75,000 Pageview Special: My Top 10 Songs of 2014

For my 75,000 Pageview Special, I've decided to rewind my Top 10 songs of 2014. I can't really say much about 2014 overall, in part because I wasn't a big music reviewer back then. But that doesn't really stop me because there were quite a lot of songs I liked that year. However, the songs on my list are the ones that stood out to me the most that year. So with that, I now present to you my Top 10 Songs of 2014! Here they are:

10. Ed Sheeran – Don't
This song I don't really have too much to say about except it was my favorite song from him before he made a comeback in 2017. I do love the lyrical content, which is basically about being in a relationship, though I also heard that it was a diss track. Honestly, the production here is solid across the board and Ed's vocals are on point. Yeah, everything about this is spot on.

9. Shakira featuring Rihanna – Can't Remember To Forget You
Two of the my favorite artists managed to make something that is memorable. I remember first listening to this song and since then, I've played it over 100 times. That's how much I love this song. What about the song that makes me love it so much, you ask? Well, let's start with the catchy chorus which pulls me in along with the Latin-based production which was top notch. Both artists sound amazing all throughout the song. There's a Spanish version of the song and it sounds just as great as the original. Overall, it's a great collaboration between Shakira and Rihanna. Here's to hoping they make something just like this soon.

8. Charli XCX – Boom Clap
Taken from the The Fault In Our Stars movie soundtrack, this song is what brought Charli XCX into the spotlight. The best thing I like about the song in general is the chorus, which is mesmerizing if I do say so myself. The production here is on point as well. Overall, it was a great first impression for Charli XCX. It's too bad that she's being considered a one-hit wonder as her other singles never really took off.

7. A Great Big World featuring Christina Aguilera – Say Something
From the time I heard the piano at the beginning, I knew then and there that this would be a great song. And sure enough, I was right. There are two different versions of the song. One is the solo version, and the other is with Christina Aguilera. I definitely prefer the latter in large part because Christina has a great voice and she is perfect for a song like this. But honestly, it really doesn't matter because the song itself is divine, both with Christina Aguilera and without. I'm glad A Great Big World were able to make a piano ballad. I don't have too much else to say about this other than the fact that it is divine on all levels.

6. Sia – Chandelier
This was a huge favorite among music critics and bloggers alike. They can explain it better than I can. But to put it easy, Sia's vocals are absolutely divine in this one. The way she sounds energetic throughout the song is just mesmerizing on all levels. It sounded like she was having fun recording the song or maybe she put all her effort into it. And the production has a lot going for it, especially in terms of the beat and the instruments used. Simply put, this is the best thing Sia has done as an artist. I'm sure many here will agree with me as well.

5. Meghan Trainor – All About That Bass
I'm VERY sorry to some of you guys, but I actually like this way more than I'm supposed to. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I don't find Meghan Trainor to be annoying as many make her out to be. Now, I'll admit that I did not like this song at first because I thought it was too weird for my liking. But I have since warmed up to it, mainly because of what the song is about. Basically, it talks about self-acceptance. Other than that, I actually love everything else about the song as well. The production is pretty awesome, and like I said, I don't think her voice is that annoying at all. Again, I'm sorry if I broke anyone's hearts (especially a certain someone who I won't name), but yeah.

4. Lorde – Team
As soon as I fell in love with her predecessor, Royals, I knew there was something about Lorde that makes her interesting. Her follow-up, Team, may be a bit faster paced than Royals was. But it is still a amazing song in and of itself. Lorde has a unique voice and she delivers it throughout the song. I love the production for the most part. Yeah, Lorde did a nice job of impressing me with her follow up to Royals. I'm glad it was able to be just as successful.

3. Ellie Goulding – Burn
There's something about Ellie Goulding that makes me really like her music. Whether it's her vocals or the effort she puts in writing songs, it doesn't really matter. What matters is that Ellie is one of those rare, one-of-a-kind aritsts that never disappoints me with her music, and Burn is no exception. This EDM-based production makes the song sound like it was produced by an EDM artist when it really isn't. Whoever was behind the production did a nice job with it. I love the chorus. It's right up there as one of my favorites single from Ellie Goulding. She continues to amaze me with her music.

2. Katy Perry featuring Juicy J. – Dark Horse
Katy Perry has always been a huge favorite of mine ever since Teenage Dream was a huge hit. She never disappoints me most of the time, and this song really is no exception, at least for me. I get that people don't like this mainly because the trap/hip-hop sound doesn't fit Katy Perry's style. But I'm not among that crowd. Katy was already coming off her lead single from Prism, Roar which I also loved. I liked that  was going for something different, and I thought it turned out really well to my liking. Juicy J. does add something to the song, though some of the lines are pretty questionable. But to me, Katy is really the biggest reason why I love it so much. She sounds amazing as always and she shines with her vocals like she always does. The production here is different, but cool at the same time. I may feel alone when it comes to this opinion, but honestly I don't care at all. I love the new sound from Katy Perry and overall, she has won me over with the song.

1. Clean Bandit featuring Jess Glynne - Rather Be
The very first time I heard this song was also the first time I've ever heard a song from Clean Bandit and Jess Glynne. The song opens with a violin, and that's probably what led me to love this song in the first place. I liked the way they use a violin throughout the song. I also found out that Jess Glynne has a unique voice. When I hear her sing, she sounds pretty great throughout the song. But Clean Bandit themselves did very well as a EDM band. I'm glad this was the song that put them on the map. Though Jess Glynne never got another hit since, at least Clean Bandit has been somewhat relevant with their latest singles doing respectable elsewhere.

So, these are my Top 10 songs for 2014. As always, I would like to say thank you for reading this. I'd like to know what you guys think of the list I put together. You comments are greatly appreciated. I hope you all have a good day today! Thank you for reading!

Zedd & Maren Morris (9) - Week Of May 26, 2018

Hello, fam! I hope everyone here has a great Memorial Day Weekend. We've now entered summer. I'm currently working on two posts this week. One of which is my One-Year Special, and the other is my review for the Billboard Music Awards. Both of them should be out later next week. Anyway, here's the Memorial Day edition of the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown post. Before we get to this week's fresh 45, here are the songs leaving us this week:

• Alice Merton – No Roots (#39)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
45. Charlie Puth – How Long (#42) [–3] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
44. Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello – Wolves (#45) [+1]
43. Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still (#44) [+1]
42. Camila Cabello – Havana (#43) [+1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
41. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low (#34) [–7]

40. Halsey – Bad At Love (#41) [+1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

39. Drake – God's Plan (#40) [+1]

38. Noah Kahan featuring Julia Michaels – Hurt Somebody (#22) [–16]

37. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix) (#38) [+1]

36. Dustin Atlas featuring Erin Bowman – Fake Friends (#37) [+1]

35. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me (#30) [–5]

34. Dua Lipa – New Rules (RE-ENTRY)

33. ZAYN – Let Me (#27) [–6]

32. Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA – All The Stars (#35) [+3]

31. Ed Sheeran – Perfect (#36) [+5] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

30. G-Eazy featuring Halsey – Him & I (#31) [+1]

29. AJR featuring Rivers Cuomo – Sober Up (#28) [–1]

28. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same (#9) [–19] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

27. Walk The Moon – One Foot (#26) [–1]

26. Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt – Let Me Go (#32) [+6] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

25. Bazzi – Mine (#23) [+2]

24. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know (#25) [+1]

23. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me (#21) [–2]

22. Selena Gomez – Back To You (#29) [+7]

21. Imagine Dragons – Thunder (#24) [+3] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]

20. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry (#20) [=]

19. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho (#33) [+14] (...)

18. Dua Lipa – IDGAF (#17) [–1]

17. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me (#16) [–1]

16. Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore, and Dan Caplen – These Days (#12) [–4]

15. Lauv – I Like Me Better (#19) [+4] (Stop jumping and leave!)

14. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be (#15) [+1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

13. Halsey – Alone (#14) [+3]

12. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (#13) [+1]

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

10. Bad Wolves – Zombie (#18) [+8]

9. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me (#5) [–4]

8. Maroon 5 – Wait (#10) [+2]

7. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends (#7) [=]

6. Taylor Swift – Delicate (#8) [+2]

5. Panic! At the Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#4) [–1]

4. Niall Horan – On The Loose (#6) [+2]

3. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes (#2) [–1]

2. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back (#3) [+1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#1) [=] [9^th Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (1^st of 3 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same (–19)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho (+14)

New Entrants
- We've somehow got a re-entry from Dua Lipa – New Rules, which is nice to see even though it's dying out elsewhere. This is the first time we had a re-entry since last year when Castle On The Hill made it back to the countdown. However, there are no new songs from Hit-Bound debuting this week, so let's move on.

I Know I'd Go Blurb To You
- Let's first talk about our exit. We say good-bye to Alice Merton – No Roots this week. I was hoping we could get another alternative hit from another artist, but the song never really caught on elsewhere. It was, of course, underrated and deserved better.

- So, Spyder Harrison mentioned that a hospital worker was fired because they looked at Ed Sheeran's medical records? Hmm...I guess the people wanted to keep it private or something. But anyway, at least Ed Sheeran did give a performance of Galway Girl last weekend. I thought it was a good performance overall.

- Before introducing No Tears Left To Cry, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Ariana is dating a new person who is actually from Saturday Night Live and he mentioned that he's the coolest person on the cast. I have a feeling that they may end up being the coolest couple of the year. I mean, they should be given that award, don't you think? That is unless G-Eazy and Halsey still prove to be a strong couple.

- I'm not thrilled about the big jump from Psycho at all. Hopefully, it doesn't stay in the Top 20 for too long and starts dropping back down, but at this point it's not likely.

- Before introducing Meant To Be, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Nick Jonas and Bebe Rexha are meant to be (no pun intended)? Really? Did Bebe Rexha found a special someone? If that's the case, then I hope it works out well.

- During his introduction for In My Blood, Spyder Harrison had a conversation with Shawn Mendes about his new album which was released just yesterday. He recently did a performance of Youth (with Khalid) at the Billboard Music Awards. Honestly, I thought it was a moving performance. However, I do hope he releases Lost In Japan as a single soon.

- Bad Wolves – Zombie has made its way into the Top 10 this week. I have a feeling that it'll try to be an elusive hit on this countdown in general. This wouldn't be the first time, as some songs that weren't popular elsewhere have did really well. I hope the same rings true for that song.

- The guest DJ that introduced Friends called Spyder Harrison the best DJ on the planet. I'll say that was a nice complement.

- Niall Horan – On The Loose has now entered the Top 5. I wasn't too surprised about this given that I heard this a lot the past two weeks. Also, the guest DJ that introduced the song gave a shout out to all of the students at her school. Seeing as the kids are out for the summer, that was a very nice complement.

- Finally, we've come to our #1 this week, in which The Middle holds the #1 spot once again! As you probably can tell, I still really, really like that song, so I very pleased with this. I did watch a performance of the song at the Billboard Music Awards and I thought it was great. I'll probably have more to say about it. But yeah, I did enjoy it overall.

Hit-Bound:

• Sam Smith featuring Logic – Pray
• HRVY – Personal
• Fall Out Boy – Last Of The Real Ones (DEBUT)
• The Wrecks – James Dean
• Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
• 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
• Cardi B. – I Like It
• Maren Morris – Rich
• Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin – Familiar
• Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right
• lovelytheband – Broken
• In Real Life – Tattoo (How 'Bout You)
• Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind
• Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift – Babe
• Hundred Handed – Too Good
• Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (DEBUT)

- In the world of Hit-Bound, we have two new songs debuting this week. First, Fall Out Boy make their return once again with Last Of The Real Ones. This song, along with Champion, is the Fall Out Boy that I know and love. The production here is really good and I like the vocals. I'll have more on this when it debuts.

- Then, we have Brendon Urie and company with their new single which was just released, by the name of High Hopes. Once again, Brendon Urie sounds amazing throughout the song. I think he's the best thing about the song overall. I'm sure this one will debut at some point considering Hits 1 loves Panic! At The Disco.

- We say good-bye to two songs this week. Over My Head I did like, but I'm not too sad about it, given that it was underrated elsewhere. I did enjoy Live In The Moment and I'm sad that it left us for good. At least it was able to make the countdown, though.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. The Wrecks – James Dean
2. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
3. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
4. Fall Out Boy – Last Of The Real Ones
5. Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
20. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
19. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
18. Lauv – I Like Me Better
17. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be

1 – Bad:
16. Maroon 5 – Wait

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
None!

4 – Good:
15. Meghan Trainor – No Excuses

5 – Great:
14. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
13. Taylor Swift – Delicate
12. Halsey – Alone
11. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back
10. Niall Horan – On The Loose
9. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
8. Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore, and Dan Caplen – These Days
7. Bad Wolves – Zombie
6. Dua Lipa – IDGAF
5. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
4. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me
3. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
TIE: 1. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle

Overall Grade: 77/100 = 77% (C+)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Christina Aguilera – What A Girl Wants (1999)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Demi Lovato – Cool For The Summer

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Carly Rae Jepsen – Run Away From Me

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Céline Dion – Ashes

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#1)

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
TIE: 1. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
3. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix)
4. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me
5. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. AJR featuring Rivers Cuomo – Sober Up
2. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
3. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
4. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same
5. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Liam Payne featuring Quavo – Strip That Down: I wasn't fond of Liam's decision to go hip-hop. I'd say this was probably the weakest debut single from a former member of One Direction. I'm sure many here will say the same.
Miley Cyrus – Malibu: Although the song itself isn't all that memorable, I did like how Miley was able go back to her country roots. After her last album, Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz, was not to my liking at all whatsoever, it was nice to hear something refreshing from her.

QOTW: Who do you think gave the best performance in the 2018 Billboard Music Awards last week? Why?

AT40: Camila Cabello (2) - Week Of May 26, 2018

Hello, fam! We've come to Memorial Day Weekend as we begin summer. I hope you all enjoy your nice summer vacation. I apologize if I haven't done any of my posts, such as my 75,000 Pageview Special and my one-year special. If I'm lucky, I should hopefully have it ready next week. This countdown wasn't really any better than last week. We lost two really good songs and we still have the same annoying #1. More about it in the blurbs. Before we get to this week's fresh 40, here are the songs leaving us this week:

• Tell Me You Love Me by Demi Lovato (#24)
• Wolves by Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello (#35)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello

40. Thunder by Imagine Dragons (#39) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

39. Familiar by Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin (DEBUT)

38. These Days by Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore and Dan Caplen (DEBUT)

37. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage (#37) [=]

36. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani (#38) [+2]

35. Let Me by ZAYN (#40) [+5]

34. Bad At Love by Halsey (#31) [–3]

33. Nice For What by Drake (#36) [+3]

32. Everyday by Logic featuring Marshmello (#34) [+2]

31. Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug (#28) [–3] [Spent 7 Weeks At #1]

30. Want You Back by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#32) [+2]

29. No Roots by Alice Merton (#30) [+1]

28. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash (#25) [–3]

27. Sit Next To Me by Foster The People (#29) [+2]

26. Done For Me by Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani (#33) [+7]

25. Alone by Halsey featuring Big Sean and Stefflon Don (#27) [+2]

24. On The Loose by Niall Horan (#26) [+2]

23. No Excuses by Meghan Trainor (#16) [–7]

22. Perfect by Ed Sheeran featuring Beyoncé (#19) [–3]

21. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa (#23) [+2]

20. Delicate by Taylor Swift (#22) [+2]

19. IDGAF by Dua Lipa (#21) [+2]

18. Let You Down by NF (#15) [–3]

17. I Like Me Better by Lauv (#18) [+1]

16. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey (#13) [–3] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

15. All The Stars by Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA (#14) [–1]

14. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. (#11) [–3] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

13. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande (#20) [+7]

12. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign (#17) [+5]

11. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes (#12) [+1]

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

9. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie (#10) [+1]

8. Mine by Bazzi (#8) [=]

7. Wait by Maroon 5 (#7) [=]

6. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons (#6) [=]

5. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line (#4) [–1]

4. God's Plan by Drake (#3) [–1]

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

2. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey (#2) [=] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]

1. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello (#1) [=] [2^nd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: That's What I Like by Bruno Mars (3^rd and Final Week At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: No Excuses by Meghan Trainor (–7)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Tie between Done For Me by Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani and No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande (+7)

New Entrants
- For our first debut of this week, we have the return of Liam Payne with his brand new single titled Familiar. This song also features J. Balvin, who last year had his single Mi Gente, which I absolutely detested. As for the new song, I'll simply say it's pretty good and a step up from Strip That Down, which I wasn't a fan of either. The latin-based vibe is what gets me. I do like the verses from both of the artists overall. The production in the song is pretty interesting and not as lazy as it was in Strip That Down. Both of these artists managed to win me over with the song. I hope to see it do well.

- Our second debut comes from EDM group Rudimental, who has a big collaboration with Jess Glynne, Macklemore, and Dan Caplen in the song titled These Days. This one been around for a while now. I talked about it in full when it debuted on the Weekend Countdown last month. But to sum it up, I pretty much like everything about the song from the production on down to the verses. The best thing about the song is Jess Glynne, who sounds great in the chorus. I love the lyrical content throughout the song. It's a great song overall and I hope for success out of it.

Best Debut Of The Week: These Days by Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore, and Dan Caplen

Ain't Got No Blurbs Left To Cry
- As far as our exits go, our two songs that left the countdown will be greatly missed by me. Tell Me You Love Me was very underrated and deserved much better. Wolves had a good countdown run for the most part and it was definitely one of the best things Selena Gomez has been a part of. Farewell, Wolves. Thank you for your time on this countdown.

- Of course, Never Be The Same holds the #1 spot this week. Honestly, this song is just annoying in terms of her vocals. But apparently, I guess people seem to disagree. I'd absolutely love to have The Middle back at #1, or just even just a good song at the top spot period.

- In other Top 5 news, Pray For Me reaches a new peak at #3. I would love to see it replace our current #1, but I don't think it's likely given that it's dying out elsewhere. At least it was successful.

- No Excuses took a big drop out of the Top 20 this week. Looks like Meghan Trainor isn't going to have another hit after all. I was starting to slightly grow back out of the song, though. So I would be okay with it departing.

- I figured Done For Me would make a big jump in its second week. Not that I'm complaining as I'm very fond of the song as of this moment. I do think it's one of the best tracks off of Voicenotes.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Sober Up by AJR featuring Rivers Cuomo
• Pray by Sam Smith featuring Logic
• Sober by G-Eazy featuring Charlie Puth

Extras/Optional Extras:

• How Long by Charlie Puth
• Bailando by Enrique Iglesias featuring Sean Paul
• Hello by Adele
• Here by Alessia Cara
• Say You Won't Let Go by James Arthur
• That's What I Like by Bruno Mars
• Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo

Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:
20. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
19. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
18. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
17. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello
16. I Like Me Better by Lauv

1 – Bad:
15. Wait by Maroon 5

2 – Mediocre:
14. Let You Down by NF
13. God's Plan by Drake

3 – Decent:
None!

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great:
12. Mine by Bazzi
11. Delicate by Taylor Swift
10. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes
9. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey
8. New Rules by Dua Lipa
7. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons
6. IDGAF by Dua Lipa
5. All The Stars by Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA
4. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar
3. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.
2. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey

Total Score: 66/100 = 66% (D)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Larger Than Life by Backstreet Boys (1999)

Most Missed Song: Dark Horse by Katy Perry featuring Juicy J.

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Ashes by Céline Dion

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay (#2)

My Top 5 Picks
1. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
2. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande
3. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.
4. Done For Me by Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani
5. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
2. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
3. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage
4. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
5. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Human by Rag'n'Bone Man: Not much I can say about this one. It's definitely a good tune that talks about our shortcomings as a human. Too bad it didn't get much success
Believer by Imagine Dragons: It was a different sound for these guys. I do love the rock elements in this one. I did hear this often in commercials when the Nintendo Switch came around.
Despacito by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber: I'm sure some people are still sour about this one, but not me. Probably one of the best Latin-based songs of last year in my opinion.

Zedd & Maren Morris (8) - Week Of May 19, 2018

Hello, fam! As you may or may not know, this week marks my one-year anniversary of starting this blog! I'm happy that I've made it this far. You guys are the greatest and I'm grateful to be able to make friends with you all. Thank you very much for taking the time to read this amazing blog! The Billboard Music Awards take place tomorrow night. I'll definitely be watching, and I'll try my best to post a review if I have the time. I thought this countdown was pretty divine for the most part to celebrate my one-year anniversary. Let's get right into things, shall we? Before we get to this week's fresh 45, here are the songs leaving us this week:

• P!NK – Beautiful Trauma (#39)
• Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran and Future – End Game (#41) [Spent 1 Week At #1]
• Macklemore featuring Kesha – Good Old Days (#42) [Spent 1 Week At #1]

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back
45. Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello – Wolves (#43) [–2]
44. Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still (#44) [=]
43. Camila Cabello – Havana (#38) [–5] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
42. Charlie Puth – How Long (#45) [+3] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
41. Halsey – Bad At Love (#36) [–5] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

40. Drake – God's Plan (#40) [=]

39. Alice Merton – No Roots (#37) [–2]

38. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix) (#34) [–4]

37. Dustin Atlas featuring Erin Bowman – Fake Friends (DEBUT)

36. Ed Sheeran – Perfect (#29) [–7] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

35. Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA – All The Stars (DEBUT)

34. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low (#25) [–9]

33. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho (#32) [+2]

32. Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt – Let Me Go (#24) [–8] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

31. G-Eazy featuring Halsey – Him & I (#28) [–3]

30. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me (#35) [+5]

29. Selena Gomez – Back To You (DEBUT)

28. AJR featuring Rivers Cuomo – Sober Up (#27) [–1]

27. ZAYN – Let Me (#21) [–6]

26. Walk The Moon – One Foot (#20) [–6]

25. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know (#26) [+1]

24. Imagine Dragons – Thunder (#18) [–6] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]

23. Bazzi – Mine (#23) [=]

22. Noah Kahan featuring Julia Michaels – Hurt Somebody (#31) [+9]

21. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me (#6) [–15]

20. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry (#19) [–1]

19. Lauv – I Like Me Better (#32) [+13] (What the heck?!)

18. Bad Wolves – Zombie (#22) [+4]

17. Dua Lipa – IDGAF (#33) [+16]

16. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me (#16) [=]

15. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be (#7) [–8] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

14. Halsey – Alone (#17) [+3]

13. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (#14) [+1]

12. Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore, and Dan Caplen – These Days (#15) [+3]

11. Meghan Trainor – No Excuses (#9) [–2]

10. Maroon 5 – Wait (#5) [–5]

9. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same (#4) [–5] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

8. Taylor Swift – Delicate (#8) [=]

7. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends (#13) [+6]

6. Niall Horan – On The Loose (#12) [+6]

5. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me (#11) [+6]

4. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#10) [+6]

3. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back (#1) [–2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

2. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes (#3) [+1]

1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#2) [+1] [8^th Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill (2^nd of 3 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me (–15)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Dua Lipa – IDGAF (+16)

New Entrants
- To kick off this week's debuts, we have Dustin Atlas making his first appearance, I think, with the song called Fake Freinds He is collaborating with Erin Bowman, who makes her return to the countdown. The last time we saw her was last year when she brought us Good Time, Good Life. I thought that was a good song overall. As for this one, I can't really say I'm loving it too much. I'm not too fond of the production. I think it's a little too basic for my tastes. The vocals here are somewhat underwhelming. They do sound good in some parts of the song, but I'm not sold on the chorus. It's not really a bad song, but I can't see myself remembering this in a year or so.

- For our next debut of the week, we have another single from the Black Panther movie soundtrack that has been around for a while. Kendrick Lamar has his second song making its debut on the countdown, by the name of All The Stars. This song also features SZA, who recently had a countdown song not too long ago when she also collaborated with Maroon 5 with What Lovers Do. One of the things I like about the song is the big contribution we get from SZA, in which she shines in the chorus. I do like the verses from Kendrick Lamar, also. As I said before, I do think he's one of the best rappers out there and he shows what he's capable of in this song. Simply put, it's a great song overall and I want to see it do well here.

- Now that Wolves seems to be finally near the end of the road, we have another single from Selena Gomez entering the countdown this week. Enter Back To You, her brand new single taken from the 13 Reasons Why Season 2 soundtrack. I'm going to simply say that it's a big step up from what she's been releasing lately in terms of her solo music. She doesn't do any whispering or mumbling in any part of the song at all. In fact, she sounds really good singing in this one. I love the chorus leading up to the drop. Not only that, but we also see an improvement in the production as well, in which it has the guitar in some parts of the song and the EDM-like production that pulls me in. This is definitely a step back in the right direction for Selena Gomez. I'm actually looking forward to seeing that one be more successful.

Best Debut Of The Week: Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA – All The Stars

Never Gonna Blurb You Up
- We'll start with our exits. End Game had a nice countdown run for a Taylor Swift song off of Reputation. We lost two other songs this week. Beautiful Trauma failed to live up to the expectations of its predecessor. I guess that song wasn't meant to be another hit for P!NK. Oh well. Good Old Days, on the other hand, did well on this countdown and got to spend one week at #1. It's unfortunate that we won't see it on the Billboard Year-End as it wasn't successful there. But at least it'll be on Hits 1's Top 45 Of 2018 come December. It was a beautiful song overall and I'm sure many here will be sad over this departure. Good-bye, Good Old Days. You will be missed.

- So, The Middle is now back at #1. Perfectly fine by me as it's still a huge favorite of mine at this moment. It's really nice to see back at the top spot on my one-year anniversary of starting this blog. I'm glad this song became successful and helped put Maren Morris on the map. Keep in mind that this song is being performed at the Billboard Music Awards. I'm sure the performance will be good, but I can't be certain.

- Jumping to #4 this week, we have Say Amen (Saturday Night) reaching the Top 5 for the first time. It's definitely an enjoyable song, so I'm cool with this. I do think it has a chance at #1 even though it may not be as popular elsewhere. If Victorious was able to do so two years ago, then I'm sure the same will ring true in 2018.

- I'm definitely cool with Tell Me You Love Me entering in the Top 5 as well. I'm quite surprised that it's doing well on this countdown despite not being big elsewhere. I have no complaints about this as I've been enjoying it more and more, hence why I have it as my favorite song, along with our #1. Demi shines all throughout the song and I'm in love with the chorus. I would like to see it take the top spot someday, but I may be asking for too much. I'm just happy about it's success here so far.

- So, Spyder Harrison mentioned during his introduction for On The Loose that being a musician is demanding for Niall Horan. I know what it's like. I'm sure some others feel the same way. I guess they just don't have that much free time on their hands, heh.

- Are you kidding me? Friends has now made its way into the Top 10 this week. Who the hell is voting for this song to be in that region? We have much better songs that are more deserving of it than this.

- However, Meant To Be has dropped out of the Top 10, hopefully for good. Now I'm hoping it continues its downward trajectory, though I'm sure it'll stick with us for a while.

- IDGAF makes its way into the Top 20 with that big jump this week. That one I'm perfectly fine with and I hope it continues to jump. Dua Lipa deserves to be successful on this countdown.

- How is I Like Me Better jumping like that?! This has no business being on this countdown any longer. Let's please get this song to drop back down soon.

- The guest DJ that introduced Perfect said that it's one of her favorite songs. That I can agree with. I think it is indeed perfect (no pun intended).

Hit-Bound:

• The Wrecks – James Dean
• Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right
• lovelytheband – Broken
• Echosmith – Over My Head
• Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind (DEBUT)
• 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood (DEBUT)
• Sam Smith featuring Logic – Pray
• Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
• In Real Life – Tattoo (How 'Bout You)
• Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin – Familiar
• Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift – Babe
• Cardi B. – I Like It (DEBUT)
• Maren Morris – Rich
• Hundred Handed – Too Good
• Portugal. The Man – Live In The Moment
• HRVY – Personal

- We have three songs making their arrival on Hit-Bound this week. First, we'll begin with Dennis Lloyd with the song called Nevermind. I only find this okay for the most part, mainly because he doesn't do too much with the vocals. The production is nice, so I'll give him that.

- 5 Seconds Of Summer have a new song entering Hit-Bound this week (mainly because Hits 1 loves these guys so much), by the name of Youngblood. I juggled between putting this in blue or green, and I decided to stick with the latter, at least for now. It's a bit of a step down from its predecessor. I do like the chorus, but the production isn't quite as good. While it's in green for now, it could easily change to blue.

- Cardi B. has her new single from her album Invasion Of Privacy, which is called I Like It. Right off the bat, it's really not that different when compared to songs such as Bodak Yellow, which I detested. I'll just say that it's a step up from that song, but that's not saying too much. I'll talk more about this when it debuts. But yeah, I'm not a fan of this.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. The Wrecks – James Dean
2. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
3. Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right
4. Hundred Handed – Too Good
5. Portugal. The Man – Live In The Moment

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

1 – Bad:
16. Maroon 5 – Wait

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
None!

4 – Good:
15. Meghan Trainor – No Excuses

5 – Great:
14. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
13. Taylor Swift – Delicate
12. Halsey – Alone
11. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back
10. Niall Horan – On The Loose
9. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me
8. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
7. Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore, and Dan Caplen – These Days
6. Bad Wolves – Zombie
5. Dua Lipa – IDGAF
4. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
3. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
TIE: 1. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle

Overall Grade: 77/100 = 77% (C+) 

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Rick Astley – Never Gonna Give You Up (1987)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Lorde – Team

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Nathan Sykes featuring Ariana Grande – Over And Over Again

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#4)

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
TIE: 1. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me
3. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix)
4. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
5. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
2. AJR featuring Rivers Cuomo – Sober Up
3. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
4. Lauv – I Like Me Better
5. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
ZAYN featuring PARTYNEXTDOOR – Still Got Time: Those who dislike the song can explain why better than I can. But simply put, the production here is pretty nonexistent, and ZAYN himself doesn't shine in any part of the song. He's had much better.
Kehlani featuring G-Eazy – Good Life: Taken from The Fate And The Furious movie soundtrack, this song only spent one week on this countdown. It's a shame because I thought it was really good. Luckily, the two artists seemed to have made their comeback this year with their respective songs.
Jason Derulo featuring Ty Dolla $ign and Nicki Minaj – Swalla: All I can say about this is that it's a guilty pleasure of mine. There's just something about it that pulls me in. Fun fact: this was the second year in a row that Jason Derulo has had a song make its debut on the countdown. The first was If It Ain't Love.
DNCE featuring Nicki Minaj – Kissing Strangers: I'd say this is probably the weakest the group has released after their three singles. Although Hits 1 did edit out Nicki Minaj's verses, I'm not a fan of what the song brings. I'm sure they can do better.
Machine Gun Kelly featuring Hailee Steinfeld – At My Best: I remember falling in love with this before, but now I realize why this was hated. Not even Hailee Steinfeld could save the song unfortunately.

QOTW: What are your thoughts on Charlie Puth's new album, Voicenotes? 

AT40: Camila Cabello (1) - Week Of May 19, 2018

Hello, fam! I hope you all had a good week so far. This week is my one-year anniversary of starting this blog! I would like to just say thank you all for making this blog special. I'm currently working on my 75,000 Pageview Special and I should have it ready sometime within the next week or so. In the meantime, here's the AT40 countdown post on my one-year anniversary weekend. This countdown really was not good at all. In fact, we're not off to a good start. Before we get to this week's fresh 40, here are the songs leaving us this week:

• How Long by Charlie Puth (#32)
• Say Something by Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton (#35)
• Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato (#40) [Spent 1 Week At #1]

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

40. Let Me by ZAYN (DEBUT)

39. Thunder by Imagine Dragons (#38) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

38. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani (#39) [+1]

37. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage (#36) [–1]

36. Nice For What by Drake (DEBUT)

35. Wolves by Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello (#34) [–1]

34. Everyday by Logic featuring Marshmello (#37) [+3]

33. Done For Me by Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani (DEBUT)

32. Want You Back by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#33) [+1]

31. Bad At Love by Halsey (#30) [–1]

30. No Roots by Alice Merton (#31) [+1]

29. Sit Next To Me by Foster The People (#29) [=]

28. Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug (#24) [–4] [Spent 7 Weeks At #1]

27. Alone by Halsey featuring Big Sean featuring Stefflon Don (#27) [=]

26. On The Loose by Niall Horan (#26) [=]

25. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash (#22) [–3]

24. Tell Me You Love Me by Demi Lovato (#20) [–4]

23. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa (#25) [+2]

22. Delicate by Taylor Swift (#23) [+1]

21. IDGAF by Dua Lipa (#21) [=]

20. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande (#28) [+8]

19. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé (#16) [–3] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

18. I Like Me Better by Lauv (#17) [–1]

17. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign (#19) [+2]

16. No Excuses by Meghan Trainor (#15) [–1]

15. Let You Down by NF (#14) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

14. All The Stars by Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA (#18) [+4]

13. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey (#11) [–2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

12. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes (#13) [+1]

11. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. (#7) [–4] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

10. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie (#12) [+2]

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

8. Mine by Bazzi (#10) [+2]

7. Wait by Maroon 5 (#8) [+1]

6. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons (#6) [=]

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

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

3. God's Plan by Drake (#4) [+1]

2. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey (#1) [–1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]

1. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello (#2) [+1] [1^st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: That's What I Like by Bruno Mars (2^nd of 3 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Tie between Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug, Tell Me You Love Me by Demi Lovato, and Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. (–4)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande (+8)

New Entrants
- We have a shake-up with new songs entering this week. To start, we have the return of ZAYN with his new single that's been around for about a month or so, by the name of Let Me. Now, I did find this to be pretty enjoyable from the first listen. But I did start to slightly lose interest in it. I'll say that it's not as good as Dusk Till Dawn. ZAYN does sound pretty good throughout the song and I do like the lyrical content, so I'll give him that. The production is nice, but it lacks something that makes it stand out. I've juggled between putting this in blue or green for this one, and I decided to stick with the former for now. Though, I can see myself putting it back in green soon.

- Next, we have more Drake with his latest single that just recently hit #1 after its predecessor did. Enter Nice For What. I don't really have too much to say about this one. What I can say is that it's a step up from God's Plan. I do like that Drake sounds pretty energetic throughout the song, and it's pretty fast paced than its predecessor. It's a good song. I'm looking forward to seeing that one do well here.

- So, unless you've been living under a rock for the past week or so, then you probably have heard that Charlie Puth, who replaces himself on the countdown this week, has just released his new album, Voicenotes this past week. One of the songs from the album makes its long-overdue debut. Enter Done For Me. This song also features Kehlani, who last year did have a song with G-Eazy called Good Life which didn't take off. After listening to his first two singles from his album, it was obvious that Charlie Puth has indeed improved upon himself. Done For Me is another example of such. The production is very good throughout the song. Just like with his two predecessors, Charlie does most of the work in that aspect and I think he did a good job with it. I love the vocals from Kehlani, and how they blend together makes things better. When looking at the lyrical content, it's basically a love story about what one has done for the other. I'm glad this was able to debut because this song is really good. I'd say this is probably one of my favorites from Charlie Puth thus far. I hope it ends up having the same success as How Long and Attention.

Best Debut Of The Week: Done For Me by Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani

I'd Do Anything For Blurbs
- We'll begin with our exits. First off, the departure of Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato is one I'm sure some here are happy about. How Long by Charlie Puth lasted a little shorter on this countdown than I had expected it to. I thought it might hang around in the 30's for a little while. Finally, we sadly lost Say Something by Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton. I was hoping this song would be a success after the flop of its predecessor, but that wasn't the case. And it's pretty unfortunate that it'll miss the Year-End list for Billboard. That song definitely deserved better.

- I'm not thrilled by our new #1 song to celebrate my one-year anniversary. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello is not what I wanted to see take the top spot. This song is bad in and of itself, in large part because Camila doesn't sound good at all. As I said in one of my posts, I wasn't fond of Havana from the beginning because I wasn't looking forward to hearing from her at that time. I have since grown into Havana. But Never Be The Same is a different story unfortunately. So yeah, seeing it at #1 is really a shitty way to start off my weekend. :/

- Blech. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie makes an unwelcome entry into the Top 10. I honestly don't get what people like about this. Anne-Marie just doesn't do well with the verses. But the production is straight up garbage and the lyrics are poorly written. I'm certain Marshmello and Anne-Marie are capable of better. But apparently, America seems to be in love with a friend-zone anthem such as this. I'm afraid this song will be stuck with us for a while.

- Speaking of which, our Top 10 isn't looking very good right now. We have three songs that are really annoying. Then there's two songs that are simply mediocre. And finally, we have four really good songs (Hint: there's one I really, really still like. Can you guess what it is?). Again, not a good Top 10 if I do say so myself.

- The best thing that's probably happened is the big jump from No Tears To Cry by Ariana Grande. I'm pretty sure this will probably end up being another hit for Ariana. I'll be waiting.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• These Days by Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore, and Dan Caplen
• Merengue by Kent Jones
• Sober Up by AJR featuring Rivers Cuomo

Extras/Optional Extras:

• Needed Me by Rihanna
• Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man
• Stay With Me by Sam Smith
• Stitches by Shawn Mendes
• I Took A Pill In Ibiza by Mike Posner
• Water Under The Bridge by Adele
• Slide by Calvin Harris featuring Frank Ocean and Migos
• Despacito by Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber
• Gold by Kiiara
• Location by Khalid

Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:
20. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
19. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
18. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
17. I Like Me Better by Lauv
16. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello

1 – Bad:
15. Wait by Maroon 5
14. Let You Down by NF

2 – Mediocre:
13. God's Plan by Drake

3 – Decent:
12. No Excuses by Meghan Trainor

4 – Good:
11. Mine by Bazzi

5 – Great:
10. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes
9. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey
8. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé
7. New Rules by Dua Lipa
6. All The Stars by Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA
5. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons
4. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande
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: 62/100 = 62% (D–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Anything For You by Gloria Estefan (1988)

Most Missed Song: Anything Could Happen by Ellie Goulding

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Back To You by Selena Gomez

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay (#2)

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. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande
5. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons

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

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back by Shawn Mendes: The idea of Shawn Mendes doing a song with a latin vibe kinda came out of nowhere, but I'm glad it worked out well. It's still a favorite of mine to this day.
I'm The One by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper, and Lil' Wayne: As I said before, Justin Bieber does make the song more decent than what I give credit for. But I feel without him, it's not memorable. 

5 Seconds Of Summer (1) - Week Of May 12, 2018

Hello, fam! I would like to say Happy Mother's Day Weekend to you all. I'd like to say that my blog has now reached 75,000 Pageviews as I approach my one-year anniversary of starting this whole thing! All of you here are the greatest and I want to say thank you for taking the time to read this great blog! Now, onto the Mother's Day edition of the Weekend Countdown! Before we get to this week's fresh 45, here are the songs leaving us this week:

• Portugal. The Man – Live In The Moment (#28)*
• NF – Let You Down (#42)

*Was not announced as an exit by Spyder Harrison

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same
45. Charlie Puth – How Long (#43) [–2] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
44. Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still (#45) [+1]
43. Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello – Wolves (#30) [–13]
42. Macklemore featuring Kesha – Good Old Days (#44) [+2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
41. Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran and Future – End Game (#41) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

40. Drake – God's Plan (#36) [–4]

39. P!NK – Beautiful Trauma (#39) [=]

38. Camila Cabello – Havana (#40) [+2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

37. Alice Merton – No Roots (#37) [=]

36. Halsey – Bad At Love (#38) [+2] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

35. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me (DEBUT)

34. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix) (#34) [=]

33. Dua Lipa – IDGAF (DEBUT)

32. Lauv – I Like Me Better (#29) [–3]

31. Noah Kahan featuring Julia Michaels – Hurt Somebody (#35) [+4]

30. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho (#32) [+2]

29. Ed Sheeran – Perfect (#33) [+4] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

28. G-Eazy featuring Halsey – Him & I (#15) [–13]

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

26. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know (#25) [–1]

25. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low (#26) [+1]

24. Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt – Let Me Go (#17) [–7] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

23. Bazzi – Mine (#18) [–5]

22. Bad Wolves – Zombie (#22) [=]

21. ZAYN – Let Me (#23) [+2]

20. Walk The Moon – One Foot (#24) [+4]

19. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry (#21) [+2]

18. Imagine Dragons – Thunder (#19) [+1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]

17. Halsey – Alone (#27) [+10]

16. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me (#20) [+4]

15. Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore, and Dan Caplen – These Days (#13) [–2]

14. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (#14) [=]

13. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends (#11) [–2]

12. Niall Horan – On The Loose (#12) [=]

11. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me (#9) [–2]

10. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#8) [–2]

9. Meghan Trainor – No Excuses (#7) [–2]

8. Taylor Swift – Delicate (#10) [+2]

7. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be (#6) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

6. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me (#5) [–1]

5. Maroon 5 – Wait (#16) [+11]

4. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same (#1) [–3] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

3. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes (#4) [+1]

2. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#3) [+1] [Spent 7 Weeks At #1]
1. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back (#2) [+1] [1^st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Zedd featuring Alessia Cara – Stay (2^nd of 4 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Tie between Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello – Wolves and G-Eazy featuring Halsey – Him & I (–13)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Maroon 5 – Wait (+11)

New Entrants
- We have two debuts that I'll be covering this week. We'll begin with the return of Foster The People with their new single called Sit Next To Me. If you know the band, then you probably remember that they made a breakthrough with Pumped Up Kicks back in 2011. We haven't seen these guys since and some were even wondering will we ever hear from them again someday, until this week. Sit Next To Me is a pretty good song. Mark Foster who himself does the vocals did a nice job throughout the song. The production is nice. I would like to see this one get some success on the countdown.

- Dua Lipa has made her presence known since New Rules became a sleeper hit worldwide. Now, she makes her second appearance on the countdown with her latest single titled IDGAF. When looking at the song's lyrics, it basically talks about cutting off someone you used to love. While there's not much in terms of the production, she shows what she is capable of vocally. I do like the chorus and the pre-chorus. I talked about this one in full when it debuted on the American Top 40. Overall, while not as good as New Rules, it's still enjoyable for what it is.

I Want To Blurb It Slowly, Slowly
- So, we begin with our two exits. First off, the departure of Let You Down was pleasing to see, for me at least. I'm sure some here will be sad about it, though. However, the exit from Live In The Moment is one I'm not all that thrilled about. Though that one isn't gone for good, as it just re-entered Hit-Bound. I'm hoping it can make a re-entry back to the countdown soon. Also, for some reason Spyder Harrison didn't mention it as an exit. I guess he didn't think the song was going to leave so soon?

- If I was new to Hits 1, I'd probably would be shocked by our new #1 song given that 5 Seconds Of Summer are not relevant elsewhere. But since I've been listening for about three years or so, I saw it coming from a mile away. Hits 1's love for these guys is at an all-time high. I knew Want You Back would be#1 one way or another, and that's what happened this week. But I don't have any complaints about this since I do like the song. I don't mind it being there for a while so long as keep songs like Never Be The Same out. Hopefully, that's the last time I see that song at #1.

- The re-entry from Wait into the Top 5 is one I saw coming as well since I've heard it as Most Wutchuwanted throughout this week, though I'm not thrilled about it. The song isn't really that awful unlike their recent singles such as Don't Wanna Know and Cold, but it's still pretty undesirable mainly because they've became basically a one-man band with Adam Levine taking over. I'm hoping it doesn't hit #1, but if anything I'll take it over Never Be The Same any day.

- Before introducing These Days, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Macklemore stays sober because of his fear for losing his family. I'll bet that gave him some added motivation to stay that way. If everybody was like him, I'll bet the universe will get better.

- So, Charlie Puth's latest album, Voicenotes, has finally been released. I wonder what the YouTube critics think of this one, after his last album was not to their liking.

- Thunder is really starting to test my patience. This was good at first, but now it's really fading on me. Imagine Dragons have had better. I would appreciate if the song starts back making its way down soon.

- Well, this was short-lived. After Wolves made an unexpected jump last week, it's now back to square one. It's not likely to recover like it did last week. Looks like this may actually be it for this song. Selena Gomez does have a new song on Hit-Bound, and we'll get to that in just a bit. But I'm thankful for the run Wolves had on this countdown.

Hit-Bound:

• Sam Smith featuring Logic – Pray
• Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
• In Real Life – Tattoo (How 'Bout You)
• Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift – Babe
• Dustin Atlas featuring Erin Bowman – Fake Friends
• Echosmith – Over My Head
• The Wrecks – James Dean
• Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA – All The Stars
• HRVY – Personal
• Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin – Familiar
• Portugal. The Man – Live In The Moment (RE-ENTRY)
• Selena Gomez – Back To You (DEBUT)
• Maren Morris – Rich
• Hundred Handed – Too Good
• lovelytheband – Broken
• Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right (DEBUT)

- So, we got a re-entry from Live In The Moment since it left the countdown this week.

- Speaking of Selena Gomez, she has a new single titled Back To You, which is taken from the 13 Reasons Why Soundtrack. I'll just simply say that right off the bat, it's better than two certain songs I won't name. I'll talk more about this when it makes its inevitable debut.

- Next up, we have Meghan Trainor who dropped two songs this week, one of which is Let You Be Right. I think this is a step up from No Excuses in which her vocals are better. More on this when it debuts.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
2. Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA – All The Stars
3. Hundred Handed – Too Good
4. Portugal. The Man – Live In The Moment
5. Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right

YouTube 15:

• Drake – God's Plan
• Jax Jones featuring Ina Wroldsen – Breathe
• Kaskade featuring Charlotte Lawrence – Cold As Stone
• Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix)
• The Chainsmokers featuring Drew Love – Somebody
• Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
• Chantel Jeffries featuring Offset and Vory – Wait
• Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
• Lil Dicky featuring Chris Brown – Freaky Friday
• Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
• Afrojack featuring Jewelz & Sparks – One More Day
• Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
• Poo Bear featuring Justin Bieber and Jay Electronica – Hard 2 Face Reality
• Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same
• Louisa featuring 2 Chainz – Yes

- EDM artist Kaskade just recently released his new single titled Cold As Stone, which features Charlotte Lawrence. Right off the bat, I'm in love with Charlotte's vocals throughout the song. I do think the drop sounds pretty good for the most part. While it may be a bit underwhelming at times, I think it's enjoyable.

- The Chainsmokers have yet another new single in its stead. Enter Somebody, which features Drew Love. I do think it's a step up from Everybody Hates Me, but it still goes to show that The Chainsmokers aren't as good as they once were. I do kinda like Drew's vocals; I think he sounds good here. I can see myself growing into this unlike its predecessor, but I doubt it'll stick with me in the long run.

- Next up, we have Chantel Jeffries with her debut single titled Wait, featuring vocals from Offset and Vory. I can't say I'm loving this too much. I think the production is pretty underwhelming, and I'm not liking the vocals from these artists. I personally think there's better songs

- It's been a while since we've heard from Afrojack, but he has a brand new single which features Jewelz & Sparks titled One More Day. Afrojack isn't one to disappoint me too much as he does a nice job with the production. The vocals are really good throughout the song. Is it me, or does the song remind me of Ellie Goulding – On My Mind, which I still love to this day?

- We have Poo Bear who has collaborated with Justin Bieber and Jay Electronica in the song called Hard 2 Face Reality. I did hear this a couple of times the past few weeks and I was quite impressed. Part of the reason is that the artists do well with their vocals. I do like how the lyrics are written. While it's not a special song by any means, I think it's still good for what it is.

- Finally, we have Louisa with her single titled Yes, in which she is collaborating with 2 Chainz. I'm not really loving this one too much. The production is okay, but I think Louisa sounds annoying in some parts of the song. 2 Chainz doesn't add much to the song. While it's in blue for now, it's closer to red than it is green. 

My Top 5 YouTube 15 Picks
1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
2. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix)
3. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
4. Kaskade featuring Charlotte Lawrence – Cold As Stone
5. Afrojack featuring Jewelz & Sparks – One More Day

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

1 – Bad:
17. Maroon 5 – Wait

2 – Mediocre:
16. Imagine Dragons – Thunder

3 – Decent:
15. Meghan Trainor – No Excuses

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great:
14. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
13. Taylor Swift – Delicate
12. Halsey – Alone
11. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back
10. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
9. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me
8. Niall Horan – On The Loose
7. Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore, and Dan Caplen – These Days
6. Walk The Moon – One Foot
5. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me
4. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
3. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me
2. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle

Overall Grade: 77/100 = 77% (C+)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Taylor Dayne – Don't Rush Me (1988)

Most Missed Countdown Songs: Ellie Goulding – On My Mind (This left the countdown on this week two years ago) and Ellie Goulding – Love Me Like You Do

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Ellie Goulding – Still Falling For You

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Céline Dion – Ashes (This song is AMAZING!!!)

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#3)

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

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

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
ONE OK ROCK – American Girls: I do kinda like this, mainly because it has a hard rock vibe and I have a thing for songs like this. But it's not something that amazing. Still, it's a good song for a band not really known elsewhere.
Aaron Carter – Sooner Or Later: Oh, boy. I'm going to hate some people for this one. I did like this song at first and I even thought about putting it in My Top 50 Songs Of 2017. But looking back on it, I'm not sure what I was thinking then. Yeah, I don't like how he comes off as possessive here. That's all I can say about it.
DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber and Chance The Rapper – I'm The One: I probably would've liked this more if it had something going for it in terms of the production. Justin Bieber was a standout in this one. But I feel like without him, it would probably be forgettable.
Niall Horan – Slow Hands: This is one of the more upbeat songs I like to hear from him, along with his representation currently on this countdown, which I find to be the best song off of Flicker. While this isn't quite as good as On The Loose, I do think it's different from the acoustic guitar.

And that concludes my countdown recap, but first I like to make an announcement.

A blogger whose name is Matthew has just started a rankdown of the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 of 2017 here. If you want, you can participate in this rankdown. I myself am participating. More details are on his blog. Thank you all for reading! I'll be back next week for my one-year anniversary! Have a good Mother's Day Weekend!