Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line (1) - Week Of April 28, 2018

Hello, fam! As we approach the month of May, I'm also approaching my one-year anniversary of starting this music reviewing blog. I haven't come up with what I want to post for the special occasion. If you have any suggestions, you can post in the comments section. I have the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown post for you guys...and simply put, this week was just a mess. We have a annoying new #1 and a certain act unfortunately makes his return. I'll manage to fight through it any way I can. This is not going to be a pretty one. Now with that being said, here are the songs leaving us this week:

• Kesha featuring The Dap-Kings Horns – Woman (#29)
• Fall Out Boy – Hold Me Tight Or Don't (#43)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
45. Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still (#45) [=]
44. NF – Let You Down (#40) [–4]
43. Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran and Future – End Game (#42) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
42. Charlie Puth – How Long (#38) [–4] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
41. Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello – Wolves (#44) [+3]

40. Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton – Say Something (#17) [–23]

39. Macklemore featuring Kesha – Good Old Days (#39) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

38. P!NK – Beautiful Trauma (#41) [+3]

37. Camila Cabello – Havana (#37) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

36. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low (#21) [–15]

35. Alice Merton – No Roots (#34) [–1]

34. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho (DEBUT)

33. Portugal. The Man – Live In The Moment (#36) [+3]

32. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know (#37) [+5]

31. AJR featuring Rivers Cuomo – Sober Up (#27) [–4]

30. Halsey – Bad At Love (#32) [+2] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

29. Noah Kahan featuring Julia Michaels – Hurt Somebody (#31) [+2]

28. Drake – God's Plan (#30) [+2]

27. Ed Sheeran – Perfect (#26) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

26. ZAYN – Let Me (#33) [+7]

25. Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt – Let Me Go (#16) [–9] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

24. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix) (#20) [–4]

23. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me (#23) [=]

22. Halsey – Alone (DEBUT)

21. Walk The Moon – One Foot (#22) [+1]

20. Bazzi – Mine (#28) [+8]

19. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#10) [–9]

18. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends (#18) [=]

17. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (#12) [–5]

16. Meghan Trainor – No Excuses (#11) [–5]

15. Lauv – I Like Me Better (#13) [–2]

14. Bad Wolves – Zombie (#19) [+5]

13. Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore, and Dan Caplen – These Days (#24) [+11]

12. Imagine Dragons – Thunder (#14) [+2]

11. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me (#25) [+14]

10. Niall Horan – On The Loose (#15) [+5]

9. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me (#9) [=]

8. Taylor Swift – Delicate (#7) [–1]

7. G-Eazy featuring Halsey – Him & I (#3) [–4]

6. Maroon 5 – Wait (#4) [–2]

5. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same (#5) [=]

4. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes (#6) [+2]

3. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#1) [–2] [Spent 7 Weeks At #1]

2. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back (#8) [+6]

1. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be (#2) [+1] [1^st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers – Paris (1^st And Only Week At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton – Say Something (–23) (......)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me (+14)

New Entrants
- So, here's a question for you: are you tired of Post Malone? If you answered yes, then too bad, because he makes his return to the countdown this week. His single is called Psycho, which features Ty Dolla $ign. Let me just simply say that I've never been fond of any of Post Malone's music (other than Candy Paint). I hated Rockstar from the beginning and I still do. His latest single, Psycho, isn't any different from its predecessor. It's a bit of a step up from Rockstar, but even that's not saying much. Looking at the lyrical content of the song, they're basically bragging about stuff and what not. I'm not really a fan of songs that have these types of lyrics. They sound like something I would hear on many of the rap music currently popular right now. That kind of stuff drives me crazy. As for the rest of the song, the production is weak across the board and the verses aren't good. Ty Dolla $ign doesn't contribute to anything at all. I really do not see the appeal to the song whatsoever and the fact that the song is still popular only makes things worse. So, I'm not thrilled that this is the song that replaces Woman, which clearly deserved better. Oh well.

- Now with the highest debut of the week, Halsey now has her third song on the countdown as her next single from Hopeless Fountain Kingdom makes its debut this week, by the name of Alone. The remix of the song features Big Sean and Stefflon Don, but I'll just grade the original version of the song. I do like Halsey's vocals throughout the song and the production here is good. When listening to this, she does sound a little bit like Alessia Cara, especially before we get to the chorus. Do I see it being another hit for Halsey? We don't know for sure. It may not stick with me in the big picture, but I do like it for the time being.

Best Debut Of The Week: Halsey – Alone

Let Your Blurbs Move To The Music
- So, we begin with our two exits. Hold Me Tight Or Don't was destined to leave for some time. As I've said before, I personally think people seemed to have moved on from Fall Out Boy given that none of the singles from MANIA took off. It's kinda sad when you think about it. Our other exit consists of Woman, which unfortunately never took off either. Honestly, this song deserved much better than it should've. It's annoying that songs like Psycho (which replaced the song, by the way) get in the Top 5 on Billboard, yet we have songs like Woman flopped elsewhere. I'm hoping Kesha can release something soon that'll make it big and not end up having the same fate as Woman.

- Speaking of annoying, we have Meant To Be hitting #1 this week. As you can see, I'm not thrilled about this. Honestly, Bebe Rexha is capable of so much better, yet none of her singles ever made it big. It's sad that this song is her biggest hit when it is clearly not country whatsoever. I'll take any song (except for Wait and Never Be The Same) in the Top 10 to replace this at #1.

- By no surprise, Want You Back has reached the #2 spot. If you're like me and have been an avid Hits 1 listener for some time, then you probably seen this coming. Hits 1's obsession with 5 Seconds Of Summer is still at an all-time high. I do like the song, so I don't mind it hitting #1 if it means replacing Meant To Be next week.

- One of the few good things that happened is the big jump from Tell Me You Love Me. Even though it's not really taking off elsewhere, it's nice to see it do quite well on this countdown.

- On the note of other things that pissed me off this week (besides our #1), Say Something took a massive, New York Giants-sized drop all the way down to near the bottom 5. How is this even okay?! That is so not cool at all.

- Another good thing that happened this week is the big drop from Lights Down Low. As someone who never even liked this song, let me just say it's about damn time this happened. I've been waiting a long time for it to come. Now, let's get it out of the countdown.

- Before introducing End Game, Spyder Harrison mentioned that a stalker somehow broke into Taylor Swift's home. I'm sure that was a scary experience. I wouldn't want something like that to happen at my home.

- Before introducing Wolves, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Selena shaved the back of her head. When I looked up pictures of her new hairstyle, it didn't look that way. She actually had a high ponytail. Heh, I guess he didn't look at the picture right or something

- Speaking of Halsey, I recently heard that she's going to be starring in a movie about her life. And guess what? She is playing herself. It sounds like she may have a future in acting while she continues making music. I wonder how big of a star she'll be?

Hit-Bound:

• Dustin Atlas featuring Erin Bowman – Fake Friends
• Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift – Babe
• Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA – All The Stars
• Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
• In Real Life – Tattoo (How 'Bout You)
• Maren Morris – Rich
• Why Don't We – Trust Fund Baby
• Foster The People – Sit Next To Me
• The Chainsmokers – Everybody Hates Me
• Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin – Familiar
• Dua Lipa – IDGAF
• Sam Smith featuring Logic – Pray
• HRVY – Personal
• Echosmith – Over My Head
• Hundred Handed – Too Good

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA – All The Stars
2. Dua Lipa – IDGAF
3. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
4. Hundred Handed – Too Good
5. Echosmith – Over My Head

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
TIE: 20. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
TIE: 20. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
18. Lauv – I Like Me Better
17. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same

1 – Bad:
16. Maroon 5 – Wait

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
15. Imagine Dragons – Thunder

4 – Good:
14. Bazzi – Mine

5 – Great:
13. Meghan Trainor – No Excuses
12. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back
11. Taylor Swift – Delicate
10. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
9. Niall Horan – On The Loose
8. Bad Wolves – Zombie
7. Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore, and Dan Caplen – These Days
6. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
5. G-Eazy featuring Halsey – Him & I
4. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me
3. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
2. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me

Overall Grade: 75/100 = 75% (C)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Madonna – Vogue (1990)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Kelly Clarkson – Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Demi Lovato – Stone Cold

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#18)

My Top 5 Picks
1. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me
2. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
3. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix)
4. Alice Merton – No Roots
5. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes

My Bottom 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
TIE: 1. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
3. AJR featuring Rivers Cuomo – Sober Up
4. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
5. Lauv – I Like Me Better

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Charlie Puth – Attention: This song was the start of Charlie Puth going for more of a groovy sound, which worked out well to everyone's liking as opposed to what he had in Nine Track Mind. Keep in mind that the album the song is included in even though it's only a year old comes out next month.
Shawn Mendes – There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back: The same can be said for Shawn Mendes. The only difference between this and Attention is that Shawn went for a Latin vibe. I never thought he would go for that type of sound, but it worked out well and is easily my favorite single from him. I wonder will his next album sound something like this?
Lady Gaga – The Cure: I don't really have too much I can say about this one. It may not be Lady Gaga's best, but it's still a great song mainly because of her vocals.

Fun fact: These songs spent only one week in Hit-Bound before graduating to the countdown last year.

QOTW: Kelly Clarkson recently celebrated her 36th Birthday this week. What is your favorite song from her and why?

AT40: Zedd & Maren Morris (2) - Week Of April 28, 2018

Hello, fam! Not a whole lot of activity happened on the AT40 countdown as far as this week went. I don't really have too much to say for my introduction except that I do plan on seeing the new Avengers movie this weekend. I'm sure it'll be a great movie to watch. Anyway, let's get to the countdown. Before we get to this week's fresh 40, here are the songs leaving us this week:

• Young, Dumb, And Broke by Khalid (#34)
• Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo (#40) [Spent 1 Week At #1]

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey

40. Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man (#38) [–2] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

39. Everyday by Logic featuring Marshmello (DEBUT)

38. Trust Fund Baby by Why Don't We (#39) [+1]

37. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato (#36) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

36. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa (DEBUT)

35. Alone by Halsey featuring Big Sean and Stefflon Don (#37) [+2]

34. Thunder by Imagine Dragons (#32) [–2] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

33. No Roots by Alice Merton (#35) [+2]

32. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage (#30) [–2]

31. Sit Next To Me by Foster The People (#33) [+2]

30. How Long by Charlie Puth (#28) [–2]

29. On The Loose by Niall Horan (#31) [+2]

28. Bad At Love by Halsey (#25) [–3]

27. Delicate by Taylor Swift (#29) [+2]

26. Want You Back by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#26) [=]

25. Wolves by Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello (#22) [–3]

24. IDGAF by Dua Lipa (#24) [=]

23. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign (#27) [+4]

22. Tell Me You Love Me by Demi Lovato (#20) [–2]

21. Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug (#19) [–2] [Spent 7 Weeks At #1]

20. I Like Me Better by Lauv (#18) [–2]

19. All The Stars by Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA (#21) [+2]

18. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes (#23) [+5]

17. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash (#13) [–4]

16. No Excuses by Meghan Trainor (#16) [=]

15. Say Something by Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton (#15) [=]

14. Mine by Bazzi (#17) [+3]

13. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie (#14) [+1]

12. Wait by Maroon 5 (#12) [=]

11. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons (#11) [=]

10. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé (#10) [=] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

9. New Rules by Dua Lipa (#9) [=]

8. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey (#5) [–3] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

7. Let You Down by NF (#6) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

6. God's Plan by Drake (#8) [+2]

5. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar (#7) [+2]

4. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. (#3) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

3. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line (#2) [–1]

2. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello (#4) [+2]

1. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey (#1) [=] [2^nd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran (9^th of 10 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash (–4)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: In My Blood by Shawn Mendes (+5)

New Entrants
- Our first of two entrants this week comes from the return of Logic, who is collaborating with Marshmello in his new single called Everyday. Right off the bat, I do like the lyrical content for the most part. It talks about working hard and not giving up on what he's trying to do and this is something we can relate to. The production here is pretty good for Marshmello. It's not quite as good as Wolves, but at least it's better than Friends. I think Logic does a good job with his verses. We'll see how long this sticks around.

- If I'm being honest, I think Dua Lipa should be in consideration as one of the best breakout artists of 2018 in my opinion. With her latest debut this week, she now has a total of three songs on the countdown. She is collaborating with Calvin Harris in his new single titled One Kiss. First off, I really liked how the collaboration turned out. Now I don't think it's as good as his previous singles, but Calvin Harris still did well production-wise. However, it's Dua Lipa that makes the song better. She shines with her vocals like she always does, as evidenced by her two other representations currently on the countdown. Overall, it's a really good song and I hope for the best.

Blurbs In The Mirror
- For our exits, Young, Dumb, And Broke lasted quite a while for a song that didn't even hit the Top 10. Though, it's not likely to make the year-end list on this countdown as it got caught in between years. But it's not something that I care about in the big picture. I'm hoping his other single, Love Lies can debut soon. Also, we have the departure of Strip That Down, which was long overdue. I'll just simply say that it's about damn time that song left us.

- So, it appears that Halsey may have more than one movie role, as I just heard that she'll be starring in own movie coming soon. Looks like she might have a future in acting.

- In My Blood jumped into the Top 20 relatively quickly in its third week here. I'm sure it'll continue to catch on now with the music video for the song being recently released this week. His new album does come out next month, so I'm curious to see what good songs he has on there. Hopefully, it'll better than its predecessor.

- In Top 5 news, Pray For Me makes its entrance at #5. That which is pleasing to see. Hopefully, this means that it could be a potential #1 in the near future. However, I'm not thrilled to see Never Be The Same hitting a scary new peak of #2. That one better not hit #1. Like I said before, I'm hoping The Middle can hold the #1 spot for as long as it possibly can until we get some better songs in the Top 5.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Everybody Hates Me by The Chainsmokers
• Stir Fry by Migos
• Merengue by Kent Jones

Extras/Optional Extras:

• Wake Me Up by Avicii featuring Aloe Blacc
• Work From Home by Fifth Harmony featuring Ty Dolla $ign
• Praying by Kesha
• Cold by Maroon 5 featuring Future
• Sit Still, Look Pretty by Daya
• Beg by Jack & Jack
• Lemon by N.E.R.D. featuring Rihanna
• Love On The Brain by Rihanna
• Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift

Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:
20. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
19. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
18. I Like Me Better by Lauv
17. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello
16. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash

1 – Bad:
15. Wait by Maroon 5
14. God's Plan by Drake

2 – Mediocre:
13. Let You Down by NF

3 – Decent:
None!

4 – Good:
12. Mine by Bazzi

5 – Great:
11. No Excuses by Meghan Trainor
10. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes
9. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé
8. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey
7. All The Stars by Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA
6. New Rules by Dua Lipa
5. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons
4. Say Something by Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton
3. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.
2. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar

Total Score: 64/100 = 64% (D)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Man In The Mirror by Michael Jackson (1988)

Most Missed Song: Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) by Kelly Clarkson

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay (#9)

My Top 5 Picks
1. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar
2. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
3. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.
4. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa
5. No Roots by Alice Merton

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
2. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
3. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage
4. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
5. I Like Me Better by Lauv

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Now Or Never by Halsey: I can appreciate what this song's premise is about, but Halsey doesn't dsiaply her vocal talent that much in this one. While it's not a bad song overall, it's not memorable either.
Passionfruit by Drake: This is one of his better songs unlike his current representation on the countdown. Too bad it didn't get quite as big as One Dance.
Sign Of The Times by Harry Styles: I think Harry Styles made the best first impression out of all the One Direction members who went solo. Anything that takes me back to the 70's and 80's works well for me.

Top 10 Songs from Kelly Clarkson

So, yesterday marked this lovely singer's 36th Birthday. Kelly Clarkson has always been a favorite of mine ever since she won on American Idol. Almost every single she has released from that day forward has managed to impress me from start to finish. I definitely think she's talented and she shows it in many of the songs I hear from her. Now, I will now present to you my Top 10 favorite songs from Kelly Clarkson:

10. Dark Side (from Stronger)

9. Because Of You (from Breakaway)

8. Piece By Piece (from Piece By Piece)

7. My Life Would Suck Without You (from All I Ever Wanted)

6. Mr. Know It All (from Stronger)

5. Catch My Breath (from Greatest Hits - Part One)

4. Since U Been Gone (from Breakaway)

3. Breakaway (from Breakaway)

2. Behind These Hazel Eyes (from Breakaway)

1. Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) (from Stronger)

And that's it! Those are my favorite songs from the very talented Kelly Clarkson. Comment below and let me know what you guys think of the list I put together. Thank you all for reading! I hope you all have a good day!

Zedd & Maren Morris (7) - Week Of April 21, 2018

Hello, fam. We begin a new week in countdown land. I would like to start off by saying that this is a sad weekend in the world of music. It was two years ago today that the world has lost one of best singers we've ever known. His name was Prince. I've always been a fan of his music and he was someone we could look up to. Also, just yesterday we recently lost one of the best EDM acts the world has known. As you probably heard by now, Avicii, whose real name was Tim Bergling, passed away unexpectedly at 28 years of age. My heart breaks for his family and friends as they go through this difficult time. Before we get to this week's countdown, we're going to take a brief moment of silence to remember them.

















Alright. Now with that in mind, here are the songs leaving us this week:

• Kelly Clarkson – Love So Soft (#37)
• Khalid – Young, Dumb, And Broke (#41)
• Symon – Lonely Girl (#44)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
45. Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still (#45) [=]
44. Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello – Wolves (#36) [–8]
43. Fall Out Boy – Hold Me Tight Or Don't (#43) [=]
42. Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran and Future – End Game (#42) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
41. P!NK – Beautiful Trauma (#33) [–8]

40. NF – Let You Down (#25) [–15]

39. Macklemore featuring Kesha – Good Old Days (#39) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

38. Charlie Puth – How Long (#40) [+2] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

37. Camila Cabello – Havana (#34) [–3] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

36. Portugal. The Man – Live In The Moment (DEBUT)

35. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know (DEBUT)

34. Alice Merton – No Roots (#35) [+1]

33. ZAYN – Let Me (DEBUT)

32. Halsey – Bad At Love (#23) [–9]

31. Noah Kahan featuring Julia Michaels – Hurt Somebody (#30) [–1]

30. Drake – God's Plan (#31) [+1]

29. Kesha featuring The Dap-Kings Horns – Woman (#24) [–5]

28. Bazzi – Mine (#29) [+1]

27. AJR featuring Rivers Cuomo – Sober Up (#38) [+11] (......)

26. Ed Sheeran – Perfect (#18) [–8] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

25. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me (#21) [–4]

24. Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore, and Dan Caplen – These Days (#27) [+3]

23. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me (#17) [–6]

22. Walk The Moon – One Foot (#6) [–16]

21. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low (#22) [+1]

20. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix) (#9) [–11]

19. Bad Wolves – Zombie (#28) [+9]

18. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends (#16) [–2]

17. Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton – Say Something (#32) [+15]

16. Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt – Let Me Go (#3) [–13] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

15. Niall Horan – On The Loose (#13) [–2]

14. Imagine Dragons – Thunder (#15) [+1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]

13. Lauv – I Like Me Better (#5) [–8]

12. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (#20) [+8]

11. Meghan Trainor – No Excuses (#19) [+8]

10. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#26) [+16]

9. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me (#14) [+5]

8. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back (#4) [–4]

7. Taylor Swift – Delicate (#10) [+3]

6. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes (#2) [–4]

5. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same (#12) [+7]

4. Maroon 5 – Wait (#11) [+7]

3. G-Eazy featuring Halsey – Him & I (#7) [+4]

2. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be (#8) [+6]

1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#1) [=] [7^th Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Bruno Mars – That's What I Like (1^st And Only Week At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Walk The Moon – One Foot (–16)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) (+16)

New Entrants
- Portugal. The Man have made their presence known in the music business when their single, Feel It Still, became a sleeper hit last year. Now, they're hoping they can continue their success as they bring in their second song to the countdown, by the name of Live In The Moment. Right off the bat, it is a step up from its predecessor, production-wise. It has quite a bit more going on as opposed to Feel It Still, where not too much was done there. The chorus is enjoyable, and their vocals shine more all throughout the song. I'm hoping this can have the same success as its predecessor did.

- So, here's a question for you all. Who remembers Bea Miller? If you don't, let me refresh your memory. She had two songs which made it to the countdown three years ago. One was Young Blood, which came back in 2014; the other was Fire 'N Gold, which had some minor success peaking in the Top 10 back in 2015. Today, she makes her return by collaborating with a new EDM duo NOTD, who make their first appearance on the countdown with the song titled I Wanna Know. Right off the bat, Bea sounds great with her vocals overall. I like what NOTD did with the production. I think the drop sounds pretty good for the most part. It's nice to see Bea Miller make a comeback and I'm hoping to see the song do well on the countdown.

- Finally, we have ZAYN making his comeback with a new single, titled Let Me. He had Dusk Till Dawn on the countdown not too long ago. That one I enjoyed and it's one of his best songs thus far. As for his new single, I can't quite say it's as good as its predecessor. But I do like what the song has to offer. The song is about letting someone love you. It's pretty low-key if I'm being honest. He does sound good with his vocals and I do kinda like the production for the most part. It'll be interesting to see how well this will do. I don't think it'll stick with me in the long run, but I like it for the time being.

Purple Blurbs
- In terms of our exits this week, Love So Soft had quite a good countdown run even though it wasn't big elsewhere. Young, Dumb, And Broke only spent five weeks despite it being mildly successful and making the Year-End list last year. Finally, there was Lonely Girl which cracked the Top 30 only once during its tenure, but it's nothing worth caring about in the long run.

- We had quite a shake-up in activity this week. Let's start with the big drop from Let You Down. It's about time that's happened. Now, I'm hoping it can be on its way out soon.

- However, we also get the comeback from Sober Up. I don't know why, but I don't appreciate this not one bit. At leas this didn't have the biggest jump I'm honestly tired of AJR. I just recently listened to their latest single, and it's not good either (surprise).

- Looks like One Foot isn't going to get #1 after all following the big drop that it took this week. It had quite a good run for a band that had a certain song spent a seemingly long time at the top spot.

- Well, I'm afraid that comeback from Finesse was short-lived unfortunately, because it's right back to square one. Oh well, I guess it wasn't meant to be successful on this countdown, despite it being in the Top 5 elsewhere.

- In Top 20 news, Zombie made a nice recovery this week after that unnecessary drop last week. It's also nice to see Say Something made a big jump into the region as well.

- Now, you're probably wondering why I have Friends as my least favorite song for the past few weeks. Honestly, I don't like the idea of creating an anthem about the friend-zone. I'm not fond of the work Marshmello has put together either and Anne-Marie doesn't sound good either. As someone who has enjoyed songs like Rockabye and Wolves, I'm very disappointed in the collaboration. Both of these artists can do so much better in my opinion.

- This is the first time in months that Let Me Go is not in the Top 10. Like I said, I'm glad it was able to spend one week at the top. Now we'll see how long this one hangs around.

- It's about time I Like Me Better dropped out of the Top 5. Now if we can get it to continue moving down and get it out of the countdown soon, all is well.

- Say Amen (Saturday Night) was not only honored the Biggest Jump Of The Week for the second time, but it also rose to the Top 10 pretty quickly. I guess the voters seemed to have missed Brendon Urie and company that much, huh?

- We have quite a big shake-up in the Top 5, and not for the better. I do like the re-entry from Him & I Never Be The Same and Wait both make their unwelcome entries. Plus, Meant To Be has reached a peak of #2 to drive me off the wall as well. We seriously need The Middle to hold the #1 spot for as long as possible. If we can get Him & I at #1, that works too.

Hit-Bound:

• Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA – All The Stars
• Foster The People – Sit Next To Me
• Hundred Handed – Too Good
• The Chainsmokers – Everybody Hates Me
• Why Don't We – Trust Fund Baby
• Echosmith – Over My Head
• Dua Lipa – IDGAF
• Maren Morris – Rich
• Dustin Atlas featuring Erin Bowman – Fake Friends
• Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
• HRVY – Personal (DEBUT)
• Halsey – Alone
• In Real Life – Tattoo (How 'Bout You)
• Sam Smith featuring Logic – Pray
• Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin – Familiar (DEBUT)
• Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift – Babe (DEBUT)
• Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry (DEBUT)

- This is an important week on Hit-Bound. Let's start with the arrival of HRVY with his single titled Personal. If you've been listening to the YouTube 15 recently, then you've probably heard this song by now. It has been trending for a while now. I talked about this briefly when I reviewed the YouTube 15 months ago. But to sum it up, I do kinda the idea of not taking things personal. I feel like he sounds a little too pitchy with his vocals. It's not bad by any means, but I feel like he can do better.

- We have more Liam Payne, and he's collaborating with J. Balvin in their latest single which is named Familar. I do like the latin vibe in this one, and Liam does good with his vocals. I'll have more on this when it debuts.

- Taylor Swift unexpectedly collaborates with country band Sugarland in their new single, Babe. I'll just say that I like how their vocals blend together. It pretty much reminds of the Taylor Swift I knew before Shake It Off. That's all I can say about this as of right now.

- And finally, we have the big return of Ariana Grande. She has a brand new single titled No Tears Left To Cry. I'll just simply say that while it doesn't quite live up to her best work thus far, I do like this mainly because of her vocals alone. I'll have more words next week when it inevitably debuts.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Dua Lipa – IDGAF
2. Hundred Handed – Too Good
3. Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA – All The Stars
4. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
5. Echosmith – Over My Head

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
TIE: 20. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
TIE: 20. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
18. Lauv – I Like Me Better
17. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same

1 – Bad:
16. Maroon 5 – Wait

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
15. Imagine Dragons – Thunder

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great:
14. Meghan Trainor – No Excuses
13. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back
12. Taylor Swift – Delicate
11. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
10. Niall Horan – On The Loose
9. Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt – Let Me Go
8. Bad Wolves – Zombie
7. G-Eazy featuring Halsey – Him & I
6. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
5. Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton – Say Something
4. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
3. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
2. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix)

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me

Overall Grade: 75/100 = 75% (C)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Prince – Purple Rain (1984)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Avicii featuring Aloe Blacc – Wake Me Up

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Bruno Mars – Chunky

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Mono Mind – I Found My Soul At Marvingate (Sofa Tunes Remix)

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#19)

My Top 5 Picks
1. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me
2. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix)
3. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
4. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
5. Alice Merton – No Roots

My Bottom 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
TIE: 1. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
3. AJR featuring Rivers Cuomo – Sober Up
4. Lauv – I Like Me Better
5. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Flo Rida featuring 99 Percent – Cake: I'm not sure what Flo Rida was going for there, but it just did not work out to my liking. When the song is on the same mixtape as songs such as JuJu On That Beat, that's not a good sign.

Questions Of The Week:
1. Ariana Grande is back with No Tears Left To Cry. What do you guys think of the song and why?

2. What are your favorite songs from Prince?

3. What is your favorite song from Avicii?

AT40: Zedd & Maren Morris (1) - Week Of April 21, 2018

Hello, fam! I hope everyone here has had a good week. I have decided to turn off the ability to comment as anonymous for reasons I won't mention. Sorry to disappoint some of you, but it is for the best and I hope you all understand. Anyway, let's get on to reviewing the American Top 40 countdown for this week. We had some good things happen on the countdown this week, including the Biggest Rise Of The Week. And our new #1, while not quite as good as last week, is still greatly appreciated by me. Though, I'm sure some are not happy about it. Before we get to this week's fresh 40, here are the songs leaving us this week:

• Lemon by N.E.R.D. featuring Rihanna (#27)
• Beg by Jack & Jack (#36)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.

40. Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo (#39) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

39. Trust Fund Baby by Why Don't We (DEBUT)

38. Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man (#35) [–3] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

37. Alone by Halsey featuring Big Sean and Stefflon Don (DEBUT)

36. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato (#33) [–3] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

35. No Roots by Alice Merton (#40) [+5]

34. Young, Dumb, And Broke by Khalid (#31) [–3]

33. Sit Next To People by Foster The People (#37) [+4]

32. Thunder by Imagine Dragons (#28) [–4] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

31. On The Loose by Niall Horan (#34) [+3]

30. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage (#26) [–4]

29. Delicate by Taylor Swift (#32) [+3]

28. How Long by Charlie Puth (#22) [–6]

27. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign (#30) [+3]

26. Want You Back by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#29) [+3]

25. Bad At Love by Halsey (#24) [–1]

24. IDGAF by Dua Lipa (#25) [+1]

23. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes (#38) [+15]

22. Wolves by Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello (#15) [–7]

21. All The Stars by Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA (#23) [+2]

20. Tell Me You Love Me by Demi Lovato (#21) [+1]

19. Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug (#19) [=] [Spent 7 Weeks At #1]

18. I Like Me Better by Lauv (#18) [=]

17. Mine by Bazzi (#20) [+3]

16. No Excuses by Meghan Trainor (#17) [+1]

15. Say Something by Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton (#16) [+1]

14. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie (#14) [=]

13. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash (#11) [–2]

12. Wait by Maroon 5 (#12) [=]

11. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons (#13) [+2]

10. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé (#7) [–3] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

9. New Rules by Dua Lipa (#9) [=] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]

8. God's Plan by Drake (#10) [+2]

7. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar (#8) [+1]

6. Let You Down by NF (#5) [–1] [Spent 2 Week At #1]

5. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey (#3) [–2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

4. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello (#6) [+2]

3. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. (#1) [–2] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

2. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line (#4) [+2]

1. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey (#2) [+1] [1^st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran (8^th Of 10 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Wolves by Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello (–7)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: In My Blood by Shawn Mendes (+15)

New Entrants
- We have two new songs debuting this week. To start, we have Why Don't We making their second appearance on the countdown with their latest single titled Trust Fund Baby. Now, I'll say that I did like Something Different for the most part. Even though it wasn't a stand-out track for them, it was still something that I enjoyed every now and then. Trust Fund Baby, on the other hand, is a different story. This song is just plain bad all around. I can't really see the appeal to this. Looking at the lyrical content, it's basically them bragging about stuff and what not. And let me remind you that Ed Sheeran of all people did the songwriting for this one. I don't know about you, but whatever he was doing I don't think he did a good job. He was also a part of Strip That Down, which I wasn't fond of either. The production isn't well done. In fact, it sounds way too much like something that I would hear on some of the mediocre hip-hop songs currently flooding the charts. I want something along the lines of Something Different, but oh well. I hope it doesn't stay for too long.

- Halsey has another new single making its debut as Bad At Love continues to fade away, which is called Alone. Now, the remix for the song was recently released last month and that includes Big Sean and Stefflon Don. As for the solo version, I do like it, mainly because Halsey sounds good with her vocals and production is solid all around. The remix is pretty good as well. I think both Big Sean and Stefflon Don added something that makes it enjoyable for me. Now the question is, do I see this becoming another hit for Halsey? Only time will tell on that. But right now, I do like it and I hope for some success out of it.

When Blurbs Cry
- Our two exits consist of songs that I won't really miss too much. Beg by Jack & Jack wasn't all that memorable for me, and Lemon by N.E.R.D. featuring Rihanna was a guilty pleasure of mine. So I'm not saddened by the exits.

- In My Blood by Shawn Mendes took a massive jump in its second week. It's been a while since we had a jump this big. But I'm not complaining as I do like the song. We'll see if this ends up being another hit for Shawn.

- Before introducing Whatever It Takes, Ryan Seacrest mentioned that Dan Reynolds was being treated for a chronic disease while working on music. It's nice to see that he still has the strength to continue making music despite his shortcomings. I'm sure it doesn't affect his vocals too much. That said, I hope the song enters the Top 10 soon, like maybe next week.

- Before introducing Let Me Down, Ryan Seacrest mentioned that NF's music has connected people in some ways in terms of the lyrical content. I guess people can relate to the song in some way. There are many songs we listen to that have a meaning and I can appreciate songs like that. I'm sure he does too.

- Never Be The Same makes its entrance into the Top 5, which isn't too surprising since Camila Cabello is a rising star. But I'm not very thrilled to see it there. She just does not sound good throughout the song. Her vocal work was the main reason why I despised Work From Home. Songs like Havana, on the other hand, showed that her vocals aren't grating. That said, I'm hoping it doesn't reach #1, but that's a long shot at this point.

- In other Top 5 news, we have Meant To Be reaching a dangerous new peak of #2. I'll be hanging on to the edge of my seat hoping it doesn't get to #1. But given that it's still continuing to go strong in sales, I'm afraid it's a possibility.

- Honestly, our new #1 is one in which I saw coming. The Middle has been going strong for a while now and I wasn't too surprised to see it take the top spot on the American Top 40 this week. Perfectly fine by me as this one has become a huge favorite of mine, along with our #3 song. As I said before, it's nice to see Maren Morris get a country cross-over hit. I'm hoping that it can hold the #1 spot for a while.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Everyday by Logic featuring Marshmello
• Stir Fry by Migos
• Everybody Hates Me by The Chainsmokers

Extras/Optional Extras:

• Let Me Go by Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt
• Into You by Ariana Grande
• Love Yourself by Justin Bieber
• Don't Wanna Know by Maroon 5 featuring Kendrick Lamar
• Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran
• Never Forget You by Zara Larsson featuring MNEK
• 1-800-273-8255 by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid
• Shut Up And Dance by Walk The Moon

Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:
20. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
19. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
18. I Like Me Better by Lauv
17. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello
16. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash

1 – Bad:
15. Wait by Maroon 5
14. God's Plan by Drake

2 – Mediocre:
13. Let You Down by NF

3 – Decent:
None!

4 – Good:
12. Mine by Bazzi

5 – Great:
11. No Excuses by Meghan Trainor
10. Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug
9. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé
8. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey
7. New Rules by Dua Lipa
6. Tell Me You Love Me by Demi Lovato
5. Say Something by Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton
4. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons
3. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar
2. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.

Total Score: 64/100 = 64% (D)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: When Doves Cry by Prince (1984) (It's been two years since he passed)

Most Missed Song: Hymn For The Weekend by Coldplay featuring Beyoncé (Hi, Adrian)

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Say Amen (Saturday Night) by Panic! At The Disco

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between Green Light by Lorde (#20) and Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay (#10)

My Top 5 Picks
1. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.
2. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
3. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar
4. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons
5. No Roots by Alice Merton

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
2. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
3. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage
4. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
5. I Like Me Better by Lauv

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
I Love You by Axwell Λ Ingresso featuring Kid Ink: Not really the best song in the EDM genre by any means, but I do like what it has to offer, mainly the lyrical content
Still Got Time by ZAYN featuring PARTYNEXTDOOR: This is basically a snooze fest across the board. ZAYN has had some songs that I enjoyed for the most part, but this isn't one them unfortunately.

QOTW: Ariana Grande is back with her new single, No Tears Left To Cry. What are your thoughts? How do you think the single will fare?

Zedd & Maren Morris (6) - Week Of April 14, 2018

Hello, fam! As I said yesterday, next month will officially be one year when I first started blogging. It's always nice that I was able to make new friends here in the blogging community during this span of time. I would like to thank you all for reading this blog everyday. I'll have something special for you guys soon. Now with that being said, here are the songs leaving us this week:

• Keala Settle & The Greatest Showman Ensemble – This Is Me (#44)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
45. Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still (#45) [=]
44. Symon – Lonely Girl (#41) [–3]
43. Fall Out Boy – Hold Me Tight Or Don't (#37) [–6]
42. Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran and Future – End Game (#43) [+1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
41. Khalid – Young, Dumb, And Broke (#39) [–2]
40. Charlie Puth – How Long (#42) [+2] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
39. Macklemore featuring Kesha – Good Old Days (#26) [–13] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
38. AJR featuring Rivers Cuomo – Sober Up (#40) [+2]
37. Kelly Clarkson – Love So Soft (#38) [+1]
36. Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello – Wolves (#30) [–6]
35. Alice Merton – No Roots (#29) [–6]
34. Camila Cabello – Havana (#34) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
33. P!NK – Beautiful Trauma (#33) [=]
32. Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton – Say Something (#35) [+3]
31. Drake – God's Plan (DEBUT)
30. Noah Kahan featuring Julia Michaels – Hurt Somebody (#31) [+1]
29. Bazzi – Mine (#28) [–1]
28. Bad Wolves – Zombie (#14) [–14]
27. Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore, and Dan Caplen – These Days (#36) [+9]
26. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#25) [–1]
25. NF – Let You Down (#19) [–6]
24. Kesha featuring The Dap-Kings Horns – Woman (#9) [–15]
23. Halsey – Bad At Love (#24) [+1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
22. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low (#17) [–5]
21. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me (#23) [+2]
20. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (#27) [+7]
19. Meghan Trainor – No Excuses (#13) [–6]
18. Ed Sheeran – Perfect (#22) [+4] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
17. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me (#32) [+15]
16. Marshmello featuring Anne–Marie – Friends (#18) [+2]
15. Imagine Dragons – Thunder (#20) [+5] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
14. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me (#8) [–6]
13. Niall Horan – On The Loose (#10) [–3]
12. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same (#11) [–1]
11. Maroon 5 – Wait (#12) [+1]
10. Taylor Swift – Delicate (#16) [+6]
9. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix) (#21) [+12]
8. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be (#7) [–1]
7. G-Eazy featuring Halsey – Him & I (#6) [–1]
6. Walk The Moon – One Foot (#2) [–4]
5. Lauv – I Like Me Better (#15) [+10]
4. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back (#5) [+1]
3. Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt – Let Me Go (#3) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
2. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes (#4) [+2]
1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#1) [=] [6^th Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill (1^st of 3 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Kesha featuring The Dap-Kings Horns – Woman (–15)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me (+15)

New Entrants
- We have only one new entrant this week, and it comes from Drake whose song is currently #1 on Billboard so far. Enter God's Plan. I already talked about this when it debuted on the American Top 40 last month. But to recap, I wasn't really a fan of this. Part of the problem with the song is the production, which I find to be underwhelming. I do think his vocals are okay, but the lyrics leave something to be desired and like I just said, the production isn't too good. Knowing Hits 1, I'm sure this will have a short tenure on the countdown despite it being the biggest song of this year so far. Hopefully I'm right, but you never really know how long it'll stay on the countdown.

A Thousand Blurbs
- So, we bid adieu to This Is Me. I thought this song was one of a kind and we don't hear songs like that very often anymore. Keala Settle definitely showed that she can really sing. It's too bad that it wasn't a huge success elsewhere, but at least it graduated to the countdown due to the hype from the Oscars this year. It's definitely a candidate for My Top 45 Songs Of 2018.

- The Middle continues its reign at #1. I do still love this song and I'm glad that Maren Morris is getting the attention (no reference to Charlie Puth) she deserves. I wonder how much longer it'll stay at the top.

- Whatever It Takes has reached a new peak of #2 this week. I wouldn't be too surprised if this ends up being #1 down the road. Also, it was introduced by a guest DJ, who was saying hello to too many family members. It was nice even though she didn't name them all.

- Let Me Go just won't budge from the Top 5. I do still love the song and I'm glad that it spent at least one week at #1. Something tells me that it'll likely be ranked high when the Hits 1 Year-End Countdown comes along in December. But that might be a stretch given that we still have a whole year ahead of us.

- But then, we also get to our new Top 5 entrant from I Like Me Better. Just no, people. I don't know why are the voters making this a Top 5 hit, but this is ridiculous. Hopefully, songs like The Middle can hold the #1 spot for as long as possible to keep I Like Me Better out.

- Entering the Top 10 this week, we have both Delicate and Finesse making their entrance, with the latter taking a big jump into that region. I'm definitely cool with having both of them in the Top 10 (especially Finesse). But songs like I Like Me Better and Meant To Be need to seriously make their way down.

- Before introducing In My Blood, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Shawn Mendes seemed to have finally found his mate by the name of Hailey Baldwin. Before, I heard rumors that he was getting back with Camila Cabello or maybe start a relationship with Hailee Steinfeld. But I guess he ultimately found that special someone he was looking for. Hopefully for him, it'll work out.

- Before introducing Tell Me You Love Me, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Demi Lovato has been telling people to love themselves no matter how they look. I'm glad that she is basically a role model when it comes to inspiring people to accept themselves. If everybody was that way, I'm sure the world would be a happy place.

- Well, this was short-lived. Woman took a big drop out of the Top 10 very quickly. I'm not really surprised since that one never took off elsewhere. It's sad that people underrate good songs like this.

- I'm not thrilled about the drop from Zombie either. Though I'm sure it'll make a recovery soon given that it's still relatively new to the countdown, but that drop was seriously uncalled for.

- Looks like this may be the end for Good Old Days after that big drop. Hopefully it'll stick around for a little while longer. It's crazy that this and How Long were in the Top 5 about a month ago and now they're sitting near the Bottom 5. Dang!

Hit-Bound

• Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
• Echosmith – Over My Head
• NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know (DEBUT)
• Dustin Atlas featuring Erin Bowman – Fake Friends
• Portugal. The Man – Live In The Moment
• Halsey – Alone
• Maren Morris – Rich
• The Chainsmokers – Everybody Hates Me
• In Real Life – Tattoo (How 'Bout You) (DEBUT)
• Hundred Handed – Too Good
• Sam Smith featuring Logic – Pray
• Dua Lipa – IDGAF
• Foster The People – Sit Next To Me
• ZAYN – Let Me (DEBUT)
• Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA – All The Stars
• Why Don't We – Trust Fund Baby

- We have three debuts this week on Hit-Bound. We'll start with the return of Bea Miller, who had Fire N' Gold which was three years ago. She's collaborating with an new EDM duo NOTD in the song titled I Wanna Know. Right off the bat, I like their contribution in the song in terms of the production. Bea's vocals are pretty good throughout the song. I'll have more on this when it debuts.

- Next, we have a new band, by the name of In Real Life. They have a song titled Tattoo (How 'Bout You). I thought that song had potential, but I feel like it's lacking something that makes it stand out. I do like the vocals for the most part. Not much else I can say beyond that.

- Finally, we have ZAYN with his latest release titled Let Me. While I won't say it's as good as Dusk Till Dawn, this is still a keeper. I'm sure it'll make its debut at some point, and I'll talk more about it then.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Dua Lipa – IDGAF
2. Hundred Handed – Too Good
3. Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA – All The Stars
4. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me
5. Echosmith – Over My Head

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
20. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
19. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
18. Lauv – I Like Me Better
17. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same

1 – Bad:
16. Maroon 5 – Wait

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
15. Imagine Dragons – Thunder

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great:
14. Meghan Trainor – No Excuses
13. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back
12. Taylor Swift – Delicate
11. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
10. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me
9. Ed Sheeran – Perfect 
8. Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt – Let Me Go
7. Niall Horan – On The Loose
6. Walk The Moon – One Foot
5. G-Eazy featuring Halsey – Him & I
4. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
3. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me
2. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix)

Overall Grade: 75/100 = 75% (C)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Vanessa Carlton – A Thousand Miles (2002)

Most Missed Countdown Songs: Ella Henderson – Ghost and Lorde – Yellow Flicker Beat

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Little Mix – Shout Out To My Ex

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This

My Top 5 Picks
1. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix)
2. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
3. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me
4. Alice Merton – No Roots
5. Kesha featuring The Dap-Kings Horns – Woman

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
2. AJR featuring Rivers Cuomo – Sober Up
3. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
4. Lauv – I Like Me Better
5. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Halsey – Now Or Never: While I do like the idea of needing someone right now, Hasley doesn't really display her vocal talent in this one. But if it's anything, I'll certainly take this over the mess that is of New Americana any day.
Harry Styles – Sign Of The Times: I never thought a member from One Direction would turn to 70's-80's rock, but I was happy with how it turned out. His music definitely deserved to have more success, especially when compared to the other member's solo singles.
Calvin Harris featuring Frank Ocean and Migos – Slide: It's one of the few good things that the group Migos have been a part of (other than Stir Fry), and the groovy new sound definitely worked out well for Calvin Harris.
The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This: A rehash of Roses if you will. Everything about this is divine on all levels. I love that it has superhero references to Batman, Superman, Spiderman, etc.