Panic! At The Disco (1) - Week Of March 9, 2019

Hello, fam! I don't really have much to say for my introduction. We got a new #1 for this week, and of course it comes from a certain band who Hits 1 adores with great intensity. We did get some activity here and there, though I'm not crazy about our debuts this week. More on that in just a bit. Before we get to this week's fresh 45, here are the songs we're saying goodbye to this week:

• David Guetta featuring Anne-Marie – Don't Leave Me Alone (#27)
• Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus – Nothing Breaks Like A Heart (#36)
• Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones (#42) [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling
45. lovelytheband – Broken (#44) [–1]
44. Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess (#45) [+1]
43. Charlie Puth – The Way I Am (#43) [=]
42. George Ezra – Shotgun (#40) [–2]
41. Jennifer Lopez – Limitless (#41) [=]
40. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart (#38) [–2]
39. Travis Scott featuring Drake – Sicko Mode (#39) [=]
38. Imagine Dragons – Natural (#37) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
37. Lauv featuring Troye Sivan – I'm So Tired (DEBUT)
36. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B – Girls Like You (#35) [–1]
35. Post Malone – Wow. (DEBUT)
34. Stephen Puth – Sexual Vibe (#32) [–2]
33. Grandson – Apologize (DEBUT)
32. Jake Miller – Wait For You (#34) [+2]
31. Sabrina Carpenter – Sue Me (#25) [–6]
30. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies (#29) [–1]
29. 5 Seconds of Summer – Youngblood (#28) [–1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
28. Zedd featuring Katy Perry – 365 (#30) [+2]
27. Lil Peep featuring iLoveMakonnen and Fall Out Boy – I've Been Waiting (#31) [+4]
26. Lauren Daigle – You Say (#33) [+7]
25. Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next (#17) [–8]
24. Seeb featuring BΔSTILLE – Grip (#24) [=]
23. Khalid – Better (#21) [–2]
22. Kelsea Ballerini – Miss Me More (#22) [=]
21. Anne-Marie – 2002 (#15) [–6]
20. Imagine Dragons – Bad Liar (#26) [+6]
19. Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It's Over (#12) [–7]
18. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower (#19) [+1]
17. Dan + Shay – Speechless (#18) [+1]
16. Cardi B featuring Bruno Mars – Please Me (#23) [+7]
15. The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer – Who Do You Love (#20) [+5]
14. Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside (#13) [–1]
13. Dean Lewis – Be Alright (#16) [+3]
12. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger (#11) [–1]
11. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Chlorine (#14) [+3]
10. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me (#7) [–3]
9. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (#8) [–1] [Spent 8 Weeks At #1]
8. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings (#9) [+1]
7. Dan + Shay – Tequila (#10) [+3]
6. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho (#3) [–3]
5. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly (#4) [–1]
4. Halsey – Without Me (#5) [+1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
3. Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE – Happier (#6) [+3] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
2. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling (#1) [–1] [Spent 7 Weeks At #1]
1. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It (#2) [+1] [1^st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (2^nd of 9 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next (–8)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Tie between Lauren Daigle – You Say and Cardi B featuring Bruno Mars – Please Me (+7)

New Entrants:
- This week's new class of entrants aren't very appealing to me. We'll start with my least favorite debut of the week. Lauv makes his return once more, and he teams up with Troye Sivan in their single, I'm So Tired. Those who have been following my blog for the past year or so should know that I was not very fond of what Lauv has to offer. I Like Me Better was absolutely horrific in every way and I placed it in my Bottom 10 Songs of 2018, where it landed at #4. Then he gave us There's No Way, which wasn't as bad as its predecessor because I kinda liked the production in a way. But it was still pretty undesirable from a vocal standpoint. Now we have I'm So Tired. When I first heard about a possible collaboration between the two artists, I knew then and there that it would not turn out to be very good and after hearing it for the first time, I was sadly proven to be right. Everything about the song is pretty bad. The production, while not as bad as it was in I Like Me Better, is still underwhelming as a whole. Lauv does not sound good singing in the chorus. Troye's contribution to the song was decent, but even he couldn't save the song unfortunately. And this is coming from someone who placed My My My! as my #34 best song of 2018. I also kinda liked Youth even though it didn't stick with me. But this is the worst thing Troye has been a part of so far. Overall, I'm not a fan of this at all and I hope it doesn't stay for too long.

- Up next, there's more of Post Malone with his latest single Wow.. I've grown to enjoy his recent music, but that doesn't necessarily mean the bad singles stopped coming in. Wow. is just underwhelming and not very good. I'll say that it's not nearly as bad as his other singles such as Congratulations, Rockstar, and Psycho. But the song itself doesn't wow me very much. The production is too basic and I'm not feeling the lyrics. Post Malone sounds okay, but he doesn't really stand out for much of the song. So yeah, I'm not a fan of this and I can't really see it growing on me. NEXT!

- For our last debut, we have the artist named Grandson (no joke) making his first appearance on the countdown with Apologize. I don't have too much to say about the artist himself because he's not relevant just yet. I do like the instrumentation for the most part. But I'm not really feeling his voice here. He sounds just a little bit annoying in the chorus. I feel like the song would've been better if his voice was better. But it is what it is, I guess. While it's not a bad song at all, it's not really something that I'll see myself coming back to in about a year or so.

Best Debut Of The Week: Grandson – Apologize

I've Been Blurbing
- For our exits, The Last Of The Real Ones had a very strong run here. And even though it was off the voting poll, I did hear the song quite a bit this week. But I thought the song left a little sooner than I expected. I kinda thought it would end up hanging around in the Bottom 5 for a while. But oh well. As for the other two exits, I'm very sad about Nothing Breaks Like A Heart. This song is just amazing and it definitely deserved better. But of course, it had to get underrated. And finally, I was slightly losing interest in Don't Leave Me Alone, so I'm alright with it leaving.

- I figured Hey Look Ma, I Made It would get its #1 eventually, given how much Hits 1 still loves Brendon Urie and company. I certainly don't mind this because it's a good song. And this is actually their third song in a row from Pray For The Wicked to achieve the #1 spot. So congrats to them!

- There really wasn't much to talk about this week. We did get a few big drops from Thank U, Next which I'm okay with. And it was nice to see 2002 finally dropping out of the Top 20 as well. Hopefully, this is the beginning of the end for that song.

- On the opposite side, we have big jumps from You Say and Please Me. I'm very pleased about the former, and it looks like with the song doing well in sales it may end up making the Year-End list for the Billboard Hot 100.

Hit-Bound:

• LSD featuring Lil Wayne – Genius (Remix)
• P!NK – Walk Me Home
• Austin Brown – In Betweenin'
• Kelsy Karter – Harry
• Ally Brooke featuring Tyga – Low Key
• Panic! At The Disco – Dancing's Not A Crime
• Maren Morris – GIRL
• Kygo featuring Valerie Broussard – Think About You
• Avril Lavigne featuring Nicki Minaj – Dumb Blonde (DEBUT)
• Bebe Rexha – Last Hurrah (DEBUT)
• YUNGBLUD & Halsey featuring Travis Barker – 11 Minutes
• Meghan Trainor – All The Ways
• Billie Eilish – Bury A Friend (DEBUT)
• Madison Beer featuring Offset – Hurts Like Hell
• lovelytheband – Maybe, I'm Afraid
• Louis Tomlinson – Two Of Us (DEBUT)

Entrant Reviews:

- We get more of Avril Lavigne and she teams up with Nicki Minaj in Dumb Blonde. Right off the bat, this is a cool song to jam out to. I like the chorus here and the production is catchy in a way. Those who like the song can explain it better than I could. But everything about it works well for me.

- I'm still waiting for I'm A Mess to leave the countdown eventually. But Bebe Rexha has a new song looking to take its place soon, in the form of Last Hurrah. This is definitely a step up from its predecessor in every way. Her vocals sound better and I like the production. I really hope it make its debut soon.

- Hits 1 has finally picked up music from an artist who's been around for quite a while. Billie Eilish brings us Bury A Friend. Unlike many people in the discord server, I actually have an unpopular opinion when it comes to Billie Eilish. I like a majority of her music. Bury A Friend is no exception. Her voice is unique and I like the dark vibe. I do hope to see it on the countdown soon.

- Finally, we have the return of Louis Tomlinson with Two Of Us. This song talks about his late mother, who passed away from leukemia two years ago. I like what the song has going for and his voice is nice. I'm sure it'll end up making its debut at some point. It's nice to see him make his comeback.

Best New Entrant On Hit-Bound: Billie Eilish – Bury A Friend

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
TIE: 1. Maren Morris – GIRL
TIE: 1. Meghan Trainor – All The Ways
3. Billie Eilish – Bury A Friend
4. Bebe Rexha – Last Hurrah
5. YUNGBLUD & Halsey featuring Travis Barker – 11 Minutes

Top 20 Review:
0 – Crap:
20. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings
19. Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE – Happier

1 – Bad:
18. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly

2 – Mediocre:
17. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Chlorine

3 – Decent:
16. Halsey – Without Me

4 – Good:
15. Dean Lewis – Be Alright

5 – Great:
14. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
13. Cardi B featuring Bruno Mars – Please Me
12. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower
11. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It
10. The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer – Who Do You Love
9. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho
8. Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside
7. Imagine Dragons – Bad Liar
6. Dan + Shay – Speechless
5. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger
4. Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It's Over
3. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me
2. Dan + Shay – Tequila

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

Overall Grade: 80/100 = 80% (B–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Michael Jackson – Another Part Of Me (1988)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Lady Gaga featuring Bradley Cooper – Shallow

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Disturbed – The Sound Of Silence

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Kacey Musgraves – Rainbow

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello – Wolves (#5) and Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#1)


My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Lauren Daigle – You Say
TIE: 1. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling
3. Dan + Shay – Tequila
4. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger
5. Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It's Over

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Travis Scott featuring Drake – Sicko Mode
2. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings
3. Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess
4. Lauv featuring Troye Sivan – I'm So Tired
5. Post Malone – Wow.

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Keala Settle & The Greatest Showman Ensemble – This Is Me: This song is just beautiful. I love Keala's powerful voice and the chorus gives me the chills. I love the way she hits those high notes. I don't have much else I can say beyond that.
Meghan Trainor – No Excuses: It was this time one year ago that Meghan Trainor made her comeback. Lyrically, it's not all that good. But the production and her vocals make up for it.

AT40: Benny Blanco, Halsey, & Khalid (1) - Week Of March 9, 2019

Hello, fam! As far as my future posts go, I still have the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 Review which hasn't been out yet. But I'm almost done with it. I should finally have it ready next week. And then, there's the review for the performances at the Grammy Awards that I also want to get to. You'll just have to bear with me for the time being. In the meantime, here's the AT40 post. Before we get to this week's fresh 40, here are the songs we're saying goodbye to this week:

• Ruin My Life by Zara Larsson (#19)
• Let You Love Me by Rita Ora (#36)

The Countdown:

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

40. I Like It by Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin (#39) [–1]

39. Who Do You Love by The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer (DEBUT)

38. Lie by NF (#37) [–1]

37. Hurts Like Hell by Madison Beer featuring Offset (#38) [+1]

36. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD (#35) [–1]

35. Love Someone by Lukas Graham (#32) [–3]

34. God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande (#33) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]

33. You Say by Lauren Daigle (#34) [+1]

32. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored by Ariana Grande (#40) [+8]

31. Broken by lovelytheband (#28) [–3]

30. 8 Letters by Why Don't We (#30) [=]

29. MIA by Bad Bunny featuring Drake (#29) [=]

28. Please Me by Cardi B featuring Bruno Mars (DEBUT)

27. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B (#26) [–1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]

26. Swan Song by Dua Lipa (#27) [+1]

25. Better Now by Post Malone (#24) [–1]

24. Undrunk by FLETCHER (#31) [+7]

23. Beautiful (Remix) by Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello (#22) [–1]

22. Body by Loud Luxury featuring brando (#23) [+1]

21. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani (#20) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]

20. Be Alright by Dean Lewis (#25) [+5]

19. Breathin' by Ariana Grande (#18) [–1]

18. Tequila by Dan + Shay (#21) [+3]

17. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#16) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]

16. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max (#17) [+1]

15. Nothing Breaks Like A Heart by Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus (#13) [–2]

14. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani (#15) [+1]

13. Wow. by Post Malone (#14) [+1]

12. Lost In The Fire by Gesaffelstein featuring The Weeknd (#12) [=]

11. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake (#10) [–1]

10. Better by Khalid (#11) [+1]

9. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini (#9) [=]

8. Happier by Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE (#7) [–1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]

7. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee (#8) [+1]

6. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee (#5) [–1]

5. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande (#6) [+1]

4. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco (#4) [=] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]

3. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande (#3) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

2. Without Me by Halsey (#1) [–1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]

1. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid (#2) [+1] [1^st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: New Rules by Dua Lipa (4^th And Final Week At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Tie between Love Someone by Lukas Graham and Broken by lovelytheband (–3)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored by Ariana Grande (+8)

New Entrants:

- With This Feeling slowly dying out elsewhere, we have another song from The Chainsmokers. This time, they're collaborating with 5 Seconds Of Summer in their single, Who Do You Love. I had no idea what to expect coming into the song. But after listening many times, I grew to love it. While the drop isn't particularly amazing, I still like everything else about the song. The instrumentation in some parts of the song are nice. I love the vocals we get from these guys. I think they sound great in the chorus. The lyrical content is pretty well-written. Overall, it's a good song all around. While it's not the best The Chainsmokers have done, it's definitely something I enjoy.

- Last year, Cardi B and Bruno Mars both gave us my #8 favorite song of 2018 in the form of Finesse. This time around, they bring us their latest single making its debut on the American Top 40 countdown, by the name of Please Me. This song is not nearly as good as Finesse production-wise. However, that doesn't necessarily mean the song is bad per se. My concern is that it's missing the new jack swing, which is what made me love Finesse. However, I do like the verses we get from both artists. Bruno shows that he still has a good voice and Cardi B sounds decent in her verses. Overall, it's not a bad song at all. But it may not be something that'll stick with me in the long run.

Best Debut Of The Week: Who Do You Love by The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer

Who Do You Blurb?

- Our two exits will both be missed by me. Both Ruin My Life and Let You Love Me deserved better. But of course, they both ended up underrated. At least they were able to make the countdown down. I enjoyed both of those songs and depending on how the rest of the year goes, they may end up in My Top 50 Songs of 2019.

- It's nice to see something other than Without Me take the top spot this week. I love the fact that Eastside has taken over the #1 spot. It took a pretty long time to reach the top, but I'm glad it's taken the crown. The song is a great first impression for Benny Blanco.

- Of course, 7 Rings just had to enter the Top 5. As I've stated many times, this song is terribly produced, sung, and written. But sadly, it's going to stay in the Top 5 for a while and really test my patience. I do hope it doesn't get to #1, but one can only dream.

- I do, however, like the Top 10 entrant we get from Better. Although it's not quite as good as its predecessor, I've grew to enjoy it recently. But I don't really expect it to stick with me in the long run.

- Speaking of Ariana Grande, the big jump we get from Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored is not very pleasing. I'll say that it's not nearly as bad as its predecessor. But it's still pretty undesirable, in large part because I don't like the premise to the song and the production is not that good. I know Ariana is definitely capable of better. Her latest singles have been disappointing lately, especially 7 Rings.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Damn by LIVVIA
• Bad Liar by Imagine Dragons
• I've Been Waiting by Lil' Peep featuring iLoveMakonnen and Fall Out Boy
• 365 by Zedd featuring Katy Perry

Extras/Optional Extras:

• Shut Up And Dance by Walk The Moon
• Cheap Thrills by Sia featuring Sean Paul
• We Found Love by Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris
• Lean On by Major Lazer featuring DJ Snake and MØ
• I Don't Wanna Live Forever by ZAYN featuring Taylor Swift
• Cake By The Ocean by DNCE
• Despacito by Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber
• Here by Alessia Cara
• Wake Up In The Sky by Gucci Mane featuring Bruno Mars and Kodak Black
• Stressed Out by TWENTY ØNE PILØTS

Top 20 Breakdown:

0 – Garbage:

20. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake
19. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande

1 – Bad:
18. Wow. by Post Malone
17. Happier by Marshmello featuring Bastille

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
16. Without Me by Halsey
15. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great: 
14. Be Alright by Dean Lewis
13. Better by Khalid
12. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer
11. Nothing Breaks Like A Heart by Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus
10. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco
9. Lost In The Fire by Gesafflestein featuring The Weeknd
8. Breathin' by Ariana Grande 
7. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max
6. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee
5. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid
4. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee
3. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini
2. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani
1. Tequila by Dan + Shay

Total Score: 77/100 = 77% (C+)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Into The Groove by Madonna (1985)

Most Missed Song: Shallow by Lady Gaga featuring Bradley Cooper

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Rainbow by Kacey Musgraves

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey (#11) and Wolves by Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello (#6)

My Top 5 Picks

1. You Say by Lauren Daigle

2. Tequila by Dan + Shay

3. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani

4. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini

5. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee

My Bottom 5 Picks

1. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake

2. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD

3. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande

4. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored by Ariana Grande

5. Wow. by Post Malone

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:

Hold Me Tight Or Don't by Fall Out Boy: Although MANIA wasn't really that good of an album, I love how they tried to go for something new in the song. I thought the Mexican vibe was pretty cool here.

Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons: This was probably one of the few stand-outs from Evolve, which was not that good of an album either. I love how fast-paced it is and the production is solid. It's a motivational song that talks about achieving success no matter what.

The Chainsmokers & Kelsea Ballerini (7) - Week Of March 2, 2019

Hello, fam! Sorry for the post coming out later than usual. Only this time, my motivation was seriously lacking this week. Laziness has become a weakness of mine lately. It just happens sometimes. But I'm going to improve on that. Let's get right to the Hits 1 Countdown. Before we get to this week's fresh 45, here are the songs we're saying goodbye to this week:

• Charli XCX featuring Troye Sivan – 1999 (#29)
• Zara Larsson – Ruin My Life (#33)

The Countdown:

Last Week's #1 Song: The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling

45. Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess (#45) [=]
44. lovelytheband – Broken (#41) [–3]
43. Charlie Puth – The Way I Am (#43) [=]
42. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones (#30) [–12] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
41. Jennifer Lopez – Limitless (#44) [+3]

40. George Ezra – Shotgun (#38) [–2]

39. Travis Scott featuring Drake – Sicko Mode (#42) [+5]

38. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart (#34) [–4]

37. Imagine Dragons – Natural (#25) [–12] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

36. Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus – Nothing Breaks Like A Heart (#39) [+3]

35. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B – Girls Like You (#36) [+1]

34. Jake Miller – Wait For You (#40) [+6]

33. Lauren Daigle – You Say (#28) [–5]

32. Stephen Puth – Sexual Vibe (#24) [–8]

31. Lil Peep featuring iLoveMakonnen and Fall Out Boy – I've Been Waiting (DEBUT)

30. Zedd featuring Katy Perry – 365 (#37) [+7]

29. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies (#26) [–3]

28. 5 Seconds of Summer – Youngblood (#12) [–16] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]

27. David Guetta featuring Anne-Marie – Don't Leave Me Alone (#27) [=]

26. Imagine Dragons – Bad Liar (DEBUT)

25. Sabrina Carpenter – Sue Me (#22) [–3]

24. Seeb featuring Bastille – Grip (#16) [–8]

23. Cardi B featuring Bruno Mars – Please Me (#31) [+8]

22. Kelsea Ballerini – Miss Me More (#35) [+13]

21. Khalid – Better (#18) [–3]

20. The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer – Who Do You Love (#19) [–1]

19. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower (#14) [–5]

18. Dan + Shay – Speechless (#23) [+5]

17. Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next (#20) [+3]

16. Dean Lewis – Be Alright (#21) [+5]

15. Anne-Marie – 2002 (#7) [–8]

14. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Chlorine (#15) [+1]

13. Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside (#11) [–2]

12. Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It's Over (#17) [+5]

11. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger (#32) [+21]

10. Dan + Shay – Tequila (#10) [=]

9. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings (#13) [+4]

8. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (#6) [–2] [Spent 8 Weeks At #1]

7. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me (#9) [+2]

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

5. Halsey – Without Me (#3) [–2] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]

4. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly (#8) [+4]

3. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho (#5) [+3]

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

1. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling (#1) [=] [7^th Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (1^st of 9 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood (–16)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger (+21)

New Entrants:
- So, we get an interesting single from the late Lil' Peep, who collaborates with iLoveMakonnen and the band Fall Out Boy in their latest single titled I've Been Waiting. Coming into the song, I wasn't really expecting much. But after hearing this in full, I actually like this. I think their vocals are decent. The chorus is probably what pulls me in, when combined with the production, which I think is solid. Patrick sounds good in the chorus as well. Overall, it's pretty good. Not a bad collaboration between these guys.

- Not long after the departure of Machine, which was absolutely awful and maybe the worst single we've gotten from Imagine Dragons, we have a much better single from Origins, in the form of Bad Liar. It is a huge step up from its predecessor in every way. The instrumentation is better and not as messy. Dan Reynolds sounds good with his voice. He shines all throughout the song and we don't get any obnoxious yelling from him. When I hear this come on, it reminds me of Demons, which I liked as well. Looking deeper into the song, it tells a story about the relationship between Dan and his wife. I like the lyrical content here. It definitely has some creativity and it provides in depth as to what the song is truly about.

Best Debut Of The Week: Imagine Dragons – Bad Liar

I'm A Bad Blurber
- Two of our exits this week will both be missed by me. Ruin My Life was a good comeback for Zara Larsson. It deserved better than what it ultimately had. 1999 is a superior song compared to 2002. It's disappointing to see that one go whereas 2002 is still pretty high on the countdown. But at least it was here for a while and I enjoyed its presence.

- I'm not too thrilled about Let Me Down Slowly being in the Top 5 this week. I may like the instrumentation, but I'm not a big fan of the guy's voice. That brings the song down for me. I do hope it doesn't get any higher.

- Then, we have the extremely annoying 7 Rings in the Top 10. I hate this song like wildfire. It has no business being up there. But of course, it'll end up staying for a while despite the song being absolute garbage.

- After not doing much at all last week, Dancing With A Stranger took a well-deserved biggest jump of the week this week. I'm in love with the song and I'm glad Hits 1 is treating it well so far. Hopefully, its momentum stays strong.

- We have quite a few songs dropping big this week. Youngblood finally dropped out of the Top 20 after spending a seemingly long time in the Top 10. Also, songs like Natural and The Last Of The Real Ones fell to the Bottom 10 this week. It looks like the end may be finally near for those songs.

Hit-Bound:

This week, the Jonas Brothers are back together again as they host Hit-Bound. As such, they have a new single which I'll talk about in just a bit. Here's the full Hit-Bound list:

• lovelytheband – Maybe, I'm Afraid
• Post Malone – Wow.
• Maren Morris – GIRL
• P!NK – Walk Me Home (DEBUT)
• Madison Beer featuring Offset – Hurts Like Hell
• Panic! At The Disco – Dancing's Not A Crime
• Kelsy Karter – Harry
• Austin Brown – In Betweenin' (DEBUT)
• Meghan Trainor – All The Ways
• Ally Brooke featuring Tyga – Low Key (DEBUT)
• Grandson – Apologize
• Jonas Brothers – Sucker (DEBUT)
• LSD featuring Lil Wayne – Genius (Remix)
• YUNGBLUD featuring Halsey and Travis Barker – 11 Minutes
• Lauv featuring Troye Sivan – I'm So Tired
• Kygo featuring Valerie Broussard – Think About You (DEBUT)

Entrant Reviews:

- We sadly say goodbye to two songs this week. Let You Love Me was really good, and it's a shame that Rita Ora's music is underrated. Lost In The Fire I enjoyed as well. It's too bad the song didn't end up being another hit for The Weeknd. Oh well.

- P!NK makes her comeback with Walk Me Home. It's not the best she has to offer, but it's still something enjoyable. Even though her voice doesn't quite stand out, she still sounds good. I'll have more on this when it debuts.

- We have new artist named Austin Brown with In Betweenin'. Not a whole lot I can say about this one except I'm not huge on the guy's voice. That's my only concern about the song. But everything else works well in my opinion. 

- Up next, we have former Fifth Harmony member Ally Brooke with her solo debut single titled Low Key. I first heard the song when it first came out and I wasn't impressed for the most part. This was on the YouTube 15 and I explained why I wasn't very fond of it. I personally* think Ally is a good singer. But she doesn't really show it in the song. The chorus and her verses are underwhelming. And Tyga didn't really add to the song. I expected more out of Ally, but this is just disappointing and not very good. Oh well.

- So, we have the Jonas Brothers getting back together again. And they have a new single titled Sucker. As it stands as of this typing, it looks destined to be #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 come next week. This song does have some good stuff that I like about. I'll talk more about it when it debuts.

- Finally, we have the return of Kygo who was behind my #4 song of 2017. This time, he brings along Valerie Brousaard in Think About You. It's not quite as good as It Ain't Me, but I definitely love everything about this new single. I like Valerie's voice and Kygo did great with the production overall. I'm hoping it ends up debuting soon.

Best New Entrant on Hit-Bound: Kygo featuring Valerie Broussard – Think About You

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks

TIE: 1. Maren Morris – GIRL

TIE: 1. Meghan Trainor – All The Ways

3. Kygo featuring Valerie Broussard – Think About You

4. YUNGBLUD featuring Halsey and Travis Barker – 11 Minutes

5. P!NK – Walk Me Home

Top 20 Review:

0 – Horrific:

20. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings

1 – Bad:

19. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly

18. Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE – Happier

2 – Mediocre:

17. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Chlorine

16. Anne-Marie – 2002 

3 – Decent:

15. Halsey – Without Me

14. Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next

4 – Good:

None!

5 – Great:

13. Dean Lewis – Be Alright

12. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes

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

10. The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer – Who Do You Love

9. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho

8. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower

7. Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside

6. Dan + Shay – Speechless

5. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger

4. Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It's Over

3. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me

2. Dan + Shay – Tequila

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:

1. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling

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

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

Most Missed Countdown Song: P!NK – Try

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Alesso featuring Nico & Vinz – I Wanna Know

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Ellie Goulding – Flux

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello – Wolves (#7) and Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#1)

My Top 5 Picks

1. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling

2. Dan + Shay – Tequila

3. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me

4. Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It's Over

5. Lauren Daigle – You Say

My Bottom 5 Picks

1. Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess

2. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings

3. Travis Scott featuring Drake – Sicko Mode

4. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly

5. Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE – Happier

Song That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:

Alan Walker featuring Noah Cyrus and Digital Farm Animals – All Falls Down: I actually find Darkside to be better than this one. But that doesn't really change my opinion on the song per se. It's probably the best thing Noah has been a part of.

Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes: It's a motivational song that we don't get a lot of nowadays. I like how fast-paced it is and Dan sounds better vocally. Along with Believer and Walking The Wire, this is one of the best songs off of Evolve.

5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back: Ah, yes. Their comeback single after about two years. Although I do think Youngblood is superior, I do like what it has to offer. It's different from what they've released in the past, but it was something I liked.

AT40: Halsey (4) - Week Of March 2, 2019

Hello, fam! So, March is upon us. That means it's almost time for March Madness. Along with football, I'd say it's one of the best time of the year in the world of sports. I'll most definitely be watching. Other than that, I have nothing else I want to say for my introduction. Here's the AT40 countdown. Before we get to this week's fresh 40, here are the songs we're saying goodbye to this week:

• Wake Up In The Sky by Gucci Mane featuring Bruno Mars and Kodak Black (#31)
• There's No Way by Lauv featuring Julia Michaels (#35)
• Mine by Bazzi (#40) [Spent 1 Week At #1]

The Countdown:

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

40. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored by Ariana Grande (DEBUT)
39. I Like It by Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin (#37) [–2]

38. Hurts Like Hell by Madison Beer featuring Offset (DEBUT)
37. Lie by NF (#36) [–1]
36. Let You Love Me by Rita Ora (#37) [+1]
35. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD (#34) [–1]
34. You Say by Lauren Daigle (#39) [+5]
33. God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande (#32) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
32. Love Someone by Lukas Graham (#33) [+1]

31. Undrunk by FLETCHER (DEBUT)
30. 8 Letters by Why Don't We (#30) [=]
29. MIA by Bad Bunny featuring Drake (#28) [–1]
28. Broken by lovelytheband (#27) [–1]
27. Swan Song by Dua Lipa (#29) [+2]
26. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B (#23) [–3] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
25. Be Alright by Dean Lewis (#26) [+1]
24. Better Now by Post Malone (#20) [–4] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
23. Body by Loud Luxury featuring brando (#24) [+1]
22. Beautiful (Remix) by Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello (#10) [–12]
21. Tequila by Dan + Shay (#21) [=]
20. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani (#18) [–2] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
19. Ruin My Life by Zara Larsson (#17) [–2]
18. Breathin' by Ariana Grande (#12) [–6]
17. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max (#19) [+2]
16. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#15) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
15. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani (#25) [+10]
14. Wow. by Post Malone (#22) [+8]
13. Nothing Breaks Like A Heart by Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus (#16) [+3]
12. Lost In The Fire by Gesaffelstein featuring The Weeknd (#14) [+2]
11. Better by Khalid (#13) [+2]

10. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake (#11) [+1]

9. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini (#8) [–1]

8. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee (#7) [–1]

7. Happier by Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE (#6) [–1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]

6. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande (#9) [+3]

5. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee (#5) [=]

4. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco (#4) [=] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]

3. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande (#2) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

2. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid (#3) [+1]

1. Without Me by Halsey (#1) [=] [4^th Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: New Rules by Dua Lipa (3^rd of 4 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Beautiful (Remix) by Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello (–12)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani (+10)

New Entrants:

- We have two not so good debuts and one that is pretty solid. We'll start with Ariana Grande once more with another single from Thank U, Next titled Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored. As I mentioned before, I'm a big fan of Ariana. But I've definitely been mixed when it comes to her latest music. I despise 7 Rings with great intensity and as of right now, it's my least favorite song of the year so far, though that may change as the year goes along. As for her latest single, it's only a bit of a step up from 7 Rings. I do like how Ariana sounds better here as opposed to 7 Rings where she shows no vocal talent whatsoever. But other than that, I'm not feeling the rest of the song. The lyrics talk about wanting someone to break up with them so they can be together. I don't think it sends a good message here. The production isn't too bad, but there's almost no melody here. So yeah, I'm not fond of the song. Obviously, Ariana is capable of better.

- Next, we have the return of Madison Beer who collaborates with Offset in her latest single named Hurts Like Hell. Last time, she gave us Home With You. Even though the song wasn't anything special, I kinda liked it for the most part. I can't say that about Hurts Like Hell. So, what's wrong with the song overall? Well, Madison's vocals are not good. She sounds pretty grating in some parts of the song. There's not much to the production and I'm not fond of the beat. Offset's verses aren't good either. He didn't really add anything to the song. I was hoping Madison would give me something better, but that didn't turn out to be the case on my end. This is simply not a good song overall and I hope it doesn't last long.

- With the highest debut of the week, we have a new artist named FLETCHER as she makes her first appearance with her song titled Undrunk. This was on the YouTube 15 about a month ago and I did a brief review of the song. I don't have a whole lot I can say about the song. I like the production here and she sounds good with her vocals. Overall, I can say it's a good song. It's starting to gain some momentum at this moment, so hopefully it'll end up becoming a sleeper hit.

Best Debut Of The Week: Undrunk by FLETCHER

'Cause I'm Blurbing
- On the note of exits, Wake Up In The Sky didn't last very long. Though, it wasn't really that great of a song, so I'm kinda happy with that. There's No Way thankfully flopped and wasn't as big as its predecessor, so good riddance to that. Finally, we have the big one, in which Mine has officially left the countdown. Although I may be sick of it now, I'm just glad it became a sleeper hit for much of 2018. It was very close to lasting a year much like New Rules did. It would've been one of the songs that would never go away, much like Spyder Harrison said for songs such as My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light 'Em Up), though Ryan Seacrest doesn't really say that for many songs. Farewell, Mine. It's been real.

- Speaking of Bazzi, Beautiful finally took a big drop out of the Top 10. Even though it wasn't necessarily as big as its predecessor, it lasted quite longer here than I thought it would. But I guess now its time is nearing is end.

- It looks very likely that Love Lies will end up lasting a year, given that it's still pretty high on the countdown. If it does happen, it'll end up joining songs such as New Rules.

- We have two songs making their way into the Top 20 this week. First, there's Wow., which I'm not excited about. But then, we have Dancing With A Stranger, which makes me happy.

Top 20 Breakdown:

0 – Garbage:

20. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande
19. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake

1 – Bad:
18. Wow. by Post Malone
17. Happier by Marshmello featuring Bastille

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
16. Without Me by Halsey
15. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande

4 – Good:
14. Better by Khalid

5 – Great: 
13. Ruin My Life by Zara Larsson
12. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer
11. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max
10. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco
9. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani
8. Nothing Breaks Like A Heart by Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus
7. Lost In The Fire by Gesafflestein featuring The Weeknd
6. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee
5. Breathin' by Ariana Grande 
4. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid
3. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani
2. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee

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

Total Score: 78/100 = 78% (C+)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Livin' On A Prayer by Bon Jovi (1986)

Most Missed Song: Airplanes by B.O.B. featuring Hayley Williams

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Last Hurrah by Bebe Rexha

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey (#16)

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. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani
5. You Say by Lauren Daigle

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande
2. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD
3. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake
4. Wow. by Post Malone
5. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored by Ariana Grande

The Chainsmokers & Kelsea Ballerini (6) - Week Of February 23, 2019

Hello, fam! I am happy to announce that I haven't forgotten about my rankdown involving the 2012 Billboard Year-End List. The deadline to send me your submissions will be at the end of March. I'll change the date if I have to. We'll see. So, we have another shake-up in this week's countdown. We did get rid of some trash and replaced it with some good stuff. And all of that includes a return from certain acts we haven't heard from in quite a while. You'll see what I'm talking about as I review the whole countdown. Let's get into it! Before we get to this week's fresh 45, here are the songs we're saying goodbye to this week:

• James Arthur – Empty Space (#26)
• Imagine Dragons – Machine (#38)
• Benny Blanco featuring Calvin Harris – I Found You (#42)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling
45. Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess (#44) [–1]
44. Jennifer Lopez – Limitless (#40) [–4]
43. Charlie Puth – The Way I Am (#45) [+2]
42. Travis Scott featuring Drake – Sicko Mode (#37) [–5]
41. lovelytheband – Broken (#41) [=]
40. Jake Miller – Wait For You (#30) [–10]
39. Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus – Nothing Breaks Like A Heart (#36) [–3]
38. George Ezra – Shotgun (#43) [+5]
37. Zedd featuring Katy Perry – 365 (DEBUT)
36. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B – Girls Like You (#33) [–4]
35. Kelsea Ballerini – Miss Me More (DEBUT)
34. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart (#35) [+1]
33. Zara Larsson – Ruin My Life (#29) [–4]
32. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger (#32) [=]
31. Cardi B featuring Bruno Mars – Please Me (DEBUT)
30. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones (#31) [+1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
29. Charli XCX featuring Troye Sivan – 1999 (#25) [–4]
28. Lauren Daigle – You Say (#20) [–8]
27. David Guetta featuring Anne-Marie – Don't Leave Me Alone (#23) [–4]
26. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies (#19) [–7]
25. Imagine Dragons – Natural (#24) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
24. Stephen Puth – Sexual Vibe (#15) [–9]
23. Dan + Shay – Speechless (#16) [–7]
22. Sabrina Carpenter – Sue Me (#34) [+12]
21. Dean Lewis – Be Alright (#22) [+1]
20. Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next (#13) [–7]
19. The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer – Who Do You Love (#39) [+20]
18. Khalid – Better (#28) [+10]
17. Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It's Over (#18) [+1]
16. Seeb featuring BΔSTILLE – Grip (#27) [+11]
15. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Chlorine (#12) [–3]
14. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower (#17) [+3]
13. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings (#21) [+8]
12. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood (#5) [–7] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
11. Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside (#10) [–1]
10. Dan + Shay – Tequila (#8) [–2]
9. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me (#14) [+5]
8. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly (#11) [+3]
7. Anne-Marie – 2002 (#7) [=]
6. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (#2) [–4] [Spent 8 Weeks At #1]
5. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho (#9) [+4]
4. Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE – Happier (#4) [=] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
3. Halsey – Without Me (#3) [=] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
2. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It (#6) [+4]
1. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling (#1) [=] [6^th Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Macklemore featuring Kesha – Good Old Days (1^st And Only Week At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Jake Miller – Wait For You (–10)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer – Who Do You Love (+20)

New Entrants:
- We have three new songs entering the countdown this week. To begin, we have the return of a act who was behind my #1 favorite song of 2018, Zedd. And he teams up with one of my favorite artists of the decade, Katy Perry, in their new single debuting straight to the countdown this week titled 365. For those who have been following my blog since the beginning, I hold the 100% unpopular opinion on liking songs such as Stay, The Middle, and Happy Now. I enjoyed those songs overall despite what others think when it comes to Zedd selling out and what not. My expectations were pretty high coming into the song. When I listened to it in its entirety, I can say that it's pretty divine. Yeah, it may not have some of the interesting stuff such as the ticking clock, which was used in Stay and The Middle. But the rest of the production is good. I like Katy's voice throughout the song and she shines in the chorus. Overall, it's definitely a great song that Zedd has put out.

- Kelsea Ballerini showed me that she's a good singer in This Feeling, which reigns at the top for the second week in a row. But let's talk about her solo music. This week, she brings us Miss Me More. Everything about the song works well. I like the production and the beat is really catchy. Kelsea sounds amazing and it shows why she is a good singer overall. The lyrical content is solid. I definitely love the song. Kelsea has impressed me once more.

- Finally, we get another collaboration between Cardi B and Bruno Mars. Last year, they gave us my #8 song of 2018 in the form of Finesse. This time, they have a new single together, titled Please Me. This song came out of nowhere, having just released this past week and thus would go straight to the countdown, much like 365. Apparently, these two songs just don't have time to spend a week on Hit-Bound. Anyway, onto the song itself. I'm going to give it to you straight and say that it's a step down from Finesse. But that doesn't make it bad per se. I do like this, mainly because of Bruno's voice. It shows how talented he is as a singer. I also like Cardi B's verses for the most part. The production is good, but I feel like it's missing something and nothing about it really stands out. I'm not sure what it is. So yeah, it's definitely not as good as Finesse, but it's something that I can enjoy.

Best Debut Of The Week: Kelsea Ballerini – Miss Me More

But I Blurb Me More
- I can't say any of our exits will be missed by me. Machine was just a mess all over and thankfully, it didn't last very long. This was Imagine Dragons's worst single and I genuinely hope to never hear something like this again. Empty Space was pretty bad as well. Although not nearly as annoying, I didn't like what it had to offer and I'd prefer something along the lines of Say You Won't Let Go, which I find to be decent even though it wasn't any special. Lastly, there's I Found You, which was a step down from its predecessor. I expected more out of the collaboration between both Benny Blanco and Calvin Harris, but it just didn't click with me. So, I'm okay with it departing.

- Before introducing The Way I Am, Spyder Harrison mentioned the Charlie Puth has recently taken out his tonsils. I'll bet it was painful. Hopefully, he feels better. And we see him eating some ice cream afterwards. That's some good stuff!

- Nice to see Sicko Mode drop down to the Bottom 5. Hopefully this means it won't be around for too much longer.

- On that note, Wait For You took a surprise biggest drop in its second week of its tenure. Yikes! Though I don't really care for that song either, I have a feeling it may not last very long either.

- Who Do You Love would, of course, jump big into the Top 20 this week. Something tells me that Hits 1 is going to adore the song because they still love 5 Seconds Of Summer. We also get the entries from Better and Grip, both of which are pretty good songs, so I'm content with this.

- I don't even want to talk about the other Top 20 entrant we get from the monstrosity that is of 7 Rings.

- For the first time in what feels like forever, Youngblood is not in the Top 10. What a run this song has had. Though, I think that had more to do with Who Do You Love being here now. I do have a feeling that the song may end up lasting a year, though that might be a stretch.

- In Top 5 news, we get the entry from Sweet But Psycho, and I'm certainly okay with that. And Panic! At The Disco have indeed replaced themselves at #2 with Hey Look Ma, I Made It, swapping places with High Hopes now at #6. Something tells me that it'll end up at #1 soon. Whether it happens next week or the week after, we don't know yet. We'll just see how it plays out.

Hit-Bound:

• Kelsy Karter – Harry
• Lauv featuring Troye Sivan – I'm So Tired
• Grandson – Apologize
• Imagine Dragons – Bad Liar
• LSD featuring Lil Wayne – Genius (Remix)
• Panic! At The Disco – Dancing's Not A Crime
• Maren Morris – GIRL
• Gesaffelstein featuring The Weeknd – Lost In The Fire
• Madison Beer featuring Offset – Hurts Like Hell
• Post Malone – Wow.
• YUNGBLUD & Halsey featuring Travis Barker – 11 Minutes (DEBUT)
• Meghan Trainor – All The Ways
• Lil Peep featuring iLoveMakonnen and Fall Out Boy – I've Been Waiting
• Rita Ora – Let You Love Me
• lovelytheband – Maybe I'm Afraid

Entrant Reviews:

- On this week's edition of Hit-Bound, we have a song that is better than Without Me. Halsey and her current boyfriend, YUNGBLUD, give us 11 Minutes. I like the production in this one and Halsey sounds much better without the auto-tuned vocals. I'll have more on this when it inevitably debuts.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks

TIE: 1. Maren Morris – GIRL

TIE: 1. Meghan Trainor – All The Ways

3. Imagine Dragons – Bad Liar

4. Rita Ora – Let You Love Me

5. Gesaffelstein featuring The Weeknd – Lost In The Fire

YouTube 15:

• Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger
• Billie Eilish – Bury A Friend
• ONE OK ROCK – Wasted Nights
• Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower
• The Chainsmokers featuring Winona Oak – Hope
• Travis Scott featuring Drake – Sicko Mode
• Andy Grammer – Don't Give Up On Me
• Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside
• R3HAB featuring Icona Pop – This Is How We Party
• Ariana Grande – 7 Rings
• Gnash featuring Ruth B – Imagine If
• Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE – Happier
• Julia Michaels featuring Selena Gomez – Anxiety
• Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
• Bebe Rexha – Last Hurrah

Song Reviews:
- Remember ONE OK ROCK? Well, they're back and this time they give us Wasted Nights. It's pretty different from what they've released. The instrumentation is pretty solid and I like the vocals we get from those guys. Overall, it's a good song.

- We still have the disaster that is of I'm A Mess on this countdown. But Bebe Rexha gives us something better in the form of her new single, Last Hurrah. Everything about the song works well. Bebe sounds better without her auto-tuned vocals. I love the production in this one as well. I really hope it debuts soon because this is just divine. I want to see that one become a success.

My Top 5 YouTube 15 Picks
1. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger
2. Billie Eilish – Bury A Friend
3. Bebe Rexha – Last Hurrah
4. ONE OK ROCK – Wasted Nights
5. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower

Top 20 Review:
0 – Horrific:
20. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings

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

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

3 – Decent:
15. Halsey – Without Me
14. Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next

4 – Good:
13. Seeb featuring BΔSTILLE – Grip

5 – Great:
12. Khalid – Better
11. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
10. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
9. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It
8. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho
7. The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer – Who Do You Love
6. Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside
5. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower
4. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me
3. Dan + Shay – Tequila

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
TIE: 1. Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It's Over
TIE: 1. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling

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

Throwback Pick Of The Week: TLC – No Scrubs (1999)

Most Missed Countdown Song: B.O.B. featuring Hayley Williams – Airplanes

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: MKTO – Superstitious

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Bebe Rexha – Last Hurrah

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#7) and Macklemore featuring Kesha – Good Old Days (#1)

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling
TIE: 1. Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It's Over
3. Dan + Shay – Tequila
4. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me
5. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess
2. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings
3. Travis Scott featuring Drake – Sicko Mode
4. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly
5. Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE – Happier

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
The Chainsmokers – Sick Boy: To think I actually used to like the song. I remembered liking how they sounded similar to Tyler Joseph of TWENTY ØNE PILØTS. But not so much anymore. Nothing about the song appeals to me. This was also the first sign of how their music would turn out, up until we got Side Effects, which was good, and our two current representations on the countdown, which are even better.
The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me: Taken from the Black Panther movie soundtrack, this was probably one of the best collaborations we've had all of last year. The song reminds me of Starboy, which I also loved. Both of these guys sound good throughout the song, and I love the lyrics about being a hero and sacrificing for the world. I genuinely enjoyed the song from start to finish. I do hope Black Panther can win something at the Oscars.

QOTW: Cardi B and Bruno Mars make their comeback with Please Me. How do you feel about this?

AT40: Halsey (3) - Week Of February 23, 2019

Hello, guys! So, I'm currently working on two things: my review for the Grammy Music Awards, and the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 for 2018. I know I haven't gotten those out yet, but I've been relatively busy lately. I just haven't had the time. You'll just have to bear with me for the time being. At least I have the AT40 countdown for you guys. Let's get to that. Before we get to this week's fresh 40, here are the songs leaving us this week:

• Taki Taki by DJ Snake featuring Selena Gomez, Ozuna, and Cardi B (#27)
• Electricity by Silk City featuring Dua Lipa (#35)

The Countdown:

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

40. Mine by Bazzi (#40) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

39. You Say by Lauren Daigle (DEBUT)

38. I Like It by Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin (#37) [–1]

37. Let You Love Me by Rita Ora (#39) [+2]

36. Lie by NF (#28) [–8]

35. There's No Way by Lauv featuring Julia Michaels (#38) [+3]

34. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD (#33) [–1]

33. Love Someone by Lukas Graham (#36) [+3]

32. God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande (#31) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]

31. Wake Up In The Sky by Gucci Mane featuring Bruno Mars and Kodak Black (#34) [+3]

30. 8 Letters by Why Don't We (#32) [+2]

29. Swan Song by Dua Lipa (DEBUT)

28. MIA by Bad Bunny featuring Drake (#29) [+1]

27. Broken by lovelytheband (#26) [–1]

26. Be Alright by Dean Lewis (#25) [–1]

25. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani (#30) [+5]

24. Body by Loud Luxury featuring brando (#23) [–1]

23. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B (#20) [–3] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]

22. Wow. by Post Malone (#24) [+2]

21. Tequila by Dan + Shay (#21) [=]

20. Better Now by Post Malone (#18) [–2] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

19. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max (#22) [+3]

18. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani (#15) [–3] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]

17. Ruin My Life by Zara Larsson (#19) [+2]

16. Nothing Breaks Like A Heart by Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus (#16) [=]

15. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#11) [–4] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]

14. Lost In The Fire by Gesaffelstein featuring The Weeknd (#17) [+3]

13. Better by Khalid (#14) [+1]

12. Breathin' by Ariana Grande (#9) [–3]

11. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake (#12) [+1]

10. Beautiful (Remix) by Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello (#7) [–3]

9. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande (#13) [+4]

8. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini (#10) [+2]

7. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee (#8) [+1]

6. Happier by Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE (#6) [=] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]

5. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee (#5) [=]

4. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco (#3) [–1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]

3. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid (#4) [+1]

2. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande (#2) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

1. Without Me by Halsey (#1) [=] [3^rd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: New Rules by Dua Lipa (2^nd of 4 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Lie by NF (–8)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani (+5)

New Entrants:

- Only two debuts to cover this week. First, we have a Adele-soundalike in the form of Lauren Daigle with a song that's been around for a while, titled You Say. I know there are some who are not fond of this. But I'm not one of them. There is a lot for me to love about the song. I love the piano work and the way it opens up the song. Lauren sounds absolutely amazing from start to finish. The chorus is just phenomenal. The lyrical content is well-written. So yeah, this is just divine in every sense of the word.

- We have more of Dua Lipa, who replaces herself this week with her latest single titled Swan Song, taken from the Alita: Battle Angel movie soundtrack. Dua Lipa has done quite a lot this past year, what with New Rules and One Kiss (with Calvin Harris) both becoming hits, the former which would eventually go on to become the #1 song of the year on the AT40. As far as her new single goes, it's pretty divine. Dua definitely shines with her voice in the song. I like her verses and the chorus. The production and the beat are really good as well. I do love the lyrics about not giving up and having to keep fighting. Yeah, this is solid. I find this to be just as good as New Rules, if not better.

Best Debut Of The Week: You Say by Lauren Daigle

This Is Not A Swan, Swan Blurb

- We'll begin with our two exits. Electricity had an OK run, but I wish it wasn't underrated as it was. And good riddance to Taki Taki. That one got mediocre extremely fast. DJ Snake can do much better. I'm happy to see that one leave.

- I'm going to give it to you guys straight and simply say that 7 Rings being in the Top 10 in its third week is the worst thing to happen this week. But of course, it's going to end up doing well on the AT40 despite the song being fucking garbage. I had better hope our Top 5 stays intact long enough to keep 7 Rings out. But I know it's not going to happen. She does have another song getting set to debut soon, which isn't any better. More on that in a bit. But yeah, this is just obnoxious.

- On the note of other things I'm not very thrilled about, we have Sicko Mode inching closer to the Top 10. I feel alone when it comes to my opinion, but I don't care. The song is garbage. It's sad that this was a #1 hit on Billboard. Now, I'm expecting it to stay here for a while on the AT40 as well.

- Now, onto some good things that happened this week. Sweet But Psycho makes its way into the Top 20. I'm pleased with this move. I genuinely enjoy the song. It's gotten better with each listen. I'm glad this song is getting more success.

- It's also nice to see Dancing With A Stranger take a big jump this week. I definitely love the chemistry between Sam and Normani in the song. 

- Ryan Seacrest mentioned during the introduction for There's No Way that Lauv dreams of collaborating with Chris Martin of Coldplay. If that really were to happen, my expectations would be low considering he's not been impressing me with his music. But I could be proven wrong.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Hurts Like Hell by Madison Beer featuring Offset
• Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored by Ariana Grande
• Undrunk by FLETCHER
• Bad Liar by Imagine Dragons
• Damn by LIVVIA

Extras/Optional Extras:

• Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey
• Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar
• Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug
• Good Old Days by Macklemore featuring Kesha
• Locked Out Of Heaven by Bruno Mars
• Issues by Julia Michaels
• Side To Side by Ariana Grande featuring Nicki Minaj
• Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay
• Nice For What by Drake
• Let You Down by NF

Top 20 Breakdown:

0 – Garbage:

20. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande
19. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake

1 – Bad:
18. Happier by Marshmello featuring Bastille

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
17. Without Me by Halsey
16. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande

4 – Good:
15. Better by Khalid

5 – Great:
14. Beautiful by Bazzi featuirng Camila Cabello
13. Ruin My Life by Zara Larsson
12. Better Now by Post Malone
11. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max
10. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer
9. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco
8. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani
7. Breathin' by Ariana Grande 
6. Nothing Breaks Like A Heart by Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus
5. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee
4. Lost In The Fire by Gesafflestein featuring The Weeknd
3. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid
2. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee

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

Total Score: 82/100 = 82% (B–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: I Ran (So Far Away) by A Flock Of Seagulls (1982)

Most Missed Song: Forget You by CeeLo Green

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Who Do You Love by The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B (#9)

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. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani
5. You Say by Lauren Daigle

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande
2. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD
3. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake
4. There's No Way by Lauv featuring Julia Michaels
5. Wow. by Post Malone

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
I Fall Apart by Post Malone: Yeah, not really his best effort here. I'll give it to him that it's better than some certain songs I won't mention. But it's still not a fun listen for the most part.
Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar: Taken from the Black Panther movie soundtrack, this collaboration between the two was loved by many here, including myself. It reminds me of Starboy in a way and I love The Weeknd's voice.
The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey: Again, I know this an unpopular opinion. But I still love this song. The ticking clock is interesting and Maren sounds amazing with her voice. Objectively, Zedd has had better. But I genuinely enjoyed the song for much of last year.