Panic! At The Disco (4) - Week Of September 29, 2018

What's up, guys? This was another week in which we had a big splash in terms of activity. Sure, our #1 remains the same. But we did have quite a lot of big moves and plenty of debuts. With that, I think it's safe to say that Fall is officially in full swing. Also, I just wanted to let everyone here know that the American Music Awards will be next month. I'll definitely be watching and hopefully I'll be able to review all of the performances for the show. Putting all that aside, let's get to the countdown! Before we get to this week's fresh 45, here are the songs we're saying good-bye to this week:

• Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It (#40)
• Madison Beer – Home With You (#41)
• PRETTYMUCH – Summer On You (#42)
• Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind (#43)
• Drake – In My Feelings (#45)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
45. DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, and Chance The Rapper– No Brainer (#38) [–7]
44. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me (#36) [–8]
43. Clean Bandit featuring Demi Lovato – Solo (#27) [–16]
42. Niall Horan – On The Loose (#44) [+2]
41. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends (#33) [–8]
40. The Vamps – Just My Type (DEBUT)
39. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry (#39) [=]
38. Brown & Gray – Top Down (#28) [–10]
37. Bryce Vine – Drew Barrymore (DEBUT)
36. Train featuring Cam and Travie McCoy – Call Me Sir (#34) [–2]
35. Dua Lipa – IDGAF (#35) [=]
34. AJR – Burn The House Down (#32) [–2]
33. Kim Petras – Heart To Break (DEBUT)
32. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (#30) [–2] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
31. Anne-Marie – 2002 (DEBUT)
30. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know (#29) [–1]
29. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It (DEBUT)
28. Sabrina Carpenter – Almost Love (#37) [+9]
27. lovelytheband – Broken (#16) [–11]
26. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss (#25) [–1]
25. Weezer – Africa (#11) [–14]
24. LSD – Thunderclouds (#31) [+7]
23. George Ezra – Shotgun (#24) [+1]
22. Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello – Beautiful (Remix) (#23) [+1]
21. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes (#22) [+1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
20. Zedd featuring Elley Duhé – Happy Now (#21) [+1]
19. Dan + Shay – Tequila (#20) [+1]
18. Post Malone – Better Now (#10) [–8]
17. Taylor Swift – Delicate (#19) [+2] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
16. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#9) [–7] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
15. NF – Lie (#26) [+11]
14. Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman (#15) [+1]
13. Marshmello featuring Bastille – Happier (#18) [+5]
12. Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess (#17) [+5]
11. Imagine Dragons – Natural (#13) [+2]
10. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects (#6) [–4]
9. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You (#7) [–2]
8. Zedd featuring Maren Morris anf Grey – The Middle (#8) [Spent 9 Weeks At #1]
7. Charlie Puth – The Way I Am (#14) [+7]
6. Selena Gomez – Back To You (#12) [+6]
5. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones (#4) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
4. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies (#3) [–1]
3. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart (#5) [+2]
2. 5 Seconds of Summer – Youngblood (#2) [=] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
1. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (#1) [=] [4^th Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Liam Payne – Strip That Down (1^st of 2 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Clean Bandit featuring Demi Lovato – Solo (–16)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: NF – Lie (+11)

New Entrants
- We have the return of The Vamps, and this time around they bring their latest single Just My Type. I've never really been the one to care for their music like that, but at least their music is better than a certain band who I won't mention. Anyway, the last time we saw The Vamps was early last year when they had All Night, which was slow-paced. But Just My Type is more of a fast-paced song. I like the use of guitars throughout the song. The guys show that they have nice vocals overall. I'd say it's one of my favorites they've released so far, though I'm not sold on it lasting long here.

- Next, we have newcomer Bryce Vine making his debut with the song that's named after the actress, Drew Barrymore. Right off the bat, the song isn't very interesting for my tastes. I'm not big on Bryce's voice, and the production is pretty mediocre all around. I don't really have too much else to say about it. While the song itself is not horrific by any means, it's not necessarily a fun listen for me.

- At #33, we have a new artist making her first appearance on this countdown. And believe it or not, she's actually transgender. Her name is Kim Petras, and she has a song called Heart To Break. Now, I will say that this is a fun, upbeat song right from the jump. Kim shows that she has a good voice and she sounds energetic throughout the song. I love the production in this one as well as the lyrics. Yeah, this is definitely a fun listen. It's actually quite rare that one of those types of fun, upbeat songs come around. Kim did a very nice job impressing me.

- So, Friends has now officially fallen to the bottom 5 of this countdown, and the end just can't come soon enough. But then, we get another song from Anne-Marie as she turns back the clock and takes us to 2002. It's quite an interesting song in a way, mainly because it has references to past hits, such as Baby One More Time from Britney Spears, Bye Bye Bye from NSYNC, and some other past hits I won't mention. I think Anne-Marie has a nice voice and she uses it pretty well, unlike in Friends where she didn't do much for that song at all. The production here is pretty decent. So yeah, it's a step up from Friends. I don't see it sticking with me in the long run, but I do like this.

- I'm sure there are some people here who are getting sick of Panic! At The Disco right about now. But if you're like me and are looking forward to hearing more from them, then I've got good news for you (and myself). Brendon Urie and company make their highest debut of the week with Hey Look Ma, I Made It. And with that, they now have three representations currently on the countdown. Unlike it's two predecessors, this one is a little bit more slow-paced. As always, I love Brendon's vocals. The production here is great, especially with the horns. What the song talks about is one's journey to success, and then showing your parents that you did it. It's definitely a good song overall and I'm certain it'll do well just like its two predecessors.

Best Debut Of The Week: Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It

Oops!... I Blurbed It Again
- Neither of those five exits will really be missed by me. I Like It and In My Feelings were not to my liking, so I have no complaints about their departures. Nevermind and Summer On You were okay, but they were not something that I'll remember in a year or so. Home With You I did kinda like and I thought was pretty decent, but it just didn't stick with me long term.

- In its second week, Solo actually had the biggest drop. Very rarely does a song have a big drop in its second week of its tenure. Something tells me that this won't last very long here.

- We have some other songs taking big drops this week. Broken was bound to drop eventually, though I'm not too heartbroken about it. Africa, on the other hand, I'm pleased about. Hopefully, the song can leave us soon.

- Say Amen (Saturday Night) has dropped out of the Top 10 this week. It's the first time the song hasn't been in that region since back in July, I think. I'm sure there are some here who will be happy about this.

- And just like that, The Way I Am jumps right back into the Top 10 this week. It almost seems like that drop from last week didn't happen.

- Other than a few songs changing positions, not much happened in the Top 5. High Hopes gets another week at #1, while Don't Go Breaking My Heart reaches a new peak at #3. I didn't think it would last long in the Top 5, but I'm glad I was wrong. It may not be a big hit elsewhere, but at least it's doing well on this countdown.

Hit-Bound:

• Loud Luxury featuring Brando – Body
• TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – My Blood (DEBUT)
• Jason Derulo & David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj and Willy William – Goodbye
• The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling (DEBUT)
• The Struts featuring Kesha – Body Talks
• Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside
• Calvin Harris featuring Sam Smith – Promises
• Walk The Moon – Kamikaze
• Tiesto & Dzeko featuring Post Malone and Preme – Jackie Chan
• Silk City featuring Dua Lipa – Electricity
• Pitbull featuring Theron Theron – Free Free Free
• Shawn Mendes – Lost In Japan (DEBUT)
• Alex Aiono – Big Mistake (DEBUT)
• Ariana Grande – Breathin' (DEBUT)

Entrant Reviews:
- After both Jumpsuit and Nico And The Niners, we get the next single from TWENTY ØNE PILØTS titled My Blood, from their latest album Trench which comes out next week. I can say that it's not nearly as good as Jumpsuit, but it does show that these guys can write good lyrics and Tyler's vocals are good. I'm sure it'll end up debuting on the countdown at some point in time. Whether the song will be a success or not, only time will tell on that.

- The Chainsmokers have another new single, and they're collaborating with a rising country star Kelsea Ballerini in This Feeling. Simply put, I absolutely LOVE this. Kelsea and Drew both song great together. This is probably their best release since Closer. As much as I love Side Effects, I may like this even more.

- I've been waiting for Shawn Mendes to release Lost In Japan as his next single off of his self-titled album. Sure enough, my wish was granted. Though, it only took for a remix with Zedd to make it happen. But I'll only be reviewing the original version of the song itself. It has that groove which pulls me in, and Shawn does show off his good voice. Looking at the lyrics, it's basically about romance. I'll save most of my words for when it inevitably debuts.

- Next, we have Alex Aiono with the song titled Big Mistake. I talked about this last week when it was on the YouTube 15. It's an upbeat song with good vocals and nice production. Alex did a good job of managing to impress me with his debut single.

- Finally, there's Ariana Grande with her next single off of Sweetner titled Breathin'. It shouldn't come as a surprise to some of you that I love this song given that I'm a huge fan of Ariana and her music. I'm sure that one will end up making its debut soon, and by then I'll talk more about it.

Best Debut Of The Week: Tie between The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling and Shawn Mendes – Lost In Japan

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
TIE: 1. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling
TIE: 1. Shawn Mendes – Lost In Japan
3. Ariana Grande – Breathin'
4. Silk City featuring Dua Lipa – Electricity
5. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – My Blood

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
20. Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess

1 – Bad:
None!

2 – Mediocre:
19. Marshmello featuring Bastille – Happier

3 – Decent:
18. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You

4 – Good:
17. Charlie Puth – The Way I Am

5 – Great:
16. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
15. NF – Lie
14. Imagine Dragons – Natural
13. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies
12. Selena Gomez – Back To You
11. Post Malone – Better Now
10. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
9. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
8. Dan + Shay – Tequila
7. Taylor Swift – Delicate
6. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart
5. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones
4. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects
3. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
TIE: 1. Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Elley Duhé – Happy Now

Overall Grade: 91/100 = 91% (A–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Britney Spears – Oops!... I Did It Again (2000)

Most Missed Countdown Song: X Ambassadors – Renegades

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Sia – Elastic Heart

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Avril Lavigne – Head Above Water

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Kesha – Praying (#10)

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Elley Duhé – Happy Now
TIE: 1. Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman
3. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
4. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects
5. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess
2. Train featuring Cam and Travie McCoy – Call Me Sir
3. AJR – Burn The House Down
4. LSD – Thunderclouds
5. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Sabrina Carpenter – Why: Not her best effort whatsoever. This is pretty weak compared to her other singles. At least Almost Love doesn't sound anything like this.
Selena Gomez featuring Gucci Mane – Fetish: I'm sorry, Selena. But I don't but this whole "you got a fetish for my love". It doesn't sound right to me. And even editing out Gucci Mane's verses on Hits 1 doesn't make the song any better.
Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid – 1-800-273-8255: This got big around the time Chester Bennington from Linkin Park passed away due to suicide. It's such a moving song and this is something all of us can relate to.

QOTW: Last week, Avril Lavigne made her comeback with Head Above Water. How do you guys feel about this?

AT40: Khalid & Normani (1) - Week Of September 29, 2018

Hello, fam! I hope everyone here has had a good first full week of Fall.  The American Music Awards is actually coming next month. And yes, I do have plans on reviewing the performances, just like I reviewed the Billboard Music Awards a while ago. I do hope we get to see some good performances. Before we get to this week's fresh 40, here are the songs leaving us this week:

• Home With You by Madison Beer (#22)
• Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar (#37)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Better Now by Post Malone
40. New Rules by Dua Lipa [=] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
39. Taste by Tyga featuring Offset (DEBUT)
38. 2002 by Anne-Marie (#39) [+1]
37. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons (#35) [–2]
36. Boo'd Up by Elle Mai (RE-ENTRY)
35. Africa by Weezer (#38) [+3]
34. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello (#33) [–1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
33. Happy Now by Zedd featuring Elley Duhé (#36) [+3]
32. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa (#31) [–1]
31. Promises by Calvin Harris featuring Sam Smith (#34) [+3]
30. Happier by Marshmello featuring Bastille (#32) [+2]
29. I Like Me Better by Lauv (#26) [–3]
28. Broken by lovelytheband (#35) [+1]
27. Almost Love by Sabrina Carpenter (#28) [+1]
26. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie (#20) [–6]
25. Beautiful (Remix) by Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello (#30) [+5]
24. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey (#23) [–1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
23. Natural by Imagine Dragons (#27) [+4]
22. Drew Barrymore by Bryce Vine (#19) [–3]
21. The Way I Am by Charlie Puth (#25) [+4]
20. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign (#15) [–5] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
19. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid (#24) [+5]
18. Mine by Bazzi (#18) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
17. Jackie Chan by Tiesto & Dzeko featuring Preme and Post Malone (#21) [+4]
16. Lie by NF (#16) [=]
15. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD (#17) [+2]
14. Delicate by Taylor Swift (#12) [–2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
13. I'm A Mess by Bebe Rexha (#13) [=]
12. Side Effects by The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren (#14) [+2]
11. Remind Me To Forget by Kygo featuring Miguel (#11) [=]
10. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande (#10) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
9. No Brainer by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, and Chance The Rapper (#8) [–1]
8. God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande (#9) [+1]
7. In My Feelings by Drake (#7) [=]
6. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#6) [=]
5. I Like It by Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin (#5) [=]
4. Back To You by Selena Gomez (#4) [=]
3. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. (#3) [=] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
2. Better Now by Post Malone (#1) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
1. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani (#2) [+1] [1^st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Attention by Charlie Puth (5^th And Final Week At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie (–6)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Tie between Beautiful (Remix) by Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello and Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid (+5)

New Entrants
- So, we have a re-entry from Boo'd Up by Elle Mai, and with it this is the second time this year that we got a re-entry.  The first was back in March when I Fall Apart by Post Malone re-entered the countdown.

- Besides the re-entry, we have only one new song entering the countdown this week. Tyga makes his debut with the song Taste which features Offset. It's not all that much different from the other songs we get from the rap/hip-hop genre nowadays. I don't have much I can say about it. Though, I do think the production has something going for it. I like the groove and it kinda pulls me in. But the problem is that I just don't like the vocals we get from these guys, and the lyrical content is not very good. So yeah, I can say that it's better than all the other rap songs flooding the charts, but it's still not a fun listen for me.

Blurbs In A Bottle
- Our exits consist of one song that I didn't care about in the long run, and one which still remains as a favorite of mine. Home With You I thought was a little interesting, but it's not something that I'll remember a year from now. Pray For Me was a nice collaboration between The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar. I'd say they did a nice job at making a song I loved from the beginning and I'm glad that it was a success. Farewell, Pray For Me. It's been a thrilling ride.

- Before introducing One Kiss, Ryan Seacrest mentioned that Calvin Harris doesn't plan on touring anymore. I'd say this is quite a bold move. I have a feeling that he just wants to focus on making more music. I wonder if that'll work out.

- Before introducing I Like Me Better, Ryan Seacrest mentioned that Lauv likes to write songs about his ups and downs and it feels like the color blue. I guess that's probably why his cover art for his songs has something that's blue. That aside, I still can't wait for this song to leave already.

- Ryan Seacrest mentioned during the introduction for Broken that lovelytheband actually formed while they were eating Chinese food. Wow, I guess they got the idea while they were eating out. I always love to eat Chinese food. It gives me a lot of good ideas. I'll bet it worked out for them.

- Nice to see Friends continuing to drop. It seriously needs to get out of the countdown soon. I'm tired of hearing the friend-zone anthem over and over again, if you can even call it that.

- And while we're at it, I'm A Mess also needs to make its exit eventually. I can safely say that I only liked it from the start because I wanted to like it and that I thought it was a step up from Meant To Be. I don't know what I was thinking, because this has continued to get worse every time I hear it. True, I still dislike its predecessor, but this is just Bebe Rexha hitting rock bottom. Yeah, the song is just a mess.

- I would appreciate it if No Brainer would at least start dropping very soon. The song is slowly losing my interest. In fact, it's wearing on me faster than I'm The One. I think the only reason it's high up right now is because of Justin Bieber. Without him, the song would basically be nothing. I want something more along the lines of Wild Thoughts.

- While there wasn't much change in the Top 5, we did get a new #1 this week in the form of Love Lies. If I'm correct, this is Khalid's first #1 as the lead artist (not counting his feature in Logic's single, 1-800-273-8255). Although the song has been out for a long while, I still like it and I think it's his best so far. This is a nice collaboration between Khalid and Normani. It's nice to see it get the well-deserved #1 spot.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Rise by Jonas Blue featuring Jack & Jack
• One Day by Logic featuring Ryan Tedder
• Goodbye by Jason Derulo & David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj and Willy William

Extras/Optional Extras:

• Bad Romance by Lady Gaga
• One Call Away by Charlie Puth
• Don't Go Breaking My Heart by Backstreet Boys
• Wait by Maroon 5
• Issues by Julia Michaels
• Let You Be Right by Meghan Trainor
• Mirrors by Justin Timberlake
• Treat You Better by Shawn Mendes

Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:
20. I'm A Mess by Bebe Rexha
19. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD
18. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign

1 – Bad:
17. In My Feelings by Drake

2 – Mediocre:
16. I Like It by Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin

3 – Decent:
15. No Brainer by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, and Chance The Rapper
14. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B.

4 – Good:
13. Mine by Bazzi

5 – Great:
12. Jackie Chan by Tiesto & Dzeko featuring Preme and Post Malone
11. Lie by NF
10. Better Now by Post Malone
9. Back To You by Selena Gomez
8. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani
7. Delicate by Taylor Swift
6. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer
5. Remind Me To Forget by Kygo featuring Miguel
4. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid
3. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande
2. Side Effects by The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande

Total Score: 74/100 = 74% (C)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Genie In A Bottle by Christina Aguilera (1999)

Most Missed Song: Something In The Way You Move by Ellie Goulding (Hi, Adrian)

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Head Above Water by Avril Lavigne

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Praying by Kesha (#15)

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Happy Now by Zedd featuring Elley Duhé
TIE: 1. God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande
3. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris And Grey
4. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande
5. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. I'm A Mess by Bebe Rexha
2. I Like Me Better by Lauv
3. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
4. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD
5. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Hoodie by Hey Violet: I'd say this is the best of the three songs from this group. The vocals here are pretty good and not annoying, and I do like the production in a way.
Something Different by Why Don't We: For a new boy band who made their debut last year, the song wasn't necessarily "something different" despite what the title says. But I do like it to some degree. Too bad their singles after that weren't to my liking.
Too Good At Goodbyes by Sam Smith: I don't think it's that amazing of a song, but I can still appreciate for what it is. I do wish people wouldn't hate on it just because it's a boring love song.

Panic! At The Disco (3) - Week Of September 22, 2018

Hello, fam! The first day of fall is officially here! And with it, I get to pull out my sweaters. Well, not yet because it's still reasonably warm in some places. Anyway, we did get some activity on this countdown, for better or worse. And while it wasn't a big splash like it was a month ago, it does make up for last week. Thus, I can say that it was an interesting week in some ways to start off Fall. Before we get to this week's fresh 45, here are the songs leaving the countdown this week:

• PNAU – Go Bang (#30)
• 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back (#41) [Spent 1 Week At #1]
• Halsey – Alone (#42)
• Alessia Cara – Growing Pains (#45)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
45. Drake – In My Feelings (#43) [–2]
44. Niall Horan – On The Loose (#45) [+1]
43. Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind (#25) [–18]
42. PRETTYMUCH – Summer On You (#31) [–11]
41. Madison Beer – Home With You (#38) [–3]

40. Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It (#40) [=]

39. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry (#34) [–5]

38. DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, And Chance The Rapper – No Brainer (#29) [–9]

37. Sabrina Carpenter – Almost Love (DEBUT)

36. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me (#39) [+3]

35. Dua Lipa – IDGAF (#32) [–3]

34. Train featuring Cam and Travie McCoy – Call Me Sir (#28) [–6]

33. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends (#36) [+3]

32. AJR – Burn The House Down (DEBUT)

31. LSD – Thunderclouds (DEBUT)

30. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (#22) [–8] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

29. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know (#14) [–15]

28. Brown & Gray – Top Down (#37) [+9]

27. Clean Bandit featuring Demi Lovato – Solo (DEBUT)

26. NF – Lie (#33) [+7]

25. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss (#18) [–7]

24. George Ezra – Shotgun (#35) [+11]

23. Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello – Beautiful (Remix) (#27) [+4]

22. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes (#9) [–13] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

21. Zedd featuring Elley Duhé – Happy Now (#23) [+2] (Get in the Top 20, please?)

20. Dan + Shay – Tequila (#26) [+6]

19. Taylor Swift – Delicate (#19) [=] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]

18. Marshmello featuring Bastille – Happier (#24) [+6]

17. Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess (#21) [+4]

16. lovelytheband – Broken (#20) [+4]

15. Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman (#12) [–3]

14. Charlie Puth – The Way I Am (#7) [–7] (Whoa, there!)

13. Imagine Dragons – Natural (#17) [+4]

12. Selena Gomez – Back To You (#16) [+4]

11. Weezer – Africa (#13) [+2]

10. Post Malone – Better Now (#6) [–4]

9. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#4) [–5] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]

8. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#8) [=] [Spent 9 Weeks At #1]

7. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You (#15) [+8]

6. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects (#10) [+4]

5. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart (#11) [+6]

4. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones (#4) [=] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

3. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies (#3) [=]

2. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood (#1) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

1. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (#2) [+1] [3^rd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Niall Horan – Slow Hands (3^rd And Final Week At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind (–18)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: George Ezra – Shotgun (+11)

New Entrants
- It was almost one year ago that Sabrina Carpenter made her first ever appearance on the countdown with Why. Now this week, she makes her return with her new single, Almost Love. I don't really have much I can say about this one. It's a step up from her predecessor in a way. The production here is pretty decent for the most part. Although I'm not too big on Sabrina's voice, it's still quite an improvement from her previous singles. I do like the lyrics. I can see it growing on me a little bit, but it won't stick with me long term.

- Oh boy...AJR is back again, and this time they bring in their latest single Burn The House Down. Once again, I'm going to rant about this just like I did with its predecessor. I'm pretty sure you all know how it's going to go. Hits 1 is known for picking up on music from many unknown artists, including AJR. But every single they've released is straight up garbage, and Burn The House Down is no different. The vocals sound obnoxious and in some parts of the song, childish. The lyrical content is just dumb. I do not like the use of horns at all. I could go on and on about just how bad the song is. It's just simply torture to my ears. Honestly, I don't know why Hits 1 loves to pick up on their music. I really don't. And they just recently released a deluxe version of The Click that includes this and two more new songs. Hopefully, we don't see it last long here. But Hits 1 needs to stop with this madness.

- Immediately after that, we have another debut that I'm not very fond of either. A new group called LSD makes their debut in their single titled Thunderclouds. LSD is a collaboration between three artists: Labrinth, Sia, and Diplo. On paper, this seems like an interesting collaboration. But when I listened to the song in full, it's anything but. Yeah, this is a mess. This was used in the commercial for the Samsung Galaxy Note, which I've seen so many times over the past two weeks. So, what's wrong with the song overall? Well, I'll begin by saying that Sia's voice sucks. She sounds scratchy and just flat out annoying. And this is coming from someone who loves songs such as Chandelier. Labrinth did not impress me either. His part in the song sucks too. At least in Make Me (Cry) (which I absolutely despise), he sounded decent. But here he sounds bad, and I mean REALLY bad. Lastly, Diplo had a hand in working on the production of the song and it's not good. It sounds to me that he was lazy and simply didn't put forth the effort. I recently listened to two other singles from them and they all suck ass. It's really difficult for me to figure out which is worse because all of them are straight up garbage. So yeah, whatever they're doing it's not working for me. I don't think there are any redeeming qualities to the song whatsoever. Unfortunately, it'll probably end up becoming a hit because of the commercial. Maybe I'm wrong, but hopefully it dies out fast because this is simply just a giant mess.

- Finally, there's the return of Clean Bandit and they're collaborating with Demi Lovato, who I'm still praying for her recovery as she is still going through a tough time. Their latest single is titled Solo. Clean Bandit hasn't been a disappointment when it comes to their music. I love songs such as Rather Be, Rockabye, Symphony, and I Miss You. It's too bad that the very latter failed to graduate from Hit-Bound earlier in the year. I had to wait patiently to see what they had in store. And to say the least, it was worth it. Demi shines with her vocals like she does most of the time. Clean Bandit had a hand with the production and they did very well in that aspect. I feel like these guys deserve some recognition for their work. Sure, they may have two big hits in Rather Be and Rockabye. But everything else didn't really take off. I can't really see this one doing well either, but it's a fun song all around. The collaboration worked out very well for them.

Best Debut Of The Week: Clean Bandit featuring Demi Lovato – Solo

Oh, So Blurbs
- As always, we'll begin with our exits. First off, Go Bang was repetitive and simply too childish, so I'm not sad by its departure. Alone has ended its run. And with it, this is the first time that we do not have a song from Halsey on the countdown in two years. That's quite a run if you ask me. Want You Back has been here for a while, even though the same can't be said for everywhere else because Hits 1 loves all things 5 Seconds Of Summer. The only exit that really saddens me is Growing Pains. It's sad to see a comeback single from Alessia Cara become a flop. It deserves much better than what people give credit for.

- Before introducing On The Loose, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Niall Horan got angry at a fan saying that he was dating Hailee Steinfeld as a stunt. Oh, I'm sure whoever said it will learn their lesson about saying stuff like that. Better be careful to what you say to people.

- Both Nevermind and Summer On You took big drops all the way down to the Bottom 5. Neither of those songs are really all that appealing to me, so I would be okay with them leaving within the next week or so.

- Before introducing No Tears Left To Cry, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Ariana Grande owns a small pig. I never thought that Ariana would have a pet like that, but I'll bet it's really cute. I'm sure she'll raise him to be the best. Maybe it'll become a celebrity.

- Before introducing No Brainer, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Justin Bieber did not actually marry Hailey Baldwin. Well not yet, but many were wondering if they did. Looks like Justin and Hailey both have more time on their hands to put together an epic wedding. I have a feeling it'll be the perfect wedding.

- Spyder Harrison mentioned upon introducing IDGAF that fans were kicked out of a concert Dua Lipa is performing in because they were dancing? Now, that's absurd. I feel like the fans were just enjoying a good time. But I guess there were strict rules put in place.

- I've been losing interest in I Wanna Know lately, so I'm kinda happy that it took a big drop out of the Top 20 this week. It did have a nice countdown run for an unknown EDM duo, so I'll give them that.

- I'm actually not surprised by Shotgun getting the Biggest Jump Of The Week because I heard Spyder Harrison spoiled it while I was out one day. It's nice to see it gain a little momentum. Now the question is, how long will it last?

- For the first time, Whatever It Takes is finally out of the Top 20 this week. Talk about an incredible run. I'm sure this one will probably hang around for a long time like most Imagine Dragons songs.

- Before introducing Happier, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Marshmello is into everything, and guess what? He even owns a monster truck. I'm sure he's going to get more attention with this kind of stuff. I'll bet fans will be seeing him drive that truck all day and night.

- So, Ariana Grande is going to be selling perfume now? That's what Spyder Harrison mentioned during the introduction for God Is A Woman. Sounds like Ariana must've heard about the success of Cardi B.'s perfume. So, I guess she wanted to make one of her own. I have a feeling there's going to be some competition about "best perfume".

- Ouch! The Way I Am took a rather quick drop out of the Top 10. I'm sure it'll probably recover quickly given that it's only been here for a few weeks. But I guess the voters didn't want to see another Charlie Puth song have its success.

- This week, Maroon 5 have just confirmed that they will be performing at the Super Bowl next year. Something tells me that their fans are going to feel some nostalgia because they might perform a bunch of their older singles. We'll see what happens.

- It was just announced that Closer has been certified Diamond. Congratulations to The Chainsmokers! I'll bet they were very thrilled to hear this news. Definitely well-deserved.

- Don't Go Breaking My Heart has now entered the Top 5. It would definitely be nice to see it #1, but I highly doubt it. Still, it's definitely nice to see the Backstreet Boys have a song in that region since I don't know how long.

- High Hopes is back at #1 this week. A part of me wishes that Youngblood would stay at the top given that it's still a hit elsewhere. But I certainly don't mind seeing Panic! At The Disco take back the crown because Hits 1 loves Brendon Urie. I still find the song to be enjoyable, even though it's starting to die down on some people here.

Hit-Bound:

• Kim Petras – Heart To Break
• Shawn Mendes – Nervous (DEBUT)
• Pitbull featuring Theron Theron – Free Free Free
• Calvin Harris featuring Sam Smith – Promises
• Anne-Marie – 2002
• Tiesto & Dzeko featuring Preme and Post Malone – Jackie Chan
• Silk City featuring Dua Lipa – Electricity (DEBUT)
• The Struts featuring Kesha – Body Talks
• Jason Derulo & David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj and Willy William – Goodbye
• Bryce Vine – Drew Barrymore
• Walk The Moon – Kamikaze
• The Vamps – Just My Type
• Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It
• Loud Luxury featuring brando – Body
• Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside

Entrant Reviews:
- So, Shawn Mendes has apparently decided to choose Nervous as his next single off of his self-titled album. The song is pretty underwhelming in a way. There's really not too much to the production, and Shawn doesn't exactly shine here. I much prefer either Lost In Japan or Youth as one of his next singles. Oh well.

- As One Kiss is dying down elsewhere, Dua Lipa is collaborating with a new EDM duo named Silk City, which is a collaboration with Mark Ronson and Diplo. They released their first single titled Electricity. This is definitely an enjoyable song all around. I love Dua's vocals here. I'll save more of my words come its debut.

Best Debut On Hit-Bound: Silk City featuring Dua Lipa – Electricity

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Silk City featuring Dua Lipa – Electricity
2. The Struts featuring Kesha – Body Talks
3. Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside
4. Walk The Moon – Kamikaze
5. Kim Petras – Heart To Break

YouTube 15:

• Drake – In My Feelings
• Alan Walker featuring AuRa and Tomine Harket – Darkside
• Alec Benjamin – If We Have Each Other
• Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It
• Nick Jonas featuring Robin Schultz – Right Now
• Post Malone – Better Now
• One Bit featuring Louisa – Between You and Me
• DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, and Chance The Rapper – No Brainer
• R3HAB featuring Sophia Carson – Rumors
• Juice WRLD – Lucid Dreams
• Alex Aiono – Big Mistake
• Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You
• Jonas Blue featuring Jack & Jack – Rise
• Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies
• MKTO – How Can I Forget

Song Reviews:
- Let's start with Alec Benjamin who has his latest single, If We Have Each Other. A part of me wants to like this, but it's hard for me to do so. His vocals are a little too childish for my tastes. The guitars are okay, but nothing else about the song is special. While it's in blue, it's slightly closer to red than it is green.

- Next, we have a EDM duo named One Bit who is collaborating with Louisa in Between You And Me. Right off the bat, it's definitely a fun and upbeat song. Louisa absolutely shines all throughout the song. Her voice is just amazing. One Bit did a good job themselves at handling the production. Easily the best song they've put out. It worked out very well for them.

- Alex Aiono has a new single out and it's called Big Mistake. This one is pretty fun. I love the production in the song, and Alex does well with his vocals. It has quite a groove that pulls me in. Overall, it's a enjoyable song.

- Finally, MKTO make their return with their new single, How Can I Forget. I don't have too much to say about this one. While it's not necessarily upbeat, it's still rather enjoyable. I love the vocals we get from them, and the lyrical content is nice.

My Top 5 YouTube 15 Picks
1. One Bit featuring Louisa – Between You And Me
2. Alan Walker featuring AuRa and Tomine Hacket – Darkside
3. Alex Aiono – Big Mistake
4. Nick Jonas featuring Robin Schultz – Right Now
5. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
TIE: 20. Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess
19. Weezer – Africa

1 – Bad:
None!

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
18. Marshmello featuring Bastille – Happier
17. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great:
16. lovelytheband – Broken
15. Charlie Puth – The Way I Am
14. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) 
13. Imagine Dragons – Natural
12. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies
11. Post Malone – Better Now
10. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
9. Selena Gomez – Back To You
8. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
7. Taylor Swift – Delicate
6. Dan + Shay – Tequila
5. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones
4. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart
3. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects
2. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman

Overall Grade: 87/100 = 87% (B+)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Earth, Wind, & Fire – September (1979)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Mike Posner – I Took A Pill In Ibiza (Hello, Adrian)

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Captain Cuts – Love Like We Used To

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Avril Lavigne – Head Above Water

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Kesha – Praying (#5)

My Top 5 Picks
1. Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman
2. Zedd featuring Elley Duhé – Happy Now
3. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
4. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects
5. Clean Bandit featuring Demi Lovato – Solo

My Bottom 5 Picks
TIE: 1. AJR – Burn The House Down
TIE: 1. Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess
3. Train featuring Cam and Travie McCoy – Call Me Sir
4. LSD – Thunderclouds
5. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Kelly Clarkson – Love So Soft: This was her comeback single after about two years. She has done better, though it's definitely not a bad song in my eyes mainly because I'm a huge fan of Kelly Clarkson and her music. I like how she went for a more soulful sound here. But after listening to her latest album Meaning Of Life, it just makes the song feel inferior, at least to me.
Zedd featuring Liam Payne – Get Low: Personally, I'd say that this is one of Zedd's weakest singles, along with Starving. I didn't think Liam was a good choice because he didn't add anything to the song. Plus, the production is underwhelming, especially for Zedd. He can do better.
The Revivalists – Wish I Knew You: How did I not include this in My Top 50 Songs of 2017? I should have, because I like everything about the song. And believe it or not, this was actually released in 2016, a year before it made its debut on this countdown.
Sam Smith – Too Good At Goodbyes: Not many people care for Sam Smith when this song came around. Although I don't find this song to be that amazing, I kinda wish people wouldn't hate on it just because it's a boring love song.

QOTW: Since Maroon 5 is going to be performing at the Super Bowl, what songs do you guys think they should perform?

AT40: Post Malone (2) - Week Of September 22, 2018

What's up, guys? This week was another busy one for me. I haven't really had the chance to focus on blogging as much as I want to. Hopefully, I'll find a way to balance things out. Anyway, welcome to the first weekend of Fall. We had a lot going on this week on the American Top 40. Before we get to this week's fresh 40, here are the songs we're saying good-bye to this week:

• Growing Pains by Alessia Cara (#15)
• In My Blood by Shawn Mendes (#26)
• Wait by Maroon 5 (#32)
• Boo'd Up by Elle Mai (#40)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Better Now by Post Malone
40. New Rules by Dua Lipa (#39) [–1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
39. 2002 by Anne-Marie (DEBUT)
38. Africa by Weezer (DEBUT)
37. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar (#36) [–1]
36. Happy Now by Zedd featuring Elley Duhé (#38) [+2]
35. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons (#34) [–1]
34. Promises by Calvin Harris featuring Sam Smith (DEBUT)
33. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello (#29) [–4] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
32. Happier by Marshmello featuring Bastille (DEBUT)
31. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa (#20) [–11]
30. Beautiful (Remix) by Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello (#37) [+7]
29. Broken by lovelytheband (#35) [+6]
28. Almost Love by Sabrina Carpenter (#33) [+5]
27. Natural by Imagine Dragons (#31) [+4]
26. I Like Me Better by Lauv (#24) [–2]
25. The Way I Am by Charlie Puth (#27) [+2]
24. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid (#30) [+6]
23. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey (#22) [–1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
22. Home With You by Madison Beer (#25) [+3]
21. Jackie Chan by Tiesto & Dzeko featuring Preme and Post Malone (#28) [+7]
20. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie (#16) [–4]
19. Drew Barrymore by Bryce Vine (#19) [=]
18. Mine by Bazzi (#18) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
17. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD (#23) [+6]
16. Lie by NF (#21) [+5]
15. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign (#14) [–1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
14. Side Effects by The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren (#17) [+3]
13. I'm A Mess by Bebe Rexha (#13) [=]
12. Delicate by Taylor Swift (#11) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
11. Remind Me To Forget by Kygo featuring Miguel (#12) [+1]
10. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande (#9) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
9. God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande (#10) [+1]
8. No Brainer by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, and Chance The Rapper (#8) [=]
7. In My Feelings by Drake (#7) [=]
6. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#6) [=]
5. I Like It by Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin (#4) [–1]
4. Back To You by Selena Gomez (#5) [+1]
3. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. (#2) [–1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
2. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani (#3) [+1]
1. Better Now by Post Malone (#1) [=] [2^nd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Attention by Charlie Puth (4^th of 5 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa (–11)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Tie between Beautiful (Remix) by Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello and Jackie Chan by Tiesto & Dzeko featuring Preme and Post Malone (+7)

New Entrants
- To kick off this week's new arrivals, we have Anne-Marie with her solo single as she travels back in time to 2002. If you've been following my blog for a while, then you probably know by now that I still have a strong distaste for Friends. I can say that her solo single is a step up from that. Although there's not too much to the production, her voice sound good throughout the song. Basically, the song has references to some of the most popular songs during that time period, such as Bye, Bye, Bye by NSYNC and ...Baby One More Time by Britney Spears. I fell in love with those songs back then. And I'm sure Ed Sheeran, who actually co-wrote the song with her, has as well. I don't see it sticking with me long term, but it's a step in the right direction for Anne-Marie.

- Next, we have the band Weezer with Africa, which is the cover of the 1982 single from Toto. I pretty much explained why I didn't like their version of it when it made its debut on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown. To me, it's just simply not anywhere near as good as the original. I find the vocals from Rivers Cuomo to be underwhelming. Probably the only redeeming quality of this is that the production itself. It definitely has something going for it. But overall, their cover of the song is just weak to me. It's hard for me to explain in detail why I feel this way, but that's just my opinion.

- So, Calvin Harris has another new single looking to gain some momentum as its predecessor continues to die down. This time, he is collaborating with soul singer Sam Smith in Promises. I can say that it's not as good as One Kiss, but it definitely shows that Calvin Harris is trying new things and it's working to my liking. Look, I was critical of This Is What You Came For mainly because the drop was extremely mediocre and the song itself was repetitive. Then he decided to go for the funky new sound in songs such as Slide and Feels, both of which I fell in love with. I don't know what else he has in store right now until we hear his next album. Sam sounds good with his voice.

- Finally, we have more of Marshmello and he's collaborating with the alternative band Bastille in their single Happier.  He was impressive when he did Wolves with Selena Gomez. But since then, I've been questioning his direction with every recent release. Every Day was pretty good, but Friends was straight up annoying. His new single, Happier, is a step up from its predecessor. But it's still not what I was hoping for coming in. I can say that the lyrical content is better. However, Marshmello didn't really wow me with the production. To me, it just sounds generic and not very well done.  Dan Smith does deliver with his vocals, but the rest of the band didn't contribute to any part of the song. Overall, I'm not all that impressed. It may be in blue for now, though it's slightly closer to red than it is green.

Best Debut Of The Week: No Promises by Calvin Harris featuring Sam Smith

I Make No Blurbs
- As always, we'll begin with our exits. To start, Boo'd Up left after spending only a week on the countdown. I'm surprised by this because I would've thought that it would spend more than one week given that it was a big hit elsewhere, but that doesn't appear to be the case. Wait was overdue to leave. Growing Pains sadly did not last long as it exits from a high position. Alessia Cara definitely deserves better than this. Finally, there's In My Blood by Shawn Mendes. Despite me starting to grow out of the song, it took a rather shocking exit from a relatively high position of #26. Dang!

- Remember last week when I talked about celebrity Noah Centineo who's celeb crush is actually Selena Gomez? Well, Ryan Seacrest mentioned during the introduction for Never Be The Same that he also appeared in the music video for Havana. I guess he's looking to become a ladies' man and eventually put that on his résumé.

- One Kiss takes a big drop out of the Top 30 altogether. The end may be near for the song. It did had quite a run and spent a while in the Top 10, so I'm happy with its minor success.

- Jackie Chan makes quite a big leap close to the Top 20. I doubt this will end up being a hit. But hey, at least it's gaining some momentum.

- Before introducting Delicate, Ryan Seacrest mentioned that Taylor Swift performed a bunch of her old songs to her fans. I smell a lot of nostalgia here. I remember when she was one of the breakout artists in the late 2000's and look where she is now. I'll bet her fans were very thrilled to hear her old stuff again.

- Nothing really has changed in the Top 10 other than a few songs moving only one spot. Thus, I don't have much to talk about here.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Solo by Clean Bandit featuring Demi Lovato
• Rise by Jonas Blue featuring Jack & Jack
• Taste by Tyga featuring Offset

Extras/Optional Extras:

• Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
• Boo'd Up by Elle Mai
• Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo
• Bed by Nicki Minaj featuring Ariana Grande
• Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller
• Nice For What by Drake
• Counting Stars by OneRepublic
• See You Again by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth

Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:
20. I'm A Mess by Bebe Rexha
19. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
18. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
17. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD

1 – Bad:
16. In My Feelings by Drake

2 – Mediocre:
15. Drew Barrymore by Bryce Vine
14. I Like It by Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin

3 – Decent:
13. No Brainer by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, and Chance The Rapper
12. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B.

4 – Good:
11. Mine by Bazzi

5 – Great:
10. Lie by NF
9. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani
8. Better Now by Post Malone
7. Back To You by Selena Gomez
6. Delicate by Taylor Swift
5. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer
4. Remind Me To Forget by Kygo featuring Miguel
3. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande
2. Side Effects by The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande

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

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne (2007)

Most Missed Song: Confident by Demi Lovato

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Head Above Water by Avril Lavigne

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Praying by Kesha (#15)

My Top 5 Picks
1. God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande
2. Happy Now by Zedd featuring Elley Duhé
3. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
4. Side Effects by The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren
5. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. I'm A Mess by Bebe Rexha
2. I Like Me Better by Lauv
3. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
4. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
5. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Bad At Love by Halsey: I can say that I'm not tired of Hasley. Not even close. 'll save most of my words for this when I do my Year-End posts. But yeah, it's a step up from its predecessor in pretty much every aspect.
What Lovers Do by Maroon 5 featuring SZA: Probably their last good song from these guys. Although not as good as their previous singles, it was definitely as close as they can get to them sounding more like a band.

5 Seconds Of Summer (2) - Week Of September 15, 2018

Hello, fam! This week, I've been working on My Top 50 Songs of the year. As a matter of fact, it's just getting off the ground. We're basically three quarters through the year so far. Thus, I'm getting a head start on my future post so it can be ready by December. And while I'm at it, I still plan on doing a rankdown (which I still haven't come up with what I want to do for that yet) to keeps you guys interested. Right now, I have the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown post for you guys. There are no songs leaving the countdown this week, so let's get right to it!

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
45. Niall Horan – On The Loose (#43) [–2]
44. Alessia Cara – Growing Pains (#45) [+1]
43. Drake – In My Feelings (#42) [–1]
42. Halsey – Alone (#43) [+1]
41. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back (#41) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

40. Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It (#40) [=]

39. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me (#23) [–16]

38. Madison Beer – Home With You (#37) [–1]

37. Brown & Gray – Top Down (#35) [–2]

36. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends (#26) [–10]

35. George Ezra – Shotgun (#39) [+4]

34. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry (#24) [–10]

33. NF – Lie (#38) [+5]

32. Dua Lipa – IDGAF (#28) [–4]

31. PRETTYMUCH – Summer On You (#29) [–2]

30. PNAU – Go Bang (#33) [+3]

29. DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, and Chance The Rapper – No Brainer (#21) [–8]

28. Train featuring Cam and Travie McCoy – Call Me Sir (#32) [+4]

27. Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello – Beautiful (Remix) (#35) [+8]

26. Dan + Shay – Tequila (#30) [+4]

25. Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind (#25) [=]

24. Marshmello featuring Bastille – Happier (#36) [+12]

23. Zedd featuring Elley Duhé – Happy Now (#31) [+8]

22. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (#27) [+5]

21. Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess (#22) [+1]

20. lovelytheband – Broken (#15) [–5]

19. Taylor Swift – Delicate (#12) [–7] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]

18. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss (#20) [+2]

17. Imagine Dragons – Natural (#19) [+2]

16. Selena Gomez – Back To You (#10) [–6]

15. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You (#13) [–2]

14. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know (#18) [+4]

13. Weezer – Africa (#17) [+4]

12. Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman (#14) [+2]

11. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart (#6) [–5]

10. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects (#7) [–3]

9. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes (#11) [+2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

8. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#16) [+8] [Spent 9 Weeks At #1]

7. Charlie Puth – The Way I Am (#9) [+2]

6. Post Malone – Better Now (#8) [+2]

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

4. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones (#3) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

3. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies (#5) [+2]

2. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (#2) [=] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

1. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood (#1) [=] [2^nd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Niall Horan – Slow Hands (2^nd of 3 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Foster The People – Sit Next To Me (–16)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Marshmello featuring Bastille – Happier (+12)

I Blurb You Back
- Spyder Harrison mentioned during the introduction for I Like It that Nicki Minaj and Cardi B. got into a fight recently. Oooh, looks like there's was something they disagreed upon and that's probably why it happened.

- Sit Next To Me took a massive drop down to near the Bottom 5 at #39 this week. I was growing out of that song, though it did have a nice run here despite it not being popular elsewhere, so I'll give them that.

- The guest DJ that introduced Shotgun dedicated the song to his friend. That was nice!

- Spyder Harrison mentioned while introducing IDGAF that Dua Lipa is a part of the car company Jaguar. I wonder will we see her drive one of those cars? Heh, I'm sure her fans would love to buy new cars from that place.

- So, Call Me Sir has now become my least favorite song on the countdown. I honestly cannot stand the song at all. I had thought about keeping Friends in orange for the rest of its tenure, but I chose not to because at least in that song, Anne-Marie's vocals aren't as obnoxious. As much as I hated Play That Song, I'd rather listen to it than this. Seriously, this is Train's worst release since Hey, Soul Sister. But the sad thing is, it'll probably stick around and become the next Play That Song, something which I don't want.

- Remember when I said that I'm A Mess was a step up from its predecessor? Yeah, scratch that. Because this was only getting worse every time I hear it. Honestly, Bebe Rexha has been a big disappointment for me lately. This was not a good choice for a single. I do hope it doesn't go any further because I don't want to have to deal with again just like I did with Meant To Be.

- Ever since Natural entered the Top 20, it's has remained stuck in the late teen's for a while. Meanwhile, it's currently near the top on iTunes. You would think that the song would at least gain a lot of traction right about now, but that appears to not be the case. Though that may change within a couple of weeks or so. We'll see what happens.

- So, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Selena Gomez is celebrity Noah Centineo's celeb crush. Oooooh, he must seem to really like her. I remember having many celeb crushes back in my youth. I'll bet he could imagine meeting her in person.

- Before introducing Girls Like You, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Cardi B. recently worked someone on her lipstick and it sold out quickly. Oh wow, I guess people must've liked what they saw in her lipstick that they started buying it more often. I wonder will they make more of these?

- The guest DJ that introduced Don't Go Breaking My Heart gave a shout-out to her friends all over the planet. Of course, she did say they were from Earth. Heh, I don't think they're from other planets.

- The Middle is suddenly back in the Top 10. I'm sure there are many people who will be super mad about this. Not me, though.

- Nothing really has changed in the Top 5 other than Love Lies hitting a new peak of #3. Could this possibly be our next #1? We'll find out soon, and I wouldn't mind that.

Hit-Bound:

• Loud Luxury featuring brando – Body (DEBUT)
• The Struts featuring Kesha – Body Talks
• Tiësto & Dzeko featuring Preme and Post Malone – Jackie Chan
• Bryce Vine – Drew Barrymore
• The Vamps – Just My Type
• Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside (DEBUT)
• Calvin Harris featuring Sam Smith – Promises
• Walk The Moon – Kamikaze
• Pitbull featuring Theron Theron – Free Free Free
• Sabrina Carpenter – Almost Love
• AJR – Burn The House Down
• Anne-Marie – 2002
• Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It
• Kim Petras – Heart To Break
• Jason Derulo & David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj and Willy William – Goodbye

Entrant Reviews
- On this week's edition of Hit-Bound, we have two debuts this week. First off, we have Loud Luxury and brando in their song titled Body. I first heard this on Venus quite a few times. There's some things I like about this, such as the vocals. But it's pretty repetitive and not all that memorable. That's all I can say about the song right now.

- Second, there's Benny Blanco, Halsey and Khalid with the song Eastside. Although the song itself is pretty short, I still love pretty much everything about it. Both Halsey and Khalid did a nice job with the verses. I'm sure that one will make it to the countdown soon.

Best Debut On Hit-Bound: Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. The Struts featuring Kesha – Body Talks
2. Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside
3. Walk The Moon – Kamikaze
4. Kim Petras – Heart To Break
5. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It

YouTube 15:

Today, the host of the show Jenna Marbles celebrates her 32nd Birthday. So, I would like to wish her a Happy Birthday! Here are the songs trending on this week's edition of the YouTube 15:

• Juice WRLD – Lucid Dreams
• Jonas Blue featuring Jack & Jack – Rise
• Hozier featuring Mavis Staples – Nina Cried Power
• DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, and Chance The Rapper – No Brainer
• R3HAB featuring Sofia Carson – Rumors
• Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You
• Sigala, Ella Eyre, and Meghan Trainor featuring French Montana – I Just Got Paid
• Post Malone – Better Now
• Alan Walker featuring AuRa and Tomine Harket - Darkside
• Drake – In My Feelings
• Lawrence – Make A Move
• Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies
• Nick Jonas featuring Robin Schultz – Right Now
• Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It
• Noah Cyrus featuring Gallant – Mad At You

- I'm pretty mixed on the songs listed here. First, we have Hozier who just recently released a brand new single titled Nina Cried Power. I'm sure many of you remember him from Take Me To Church, which was a breakthrough hit back in late 2014 or early 2015. He shows that he has a unique voice, and I like the chorus in the background. Overall, it's a nice song.

- Sofia Carson is featured in a new single from R3HAB, which is titled Rumors. There's really nothing special about the song. I find Sofia's vocals to be pretty decent. But outside of that, nothing else stands out. I did like her debut single, Love Is The Name, back in 2016. This one, not so much.

- Sigala is back with yet another new single. And guess what? He's collaborating with Ella Eyre, Meghan Trainor, and French Montana in I Just Got Paid. I'm not feeling the song too much. I do kinda like the production, but the verses aren't too special for me. I feel like more could've been done to make the song interesting. Sigala has done better.

- Next, we have a new artist named Lawrence with Make A Move. I first heard the song in its entirety while I was out...and yeah, I don't like it. First off, the production is just weak across the board. Also, I absolutely cannot stand Lawrence's vocals at all. She sounds so annoying and just unbearable. Simply put, this song is a mess. NEXT!

- Nick Jonas is back with a new single, and he's collaborating with Robin Schultz in Right Now. It's quite an enjoyable song in my book. Nick shows that he has a good voice and I like the production. Unfortunately, I can't picture it being a hit seeing that people have moved on from him. At least he's been improving with his music.

- Finally, we have Noah Cyrus once again with her latest single titled Mad At You. Right off the bat, I'm not liking this song at all. It's really Noah's voice that kills it for me. The production is good to an extent, so I'll give her that. But yeah, I'm not a fan of this. Sorry.

My Top 5 YouTube 15 Picks
1. Alan Walker featuring AuRa and Tomine Hacket – Darkside
2. Nick Jonas featuring Robin Schultz – Right Now
3. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies
4. Hozier featuring Mavis Staples – Nina Cried Power
5. Post Malone – Better Now

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
20. Weezer – Africa

1 – Bad:
None!

2 – Mediocre:
19. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know

3 – Decent:
18. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great:
17. lovelytheband – Broken
16. Charlie Puth – The Way I Am
15. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
14. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
13. Imagine Dragons – Natural
12. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies
11. Post Malone – Better Now
10. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
9. Selena Gomez – Back To You
8. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
7. Taylor Swift – Delicate
6. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
5. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones
4. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart
3. Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman
2. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects

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

Overall Grade: 91/100 = 91% (A–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: The Jackson 5 – I Want You Back (1969)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Bruno Mars – Treasure

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Bruno Mars – Chunky

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Silk City featuring Dua Lipa – Electricity

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Kesha – Praying (#11)

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Elley Duhé – Happy Now
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
3. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects
4. Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman
5. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Train featuring Cam and Travie McCoy – Call Me Sir
2. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
3. Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess
4. Weezer – Africa
5. PNAU – Go Bang

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
All-American Rejects – Sweat: It was nice to see these guys make their return after so long. Sure, it may not be as good as their previous single (such as Move Along and It Ends Tonight), but it was still enjoyable to a degree.

QOTW: What are your predictions for My Top 10 songs of the year?