Hey, everyone! So the 59th Annual Grammys were this past weekend. I have to say, some of these performances I liked a lot better than the American Music Awards performances. Not all of them were ideal, but overall it was definitely a fun awards show to watch. And as always, there were performances. So, which ones did I like the most? Which ones bored me? Read on and find out!
Also, I am going to be rating the performances out of 5, with the usual scale, and not out of 10. When I did the American Music Awards page, Adrian noticed that I didn't give any of them a 10/10. If that's any indication... Since I started using that scale as opposed to the more broad one, I've realized that I'm not as good at rating things out of 10. Instead I find it easier to decide between shit, bad, meh, decent, good and great. If I had been using the 5-point scale in the AMAs there would've been a few 5s there. So yeah. I'm sticking with that from now on. But enough about that. Let's get on with it.
Opening act: Hello by Adele
My thoughts: Though I do love the song, in the chorus I do feel like she was a little wobbly as opposed to the studio version, even if that's to be expected. But she was definitely expressive, and I like how they kept the chanting in the bridge and the transition into the last chorus. Not to mention I found the fact that she didn't perform Water Under The Bridge instead to be a missed opportunity. So I guess this was a nice way to start things off, even if it wasn't completely ideal.
My rating: 4/5
I Feel It Coming by The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk
My thoughts: I did like the fake out into making us think that he'd be performing Starboy. While I do like that one, this was the new one. That aside, I liked the backdrop and setting, and he definitely took it all out with this one. Pretty solid for this one's first live performance I've gotten to watch.
My rating: 5/5
The Fighter by Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood
My thoughts: Although this didn't feel like country, I can hardly care, because I have to say, I really liked this performance. While their vocals weren't the main standout (although I can see that for country performers), the instrumentation was the real seller. It's made me come to really appreciate this song, and I'm not the biggest fan of country of all. But this was good. Very fun to watch.
My rating: 5/5
Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran
My thoughts: I did notice that he wasn't actually playing the guitar until during the first chorus, and it felt like the synth was playing itself. But Ed definitely sounded enthusiastic, and it didn't feel like an off performance at all, either. So, even if there wasn't much to it, this was still solid.
My rating: 4/5
7 Years + Peter Pan mash-up by Lukas Graham and Kelsea Ballerini
My thoughts: Though I like both of these songs, this mash-up feels like it makes more sense than it should. But 7 Years isn't the best song to hear performed live, and this didn't do it that much justice. Overall I just didn't find this one that exciting. Maybe it's just how wobbly Lukas was, but yeah, wasn't feeling this one. I'll admit they had some cute synergy, at least.
My rating: 3/5
Love Drought + Sandcastles by Beyonce
My thoughts: The beginning was weird. Okay, big confession time: I'll admit I actually never got around to listening to Lemonade in its entirety (hey, I'm a working man in my mid-20s and have a lot going on in my life that I do, even if some of it is unproductive). I know, I'm terrible. Anyway, I had no idea what was going on in that trippy intro leading into the song. I kinda zoned out because of the intro, but I was back up and attentive once she got to Sandcastles. And I guess I can appreciate her intention with what she was doing bringing all those people in. So yeah, this got off to a weird start but it was respectable enough.
My rating: 3/5
In between that performance and this next, one, there was a karaoke-esque performance of Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond, along with a bunch of guests. I'm not going to grade it as it was kind of a joke performance it felt like, but I will say that the song hasn't aged perfectly. That aside...
That's What I Like by Bruno Mars
My thoughts: Even with my personal bias, this guy really does know how to get it on. While I still do like the title track from his new album more, they definitely had moves and I may have liked this performance more than that one in November. And how about that backdrop? His backup squad also sold me on this one too. I also liked that brief slowdown in the middle of the last chorus, then they stepped off stage to make it a bit longer. Solid all-around. Also, I heard on Hits 1 In Hollywood the other day that this guy would have the most talked about performance of the night. And while I wouldn't agree, this was solid.
My rating: 5/5
Chained To The Rhythm by Katy Perry featuring Skip Marley
My thoughts: While I'm liking the song, I don't really get what the "house" theme has to do with it, I mean first the lyric video and then this? That being said, it felt pretty trippy, between the fence being barricaded with a scene of water and then fire. I'm still not really sure what Skip Marley does for the song, and I'll have words for that most likely on Saturday, but I did like when the fences came apart, and Katy herself was good, but not quite ideal. But now I have a feeling people are gonna get upset about "political" matters here...
My rating: 4/5
Born Under A Bad Sign by William Bell and Gary Clark Jr.
My thoughts: Another performance I kinda zoned out for. While I do like jazz, I guess I just wasn't big for this one overall. And I guess that's kinda my fault for not really paying attention, but yeah. I guess they were alright but I wasn't interested.
My rating: 2/5
Once by Maren Morris and Alicia Keys
My thoughts: I don't think Alicia Keys sounds very good live, and while Maren was solid this was kind of a push for them and it wasn't that exciting. So yeah, I wasn't a fan of this one. The setting was cool though.
My rating: 1/5
Fastlove (George Michael cover) by Adele
My thoughts: So, the first time she did this she had to stop early into the first chorus for messing up. But second time she got it on track, even though I felt like she wasn't in the best key to perform. And I didn't feel like the tribute was quite the right kind of nature. But it was a nice tribute, at least. It did pick up later in with the violins. So yeah, I guess it was alright enough.
My rating: 3/5
Moth Into Flame by Metallica featuring Lady Gaga
My thoughts: I have to say, this kind of collaboration makes more sense to me than it should. But did anyone else notice that James Hetfield's mic was turned off during the first verse? At first I thought he was just whispering, but no. Anyway, the guitar was good at least, especially the solo. And Lady Gaga got quite weird, not that that's a bad thing. But with Metallica as old as they are, I can only wonder how well they'll be able to perform as time goes on. But gosh darn if they weren't trying.
My rating: 3/5 (had to dock a point for the beginning where James' mic was off)
All Around You by Sturgill Simpson
My thoughts: I've heard good things about Sturgill Simpson, but this song doesn't feel like what should be performed at an awards show. I guess I just didn't really pay attention. He sounded alright I guess, but again, not awards show material.
My rating: 2/5
Tribute to The Bee Gees (Stayin Alive, Tragedy, How Deep Is Your Love, and Night Fever) by Demi Lovato, Tori Kelly, Andre Day, and Little Big Town
My thoughts: I'll say, if you were to ask me to choose a band who I think would be suited for a tribute to The Bee Gees, Little Big Town would NOT be one of them. That being said, I definitely think Demi Lovato was very expressive vocally during her part of the tribute, and Tori Kelly had a nice range to use for her part. And I love Night Fever, but I wasn't quite on board with Andre Day's take on that. Although it was cool when they all came out right at the end for Stayin Alive once more, also. While I wouldn't say I enjoyed it quite as much as a certain other tribute I'll get to shortly, this was good.
My rating: 4/5
Medley (Award Tour, Movin Backwards, and We The People.....) by A Tribe Called Quest and Anderson .Paak
My thoughts: The first part of this one just didn't pull me in much at all. I don't know if it was Anderson, the lack of much really going on for me to like, but yeah. I also hated how it suddenly got political once again later in. Anyone else getting sick of political tirades? You are too? Good. So yeah, I wasn't a fan here. Sorry.
My rating: 0/5
Tribute to Prince (Jungle Love, The Bird and Let's Go Crazy) by The Time featuring Bruno Mars
My thoughts: It's hard to do justice to Prince, but these guys managed to do it. And then, when he came in, it just exploded for me. He even had Prince's purple jacket, too, and showed that he can perform a killer guitar solo when he needs to. "Let's go crazy", indeed. I really have to say this was my favorite performance of the night.
My rating: 5/5
ABC (Jackson 5 cover) by Pentatonix
My thoughts: Not much to this performance, as it was kind of an interlude before the next part. But it was fun to watch, at least. I like how these guys can express without instrumentals.
My rating: 3/5
How Great + All We Got by Chance The Rapper featuring Kirk Franklin and Tamela Mann
My thoughts: I'm so sick of political stuff in awards shows. Now, it's not that I have anything against religious or political matters, and I won't deny that Chance The Rapper does have talent at the least, but even with that gospel choir, this was just really boring. It did get slightly better come No Problem, however.
My rating: 1/5
God Only Knows (cover) by John Legend and Cynthia Erivo (Tribute to those out in 2016)
My thoughts: While there wasn't much to this one, it was what it was. And after the disaster of a year that was 2016, I think this was a very respectable tribute to those that departed within that year. Again, not really much to it except that it was nice. I'm just not sure why they chose this song for it, though.
My rating: 4/5
And here were the awards that were presented during the show. These are obviously not all of them, but most of the ones worth caring about are listed here. That being said, here they were.
Best New Artist: Chance The Rapper
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: Stressed Out by Twenty-one Pilots
Best Rock Song: Blackstar by David Bowie
Best Country Solo Performance: My Church by Maren Morris
Best Urban Contemporary Album: Lemonade by Beyonce
Best Rap Album: Coloring Book by Chance The Rapper
Song Of The Year: Hello by Adele
Record Of The Year: Hello by Adele
Album Of The Year: 25 by Adele
I have to say, I'm not surprised at how Adele took song, record and album of the year. 25 was just massive in every way. But it was pretty nice watching her say that Beyonce should have won the very last one and not her. But it's really something. But remember last year when people were mad that 1989 won in the face of To Pimp A Butterfly? Hopefully it won't be that all over again (I mean let's be real here people, I'm not doubting Kendrick but 1989 was much bigger). But I digress.
My Bottom 5 Performances:
1. Medley by A Tribe Called Quest and Anderson .Paak
2. How Great + All We Got by Chance The Rapper featuring Kirk Franklin and Tamela Mann
3. Once by Maren Morris and Alicia Keys
*4. All Around You by Sturgill Simpson
*5. Born Under A Bad Sign by William Bell and Gary Clark Jr.
* These were not necessarily bad, they were just the next lowest ranked for me.
My Top 5 Performances:
1. Tribute to Prince by The Time featuring Bruno Mars
2. I Feel It Coming by The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk
3. That's What I Like by Bruno Mars
4. The Fighter by Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood
5. Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran
Between Fifty Shades Darker and this, we're gonna be in for one crazy Hot 100 this coming week. But yeah, that's all there is for me to say about this. Thanks for reading!
Well, for Grammys weekend, this could've ended better. We said goodbye to two songs, one of which had been persistent overall, and the other of which was one of the best songs of last year. It's also at the point where I've put three songs in orange. I can't stand any of them. But yeah, this wasn't the best overall. At least our #1 is good, so I'll take it, sure. So without further ado, here are the songs leaving us this week.
- Ride by Twenty-one Pilots (#37)
- Into You by Ariana Grande (#41)
The Countdown!
Last Week’s #1 Song: Don't Wanna Know by Maroon 5
45. Don't Let Me Down by The Chainsmokers featuring Daya (#44) (three weeks at #1)
44. Send My Love (To Your New Lover) by Adele (#36) (one week at #1)
43. Greenlight by Pitbull featuring LunchMoney Lewis and Flo Rida (#42)
42. I Hate U, I Love U by gnash featuring Olivia O'Brien (#45)
41. In The Name Of Love by Martin Garrix and Bebe Rexha (#40)
40. Kids by OneRepublic (#43)
39. Love On The Brain by Rihanna (#35)
38. Hymn For The Weekend by Coldplay (#34)
37. The Greatest by Sia featuring Kendrick Lamar (#25)
36. You're Not There by Lukas Graham (#30)
35. That's What I Like by Bruno Mars (debut)
34. Issues by Julia Michaels (#32)
33. Let Me Love You by DJ Snake with Justin Bieber (#33)
32. Say You Won't Let Go by James Arthur (#28)
31. Starboy by The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk (#14)
30. Guys My Age by Hey Violet (#39)
29. I Got You by Bebe Rexha (debut)
28. Treat You Better by Shawn Mendes (#24)
27. Side To Side by Ariana Grande featuring Nicki Minaj (#25)
26. Heavydirtysoul by Twenty-one Pilots (#27)
25. 24K Magic by Bruno Mars (#20)
24. Scars To Your Beautiful by Alessia Cara (#13)
23. I Feel It Coming by The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk (#31)
22. Death Of A Bachelor by Panic! At The Disco (#19)
21. Words by Daya (#29)
20. Unsteady by X Ambassadors (#23)
19. After The Afterparty by Charli XCX (#21)
18. Just Hold On by Steve Aoki featuring Louis Tomlinson (#26)
17. Million Reasons by Lady Gaga (#38)
16. Heathens by Twenty-one Pilots (#11) (two weeks at #1)
15. Chase You Down by Runaground (#18)
14. This Town by Niall Horan (#16)
13. Paris by The Chainsmokers (#22)
12. Starving by Hailee Steinfeld and Grey featuring Zedd (#6) (four weeks at #1)
11. Bad Things by Machine Gun Kelly and Camilla Cabello (#10)
10. Play That Song by Train (#17)
9. Love Me Now by John Legend (#12)
8. Don't Wanna Know by Maroon 5 (#1) (three weeks at #1)
7. I Don't Wanna Live Forever by Zayn Malik and Taylor Swift (#8)
6. All Time Low by Jon Bellion (#7)
5. Water Under The Bridge by Adele (#9)
4. Mercy by Shawn Mendes (#4)
3. HandClap by Fitz And The Tantrums (#5)
2. Closer by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey (#2) (eight weeks at #1)
#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Hello by Adele (12th and final week at #1) - This week it tied the record for most weeks at #1, with Shake It Off by Taylor Swift and Shut Up and Dance by Walk The Moon.
1. Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran (#3) (first week at #1)
Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Starboy by The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk (-17)
Biggest Jump Of The Week: Million Reasons by Lady Gaga (+21)
New Entrants
- Having listened to Bruno Mars' 24K Magic album, I wondered what his next proper single from it would be after the title track got some traction and Versace On The Floor unfortunately didn't really get anywhere. And now we have That's What I Like. Although the lyrics basically equate out to your standard club banger, it's still pretty fun, as the man does have class and charisma. That being said, this wouldn't be my first choice for a track to release as a real single, but we'll see if the rest of America disagrees.
- Then we have more from Bebe Rexha, as In The Name Of Love continues to hang on for dear life, she brings out I Got You. While I know what the song is about, and she does have good vocal capability, I can't say that I'm thrilled by her constant warbling of the titular line in the chorus, and the "oh na na na"s alongside them. The production isn't doing a lot of favors, either. I'd say it's a little closer to red than it is green, but that could change.
I Got Blurbs
- So we had two exits. The first being Ride by Twenty-one Pilots, which I guess I never hated in the big picture, even though I was on the verge of getting tired of it more than once, and I know that Adrian is bidding good riddance for it (as are a few others, I'm sure). Then there's Into You by Ariana Grande, which I bet Graham is throwing a be-gone party over, but Jack and I will be doing the exact opposite. Farewell, Into You. You were regarded by many as one of the best songs of the year, and for good reason. A sheer display of how Ariana Grande is one of the few acts in today's scene who can just about always display raw power, indeed. You will be missed.
- Before introducing Send My Love (To Your New Lover), Spyder talked about how pleased Harry Styles of One Direction was to have Adele at his birthday party earlier in the month.
- The guest DJ who introduced In The Name Of Love gave a shout-out to, in addition to a couple of his friends, his dog, "Eleanor Rigby". Spyder discovered that the guy was a Beatles fan.
- Speaking of Graham... Funny story, just yesterday I was in an amusement store in a mall that's a bit of a drive from my home (a place that has arcade-style games, bowling, and even karaoke), and I heard them playing Lose Yourself by Eminem, which is widely regarded as one of the best songs of all time, if memory serves. But immediately after that? Roses by The Chainsmokers featuring ROZES. Then, two or three songs later, they played OMG by Usher featuring will.i.am, probably Usher's most infamous hit. And straight after THAT, they played Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran, one of the most infamous songs in this countdown community thanks to how long it stuck around in 2015. I thought, "Wow, whoever picks the music here must really hate Graham." I wonder who DJ's places like that.
- Before introducing Love On The Brain, Spyder talked about how Rihanna gave birth to her first child...and I'm like, he's clearly joking here, that'd come out of literally nowhere. But he was talking about not our Rihanna, but a rhinoceros of the same name. Weird. As for the song, I didn't think it'd drop into the bottom 10 on its second week. It's safe to say the song has become a proper hit at this point, though.
- As for the rest of our debuts from last week, one of them had a floppy jump, and another dropped as well. Three others took sizable jumps, one of which I don't really care about, one I'm not wild about, and one I'm cool with being in the Top 20 for the time being.
- What up with the drops from You're Not There? That's kind of unfortunate.
- Let Me Love You is officially annoying. Get out. Now.
- Before introducing Scars To Your Beautiful, Spyder talked about Alessia Cara's time on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. Fun.
- Remember how Spyder used to introduce My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light 'Em Up) by Fall Out Boy and Radioactive by Imagine Dragons as "The song that won't go away" many years back? He just did so for Unsteady, which unfortunately re-entered the Top 20. We had to have 24K Magic kicked out for this? Come on...
- I'm also not happy with After The Afterparty entering the Top 20. But the guest DJ who introduced it gave a shout-out to, in addition to his son, "all his lady friends". He had 14 in total, according to his conversation with Spyder, who commented on how Valentine's Day was right near. That's pretty high maintenance! And if he's a dad, then who's his son's mother alongside him?
- I had a feeling that Million Reasons was going to jump in the wake of the Super Bowl. But I don't know if it'll last or not, although I'll gladly take it.
- Play That Song in the Top 10 is a big fat no. Stop it. Now.
- But as consolation, right above it is Love Me Now. I don't know how much higher it'll go, or if it'll do well enough to be seen as a real hit, but it's nice to see it at this level.
- Before introducing Closer, Spyder talked about how The Chainsmokers responded to their being called "the Nickelback of EDM" (if you don't know, Nickelback is arguably the most infamous rock band out there) and shared a clip of them singing How You Remind Me to the tune of Paris.
- It was of course expected for Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran to take #1. Within just five weeks, it made the top spot. So it's more than likely to hold that spot next week.
Hit-Bound
All Night by The Vamps featuring Matoma
Believer by Imagine Dragons
Lights Down Low by MAX featuring gnash
Don't Leave by Snakehips featuring MØ
Shout Out To My Ex by Little Mix
Versace On The Floor by Bruno Mars
L.A. Devotee by Panic! At The Disco
Cake by Flo Rida featuring 99 Percent
Weak by AJR
Make Me (Cry) by Noah Cyrus featuring Labrinth
Miss You by James Hersey
Dancing On My Own by Calum Scott (Happy now, everyone?)
Chained To The Rhythm by Katy Perry featuring Skip Marley (debut)
Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran (re-entry)
- So, let's just get to it. Katy Perry is back for the big one this time, after the insanely boring and also grating Rise, with a new one by the name of Chained To The Rhythm. I have to say, I like this. It does fit the mold of the old fun Katy Perry that I've enjoyed, particularly with that nice 80's feel to it. It also features a guest verse from Bob Marley's grandson Skip Marley, which is kinda cool. I'll talk more about it next week.
- Then we have Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran re-entering Hit-Bound, just as I predicted. But with how much it's sinking elsewhere, I predict it won't re-enter the countdown for a little while.
Top 20 Breakdown:
0 — Shit:
20. Tie: After The Afterparty by Charli XCX
20. Tie: Don't Wanna Know by Maroon 5
18. Play That Song by Train
17. Unsteady by X Ambassadors
1 — Bad:
16. Starving by Hailee Steinfeld and Grey featuring Zedd
15. Bad Things by Machine Gun Kelly and Camilla Cabello
2 — Meh:
14. Chase You Down by Runaground
3 — Decent:
13. Closer by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey
12. This Town by Niall Horan
4 — Good:
None!
5 — Great:
11. Mercy by Shawn Mendes
10. All Time Low by Jon Bellion
9. Heathens by Twenty-one Pilots
8. Paris by The Chainsmokers
7. Million Reasons by Lady Gaga
6. HandClap by Fitz And The Tantrums
5. Water Under The Bridge by Adele
4. Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran
3. Just Hold On by Steve Aoki featuring Louis Tomlinson
2. I Don't Wanna Live Forever by Zayn Malik and Taylor Swift
1. Love Me Now by John Legend
Overall score: 65/100
Countdown Bottom 5
1. Tie: After The Afterparty by Charli XCX
1. Tie: Don't Wanna Know by Maroon 5
1. Tie: I Hate U, I Love U by gnash featuring Olivia O'Brien
4. Play That Song by Train
5. Treat You Better by Shawn Mendes
Countdown Top 5
1. Love Me Now by John Legend
2. 24K Magic by Bruno Mars
3. I Don't Wanna Live Forever by Zayn Malik and Taylor Swift
4. Just Hold On by Steve Aoki featuring Louis Tomlinson
5. Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran
Hit-Bound Top 5
1. Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran
2. Shout Out To My Ex by Little Mix
3. Don't Leave by Snakehips featuring MØ
4. Chained To The Rhythm by Katy Perry featuring Skip Marley
5. Believer by Imagine Dragons
Most Missed Song: Black Magic by Little Mix
Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Magnets by Disclosure featuring Lorde
Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Love Yourself by Justin Bieber — Probably the most infamous Year-End #1 of the decade, but something does feel funny about the context of the song. I mean, dude didn't even wanna write the darn thing lest we think he still cared!
Jet Black Heart by 5 Seconds of Summer — One of the more enjoyed songs by this countdown community, and they do have good rock to them but it's not perfectly ideal for me. Still not bad though.
Dessert by Dawin — One of my guilty pleasures of 2016. I know, I tend to have a lot of those.
QOTD: Who are you thinking will win Album Of The Year at the Grammys? What about Song and/or Record Of The Year? For album, I'm thinking Lemonade will take it, because for as much talent as Adele has, 25 wasn't as heavily favored as that one. But I also hope for Hello to take one of those two, and if not then probably Stressed Out for record. As much as I would love for I Took a Pill In Ibiza to win song of the year, it probably won't. I'll definitely make a post on the Grammys afterwards.
Thanks for reading, everybody!
How about that? This is what I'm sure many have awaited. This was the Super Bowl weekend edition of the countdown. And while I should be happy to finally see a multitude of exits like this, the results that came out were a mixed bag, at least for me. But we did get some good activity in more spots than one. Let's just hope that can keep up. So without further ado, here are the songs leaving us this week.
- Fresh Eyes by Andy Grammer (#45)
- That's My Girl by Fifth Harmony (#44)
- Body Moves by DNCE (#41)
- Cold Water by Major Lazer featuring Justin Bieber and MØ (#38)
- Can't Stop the Feeling! by Justin Timberlake (#34) (spent ten weeks at #1)
- Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran (#28)
The Countdown!
Last Week’s #1 Song: Heathens by Twenty-one Pilots
45. I Hate U, I Love U by gnash featuring Olivia O'Brien (#43)
44. Don't Let Me Down by The Chainsmokers featuring Daya (#36) (three weeks at #1)
43. Kids by OneRepublic (#39)
42. Greenlight by Pitbull featuring LunchMoney Lewis and Flo Rida (#42)
41. Into You by Ariana Grande (#40)
40. In The Name Of Love by Martin Garrix and Bebe Rexha (#33)
39. Guys My Age by Hey Violet (debut)
38. Million Reasons by Lady Gaga (#22)
37. Ride by Twenty-one Pilots (#32)
36. Send My Love (To Your New Lover) by Adele (#35) (one week at #1)
35. Love On The Brain by Rihanna (debut) (Not a color-coding error.)
34. Hymn For The Weekend by Coldplay (#26)
33. Let Me Love You by DJ Snake with Justin Bieber (#27)
32. Issues by Julia Michaels (debut)
31. I Feel It Coming by The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk (#31)
30. You're Not There by Lukas Graham (#37)
29. Words by Daya (debut)
28. Say You Won't Let Go by James Arthur (#30)
27. Heavydirtysoul by Twenty-one Pilots (debut)
26. Just Hold On by Steve Aoki and Louis Tomlinson (#29)
25. The Greatest by Sia featuring Kendrick Lamar (#2)
24. Treat You Better by Shawn Mendes (#20) (two weeks at #1)
23. Unsteady by X Ambassadors (#21)
22. Paris by The Chainsmokers (debut)
21. After The Afterparty by Charli XCX (#24)
20. 24K Magic by Bruno Mars (#19)
19. Death Of A Bachelor by Panic! At The Disco (#16)
18. Chase You Down by Runaground (#9)
17. Play That Song by Train (#23)
16. Side To Side by Ariana Grande featuring Nicki Minaj (#25)
15. This Town by Niall Horan (#5)
14. Starboy by The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk (#6)
13. Scars To Your Beautiful by Alessia Cara (#12)
12. Love Me Now by John Legend (#13)
11. Heathens by Twenty-one Pilots (#1) (two weeks at #1)
10. Bad Things by Machine Gun Kelly and Camilla Cabello (#15)
9. Water Under The Bridge by Adele (#10)
8. I Don't Wanna Live Forever by Zayn Malik and Taylor Swift (#17)
7. All Time Low by Jon Bellion (#11)
6. Starving by Hailee Steinfeld and Grey featuring Zedd (#3) (four weeks at #1)
5. HandClap by Fitz And The Tantrums (#18)
4. Mercy by Shawn Mendes (#7)
3. Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran (#14)
2. Closer by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey (#4) (eight weeks at #1)
#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Hello by Adele (11th of 12 weeks at #1)
1. Don't Wanna Know by Maroon 5 (#8) (third week at #1)
Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: The Greatest by Sia featuring Kendrick Lamar (-23)
Biggest Jump Of The Week: HandClap by Fitz And The Tantrums (+13)
New Entrants
- To kick off our debuts, we have Guys My Age by Hey Violet. This track has been called by many as Melanie Martinez-lite. This song is pretty weird in more ways than one, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. And the singer claims she's grown up because guys her age "don't know how to treat her", and I don't know if it's supposed to be sexy or not, but it's weird. This could turn to red soon.
- Well, we've got more Rihanna, to the surprise of virtually none. After Work became one of the biggest songs of last year despite being a total mish-mash, she had a few other releases from Anti, including Needed Me, which I gave the honorable mention of the Biggest Countdown Whiff of 2016, and Kiss It Better, which sadly flopped...and now we have Love On The Brain here. At first I thought this was just a slow, weak ballad that there wasn't much to, but if I'm being honest, this is growing on me. I initially said that a slow piece like this is not something that Rihanna should be doing, but for the kind of sex song that it is, it works well enough. But the song's not without its problems, for one she does make that scratchy "a-a-a-ow" sound in the post-verses which can get annoying. Also, some people have said that those backing vocals sound like they're from Chris Brown himself, which...raises a questionable message. But yeah, as I said, this is growing on me, so I don't mind that it's getting bigger. Also, Spyder said this was his current favorite. I don't think it'll stick with me in the long run, but I'll take it.
- Then there's Julia Michaels, with Issues, a song that Spyder claims we should be able to relate to. She's been behind songs for quite a few mainstream acts. The song is about how both people in a relationship have issues and yet she doesn't want to leave despite knowing how bad for her he is. We've had plenty of songs like this, and I'm not sure we need one in this vein, even if it does feel kinda cheesy in sort of a good way. I do say that in the lightest sense, though. It's in blue right now, but I'm not sure if I'd consider it closer to red or green. We'll see if I come to appreciate it more.
- Now for the one I bet some of you are expecting me to rip into... But I'm gonna try to keep from getting mad here. Well, we just finished getting beat into the dirt by Sit Still, Look Pretty, and I am not ready for more from Daya so soon. But alas, now we get Words. But no, that's not my only reason for hating this. While my anger here has died down some since, I still don't like it at all. For starters, the lyrics are about her refusing to label the feelings she has for her lover, but the line "We don't have to say love 'cause the words only get in the way" doesn't really make a lot of sense to me. I guess I can understand what they're about, but it still kinda gives off that vibe to the person she's supposed to be talking about, don't you think? And then there's that drop, which aside from being annoying, is totally ripping off that Woody Woodpecker sound effect DJ Snake is known for. It's sad, really, that after the pretty solid Here by Alessia Cara (sorry Graham, Parker and Adrian) had real message and became a hit, her next follow-up, Wild Things, was seen as generic and people started abandoning her for Daya here, for some reason. Her writers (and no, she did not write this song) have not been doing a good job with whatever message she wants to convey, between the pissy and creepy Hide Away and then Sit Still, Look Pretty, which contradicts it and comes off as condescending even (although I guess Don't Let Me Down was good at its core), and now this. If Daya is meant to be another Lorde alongside Alessia Cara, I can say right now that she's (or her writers are) failing miserably. ...Sorry if you expected more of a reaction from me there, but I guess I'm more just annoyed about what I just said than anything else. But yeah, that aside, I can't stand this song. Hopefully it doesn't get obnoxiously overplayed, at least.
- With Heathens dying down and Ride on its last legs, Twenty-one Pilots release their next single, Heavydirtysoul. Another Blurryface release, I'm kinda amazed how many singles they've been able to milk out from an album that first dropped in spring 2015. But enough about that. Onto the song. It's the opener to that album, which is meant to prep us for the exploration into Blurryface, the creation of Tyler himself. It's pretty cool, even if Tyler says it's not rap - just an attempt to make the voices stop. I'm really liking this one so far, but because it's Twenty-one Pilots, Hits 1 is sure to cling to it.
- So, who's still sick of The Chainsmokers?! You are? Don't worry, I am too, and it looks like they're here to stay. Even though we're still getting hammered into the ground by Closer, they're releasing this here, Paris. But I can say that I don't hate this. The guitar is pretty, and while I'm still not huge on Andrew Taggart's voice, it's kinda nice. Not much to say, the lyrics are about a relationship and how they're determined to keep it strong, but I'm not sure what that has to do with Paris. So yeah, I'm alright with it sticking around, as long as it doesn't become the next Closer.
Must Be Love On The Blurbs
- So as always, let's start with our exits and run through them quick.
Fresh Eyes: I liked this one a lot more than certain others did, but I'm alright with it departing.
Body Moves: Yeah, I'm not sad about this one departing. It was alright for a little while, but I knew it wouldn't stick with me.
That's My Girl: As I said last week, I did grow into this a little bit, but not a lot, and I can't say I'm sad to see this one off.
Castle On The Hill: This, on the other hand, I was very disappointed to see cut short. I shouldn't be surprised by this, though, because it hasn't officially impacted pop radio yet. What I think (and hope) will happen is that it'll eventually be re-released as an official single (most likely after Shape Of You dies down some), and then re-enter, like what happened with Out Of The Woods by Taylor Swift in how that had one week in 2014 then became a proper single in very late 2015 and re-entered. Let's hope so, at least.
Cold Water: I did like this one, even if it took me a bit to grow on it. But I'm not too sad to see it go.
Can't Stop the Feeling!: Definitely the most important song to take its departure here. Farewell, Can't Stop the Feeling!. You lasted long and hard here and did your job well. I know that quite a few find you old and annoying, but I still enjoy listening to you. I'm still amazed that Adrian never got sick of you either, even after everything. Maybe you'll win the Oscar, maybe not. Thank you for your time and service here. You won't be forgotten (at least not by me).
- Joining the bottom 5 are Don't Let Me Down and Kids. The former was one of the biggest songs of last year, and the latter never really got big anywhere. They won't be with us much longer.
- Speaking of the Super Bowl weekend, before introducing Million Reasons, Spyder informed us once more that Lady Gaga will be performing the halftime show. I wonder what she'll be performing...and if the fans will care. I genuinely wonder how many of the people watching are going to be entertained at all.
- So this could be it for Ride by Twenty-one Pilots. It's served us well.
- I would like to see You're Not There by Lukas Graham become a proper hit. Shame on the people who shit-talked this band after their international success.
- Holy drop from #2 Batman! Just when we thought The Greatest by Sia featuring Kendrick Lamar had a chance to hit #1, it tumbles down over halfway through the countdown. That's kinda crazy, but I'm not all too surprised, at least not as I should be.
- Before introducing 24K Magic, Spyder mentioned how Bruno Mars is planning to do a Prince tribute at the Grammys. Sounds good, I'd say! I'm sold. Even though some say he's more Michael Jackson than Prince.
- We have two songs re-entering the Top 20. They're both right next to each other, and one is a piece of whitebread stiff while the other is a solid flex anthem that for some reason I still like. I'll leave you to guess which is which.
- Before introducing Starboy, Spyder mentioned how The Weeknd and Selena Gomez are vacationing in Italy, and how quickly that got serious between them. I was disappointed that he didn't mention how last week Justin Bieber said he doesn't listen to The Weeknd's "wack" music (Cold Water left, and the electro-DJ introduced both Let Me Love You and I Feel It Coming, the former was after Flat Screen Favorites).
- Yep, Love Me Now by John Legend has become my favorite song on the countdown. I was hoping it'd enter the Top 10, but hopefully that'll come in due time.
- Last week's #1 took quite the tumble, out of the Top 10 entirely. I think that's the biggest drop out of the top spot since Stressed Out last March. Coincidence? (Correct me if I'm wrong.)
- The guest DJ who introduced Water Under The Bridge gave an 18th birthday wish to his best friend. Awwwww! That was nice.
- But that brings us to our Top 10... WHOA. Talk about a shake-up. Four new entries, only one of which I don't like, and three I'm really enjoying, along with All Time Low by Jon Bellion making a re-entry into the area.
- And then our #1. Ugh. Here we go again. Here's another one that continues to get worse. Shape Of You can't take that top spot soon enough.
Hit-Bound
Weak by AJR (debut)
Cake by Flo Rida and 99 Percent (debut)
Dancing On My Own by Calum Scott
That's What I Like by Bruno Mars
I Got You by Bebe Rexha
Believer by Imagine Dragons (debut)
Don't Leave by Snakehips featuring MØ
Lights Down Low by MAX featuring gnash
L.A. Devotee by Panic! At The Disco (debut)
Miss You by James Hersey (debut)
Shout Out To My Ex by Little Mix
Versace On The Floor by Bruno Mars
All Night by The Vamps featuring Matoma (debut)
Make Me (Cry) by Noah Cyrus featuring Labrinth
- MAX hosted Hit-Bound this week. As I've said, I remember the small time when he was on Nickelodeon, but those are days that have since passed.
- To start, we have Weak by AJR. I like the idea behind this one, and although it has some annoying parts, I like what it wants to be.
- Then there's more Flo Rida, with Cake, but I'm not totally feeling this one. Also, this 99 Percent guy sounds too much like Flo Rida himself.
- Also, apparently Dancing On My Own is a cover by Robyn. Is it wrong that I didn't even know that original even existed before recently?
- And we also have the resurgence of Imagine Dragons, with Believer. Although it does feel a little forced, for lack of a better word, I kinda like it. It's definitely not as good as It's Time or On Top Of The World, but it's cool for now.
- We're also in for more Panic! At The Disco, after both Death Of A Bachelor and Victorious have been big here, we enter another fast paced track with L.A. Devotee. This is kinda fun, even though it's not something I see myself sticking to in the long run.
- Miss You by James Hersey is another track that there's not really much to.
- And there's The Vamps, too. Wake Up was alright and I really enjoyed Somebody To You with Demi Lovato, but All Night isn't quite as good. Maybe it's the chanting in the chorus, I don't know.
Top 20 Breakdown:
0 — Shit:
20. Don't Wanna Know by Maroon 5
19. Play That Song by Train
18. Starving by Hailee Steinfeld and Grey featuring Zedd
1 — Bad:
17. Bad Things by Machine Gun Kelly and Camilla Cabello
2 — Meh:
16. Chase You Down by Runaground
15. Death Of A Bachelor by Panic! At The Disco
3 — Decent:
14. Scars To Your Beautiful by Alessia Cara
13. Closer by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey
12. This Town by Niall Horan
4 — Good:
None!
5 — Great:
11. Side To Side by Ariana Grande featuring Nicki Minaj
10. Heathens by Twenty-one Pilots
9. Mercy by Shawn Mendes
8. HandClap by Fitz And The Tantrums
7. Starboy by The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk
6. All Time Low by Jon Bellion
5. Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran
4. Water Under The Bridge by Adele
3. I Don't Wanna Live Forever by Zayn Malik and Taylor Swift
2. 24K Magic by Bruno Mars
1. Love Me Now by John Legend
Overall score: 69/100
Countdown Bottom 5
1. After The Afterparty by Charli XCX
2. Don't Wanna Know by Maroon 5
3. Play That Song by Train
4. Unsteady by X Ambassadors
5. Starving by Hailee Steinfeld and Grey featuring Zedd
Countdown Top 5
1. Love Me Now by John Legend
2. 24K Magic by Bruno Mars
3. Heavydirtysoul by Twenty-one Pilots
4. I Don't Wanna Live Forever by Zayn Malik and Taylor Swift
5. Water Under The Bridge by Adele
Hit-Bound Top 5
1. Shout Out To My Ex by Little Mix
2. Don't Leave by Snakehips featuring MØ
3. That's What I Like by Bruno Mars
4. Versace On The Floor by Bruno Mars
5. Believer by Imagine Dragons
Most Missed Song: On Top Of The World by Imagine Dragons
Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Magnets by Disclosure featuring Lorde
Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Hollow by Tori Kelly — Definitely not as good as Should've Been Us from 2015, which I really liked, but she does display some good range here.
Something In The Way You Move by Ellie Goulding — Ellie Goulding. Nuff said.
Pillowtalk by Zayn Malik — The debut of the first guy to depart from One Direction, this one doesn't quite master the sexy type perfectly, unfortunately.
QOTD: Do you think Can't Stop the Feeling! will win the Oscar for Original Song? If not, why? I know I'm asking a little in advance before the Oscars, but seeing as it just left I figured I may as well now. Anyway, it was a #1, so I think it has a chance, but if it doesn't then City Of Stars might take it instead.
Thanks for reading, everybody!
Well, here we are again. Louis Tomlinson of One Direction hosted this countdown alongside Steve Aoki. But honestly, this was not a good week for Spyder to take off, between a handful of news on some of the acts that I have a feeling he'll talk about next week (a beef between Canadians, a certain Oscar nomination, etcetera). But I digress. Anyway, this wasn't the best week overall, but it did have some perks, including our...interesting #1. So not much more to it than that. There are no songs leaving us this week, so let’s go.
The Countdown!
Last Week’s #1 Song: Starving by Hailee Steinfeld and Grey featuring Zedd
45. Fresh Eyes by Andy Grammer (#43)
44. That's My Girl by Fifth Harmony (#44)
43. I Hate U, I Love U by gnash featuring Olivia O'Brien (#45)
42. Greenlight by Pitbull featuring LunchMoney Lewis and Flo Rida (#42)
41. Body Moves by DNCE (#41)
40. Into You by Ariana Grande (#28)
39. Kids by OneRepublic (#29)
38. Cold Water by Major Lazer featuring Justin Bieber and MØ (#40)
37. You're Not There by Lukas Graham (#39)
36. Don't Let Me Down by The Chainsmokers featuring Daya (#34) (three weeks at #1)
35. Send My Love (To Your New Lover) by Adele (#37) (one week at #1)
34. Can't Stop the Feeling! by Justin Timberlake (#32) (ten weeks at #1)
33. In The Name Of Love by Martin Garrix and Bebe Rexha (#36)
32. Ride by Twenty-one Pilots (#31)
31. I Feel It Coming by The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk (#38)
30. Say You Won't Let Go by James Arthur (#35)
29. Just Hold On by Steve Aoki and Louis Tomlinson (#24)
28. Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran (#33)
27. Let Me Love You by DJ Snake with Justin Bieber (#30)
26. Hymn For The Weekend by Coldplay (#25)
25. Side To Side by Ariana Grande featuring Nicki Minaj (#19)
24. After The Afterparty by Charli XCX (#26)
23. Play That Song by Train (#27)
22. Million Reasons by Lady Gaga (#21)
21. Unsteady by X Ambassadors (#23)
20. Treat You Better by Shawn Mendes (#8) (two weeks at #1)
19. 24K Magic by Bruno Mars (#14)
18. HandClap by Fitz And The Tantrums (#20)
17. I Don't Wanna Live Forever by Zayn Malik and Taylor Swift (#12)
16. Death Of A Bachelor by Panic! At The Disco (#11)
15. Bad Things by Machine Gun Kelly and Camilla Cabello (#16)
14. Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran (#15)
13. Love Me Now by John Legend (#18)
12. Scars To Your Beautiful by Alessia Cara (#9)
11. All Time Low by Jon Bellion (#10)
10. Water Under The Bridge by Adele (#13)
9. Chase You Down by Runaground (#22)
8. Don't Wanna Know by Maroon 5 (#2) (two weeks at #1)
7. Mercy by Shawn Mendes (#17)
6. Starboy by The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk (#7)
5. This Town by Niall Horan (#6)
4. Closer by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey (#3) (eight weeks at #1)
3. Starving by Hailee Steinfeld and Grey featuring Zedd (#1) (four weeks at #1)
2. The Greatest by Sia featuring Kendrick Lamar (#5)
#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Hello by Adele (10th of 12 weeks at #1)
1. Heathens by Twenty-one Pilots (#4) (second week at #1)
Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Tie between Into You by Ariana Grande and Treat You Better by Shawn Mendes (-12)
Biggest Jump Of The Week: Chase You Down by Runaground (+13)
Just Blurb On
- Before introducing Fresh Eyes, they talked about how Andy Grammer said that one of his places to visit on tour is New Orleans, because he likes the sandwiches at one of the shops that's there. Steve and Louis talked about how they like Los Angeles in comparison. Wonder how the Hits 1 In Hollywood crew is over there?
- Yes, you are seeing that right, I have indeed grown into That's My Girl by Fifth Harmony to some degree. I mean, not to the degree of it being among my favorites, and it's closer to red than it is green (I mean, the autotuned unison in the chorus is still pretty annoying), but I guess it does have a few fun parts to it.
- Yep, this is definitely the end for Into You by Ariana Grande. It tumbled into the bottom 10, but Hits 1 held onto this song for some time so it was bound to happen eventually.
- Before introducing Don't Let Me Down, they talked about how some of the favorite things for The Chainsmokers to do are read books and play video games. When Steve talked with Louis about some of the games he likes, he mentioned Call of Duty and Overwatch. How dare they not mention Pokémon.
- Before introducing I Feel It Coming, they talked about how The Weeknd knew he wanted to make music after first hearing Dirty Diana by Michael Jackson. That certainly explains why many are calling his newest hits MJ-lite, like Can't Feel My Face, In The Night and now this. Good thing this one jumped after its debut last week. Let's get this one further up, shall we?
- While it was generous of the guest hosts to let their song drop, I hope it can do better than this. But I guess One Direction hype has died out, but I wonder if that'll change now that it's been confirmed they'll be back.
- Treat You Better dropping out of the Top 10 is nothing but good news. Could it possibly leave soon? Thank you.
- Before introducing 24K Magic, they talked about how Bruno Mars got his stage name from a pro wrestler, then they discussed if they ever had their own nicknames, including Steve's name of "Chewy". That's kinda funny. That aside, I guess this could be it for the song, for real this time. It's too bad that this song wasn't a bigger hit. While I know that certain people I won't name are anxiously awaiting its departure, I'll be sad when it leaves. Let's hope that one of his two songs on Hit-Bound - or even better, any of the songs from the album (cough Chunky or Finesse cough) - can get bigger eventually, because this guy's return does deserve more than one real success.
- I reckon that it won't be long before Shape Of You enters the Top 10. I'd say the same about I Don't Wanna Live Forever, but that took a drop, so we'll see.
- We also have a couple songs that are making slow jumps, like HandClap and Love Me Now, but I like both of those and hope for more success from them.
- Before introducing Water Under The Bridge, they talked about how one of Adele's favorite things to do at an earlier age was listen to The Spice Girls. Who would've thought? They talked about how they had hobbies like snowboarding, and Louis was on a football team with a band member and he played defense. Again, these are interesting facts you learn. That aside, nice to see this finally enter the Top 10! Let's get it higher soon. Maybe even #1? That'd be pretty great.
- So, Chase You Down by Runaground took a sudden jump into the Top 10. This isn't a song that to me makes sense as a Top 10 entry, but I guess it's interesting to see it there. But I have been getting tired of this one, and I'm sure others are too.
- They didn't do the Weekend Rewind or play the one year ago #1, which is weird. I know that they did the one year ago #1 when Niall Horan hosted three months ago (although that was a One Direction song).
- Finally, we come to our #1. After this first hit #1 back in October, I was hoping that it'd have more than one week after Closer chart-blocked it on the Hot 100 for so long. And this...is an unusual #1. I think this is the longest gap we've had between a song returning to #1 since Bad Blood by Taylor Swift back in summer 2015. I can't deny that the song is old, as it's not in the Top 10 on Billboard anymore, but I do still like it.
As far as Hit-Bound goes, it appears that Shout Out To My Ex by Little Mix is back once again, which is good, and as far as debuts go, we've got Make Me (Cry) by Noah Cyrus featuring Labrinth, which I may have talked about when it was on the YouTube15 back in December or so. Long story short, it's closer to red than it is green. I'm not big for that one.
Top 20 Breakdown:
0 — Shit:
20. Don't Wanna Know by Maroon 5
19. Starving by Hailee Steinfeld and Grey featuring Zedd
18. Treat You Better by Shawn Mendes
1 — Bad:
17. Bad Things by Machine Gun Kelly and Camilla Cabello
2 — Meh:
16. Chase You Down by Runaground
15. Death Of A Bachelor by Panic! At The Disco
14. Scars To Your Beautiful by Alessia Cara
3 — Decent:
13. Closer by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey
12. This Town by Niall Horan
4 — Good:
11. The Greatest by Sia featuring Kendrick Lamar
5 — Great:
10. HandClap by Fitz and the Tantrums
9. Mercy by Shawn Mendes
8. I Don't Wanna Live Forever by Zayn Malik and Taylor Swift
7. Heathens by Twenty-one Pilots
6. Starboy by The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk
5. Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran
4. All Time Low by Jon Bellion
3. Water Under The Bridge by Adele
2. Love Me Now by John Legend
1. 24K Magic by Bruno Mars
Overall score: 67/100
Countdown Bottom 5
1. After The Afterparty by Charli XCX
2. Play That Song by Train
3. Don't Wanna Know by Maroon 5
4. Starving by Hailee Steinfeld and Grey featuring Zedd
5. Treat You Better by Shawn Mendes
Countdown Top 5
1. Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran
2. 24K Magic by Bruno Mars
3. Love Me Now by John Legend
4. I Feel It Coming by The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk
5. Water Under The Bridge by Adele
Most Missed Song: Paradise by Coldplay
Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Magnets by Disclosure featuring Lorde
Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Hands To Myself by Selena Gomez — Yeah, she could keep her hands to herself... But why would she want to? Bad, but in the hysterical kind of way.
Adventure Of A Lifetime by Coldplay — One of the upbeat and fun songs that the year needed. And while I know that many hated it for Coldplay being a sellout, I always enjoyed it for what it was.
QOTD: Who do you think will win the Super Bowl? I want the Falcons to win, because screw the Patriots. I'm so sick of them running away with every game. Wasn't there a season where they were undefeated up until the Super Bowl and then they choked?
Thanks for reading, everybody!
