AT40: Dua Lipa (1) - Week Of February 17, 2018

Hello, fam! I've been hard at work on my 50,000 Pageview Special. I'm about halfway through with it and I plan on having it out sometime next week. Right now, let's get into this week's American Top 40 Countdown. So with that being said, here are the songs leaving us this week:

• Believer by Imagine Dragons (#39)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé

40. My My My! by Troye Sivan (DEBUT)

39. There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back by Shawn Mendes (#37) [–2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

38. Beautiful Trauma by P!NK (#40) [+2]

37. Slow Hands by Niall Horan (#35) [–2] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

36. I Like Me Better by Lauv (#36) [=]

35. Attention by Charlie Puth (#31) [–2] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]

34. Lemon by N.E.R.D. featuring Rihanna (#34) [=]

33. 1-800-273-8255 by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid (#27) [–2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

32. I Miss You by Clean Bandit featuring Julia Michaels (#32) [=]

31. Wait by Maroon 5 (#38) [+7]

30. Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo (#28) [–2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

29. Tell Me You Love Me by Demi Lovato (#30) [+1]

28. Mic Drop by BTS featuring Desiigner (#29) [+1]

27. One Foot by Walk The Moon (#23) [–4]

26. What Lovers Do by Maroon 5 featuring SZA (#25) [–1]

25. LOVE. by Kendrick Lamar featuring Zacari (#27) [+2]

24. River by Eminem featuring Ed Sheeran (#26) [+2]

23. Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man (#22) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

22. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello (#24) [+2]

21. Young, Dumb, and Broke by Khalid (#21) [=]

20. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato (#19) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

19. Best Friend by Sofi Tukker featuring NERVO, Alisa Ueno, and The Knocks (#18) [–1]

18. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line (#20) [+2]

17. Too Good At Goodbyes by Sam Smith (#7) [–10]

16. Let Me Go by Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt (#17) [+1]

15. Filthy by Justin Timberlake (#14) [–1]

14. Thunder by Imagine Dragons (#12) [–2] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

13. Good Old Days by Macklemore featuring Kesha (#13) [–2]

12. End Game by Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran and Future (#10) [–2]

11. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey (#16) [+5]

10. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. (#13) [+3]

9. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash (#11) [+2]

8. Let You Down by NF (#9) [+1]

7. Wolves by Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello (#8) [+1]

6. How Long by Charlie Puth (#6) [=]

5. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage (#5) [=]

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

3. Bad At Love by Halsey (#3) [=]

2. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé (#1) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
1. New Rules by Dua Lipa (#2) [+1] [1^st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Bad Things by Machine Gun Kelly featuring Camila Cabello (1^st of 2 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Too Good At Goodbyes by Sam Smith (–10)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Wait by Maroon 5 (+7)

New Entrants
- Our only entrant this week comes from Troye Sivan with his brand new single titled My My My! off of his upcoming album. The last time we saw him was back in 2016, when he somewhat made a breakthrough with Youth. I did enjoy it when it was new, but didn't quite stick with me in the big picture, though it was a pretty decent song. My My My! is a step up from its successor. I was impressed with the way it turned out. I love Troye's voice and he shines pretty much throughout the song, especially in the chorus. The production is pretty neat as well. I'll have more on this on my Hits 1 Weekend Countdown post later this weekend. But yeah, I'm really enjoying it and I hope it does well.

I Blurb Every Night For You
- As far as our exit goes, we say good-bye to Believer. It lasted quite a while for a song that didn't even hit #1. It was definitely a different sound for Imagine Dragons. I do still enjoy it somewhat, so it'll be missed by me.

- I Like Me Better by Lauv is getting worse with each listen. The weird production simply just does not sit well with me. I'm hoping it leaves soon, but it's not likely at this point.

- Tell Me You Love Me by Demi Lovato really isn't getting anywhere at this moment. I thought for sure that this would gain some steam especially with Sorry Not Sorry dying out, but I guess I was wrong, given its lackluster sales and streaming.

- It looks like One Foot won't become another hit for Walk The Moon, unfortunately. It's a shame that they're still being considered a one-hit wonder.

- Well, the end for Too Good At Goodbyes is pretty much near after that big drop this week. Not that I'm complaining though as I was starting to grow out of it, so that's kinda good news.

- On the note of good things that happened this week, Finesse has made its way into the Top 10 on its fifth week! I'm certain it'll be in the Top 5 soon. I'll be waiting.

- But on the other hand, Lights Down Low strangely makes its way into the Top 10 this week. I'm getting real damn sick of hearing this song every time I drive out. I'm sorry, but to me it's just underwhelming and how it's just now gaining steam really only made it worse on my end. So, I'm not thrilled about it being in the Top 10. Honestly, I really did not want to hate it more than I do, but now it's impossible.

- And yet somehow, Rockstar is still in the Top 5. Just great.

- But that brings us to our new #1 this week! Dua Lipa has managed to achieve her very first #1 with New Rules. I'm glad to see her getting a breakout hit in the U.S. It's definitely a stand-out track that deserved some recognition in my book.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• I Fall Apart by Post Malone
• Walk On Water by Thirty Seconds To Mars
• Hold Me Tight Or Don't by Fall Out Boy
• The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey

Extras/Optional Extras:

• Believer by Imagine Dragons
• It Ain't Me by Kygo featuring Selena Gomez
• Too Much To Ask by Niall Horan
• Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran
• Feels Great by Cheat Codes featuring Fetty Wap
• Body Like A Back Road by Sam Hunt
• No Promises by Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato

Top 20 Review:
0 – Garbage:
20. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage
19. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
18. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash

1 – Bad:
17. Let You Down by NF

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
16. Too Good At Goodbyes by Sam Smith
15. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato
14. Filthy by Justin Timberlake

4 – Good:
13. Best Friend by Sofi Tukker featuring NERVO, Alisa Ueno, and The Knocks
12. How Long by Charlie Puth

5 – Great:
11. Thunder by Imagine Dragons
10. Let Me Go by Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt
9. End Game by Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran and Future
8. New Rules by Dua Lipa
7. Bad At Love by Halsey
6. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey
5. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé
4. Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug
3. Good Old Days by Macklemore featuring Kesha
2. Wolves by Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello

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

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

Throwback Pick Of The Week: When Doves Cry by Prince (1984)

Most Missed Song: Stand By You by Rachel Platten

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Surrender by Walk The Moon

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Paris by The Chainsmokers

My Top 5 Picks
1. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.
2. Wolves by Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello
3. My My My! by Troye Sivan
4. Good Old Days by Macklemore featuring Kesha
5. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage
2. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
3. Mic Drop by BTS featuring Desiigner
4. I Like Me Better by Lauv
5. Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Call On Me by Starley: Her vocals are pretty nice, but the weird drop doesn't quite sit well with me. I can appreciate it for what it is, though.
Down by Marian Hill: Basically, everything about this is pretty underwhelming for the most part, and was it really necessary to repeat the word "down" so many times throughout the song?

Top 10 Songs From Mariah Carey

Hello, fam. For my Top 10 Series, I'm going to be talking about one of my favorite artists of all time. Today, I decided that I want to talk about an artist who's made an impact to the world of music. And the artist in question is Mariah Carey. She almost never fails to disappoint me with her music. Almost every single she has released has wowed me from the beginning. With that in mind, I will now share you a list of my favorite songs from Mariah Carey and a brief description about all of them. Are you ready? Here it is:

10. I Don't Wanna Cry (1991)

A sad, romantic love song. I love the production in this one, and Mariah sounds great. Not too much else I can say about it.

9. Dreamlover (1993)

An upbeat love song that I'm sure people can relate to. As the title says, it talks about her wanting to find her dream lover. 

8. Emotions (1991)

This song really brings out her emotions. Okay, that was a bad one. Anyway, it's just an upbeat dance song that grabs my attention. And my goodness! Can she hit those high notes?! Yeah, I love this, like a lot.

7. Fantasy (1995)

Another love song, but this time it talks about a relationship being a fantasy hence the song title. Once again, Mariah's sounds amazing. Do I need to say anymore?

6. Always Be My Baby (1996)

The "do-do-do"'s throughout the song really grabbed my attention, and I love the use of guitars. The production is what I love most about the song, and again Mariah's voice is just beautiful. And the amazing key change helps.

5. We Belong Together (2005)

The comeback single from Mariah will always have a special place for me. I love how the song opens with a little piano work, and from there the rest is history in this near-flawless comeback single.

4. Vision Of Love (1990)

The song that started it all for her. She definitely made a great first impression here. I love her voice and the production is awesome. Since then, her career would began take off.

3. All I Want For Christmas Is You (1994)

Easily the best song for the holidays, hands down. It's basically an upbeat song that can get you dancing for the holidays, whether it be with family or friends that you spend time with.

2. Hero (1993)

A powerful piano ballad. Mariah sounds amazing as always and I love the lyrics. Basically, it talks about wanting a hero to come along and help you. The production is fantastic, especially with the piano work. 

1. One Sweet Day (featuring Boyz II Men) (1995)

Ah yes. This is, without a doubt, Mariah Carey's best song. It still holds the record of #1 for 16 Weeks on Billboard (and is now tied with a certain song I won't mention). It is a masterpiece. I love how their vocals blend together. And as always, Mariah shines all throughout the song. It's a sad, but very sweet song at the same time.

And there you go, everyone. These are my favorite songs from Mariah Carey! Let me know what you guys think of my list in the comments section. I hope you guys enjoyed reading this! Stay frosty!

Charlie Puth (1) - Week Of February 10, 2018

Hello, fam! I know it's hard for me to believe, but my blog has reached 50,000 Pageviews! My goodness! I would like to give a huge thank you to all of you who reads this every day! I do plan on doing something special very soon. Today, let's divert our attention to this week's countdown on Hits 1. There are no songs leaving the countdown this week, so let's get right to it!

The Countdown:

Last Week's #1 Song: Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran and Future – End Game

45. Charlie Puth – Attention (#45) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

44. Sam Smith – Too Good At Goodbyes (#43) [–1]

43. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry (#44) [+1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

42. The Shadowboxers – Hot Damn (#40) [–2]

41. P!NK – What About Us (#41) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

40. Niall Horan – Slow Hands (#36) [–4] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]

39. Taylor Swift – ...Ready For It? (#42) [+3]

38. Louis Tomlinson – Miss You (#34) [–4]

37. Kesha – Praying (#37) [=]

36. Maroon 5 featuring SZA – What Lovers Do (#33) [–3]

35. Symon – Lonely Girl (#39) [+4]

34. WØLVES – Animal (#38) [+4]

33. Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl (#31) [–2] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]

32. Post Malone featuring 21 Savage – Rockstar (#26) [–6]

31. Niall Horan – Too Much To Ask (#27) [–4]

30. Camila Cabello – Havana (#28) [–2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

29. Shawn Mendes – There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back (#29) [=] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]

28. Justin Timberlake – Filthy (#30) [+2]

27. Kelly Clarkson – Love So Soft (#13) [–14]

26. Dua Lipa – New Rules (#18) [–8]

25. All Time Low – Last Young Renegade (#35) [+10]

24. Eminem featuring Ed Sheeran – River (#12) [–12]

23. Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still (#23) [=]

22. G-Eazy featuring Halsey – Him & I (#20) [–2]

21. Imagine Dragons – Believer (#19) [–2] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]

20. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix) (#22) [+2]

19. Maroon 5 – Wait (#25) [+6]

18. NF – Let You Down (#24) [+6]

17. Fall Out Boy – Hold Me Tight Or Don't (#21) [+4]

16. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#32) [+16]

15. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low (#17) [+2]

14. Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran and Future – End Game (#1) [–13] [Spent 1 Week At #1] (Whoa there!)

13. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same (#16) [+3]

12. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be (#11) [–1]

11. Lauv – I Like Me Better (#14) [+3]

10. P!NK – Beautiful Trauma (#15) [+5]

9. Macklemore featuring Kesha – Good Old Days (#7) [–2]

8. X Ambassadors – Ahead Of Myself (#8) [=]

7. Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello – Wolves (#3) [–4]

6. Walk The Moon – One Foot (#6) [=]

5. Halsey – Bad At Love (#10) [+5] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

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

3. Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt – Let Me Go (#5) [+2]

2. Imagine Dragons – Thunder (#2) [=] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]

1. Charlie Puth – How Long (#9) [+8] [1^st Week At #1]

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

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Kelly Clarkson – Love So Soft (–14)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (+16)

You Were The Last Young Blurbegade Heartache

- How Long hitting #1 this week with that big jump was a little unexpected. But at the same time, it's no shock given how big Charlie Puth is at this moment. It's a good song, so I'm cool with it at the top, though I feel like I may grow out of this faster than Attention. Still, I'm happy that he made more likable songs like these two and not something along the lines of Marvin Gaye and One Call Away. Eck.

- On that note, before introducing Perfect, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Ed Sheeran would like for Charlie Puth to sing Marvin Gaye at his wedding. Uh, how about...NO.

- Let Me Go has made its way into the Top 3. Could this be another #1 for Hailee Steinfeld? I would like it to, but right now I'm just happy that this song is getting some love on this countdown, much like with Starving.

- Jumping back into that region this week is Halsey – Bad At Love. I thought for sure this would be done after it dropped out last week, but I was wrong. Not that I'm complaining though, it can stay there for a while.

- Beautiful Trauma is in its third week on the countdown and already it's entered the Top 10. Another potential hit, perhaps?

- I'm pretty close to having Never Be The Same in red. Her vocals are getting a little more grating with each listen. Can it just go soon?

- End Game took quite a shocking big drop out of the #1 spot. If I'm correct, this is the first time that's happened since, I don't know how long?

- So, I know this may be a very unpopular opinion, but I'm enjoying The Middle more and more, hence why I have it in purple. I don't know what it is. I think Maren sounds amazing in this song. That's probably the best thing I like about it. I listened to 80s Mercedes this week and she has proven that she has a great voice, and I'm glad she's taking advantage of it. So yeah, I'm greatly appreciated by it having the Biggest Jump Of The Week this week. While I do still prefer Clarity, Stay The Night (which are Zedd's best singles), and the songs from True Colors, I am liking this a lot.

- So, I listened to Him & I quite a few times this week and I couldn't help but notice that it sounded somewhat similar to Look What You Made Me Do. The only difference I noticed between this and Him & I is that there's more singing going on, and the production is more lively.

- Well, this was short-lived. After that big jump last week, River is back to where it was with that big drop. It appears that not even Ed Sheeran can help Eminem get another hit like he did before.

- On that note, Love So Soft finally took a big drop out of the Top 20 for the first time in months. Looks like this may be the end for this song. It was nice having it around, but I'm hoping Kelly Clarkson can release another single that'll get big outside of Hits 1.

- On the flip side, Last Young Renegade made a nice jump this week. Anything that has pop-rock vibes pulls me in. Hopefully, it can achieve something their other singles could not (other than for Something's Gotta Give) and enter the Top 10.

- So, I watched P!NK performed at the Super Bowl and despite her getting sick, I thought she sounded good. I guess the flu couldn't really stop her from singing, heh.

- Here's an interesting fact: Charlie Puth has both songs at #45 and #1, respectively. It's one of thoses rare occasions that doesn't happen too often.

Hit-Bound:

• Welshly Arms – Legendary
• Kesha featuring The Dap-Kings Horns – Woman
• Post Malone – I Fall Apart
• The Chainsmokers – Sick Boy
• Troye Sivan – My My My!
• Alan Walker featuring Noah Cyrus and Digital Farm Animals – All Falls Down
• Wild Things – Don't Wanna Feel It
• Spencer – Whatever
• Portugal. The Man – Live In The Moment
• Khalid – Young, Dumb, and Broke (DEBUT)
• Keala Settle – This Is Me (DEBUT)
• Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
• AJR featuring Rivers Cuomo – Sober Up
• Clean Bandit featuring Julia Michaels – I Miss You

- So, we have only two debuts on Hit-Bound this week. First, we have Khalid debuting with Young, Dumb, and Broke, which is gaining steam elsewhere right now. I talked about it in my earlier posts. Hits 1 is late to the party on picking this one up. Anyway, I've slowly starting to come around to Khalid's music, though this song isn't interesting. I'll have more on this when it debuts.

- Then, we have a song taken from The Greatest Showman musical making an appearance on Hit-Bound. Enter Keala Settle – This Is Me. I do think her voice is very good in this one, and the production is rather solid. Not much else I can say about it.

- We say good-bye to Best Friend this week. It's too bad because it was a cool song that I just grew into, but oh well. I guess people disagree.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks

1. Kesha featuring The Dap-Kings Horns – Woman

2. Troye Sivan – My My My!

3. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes

4. Welshly Arms – Legendary

5. Portugal. The Man – Live In The Moment

Top 20 Review:

0 – Putrid:
20. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
19. Lauv – I Like Me Better

1 – Bad:
18. Maroon 5 – Wait
17. NF – Let You Down
16. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low

2 – Mediocre:
15. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same

3 – Decent:
None!

4 – Good:
14. Charlie Puth – How Long

5 – Great:
13. Fall Out Boy – Hold Me Tight Or Don't
12. X Ambassadors – Ahead Of Myself
11. Imagine Dragons – Thunder
10. P!NK – Beautiful Trauma
9. Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt – Let Me Go
8. Halsey – Bad At Love
7. Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran and Future – End Game
6. Ed Sheeran – Perfect
5. Walk The Moon – One Foot
4. Macklemore featuring Kesha – Good Old Days
3. Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello – Wolves

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
TIE: 1. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B – Finesse (Remix)

Overall Grade: 76/100 = 76% (C)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Prince – I Would Die 4 U (1984)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Justin Timberlake – Can't Stop The Feeling!

Most Missed Hit-Bound Drop-Out: Carly Rae Jepsen – Cut To The Feeling

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Hailee Steinfeld featuring BloodPop® – Capital Letters

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers – Paris

My Top 5 Picks

TIE: 1. Kesha – Praying
TIE: 1. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix)
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
4. All Time Low – Last Young Renegade
5. Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello – Wolves

My Bottom 5 Picks

1. Post Malone featuring 21 Savage – Rockstar
2. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
3. Lauv – I Like Me Better
4. Maroon 5 – Wait
5. NF – Let You Down

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Bruno Mars – That's What I Like: His strong charisma and vocal talent put on display mixed with some great throwback vibes makes this one of my favorites off of 24K Magic. Honestly, is there anymore I can say about this?
Bebe Rexha – I Got You: Powerhouse chorus, neat production, and her excellent vocals makes me want to get on board with this. It's one of her best songs thus far, and it's a shame that this got underrated.

QOTW: What are your thoughts on Justin Timberlake's performance last week at the Super Bowl?

AT40: Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé (2) - Week Of February 10, 2018

Hello, fam! Another busy week for me has finally come to a close. Now, I can relax and be able to spend the weekend. I still plan on doing a review for the Grammy Music Awards, but I'm diverting my attention on some other things right now. I'll have it ready as soon as I can. Right now, let's talk about the American Top 40 this week, shall we? So without further adieu, here are the songs dropping out this week:

• Too Much To Ask by Niall Horan (#26)
• Feels Great by Cheat Codes featuring Fetty Wap (#34)
• Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara (#40) [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]

The Countdown:

Last Week's #1 Song: Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé

40. Beautiful Trauma by P!NK (DEBUT)

39. Believer by Imagine Dragons (#38) [–1]

38. Wait by Maroon 5 (DEBUT)

37. There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back by Shawn Mendes (#35) [–2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

36. I Like Me Better by Lauv (#37) [+1]

35. Slow Hands by Niall Horan (#33) [–2] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

34. Lemon by N.E.R.D. featuring Rihanna (#39) [+5]

33. Attention by Charlie Puth (#31) [–2] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]

32. I Miss You by Clean Bandit featuring Julia Michaels (DEBUT)

31. 1-800-273-8255 by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid (#27) [–3] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

30. Tell Me You Love Me by Demi Lovato (#32) [+2]

29. Mic Drop by BTS featuring Desiigner (#36) [+7]

28. Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo (#25) [–3] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

27. LOVE. by Kendrick Lamar featuring Zacari (#27) [=]

26. River by Eminem featuring Ed Sheeran (#30) [+4]

25. What Lovers Do by Maroon 5 featuring SZA (#20) [–5]

24. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello (#29) [+5]

23. One Foot by Walk The Moon (#24) [+1]

22. Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man (#22) [=] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

21. Young, Dumb, and Broke by Khalid (#23) [+2]

20. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line (#21) [+1]

19. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato (#17) [–2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

18. Best Friend by Sofi Tukker featuring NERVO, Alisa Ueno, and The Knocks (#19) [+1]

17. Let Me Go by Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt (#16) [–1]

16. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey (#15) [–1]

15. Good Old Days by Macklemore featuring Kesha (#13) [–2]

14. Filthy by Justin Timberlake (#14) [=]

13. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. (#18) [+5]

12. Thunder by Imagine Dragons (#9) [–3] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

11. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash (#12) [+1]

10. End Game by Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran and Future (#10) [=]

9. Let You Down by NF (#11) [+2]

8. Wolves by Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello (#8) [=]

7. Too Good At Goodbyes by Sam Smith (#6) [–1]

6. How Long by Charlie Puth (#7) [+1]

5. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage (#5) [=]

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

3. Bad At Love by Halsey (#2) [–1]

2. New Rules by Dua Lipa (#3) [+1]
1. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé (#1) [=] [2^nd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Scars To Your Beautiful by Alessia Cara (2^nd and Final Week At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: What Lovers Do by Maroon 5 featuring SZA (–5)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Mic Drop by BTS featuring Desiigner (+7)

New Entrants
- Not long after What About Us died out, P!NK is following up with her new single in its stead. Enter Beautiful Trauma, the title track off of her latest album. Right off the bat, I won't say it's her best work, but it's still a good song by any means. P!NK rarely disappoints me with her music, and this song is no exception. She has continually proven to be a good songwriter when looking at the lyrical content, her vocals are as good, and the production is exceptional. Overall, it's a good single choice for P!NK and I would like to see it do well.

- Next, we have the return of Maroon 5 with their latest single, Wait from their latest album. I discussed this one in detail when it debuted on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown. For those who haven't read it, you can check out my previous posts. While it's better than Don't Wanna Know and Cold, it's still pretty undesirable for the most part. I've noticed that Adam Levine has seemed to take over the entire band, and they lack the groove that made them my go-to band like they once were and it shows in this, along with their recent singles. Adam's voice is okay, but nothing else stands out. I want something along the lines of Love Somebody, Moves Like Jagger, etc. Even the singles from V (Outside of This Summer's Gonna Hurt...) were good. I miss those days, but oh well.

- Most people were not looking forward to hearing from Julia Michaels again, especially after Issues was not to anyone's liking and the disastrous Uh Huh thankfully flopped elsewhere. She makes her return this week, along with Clean Bandit in their latest collaboration titled I Miss You. Now this I can get on board with as opposed to Julia's two solo singles. It's not the best I've heard from Clean Bandit, but they still do a good job with the production overall. Not only that, but Julia actually sounds good singing in this one as well. The song is about another failed relationship, in which a lover misses another. I'm hoping it has some success because it's a good song. I'm glad Clean Bandit and Julia Michaels managed to impress me with this one.

I Miss Blurbs, Yeah I Miss Them
- So, our three exits consist of two songs that didn't take off elsewhere, and one which was one of the biggest songs of last year. Too Much To Ask didn't become another big hit that Niall was hoping for, and Feels Great was a flop for Cheat Codes as well. It sure doesn't feel great (no pun intended) to not have another hit like he did with No Promises, heh. Finally, we have the departure of Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara, which I had just grown back into. I'm sure some people here are going to be throwing a be-gone party over that one, but I'm not attending. Instead, I'll be grieving over its departure. I'm hoping The Middle can makes its debut soon.

- Of course, there had to be a jump from Mic Drop at some point. Honestly, I don't really buy into the BTS hype. While I've gotten used to Rockstar continuing to anger me to no end, this song is just a mess. There are better songs on this countdown that are more deserving of jumping big, not this.

- On the note of other things that pissed me off this week, we get an unwelcome new entry of Meant To Be in the Top 20. Joy. And unfortunately with it doing well in sales and streaming, I doubt this will go away anytime soon.

- I have a feeling that Finesse is going to enter the Top 10 sooner than we think. That would be good news. Maybe next week we'll see it in that region.

- I'm not too surprised about Perfect holding on to the #1 spot. It's still holding up well in sales. But New Rules is closing in on Perfect for #1 on this countdown. I wouldn't mind seeing that at the top soon.

Breakouts/On The Verge

• Walk On Water by Thirty Seconds To Mars
• Hold Me Tight Or Don't by Fall Out Boy

Extras/Optional Extras

• ...Ready For It? by Taylor Swift
• Can't Stop The Feeling! by Justin Timberlake
• Unforgettable by French Montana featuring Swae Lee
• Love So Soft by Kelly Clarkson
• Heathens by TWENTY ØNE PILØTS
• Faking It by Calvin Harris featuring Kehlani and Lil' Yachty
• Side To Side by Ariana Grande featuring Nicki Minaj
• Mi Gente by J. Balvin featuring Willy William

Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:
20. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage
19. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line

1 – Bad:
18. Let You Down by NF 
17. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
16. Too Good At Goodbyes by Sam Smith
15. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato
14. Filthy by Justin Timberlake

4 – Good:
13. Best Friend by Sofi Tukker featuring NERVO, Alisa Ueno, and The Knocks
12. How Long by Charlie Puth

5 – Great:
11. Thunder by Imagine Dragons
10. Let Me Go by Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt
9. End Game by Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran and Future
8. New Rules by Dua Lipa
7. Bad At Love by Halsey
6. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey
5. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé
4. Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug
3. Good Old Days by Macklemore featuring Kesha
2. Wolves by Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello

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

Total Score: 75/100 = 75% (C)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Bye Bye Bye by NSYNC (2000)

Most Missed Song: Mirrors by Justin Timberlake

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Say Something by Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Paris by The Chainsmokers

My Top 5 Picks
1. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.
2. Wolves by Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello
3. Good Old Days by Macklemore featuring Kesha
4. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé
5. Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Mic Drop by BTS featuring Desiigner
2. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage
3. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
4. Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo
5. I Like Me Better by Lauv

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
That's What I Like by Bruno Mars: Ah, yes. Bruno's raw vocal talent put on display. I don't need to say anymore about this.
Issues by Julia Michaels: A forgettable song hated by many, but it does have a meaning and this is something we can relate to.
HandClap by Fitz & The Tantrums: For a lead singer of this band in his 40's, I'm glad he made a loud, but fun song. It makes me want to clap my hands. (no pun intended).
Make Me (Cry) by Noah Cyrus featuring Labrinth: One may think that adding the dripping noise to replace the word "cry" is cool, but it makes the song worse. So yeah, this was not a good first impression.

Taylor Swift (1) - Week Of February 3, 2018

Hello, fam! It's good to get up early in the mornings, isn't it? Here I am, playing video games while I scroll through my playlist looking for my favorite songs I want to play while having tea and oatmeal for breakfast. Ah, some good times. Okay, I'm going way off-topic. Let's talk about the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown, shall we? I'm not sure if some of you know this as of yet, but this would be my birthday weekend. I'm sure the question some of you will be asking is, how did things go this week? I thought this was a very good week (for me at least). Let's get on with it! Before we get to this week's fresh 45, here are the songs leaving us this week:

• Liam Payne – Strip That Down (#33) [Spent 2 Weeks At #1] (Good riddance)
• ZAYN featuring Sia – Dusk Till Dawn (#40)

The Countdown:

Last Week's #1 Song: Imagine Dragons – Thunder

45. Charlie Puth – Attention (#43) [–2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

44. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry (#37) [–7] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

43. Sam Smith – Too Good At Goodbyes (#42) [–1]

42. Taylor Swift – ...Ready For It? (#41) [–1]

41. P!NK – What About Us (#44) [+3] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

40. The Shadowboxers – Hot Damn (#45) [+5]

39. Symon – Lonely Girl (#31) [–8]

38. WØLVES – Animal (#38) [=]

37. Kesha – Praying (#39) [+2]

36. Niall Horan – Slow Hands (#36) [=] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]

35. All Time Low – Last Young Renegade (DEBUT)

34. Louis Tomlinson – Miss You (#25) [–9]

33. Maroon 5 featuring SZA – What Lovers Do (#30) [–3]

32. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (DEBUT)

31. Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl (#32) [+1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]

30. Justin Timberlake – Filthy (#26) [–4]

29. Shawn Mendes – There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back (#29) [=] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]

28. Camila Cabello – Havana (#11) [–17] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

27. Niall Horan – Too Much To Ask (#22) [–5]

26. Post Malone featuring 21 Savage – Rockstar (#15) [–11]

25. Maroon 5 – Wait (#20) [–5]

24. NF – Let You Down (#35) [+11]

23. Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still (#24) [+1]

22. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix) (#21) [–1]

21. Fall Out Boy – Hold Me Tight Or Don't (#18) [–3]

20. G-Eazy featuring Halsey – Him & I (#19) [–1]

19. Imagine Dragons – Believer (#16) [–3] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]

18. Dua Lipa – New Rules (#13) [–5]

17. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low (#27) [+10]

16. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same (#28) [+12]

15. P!NK – Beautiful Trauma (#34) [+19]

14. Lauv – I Like Me Better (#17) [+3]

13. Kelly Clarkson – Love So Soft (#14) [+1]

12. Eminem featuring Ed Sheeran – River (#23) [+11]

11. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be (#6) [–5]

10. Halsey – Bad At Love (#2) [–8] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

9. Charlie Puth – How Long (#8) [–1]

8. X Ambassadors – Ahead Of Myself (#12) [+4]

7. Macklemore featuring Kesha – Good Old Days (#4) [–3]

6. Walk The Moon – One Foot (#10) [+4]

5. Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt – Let Me Go (#9) [+4]

4. Ed Sheeran – Perfect (#3) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

3. Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello – Wolves (#7) [+4]

2. Imagine Dragons – Thunder (#1) [–1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]

1. Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran and Future – End Game (#5) [+4] [1^st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Maroon 5 featuring Kendrick Lamar – Don't Wanna Know (3^rd and Final Week At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Camila Cabello – Havana (–17)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: P!NK – Beautiful Trauma (+19)

New Entrants

- Hits 1 is the type of station that seems to be very fond of All Time Low, given that they pick up some of their singles despite the band not being very popular elsewhere. That's a good thing, because most of the songs that chart only on this countdown aren't really heard elsewhere. It gives me more music that I can listen to. So, what do these guys have cooking up this time around? Well, the answer is at #35, as they make their return with the single titled Last Young Renegade. Believe it or not, I love listening to rock. I like it a lot more than some of the other genres in music. This song is no different. It's a step up from Good Times, which was on this countdown not too long ago. The rock vibe definitely gets me going. I love the lyrics, the production, and everything else about it. This pretty much reminds of some of the pop-punk music back in the 2000's, when I enjoyed the genre a lot back then. So yeah, this is easily the best debut of the week in my opinion. Hopefully, it does well.

- Okay, so this next debut is one that many here are not looking forward to. Me personally, I'm going to be honest here for a second and just say I was actually looking forward to hearing more of Zedd. As far as my relationship with his recent music went, I did like Starving at first, but I realized it wasn't all that good and even I'll admit it was pretty overrated. I very much enjoyed Stay, and Get Low I found to be a bit of a disappointment. This week, he brings us his new single called The Middle, which features Maren Morris and Grey. This is basically Stay 2.0. in terms of the production, which apparently seems to be part of the reason why people think negatively of the song in general. Most people think Zedd has sold out, and I can see where they're getting at. But as for me, I seem to be all alone in this opinion, but I just don't care because I really, really like this song. In fact, I like it way more than I should. Well, let me just explain. I love Maren's voice and I think she shines all throughout the song. While the drop may not be the best, I pretty much like everything else about the song. Now, let's be real here: this doesn't quite live up to Zedd's best work. Songs like Clarity and Stay The Night are his best singles. They're hard to top. Even the singles from True Colors can't top those two, but they're still really good on its own. Still, that doesn't mean I can't support this.

Blurbs Are A Battlefield

- Let's start with our exits, in which we have two members of One Direction with their respective songs taking their departures this week. Dusk Till Dawn was pretty underrated and it deserved better. But it just wasn't meant to be (Not a Bebe Rexha reference). However, the one exit that I'm pleased about is the departure of Strip That Down. I'll just simply say that it's about damn time! Let's just leave it at that.

- So, I watched Kesha and other artists come together and perform her single, Praying at the Grammy Music Awards. I'll just simply say that it was a beautiful performance of that song. Probably one of the best performances of the night. It's too bad that it lost to Shape Of You for "Best Pop Solo Performance". It would've been really nice if Praying won, but oh well.

- One would assume that Filthy would jump big this week in the wake of Justin Timberlake's Super Bowl performance, but it doesn't appear to be the case, seeing as this one is faltering elsewhere big time. Luckily for him, he does have another single in its stead, and I'll talk more about it later on.

- So, Spyder Harrison mentioned upon introducing There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back that rumors are swirling yet again for Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello. I wonder will they finally become a couple, or will they just remain friends? People want answers, so Shawn better decide soon.

- Speaking of Camila, her song, Havana, had the Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week this week. With that, I have a feeling that this is pretty much it for Havana. It had quite a run and became Camila's biggest hit as a solo artist. Now we'll see how long Hits 1 holds on to it.

- I'll admit that it was pretty entertaining to hear the way Spyder Harrison introduced Rockstar. I laughed all the way through when he tried to sing that song. My goodness! That being said, let me just say how pleasing it was to see it FINALLY drop out of the Top 20, and on my birthday weekend too! I've been waiting a long time for this to happen! Now here's to hoping we get this off the countdown for good!

- Fail alert: Spyder Harrison mentioned that Wait jumped 5 spots, when it actually when down this week. Spyder, you really need to step up you game a bit. Just saying. :P

- On that note, all of our debuts from last week (with the exception of Animal) jumped big this week. I'm not too thrilled about Let You Down, but I'm happy to see Beautiful Trauma being honored the Biggest Jump Of The Week this week. Now the question is, will this be another What About Us and hit #1 at some point? That would be nice, but only time will tell on that. We'll see what happens.

- River made a nice recovery this week jumping back into the Top 20. It's as if that big drop from two weeks ago never happened.

- Our Top 5 consists of two new entrants. The re-entry from Let Me Go was nice. I'm very pleased to see Wolves not only entering that region, but also the Top 3 as well. I'm hoping this can be #1 soon!

- On that note, our new #1 this week is greatly appreciated by me! Taylor Swift dethrones Thunder for the top spot with her single End Game! After her two previous representations from Reputation failed to get there, the third time was the charm for her. Definitely refreshing to see it at #1 for my birthday weekend!

Hit-Bound:

• AJR featuring Rivers Cuomo – Sober Up (Why is this still here?!)
• Portugal. The Man – Live In The Moment
• Alan Walker featuring Noah Cyrus and Digital Farm Animals – All Falls Down
• Spencer – Whatever
• Kesha featuring The Dap-Kings Horns – Woman
• Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton – Say Something (DEBUT)
• Post Malone – I Fall Apart
• Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
• The Chainsmokers – Sick Boy
• Troye Sivan – My My My!
• Clean Bandit featuring Julia Michaels – I Miss You
• Welshly Arms – Legendary (DEBUT)
• Wild Things – Don't Wanna Feel It
• Sofi Tukker featuring NERVO, Alisa Ueno, and The Knocks – Best Friend

- So, we have two debuts this week, as well as two other debuts from last week that I didn't cover. We'll start with Portugal. The Man with their follow-up single to Feel It Still, titled Live In The Moment. This one is a step up in terms of the production. It's has more going on, and I like the chorus. More on this when it debuts.

- Next, we have newcomer Wild Things making their debut with Don't Wanna Feel It. It's a pretty sweet song in terms of the lyrics, but it's also upbeat while being acoustic. Not much else I can say beyond that.

- Now this week, we have Welshy Arms with the song called Legendary. Despite what the title say, I'm not going to go to far and say this is legenday (see what I did there). It's a pretty cool song in terms of the production, and I like the chorus. That's all I've got for this one right now.

- Finally, Justin Timberlake has released another single. Enter Say Something, which features country star Chris Stapleton. Now this one I'm sure most people can enjoy, because the production is not as weird and there's more singing going on. I'm sure it'll make its debut soon, and by then I'll talk more about it.

- So, I've been enjoying My My My! a lot recently, hence why it's now my favorite song on Hit-Bound so far. The chorus is amazing in this one, and I love his voice. Hopefully, it makes its debut soon.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks

1. Troye Sivan – My My My!

2. Kesha featuring The Dap-Kings Horns – Woman

3. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes

4. Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton – Say Something

5. Portugal. The Man – Live In The Moment

YouTube 15:

• Halsey – Bad At Love
• Logic featuring Rag'n'Bone Man – Broken People
• Marcus & Martinus – Remind Me
• Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
• Steve Aoki featuring Lauren Jauregui – All Night
• Sam Smith – Too Good At Goodbyes
• Jax Jones featuring Ina Wroldsen – Breathe
• Ed Sheeran – Perfect
• HRVY – Personal
• Imagine Dragons – Thunder
• Jillian Jacqueline – Reasons
• Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix)
• James Arthur – Naked
• Camila Cabello – Havana
• Betty Who – Ignore Me

- Who remembers Rag'n'Bone Man, the guy who sings Human? No? Well, he teams up with Logic in their song titled Broken People, taken from Bright: The Album. The production here is very good, and Logic definitely showcases his rapping skills for the most part. The lyrics are also good. Not much else about this one.

- Next up, we have Marcus & Martinus with the song titled Remind Me. While I like the production in this one, the vocals seem a little too childish for my tastes. They sound a little bit like The Vamps, especially when I hear the chorus. That's just me. It's pretty decent, but not something I'll remember in the long run.

- Jax Jones is trending yet again with another song in its stead. Enter Breathe, which features Ina Wroldsen. This is a step up from Instruction, in which we don't have super fast vocals that I couldn't understand. I love her voice in this one, and the production is nice. That's all I've got for this song right now.

- Jillian Jacqueline – Reasons is a very enjoyable song for the most part. I love her voice, and the lyrics are nice. The production is pretty well done for the most part.

My Top 5 YouTube 15 Picks
1. Steve Aoki featuring Lauren Jauregui – All Night
2. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix)
3. Logic featuring Rag'n'Bone Man – Broken People
4. Jillian Jacqueline – Reasons
5. Ed Sheeran – Perfect

Top 20 Review:

0 – Putrid:
20. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be

1 – Bad:
19. Lauv – I Like Me Better
18. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
17. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same
16. Imagine Dragons – Believer

4 – Good:
15. Charlie Puth – How Long
14. Kelly Clarkson – Love So Soft

5 – Great:
13. Eminem featuring Ed Sheeran – River
12. X Ambassadors – Ahead Of Myself
11. Imagine Dragons – Thunder
10. P!NK – Beautiful Trauma
9. Dua Lipa – New Rules
8. Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt – Let Me Go
7. Halsey – Bad At Love
6. Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran and Future – End Game
5. Ed Sheeran – Perfect
4. G-Eazy featuring Halsey – Him & I
3. Walk The Moon – One Foot
2. Macklemore featuring Kesha – Good Old Days

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
TIE: 1. Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello – Wolves

Overall Grade: 82/100 = 82% (B–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Pat Benatar – Love Is A Battlefield (1983)

Most Missed Countdown Songs: Jon Bellion – All Time Low and Coldplay featuring Beyoncé – Hymn For The Weekend

Most Missed Hit-Bound Drop-Out: PRETTYMUCH – Would You Mind

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Liam Payne featuring Rita Ora – For You

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers – Paris

My Top 5 Picks

TIE: 1. Kesha – Praying

TIE: 1. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. – Finesse (Remix)

TIE: 1. Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello – Wolves

4. All Time Low – Last Young Renegade

5. Macklemore featuring Kesha – Good Old Days

My Bottom 5 Picks

1. Post Malone featuring 21 Savage – Rockstar

2. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be

3. Lauv – I Like Me Better

4. Maroon 5 – Wait

5. NF – Let You Down

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Hey Violet – Guys My Age: A song that talks about guys being too immature for her age is actually false, especially when their are plenty of guys who are mature enough to treat a girl. I'm sure Adrian can explain more about this in detail better than I can. But yeah, it's not that hard for me to figure out why this was his #5 least favorite song of 2017.
Rihanna – Love On The Brain: I'm a sucker for slow ballads, but Rihanna doesn't quite impress me with her vocals. At least it's better than Work, so I'll give her that.
Julia Michaels – Issues: For a songwriter who write songs for many big artists, I can't say this was a good first impression, especially with weak production and weak vocals. But the songwriting makes up for it.
Daya – Words: At least it's not as bad as her two previous singles (Hide Away and Sit Still, Look Pretty), but there's still no excuse that this was poorly written, not to mention the drop is annoying.
TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Heavydirtysoul: Their last stand, which unfortunately didn't take off unlike their previous singles from Blurryface. There's a lot to like about it, especially the rapping we get from Tyler Joseph.
The Chainsmokers – Paris: Andrew Taggart definitely shows what he is capable of when it comes to singing. Not only that, but the production is more lively, and it was cool to hear un-credited vocals from Emily Warren.

Questions Of The Week:
Who are you rooting for in this year's Super Bowl and why?

Also, The Weeknd is back with his new single, Pray For Me. What are your thoughts on it?

AT40: Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé (1) - Week Of February 3, 2018

Hello, fam! In case you didn't know, I am finally finished with my Year-End posts as I did my Billboard Hot 100 Year-End Review this week. You can check it out in my previous post. I also created a page pertaining to the 2017 Year-End posts, so those who have missed it can check it out right here. Now, I just need to work on reviewing the Grammy Awards and the performances. That should come within the next week or so. Today, let's review the first American Top 40 of February, shall we? So, this would be my birthday weekend. I'm going to be 26 on Sunday. How did things go on the American Top 40, you might ask? Well, to put it short, I was very happy with the way it turned out. Though not much has come and gone in terms of debuts, our new #1 is greatly appreciated by me. This is going to be fun to talk about. Let's get on with it! Before we get to this week's countdown, here are the songs leaving us this week:

• New by Daya (#39)

The Countdown:

Last Week's #1 Song: Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug

40. Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara (#40) [=] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1] (Not a color-coding error)

39. Lemon by N.E.R.D. featuring Rihanna (DEBUT)

38. Believer by Imagine Dragons (#37) [–1]

37. I Like Me Better by Lauv (#35) [–2]

36. Mic Drop by BTS featuring Desiigner (#36) [=]

35. There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back by Shawn Mendes (#34) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

34. Feels Great by Cheat Codes featuring Fetty Wap (#31) [–3]

33. Slow Hands by Niall Horan (#32) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

32. Tell Me You Love Me by Demi Lovato (#33) [+1]

31. Attention by Charlie Puth (#29) [–2] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]

30. River by Eminem featuring Ed Sheeran (#30) [=]

29. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello (#38) [+9]

28. 1-800-273-8255 by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid (#27) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

27. LOVE. by Kendrick Lamar featuring Zacari (#25) [–2]

26. Too Much To Ask by Niall Horan (#22) [–4]

25. Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo (#21) [–4] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

24. One Foot by Walk The Moon (#24) [=]

23. Young, Dumb, and Broke by Khalid (#26) [+3]

22. Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man (#18) [–4] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

21. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line (#23) [+2]

20. What Lovers Do by Maroon 5 featuring SZA (#12) [–8]

19. Best Friend by Sofi Tukker featuring NERVO, Alisa Ueno, and The Knocks (#19) [=]

18. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. (#28) [+10]

17. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato (#14) [–3] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

16. Let Me Go by Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt (#16) [=]

15. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey (#17) [+2]

14. Filthy by Justin Timberlake (#20) [+6]

13. Good Old Days by Macklemore featuring Kesha (#15) [+2]

12. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash (#13) [+1]

11. Let You Down by NF (#11) [=]

10. End Game by Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran and Future (#10) [=]

9. Thunder by Imagine Dragons (#8) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

8. Wolves by Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello (#7) [–1]

7. How Long by Charlie Puth (#9) [+2]

6. Too Good At Goodbyes by Sam Smith (#6) [=]

5. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage (#5) [=]

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

3. New Rules by Dua Lipa (#4) [+1]

2. Bad At Love by Halsey (#3) [+1]

1. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé (#2) [+1] [1^st Week At #1!]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Scars To Your Beautiful by Alessia Cara (1^st of 2 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: What Lovers Do by Maroon 5 featuring SZA (–8)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. (+10)

New Entrants
- We have only one new entrant this week. This time, Rihanna makes her return along with N.E.R.D. in their new single titled Lemon. For those who are unaware, N.E.R.D. is a band led by Pharrell. Other than his feature on Feels with Calvin Harris and his single Happy which was huge in 2014, we haven't heard much from these guys since their last album Nothing back in 2010. As far as the song goes, I can say I kinda like this. Rihanna can showcase some of her rapping skills in this one. Yeah, I may not be sold on the lyrics, but there's just something about it that pulls me in. Overall, I can say that this one is a guilty pleasure of mine.

Do You Remember The Blurb?
- So, we're in the second month of 2018 and already we say good-bye to one song after it spent only one week on this chart. New by Daya wasn't really all that amazing in the big picture and I'm kinda happy that it left us so soon. Who knows? Maybe someday, she can actually release some good music for once (besides Don't Let Me Down).

- Now, you're probably wondering why I have Mic Drop by BTS featuring Desiigner in orange. Well, I took a couple of listens this past week and I just suffered. Yeah, I don't really get what's so good about this song. Sorry, but I'm just simply not buying into the hype.

- Of course, there's that big jump from Never Be The Same in its third week here. Not surprising given how big Camila is at this moment. I can predict that this will be another hit for her soon.

- Looks like Too Much To Ask by Niall Horan won't become another hit for him after all, seeing as it's dying out pretty much elsewhere. I'm not necessarily heartbroken about this, given that people seem to prefer the upbeat Slow Hands over this one.

- On the note of other big drops, What Lovers Do took a nosedive down to #20. Looks like this is pretty much the end of the road for this one in the wake of its successor starting to blow up, even though that one hasn't entered this countdown yet.

- However, as a consolation, Finesse made a very nice jump into the teens this week! It's one of the first of many great things that have happened on my birthday weekend! Now here's to hoping it can keep climbing higher.

- Not too much has changed in the Top 10 except some of the songs moved some spots.

- And then we come to our new #1, in which Perfect by Ed Sheeran takes the crown this week. It's no surprise that this would get there eventually. I'm definitely pleased to see it at the top. This was indeed the perfect (no pun intended) way to start my birthday weekend!

Breakouts/On The Verge

• I Miss You by Clean Bandit featuring Julia Michaels
• I Fall Apart by Post Malone
• Beautiful Trauma by P!NK

Extras/Optional Extras

• Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran
• I Don't Wanna Live Forever by ZAYN featuring Taylor Swift
• That's What I Like by Bruno Mars
• Body Like A Back Road by Sam Hunt
• Despacito by Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber
• Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay
• Issues by Julia Michaels
• Scars To Your Beautiful by Alessia Cara

Fun fact: All of these songs became hits in 2017.

Top 20 Breakdown:

0 – Garbage:

20. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage

1 – Bad:
19. Let You Down by NF 
18. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
17. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato
16. Too Good At Goodbyes by Sam Smith
15. Filthy by Justin Timberlake

4 – Good:
14. Best Friend by Sofi Tukker featuring NERVO, Alisa Ueno, and The Knocks
13. How Long by Charlie Puth

5 – Great:
12. What Lovers Do by Maroon 5 featuring SZA
11. Thunder by Imagine Dragons
10. Let Me Go by Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt
9. End Game by Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran and Future
8. New Rules by Dua Lipa
7. Bad At Love by Halsey
6. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey
5. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé
4. Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug
3. Good Old Days by Macklemore featuring Kesha
2. Wolves by Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello

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

Total Score: 80/100 = 80% (B–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Remember The Time by Michael Jackson (1992)

Most Missed Song: Hymn For The Weekend by Coldplay featuring Beyoncé

#1 Recommendations For The American Top 40: For You by Liam Payne featuring Rita Ora and Last Young Renegade by All Time Low

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Paris by The Chainsmokers

My Top 5 Picks
1. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.

2. Wolves by Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello
3. Good Old Days by Macklemore featuring Kesha
4. Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug
5. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé

My Bottom 5 Picks

1. Mic Drop by BTS featuring Desiigner
2. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage
3. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
4. Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo
5. I Like Me Better by Lauv

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:

Do You Mind by DJ Khaled featuring Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, August Alsina, Jeremih, Future, and Rick Ross: This big collaboration turned out pretty well. I like the production, and the verses flow pretty nicely. Not much else beyond that.

Words by Daya: This song is another reason why the songwriting is not good, not to mention the drop is really annoying. Like I said, I'm hoping she can release good music for once.

Paris by The Chainsmokers: While I won't say it's quite as good as Closer or even Something Just Like This, at least Andrew Taggart shows what he is really capable of. As a plus, we get un-credited vocals from Emily Warren, which is cool.