Taylor Swift (2) - Week Of July 28, 2018

Hey friends, what's going on? Wow, my blog is over a year old and it's closing in on 100,000 Pageviews! I honestly cannot believe this. You guys here really are the greatest and I just wanna say thank you for taking the time to read this! I do have something special in mind, but I won't tell you what it is until it's ready. Right now, let's get on to the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown, shall we? Fall Out Boy did the Weekend Takeover this week, hosting both Hit-Bound and the Weekend Countdown. This is the second time in less than a month that an artist did the Weekend Takeover. Heh, I guess both Spyder Harrison and Mikey Piff wanted to enjoy a little summer fun. I wonder how long will that last? Before we get to this week's fresh 45, here are the songs leaving the countdown this week:

• Ed Sheeran – Perfect (#43) [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
• Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho (#44)
• Bad Wolves – Zombie (#45)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
45. Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin – Familiar (#40) [–5]
44. Maren Morris – Rich (#37) [–7]
43. Bazzi – Mine (#42) [–1]
42. Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift – Babe (#41) [–1]
41. Lauv – I Like Me Better (#38) [–3]

40. Walk The Moon – One Foot (#39) [–1]

39. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies (DEBUT)

38. Hundred Handed – Too Good (#21) [–17]

37. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same (#30) [–7] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

36. Drake – In My Feelings (DEBUT)

35. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me (#28) [–7]

34. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me (#27) [–7]

33. Madison Beer – Home With You (#32) [–1]

32. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back (#33) [+1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

31. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me (#22) [–9]

30. Imagine Dragons – Natural (DEBUT)
29. U2 featuring Cheat Codes – Love Is Bigger Than Anything In It's Way (#34) [+5]
28. Maroon 5 – Wait (#25) [–3]
27. Halsey – Alone (#24) [–3]
26. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be (#23) [–3] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
25. The Wrecks – James Dean (#31) [+6]
24. Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right (#20) [–4]
23. Niall Horan – On The Loose (#19) [–4]
22. MNEK featuring Hailee Steinfeld – Colour (#36) [+14]
21. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Jumpsuit (#29) [+8]
20. Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It (#16) [–4]
19. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart (#15) [–4]

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

17. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones (#17) [=]

16. Post Malone – Better Now (#35) [+19]

15. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry (#12) [–3]

14. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me (#7) [–7]

13. Alessia Cara – Growing Pains (#26) [+13]

12. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You (#9) [–3]

11. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know (#14) [+3]

10. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (#1) [–9] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

9. Dua Lipa – IDGAF (#10) [+1]

8. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes (#5) [–3] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

7. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends (#8) [+1]

6. Panic! At The Disco! – Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#11) [+5] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]

5. Selena Gomez – Back To You (#6) [+1]

4. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood (#13) [+9]

3. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#4) [+1] [Spent 9 Weeks At #1]

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

1. Taylor Swift – Delicate (#2) [+1] [2^nd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Imagine Dragons – Believer (1^st of 3 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Hundred Handed – Too Good (–17)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Post Malone – Better Now (+19)

New Entrants
- Our first of three new entrants this week comes from the return of Khalid with a song that has been around for a while. He is collaborating with former Fifth Harmony member Normani in their single titled Love Lies, which is taken from the Love, Simon movie soundtrack. This was on the YouTube 15 back in March when the song was brand new. Now, it's looking like it may become a hit. Now about this song, I'd say this is one of Khalid's best. I do like that he showcases his voice a little more here. Normani does well with her part in the song. Overall, it's a solid track and I hope it sticks around.

- With Drake dominating 2018 so far, I'm not surprised that he would bring his latest single from Scorpion titled In My Feelings, which is currently #1 on Billboard as of this typing. Right off the bat, I'm not feeling this song. I do like Drake's vocals at least somewhat. He sounds pretty decent here. But the problem I have for the song is the production itself, which I find to be underwhelming. There's not a whole lot of melody to speak of, and I don't like the part after the chorus. Simply put, it's a pretty underwhelming track, moreso than Nice For What and even God's Plan for the matter. So yeah, I'm not too thrilled seeing this become one of his biggest hits off of that album. I'm sure there's worse songs from Scorpion than this (*cough* I'm Upset *cough). But I'm not fond of what he has to offer here.

- Imagine Dragons have recently released a new single. Surprisingly, it graduates to the Weekend Countdown after spending only one week on Hit-Bound. Their latest single is called Natural. Before the song came along, I was expecting Next To Me to be their next single off of Evolve or maybe even have Born To Be Yours (with Kygo) enter the countdown. But I guess they decided to go along with a new song instead. Anyway, Dan Reynolds really shows off his voice in Natural especially when the chorus starts kicking in. As for the rest of the song itself, I do like the production and the lyrics. Will this become another hit for these guys? Only time will tell on that.

Best Debut Of The Week: Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies

Show Me Where Your Blurb Lies
- Let's begin with our exits. First, it's pleasing to see the departure of Psycho. I'm glad that one didn't become a huge hit here as opposed to everywhere else. Bad Wolves – Zombie lasted a little bit longer than I thought it would. Finally, we have Perfect leaving us this week. And with that, this is the first countdown to not have a song by Ed Sheeran since January 2017. Talk about a nice run for a year and a half. I'm sure some here are bidding good riddance to Perfect, but I'm not among that crowd. I'll instead be saddened over its departure. Good-bye Perfect. Thank you for your time and service on this countdown. It's been a fun ride.

- So, before they went to the countdown, Fall Out Boy made a huge mistake when recapping last week's Top 5. Silly Fall Out Boy, Friends was not in the Top 5 last week (and rightfully so).

- Believe it or not, Fall Out Boy mentioned during the introduction for Familiar that this week was the anniversary of One Direction. My goodness, how time flies by so fast! I remember when they first came along and they have many good songs together.

- Well, that big jump Too Good had last week was short-lived, because it's right back to where it was with that big drop this week. Looks like that song wasn't meant to be successful. Oh well.

- On the opposite end of the spectrum, last week's debuts made some big jumps this week, especially Better Now. However, only Home With You dropped a spot.

- I'm surprised to see The Last Of The Real Ones not doing much despite the band hosting this week's countdown. I'm sure deep down they're not thrilled about this.

- In My Blood took quite a big drop out of the #1 spot. I guess the voters decided two weeks in the Top 5 was too much and decided not to let it stay there for too long.

- Meanwhile, we have Friends still hanging around in the Top 10. Who the hell is supporting this?! This isn't what I want to hear while I'm driving around. Stop this madness, now.

- I'm not surprised about Youngblood entering the Top 5 this week because, hello? It's 5 Seconds Of Summer, and Hits 1 loves these guys! Also, with the song gaining elsewhere and actually doing somewhat well in sales, I have a feeling that one will end up being a real hit.

- Delicate is back at the #1 spot this week. Fine by me as I still do like the song. I wonder how long the song will hold on to the top spot. The song has become a real hit off of Reputation. Hopefully, her next single follows suit.

Hit-Bound:

• Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind
• PRETTYMUCH – Summer On You (DEBUT)
• Big Boi – All Night
• Dan + Shay – Tequila
• Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess
• Justin Timberlake – SoulMate
• Zedd featuring Elley Duhé – Happy Now (DEBUT)
• Train featuring Cam and Travie McCoy – Call Me Sir
• The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects (DEBUT)
• Years & Years – If You're Over Me
• Brown & Gray – Top Down
• Charlie Puth – The Way I Am
• lovelytheband – Broken
• Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman
• Weezer – Africa (DEBUT)

- Since Fall Out Boy had the weekend takeover, they were hosting Hit-Bound this week in place of Mikey Piff. We have some activity going on here, so let's get into it!

- First off, we say good-bye to three songs. BTS – Fake Love wasn't to my liking, so I don't have any complains about it leaving at all. Jump I didn't really care for that much either, and I can say the same for Somebody. However, The Chainsmokers do have a new song in its place and we'll get to that in just a bit.

- We have PRETTYMUCH with a new song titled Summer On You. We last saw them with Would You Mind, which I thought was really good but unfortunately didn't graduate Hit-Bound. As for their new single, I can't say it's as good as its predecessor. I do like the vocals for the most part and the production is nice, but doesn't quite stand out for me to make it enjoyable. I'll probably have to give it more listens.

- Next, we have more of Zedd. And this time, he collaborates with new artist Elley Duhé in his new single titled Happy Now. I can't quite say it's as good as The Middle, but I still like how Zedd is continuing to take a risk with his sound and it's working to my liking. I love Elley's vocals. I'll have more on this when it debuts.

- We have The Chainsmokers who replaced themselves on Hit-Bound with their brand new single which was just released yesterday by the name of Side Effects which features Emily Warren. I had been mixed on their music lately, with their latest singles not impressing me too much. But Side Effects is a huge step back in the right direction for them. We'll see if it ends up making its debut.

- Finally, we have the group Weezer with the single Africa, which I believe is a cover of the song from Toto. I took one listen of this one...and simply put, it's bad all around. This is nowhere near as good as the original version. More on this if it debuts.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
TIE: 1. Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman
TIE: 1. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects
3. Dan + Shay – Tequila
4. Brown & Gray – Top Down
5. Zedd featuring Elley Duhé – Happy Now

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
20. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends

1 – Bad:
19. Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
18. Post Malone – Better Now
17. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You
16. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know

4 – Good:
15. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me
14. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood

5 – Great:
13. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes 
12. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
11. Taylor Swift – Delicate
10. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
9. Selena Gomez – Back To You
8. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
7. Dua Lipa – IDGAF
6. Alessia Cara – Growing Pains
5. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
4. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
3. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones 
2. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
TIE: 1. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart

Overall Grade: 84/100 = 84% (B)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Mariah Carey – Hero (1993)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Demi Lovato – Give Your Heart A Break

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

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Shawn Mendes featuring Khalid – Youth

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#8)

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Jumpsuit
TIE: 1. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart
3. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
4. The Wrecks – James Dean
5. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones

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

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Linkin Park – One More Light: This was basically a tribute to the late Chester Bennington, who passed away last year. It definitely fits the mood all around. I'd say Linkin Park did well producing this.
Louis Tomlinson featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals – Back To You: Louis' first solo single was a solid one. Though Bebe took over much of the song, she made a great contribution. Fun fact: this song actually has the same title as Selena Gomez's representation currently on the countdown.

QOTW: 
1. DJ Khaled and Justin Bieber collaborate again. How do you feel about this?

2. Also, what is your favorite song from Demi Lovato and why?

AT40: Ariana Grande (1) - Week Of July 28, 2018

Hello, everyone! We're already in the last week of July, which means that summer is getting pretty close to an end. I'm sure for some of you, school will be starting soon. I have some ideas to keep you guys interested, but I'll see what I can eventually come up with in the end. In the meantime, here's the AT40 post. Before we get to this week's fresh 40, here are the songs we're saying good-bye to this week:

• Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. (#36) [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Mine by Bazzi

40. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash (#40) [=]

39. Lie by NF (DEBUT)

38. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé (#38) [=] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

37. Let You Be Right by Meghan Trainor (#39) [+2]

36. Move To Miami by Enrique Iglesias featuring Pitbull (#37) [+1]

35. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey (#34) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

34. Dinero by Jennifer Lopez featuring DJ Khaled and Cardi B. (#35) [+1]

33. Let You Down by NF (#32) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

32. Drew Barrymore by Bryce Vine (#33) [+1]

31. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line (#28) [–3]

30. Bed by Nicki Minaj featuring Ariana Grande (#31) [+1]

29. New Rules by Dua Lipa (#26) [–3] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]

28. Home With You by Madison Beer (#30) [+2]

27. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar (#24) [–3]

26. All Night by Big Boi (#27) [+1]

25. God's Plan by Drake (#21) [–4]

24. Remind Me To Forget by Kygo featuring Miguel (#29) [+5]

23. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons (#20) [–3]

22. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#25) [+3]

21. Wait by Maroon 5 (#19) [–2]

20. Growing Pains by Alessia Cara (#23) [+3]

19. Sit Next To Me by Foster The People (#18) [–1]

18. Don't Go Breaking My Heart by Backstreet Boys (#22) [+4]

17. Alone by Halsey featuring Big Sean and Stefflon Don (#17) [=]

16. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani (#15) [–1]

15. Better Now by Post Malone (#16) [+1]

14. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello (#9) [–5] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]

13. I Like It by Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin (#14) [+1]

12. Nice For What by Drake (#13) [+1]

11. Back To You by Selena Gomez (#12) [+1]

10. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa (#11) [+1]

9. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey (#5) [–4] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]

8. I Like Me Better by Lauv (#8) [=]

7. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. (#10) [+3]

6. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes (#7) [+1]

5. Delicate by Taylor Swift (#6) [+1]

4. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign (#1) [–1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]

3. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie (#4) [+1]

2. Mine by Bazzi (#1) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

1. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande (#2) [+1] [1^st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Despacito by Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber (2^nd of 5 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello (–5)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Remind Me To Forget by Kygo featuring Miguel (+5)

New Entrants
- We only have one new entrant for this week. NF brings his second song to the countdown with his new single Lie. So, I can say that the song is a step up from its predecessor. The difference here is that it doesn't having the annoying chipmunk voice. It's just NF singing. I do like the piano work here somewhat. The lyrical content here is good for the most part. What it talks about is someone just simply not being honest in a relationship. Overall, it's a pretty good song. Though it may not stick with me in the long run, I'm alright with seeing this one gain some ground.

I Don't Wanna Fight Tonight, I'ma Let Blurbs Be Right
- We'll begin with our one exit. We would like to say good-bye to Finesse. And with no new Bruno Mars singles coming soon, that means that the 24K Magic era has come to a close. It all goes back to the fall of 2016 when Bruno made his comeback with the title track from the album, and then the next year we had That's What I Like which was one of his biggest hits for 2017. Though Versace On The Floor didn't take off, we did have Finesse which brings back the new jack swing sound I fell in love with back then. I'll be grieving for its departure while I wait to see what he has in store soon. Farewell, Finesse. You will be missed.

- New Rules is still going strong here on this countdown even though it has faded elsewhere. Question is: can this song possibly last a year on the countdown? Only time will tell on that.

- Remind Me To Forget makes a big jump in its second week of its tenure. Sounds like people are starting to embrace Kygo after It Ain't Me became a huge hit for him last year. I hoping this one will follow suit.

- Before introducing Don't Go Breaking My Heart, Ryan Seacrest mentioned that the Backstreet Boys are going on a tour soon. Wow, I'll bet people are going to be crazy about them again, just like they did back when they were still popular. That aside, it's nice to see this one gain some momentum as it enters the Top 20 this week.

- Before introducing Better Now, Ryan Seacrest mentioned that Post Malone doesn't really make the music and that he just sings. Let me guess, he has people who knows what sounds good to the audience. With his recent singles having been successful, I guess they know what they're doing.

- It's about time that Never Be The Same has dropped out of the Top 10. I'm hoping it leaves the countdown soon, but it'll probably hang around for a long while and slowly continue its descent.

- Again, I'm probably one of the few people around here that still really likes The Middle, even though some people will disagree. I'm glad this was a #1 hit here. Too bad it's no longer in the Top 5. It was fun while it lasted.

- Before introducing In My Blood, Ryan Seacrest mentioned that fans of Shawn Mendes are planning on doing something special for his birthday, which is actually coming up next month. Whatever they do for him, I'm sure it's going to be very nice. Shawn would definitely appreciate that.

- Delicate entering the Top 5 isn't much of a surprise given that the song is still going strong, at least somewhat. I certainly wouldn't mind it hitting #1 in the near future. It's not Taylor's best by any means, but it's still a good song that basically reminds me of some of her songs from 1989.

- On that note, this is the second week in a row in which we have a new #1 song, and a great one at that! No Tears Left To Cry has taken the well-deserved spot that I was waiting for! It's probably one of her best lead singles for an album since Problem. Ariana has been a favorite of mine ever since, so I'm glad the song was able to take the top spot this week!

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Fake Love by BTS
• I'm A Mess by Bebe Rexha
• Nevermind by Dennis Lloyd

Extras/Optional Extras:

• IDGAF by Dua Lipa
• What Do You Mean? by Justin Bieber
• Rude by Magic!
• Let Me by ZAYN
• Work From Home by Fifth Harmony featuring Ty Dolla $ign
• Shut Up And Dance by Walk The Moon
• Done For Me by Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani
• 1-800-273-8255 by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid

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

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

2 – Mediocre
:None!

3 – Decent:
15. Better Now by Post Malone
14. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B.
13. Alone by Halsey featuring Big Sean & Stefflon Don

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great:
12. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes
11. Nice For What by Drake
10. Sit Next To Me by Foster The People
9. Mine by Bazzi
8. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani
7. Delicate by Taylor Swift
6. Back To You by Selena Gomez
5. Growing Pains by Alessia Cara
4. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
3. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
TIE: 1. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa
TIE: 1. Don't Go Breaking My Heart by Backstreet Boys

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

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Fantasy by Mariah Carey (1995)

Most Missed Song: Into You by Ariana Grande

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Jumpsuit by TWENTY ØNE PILØTS

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay (#11)

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Don't Go Breaking My Heart by Backstreet Boys
TIE: 1. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa
3. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande
4. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
5. Growing Pains by Alessia Cara

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

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Glorious by Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey: Macklemore's big return also helped gave Skylar Grey a brief presence. Almost everything about this is just amazing, and we got to hear what Skylar is really capable of with her voice. Plus, the lyrics talking about wanting to start again is just mesmerizing on every level.
The Way I Are (Dance With Somebody) by Bebe Rexha featuring Lil' Wayne: I'd say this is one of Bebe's more decent songs. Only problem I have is that I'm not huge on Lil' Wayne's contribution. But I'll certainly take this over Meant To Be any day.

Shawn Mendes (2) - Week Of July 21, 2018

What's up, guys? Believe it or not, I have already started working on my Year-End posts. I know it's only July and those won't come until December, but I wanted to get a head start so I can get them posted for when that month comes. I've also made some slight changes to the grading system, which goes into effect this week. You can check it out on the sidebar of this blog. As far as this week went, it was a little more interesting than last week. Our #1 does remain the same, but we had quite a lot of moves this week. Plus, we get a return of an certain duo that I'm sure people here will be thrilled about. Let's get into it! Before we get to this week's fresh 45, we say good-bye to the songs leaving the countdown this week:

• Dua Lipa – New Rules (#35) [x2]
• G-Eazy featuring Halsey – Him & I (#41)
• Dustin Atlas featuring Erin Bowman – Fake Friends (#43)
• Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore, and Dan Caplen – These Days (#45)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
45. Bad Wolves – Zombie (#44) [–1]
44. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho (#38) [–6]
43. Ed Sheeran – Perfect (#42) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
42. Bazzi – Mine (#33) [–9]
41. Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift – Bane (#40) [–1]

40. Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin – Familiar (#25) [–15]

39. Walk The Moon – One Foot (#34) [–5]

38. Lauv – I Like Me Better (#31) [–7]

37. Maren Morris – Rich (#24) [–13]

36. MNEK featuring Hailee Steinfeld – Colour (DEBUT)

35. Post Malone – Better Now (DEBUT)

34. U2 featuring Cheat Codes – Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way (#27) [–7]

33. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back (#36) [+3] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

32. Madison Beer – Home With You (DEBUT)

31. The Wrecks – James Dean (#28) [–3]

30. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same (#30) [=]

29. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Jumpsuit (DEBUT)

28. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me (#26) [–2]

27. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me (#15) [–12]

26. Alessia Cara – Growing Pains (#35) [+9]

25. Maroon 5 – Wait (#22) [–3]

24. Halsey – Alone (#16) [–8]

23. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be (#19) [–4] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

22. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me (#20) [–2]

21. Hundred Handed – Too Good (#39) [+18]

20. Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right (#21) [+1]

19. Niall Horan – On The Loose (#17) [–2]

18. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss (#23) [+5]

17. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones (#32) [+15]

16. Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It (#18) [+2]

15. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart (#27) [+12]

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

13. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood (#7) [–6]

12. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry (#8) [–4]

11. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#3) [–8]

10. Dua Lipa – IDGAF (#12) [+2]

9. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You (#8) [–1]

8. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends (#10) [+2]

7. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me (#13) [+6]

6. Selena Gomez – Back To You (#2) [–4]

5. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes (#5) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

4. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#4) [=] [Spent 9 Weeks At #1]

3. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (#11) [+8]

2. Taylor Swift – Delicate (#6) [+4] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

1. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (#1) [=] [2^nd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Shawn Mendes – There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back (3^rd of 5 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin – Familiar (–15)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Hundred Handed – Too Good (+18)

New Entrants
- Hailee Steinfeld left the countdown last week when Let Me Go made its departure. It was the first time that a song from her was not on the countdown, meaning that her almost two-year run came to an end. But one week off the countdown was too much in Hits 1's eyes, as they seem to be fond of Hailee Steinfeld for sometime, what with songs such as Starving and Let Me Go having successful runs on this countdown. While she doesn't seem to have any solo music coming anytime soon, she is collaborating with MNEK in his single titled Colour. The last time we saw MNEK was when he was collaborating with Zara Larsson in Never Forget You, which was a huge favorite among the blogging community and YouTube critics alike, and mine as well. But sadly, we would never hear from those two rising artists since that song became a hit. Zara Larsson released a few singles but never really had another hit, while MNEK himself was virtually non-existent for most of last year. Fast forward to today, and he's back at making music. Now, onto the song. Colour basically talks about a relationship in which before someone came along and helped them saw colors all around, everything around him/her was black and white. I think what it means is that things were boring before someone came and made everything fun to that someone. There's quite a lot I like about this. First off, MNEK does well with his vocals. I do like how he can hit the high notes in the chorus. Hailee Steinfeld shines throughout the song as well. Yeah, it's a great collaboration between the two artists.

- Look, I may not be the biggest fan of Post Malone in terms of his music. But I'll go ahead and admit that he does have some good music. Songs such as Candy Paint are one of the best off of his latest album and I do hope that it's released as a single soon. Right now, he has his second song making its debut on the countdown with Better Now. When I first talked about Havana when it first came around, I initially didn't like that song in large part because I was simply getting tired of Camila Cabello and I was not looking forward to any new music from her at that time. The same can be said for Post Malone. If you've been following my blog, then I'm sure you probably know by now that I simply had a strong disliking towards his music, mainly because it sounded like some of the generic hip-hop/trap songs that have no meaning whatsoever, which is why my opinions on Congratulations, Rockstar and Psycho are negative. But after hearing Better Now, I feel like he's improving just a little bit. Sure, I'm not too big on the production. But in terms of his vocals, he sounds a little more energetic, especially when he sings the chorus. I'm still mixed on the song right now, but it's possible that I may find this decent.

- We have a newcomer making her very first debut on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown. Madison Beer has a song titled Home With You from her EP, As She Pleases. I won't really go in detail about this one as not very much is known about Madison Beer. I do like pretty much everything about this. Madison shows that she does have good vocals throughout the song. The production here isn't necessarily the best, but it's decent enough to make it listenable. Looking at the lyrical content of the song, it basically is her telling someone that she does not want to go home with them and that she wants them to respect her. Overall, it's a good first impression for the most part.

- Finally, we have the return of TWENTY ØNE PILØTS! These two guys (John Dun and Tyler Joseph) have dominated 2016 with songs such as Stressed Out, Ride, and Heathens becoming huge hits. Here on Hits 1, they had the #1 song of 2016 with Stressed Out. That one is a huge favorite of mine and it'll always hold a special place in my heart, mainly because that song is something that everyone can relate to. Their success pretty much fizzled out in 2017 after Heavydirtysoul sadly didn't take off, in large part because by that point, everyone had gotten tired of them. Some were wondering what do they have next as they waited for about a year or so to hear any new music from them. This week, they make their comeback with a brand new single, which is titled Jumpsuit. It has strong rock vibes that get me going. Their singles from Blurryface were a little more pop-friendly. But in Jumpsuit, they decided to lean towards heavy rock. We get some nice vocals from Tyler, and towards the end after the bridge we hear him yelling in the chorus as the production starts kicking in. Simply put, this is a great comeback single for TWENTY ØNE PILØTS overall. They had also released another new song called Nico And The Niners. That one I like as well. But I'm really enjoying Jumpsuit right now. It'll be interesting to see how well it does on the countdown.

Best Debut Of The Week: TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Jumpsuit

Blurbsuit, Blurbsuit, Cover Me
- We'll begin with our exits as always. First off, the departure of Him & I was expected. It had quite a nice run here. I didn't really care that much for Fake Friends. I am saddened by the exit from These Days. I feel like that one deserved better than what it got. Finally, New Rules has left us for the second time (this time for good). It was nice having this song around while it lasted. Although it didn't have the success here on Hits 1, it was bigger elsewhere and Dua Lipa got a huge hit. New Rules will be missed by me.

- We had quite a few big drops this week. The big drops from Rich and I Like Me Better are pleasing to see. However, I'm not thrilled about the big drop from Familiar. Looks like that one won't be sticking around after all.

- We also had a big drop from Done For Me. It's sad to see that this song is basically done elsewhere. I was hoping that one would become a bigger hit than it is. But I guess not.

- Too Good took a rather surprising jump all the way close to the Top 20 this week. It's definitely an enjoyable song with some groovy throwback vibes, I would like for the song to go higher.

- Before introducing Let You Me Right, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Meghan Trainor is planning on having a winter wedding. Oh, boy. I wonder where will she be planning on going? The North Pole, perhaps?

- Before introducing On The Loose, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Niall Horan would stop any performance at a concert if somebody were to get hurt. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't want anything to happen to anybody because he loves his fan base. It's nice that there's someone who will do anything for his fans.

- Along with Too Good, we also had some big jumps from last week's debuts. The Last Of The Real Ones and Don't Go Breaking My Heart made their way into the Top 20. I enjoy these songs very much, so they're definitely welcome in that region.

- Honesty, I think I may be the only person here that still really likes The Middle, even though it's been in the Top 5 for seemingly forever.

- So, High Hopes swapped places with Say Amen (Saturday Night) to enter the Top 5. I'm pretty certain this will be #1 at some point in time. I'll be waiting.

- On that note, In My Blood holds the #1 spot this week, which means that it's the first time (I believe) that the same artist that had the #1 this week one year ago hits #1 today. Shawn Mendes is one of the few artists to do this, so congrats to him!

Hit-Bound:

• Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess
• Charlie Puth – The Way I Am (DEBUT)
• Brown & Gray – Top Down
• Imagine Dragons – Natural (DEBUT)
• Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind
• Big Boi – All Night
• The Chainsmokers featuring Drew Love – Somebody
• lovelytheband – Broken
• Julia Michaels featuring Trippie Redd – Jump
• Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman (DEBUT)
• Train featuring Cam and Travie McCoy – Call Me Sir
• Justin Timberlake – SoulMate
• Dan + Shay – Tequila
• Years & Years – If You're Over Me (DEBUT)
• BTS – Fake Love

- Now with Done For Me being done elsewhere, Charlie Puth has another new single from Voicenotes, by the name of The Way I Am. Once again, Charlie Puth does well with the production and the vocals overall. I do like the lyrics. I'll have more about this when it inevitably debuts.

- Imagine Dragons have just recently released a new single titled Natural. Right off the bat, it's a enjoyable song. Dan Reynolds shows off his vocals a little more. I'll talk more about this if it debuts.

- Up next, we have Ariana Grande with her new single titled God Is A Woman, from her upcoming album Sweetener. This song is just amazing. I'll simply leave it at that.

- Finally, we have Years & Years with a new single titled If You're Over Me. Not too much I can say about this one. The vocals are enjoyable and I kinda like the production. We'll see if it debuts.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman
2. Dan + Shay – Tequila
3. Brown & Gray – Top Down
4. Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess
5. Charlie Puth – The Way I Am 

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
20. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends

1 – Bad:
19. Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It

2 – Mediocre:
None!

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

4 – Good:
17. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know

5 – Great:
16. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me 
15. Niall Horan – On The Loose
14. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
13. Taylor Swift – Delicate
12. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
11. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
10. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
9. Selena Gomez – Back To You
8. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
7. Dua Lipa – IDGAF
6. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones
5. Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right
4. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
3. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
2. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss

Overall Grade: 89/100 = 89% (B+)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Linkin Park – In The End (2001) (One year since Chester Bennington passed)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Ed Sheeran – Don't

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Sia – Elastic Heart

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Halsey featuring Lauren Jauregui – Strangers

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#5)

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Jumpsuit
TIE: 1. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
3. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart
4. The Wrecks – James Dean
5. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Lauv – I Like Me Better
2. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
3. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
4. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
5. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
All Time Low – Good Times: The band has some memorable songs that I like. Sure, the premise for this one is good, but not quite something I can enjoy in the big picture.
Fall Out Boy – Champion: A step up from a disaster that was Young And Menance. This song definitely reminded me of the Fall Out Boy we know and love.
DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts: One of DJ Khaled's best of last year. I love the electric guitar solo after the chorus. And I should mention that the song uses a sample from Maria Maria, which I hated.

QOTW: What is your favorite guilty pleasure song and why?

AT40: Bazzi (1) - Week Of July 21, 2018

Hey, guys! I hope everyone here has had a good week so far. We're pretty much in the dog days of summer right now. I would like it if fall would get here soon. It's my favorite time of the year with the leaves falling and football season (which is right around the corner, by the way). But enough about that, let's get to the AT40 countdown! Before we get to this week's fresh 40, here are the songs leaving us this week:

• IDGAF by Dua Lipa (#14)
• Done For Me by Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani (#24)
• Familiar by Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin (#26)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign

40. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash (#39) [–1]

39. Let You Be Right by Meghan Trainor (DEBUT)

38. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé (#37) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

37. Move To Miami by Enrique Iglesias featuring Pitbull (#38) [1]

36. Finesse by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B. (#35) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

35. Dinero by Jennifer Lopez featuring DJ Khaled and Cardi B. (#35) [+1]

34. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey (#33) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

33. Drew Barrymore by Bryce Vine (DEBUT)

32. Let You Down by NF (#31) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

31. Bed by Nicki Minaj featuring Ariana Grande (#40) [+9]

30. Home With You by Madison Beer (#34) [+4]

29. Remind Me To Forget by Kygo featuring Miguel (DEBUT)

28. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line (#27) [–1]

27. All Night by Big Boi (#30) [+3]

26. New Rules by Dua Lipa (#25) [–1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]

25. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#32) [+7]

24. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar (#22) [–2]

23. Growing Pains by Alessia Cara (#29) [+6]

22. Don't Go Breaking My Heart by Backstreet Boys (#23) [+1]

21. God's Plan by Drake (#20) [–1]

20. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons (#19) [–1]

19. Wait by Maroon 5 (#16) [–3]

18. Sit Next To Me by Foster The People (#21) [+3]

17. Alone by Halsey featuring Big Sean and Stefflon Don (#17) [=]

16. Better Now by Post Malone (#28) [+12]

15. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani (#18) [+3]

14. I Like It by Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin (#15) [+1]

13. Nice For What by Drake (#11) [–2]

12. Back To You by Selena Gomez (#12) [=]

11. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa (#10) [–1]

10. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. (#13) [+3]

9. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello (#8) [–1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]

8. I Like Me Better by Lauv (#9) [+1]

7. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes (#7) [=]

6. Delicate by Taylor Swift (#6) [=]

5. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey (#5) [=] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]

4. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie (#4) [=]

3. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign (#1) [–2] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]

2. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande (#3) [+2]

1. Mine by Bazzi (#2) [+1] [1^st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Despacito by Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber (1^st of 5 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Wait by Maroon 5 (–3)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Better Now by Post Malone (+12)

New Entrants
- The return of Meghan Trainor is something that people aren't thrilled about, but I'm not among them. I was hoping her next single, Let You Be Right, would make its debut and it did this week. I discussed this song in full detail when it debuted on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown. This song is a step up from her predecessor No Excuses in pretty much every way. Meghan sounds amazing from start to finish in terms of her vocals. The production here has improved overall. I love the lyrics for the most part. Basically, it talks about not wanting to start a fight with someone and wanting to get along. Overall, Let You Be Right is one of the highlights from her upcoming album Treat Myself, which comes out next month. Hopefully, this song can be successful.

- We have newcomer Bryce Vine who makes his first appearance on the countdown. His debut single is named Drew Barrymore. I'm quite surprised that he chose the name of the actress for his new song. Anyway, I don't really have too much to say about this one. Judging by the first listen, the song is okay for the most part. I'm not really big on his vocals. I do however think the production is pretty decent all around. So yeah, while not a bad song, it's not something I'll come back to in about a year. Maybe I'll need to listen to the song more. My opinion may change. We'll see.

- Last year, Kygo came out with a #1 song here on the AT40 with It Ain't Me (with Selena Gomez). He makes his return this week with his latest called Remind Me To Forget, which features vocals from Miguel. Right off the bat, Kygo has managed to impress me again as a EDM artist in terms of the production. I do like Miguel's vocals for the most part. I think he shines pretty much throughout the song. I don't have too much else to say beyond that. Overall, it's a great song.

Remind Me To Blurb
- So, we lost three really good songs this week. Familiar was not destined to last a long time here. It's kinda sad to see one of Liam's better songs flop. Done For Me dropped out relatively quickly after that big drop last week. It's a shame to not see this one become successful as Charlie Puth's two predecessors, both of which were in the Top 3. Finally, IDGAF by Dua Lipa surprisingly left from a very high position at #14. If I'm correct, this is probably the highest drop-off from the countdown ever. Dang!

- We've finally got a good #1 song for the first time in about two months! Mine by Bazzi has taken over the top spot this week. The song itself may be short, but there are some good things I like about. So yeah, it's nice to see the song catch on.

- However, we have I Like Me Better continuing its slow rise in the Top 10. Who the heck is still supporting this song?! Almost everything about this is just bad all around. It needs to drop like right now.

- Girls Like You makes its inevitable entry into the Top 10. Since that one is still gaining across the board, I can tell you right now that it's going to stay in that region for quite a long time.

- Better Now makes a big jump this week into the Top 20. I'll admit that the song has slightly grown on me, but I'm still not necessarily a fan of Post Malone in general. I have a feeling that one is going to stick around just like his two predecessors.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Fake Love by BTS
• Lie by NF
• I'm A Mess by Bebe Rexha

Extras/Optional Extras:

• Talk Dirty by Jason Derulo featuring 2 Chainz
• Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
• Cheap Thrills by Sia featuring Sean Paul
• Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug
• Don't by Ed Sheeran
• Wolves by Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello
• Tattoo (How 'Bout You) by In Real Life
• Stressed Out by TWENTY ØNE PILØTS
• How Long by Charlie Puth

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

1 – Bad:
16. Wait by Maroon 5
15. I Like It by Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin

2 – Mediocre:
14. Better Now by Post Malone

3 – Decent:
13. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B.
12. Alone by Halsey featuring Big Sean & Stefflon Don

4 – Good:
11. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes

5 – Great:
10. Nice For What by Drake
9. Sit Next To Me by Foster The People
8. Mine by Bazzi
7. Delicate by Taylor Swift
6. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani
5. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons
4. Back To You by Selena Gomez
3. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
2. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa

Total Score: 65/100 = 65% (D)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: In The End by Linkin Park (2001)

Most Missed Song: Teenage Dream by Katy Perry

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Jumpsuit by TWENTY ØNE PILØTS

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay (#6)

My Top 5 Picks
1. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa
2. Let You Be Right by Meghan Trainor
3. Don't Go Breaking My Heart by Backstreet Boys
4. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.
5. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey

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

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Unforgettable by French Montana featuring Swae Lee: I'd say this is probably one of the few enjoyable songs of last year. Again, those who like this can explain it better. But yeah I'd say French Montana did a nice job of impressing me with this one.
1-800-273-8255 by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid: This song is definitely something we can relate to. I remember the song becoming more of a presence since the passing of Linkin Park's very own Chester Bennington. It really took off after the mesmerizing performance at the MTV Awards. Yeah, there's plenty I like about this.

Shawn Mendes (1) - Week Of July 14, 2018

What's up, guys? Here I am, just enjoying a little sunshine outside. It's fun being out in the sun, especially during a rather warm day of summer...Okay, back to reality for a bit. Let's get on to the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown. Once again, not too much happened this week. However, we have a new #1 for the second week in a row and we did get three solid debuts. So that's saying something. Before we get to this week's fresh 45, here are the songs we're saying good-bye to this week:

• Imagine Dragons – Thunder (#41) [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
• Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt – Let Me Go (#43) [Spent 1 Week At #1]
• Camila Cabello – Havana (#45) [Spent 1 Week At #1]

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Taylor Swift – Delicate
45. Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore, and Dan Caplen – These Days (#40) [–5]
44. Bad Wolves – Zombie (#39) [–5]
43. Dustin Atlas featuring Erin Bowman – Fake Friends (#38) [–5]
42. Ed Sheeran – Perfect (#44) [+2] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
41. G-Eazy featuring Halsey – Him & I (#42) [+1]

40. Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift – Babe (#37) [–3]

39. Hundred Handed – Too Good (#36) [–3]

38. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho (#33) [–5]

37. Dua Lipa – New Rules (#35) [–2]

36. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back (#32) [–4]

35. Alessia Cara – Growing Pains (DEBUT)

34. Walk The Moon – One Foot (#34) [=]

33. Bazzi – Mine (#21) [–12]

32. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones (DEBUT)

31. Lauv – I Like Me Better (#30) [–1]

30. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same (#31) [+1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

29. U2 featuring Cheat Codes – Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way (#27) [–2]

28. The Wrecks – James Dean (#28) [=]

27. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart (DEBUT)

26. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me (#25) [–1]

25. Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin – Familiar (#16) [–9]

24. Maren Morris – Rich (#26) [+2]

23. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss (#23) [=]

22. Maroon 5 – Wait (#24) [+2]

21. Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right (#20) [–1]

20. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me (#29) [+9]

19. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be (#22) [+3]

18. Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It (#19) [+1]

17. Niall Horan – On The Loose (#19) [+2]

16. Halsey – Alone (#15) [–1]

15. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me (#14) [–1]

14. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know (#11) [–3]

13. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me (#17) [+4]

12. Dua Lipa – IDGAF (#13) [+2]

11. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (#12) [+1]

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

9. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You (#8) [–1]

8. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry (#7) [–1]

7. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood (#10) [+3]

6. Taylor Swfit – Delicate (#1) [–5] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

5. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes (#4) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

4. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#3) [–1] [Spent 9 Weeks At #1]

3. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#2) [–1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]

2. Selena Gomez – Back To You (#5) [+3]

1. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (#6) [+5] [1^st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Zedd featuring Alessia Cara – Stay (4^th and Final Week At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Bazzi – Mine (–12)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me (+9)

New Entrants
- For those who don't know Alessia Cara, she made a breakthrough with Here back in 2015, and thus would be the beginning of her being quite a mainstay in the music scene with subsequent singles such as Scars To Your Beautiful and her feature in Zedd's single Stay, both of which were hits back in 2017. Today, she's looking to keep things going as her new single, Growing Pains, makes its debut on the countdown this week. Let me just say that Alessia has been impressive to me with pretty much every release. Growing Pains is no exception. There's plenty of things I like about this. The production here is well done throughout. She shines in basically every aspect of the song, both with her vocals and in the chorus. The song reminds me of Wild Things, the only difference being is that it was a little more fast-paced than this song. Overall, Alessia has done well to impress me once again. Yet despite me thinking very highly of the song, this is not the best debut of the week, as you'll soon find out.

- Fall Out Boy's latest album, MANIA, has been quite an interesting one, what with trying new things in the awful Young And Menace and the rather solid Hold Me Tight Or Don't. Their new single, The Last Of The Real Ones, is probably the best song off of the album. Much like I talked about with Champion last year, this is definitely the Fall Out Boy that we know and love. I love the piano work. And then making the song better is the rock vibes that kick in with the awesome chorus. It's more fast-paced than its predecessor. I love the vocals from Patrick Stump. He shines in pretty much every aspect of the song. Simply put, this is definitely a highlight off of MANIA.

- It was the late 90's when the Backstreet Boys rose to prominence. They had songs such as I Want It That Way and Larger Than Life which I fell in love with back in the day. But they're probably best known for the song Everybody (Backstreet's Back), which first got me interested in these guys. Fast forward to today, we have the guys AJ McLean, Nick Carter, Howie D, Kevin Richardson, and Brian Littrell make their comeback with their brand new single titled Don't Go Breaking My Heart. First off, I absolutely love the lyrical content here. It talks about not being heartbroken in a relationship and this is something we all can relate to. As for the rest of the song itself, everything about it is just magical in every sense of the word. The EDM-based production is top notch across the board, plus the piano work is just great. I love the vocals from Nick and AJ. So yeah, this is easily the best debut of the week. It's really nice to have the Backstreet Boys back!

Best Debut Of The Week: Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart

I Blurb It That Way
- Let's begin with our exits. First off, Thunder ends it's long tenure here. I'm sure there will be some people who are bidding good riddance to that song, while there are others who like the song will miss it. As for myself, I can say that I was ready for it to leave for some time. Both Let Me Go and Havana will be missed by me, however. The departure of Let Me Go means that this is the first time that we do not have a song from Hailee Steinfeld since September 10, 2016. Talk about an incredible run. Goodbye, Let Me Go. It's been a fun ride.

- Before introducing Him & I, Spyder Harrison mentioned that the reason G-Eazy and Halsey broke up was because that G-Eazy himself cheated. Oh boy, looks like he is somewhere scratching his head wondering why he would cheat on Halsey. I'll bet that triggered a rather unexpected break-up.

- Bazzi – Mine took quite a big drop this week out of the Top 30. I'm not too heartbroken about this since it was successful elsewhere. But it goes to show how Hits 1 underrates some of the biggest songs in the country.

- Spyder Harrison mentioned during the introduction for Familiar that Liam's gaming addiction was the reason why his relationship with Cheryl turned sour. Heh, I guess video games is all he seems to care about. Sure, he continues to make music, but I wonder will he get a job as a video game developer?

- So, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Cardi B. gave birth to a new girl this week. Congratulations to her!

- I had thought High Hopes would make a jump into the Top 5 quickly given how many times I heard that song as Most Wutchuwanted throughtout the week. But I was wrong. Say Amen (Saturday Night) is still up there, while this jumped only a spot to #11. Maybe next week, it'll probably change. I don't know yet.

- Before introducing Youngblood, Spyder Harrison mentioned that their favorite things to do as a band are yoga and playing Fortnite. They seem to find time to balance exercise and playing that game. I'll bet Liam Payne is taking some notes from them, heh.

- So, In My Blood is our new #1 this week. I would say this was rather unexpected, given that it's declining elsewhere. But this is Hits 1, and they love some Shawn Mendes, so I figured this would happen. I'm definitely cool with it, though. It's not as good as There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back, but I find myself enjoying it at times.

Hit-Bound:

• Julia Michaels featuring Trippie Redd – Jump
• Justin Timberlake – SoulMate (DEBUT)
• lovelytheband – Broken
• Dan + Shay – Tequila
• Big Boi – All Night
• Madison Beer – Home With You
• Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess
• Train featuring Cam and Travie McCoy – Call Me Sir
• MNEK featuring Hailee Steinfeld – Colour
• The Chainsmokers featuring Drew Love – Somebody (DEBUT)
• Brown & Gray – Top Down (DEBUT)
• Post Malone – Better Now
• Cole Redding – Father Father
• BTS – Fake Love
• Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind

- We have Justin Timberlake with a new single that just recently came out, by the name of SoulMate. When compared to Say Something from earlier this year, this one is only okay to me. I'm not too big on Justin's vocals for the most part. I'll have more on this when it debuts.

- Next, The Chainsmokers make their return by collaborating with Drew Love in their single titled Love Somebody. I talked about this when it was on the YouTube 15 a couple months back. While it's only a little bit of a step up from Everybody Hates Me, it still shows that The Chainsmokers have lost their ability to stand out. Drew's vocals are good throughout the song, though. I may have it in blue for now, but it could change.

- Finally, we have a new country duo making their appearance on Hit-Bound this week. Brown & Gray have their very first single titled Top Down. It's one of the more enjoyable country songs we've had all year, along with Tequila. Their vocals are good and I like the production. Not much else to say after that.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Dan + Shay – Tequila
2. MNEK featuring Hailee Steinfeld – Colour
3. Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess
4. Madison Beer – Home With You
5. Brown & Gray – Top Down

YouTube 15:

• Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It
• Youngr – Lost In Translation
• Jonas Blue featuring Joe Jonas – I See Love
• Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
• Halsey featuring Lauren Jauregui – Strangers
• Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
• Jax Jones featuring Mabel and Rich The Kid – Ring Ring
• Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
• Lil' Dicky featuring Chris Brown – Freaky Friday
• Selena Gomez – Back To You
• Khalid featuring Ty Dolla $ign and 6lack – OTW
• Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You
• Jonas Blue featuring Jack & Jack – Rise
• Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
• Pitbull featuring Theron Theron – Free Free Free

- We have a bunch of new songs to talk about. First, Youngr has a new single titled Lost In Translation. Not too much I can say about this one. I'm not all that big on his vocals, though I do like how he can sing in a different language. The production here is decent, so I'll give him that.

- Jonas Blue has two new songs on the YouTube 15 this week. First off, he has a new single with Joe Jonas titled I See Love, which is taken from the Hotel Transylvania 3 movie soundtrack. Right off the bat, it's definitely an enjoyable song all around. Joe shows off his great vocals all throughout. I love the work Jonas Blue has done here in terms of the production. Overall, it's a great song.

- Next up, Halsey is collaborating with former Fifth Harmony member Lauren Jauregui in probably her best single from Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, which is titled Strangers. Pretty much everything about the song is divine across the board. The production here is better than that of Alone and Bad At Love on every level. Both Halsey's and Lauren's vocals stand out for the entire song. I do hope this can be a huge hit.

- Jax Jones has yet another new song trending on the YouTube 15 this week. This time, he has a new single titled Ring Ring, which features Mabel and Rich The Kid. Right off the bat, I'm not too big on the production here. I do kinda like Mabel's vocals throughout the song. However, I feel like more could've been done. I did enjoy its predecessor while it was on the YouTube 15 for several months. But this one...not as much. Jax Jones has had better.

- While Love Lies is starting to catch on elsewhere, Khalid has another new single in its stead. He is collaborating with Ty Dolla $ign and 6lack in his latest titled OTW. Compared to its predecessor, I'm not quite enjoying this one much. Khalid's vocals are pretty good. But where the song lacks at is the production, which I find to be decent at best. It's not a bad song overall, but it's not something I'll be remembering in a year or so.

- Jonas Blue has his second single here titled Rise, which features Jack & Jack. While it's not quite as good as I See Love, this one is still pretty solid. Again, Jonas Blue does pretty well as a EDM artist, and I like the vocals. That's all I have for this song right now.

- Finally, we have Pitbull who is collaborating with Theron Theron in his latest single titled Free Free Free. I think this is one of the more enjoyable songs from Pitbull. Again, he shows that he's a pretty good rapper. The production here is great, and I like Theron's vocals. So yeah, I do like this overall.

- The music video for Girls Like You is pretty interesting, mainly because it features celebrities such as Camila Cabello, Rita Ora, and Ellen DeGeneres, among others. That's the biggest reason why the song is trending right now. Personally, I think the music video for Sugar where they crashed the wedding is the best, along with their parody of Pokémon Go in the music video for Don't Wanna Know.

My Top 5 YouTube 15 Picks
1. Halsey featuring Lauren Jauregui – Strangers
2. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
3. Selena Gomez – Back To You
4. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
5. Jonas Blue featuring Joe Jonas – I See Love

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
20. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
19. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be

1 – Bad:
18. Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It

2 – Mediocre:
17. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You 

3 – Decent:
16. Halsey – Alone

4 – Good:
15. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know

5 – Great:
14. Niall Horan – On The Loose
13. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
12. Taylor Swift – Delicate
11. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
10. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me
9. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
8. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
7. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me
6. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me
5. Selena Gomez – Back To You
4. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
3. Dua Lipa – IDGAF
2. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry

Overall Grade: 81/100 = 81% (B–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Backstreet Boys – I Want It That Way (1999)

Most Missed Countdown Song: M83 – Midnight City

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: PRETTYMUCH – Would You Mind

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman

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

My Top 5 Picks
1. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
2. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart
3. The Wrecks – James Dean
4. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
5. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
2. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
3. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
4. Lauv – I Like Me Better
5. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Childish Gambino – Redbone: I can understand why some people here dislike the song, mainly because of the strange vocals throughout the song. I remember hating this one too for the same reason. But after a while, I realized that this kind of music that reminded me of the classic soul music was just too good to resist.
Bruno Mars – Versace On The Floor: A nice, calm song in which Bruno shows a great display of raw vocal talent. Though they did play the remix with David Guetta, it kills the purpose of the song, which is meant to be slow.

QOTW: TWENTY ØNE PILØTS are back with two new songs: Jumpsuit and Nico And The Niners. Which of these is your favorite and why?