Saturday, September 16, 2017

Niall Horan (2) - Week Of September 16, 2017

Hello, guys! I don't have a lot to say in terms of the introduction this week, so I figured I'd get this out quickly. After two weeks in which we had a lot of activity, things have slowed down quite drastically. We had some things go right, though, so I'll give it that. So without delay, here is the one song dropping out of the countdown this week:

  • DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller - Wild Thoughts (#43)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Shawn Mendes - There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back
45. Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell and Katy Perry - Feels (#39) [-6]
44. AJR - Weak (#28) [-16]
43. The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey - Closer (#45) [+2] [Spent 8 Weeks At #1]
42. Julia Michaels - Issues (#44) [+2]
41. Bruno Mars - That's What I Like (#41) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
40. Linkin Park featuring Kiiara - Heavy (#42) [+2]
39. Lady Gaga - The Cure (#38) [-1]
38. The All-American Rejects - Sweat (DEBUT) [=]
37. MAX featuring Gnash - Lights Down Low (#26) [-11]
36. Fall Out Boy - Champion (#31) [-5]
35. Kygo featuring Selena Gomez - It Ain't Me (#36) [+1]
34. Panic At The Disco - L.A. Devotee (#33) [-1]
33. Hailee Steinfeld - Most Girls (#24) [-9]
32. All Time Low - Good Times (#29) [-3]
31. The Chainsmokers - Honest (#25) [-6]
30. Ed Sheeran - Shape Of You (#27) [-3] [Spent 9 Weeks At #1]
29. Bruno Mars - Versace On The Floor (#30) [+1]
28. Andy Grammer - Give Love (#37) [+9]
27. Justin Bieber featuring Bloodpop - Friends (#32) [+5]
26. Harry Styles - Two Ghosts (#40) [+14]
25. Halsey - Bad At Love (#34) [+9]
24. Linkin Park - One More Light (#6) [-18]
23. Hey Violet - Hoodie (#21) [-2]
22. Maroon 5 featuring SZA - What Lovers Do (#23) [+1]
21. Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee - Despacito (#22) [+1]
20. Ed Sheeran - Castle On The Hill (#11) [-9] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
19. Louis Tomlinson featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals - Back To You (#18) [-1]
18. P!NK - What About Us (#15) [-3]
17. Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato - No Promises (#16) [-1]
16. Portugal. The Man - Feel It Still (#35) [+19]
15. Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey - Glorious (#20) [+5]
14. Imagine Dragons - Thunder (#17) [+3]
13. Charlie Puth - Attention (#14) [+1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
12. Zedd featuring Alessia Cara - Stay (#7) [-5] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
11. Kesha - Praying (#13) [+2]
10. Mono Mind - Save Me A Place (#12) [+2]
9. Taylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do (#10) [+1]
8. Sam Hunt - Body Like A Back Road (#3) [-5]
7. The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay - Something Just Like This (#5) [-2] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
6. Imagine Dragons - Believer (#8) [+2] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
5. Demi Lovato - Sorry Not Sorry (#9) [+4]
4. Ed Sheeran - Galway Girl (#19) [+15]
3. Liam Payne - Strip That Down (#2) [-1]
2. Shawn Mendes - There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back (#1) [-1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
1. Niall Horan - Slow Hands (#4) [+3] [SECOND WEEK AT #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Daya - Don't Let Me Down (2nd Of 3 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Linkin Park - One More Light (-18)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Portugal. The Man - Feel It Still (+19)

New Entrants
- We have only one entrant this week. It comes from returning band The All-American Rejects with their new single, Sweat. It's been a seemingly long time since we've heard from them. Now, I've enjoyed many of their singles before (Move Along, It Ends Tonight, etc.). However, I'm not quite sure about this one yet. While it's not that much different from its predecessors, some of the lyrics are quite questionable, and I'm not sure whether the whispering of the word "Sweat" was necessary, especially in the chorus. I do, however, like that they stayed true to their sound and not try something different. I can see myself growing into it at some point. We'll see how long it sticks around here.

I Don't Wanna Lose Your Blurbs Tonight
- Let's first talk about our exit. We've lost Wild Thoughts, which is very disappointing given that it's still relatively high on most charts. But of course, hip-hop is basically doomed on Hits 1. If I'm The One leaving two weeks ago was an indication, I had a bad feeling its successor wasn't going to last long here, and sadly I was right. So farewell, Wild Thoughts. You will most certainly be missed.

- Good to see Weak take a huge drop down to the Bottom 5. I'm hoping it leaves us soon.

- Before introducing The Cure, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Lady Gaga broke up with her boyfriend apparently because they were fighting a lot. It seems like they didn't get along too well, so I'm guessing that's why we got into so many arguments. Lady Gaga will have to try to find someone better that she can actually get along with, heh.

- So, when Spyder Harrison recapped the third set of five, he mentioned that Mikey Piff would love to date Hailee Steinfeld and most girls. I mean, is he some kind of ladies' man or what?

- Before introducing Give Love, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Andy Grammer's mother is his greatest inspiration because she gave love to everybody. Also, Spyder Harrison mentioned that his mom's birthday was this week. So, I would like to wish her a Happy Birthday!

- What the heck?! Just when One More Light started to gain steam, it took a surprising drop down to #24. Not that I really care for it like that, but dang!

- I like how Spyder Harrison tried to sing Despacito upon his introduction to the song. He also mentioned that his girlfriend was telling him to stop. I mean, can't she let the guy sing for once?

- By no surprise, Feel It Still made a massive jump in its second week here, what with it gaining traction elsewhere in recent weeks, and it looks like it's here to stay (not a Zedd & Alessia Cara reference).

- It looks like this is it for Stay, what with it dropping out of the Top 10 after spending seemingly forever in that region. It's been here for a while, so I'm not surprised by this.

- Alright guys, here's a bit of history I didn't mention earlier. When Taylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do made its debut at #13 two weeks ago on September 2, 2017, it was tied for the HIGHEST DEBUT EVER in the history of the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown. The only other song to do this was Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe, which was five years ago on April 21, 2012. So, congratulations, Taylor!

- Good to see Body Like A Back Road out of the Top 5. That song still blows. Hopefully, it stays out of that region for good. It helps that this song is losing its steam elsewhere. Plus, we traded it for some better songs, so that's good news.

- Speaking of which, we have both Sorry Not Sorry and Galway Girl entering the Top 5, with the latter taking a enormous 15-spot jump into that territory. I knew the former was going to enter that region at some point given that it's still picking up steam elsewhere, but the latter I'm quite surprised about, although I shouldn't be because of Hits 1's love for Ed Sheeran. He does have a follow-up which we'll get to in a moment, but yeah, I'm glad to see Galway Girl take a huge jump. I have a feeling it's here to stay, also (again, not a Zedd & Alessia Cara reference).

- Finally, we've come to our #1, in which Niall Horan manages to reclaim the top spot. And here I was thinking Slow Hands would be a one-week #1, what with a certain artist looking to take the top spot very soon. Not that I'm complaining, though. We'll see how long he stays at #1.

Hit-Bound

  • PRETTYMUCH - Would You Mind
  • Sam Smith - Too Good At Goodbyes
  • Sabrina Carpenter - Why
  • Zayn featuring Sia - Dusk Till Dawn
  • The Script - Rain
  • Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line - Let Me Go
  • Ed Sheeran - Perfect (DEBUT)
  • Why Don't We - Something Different
  • Dua Lipa - New Rules (DEBUT)
  • Selena Gomez - Fetish
  • Evaride - Heartless
  • Kelly Clarkson - Love So Soft
  • Taylor Swift - ...Ready For It?
  • Zedd featuring Liam Payne - Get Low

- We have two debuts on Hit-Bound this week. First we have more Ed Sheeran yet again, this time with Perfect. While it's not my first pick to be his next single, I kinda like it for what it is. I'll have more when it debuts.

- Our second debut comes from Dua Lipa with her new single, New Rules. After failing to graduate Hit-Bound with her predecessor, Blow Your Mind (Mwah), she's back hoping her new single makes it big. I briefly talked about this song on the YouTube 15 when it was trending. But to recap, I don't quite think it's as good as its predecessor, but I still kinda like it. We'll see if she makes her debut on the countdown soon.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Taylor Swift - ...Ready For It
2. PRETTYMUCH - Would You Mind
3. Kelly Clarkson - Love So Soft
4. Evaride - Heartless
5. The Script - Rain

Top 20 Review
0 - Awful:
20. Sam Hunt - Body Like A Back Road

1 - Bad:
19. Liam Payne - Strip That Down

2 - Mediocre:
None!

3 - Decent:
18. Zedd featuring Alessia Cara - Stay
17. Portugal. The Man - Feel It Still

4 - Good:
16. Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato - No Promises
15. Ed Sheeran - Castle On The Hill

5 - Great:
14. Imagine Dragons - Thunder
13. Demi Lovato - Sorry Not Sorry
12. Imagine Dragons - Believer
11. Louis Tomlinson featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals - Back To You
10. Niall Horan - Slow Hands
9. Charlie Puth - Attention
8. Mono Mind - Save Me A Place
7. Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey - Glorious
6. P!NK - What About Us
5. Ed Sheeran - Galway Girl
4. The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay - Something Just Like This
3. Shawn Mendes - There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back
2. Taylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do

BONUS: 6 - Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Kesha - Praying

Overall Grade: 86/100 (B)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: K-Ci & JoJo - All My Life (1998)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Adele - Someone Like You

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Lights - Giants (not a whole lot of new music I like lately)

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between Ariana Grande - Into You and The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey - Closer

My Top 5 Picks
1. Kesha - Praying
2. Taylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do
3. Shawn Mendes - There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back
4. The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay - Something Just Like This
5. Ed Sheeran - Galway Girl

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Sam Hunt - Body Like A Back Road
2. AJR - Weak
3. Julia Michaels - Issues
4. Liam Payne - Strip That Down
5. MAX featuring Gnash - Lights Down Low

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Kiiara - Gold: Described by some as a "mash-up of itself", this song is a perfect example of how not to make a good first impression as an artist. The choppy vocals, the dull sentiment, and the poorly written lyrics makes this song forgettable to say the least. It's no wonder why many bloggers and music critics alike were not very kind to this.
Hailee Steinfeld & Grey featuring Zedd - Starving: Don't get me wrong. I absolutely LOVE Hailee Steinfeld as an artist, but this song comes nowhere near her best work. Her excellent vocals cannot make up for the scratchy guitar and the clunky lyrics. I'm sure she can do better.
Lady Gaga - Perfect Illusion: Ah yes, Lady Gaga's comeback single, which unfortunately ended up being one of the biggest flops of 2016. I do like the heavy metal instrumentation, though. For those who don't know, this song was produced by Mark Ronson, the same guy behind Uptown Funk.
OneRepublic - Kids: I actually like this more than I should. I personally think this is better than Wherever I Go. Much like its predecessor, it showcases their new sound, which I fell in love with. Despite spending only one week on the American Top 40, at least it had a nice tenure here.

Saturday, September 9, 2017

Shawn Mendes (5) - Week Of September 9, 2017

What's up, guys! So, with the news that Hurricane Irma impacting Florida and many are still affected by Hurricane Harvey, I can't help but think about all the people struggling to get through this. My hearts and prayers are still with them at this time. Despite this, Spyder Harrison somehow managed to host this week's countdown. We did have a short week due to Labor Day weekend. To say the least, this was a heck of a week for the most part. We got rid of three big pieces of garbage (including the all important one), and there was a great deal of activity much like last week. Things are definitely heating up as we head into the fall. Before we get to this week's fresh 45, here are the songs we're saying good-bye to this week:

  • Halsey - Now Or Never (#36)
  • Shawn Mendes - Mercy (#35)
  • Steve Aoki featuring Louis Tomlinson - Just Hold On (#44)
  • Selena Gomez - Bad Liar (#45)
  • Train - Play That Song (#41)
  • Julia Michaels - Uh Huh (#33) (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Niall Horan - Slow Hands
45. The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey - Closer (#38) [-7] [Spent 8 Weeks At #1]
44. Julia Michaels - Issues (#44) [=]
43. DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller - Wild Thoughts (#41) [-2]
42. Linkin Park featuring Kiiara - Heavy (#37) [-5]
41. Bruno Mars - That's What I Like (#41) [+1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
40. Harry Styles - Two Ghosts (DEBUT) [=]
39. Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell and Katy Perry - Feels (#22) [-17]
38. Lady Gaga - The Cure (#39) [+1]
37. Andy Grammer - Give Love (DEBUT) [=]
36. Kygo featuring Selena Gomez - It Ain't Me (#28) [-8]
35. Portugal. The Man - Feel It Still (DEBUT) [=]
34. Halsey - Bad At Love (DEBUT) [=]
33. Panic! At The Disco - L.A. Devotee (#29) [-4]
32. Justin Bieber featuring BloodPop - Friends (DEBUT) [=]
31. Fall Out Boy - Champion (#16) [-15]
30. Bruno Mars - Versace On The Floor (#30)
29. All Time Low - Good Times (#14) [-15]
28. AJR - Weak (#27) [-1]
27. Ed Sheeran - Shape Of You (#21) [-6] [Spent 9 Weeks At #1]
26. MAX featuring Gnash - Lights Down Low (#15) [-11]
25. The Chainsmokers - Honest (#24) [-1]
24. Hailee Steinfeld - Most Girls (#11) [-13]
23. Maroon 5 featuring SZA - What Lovers Do (DEBUT) [=]
22. Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee - Despacito (#32) [+10]
21. Hey Violet - Hoodie (#25) [+4]
20. Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey - Glorius (#20) [=]
19. Ed Sheeran - Galway Girl (#31) [+12] 
18. Louis Tomlinson featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals - Back To You (#19) [+1]
17. Imagine Dragons - Thunder (#26) [+9]
16. Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato - No Promises (#34) [+18]
15. P!NK - What About Us (#17) [+2]
14. Charlie Puth - Attention (#6) [-8] [Spent 1 Week At #1] (Dang!)
13. Kesha - Praying (#23) [+10]
12. Mono Mind - Save Me A Place (#18) [+6]
11. Ed Sheeran - Castle On The Hill (#10) [-1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
10. Taylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do (#13) [+3]
9. Demi Lovato - Sorry Not Sorry (#12) [+3]
8. Imagine Dragons - Believer (#8) [=] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
7. Zedd featuring Alessia Cara - Stay (#7) 
6. Linkin Park - One More Light (#5) [-1]
5. The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay - Something Just Like This (#9) [+4] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
4. Niall Horan - Slow Hands (#1) [-3] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
3. Sam Hunt - Body Like A Back Road (#3) [=]
2. Liam Payne - Strip That Down (#2) [=]
1. Shawn Mendes - There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back (#4) [+3] [FIVE WEEKS AT #1!] (WHEW!  AGAIN!)

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers featuring Daya - Don't Let Me Down (1st Of 3 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell and Katy Perry - Feels (-18)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato - No Promises (+18)

New Entrants
- We have a major shake-up in terms of debuts this week. First, let's start with returning artist and One Direction member Harry Styles in the form of Two Ghosts. This is another one of those 70's-80's type rock songs we're getting from him. Two Ghosts isn't as good as Sign Of The Times from earlier this year, but I still like this. It's basically about being in a relationship, though it's not what it's used to be. Harry Styles has show he can write pretty good lyrical content. Despite being a slow rock ballad, it's quite solid and it works for me.

- Second, we have the return of Andy Grammer with his new single called Give Love. With the recent news we've been watching lately, we needed a song about coming together and spreading love, and sure enough, he was able to release a song about it. Do I think it's the best song? Not really, but at least it works for me, especially at this moment in time.

- Our next debut comes from a song that is currently gaining steam elsewhere. Enter Feel It Still, which is sung by the band Portgul. The Man. Feel It Still sounds much different compared to other pop songs currently on the countdown. It's quite fun at times, and I like the groove in this. My main problem here is the vocals, in part because of the weak falsetto. I was juggling between blue and green on this one.  But right now, I'll going with blue, though it may be green at some point.

- As one song from Halsey departs, another one takes it place.  Enter Bad At Love, the second single off of her album Hopeless Fountain Kingdom. This is a step up from her predecessor, mainly because the production is more lively and not as underwhelming. Halsey showcases her vocal talent much better in this one. Spyder Harrison mentioned upon introducing this one that Halsey was getting together with rapper G-Eazy and wondered is she going to be good at love? Time will tell on that and I'm sure their relationship will work out quite well. Anyway, we'll see how long her new single sticks around.

- Is anyone tired of Justin Bieber, yet? If your answer is yes, too bad, because he's back for another round in his follow-up new single titled Friends, as Despacito is losing steam elsewhere (it was recently dethroned by Taylor Swift's new single this week). I know many are sick of its predecessor at this point, but not me. Now, Friends is basically another one of those break-up songs, only this time it's about wanting to still be friends with his ex-girlfriend even after they broke up. As I mentioned this in my AT40 review, I read that it was rumored that Martin Garrix would collaborate with Bieber, but he turned it down. I wondered how that song would turn out if that actually did happen? Hmm...no one really knows. Anyway, most people will find this more likable, in large part because they're sick of its predecessor right now.

- With the highest debut of the week, we have the return of Maroon 5 not long after the departure of Don't Wanna Know, with their new single What Lovers Do which features SZA. This is quite a big step up from both Cold and its predecessor. While the production isn't necessarily the best, the lyrical content here is much better. It still doesn't live up to their best work, but for now, I kinda like this. Will this be another hit for Maroon 5? Only time will tell on that, but let's see how well it does here.

Lookin' At My History, I'm Bad At Blurbs
- Okay. Now, as much as I want to save the best for last, I always, ALWAYS start with the exits! No exceptions! And I have my pride, so be it! WE MUST NOW CELEBRATE AS JULIA MICHAELS - UH HUH, ONE OF THE WORST SONGS I'VE EVER HEARD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE, HAS OFFICIALLY LEFT THE COUNTDOWN!!! GOOD FREAKING RIDDANCE, YOU NEW-YORK-GIANTS SIZED PIECE OF TRASH!!!

- As for the other exits, good riddance to both Play That Song and Bad Liar, especially the latter of the two. Bad Liar was atrocious from the very beginning. I'm so glad it's gone. That was absolute trash right there. And thank the high heavens above for the departure of Play That Song! That song has put the countdown through hell for so long! It's about time Play That Song left us! I may never ever hear from it again! Okay, at least not until my Year-End posts. Now Or Never, on the other hand, I did kinda like to a degree unlike some people and it's too bad Halsey didn't score another big hit much like Closer, but it's nothing worth losing sleep over. Finally, we have both Just Hold On and Mercy, the latter which was a big favorite of mine. I know some people are going to be happy about them leaving given that they've both spent a long time on the countdown, but not me. I enjoyed both of those songs for a while and they'll likely have a place in My Top 45 Songs Of 2017. Goodbye Just Hold On and Mercy. You will both be missed.

- Shawn Mendes manages to hit #1 yet again for the fifth time this year, and his 10th week at #1 overall as an artist. I'm ecstatic to see that this song is getting much bigger than I expected it to be. I'll most certainly take it over our #2 and #3 songs.

- On that note, can we please get Body Like A Back Road out of the Top 5, or even better, out of the countdown? I'm tired of constantly being on the edge of my seat hoping it doesn't hit #1.

- While I don't like seeing Body Like A Back Road in the Top 5, I do like the new Top 10 entries from both Sorry Not Sorry and Look What You Made Me Do. Look What You Made Me Do is almost certain to enter the Top 5 within the next week or so.  Sorry Not Sorry, while not quite as big as the latter, is still picking up steam.  Thus, I'm expecting it to enter that region, also.

- When I listened to Save Me A Place, I can't help but think that the vocals sound pretty much like Ellie Goulding.  I wonder, did she have uncredited vocals in this one, or did she secretly joined the band itself?

- It's good to see Praying jump back into the Top 20 this week!  I'm hoping it'll hit the Top 10, or even Top 5, but I doubt it somehow, though I'll be delighted if it did though.

- Before introducing Attention, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Charlie Puth loves James Taylor and says he's the reason why he writes music. It's always good to turn to someone for inspiration when writing music when you're a rising artist. That said, I'm shocked that this dropped out of the Top 10 just after it hit #1 two weeks ago. Dang!

- Good to see Despacito make a nice recovery after two unnecessary drops in a row. I'm hoping it can stick around for a little longer. Also, I read somewhere that Rita Ora is tired of hearing it. She's not the only one; pretty much everyone has basically soured on that song at this moment. It's basically Shut Up And Dance all over again, where everyone in the blogging community got sick of it quickly and it was only made worse by spending seemingly forever at #1 on Hits 1 back in 2015.

- Before introducing Weak, Spyder Harrison mentioned that the trio is planning on working a theme song for the new documentary Supersize Me 2: Holy Chicken. I've watched its predecessor many times back in the day, and the feeling of eating too much fast food every day was scary. Good thing I cut down on fast food and focused on my diet, heh.

- Wow, guys. Epic fail right there: Spyder Harrison made a mistake by saying Champion had the Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week. I guess he didn't want to acknowledge the fact that Feels dropped so many spots.

- Before introducing The Cure, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Lady Gaga threw a pizza party after canceling her show in Canada. Heh, I guess she cares more about the fans than her tour right now, probably because she loves them so much.

- Before introducing Feels, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom were spotted together at a beach. He also mentioned that there were rumors about them getting back together. I wonder how this will work out the second time around? Anyway, I'm not pleased to see it take a big drop, though it's been losing ground elsewhere so I'm not surprised at all.

Hit-Bound

  • The Revivalists - Wish I Knew You (RE-ENTRY)
  • Taylor Swift - ...Ready For It? (DEBUT)
  • PRETTYMUCH - Would You Mind
  • Why Don't We - Something Different (DEBUT)
  • The All-American Rejects - Sweat
  • Kelly Clarkson - Love So Soft (DEBUT)
  • Sam Smith - Too Good At Goodbyes (DEBUT)
  • Sabrina Carpenter - Why
  • Zayn featuring Sia - Dusk Till Dawn (DEBUT)
  • Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line - Let Me Go (DEBUT)
  • The Script - Rain (DEBUT)
  • Selena Gomez - Fetish
  • Evaride - Heartless
  • Zedd featuring Liam Payne - Get Low

- Mikey Piff is back to hosting Hit-Bound after the band Evaride filled in for him last week. I'm sure glad he's back, because we have a enormous, New-York-Giants sized shake-up this week. Let's get right to it.

- We lost Rita Ora - Your Song, which I somewhat grew into recently. It would've been nice if it made the countdown, but it wasn't seriously worth caring for in the big picture.

- We have a re-entry from Wish I Knew You, so we have 7 new entrants to cover this week.

- To kick off this week's debuts, we have more Zayn, this time collaborating with Sia in their new single Dusk Till Dawn. To say the least, I'm not very fond of their vocals and the production. They both seem too underwhelming for my tastes. NEXT!

- After three years, we have the return of Sam Smith with his new single Too Good At Goodbyes. Stay With Me I did like to some degree, but I'm not quite sure I can say the same for this one. While the chorus and the lyrics are great, the rest of the song is just underwhelming to me. It's pretty clear that Sam Smith is basically a soul/R&B type artist based on his last album alone. Maybe it'll grow on me. We'll see.

- Next, we have another new band, in the form of Why Don't We with the single titled Something Different. This one I can get into, in part because the beat here sounds cool. Not much else to say about it.

- Who remembers The Script? Well, they're back and they've released a new single titled Rain. This song is quite different unlike their previous singles. It has some cool production to it, although the lyrics are kinda questionable. Not much else to say beyond that.

- Next up, we have more Hailee Steinfeld. Here, she is collaborating with another EDM artist, whose name is Alesso and country music band Florida Georgia Line in their recent new single named Let Me Go. It's a step up from Starving in terms of the production and the lyrics. It also shows just how talented Hailee Steinfeld is as an artist. I'll talk more about this if it debuts.

- For our next debut, we have the return of one of my all-time favorite artists. Kelly Clarkson recently released her new single titled Love So Soft from her forthcoming album. This song is very different than what we normally hear from Kelly Clarkson. She is basically going for her new sound, which I heard is more soul & R&B. She sounds basically like Adele, especially in the intro. I'll have more on this when it debuts.

- Finally, we have our best debut of the week. It's from Taylor Swift with her successor titled ...Ready For It?. I'm sure many here will find this much more likable than its predecessor. Again, Taylor Swift almost never disappoints. That's all I've got to say right now. I'll save my words for when it debuts.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Taylor Swift - ...Ready For It?
2. PRETTYMUCH - Would You Mind
3. Kelly Clarkson - Love So Soft
4. Evaride - Heartless
5. The Script - Rain

YouTube 15

This week's YouTube 15 review should be a good one. Plenty has changed since last month. With that in mind, here are the songs trending this week:


  • DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber and Chance The Rapper - I'm The One
  • Hedley - Better Days
  • Fifth Harmony - He Like That
  • Ed Sheeran - Shape Of You
  • Glenn Travis - Feel My Love
  • Demi Lovato - Sorry Not Sorry
  • Martin Garrix featuring Troye Sivan - There For You
  • DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller - Wild Thoughts
  • Why Don't We - These Girls
  • Bruno Mars - That's What I Like
  • Charli XCX - Boys
  • Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee - Despacito
  • Thomas Rhett - Life Changes
  • Taylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do
  • Carson Lueders - Remember Summertime

- Better Days certainly has some cool stuff going on, although the drop and the vocals aren't necessarily to my liking. 

- He Like That is slightly better than its predecessor, but it's really not saying much, in part because the lyrics are still questionable. Probably the only good thing I like about this is the reggae production.

- Feel My Love is definitely a great song to use on special occasions (weddings, etc.). Glenn Travis shows us that he can write good lyrical content when it comes to writing love songs, and the melody is pretty lively. Overall, it's a win for Glenn Travis and I hope he keeps making singles like this.

- When listening to Boys, I do hear the sound reminiscent to when a Game Boy is turned on. Also, there's a music video in which many different male artists make cameos. Both of these were probably the cool parts about this song.

- Of course, Look What You Made Me Do would show up on the list eventually, because it's Taylor Swift. Plus, the music video broke the record last week. I have a feeling it may reach 1-2 billion views when all is said and done.

My Top 5 YouTube 15 Picks
1. Taylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do
2. DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller - Wild Thoughts
3. Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee - Despacito
4. Bruno Mars - That's What I Like
5. Glenn Travis - Feel My Love

Top 20 Review
0 - Awful:
20. Sam Hunt - Body Like A Back Road

1 - Bad:

19. Liam Payne - Strip That Down

2 - Mediocre:
None!

3 - Decent:

18. Zedd featuring Alessia Cara - Stay
17. Linkin Park - One More Light

4 - Good:
16. Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato - No Promises

5 - Great:
15. Imagine Dragons - Thunder
14. Ed Sheeran - Castle On The Hill
13. Demi Lovato - Sorry Not Sorry
12. Imagine Dragons - Believer
11. Charlie Puth - Attention
10. Niall Horan - Slow Hands
9. Mono Mind - Save Me A Place
8. Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey - Glorious
7. Louis Tomlinson featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals - Back To You
6. P!NK What About Us
5. Ed Sheeran - Galway Girl
4. The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay - Something Just Like This
3. Shawn Mendes - There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back

BONUS: 6 - Best Song On The Countdown:
TIE: 1. Taylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do
TIE: 1. Kesha - Praying

Overall Grade: 88/100 (B+)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Mariah Carey - Vision Of Love (1990)

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Kesha - Learn To Let Go

Most Missed Countdown Song: Ellie Goulding - Lights

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between Ariana Grande - Into You and The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey - Closer

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Kesha - Praying
TIE: 1. Taylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do
3. Shawn Mendes - There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back
4. The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay - Something Just Like This
5. DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller - Wild Thoughts

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Sam Hunt - Body Like A Back Road
2. AJR - Weak
3. MAX featuring Gnash - Lights Down Low
4. Julia Michaels - Issues
5. Liam Payne - Strip That Down

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago: 
None!

Thursday, September 7, 2017

AT 40: Charlie Puth (2) - Week Of September 9, 2017

So, we had a short week due to Labor Day Weekend.  This was quite an eventful week for the most part, some for better and some for worse.  This may be a sign that things are beginning to pick up speed as we're closing in on the fall season.  Also, my thoughts go out to those on the path of Hurricane Irma and to those still affected by Hurricane Harvey.  Now with that being said, here are the songs dropping out this week:

I Don't Wanna Live Forever by Zayn featuring Taylor Swift (#40)
Rockabye by Clean Bandit featuring Sean Paul and Anne-Marie (#38)
Issues by Julia Michaels (#35)

The Countdown:
40. Mama by Jonas Blue featuring William Singe (DEBUT) [=]
39. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash (DEBUT) [=]
38. Say You Won't Let Go by James Arthur (#32) [-6]
37. Mi Gente by J. Balvin featuring Willy William (#39) [+2]
36. Know No Better by Major Lazer featuring Travis Scott, Camila Cabello, and Quavo (#36) [=]
35. Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran (#29) [=] [Spent 10 Weeks At #1]
34. Friends by Justin Bieber featuring BloodPop (DEBUT) [=]
33. Khalid - Location (#34) [+1]
32. Glorious by Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey (#31) [-1]
31. Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay (#25) [-6]
30. Most Girls by Hailee Steinfeld (#30) [=]
29. Versace On The Floor by Bruno Mars (#18) [-11]
28. Congratulations by Post Malone featuring Quavo (#23) [-5]
27. That's What I Like by Bruno Mars (#21) [-6]
26. 1-800-273-8255 by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid (#27) [+1]
25. What About Us by P!NK (#37) [+12]
24. Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran (#19) [-5]
23. Back To You by Louis Tomlinson featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals (#26) [+3]
22. Fetish by Selena Gomez featuring Gucci Mane (#28) [+6]
21. Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man (#33) [+12]
20. It Ain't Me by Kygo featuring Selena Gomez (#15) [-5]
19. Get Low by Zedd featuring Liam Payne (#24) [+5]
18. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato (#22) [+4]
17. Honest by The Chainsmokers (#20) [+3]
16. Now Or Never by Halsey (#10) [-6]
15. Praying by Kesha (#17) [+2]
14. Unforgettable by French Montana featuring Swae Lee (#16) [+2]
13. I'm The One by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper, and Lil' Wayne (#12) [-1]
12. Redbone by Childish Gambino (#14) [+2]
11. No Promises by Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato (#13) [+11]
10. Body Like A Back Road by Sam Hunt (#11) [+1] (...)
9. Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara (#7) [-2]
8. Feels by Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell, Katy Perry, and Big Sean (#9) [+1]
7. Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo (#8) [+1]
6. Slow Hands by Niall Horan (#6) [=]
5. Despacito by Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee (#4) [-1]
4. Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller (#5) [+1]
3. Believer by Imagine Dragons (#3) [=]
2. There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back by Shawn Mendes (#2) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
1. Attention by Charlie Puth (#1) [=] [2nd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Ride by TWENTY ØNE PILØTS (1st of 2 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Drop Of The Week: Versace On The Floor by Bruno Mars (-11)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Tie between What About Us by P!NK and Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man (+12)

New Entrants
- To start off our new round of entrants, we have Jonas Blue collaborating with William Singe with their new single called Mama.  Jonas Blue previously made a song titled Perfect Strangers, which I didn't really care for that much.  His new single, Mama, is quite a step up from his predecessor.  William Singe's vocals blend well with the tropical vibe and melody, both of which are much stronger than it was in Perfect Strangers.  I do like the lyrics about wanting to live life to the fullest and never looking back.  Overall, this track (although short clocking in at three minutes) is pretty solid and I'm hoping this one sticks around for a while.

- Next, we have a song that's currently on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown, in the form of Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash.  Now to be honest, I'm just simply not a fan of this one.  This is one of those songs in which I really can't explain why I don't like it that much.  While I do somewhat like the lyrics and the vocals, the rest of the song is just underwhelming to me, in part because I just don't find it fun and catchy.  Maybe it's just me, though.  I feel like if it were done by someone else, then I'll probably would like it.  But right now, I'm not enjoying it.

- Anyone tired of Justin Bieber, yet?  Yes?  Well, too bad, because he has just recently released his new single titled Friends.  With Despacito still losing its steam pretty much everywhere right now, he has decided to release its follow-up single.  It's another break-up song like his previous singles have been lately.  This time, he about wanting to stay friends with his ex-girlfriend.  I do like the production BloodPop put together in this track.  I recently read somewhere that Bieber was collaborating with Martin Garrix but he turned it down.  This isn't the first time BloodPop had been working with Bieber; they worked together on producing Purpose back in 2015.  I also read that he co-wrote it with Julia Michaels.  I guess she didn't have any issues with helping him on this solid track.  But anyway, I'm sure most people will find this one more likable at this point.  We'll see how long this one stays.

Hey, Mama, Don't Blurb Your Mind
- As always, we'll start with our exits.  I'm sure many are happy with the departure of Issues, and I won't miss it too much either, at least not right now.  Also, there was I Don't Wanna Live Forever which I did like, but it wasn't seriously worth caring for in the long run.  Lastly, we have Rockabye, which was a huge favorite of mine and I enjoyed its presence.  While I know some are rejoicing its departure, I'm not one of them.  Farewell, Rockabye.  You will definitely be missed!

- Charlie Puth was able to hold at #1 for the 2nd week in a row.  I wonder how long he'll last at the top spot until a new contender comes along.  I'm hoping for Wild Thoughts to spend a week at #1, but I still enjoy Attention somewhat.  Thus, I have no complaints about this one.

- I'm not at all pleased about the arrival of Body Like A Back Road in the Top 10.  I still think it's one of the worst songs of the year.  I can't believe North America is letting that New-York-Giants sized piece of trash get popular than some of the other country songs out there.

- I'm also not okay with Fetish getting closer to the Top 20.  Seriously, what happened to the Selena Gomez I used to know?  Her recent singles have not been good lately and I'm hoping this one does not get any higher.

- In terms of other not-so-good news, we have Versace On The Floor taking a huge drop this week.  It doesn't look like Bruno Mars is going to have another hit.  I guess people were very fond of his upbeat groovy tracks than his slow songs.  Oh well.

- On a more positive note, we have What About Us taking a huge jump this week.  Perfectly fine by me as I do still enjoy this song at the moment, and as I've said before, P!NK almost never disappoints me with her music.  I'm hoping that this can end up getting big or at least stick around for a long while.

- So, I now have an opinion on Know No Better.  It sucks.  The production is underwhelming, the vocals aren't too good, and the lyrics don't make sense at all.  In this song, they're basically singing about how people don't know other artists better than them, which is completely false.  Guess what?  I know plenty of singers better than them.

- Looks like this is pretty much it for both Shape Of You & Say You Won't Let Go, though they did have an great run while it lasted.  While I know some are rejoicing the latter, the former was more likable by most people.  I wonder how much longer will these two be with us?

Breakout/On The Verge

  • Two Ghosts by Harry Styles
  • Hoodie by Hey Violet
  • Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift
  • Something Different by Why Don't We

- We can now celebrate as Uh Huh by Julia Michaels failed to debut on the American Top 40!

Extra/Optional Extras

  • The Way I Are (Dance With Somebody) by Bebe Rexha featuring Lil' Wayne
  • Payphone by Maroon 5 featuring Wiz Khalifa
  • Symphony by Clean Bandit featuring Zara Larsson
  • This Town by Niall Horan
  • Bad Things by Machine Gun Kelly featuring Camila Cabello
  • Time Of Your Lives by Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo
  • Love Story by Taylor Swift

Top 20 Breakdown
0 - Awful:
20. Body Like A Back Road by Sam Hunt

1 - Bad:
19. Redbone by Childish Gambino
18. Strip That Down by Liam Payne

2 - Mediocre:
17. I'm The One by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper, and Lil' Wayne
16. Now Or Never by Halsey

3 - Decent:
15. Get Low by Zedd featuring Liam Payne

4 - Good:
14. Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara
13. No Promises by Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato

5 - Great:
12. Honest by The Chainsmokers
11. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato
10. Slow Hands by Niall Horan
9. Believer by Imagine Dragons
8. It Ain't Me by Kygo featuring Selena Gomez
7. Attention by Charlie Puth
6. Feels by Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell, Katy Perry, and Big Sean
5. Unforgettable by French Montana featuring Swae Lee
4. Despacito by Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee
3. Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller
2. There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back by Shawn Mendes

BONUS: 6 - Best Song On The Countdown
1. Praying by Kesha

Total Score: 78/100 (C+)

My Top 5 Picks
1. Praying by Kesha
2. There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back by Shawn Mendes
3. Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay
4. Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller
5. Despacito by Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Body Like A Back Road by Sam Hunt
2. Congratulations by Post Malone featuring Quavo
3. Mi Gente by J. Balvin featuring Willy William
4. Fetish by Selena Gomez featuring Gucci Mane
5. Location by Khalid

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

10,000 Pageview Special: My Top 30 Songs Of 2015

So, this is my 10,000 Pageview Special!  For this one, I'm going to list my Top 30 favorite songs of 2015.  2015 was widely regard as the best year for music, at least for this decade.  There were plenty of break-out artists, and we had some of our favorites releasing better music in general.  With that in mind, here is a list of My Top 30 favorite songs of 2015:


30. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Downtown
Most rap songs nowadays generally have some of the worst lyrics I've ever heard.  It's basically all nonsense (from money to drugs, etc.).  The lyrics to this song aren't that good either, but least Macklemore can make up for it with his excellent rapping skills.  I do love the chorus in this one, though.  Although not his best, I still enjoy this.

29. Taylor Swift - Wildest Dreams
When it comes to writing love songs, Taylor Swift does it best.  She does a good job with the chorus overall, especially near the end.  I do like how she was portrayed as a actress in the music video.  Much like her other singles off of 1989, she basically has the same kind of energy and charisma in this song, albeit a little less.  Still, that doesn't mean it's bad per say; it's quite enjoyable for the most part.


28. Ella Henderson - Ghost
Don't you love it when an unknown artist comes into the fold and makes a great first impression?  That's what Ella Henderson did with Ghost.  The nice guitar riffs, the excellent lyrics, and her amazing vocals blend together really well in this song.  Not much else to say about this, but overall it's a win for Ella Henderson.


27. Elle King - Ex's & Oh's
Much like Ella Henderson impressed me with Ghost, Elle King managed to wow me just the same when she released Ex's & Oh's.  She has more charisma in this than some of the other artists trying to make a first impression.  I love the folk vibe in this song.  The lyrics about her ex-boyfriends as ghosts wanting to come back to her, were well written.  I'm glad we got some rock music like this being successful worldwide.

26. Alessia Cara - Here
Oh, look.  Another artist who succeeds at making a first impression.  The Alessia Cara in this one was quite different than what we hear today.  Both the intro and the outro were really cool.  We hear a man talking in the background before the song starts.  I can't help but pull myself in.  Unlike most party songs in which people dance to the music, this is actually an anti-party anthem.  It helps that Alessia's voice sounds good here.  Overall, it's a great start for Alessia Cara.


25. Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar - Bad Blood
I would just review her solo version, but I actually like the one with Kendrick Lamar better. This is basically Dark Horse, except a tad better.  Unlike some critics who weren't too kind to this mainly because it doesn't fit Taylor very well, I'm not one of them.  Right off the bat, I love how Taylor mixed pop and hip-hop together.  Although I'm disappointed Hits 1 edited out Kendrick's verses (most likely because they don't seem to like hip-hop in general), at least it got to hit #1 twice.  Personally, I think if it weren't for Shut Up And Dance, this probably would've been the biggest hit of the summer.  Still, I have no complaints about this at all.  I'm thrilled about the way it turned out for both Taylor & Kendrick.  It was a new sound Taylor Swift opted for and she did well.


24. One Direction - Night Changes
I love how a band can go from being upbeat to making a slow song.  Though it is boring, it's one of the band's best songs thus far.  You can make people love slow songs when done right, and that's exactly what they did here.


23. DJ Snake featuring AlunaGeorge - You Know You Like It
The drop here is cryptic, yet it so good.  I definitely love the vocals in this one.  It's so catchy that some called this the best song of 2015.  Although I don't quite like it on their level, it's still one of a kind.



22. The Weeknd - Can't Feel My Face
I think this was a breakout hit for The Weeknd himself.  Right off the bat, this song has me dancing every time I play it.  Unlike Earned It which was slow and not as appealing, this is more upbeat and in general, more likable from a critical standpoint.  My favorite parts about this is both the chorus and the build-up leading to it.  This follow-up to Earned It (along with its successor) is what got me into liking The Weeknd as an artist.


21. Little Mix - Black Magic
I find Little Mix to be better than Fifth Harmony in general, in part because they make better music, and this one is no different.  I absolutely love the line, "Take a sip from a secret potion, I'll make you fall in love".  I can't help but pull myself in.  It helps that they have better vocals than Fifth Harmony.  It's definitely Little Mix's best single to date.


20. Ellie Goulding - On My Mind
I absolutely love Ellie Goulding!  She is very gorgeous, and almost never disappoints me with her music.  This song is no different.  I like how she attempts to make a love song and executes it perfectly.  Although it didn't quite get as big as her predecessor, I still love it for what it is.


19. Tori Kelly - Should've Been Us
Well, look what we have here: another artist making a great first impression.  This is easily Tori Kelly's best single to date, with Hollow coming in a close second.  The chorus in this one, plus the catchy trap-like beat has me hooked.  Although the lyrics aren't quite as good, at least they do make sense.  It basically reflects a lost relationship.  It definitely deserved to do better on the charts, because she sounds awesome in this track.  Here's to hoping she becomes a big superstar in the music industry.


18. Kelly Clarkson - Heartbeat Song
Honestly, I feel very alone with this opinion, but I don't care because I actually like this song.  And no, it's not just because I have always loved Kelly Clarkson as an artist.  I love the lyrical content about making a comeback, and Kelly's vocals are amazing as always.  Although this song doesn't quite live up to her best singles, it's still enjoyable for what it is.


17. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS - Tear In My Heart
Before this song and its successor came along, I've never really heard of TWENTY ØNE PILØTS.  Their vocals aren't necessarily all that good.  But when it comes to certain songs, I don't really care that much for the vocals; it's about writing good lyrical content.  And they did a nice job with that.  I loved how they mixed rock with some EDM put into it.  Overall, it was a great first impression for them.


16. Fall Out Boy - Uma Thurman
Adrian's most hated song of 2015, but I beg to differ.  It's the perfect theme for an action movie.  There were a lot of rock elements put together.  I love the part after the chorus where the guitar comes in, and the drumroll in the end as well.  Overall, it's one of Fall Out Boy's best singles to date.


15. The Weeknd - The Hills
Arguably one of, if not the best single from The Weeknd by many YouTube critics (TheDoubleAgent ranked this as his #3 song of 2015) and fans alike, and for a good reason.  Although it was underrated on Hits 1, it was still a bigger hit elsewhere, reaching #1 on many charts.  The darker atmosphere definitely fits The Weeknd very well.  Based on the lyrics, we explore a different side of himself and find out what's going on in his mind.  He created this masterpiece and it pretty much became a fan favorite (along with his successor I Feel It Coming and his other singles off Starboy).


14. Major Lazer featuring DJ Snake and MØ - Lean On
This was both Major Lazer & MØ's successful song of their career thus far.  DJ Snake previously had some success when collaborating with Lil' John in Turn Down For What.  I personally think this song opened the gateways to making tropical house a current trend in the music industry.  The tropical elements used in this sounds great and MØ's vocals blend in pretty well.  Combine that with a catchy beat and you can see why most people (including myself) like this.

13. Jess Glynne - Hold My Hand
Not many people in the blogging community were very fond of this.  I'm sure many still like her collaboration with Clean Bandit in their single Rather Be.  I myself, think the opposite when it comes to Hold My Hand.  Jess Glynne has more energy in this than she did in Rather Be, especially in the chorus.  I do love the piano work done throughout.  Overall, it's definitely one of Jess Glynne's best and didn't really deserved to be underrated like this.


12. Tove Lo - Talking Body
This song is very unique when compared to some of the other pop songs in general.  The part that I love about this song is the chorus.  The sexy lyrical content and some of the other cool stuff impresses me.  Tove Lo does a nice job with her sultry vocals overall.  It's definitely one of the best sexy songs and I'm very thrilled to see her score a big hit worldwide.


11. Taylor Swift - Style
Again, Taylor Swift almost never disappoints.  There is a little more rock in this one than in her other singles in 1989.  This song actually takes place during a relationship and even though things might not turn out well, at least she's willing to take that risk.  Taylor's vocals are divine in this one.  Actually, pretty much everything about this song is divine, hence why some people consider this the best single off of 1989.


10. Walk The Moon - Shut Up And Dance
There are some people who still think this is overrated, mainly because it hogged the #1 spot for 12 weeks on Hits 1 and refused to give it up.  Here's a question: which would you rather have at #1?  A rap song whose lyrics are nonsense, or an overrated dance song?  Anyway, this reminds me of an 80's rock song, except they added some EDM to it.  It took a while for this to gain steam elsewhere.  But by then, pretty much everyone in the blogging community soured on it to the point where they just got annoyed with it in general.  I myself, on the other hand, say otherwise.  It stuck with me for a long while, and I pretty much enjoyed this 80's rock & EDM mixed together in this one song.


9. Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth - See You Again
This song was a tribute to the late Paul Walker.  To put it easy, it was put together beautifully.  This was actually the first time we hear from Charlie Puth.  He impressed me with his vocals and his piano work.  Wiz Khalifa actually contributes to the song.  Although his vocals aren't necessarily the best, at least he shows heart in this.  I'm glad it became a success that I wanted to be.  While I know some people who were sick of this song when it became overplayed, I wasn't one of them. I'm glad this one stuck with me.


8. Demi Lovato - Cool For The Summer
Easily my favorite song from Demi Lovato, and her biggest hit to date.  While it was a departure from her days as a Disney star, Demi still delivered with her new mature sound.  From her energetic chorus to the electric guitar, this song definitely has me hooked every time I listen to this.  If this isn't Demi's best single, I don't know what is.


7. Audien featuring Lady Antebellum - Something Better
EDM and Country generally don't mix well.  But after listening to this I've got to say: I was very impressed with how it turned out!  It starts out with the piano.  Then the pre-chorus comes in and we get this awesome beat put together.  I absolutely love Hillary Scott's vocals in this one.  Her voice has always been good ever since Need You Now became one of the biggest hits of this decade.  Audien put together a superb EDM production from start to finish.  It's too bad this didn't become a bigger hit I wanted to be, but at least this song charted and got some recognition.  As the title itself says, this was definitely something better.


6. Taylor Swift - Blank Space
Possibly her best single of all time, and for a very good reason.  From Taylor's vocals to the amazingly catchy beat, I pretty much love everything about this song.  Personally, I think this song is even more divine than Style.  The lyrical content about her love life is excellent.  I easily fell in love with the music video, which shows her relationship with another man.  The fact that this hit #1 for six weeks on Hits 1 made me love this song even more.  I'm sure many people will still remember this as her most iconic single to date.


5. Ellie Goulding - Love Me Like You Do
Taken from the Fifty Shades Of Grey soundtrack, this became Ellie Goulding's biggest hit of her career, and for a very good reason.  She has been a rising pop star since Lights became a hit back in 2011.   Ellie Goulding just looks absolutely beautiful, but that's not why she's had some success with her music.  As I mentioned with On My Mind, she almost never disappoints, releasing every single that grabs the attention of myself and many in the blogging community.  Falling in love with Ellie Goulding was easy enough for me, but this is just icing on the cake.  This song actually manages to impress me from start to finish.  Ellie's vocals fit very well with this love song.  My favorite part about this is the line "What are you waiting for", especially where the final chorus kicks in.  No, scratch that: the chorus is actually my favorite part of the song.  It showcases just how well Ellie Goulding can sing overall.  Looking back at this, I think this her best and I'm very pleased that it got the success it deserved.


4. Rachel Platten - Fight Song
Honestly, I actually like this way more than I should.  When it comes to songs such as Love Me Like You Do and a few others, there are people who can at least agree with me on why they like or dislike it.  Fight Song, however, is a different story.  Many YouTube critics weren't very fond of this song, mainly because it's seen as a generic self-empowerment anthem with no melody whatsoever. Much like with Heartbeat Song, this is another song in which I feel very alone with this opinion, but I don't care because I absolutely love this song.  Rachel Platten definitely made a very good first impression with her single (not to mention she is absolutely beautiful!).  Her vocals, the chorus, the build-up leading to it, and its lyrics are all divine.  But the one thing that carries it to #4 for me, is that it's one of the most deeper self-empowerment anthems I've ever had the pleasure of hearing in my life.  It's basically an inspiration to many people because it teaches them to never give up and motivate them to strive for the better.  Whether you're struggling to get through a situation or whatever else that maybe holding you back, this song is for you.  Overall, it's easily a win for Rachel Platten and I hope she continues to make more singles like this.


3. Adele - Hello
Ah, yes.  We have the triumphant return of Adele after three years.  Right off the bat, I fell in love with this song.  It starts off kinda slow, but then we get to the chorus and Adele delivered it perfectly.  The piano work and the lyrical content are very well done.  This is, in my opinion, the best lead single ever for any artist and I'm glad it became a massive success worldwide, reaching #1 in many different countries.


2. X Ambassadors - Renegades
If you've watched many car commercials, then you've probably have heard this song before.  It took a while for this to get mainstream, but I'm glad it caught on with the general public.  The vocals in this one are great, and I love the guitar solo at the end, which was very cool.  But the one other thing that makes this my #2 song is the deeper lyrics.  It's basically about wanting to succeed in spite of one's shortcomings.  What I didn't realize back then was that one of the band members, Casey Harris, is actually blind.  Still, that didn't stop him from contributing to creating this epic song for a car commercial.

And finally, my #1 favorite song of 2015 is....























1. Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk
You guessed it!  The #1 song on Billboard's Year-End List for 2015 and one of Billboard's biggest hits of all time.  The new funky sound mixed with Bruno's vocals makes it sound like a Michael Jackson song.  Growing up, I've always listened to Michael Jackson and some other artists who broke color barriers and most of their songs sound very similar to Uptown Funk.  Bruno Mars actually started this new sound with Treasure back in 2013.  Many YouTube critics and fans alike praised this song, but the blogging community actually felt the exact opposite, especially when this song was massively overplayed.  And ever since then, they've basically stopped liking Bruno Mars in general.  They preferred his older singles better (Just The Way You Are, Grenade, Locked Out Of Heaven, and even When I Was Your Man).  As for me, I like both the old & new Bruno Mars.  True, his older work, despite being hits, wasn't seen as great from a critical standpoint, but I say otherwise.  Bruno Mars has shown he has a incredible voice, and this is no different.  He is basically the Michael Jackson of our generation. Mark Ronson himself did an excellent job at putting together this epic dance song for the ages. Overall, this is stupendous win for both of them.