Halsey (3) - Week Of January 26, 2019

What's up, guys? The next set of reveals should be coming later today. I've updated my schedule on my page. I plan on finishing up the rankdown by Friday. After that, my focus will shift towards the Billboard Hot 100 Year-End Review for 2018. Then, there's the Grammy Awards which is coming up soon. I do want to give a review on the performances of the show. That's something I'll be looking forward to. Before we get to this week's fresh 45, here are the songs we're saying goodbye to this week:

• Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#44) [Spent 9 Weeks At #1]

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Halsey – Without Me
45. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (#45) [=] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
44. Little Mix featuring Nicki Minaj – Woman Like Me (#35) [–9]
43. Charlie Puth – The Way I Am (#41) [–2]
42. Jennifer Lopez – Limitless (#42) [=]
41. Steve Aoki featuring BTS – Waste It On Me (#38) [–3]
40. Lauv featuring Julia Michaels – There's No Way (#39) [–1]
39. Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess (#37) [–2]
38. George Ezra – Shotgun (#43) [+5]
37. Silk City featuring Dua Lipa – Electricity (#40) [+3]
36. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#36) [=] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
35. Benny Blanco featuring Calvin Harris – I Found You (DEBUT)
34. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart (#34) [=]
33. Selena Gomez – Back To You (#33) [=]
32. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B – Girls Like You (#32) [=]
31. Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus – Nothing Breaks Like A Heart (#27) [–4]
30. lovelytheband – Broken (#30) [=]
29. Alessia Cara – Trust My Lonely (#31) [+2]
28. James Arthur – Empty Space (#26) [–2]
27. Ariana Grande – Breathin' (#20) [–7]
26. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones (#24) [–2]
25. Camila Cabello – Consequences (#29) [+4]
24. The Struts featuring Kesha – Body Talks (#28) [+4]
23. Lauren Jauregui – Expectations (#23) [=]
22. Khalid – Better (#21) [–1]
21. Imagine Dragons – Natural (#18) [–3] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
20. Zara Larsson – Ruin My Life (#25) [+5]
19. Dan + Shay – Speechless (#22) [+3]
18. David Guetta featuring Anne-Marie – Don't Leave Me Alone (#15) [–3]
17. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Chlorine (#16) [–1]
16. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower (#19) [+3]
15. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho (#17) [+2]
14. Khalid featuirng Normani – Love Lies (#5) [–9]
13. Imagine Dragons – Machine (#14) [+1]
12. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me (#11) [–1]
11. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly (#8) [–3]
10. Anne-Marie – 2002 (#7) [–3]
9. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It (#10) [+1]
8. Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next (#9) [+1]
7. Dan + Shay – Tequila (#12) [+5]
6. Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside (#13) [+7]
5. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood (#6) [+1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
4. Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE – Happier (#4) [=] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
3. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling (#2) [–1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
2. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (#3) [+1] [Spent 8 Weeks At #1]
1. Halsey – Without Me (#1) [=] [3^rd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Imagine Dragons – Thunder (5^th And Final Week At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Tie between Little Mix featuring Nicki Minaj – Woman Like Me and Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies (–9)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside (+7)

New Entrants:
- As we say goodbye to one EDM artist (more on that in a little bit), we say hello to another as Calvin Harris makes his return this week. He is collaborating with Benny Blanco in their latest single titled I Found You. This was trending on the YouTube 15 a while ago. I gave a review of the song and I found it to be pretty mediocre. I'm not necessarily a big fan of the instrumentation. With two EDM artists collaborating together, I expected a little more out of the production. But they didn't quite impress me in that department. It's a little too basic for my tastes. Calvin sounds okay with his voice, but he can be underwhelming at times. I do love Eastside, but this one...not so much.

I Found Blurbs
- Alright. So, we say goodbye The Middle. It's departure is one I'm sure will make many people happy now after it tested their patience. Having spent a long time on the countdown and becoming a huge hit during its tenure, many were begging for it to leave. But not me, as I'm one of the few people to actually enjoy that song even though it wasn't Zedd's best. I'd like to point out that it was around this time that Stay left the countdown one year ago. Had that song stayed for a little while longer, it would meant that Zedd would've had a countdown tenure of two years. And Spyder Harrison said, "finally", when he talked about its exit. It was this close to lasting a year on the countdown, and had it done just that it would've been described as the song that never goes away, like with My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light 'Em Up) and Closer. Goodbye The Middle. It's been a fun and crazy ride!

- So Shawn Mendes confirms that he has a collaboration with Niall Horan coming soon. I'm interested to see how it'll turn out. Hopefully, they'll craft up something special.

- Woman Like Me doesn't look like it'll be longer with us after dropping into the Bottom 5. It's a damn shame that the song is underrated.

- Can I'm A Mess leave, please?!?!? It's getting annoying have to hear it over and over again. That song still blows. Good thing it went out on my rankdown.

- The Backstreet Boys dropped their new album, DNA this week. As a fan of these guys, I can't wait to hear what these guys have to offer. I'm sure they have some good music from their latest album.

- What's the deal with Nothing Breaks Like Heart dropping like this? The song deserves better than what it is getting at this moment. I'm not sure what's going on, but this needs a spark soon.

- Before introducing Body Talks, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Kesha went make-up free and when she showed her freckles, people went crazy. Wow, I didn't know Kesha had freckles. She still has a good voice, though. That's all that matters.

- Remember when I reviewed Speechless, and I said it was a good song for a wedding? Turns out, I was proven to be right, because Spyder Harrison mentioned during the introduction that the song was indeed used in a wedding for a couple last weekend. I do hope that when I get married someday, this will be one of our songs.

- So, Love Lies finally dropped out after it spent a seemingly long time in the Top 10. Talk about a run. Though, I'm pretty sure that one will stick around for a little while longer.

- Speaking of Dan + Shay, Tequila makes a nice jump back into the Top 10 and reaching a new peak of lucky #7! Although we're still very early in the year, something tells me it could end up making the Hits 1 Year-End List for 2019 given that it's run is still going pretty strong. That would be pleasing. Hopefully, Speechless follows suit.

Hit-Bound:

• Lauren Daigle – You Say
• Jake Miller – Wait For You
• Post Malone – Wow.
• Dean Lewis – Be Alright
• Sabrina Carpenter – Sue Me
• Seeb featuring BΔSTILLE – Grip
• lovelytheband – Maybe, I'm Afraid
• Pitbull featuring Rhea – Ocean To Ocean
• Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It's Over
• Gesaffelstein featuring The Weeknd – Lost In The Fire
• Kelsea Ballerini – Miss Me More
• Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger (DEBUT)
• Stephen Puth – Sexual Vibe
• Travis Scott featuring Drake – Sicko Mode
• Charli XCX featuring Troye Sivan – 1999

Entrant Reviews:
- Our only entrant on Hit-Bound this week comes from Sam Smith with probably my new favorite song of his. He collaborates with Normani in Dancing With A Stranger. I've been enjoying this one since the very first listen, which pretty much explains how I feel about the song. I absolutely love the beat and their vocals blend together very nicely.I'm glad the collaboration between Sam Smith and Normani worked out well. I'll have more on this when it hopefully debuts.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger
2. Lauren Daigle – You Say
3. Gesaffelstein featuring The Weeknd – Lost In The Fire
4. Kelsea Ballerini – Miss Me More
5. Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It's Over

YouTube 15:

• Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower
• The Chainsmokers featuring Winona Oak – Hope
• LSD featuring Lil' Wayne – Genius (Remix)
• Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B – Girls Like You
• Calvin Harris featuring Rag'N'Bone Man – Giant
• Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next
• Maren Morris – Girl
• Halsey – Without Me
• Clean Bandit featuring Marina And The Diamonds and Luis Fonsi – Baby
• Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE – Happier
• Why Don't We – Big Plans
• Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
• Alan Walker featuring Au/Ra and Tomine Harket – Darkside
• Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside
• Becky G – LBD

Song Reviews:
- I've not been impressed with what LSD had to offer, especially after hearing Thunderclouds. Now, we get the remix to one of their earlier singles that I don't like either, by the name of Genius. Right off the bad, the song is bad on its own. I'll admit the production is a little bit better. The problem is that Sia's voice is annoying and Labrinth doesn't help either. But in the remix with Lil' Wayne, he sounds obnoxious in the verses, making the song already worse than the original. Honestly, their music is just a mess all over. Whatever they're doing is not working for me at all. Let's move on.

- Up next, Maren Morris has her brand new single titled Girl! I'll try to make this as simple as possible: the song is just amazing. And no, I don't say that because I absolutely adore Maren Morris either. Actually, yes I did. I'll just leave it at that. The point I'm trying to get across is, is that I love everything about the song. Maren sounds great throughout the song. She shines in the chorus and I love the divine instrumentation. Yeah, I definitely love the comeback single from Maren Morris! I hope to see it on the countdown soon.

- Why Don't We have yet another new single following 8 Letters, this time with Big Plans. I think the instrumentation sounds good and their vocals are nice. The song may not be memorable in the long run, but it's something worthwhile.

- I'm sure not a lot of people here remember Becky G. She gave us Shower back in 2014, which I thought was good overall. Today, she brings us her new single LBD. Not a whole lot I can say about this one. I'm not a big fan of her voice. I don't think she sounds good here. The production is basic and pretty underwhelming at times. While it's in blue, it's slightly closer to red than it is green.

My Top 5 YouTube 15 Picks
1. Maren Morris – Girl
2. Alan Walker featuring Au/Ra and Tomine Harket – Darkside
3. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower
4. Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside
5. Clean Bandit featuring Marina And The Diamonds and Luis Fonsi – Baby

Top 20 Review:
0 – Horrific:
20. Imagine Dragons – Machine

1 – Bad:
19. Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE – Happier
18. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly

2 – Mediocre:
17. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Chlorine
16. Anne-Marie – 2002

3 – Decent:
15. Halsey – Without Me

4 – Good:
14. Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next
13. David Guetta featuring Anne-Marie – Don't Leave Me Alone

5 – Great:
12. Zara Larsson – Ruin My Life
11. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
10. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
9. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies
8. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma I Made It
7. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho
6. Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside
5. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower
4. Dan + Shay – Tequila
3. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling
2. Dan + Shay – Speechless

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me

Overall Grade: 78/100 = 78% (C+)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Rick Astley – Together Forever (1988)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Kelly Clarkson – Heartbeat Song

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

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Maren Morris – Girl

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between Kesha –Praying (#39) and Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B – Finesse (Remix) (#21)

My Top 5 Picks
1. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me
2. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling
3. Dan + Shay – Speechless
4. Dan + Shay – Tequila
5. Ariana Grande – Breathin'

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess
2. Imagine Dragons – Machine
3. Lauv featuring Julia Michaels – There's No Way
4. James Arthur – Empty Space
5. Alessia Cara – Trust My Lonely

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
WØLVES – Animal: I don't know much about these guys, but they wowed with this debut single of theirs. I like the production and the drop here, and their vocals are good.
NF – Let You Down: I do see the appeal towards this one. But I don't like his delivery and the chipmunk vocals in the background are annoying. Yeah, I'm not a fan. Sorry.
P!NK – Beautiful Trauma: The intro is pretty cute, and then we get to hear P!NK's beautiful voice. It's definitely something enjoyable. And then there's the music video, which features her and Channing Tatum. Cool stuff.
Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same: Blech. Everything about the song is a mess, especially from a vocal standpoint. The pre-chorus is absolutely awful and the lyrics leave something to be desired. This song is one of many reasons why I was mixed on Camila's music overall.

AT40: Panic! At The Disco (3) - Week Of January 19, 2019

What's up, guys? So this AT40 post came out much later than usual, in large part due to me working on the rankdown. My apologies. I have some other stuff that I need to work on as well. I do realize that I'm falling behind. Let's just get on with it. Before we get to this week's fresh 40, here are the songs we're saying good-bye to this week:

• Shallow by Lady Gaga featuring Bradley Cooper (#25)
• I'm A Mess by Bebe Rexha (#32)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco
40. Delicate by Taylor Swift (#39) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
39. Let You Love Me by Rita Ora (DEBUT)
38. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max (#40) [+2]
37. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign (#35) [–2] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
36. Wake Up In The Sky by Gucci Mane featuring Bruno Mars and Kodak Black (DEBUT)
35. Mine by Bazzi (#37) [+2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
34. MIA by Bad Bunny and Drake (#38) [+4]
33. 8 Letters by Why Don't We (#34) [+1]
32. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande (#33) [+1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
31. Body by Loud Luxury featuring Brando (#36) [+5]
30. I Like It by Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin (#29) [–1]
29. Be Alright by Dean Lewis (#28) [–1]
28. Back To You by Selena Gomez (#26) [–2]
27. Trust My Lonely by Alessia Cara (#27) [=]
26. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD (#24) [–2]
25. Tequila by Dan + Shay (#32) [+7]
24. God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande (#21) [–3] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
23. Ruin My Life by Zara Larsson (#30) [+7]
22. Lie by NF (#18) [–4]
21. Nothing Breaks Like A Heart by Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus (#23) [+2]
20. Broken by lovelytheband (#17) [–3]
19. Better by Khalid (#22) [+3]
18. Taki Taki by DJ Snake featuring Selena Gomez, Ozuna, and Cardi B (#20) [+2]
17. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini (#19) [+2]
16. Electricity by Silk City featuring Dua Lipa (#15) [–1]
15. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake (#16) [+1]
14. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B (#14) [=] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
13. Consequences by Camila Cabello (#12) [–1]
12. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee (#13) [+1]
11. Better Now by Post Malone (#11) [=]
10. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee (#10) [=]
9. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani (#9) [=]
8. Beautiful (Remix) by Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello (#8) [=]
7. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#7) [=] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
6. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid (#6) [=]
5. Happier by Marshmello featuring Bastille (#4) [–1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
4. Without Me by Halsey (#3) [–1]
3. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande (#5) [+2]
2. Breathin' by Ariana Grande (#2) [=]
1. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco (#1) [=] [3^rd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug (6^th of 7 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Lie by NF (–4)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Tie between Tequila by Dan + Shay and Ruin My Life by Zara Larsson (+7)

New Entrants:
- Our first of two debuts this week comes from Rita Ora with her latest single, in the form of Let You Love Me. I actually like Rita and it's a shame that she's severely underrated because she has some songs that I really like. Let You Love Me is no exception. Now, it's not the best thing she has to offer. But it's still a solid song all around. She sounds pretty good with her vocals. I think the production is decent and the lyrics are nicely written. Not too much else I can say about this one. It's pretty good overall.

- Next, we have a rather interesting collaboration between three artists (Gucci Mane, Bruno Mars, and Kodak Black) in their single titled Wake Up In The Sky. This is the type of song I normally wouldn't like given my disdain towards the rap genre when it comes to quality. But I actually find this to be pretty decent. Bruno shows that he is a good rapper. I like his verses throughout the whole song. Gucci and Kodak don't really sound too bad here. The only thing that bothers me is some of the lyrics and the relatively underwhelming production. Overall, it's not bad. It's something worthwhile for the time being.

Best Debut Of The Week: Let You Love Me by Rita Ora

Let You Love Blurbs
- As far as our exits go, we sadly say good-bye to Shallow. I thought it was an amazing song from the A Star Is Born soundtrack and it deserved more success than it ultimately had. But I'm glad it was able to make the countdown, so that's good enough. Good riddance to I'm A Mess. That one got mediocre extremely fast. Bebe Rexha can do so much better. At least this one didn't get as big as its predecessor.

- I'm a little surprised to see Electricity still hanging on despite the fact that it pretty much died out elsewhere. I still love the song, though. But I have a feeling it won't last much longer.

- It's nice to see Tequila catching on with that big jump. Something tells me that it may end up having a pretty decent run much like on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown. I'm glad Dan + Shay are getting some good recognition.

Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:
20. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake

1 – Bad:
19. Happier by Marshmello featuring Bastille
18. Taki Taki by Dj Snake featuring Selena Gomez, Ozuna, and Cardi B

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
17. Without Me by Halsey
16. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B.
15. Broken by lovelytheband

4 – Good:
14. Better by Khalid
13. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande

5 – Great:
12. Beautiful by Bazzi featuirng Camila Cabello
11. Consequences by Camila Cabello
10. Better Now by Post Malone
9. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer
8. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco
7. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani
6. Electricity by Silk City featuring Dua Lipa
5. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid
4. Breathin' by Ariana Grande 
3. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee
2. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee

Total Score: 80/100 = 80% (B–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Beautiful by Christina Aguilera (2002)

Most Missed Song: Unconditionally by Katy Perry

#1 Recommendations For The American Top 40: You Say by Lauren Daigle and Miss Me More by Kelsea Ballerini

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B

My Top 5 Picks
1. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee
2. Tequila by Dan + Shay
3. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini
4. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee
5. Breathin' by Ariana Grande

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake
2. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
3. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD
4. Trust My Lonely by Alessia Cara
5. Happier by Marshmello featuring Bastille

Halsey (2) - Week Of January 19, 2019

What's up, guys? My plan right now is that next week, I'll be doing the reveals for the rankdown involving Hits 1's Top 45 of 2018. My goal is to start on Monday night because that's when I'm not all that busy. Hopefully, it'll all be finished by the end of this month, or maybe sooner. I'm sure it'll be a whole lot of fun. Anyway, here's the Hits 1 Countdown post for this MLK Jr. Holiday weekend. So, TWENTY ØNE PILØTS were the guest hosts for the Weekend Countdown in place of Spyder Harrison. I thought they did a nice job hosting. Before we get to this week's fresh 45, here are the songs leaving us this week:

• The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects (#38)
• Olly Murs featuring Snoop Dogg – Moves (#39)

The Countdown:

Last Week's #1 Song: Halsey – Without Me

45. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (#45) [=] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

44. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#44) [=] [Spent 9 Weeks At #1]

43. George Ezra – Shotgun (#43) [=]

42. Jennifer Lopez – Limitless (DEBUT)

41. Charlie Puth – The Way I Am (#41) [=]

40. Silk City featuring Dua Lipa – Electricity (#40) [=]

39. Lauv featuring Julia Michaels – There's No Way (#31) [–8]

38. Steve Aoki featuring BTS – Waste It On Me (#42) [+4]

37. Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess (#36) [–1]

36. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#37) [+1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]

35. Little Mix featuring Nicki Minaj – Woman Like Me (#34) [–1]

34. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart (#35) [+1]

33. Selena Gomez – Back To You (#32) [–1]

32. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B – Girls Like You (#29) [–3]

31. Alessia Cara – Trust My Lonely (DEBUT)

30. lovelytheband – Broken (#24) [–6]

29. Camila Cabello – Consequences (#26) [–3]

28. The Struts featuring Kesha – Body Talks (#10) [–18]

27. Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus – Nothing Breaks Like A Heart (#25) [–2]

26. James Arthur – Empty Space (#22) [–4]

25. Zara Larsson – Ruin My Life (#30) [+5]

24. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones (#8) [–16]

23. Lauren Jauregui – Expectations (#23) [=]

22. Dan + Shay – Speechless (#33) [+11]

21. Khalid – Better (#28) [+7]

20. Ariana Grande – Breathin' (#19) [–1]

19. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower (#11) [–8]

18. Imagine Dragons – Natural (#16) [–2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

17. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho (#13) [–4]

16. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Chlorine (#20) [+4]

15. David Guetta featuring Anne-Marie – Don't Leave Me Alone (#15) [=]

14. Imagine Dragons – Machine (#27) [+13]

13. Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside (#17) [+4]

12. Dan + Shay – Tequila (#18) [+6]

11. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me (#21) [+10]

10. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It (#12) [+2]

9. Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next (#9) [=]

8. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly (#14) [+6]

7. Anne-Marie – 2002 (#7) [=]

6. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood (#5) [–1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]

5. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies (#6) [+1]

4. Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE – Happier (#4) [=] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

3. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (#3) [=] [Spent 8 Weeks At #1]

2. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling (#2) [=] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]

1. Halsey – Without Me (#1) [=] [2^nd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Imagine Dragons – Thunder (4^th of 5 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: The Struts featuring Kesha – Body Talks (–18)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Imagine Dragons – Machine (+13)

New Entrants:

- This week, we have two new songs entering the countdown. We'll begin with Jennifer Lopez (or J-Lo as some call her) with Limitless, which is the single from the Second Act movie soundtrack. You've probably have heard it as a countdown extra prior to two weeks ago. Now that it's here, I'm going to give my take on this. Hearing this song, it's definitely amazing in every sense of the word. J-Lo has a great voice and she uses it very well in the song. I absolutely love the chorus build-up leading up to it. The production is top-notch across the board, and that includes the great piano work. Yeah, this is just a awesome song overall.

- Our second debut comes from Alessia Cara with Trust My Lonely, which is from her new album The Pains Of Growing. Now, she did have Growing Pains which I loved and I placed it on My Top 50 Songs of 2018. But Trust My Lonely is a different story. The song is just not good. Alessia sounds decent in some parts of the song. But her verses don't have any momentum whatsoever and she doesn't really shine in the chorus. But my biggest problem is the production is weird (the bad kind of weird) and a little out of place. There are also some questionable lyrics that I won't go deep into right now. So overall, I'm not a big fan, and this is coming from someone who enjoys songs like Scars To Your Beautiful, Here, and Stay. This is probably one of her worst singles to date. I'm really disappointed in you, Alessia.

Best Debut Of The Week: Jennifer Lopez – Limitless

Hey Now, You're A Blurb Star
- So, we have two exits this week. First off, Side Effects had a relatively nice run considering it was not very popular elsewhere. It did make the Hits 1 Year-End list for 2018, so that's saying something. Moves definitely left too early. It's pretty sad that Olly Murs is severely underrated because he has plenty of good music. Moves just happens to be one of those songs. It'll sorely be missed by me.

- This seemingly endless run of Love Lies continues as it has jumped back into the Top 5. I do still like the song, so I'm not complaining. At this rate, the song could potentially last a year on the countdown, though that might be a stretch.

- I'm not too thrilled about Let Me Down Slowly entering the Top 10. I'll admit that the production is nice, but I can't get on board with Alec's voice. He sounds too childish. There are much better songs that are worthy to be in the Top 10 than this (including a certain song that just missed out this week, if you know what I'm talking about).

- Speaking of jumps, we have Machine which of course takes a big jump this week despite how horrific the song is. I have a bad feeling it may end up being successful on the countdown. I hope I'm wrong.

- The Last Of The Real Ones finally took a massive drop after spending a seemingly long time in the Top 10. It had a great run for a song from Fall Out Boy. Though, I do still expect it to stick around for a little longer.

- On that note, Body Talks also drops out of the Top 10, which is saddening. But at the same time, I can't be surprised about this given that the song isn't exactly popular. Still, I enjoy that song a lot. Too bad it won't be much longer with us.

- Yes, you saw that correctly. After much thought, I can say that Sunflower is my new favorite song on the countdown. I normally don't say that about Post Malone given that I'm still not sold on his music. But Sunflower has been getting better with each listen.

Hit-Bound:

• Charli XCX featuring Troye Sivan – 1999
• Gesaffelstein featuring The Weeknd – Lost In The Fire (DEBUT)
• Dean Lewis – Be Alright
• Seeb featuring BΔSTILLE – Grip
• Stephen Puth – Sexual Vibe
• Kelsea Ballerini – Miss Me More
• Lauren Daigle – You Say
• Jake Miller – Wait For You (DEBUT)
• Post Malone – Wow.
• Sabrina Carpenter – Sue Me
• lovelytheband – Maybe, I'm Afraid
• Benny Blanco featuring Calvin Harris – I Found You
• Pitbull featuring Rhea – Ocean To Ocean
• Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It's Over
• Travis Scott featuring Drake – Sicko Mode

Entrant Reviews:

- Okay, so we get the return of The Weeknd once more. And this time around, he's collaborating with a new EDM artist whose name is Gesaffelstein, in their single Lost In The Fire. I don't exactly know who Gessafflestein is. But he made a good first impression in this song. His work here is just awesome. The Weeknd shines as always with his voice. I'll save most of my words for when it inevitably debuts.

- Next, we have Jake Miller with his single, Wait For You. He's had quite a few songs on the YouTube 15, including this one. I briefly talked about Wait For You last month when it was trending on the YouTube 15. To recap, I'm not big on the production. It's a little too basic and the lyrics are left to be desired. I do like his voice though.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks

1. Gesaffelstein featuring The Weeknd – Lost In The Fire

2. Lauren Daigle – You Say

3. Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It's Over

4. Kelsea Ballerini – Miss Me More

5. Dean Lewis – Be Alright

YouTube 15:

• Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next
• Clean Bandit featuring Marina And The Diamond and Luis Fonsi – Baby
• Kehlani featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Nights Like This
• Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B – Girls Like You
• Alan Walker featuring AuRa and Tomine Hacket – Darkside
• Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower
• Loren Gray – Queen
• Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside
• The Chainsmokers featuring Winona Oak – Hope
• Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
• Billie Eilish – When I Was Older
• Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE – Happier
• Mike Posner – Move On
• Halsey – Without Me
• Calvin Harris featuring Rag'N'Bone Man – Giant

Song Reviews:
- First, we have Kehlani who teams up with Ty Dolla $ign in her new single titled Nights Like This. I like Kehlani as an artist. I've enjoyed a few songs such as Good Life (with G-Eazy) and Done For Me (with Charlie Puth). This is no exception. In fact, this is probably the best thing she's been a part of. I love Kehlani's voice overall. She is very talented and she uses it well in the song. I really like the verses from Ty Dolla $ign. The production here is pretty neat and above my expectations. Yeah, this is just divine all around.

- Next, Loren Gray has her new single, Queen. Not a whole lot I can say about this except that I do like the song. I thought Loren sounds good in the song and the production is nice. So yeah, it's quite enjoyable to some degree.

- I know some people will disagree with me on this, but I actually like Billie Eilish. I think she is very unique artist. Here, she gives us When I Was Older. It may seem like a snoozefest on paper. But when I actually listened to song in full, I was pulled in. Billie has a interesting voice and she uses it well here. Overall, it's a good song.

- Finally, we get yet another single from Calvin Harris. This time, he's collaborating with Rag'N'Bone Man in Giant. Those who remember Rag'N'Bone Man should know that he had Human a couple years back. I enjoyed that song quite a lot even though it was severely underrated. I really like his contribution here overall. Calvin knows how to work his magic and here, he does well as a DJ. Yeah, I'm a big fan of this.

My Top 5 YouTube 15 Picks
1. Kehlani featuring Ty Doll $ign – Nights Like This
2. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower
3. Alan Walker featuring AuRa and Tomine Hacket – Darkside
4. Billie Eilish – When I Was Older
5. Calvin Harris featuring Rag'N'Bone Man – Giant

Top 20 Review:

0 – Appalling:

20. Imagine Dragons – Machine

1 – Bad:

19. Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE – Happier

18. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly

2 – Mediocre:

17. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Chlorine

3 – Decent:

16. Anne-Marie – 2002

15. Halsey – Without Me

4 – Good:

15. Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next

14. David Guetta featuring Anne-Marie – Don't Leave Me Alone

5 – Divine:

12. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies

11. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood

10. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes

9. Imagine Dragons – Natural

8. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It

7. Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside

6. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho

5. Ariana Grande – Breathin'

4. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me

3. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling

2. Dan + Shay – Tequila

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:

1. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower

Overall Grade: 79/100 = 79% (C+)

Throwback Picks Of The Week: Smash Mouth – All Star (1999) and Tal Bachman – She's So High (1999)

Most Missed Countdown Song: TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Tear In My Heart

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: BØRNS – Electric Love

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Maren Morris – Girl

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Kesha – Praying (#36) and Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B – Finesse (Remix) (#33)

My Top 5 Picks
1. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower
2. Dan + Shay – Tequila
3. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling
4. Dan + Shay – Speechless
5. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me

I Wish These Would Leave Soon
1. Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess
2. Imagine Dragons – Machine
3. Lauv featuring Julia Michaels – There's No Way
4. James Arthur – Empty Space
5. Alessia Cara – Trust My Lonely

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Maroon 5 – Wait: This song, along with most of the singles from Red Pill Blues, shows how much Maroon 5 has evolved for the worse. There's no band here, and I don't like the use of the trap skitters. You can clearly tell that Adam Levine has essentially taken over the band. They're all about him, and nothing more.

QOTW: Ariana has just released another new single, 7 Rings? How do you feel about this and why?

AT40: Panic! At The Disco (2) - Week Of January 12, 2019

What's up, guys? I'm thinking about doing reveals sometime this weekend, maybe sooner. While I'm at it, I also have some Year-End posts that I want to get out soon. I do realize I'm behind. But in the meantime, here's the AT40 post for this week. Benny Blanco was the guest host for Ryan Seacrest for the weekend. I thought he did a nice job hosting. Before we get to this week's fresh 40, here are the songs we're saying goodbye to this week:

• Don't Matter To Me by Drake featuring Michael Jackson (#28)
• The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey (#40) [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco
40. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max (DEBUT)
39. Delicate by Taylor Swift (#38) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
38. MIA by Bad Bunny featuring Drake (DEBUT)
37. Mine by Bazzi (#35) [–2] [Spent 1 Week At #1] 
36. Body by Loud Luxury featuring Brando (#36) [=]
35. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign (#33) [–2] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
34. 8 Letters by Why Don't We (#37) [+3]
33. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande (#31) [–2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
32. Tequila by Dan + Shay (#34) [+2]
31. I'm A Mess by Bebe Rexha (#29) [–2]
30. Ruin My Life by Zara Larsson (#39) [+9]
29. I Like It by Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin (#26) [–3]
28. Be Alright by Dean Lewis (#30) [+2]
27. Trust My Lonely by Alessia Cara (#27) [=]
26. Back To You by Selena Gomez (#23) [–3]
25. Shallow by Lady Gaga featuring Bradley Cooper (#24) [–1]
24. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD (#20) [–4]
23. Nothing Breaks Like A Heart by Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus (#32) [+9]
22. Better by Khalid (#24) [+2]
21. God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande (#17) [–4] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
20. Taki Taki by DJ Snake featuring Selena Gomez, Ozuna, and Cardi B (#22) [+2]
19. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini (#23) [+2]
18. Lie by NF (#14) [–4]
17. Broken by lovelytheband (#13) [–4]
16. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake (#18) [+2]
15. Electricity by Silk City featuring Dua Lipa (#16) [+1]
14. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B (#11) [–3] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
13. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee (#19) [+6]
12. Consequences by Camila Cabello (#15) [+3]
11. Better Now by Post Malone (#9) [–2] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
10. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee (#12) [+2]
9. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani (#8) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
8. Beautiful (Remix) by Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello (#13) [+3]
7. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#6) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
6. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid (#5) [–1]
5. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande (#7) [+2]
4. Happier by Marshmello featuring Bastille (#3) [–1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
3. Without Me by Halsey (#4) [+1]
2. Breathin' by Ariana Grande (#2) [=]
1. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco (#1) [=] [2^nd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug (5^th of 7 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Tie between Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD, God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande, Lie by NF, and Broken by lovelytheband (–4)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Tie between Ruin My Life by Zara Larsson and Nothing Breaks Like A Heart by Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus (+9)

New Entrants:
- Only two new songs entering the countdown this week. First, we have newcomer Ava Max with her debut single titled Sweet But Psycho. I don't have a whole lot to say about this one. I really like her voice and I believe she is talented. The production is quite solid all around. Though I do still kinda question some of the lyrics, it's still rather decent. Overall, it's a good song.

- For our second (and final) debut of the week, we have quite an interesting collaboration here. Bad Bunny and Drake team up in MIA. I can say that the song itself is decent, I guess. Drake does sound cool singing Spanish here, though a lot of that has to do with the fact that it's Bad Bunny's song. I'm not necessarily big on the lyrics and the production is a little too basic. These guys both sound decent, hence why the song is in blue. I guess the song is okay, but it's nothing special.

Best Debut Of The Week: Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max

I'm Ma-Ma-Ma Out My Blurb
- So, we have two exits. First off, Don't Matter To Me I fell in love with, but I knew it wouldn't last very long. Then, we have the big one, in which The Middle has left us after a seemingly long time. I know many here are going to be celebrating and throwing a be-gone party over this one, but I won't be attending. Instead, I'll be grieving over its exit. Thank you, The Middle, for your time and service on this countdown. You will definitely be missed by me.

- It was only a matter of time until Thank U, Next would make its way into the Top 5. Although I would much prefer if Breathin' took the #1 spot. But Thank U, Next is more likely at this point, given that the former is dying down elsewhere.

- Ruin My Life and Nothing Breaks Like A Heart both took nice jumps this week. I would like to see them gain more momentum in the weeks ahead, especially the latter.

- It looks like Broken is now dying out not only here, but elsewhere as well. It had a relatively nice run for a band not known elsewhere. They do have another new single which is currently on Hit-Bound. Will we see that sometime on this countdown soon?

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• There's No Way by Lauv featuring Julia Michaels
• Love Someone by Lukas Graham
• Let You Love Me by Rita Ora

Extras/Optional Extras:

• Clarity by Zedd featuring Foxes
• I Found You by Benny Blanco featuring Calvin Harris
• Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera
• Can't Hold Us by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
• Hot N Cold by Katy Perry
• Dynamite by Taio Cruz
• Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran
• Diamonds by Rihanna

Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:
20. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake

1 – Bad:
19. Happier by Marshmello featuring Bastille

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
18. Without Me by Halsey
17. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B.
16. Broken by lovelytheband

4 – Good:
15. Lie by NF
14. Taki Taki by Dj Snake featuring Selena Gomez, Ozuna, and Cardi B
13. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande

5 – Great:
12. Beautiful by Bazzi featuirng Camila Cabello
11. Consequences by Camila Cabello
10. Better Now by Post Malone
9. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer
8. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco
7. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee
6. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani
5. Electricity by Silk City featuring Dua Lipa
4. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid
3. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee
2. Breathin' by Ariana Grande 

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini

Total Score: 83/100 = 83% (B)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Fame by David Bowie (1975)

Most Missed Song: Counting Stars by OneRepublic

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Wolves by Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello (#11)

My Top 5 Picks
1. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini
2. Tequila by Dan + Shay
3. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee
4. Breathin' by Ariana Grande
5. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. I'm A Mess by Bebe Rexha
2. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
3. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD
4. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake
5. Trust My Lonely by Alessia Cara

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
I Like Me Better by Lauv: Ugh, do I need to say anymore about this shitty song? The production is way too weird and the lyrics are cringe-worthy. I honestly don't think there's any song that makes my ears scream for mercy more than this.
Tell Me You Love Me by Demi Lovato: Demi's best single off of the title album. The gospel vibe fits well for Demi. She sounds really good and I love the use of the trumpets.
LOVE. by Kendrick Lamar featuring Zacari: It may not be the best off of DAMN., which was a great album overall. But the song does show how talented Kendrick is when it comes to the verses.

Halsey (1) - Week Of January 12, 2019

Hello, fam! This week, I posted my review pertaining to Hits 1's Year-End List for 2018. As far as my rankdown goes, I may end up doing reveals sometime next weekend. I don't know exactly what my plan is. But I'll lend you some details soon. Right now, I have the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown post for you guys. We finally got some activity on this countdown after a while. I'll have more to say about it in the blurbs. Before we get to this week's fresh 45, here are the songs we're saying goodbye to this week:

• Shawn Mendes – Nervous (#31)
• Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello – Beautiful (Remix) (#41)
• TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – My Blood (#42)
• NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know (#45)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling
45. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (#44) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
44. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#43) [–1] [Spent 9 Weeks At #1]
43. George Ezra – Shotgun (#40) [–3]
42. Steve Aoki featuring BTS – Waste It On Me (#37) [–5]
41. Charlie Puth – The Way I Am (#38) [–3]

40. Silk City featuring Dua Lipa – Electricity (#32) [–8]

39. Olly Murs featuring Snoop Dogg – Moves (#21) [–18]

38. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects (#39) [+1]

37. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#35) [–2] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]

36. Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess (#36) [=]

35. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart (#33) [–2]

34. Little Mix featuring Nicki Minaj – Woman Like Me (#26) [–8]

33. Dan + Shay – Speechless (DEBUT)

32. Selena Gomez – Back To You (#30) [–2]

31. Lauv featuring Julia Michaels – There's No Way (#27) [–4]

30. Zara Larsson – Ruin My Life (DEBUT)

29. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B – Girls Like You (#29) [=]

28. Khalid – Better (DEBUT)

27. Imagine Dragons – Machine (DEBUT)

26. Camila Cabello – Consequences (#16) [–10]

25. Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus – Nothing Breaks Like A Heart (#34) [+9]

24. lovelytheband – Broken (#19) [–5]

23. Lauren Jauregui – Expectations (#22) [–1]

22. James Arthur – Empty Space (#25) [+3]

21. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me (#20) [–1]

20. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Chlorine (#23) [+3]

19. Ariana Grande – Breathin' (#14) [–5]

18. Dan + Shay – Tequila (#13) [–5]

17. Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside (#18) [+1]

16. Imagine Dragons – Natural (#15) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

15. David Guetta featuring Anne-Marie – Don't Leave Me Alone (#24) [+9]

14. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly (#17) [+3]

13. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho (#28) [+15]

12. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It (#11) [–1]

11. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower (#12) [+1]

10. The Struts featuring Kesha – Body Talks (#9) [–1]

9. Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next (#6) [–3]

8. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones (#7) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

7. Anne-Marie – 2002 (#8) [+1]

6. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies (#10) [+4]

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

4. Marshmello featuring Bastille – Happier (#4) [=] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

3. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (#2) [–1] [Spent 8 Weeks At #1]

2. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling (#1) [–1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]

1. Halsey – Without Me (#3) [+2] [1^st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé – Perfect (2^nd And Final Week At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Olly Murs featuring Snoop Dogg – Moves (–18)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho (+15)

New Entrants:
- To kick off our first new debuts for the new year, we have the country duo Dan + Shay bringing us their second song on the countdown, and a good one at that. It is titled Speechless. I've made it no secret that I've started to adore these guys, especially after hearing Tequila. They both have amazing voices and they're definitely talented songwriters. Speechless is just as good, if not better, than it's predecessor. The song opens up with the nice piano and the divine vocals we get from Shay. I knew then and there that this would turn out to be a good song right from the jump. Sure enough, I was proven right. I love the creativity put into the lyrical content. There's a music video for the song, which basically shows the wedding between the couple. I talked about Ed Sheeran – Perfect when I placed it on my best list for 2018 and I said that I wanted that to be our song when I someday get married. Now, I can add Speechless to that list of songs as well. Yeah, everything about it is just divine. Dan + Shay have become one of my favorite country artists at this moment, along with Maren Morris and Kelsea Ballerini (she also has a song on Hit-Bound, which we'll get to later on). I hope to see it last long.

- I remember Zara Larsson from Never Forget You back in 2016. That one was a huge favorite of mine. This week, she makes her return with her latest single titled Ruin My Life. I'll make this simple: it's not as good as Never Forget You. But I still like the song overall. Zara sounds good with her voice. Sure, she doesn't quite shine in the chorus. But she shows how talented she is. The production is solid across the board, and I like the lyrics. I don't really have too much else to say about it. It's a good song and Zara deserves some success.

- Next up, we have more of Khalid with his latest single, Better. As I talked about in my Year-End posts, Khalid has potential and he showed me that he has a nice voice. His performance in Love Lies is an example of that. But here, it's quite a different story, at least as of this moment. The production is interesting in some way, and I do kinda like the lyrics. However, I'm not particularly sold on Khalid's voice. I feel like he didn't show his potential vocally. Maybe it's just me. I can see myself growing into the song, but it probably won't stick with me in the long run.

- Finally, we have more Imagine Dragons...and to be blunt, this is not what I had hoped for. They brings us my least favorite single from these guys, by the name of Machine. I have an interesting relationship with Imagine Dragons as far as their latest music goes. Having listened to the entirety of Evolve, I can say that it wasn't really that good of an album. But I did enjoyed songs like Believer, Walking The Wire, Whatever It Takes, and to an extent Thunder (although I did lose interest in that one with time). Then came Natural, which I still love to this day. But when it comes to Origins, it's pretty bad overall. And unfortunately, they chose to release the worst single from the album, Machine. The production is scrambled in more ways than one. Alex da Kid is the one who worked on the production, and he failed miserably. And to think this is the same guy behind my favorite songs such as Love The Way You Lie, Airplanes, and Renegades. Dan Reynolds's obnoxious yelling turns me off. Like I'm not even kidding. It is TORTURE to my ears. I may have liked it in songs like Natural, where he sounds good hitting those high notes. But here, he sounds like nails on a chalkboard. Simply put, this song is just a mess. It's extremely disappointing to say that about Imagine Dragons because I really like those guys. I had better hope it doesn't last very long and become another hit.

Best Debut Of The Week: Dan + Shay – Speechless

I'm Blurbless
- As I do every single week, I always start with the exits. This new year will be no different. So, I Wanna Know was overdue for some time. I liked it when it was brand new, but overtime I lost interest and it kinda got on my nerves after a while. My Blood wasn't really destined to last. Beautiful was a nice collaboration between Bazzi and Camila. But I do wish that one had more success. I think it's slightly better than that of its predecessor. Finally, we have the departure of Nervous, which wasn't really interesting to me. I'm kinda glad that one didn't end up getting as big. There are better songs from that album of his.

- Are you kidding me? Moves takes a gigantic drop this week. It's sad to see songs of this caliber become underrated. Olly Murs deserves better. And on that note, he does have another new song of his, but we'll get to that later on.

- Before introducing Side Effects, Spyder Harrison mentioned that The Chainsmokers celebrated the new year by going to a theme park. That sounds like a lot of fun.

- Before introducing Close To Me, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Ellie Goulding's addiction to exercising has left her miserable. Yeah, I get that exercising is good for everyone's health. But I guess the reason why she feels that way is because she probably does too much of it. I exercise quite a bit and I feel okay.

- Don't Leave Me Alone decides to jump into the Top 20 this week. I don't really love the song like that, but I still think it's better than anything Anne-Marie has been a part of recently (well, save for a couple of songs I won't mention).

- So, I recently watched parodies of Thank U, Next and I thought they were pretty funny. I think the one from James Corden is probably the one I liked. Yeah, there were some funny moments.

- Speaking of Anne-Marie, 2002 has been in the Top 10 for quite a while now. I'm starting to lose interest in the song now. I thought it was worthwhile, but I feel like the song is missing something that makes it a fun listen for me. One thing's for sure though: it's way better than one certain song.

- We get a new #1 that I'm 100% sure MANY are not very thrilled about (and I emphasized the word, "many"), and I should be too. But unlike most of you, I don't really hate Without Me that much. Well, not to the point where I'd have it green (because it's nowhere close to that), but I actually find it tolerable now. I'll certainly take it over a certain song on Hit-Bound, which we'll get to in just a moment.

Hit-Bound:

• Post Malone – Wow. (DEBUT)
• Sabrina Carpenter – Sue Me (DEBUT)
• lovelytheband – Maybe, I'm Afraid
• 5 Seconds Of Summer – Killer Queen
• Charli XCX featuring Troye Sivan – 1999
• Seeb featuring Bastille – Grip
• Kelsea Ballerini – Miss Me More (DEBUT)
• Benny Blanco featuring Calvin Harris – I Found You
• Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It's Over
• Pitbull featuring Rhea – Ocean To Ocean
• Dean Lewis – Be Alright
• Stephen Puth – Sexual Vibe
• Alessia Cara – Trust My Lonely
• Lauren Daigle – You Say
• Travis Scott featuring Drake – Sicko Mode (DEBUT)

Entrant Reviews:

- Okay, so we have four new songs making their arrival on Hit-Bound in the second weekend of the new year. We'll start with Post Malone with his latest single titled Wow. Just when I thought Post Malone was improving, he gives us this song. It's not as bad as his earlier singles (pre-Better Now), but there are plenty of things I do not like about it. The production is lame and uninteresting, and the lyrics aren't too good. I'll talk more about it when it debuts.

- Next, there's more Sabrina Carpenter once again, this time with Sue Me. Her music has been a very mixed bag for me for the most part. In this song, I thought Sabrina sounds decent here, but I'm not big on the production. My opinion on the song could change, but my thoughts will likely remain as they are.

- With This Feeling still gaining momentum on Hits 1, I'm not surprised that they decided to pick up a song from Kelsea Ballerini. I will say that Miss Me More is definitely a amazing song. Kelsea has a great voice and she uses it very well here, much like she did in This Feeling. I really like the production overall and the creativity put into the lyrics is just awesome. 

- Yippee! We have Travis Scott who somehow makes it to Hits 1 with Sicko Mode. I'm going to make this plain and simple. This song sucks. Like I'm not even kidding. I can't stand the beat and Travis Scott sounds awful. It's just painful to my ears. Drake adds absolutely nothing to the song. And don't even get me started on the lyrics are complete and utter trash. There are no redeeming qualities to the song whatsoever. It's a damn shame that this is in the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 despite the song being a complete mess, because of course. I'm hoping the song doesn't stay too long on Hits 1.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks

TIE: 1. Lauren Daigle – You Say

TIE: 1. Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It's Over

TIE: 1. Kelsea Ballerini – Miss Me More

4. Pitbull featuring Rhea – Ocean To Ocean

5. Dean Lewis – Be Alright

YouTube 15:

• Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B – Girls Like You
• Alan Walker featuring AuRa and Tomine Hacket – Darkside
• Olly Murs – Excuses
• Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower
• Clean Bandit featuring Marina And The Diamond and Luis Fonsi – Baby
• Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next
• Backstreet Boys – No Place
• Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside
• The Chainsmokers featuring Winona Oak – Hope
• Marshmello featuring Bastille – Happier
• Lost Kings featuring Wiz Khalifa and Social House – Don't Kill My High
• Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
• Galantis featuring Sofia Carson – San Francisco
• Halsey – Without Me
• Mike Posner – Move On

Song Reviews:
- Alright, so we have some new music trending on the YouTube 15 to start the new year. We'll begin with Olly Murs with his new single titled Excuses. I love his voice throughout the song and the lyrical content is well-written. I love the piano work in this one. Overall, it's a good song. Olly has impressed me yet again.

- We have more of the Backstreet Boys with their new single, No Place, as they give us a glimpse of their upcoming album DNA, which comes out later this month. It's not as good as its predecessor, but it shows that these guys haven't lost a step. Their vocals are good, the lyrics are solid, and the production is top-notch. Those who like it can explain it more in detail better than I can. But to put it short, it's another great song by these guys.

- Next, there's Lost Kings who is collaborating with Wiz Khalifa and Social House in their new single, Don't Kill My High. I actually like this one. I thought Wiz Khalifa sounded decent here. Lost Kings did a nice job with the production. Yeah, this is something worthwhile.

- Up next, we have EDM producer Galantis and singer Sofia Carson bringing us one of the worst songs in the EDM genre, in the form of San Francisco. I'm going to be straight up and say that the song sucks. The production is way too basic, especially for Galantis. Sofia does not sound good here. She is drenched in auto-tune and in some parts of the song, her voice is grating. It's sad for me to say this because Sofia has some music that I kinda like. The song is shit, and it makes it seems like Galantis is selling out just to go mainstream. I'm sure some here are saying the same about Zedd, but I still hold a 100% unpopular opinion on songs like Stay, The Middle, and Happy Now. But unfortunately, San Francisco is a different story. I don't think there are any redeeming qualities to the song.

- Finally, we have Mike Posner with Move On. Right off the bat, it's a bit of a step up from Song About You, which didn't really have much to it. I love the beat and Mike sounds good with his voice. The guitars and instruments are put to great use. Overall, it's a great song. While it's not nearly as good as I Took A Pill In Ibiza, it's still something enjoyable.

My Top 5 YouTube 15 Picks
1. Alan Walker featuring AuRa and Tomine Hacket – Darkside
2. Backstreet Boys – No Place
3. Clean Bandit featuring Marina And The Diamond and Luis Fonsi – Baby
4. Olly Murs – Excuses
5. Mike Posner – Move On

Top 20 Review:
0 – Putrid:
None!

1 – Bad:
20. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly
19. Marshmello featuring Bastille – Happier

2 – Mediocre:
18. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Chlorine
17. Halsey – Without Me

3 – Decent:
16. Anne-Marie – 2002

4 – Good:
15. Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next
14. David Guetta featuring Anne-Marie – Don't Leave Me Alone

5 – Great:
13. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies
12. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
11. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
10. Imagine Dragons – Natural
9. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones
8. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It
7. Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside
6. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho
5. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower
4. The Struts featuring Kesha – Body Talks
3. Ariana Grande – Breathin'
2. Dan + Shay – Tequila

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling

Overall Grade: 83/100 = 83% (B)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: David Bowie – Fame (1975)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Eminem featuring Rihanna – Love The Way You Lie

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

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between Kesha – Praying (#33) and Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B – Finesse (#30)

My Top 5 Picks
1. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling
2. Dan + Shay – Speechless
3. Dan + Shay – Tequila
4. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me
5. Ariana Grande – Breathin'

Why Couldn't You Guys Leave Instead?
1. Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess
2. Imagine Dragons – Machine
3. Lauv featuring Julia Michaels – There's No Way
4. James Arthur – Empty Space
5. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
G-Eazy featuring Halsey – Him & I: I really enjoyed this when it was new, but I stopped caring for it mainly because G-Eazy and Halsey are no longer a couple. But I do still kinda liked the duet between the two.
Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B – Finesse (Remix): Ah, yes. Bruno Mars's last stand in the 24K Magic era. I love the new jack swing it brings, and Cardi B adds life to the remix. In addition, the music video parodies In Living Color. Yeah, that was cool.
Justin Timberlake – Filthy: This comeback single from Justin Timberlake had everyone split down the middle. Me personally, I never really hate it. But it is weird in every possible way. I do kinda like the Prince vibes.