for some time now. As I said, this takes a lot out of me in more ways than one, not only with how much goes into every week, but because of all the negativity that goes around in this community, and how I can never think of anything new.

I've felt like this has been coming for a while now, ever since November when I was late on one of the updates. And then certain things happened and they took up quite a bit of my free time late last year and early this year, and I have been growing (back) into other things, not to mention how I need to work towards getting a proper full-time job along with that. Back when I was waking up at 6 AM to get my posts out before anyone else, it was kind of cool, but at the same time it was draining and that I feel like I forced myself to do,  which I feel like is part of what's made it harder for me to enjoy this.

But that brings me to the big question: am I quitting this for good? I'll say this definitively: I hope that won't be the case. Because if it does end up being the end, I'll be more upset about it than any of you. Maybe after not doing it for a while I'll feel motivated again. But I really can't make any promises for anything. I'll still hang out on Adrian's page and of course I'll read others', too.

Please know, right now I'm just doing this for myself. I know that some of you will be disappointed, but trust me, I am too, and again, I'll be even more so if I do say goodbye for good. Thanks for understanding, everyone, and stay awesome.

May 27, 2017 - The Chainsmokers + Coldplay (1)

Kid Kelly hosted this week's countdown while Spyder Harrison was out in Italy. As for this week, well, it's basically what you'd expect from Memorial Day weekend, not that much happened overall. I'm definitely pleased with our new #1, trust me, we'll get to it, but aside from that there wasn't too much to address. Although I have been doing this for a year now, so that's cool at least. But let's get on with it. So without further ado, here are the songs leaving us this week.

• Good Life by Kehlani featuring G-Eazy (#36)
• Chained To The Rhythm by Katy Perry featuring Skip Marley (#43)

The Countdown!

Last Week’s #1 Song: Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran

45. Bad Things by Machine Gun Kelly and Camila Cabello (#42)

44. Don't Wanna Know by Maroon 5 (#37) (three weeks at #1)

43. I Feel It Coming by The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk (#45)

42. Starving by Hailee Steinfeld and Grey featuring Zedd (#41) (four weeks at #1)

41. Still Got Time by Zayn Malik featuring PartyNextDoor (#38)

40. This Town by Niall Horan (#44)

39. Sooner Or Later by Aaron Carter (#40)

38. American Girls by One Ok Rock (#39)

37. All Night by The Vamps featuring Matoma (#22)

36. Kissing Strangers by DNCE (#33)

35. Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo (debut)

34. Heavydirtysoul by Twenty-one Pilots (#35)

33. At My Best by Machine Gun Kelly and Hailee Steinfeld (#31)

32. Just Hold On by Steve Aoki featuring Louis Tomlinson (#32)

31. Closer by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey (#29) (eight weeks at #1)

30. Malibu by Miley Cyrus (debut)

29. I Don't Wanna Live Forever by Zayn Malik and Taylor Swift (#30)

28. Rockabye by Clean Bandit featuring Sean Paul (#25)

27. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring gnash (#28)

26. I'm The One by DJ Khaled with Justin Bieber and Chance The Rapper (#23)

25. Play That Song by Train (#19)

24. Weak by AJR (#18)

23. HandClap by Fitz And The Tantrums (#21)

22. Swalla by Jason Derulo featuring Ty Dolla $ign and Nicki Minaj (#34)

21. Slow Hands by Niall Horan (#15)

20. Cold by Maroon 5 (#27)

19. Paris by The Chainsmokers (#9) (one week at #1)

18. L.A. Devotee by Panic! At The Disco (#12)

17. Mercy by Shawn Mendes (#26)

16. Now Or Never by Halsey (#14)

15. Slide by Calvin Harris featuring Frank Ocean and Migos (#15)

14. Sign Of The Times by Harry Styles (#24)

13. The Cure by Lady Gaga (#13)

12. Say You Won't Let Go by James Arthur (#10)

11. That's What I Like by Bruno Mars (#17)

10. Attention by Charlie Puth (#20)

9. Heavy by Linkin Park featuring Kiiara (#7)

8. Issues by Julia Michaels (#8)

7. Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran (#3) (nine weeks at #1)

6. It Ain't Me by Kygo featuring Selena Gomez (#6)

5. Believer by Imagine Dragons (#5)

4. There's Nothing Holding Me Back by Shawn Mendes (#11)

3. Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara (#2) (two weeks at #1)

2. Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran (#1) (two weeks at #1)

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: New Romantics by Taylor Swift (first of two weeks at #1)

1. Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers and Coldplay (#4) (first week at #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: All Night by The Vamps featuring Matoma (-15)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Swalla by Jason Derulo featuring Ty Dolla $ign and Nicki Minaj (+12)

New Entrants (will review next week)

- (Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo)

- (Malibu by Miley Cyrus)

Blurb That Down For Me
- So for our exits, I could go on about how Chained To The Rhythm departed and I'm basically alright with that, but the bigger news is that with Good Life leaving, we've had our first one week tenure since 2014 where we had two (Turn Down For What by DJ Snake featuring Lil Jon and Welcome To New York by Taylor Swift, three if you count Out Of The Woods). I guess it's not that surprising that it departed quickly, given that Furious 8 hype has gone since, but dang.

- Before introducing I Feel It Coming, Kid Kelly mentioned that Selena Gomez denied rumors of a duet between her and boyfriend The Weeknd. I honestly don't feel like that collab would make all that much sense given how different their styles are. That aside, it's too bad this one's time is coming to its end.

- All Night took a drop down into the bottom 10. I'm alright with that as I was never huge for this song anyway.

- I'm very fascinated that Just Hold On is still here. And while I would like to say the same about I Don't Wanna Live Forever, I know it's still here because, well, Taylor Swift.

- So I guess I'm The One is gonna be like what One Dance was last year?

- Of our debuts from last week, the only one to do anything substantial was Swalla, and I'm perfectly fine with that.

- Ooooooh, Paris took a noticeable drop down to the bottom of the Top 20. For a former #1, this is taking a quick decline.

- After a bit of a slowdown, Sign Of The Times has finally entered the Top 20. The song's momentum has been pretty weird recently, but I'll take what I can get.

- It's no surprise that both Attention and There's Nothing Holding Me Back roared their way into the Top 10, given how much Hits 1 adores both their acts. I wonder how long they'll stay there.

- You know something I kind of found out about Believer? It's by a band named Imagine Dragons, and the bridge features the line "By the grace of the fire and the flames". TTFAF 2 CONFIRMED!!!!!!!1111. ...If you don't know what I'm talking about, you've probably never played or even heard of Guitar Hero, where Through The Fire and Flames by Dragonforce was one of the most iconic songs in that game series. In all seriousness, that is way too perfect to be coincidental.

- And of course, I would be remiss to not mention our very solid new #1. I had a feeling that Something Just Like This would be #1 eventually, given how much Hits 1 has favored The Chainsmokers, and I'm very happy about it what with it being my favorite song on the countdown and all. But the only downside about it is that Spyder Harrison wasn't there to introduce it. Hopefully it doesn't do a Victorious and be a one-weeker that Spyder ends up missing.

- Again, sorry if there weren't that many blurbs, but there really wasn't a whole lot to discuss this week.

The only thing new on Hit-Bound was the re-entry of Versace On The Floor by Bruno Mars, which is being pushed as the next single from the album. While it wouldn't be my first pick per se, I know a lot of critics are liking it, so sure.

Countdown Bottom 5

1. Don't Wanna Know by Maroon 5

2. Starving by Hailee Steinfeld and Grey featuring Zedd

3. Play That Song by Train

4. Bad Things by Machine Gun Kelly and Camila Cabello

5. At My Best by Machine Gun Kelly and Hailee Steinfeld

Countdown Top 5

1. Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers and Coldplay

2. The Cure by Lady Gaga

3. Believer by Imagine Dragons

4. Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran

5. Swalla by Jason Derulo featuring Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla $ign

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: I Took A Pill In Ibiza by Mike Posner

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:

Once In A While by Timeflies — Can't deny that this uses the xylophone does this well. Here's a song that sounds quite lively in a year that felt so dreary.

This Is What You Came For by Calvin Harris with Rihanna — I may have liked this at first, and I'm sure there were worse EDM songs released last year, but I can't think of one as overhyped as this one.

QOTD: Fifth Harmony's first non-Camila Cabello single, Down, just dropped today. How do you think it will fare?

Thanks for reading, everybody!