Panic! At The Disco (2) - Week Of August 18, 2018

What's up, guys? I'm making good progress on my 100,000 Pageview Special. It's being close to done. I should have it posted by next week, I promise. Also, this week was a sad one in the world of music as we mourn the loss of Aretha Franklin. I did a special post about the singer that you can check out here if you haven't already. With that in mind, let's get into the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown! Before we get to this week's fresh 45, here are the songs we're saying good-bye to this week:

• The Wrecks – James Dean (#33)
• TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Jumpsuit (#44)
• Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin – Familiar (#45)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
45. Bazzi – Mine (#43) [–2]
44. Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift – Babe (#42) [–2]
43. MNEK featuring Hailee Steinfeld – Colour (#26) [–17]
42. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me (#41) [–1]
41. U2 featuring Cheat Codes – Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way (#28) [–13]

40. Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right (#34) [–6]

39. Walk The Moon – One Foot (#37) [–2]

38. PNAU – Go Bang (DEBUT)

37. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back (#35) [–2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

36. Drake – In My Feelings (#39) [+4]

35. Halsey – Alone (#40) [+5]

34. Lauv – I Like Me Better (#31) [–3]

33. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me (#25) [–8]

32. Madison Beer – Home With You (#30) [–2]

31. Dan + Shay – Tequila (DEBUT)

30. Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess (DEBUT)

29. Niall Horan – On The Loose (#19) [–10]

28. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same (#36) [+8] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

27. PRETTYMUCH – Summer On You (#23) [–4]

26. Dua Lipa – IDGAF (#32) [+6]

25. Maroon 5 – Wait (#27) [+2]

24. Alessia Cara – Growing Pains (#22) [–2]

23. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (#15) [–8] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

22. Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It (#18) [–4]

21. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be (#21) [=]

20. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects (#38) [+18]

19. lovelytheband – Broken (#29) [+10]

18. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends (#12) [–8]

17. Imagine Dragons – Natural (#17) [=]

16. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies (#16) [=]

15. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me (#13) [–2]

14. Post Malone – Better Now (#20) [+6]

13. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart (#11) [–2]

12. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry (#24) [+12]

11. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You (#10) [–1]

10. Taylor Swift – Delicate (#2) [–8] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]

9. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes (#9) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

8. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss (#14) [+6]

7. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones (#7) [=]

6. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know (#8) [+2]

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

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

3. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood (#3) [=]

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

1. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (#1) [=] [2^nd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Shawn Mendes – There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back (4^th of 5 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: MNEK featuring Hailee Steinfeld – Colour (–17)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects (+18)

New Entrants
- To kick off this week's new debuts, we have a new group by the name of PNAU, who makes their first appearance on the countdown with the single Go Bang. To say the least, I think the song is decent for the most part. What I like about it is the production. The piano here is great. But my main problem is the vocals we get from these guys. They sound too childish. So yeah, it's an okay song. Not really something I'll remember in a year or two.

- Next up, we have country duo Dan + Shay making their debut with the song titled Tequila. The country music genre has been a pretty mixed bag for me lately, mainly due to terrible songs like Body Like A Back Road (which as you can recall was my #1 least favorite song of last year). But we did have some good songs however, and Tequila fits into that category. This is definitely the type of song I want to hear from the country genre. I love their vocals all throughout the song. These guys sound great together. The production isn't as lazy and they put forth the effort in making this song. The lyrical content is pretty good as well. Simply put, this is probably one of the best the country genre has to offer this year. I hope it stays for a while.

- Finally, we have Bebe Rexha who has her second song on the countdown this week with her latest single called I'm A Mess. I talked about this song when it debuted on the AT40 earlier this month. But let's just recap what I said. I can say it's a step up from her predecessor. I like the production throughout the song and it's nice that it doesn't sound something like Meant To Be, which was actually a bad mix of country and pop altogether. Bebe's vocals are pretty good for the most part. So yeah, I'd like to see that one be a success.

Best Debut Of The Week: Dan + Shay – Tequila

Get Into The Blurbs
- We sadly say good-bye to three songs this week. Familiar was not destined to last long. It's a shame because I like that song better than Liam's other singles (save for For You, which didn't really take off anywhere either). James Dean was a really good song and I'm sad to see that one go. But no exit hurt me more than Jumpsuit. It's a shame to see that one last only four weeks. It was an amazing comeback single from TWENTY ØNE PILØTS. That song will definitely be missed by me. I do hope they follow-up with a hit soon.

- Nothing really has changed in the Top 5 other than Back To You making it back into that region. That one is looking at the #1 spot, but I can definitely see a song like Youngblood take the crown soon given it's growing popularity.

- The guest DJ that introduced I Wanna Know talked about the city Janesville with many Jane's who live in it. I've never been to a city like that, but I'm sure it sounds unique.

- Sure, I'll gladly take the fact that One Kiss is now in the Top 10. Though it's starting to fade elsewhere, at least it's still going pretty strong on this countdown.

- No Tears Left To Cry made a nice recovery after that big drop last week. I can't really say I'm surprised about this given that her recent album, Sweetener, just came out yesterday.

- However, I'm most pleased about Side Effects taking a massive jump into the Top 20 this week. Honestly, this is easily one of the best The Chainsmokers have to offer in a while. I do have high hopes (no pun intended) that this will end up sticking around a little longer.

- How the heck is Never Be The Same still here, let alone jumping?! I was infuriated with the jump from I Like Me Better last week. Now, we have songs like Never Be The Same doing just that? Come on, people. That song should've left a while ago.

- As far as some big drops go, Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way was bound to drop sooner or later given that it's not huge elsewhere. Colour is right back to where it was once more after another big drop. Looks like that one won't last too long.

Hit-Bound:

• Justin Timberlake – SoulMate
• George Ezra – Shotgun (DEBUT)
• NF – Lie
• Anne–Marie – 2002 (DEBUT)
• Train featuring Cam and Travie McCoy – Call Me Sir
• Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello – Beautiful (Remix)
• Zedd featuring Elley Duhé – Happy Now
• Weezer – Africa
• DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, and Chance The Rapper – No Brainer
• Charlie Puth – The Way I Am
• Sabrina Carpenter – Almost Love
• AJR – Burn The House Down
• Noah Cyrus featuring MAX – Team
• Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind
• Brown & Gray – Top Down

- Who remembers George Ezra? It's been a while since we heard from him, since 2015 when he ad Budapest which was a sleeper hit. Today, he's back with his latest single titled Shotgun. Although I won't quite say it's as good as its predecessor, this one is still enjoyable. I like his vocals for the most part, and the production is good to some degree.

- Next up, we have more of Anne-Marie with her latest single titled 2002 (not the year, but the song itself). Right off the bat, I find this to be a huge step up from her feature in Friends, which was terrible. She showcases her vocals more here, and the production is not as lazy. I'll talk more about this when it debuts.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Zedd featuring Elley Duhé – Happy Now
2. Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello – Beautiful (Remix)
3. Brown & Gray – Top Down
4. Charlie Puth – The Way I Am
5. Noah Cyrus featuring MAX – Team

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

1 – Bad:
None!

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
19. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know
18. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me
17. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You

4 – Good:
16. lovelytheband – Broken

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

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
TIE: 1. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart
TIE: 1. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects

Overall Grade: 90/100 = 90% (A–)

Throwback Picks Of The Week: Aretha Franklin – Chain Of Fools (1968) and Madonna – Into The Groove (1985) (Happy 60th Birthday to her this week!)

Most Missed Countdown Song: TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Jumpsuit (Already)

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Steve Aoki & Boehm featuring Walk The Moon – Back 2 U

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

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Kesha – Praying (#23)

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects
TIE: 1. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart
3. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
4. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
5. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones

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

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Hey Violet – Hoodie: This was a more likable song among the blogging community last year, after the group's previous singles weren't really to anyone's liking. Their vocals sound much better and I like the production. I do wish it had success.
P!NK – What About Us: Although I can't say that this is one of her best songs, it still shows just how talented P!NK is vocals-wise. It was nice to see this become a minor hit late last year.

QOTW: What is your favorite song from Aretha Franklin?

My Top 5 Songs From Aretha Franklin

So, for those of you who don't know by now, the music industry has lost one of the world's most recognizable singers, Aretha Franklin. She was 76 years of age. When I was growing up, I had always listened to her music and I loved her voice. She was one of the best singers I have ever heard in my life. She set an example for so many in music and eventually became an inspiration to many of us. So today, I've decided to countdown my favorite songs from Aretha Franklin. Here they are:

5. Chain Of Fools (1968) (from Lady Soul)

4. I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) (featuring George Michael) (1987) (from Aretha)

3. I Say A Little Prayer (1968) (from Aretha Now)

2. (You Make Me Feel Like) Natural Woman (1967) (from Lady Soul)

1. Respect (1967) (from I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You)

With that, those are my Top 5 favorite songs from the legendary Aretha Franklin. I would like to say that she was an incredible talent and her music will live on. Aretha will truly be missed.

Panic! At The Disco (1) - Week Of August 11, 2018

What's up, guys? It's that time of year again! Football season is here...well, preseason football is what I meant. How do you think your team will fare? Let me know in the comments section below. Anyway, Spyder Harrison is back on the job this week after being absent for two weeks. Although we did lose one good song, we got another great song taking its place. And our new #1 is one I saw coming. Let's get into it! Before we get to this week's fresh 45, here are the songs leaving the countdown this week:

• Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me (#42)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Taylor Swift – Delicate
45. Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin – Familiar (#45) [=]
44. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Jumpsuit (#33) [–11]
43. Bazzi – Mine (#43) [=]
42. Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift – Babe (#44) [+2]
41. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me (#38) [–3]

40. Halsey – Alone (#27) [–13]

39. Drake – In My Feelings (#37) [–2]

38. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects (DEBUT)

37. Walk The Moon – One Foot (#40) [+3]

36. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same (#36) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
35. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back (#35) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

34. Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right (#25) [–9]

33. The Wrecks – James Dean (#30) [–3]

32. Dua Lipa – IDGAF (#22) [–10]

31. Lauv – I Like Me Better (#41) [+10]

30. Madison Beer – Home With You (#29) [–1]

29. lovelytheband – Broken (#28) [–1]

28. U2 featuring Cheat Codes – Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way (#34) [+6]

27. Maroon 5 – Wait (#26) [–1]

26. MNEK featuring Hailee Steinfeld – Colour (#39) [+13]

25. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me (#32) [+7]

24. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry (#14) [–10]

23. PRETTYMUCH – Summer On You (#31) [+8]

22. Alessia Cara – Growing Pains (#23) [+1]

21. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be (#24) [+3] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

20. Post Malone – Better Now (#15) [–5]

19. Niall Horan – On The Loose (#22) [+3]

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

17. Imagine Dragons – Natural (#20) [+3]

16. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies (#17) [+1]

15. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (#18) [+3] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]

14. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss (#12) [–2]

13. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me (#16) [+3]

12. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends (#5) [–7]

11. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart (#9) [–2]

10. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You (#8) [–2]

9. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes (#11) [+2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]

8. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know (#10) [+2]

7. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones (#13) [+6]

6. Selena Gomez – Back To You (#7) [+1]

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

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

3. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood (#4) [+1]

2. Taylor Swift – Delicate (#1) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]

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

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Imagine Dragons – Believer (3^rd and Final Week At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Halsey – Alone (–13)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: MNEK featuring Hailee Steinfeld – Colour (+13)

New Entrants
- Over the past couple of years, The Chainsmokers have become my favorite EDM duo with songs such as Closer, Don't Let Me Down, and Something Just Like This, which became hits. This year, however, has been a different story. Their latest releases have been a mixed bag. I did like Sick Boy at first, but I realized it wasn't that good. Their other releases after that haven't really been to my liking lately, what with mediocre songs such as Everybody Hates Me and You Owe Me. But it appears that they're back in the right direction with their latest new single making its debut this week, by the name of Side Effects. Here, they're collaborating with Emily Warren, who basically just does the vocals throughout the song. Emily write songs for these guys as well. In fact, she basically contributed to most of their album, Memories...Do Not Open, as well as their EP, Collage. When Paris came around last year, she had uncredited vocals in some parts of that song. I fell in love with it and it was a favorite of mine. Anyway, let's talk about Side Effects. It's a big step up from what these guys have been releasing lately. I absolutely love Emily's voice. She basically sounds amazing from start to finish. The Chainsmokers weren't lazy this time around and instead decided to put forth the effort in producing this song. Also, we don't get to hear Drew's voice at any part of the song. It'll be interesting how long this will stick around. I would like to see it becoming a success.

I'm Saving All My Blurbs For You
- Okay, so we sadly say good-bye to Tell Me You Love Me. It had quite a run for a song that wasn't very popular elsewhere. I will definitely remember this song as one of my favorites from her album. My prayers are still with Demi during this difficult time. I'm hoping she'll be able to overcome her health issues.

- Well, Jumpsuit has now fallen to the bottom of the countdown. I have a feeling this might be its last week here unfortunately. It's disappointing to see how poorly this song is performing even though it's not gaining steam elsewhere.

- I'm not surprised to see Alone take a big drop given that its momentum has basically died down elsewhere. I'm starting to get sick of the song, so I'm okay with this move.

- Are you kidding me, people? I Like Me Better jumps back near the Top 30. This is ridiculous. Can we PLEASE get rid of this song? This has less of a right to be here at this point.

- Speaking of jumps, Colour takes a nice jump back into the Top 30. It's almost as if that big drop from last week never happened.

- Before introducing On The Loose, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Louis Tomlinson is planning on having a mini-reunion for One Direction. I'll bet Niall will definitely be thrilled about this.

- The guest DJ that introduced Friends called Marshmello the big white head. Now that was funny. That said, it's nice to see the song finally out of the Top 10.

- Before introducing The Middle, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Zedd ask a question about why hotels put shower gels in the sink. That's kind of an interesting question. Often I don't hear people complain about this stuff, but I guess Zedd was wondering why.

- I figured High Hopes would end up being #1. This is the second time Panic! At The Disco has reached the top spot this year. I'm definitely pleased by this as I do love the song overall. With Hits 1 falling in love with Brendon Urie, I can expect it to hold the top spot for at least a while.

Hit-Bound:

• Noah Cyrus featuring MAX – Team
• Train featuring Cam and Travie McCoy – Call Me Sir
• Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman
• Zedd featuring Elley Duhé – Happy Now
• Justin Timberlake – SoulMate
• DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, and Chance The Rapper – No Brainer
• Years & Years – If You're Over Me
• Brown & Gray – Top Down
• Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello – Beautiful (Remix) (DEBUT)
• Sabrina Carpenter – Almost Love (DEBUT)
• Charlie Puth – The Way I Am
• NF – Lie (DEBUT)
• Weezer – Africa
• Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind
• AJR – Burn The House Down (DEBUT)

- So, we have four debuts this week on Hit-Bound. First, we have Bazzi would released a remix to his latest single titled Beautiful with Camila Cabello. I can say that this song is good, vocals-wise. I think they sound so good together. I'll have more words when it debuts.

- Next, we have Sabrina Carpenter with her new single titled Almost Love. Right off the bat, I can say it's a bit of a step up from Why. She does sound slightly better with vocals, but I feel like the song lacks something to make it interesting. Not much else beyond that.

- NF has his latest single titled Lie. I talked about this one on the American Top 40 a few weeks ago when it debuted. I can say I like this one better than its predecessor. There are no background chipmunk vocals thankfully, and I do like his voice.

- Oh boy. We have more AJR once again, this time with Burn The House Down. It comes as no shock to most people here that I dislike the song greatly. Bad lyrical content, obnoxious vocals, etc. I could go on. Here's to hoping it doesn't debut.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
TIE: 1. Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Elley Duhé – Happy Now
3. Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello – Beautiful (Remix)
4. Brown & Gray – Top Down
5. Noah Cyrus featuring MAX – Team

YouTube 15:

• Drake – In My Feelings
• Jonas Blue featuring Jack & Jack – Rise
• Jaira Burns – This Time Around
• Post Malone – Better Now
• Alan Walker featuring AuRa and Tomine Harket – Darkside
• Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You
• Charlotte Devaney featuring Tanya Lacey – You Got It
• Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
• Khalid featuring Ty Dolla $ign and 6lack – OTW
• Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
• Lil' Dicky featuring Chris Brown – Freaky Friday
• Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends
• Carson Lueders – Have You Always
• Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It
• Sigla featuring The Vamps – We Don't Care

- Quite a bit has changed since the last time I reviewed the YouTube 15. We first start off with Jaira Burns who has a new single titled This Time Around. Right off the bat, I do like her voice and I think she sounds pretty good here. I do like the production here as well. That's all I've got for this one right now.

- We have the return of Alan Walker, this time collaborating with AuRa and Tomine Harket in his new single Darkside. Simply put, everything about this one is just amazing. I love what Alan does as a producer. But really the best thing I like about this is the vocals from both AuRa and Tomine. I think they sound really amazing. So yeah, I'm impressed with the song overall.

- Next, there's an artist named Charlotte Devaney who is collaborating with Tanya Lacey in their new single named You Got It. Right off the bat, I can't say I'm loving the song. I'm not big on the vocals for the most part, but I do like the production here.

- We have Carson Lueders with the song called Have You Always. There's quite a bit I like about this. I like Carson's vocals for the most part, and the production is nice. He does sound a little bit like Justin Bieber when I listen to the song.

- Finally, we have Sigla once again. This time, they're collaborating with The Vamps in the song called We Don't Care. Not too much I can say about this one. It's a bit of a step down from its predecessor, Lullaby. While I do like Sigla's contribution here, the song lacks something here that makes it more enjoyable.

My Top 5 YouTube 15 Picks
1. Alan Walker featuring AuRa and Tomine Harket – Darkside
2. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
3. Post Malone – Better Now
4. Jonas Blue featuring Jack & Jack – Rise
5. Carson Lueders – Have You Always

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

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

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
18. Niall Horan – On The Loose
17. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know
16. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me
15. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You
14. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great:
13. Post Malone – Better Now
12. Imagine Dragons – Natural
11. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
10. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies
9. Selena Gomez – Back To You
8. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
7. Taylor Swift – Delicate
6. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
5. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
4. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
3. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones
2. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart

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

Overall Grade: 82/100 = 82% (B–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Whitney Houston – Saving All My Love For You (1985) (This week would've been her 55^th birthday)

Most Missed Countdown Song: The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey – Closer

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Carly Rae Jepsen – Run Away With Me

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Mono Mind – La La Love

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Kesha – Praying (#35)

My Top 5 Picks
TIE: 1. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects
TIE: 1. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
3. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Jumpsuit
4. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart
5. The Wrecks – James Dean

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

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Kesha – Praying: It was really nice to hear from Kesha, especially after everything she had been through before this song came around. I love everything about this song from her raw vocals on down to the amazing piano. This was #1 favorite of last year and it still remains my favorite song from Kesha to this day.
Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry: I can definitely see why some don't like this. However, I do appreciate what Demi was going for when she released this one.
The Chainsmokers – Honest: This song isn't necessarily a stand-out from Memories...Do Not Open, but I do like what it has to offer. I like the lyrics, and Drew Taggart has a nice voice.

AT40: Maroon 5 & Cardi B. (1) - Week Of August 11, 2018

What's up, guys? So, I have an announcement to make. As a result of my blog reaching 100,000 Pageviews, I plan on doing a rankdown very soon. What I'm deciding to do is still a work in progress, but I'll come up with something. I'll likely have it ready by next month. Anyway, let's get on with the AT40 countdown. Before we get to this week's fresh 40, here are the songs leaving us this week:

• Sit Next To Me by Foster The People (#21)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Delicate by Taylor Swift
40. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé (#39) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
39. Nevermind by Dennis Lloyd (#40) [+1]
38. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey (#37) [Spent 1 Week At #1]
37. Jackie Chan by Tiesto & Dreko featuring Preme and Post Malone (DEBUT)
36. Let You Down by NF (#35) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
35. Let You Be Right by Meghan Trainor (#36) [+1]
34. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line (#33) [–1]
33. Dinero by Jennifer Lopez featuring DJ Khaled featuring Cardi B. (#34) [+1]
32. God's Plan by Drake (#31) [–1]
31. Lie by NF (#32) [+1]
30. New Rules by Dua Lipa (#29) [–1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
29. All Night by Big Boi (#26) [–3]
28. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar (#27) [+1]
27. Home With You by Madison Beer (#28) [+1]
26. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons (#25) [–1]
25. I'm A Mess by Bebe Rexha (#30) [+5]
24. Wait by Maroon 5 (#23) [–1]
23. Drew Barrymore by Bryce Vine (#24) [+1]
22. Bed by Nicki Minaj featuring Ariana Grande (#22) [=]
21. In My Feelings by Drake (#38) [+17]
20. Remind Me To Forget by Kygo featuring Miguel (#20) [=]
19. Don't Go Breaking My Heart by Backstreet Boys (#19) [=]
18. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello (#15) [–3] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
17. Nice For What by Drake (#16) [–1]
16. Growing Pains by Alessia Cara (#17) [+1]
15. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey (#11) [–4] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
14. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#18) [+4]
13. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes (#9) [–4]
12. I Like Me Better by Lauv (#7) [–5]
11. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani (#14) [+3]
10. Back To You by Selena Gomez (#12) [+2]
9. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa (#10) [+1]
8. I Like It by Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin (#8) [=]
7. Better Now by Post Malone (#13) [+6]
6. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign (#6) [=] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
5. Mine by Bazzi (#3) [–2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
4. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande (#4) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
3. Delicate by Taylor Swift (#1) [–2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
2. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie (#2) [=]
1. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. (#5) [+4] [1^st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Despacito by Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber (4^th of 5 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: I Like Me Better by Lauv (–5)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: In My Feelings by Drake (+17)

New Entrants
- So, there's only new song making its debut to the AT40 this week. Tiesto has a new single titled Jackie Chan, which features Post Malone, Preme, and Dreko. One of the things I like about this song is the production itself. I think Tiesto has done a nice job of putting it together. I also like the vocals from Post Malone. He shows what he is capable of in this song than in his solo singles (save for Better Now). My only concern is the lyrical content, which I'm not too huge on. Still, it's an enjoyable song. I would like to see it last long.

I Will Always Love Blurbs
- So, we say good-bye to Sit Next To Me by Foster The People. I was starting to lose interest in the song a little bit, so I'm not necessarily sad about its departure. But then again, it would've been nice to see the song become a bigger hit than what it deserves after not hearing from these guys for so long.

- It's comes as no shock to see Girls Like You take the inevitable #1 spot this week, given that this song is doing very well almost everywhere. Now, I'll admit that the song has slightly grown on me with more listens. But even then, it still pales in comparison to the other singles Maroon 5 have released in the past. I'm certain that one is going hold at #1 for a long while. So, brace yourselves folks.

- Meanwhile, we have Friends still sitting at #2 for the second week in a row. Who the hell is still listening to this song?! This isn't what I want to see take over the #1 spot. It's a shame that this is Marshmello's biggest hit when clearly he's done much better.

- Better Now makes a nice jump into the Top 10 this week. Now that one I want to see hit #1 soon as opposed to Post Malone's other two singles. I'm sure it'll happen eventually.

- It's nice to see I Like Me Better by Lauv take a big drop out of the Top 10 this week. If you been reading my posts lately, then you probably know that it's been my least favorite song for the past few weeks. So yeah, I'm thrilled to see the song out of that region. Now, I'm hoping it leaves us soon.

- But of course, In My Feelings had to take a big jump in its second week. I have a bad feeling that one is going to stay a while. I'm not looking forward to it.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• SoulMate by Justin Timberlake
• Almost Love by Sabrina Carpenter
• No Brainer by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, and Chance The Rapper
• Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD

Extras/Optional Extras:

• Everyday by Logic featuring Marshmello
• Same Old Love by Selena Gomez
• Middle by DJ Snake featuring Bipolar Sunshine
• Move To Miami by Enrique Iglesias featuring Pitbull
• Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.
• What Lovers Do by Maroon 5 featuring SZA
• Sit Still, Look Pretty by Daya

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

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

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
15. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B.
14. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes

4 – Good:
13. Mine by Bazzi

5 – Great:
12. Better Now by Post Malone
11. Nice For What by Drake
10. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani
9. Back To You by Selena Gomez
8. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer
7. Delicate by Taylor Swift
6. Remind Me To Forget by Kygo featuring Miguel
5. Growing Pains by Alessia Cara
4. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
3. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande
2. Don't Go Breaking My Heart by Backstreet Boys

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

Total Score: 72/100 = 72% (C–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston (1992)

Most Missed Song: Closer by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Happy Now by Zedd featuring Elley Duhé

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Praying by Kesha (#32)

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

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

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Location by Khalid: I remember disliking this song at first, but now I'm looking back at that and I'm not sure what I was thinking here. Yeah, I'll just simply say that after listening to more of Khalid's future releases, I find this to be decent.
Praying by Kesha: The comeback single from Kesha still remains as a huge favorite of mine to this day, especially after everything she's been through. It's nice to see what she is really capable of in terms of her vocals.

Taylor Swift (3) - Week Of August 4, 2018

What's up, guys? So, as I said this weekend, my blog has now reached 100,000 Pageviews! Again, thank you all for reading this blog. I plan on doing my special post sometime this week. I do hope to have it ready by next week. So, this post came out later than expected. My apologies. I had been busy most of the weekend. But at least this week's Hits 1 countdown post is finally out. So, Spyder Harrison was absent for the second week in a row. This week, the reins were handed over to Kid Kelly. Heh, I guess Spyder Harrison was still enjoying his summer fun. Before we get to this week's fresh 45, here are the songs leaving the countdown this week:

• Hundred Handed  – Too Good (#38)
• Maren Morris – Rich (#44)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Taylor Swift – Delicate
45. Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin – Familiar (#45) [=]
44. Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift – Babe (#42) [–2]
43. Bazzi – Mine (#43) [=]
42. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me (#35) [–7]
41. Lauv – I Like Me Better (#41) [=] 
40. Walk The Moon – One Foot (#40) [=] 
39. MNEK featuring Hailee Steinfeld – Colour (#22) [–17]
38. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me (#34) [–4]
37. Drake – In My Feelings (#36) [–1]
36. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same (#37) [+1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
35. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back (#32) [–3] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
34. U2 featuring Cheat Codes – Love Is Bigger Than Anything In It's Way (#29) [–5]
33. TWENTY ØNE PIlØTS – Jumpsuit (#21) [–12]
32. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me (#31) [–1]
31. PRETTYMUCH – Summer On You (DEBUT)
30. The Wrecks – James Dean (#25) [–5]
29. Madison Beer – Home With You (#33) [+4]
28. lovelytheband – Broken (DEBUT)
27. Halsey – Alone (#27) [=]
26. Maroon 5 – Wait (#24) [–2]
25. Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right (#24) [–1]
24. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be (#22) [–2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
23. Alessia Cara – Growing Pains (#13) [–10]
22. Niall Horan – On The Loose (#23) [+1]
21. Dua Lipa – IDGAF (#9) [–12]
20. Imagine Dragons – Natural (#30) [+10]
19. Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin  – I Like It (#20) [+1]
18. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (#10) [–8] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
17. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies (#39) [+22]
16. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me (#14) [–2]
15. Post Malone – Better Now (#16) [+1]
14. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry (#15) [+1]
13. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones (#17) [+4]
12. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss (#18) [+6]
11. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes (#8) [–3] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
10. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know (#11) [+1] 
9. Backstreet Boys – Don't Go Breaking My Heart (#19) [+10]
8. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. – Girls Like You (#12) [+4]
7. Selena Gomez – Back To You (#5) [–2]
6. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#6) [=] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
5. Marshmello featuring Anne–Marie – Friends (#7) [+2]
4. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood (#4) [=]
3. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#3) [=] [Spent 9 Weeks At #1]
2. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (#2) [=]
1. Taylor Swift – Delicate (#1) [=] [3^rd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Imagine Dragons – Believer (2^nd of 3 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: MNEK featuring Hailee Steinfeld – Colour (–17)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies (+22)

New Entrants
- We have two new groups making their first appearance on the countdown. We'll start with the band PRETTYMUCH with their new single titled Summer On You. Last year, they did have a song on Hit-Bound with Would You Mind. I enjoyed that one and I was sad when it did not graduate Hit-Bound. After listening to that new single of theirs, I can say I found it to be decent. The vocals here are okay for the most part. But I'm not really huge on the production. It kinda reminds me of I Like Me Better. The only difference here is that the lyrics aren't cringe-worthy, and these guys have some nice vocals. Overall, while it's not memorable, it's a decent song.

- For our second entrant this week, we have lovelytheband making their debut with the song called Broken. The group consists of Mitchy Collins, Jordan Greenwald, and Sam Price. Right off the bat, I did find this to be okay at first. But with time, it has slightly grown on me. The lyrics are pretty good throughout the song. I like how they talk about meeting people and forming relationships. The production here is okay, even though it's not necessarily a stand-out. However, I do find the vocals just a bit underwhelming, but I do somewhat like the chorus. So yeah, it's definitely not a bad song at all. It's possible that I could put this in green soon.

Best Debut Of The Week: lovelytheband – Broken

Is It Cool That I Blurbed All That?
- So, we have two exits this week. First off, good riddance to Rich. I absolutely love Maren Morris, but this song didn't appeal to me whatsoever. I'm glad that one didn't stay for too long. Too Good was not destined to stick around for a long time. I do enjoy the song for its throwback groove, but I'm not heartbroken by its departure.

- Before introducing Mine, Kid Kelly mentioned that Bazzi likes to turn his songs into feelings. I guess he has a desire for making songs like this. Plus, he did release a remix of his latest single, Beautiful with Camila Cabello. I wonder will that end up being a success as his predecessor?

- Before introducing One Foot, Kid Kelly talked about Walk The Moon's performance at a baseball game. Looks like these guys are still doing some work even though they've become one hit wonders. It's nice to see that they aren't giving up.

- Didn't think Colour would drop back down to the 30's after the big jump it had last week. Looks like that song might be in for a short tenure.

- I would like for Never Be The Same to leave the countdown soon. I don't know anybody who still likes this.

- It's very disappointing to see Jumpsuit drop out of the Top 30 in its third week. I will not take it kindly if it ends up leaving us so soon, which it'll probably end up doing.

- So, did Kid Kelly mention that they had big plans for Meghan Trainor soon? If that's the case, then it looks like something special may be on the horizon. We'll see what happens. That aside, I do wish Let You Be Right is doing better than what it deserves.

- Before introducing Growing Pains, Kid Kelly mentioned that Alessia Cara did a cover of Ariana Grande's latest single, God Is A Woman. I haven't really heard Alessia's cover of that song. But I'll bet it's really good given that Alessia does have a good voice overall.

- Not too thrilled about the big drop from IDGAF either. It did relatively well here considering it's has died out elsewhere, so I'll give it that. I do hope it can stick around for a little longer.

- In My Blood takes another big hit, this time dropping out of the Top 10 altogether after just recently hitting #1 two weeks ago. I thought that one might stay in the Top 5 for a while, but I was wrong. Seeing as that one is faltering elsewhere, I probably shouldn't be surprised to see this drop.

- While we have some songs making big drops, we also get a enormous big jump from Love Lies. I'm certain that one will end up being a real hit given that it's still going strong elsewhere and I wouldn't mind at all.

- The Top 10 entrant from Don't Go Breaking My Heart is very pleasing to see. I don't really expect it to stay in that region for long, but you never really know for sure. Anything can happen when it comes to Hits 1.

- Nothing really has changed in the Top 5 other than the fact that Friends is somehow back in that region. I don't know who the heck is still voting for this song, but it really needs to start dropping soon. Hopefully, Delicate can hold the #1 spot for as long as possible. Heck, I'd rather have The Middle back at #1 so that it can block Friends from taking the crown.

Hit-Bound:

• PNAU – Go Bang (DEBUT)
• Weezer – Africa
• Years & Years – If You're Over Me
• DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, and Chance The Rapper – No Brainer (DEBUT)
• Brown & Gray – Top Down
• Zedd featuring Elley Duhé – Happy Now
• Charlie Puth – The Way I Am
• Train featuring Cam and Travie McCoy – Call Me Sir
• Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman
• Justin Timberlake – SoulMate
• Bebe Rexha – I'm A Mess
• Dan + Shay – Tequila
• Big Boi – All Night
• Noah Cyrus featuring MAX – Team (DEBUT)
• Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind

- To kick off this week new entrants on Hit-Bound, we have PNAU with the single Go Bang. Right off the bat, I do like the production, but the vocals are pretty underwhelming. They kinda sound childish for my tastes. Not much else I can say about this one.

- DJ Khaled and Justin Bieber have teamed up again, this time with a new single titled No Brainer. Simply put, it's just basically I'm The One 2.0. I'll save most of my words for when it debuts.

- Finally, we have the return of Noah Cyrus, and this time she collaborates with MAX in the single, Team. I can say that this is definitely Noah's best song. I love her vocals all throughout the song. MAX makes a nice contribution as well. The guitars are put to great use here. I'll have more words should it debut.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
TIE: 1. Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman
TIE: 1. Zedd featuring Elley Duhe – Happy Now
3. Dan + Shay – Tequila
4. Brown & Gray – Top Down
5. Noah Cyrus featuring MAX – Team

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

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

2 – Mediocre:
None!

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

4 – Good:
15. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me
14. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
13. Post Malone – Better Now

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

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

Overall Grade: 80/100 = 80% (B–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Elvis Presley – All Shook Up (1957)

Most Missed Countdown Song: TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Stressed Out

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Welshly Arms – Legendary

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

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

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

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

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Julia Michaels – Uh Huh: Honestly, this was a horrible follow-up to her predecessor, Issues. It's simply bad in every way possible, from the lyrical content to her scratchy voice. Fortunately, this didn't get as popular as her predecessor.

AT40: Taylor Swift (1) - Week Of August 4, 2018

What's up, guys? We've now come to the first weekend of August. This year flew by pretty fast! Anyway, I am very happy to say that my blog has finally reached 100,000 Pageviews! As always, I would like to say a special thank you to all of you who've been reading this every day and being able to share your thoughts. It's nice being able to make some new friends here when I first started. You guys are simply the best. And yes, I'll be doing something special soon. Before we get to this week's fresh 40, here are the songs leaving the countdown this week:

• Alone by Halsey featuring Big Sean and Stefflon Don (#17)
• Move To Miami by Enrique Iglesias featuring Pitbull (#36)
• Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash (#40)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande
40. Nevermind by Dennis Lloyd (DEBUT)
39. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé (#38) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
38. In My Feelings by Drake (DEBUT)
37. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey (#35) [–2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
36. Let You Be Right by Meghan Trainor (#37) [+1]
35. Let You Down by NF (#33) [–2] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
34. Dinero by Jennifer Lopez featuring DJ Khaled and Cardi B. (#34) [=]
33. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line (#31) [–2]
32. Lie by NF (#39) [+7]
31. God's Plan by Drake (#25) [–6]
30. I'm A Mess by Bebe Rexha (DEBUT)
29. New Rules by Dua Lipa (#29) [=] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
28. Home With You by Madison Beer (#28) [=]
27. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar (#27) [=]
26. All Night by Big Boi (#26) [=]
25. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons (#23) [–2]
24. Drew Barrymore by Bryce Vine (#32) [+8]
23. Wait by Maroon 5 (#21) [–2]
22. Bed by Nicki Minaj featuring Ariana Grande (#30) [+8]
21. Sit Next To Me by Foster The People (#19) [–2]
20. Remind Me To Forget by Kygo featuring Miguel (#24) [+4]
19. Don't Go Breaking My Heart by Backstreet Boys (#18) [–1]
18. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#22) [+4]
17. Growing Pains by Alessia Cara (#20) [+3]
16. Nice For What by Drake (#12) [–4]
15. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello (#14) [–1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
14. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani (#16) [+2]
13. Better Now by Post Malone (#15) [+2]
12. Back To You by Selena Gomez (#11) [–1]
11. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey (#9) [–2] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
10. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa (#10) [=]
9. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes (#6) [–3]
8. I Like It by Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin (#13) [+5]
7. I Like Me Better by Lauv (#8) [+1]
6. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign (#4) [–2] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
5. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. (#7) [+2]
4. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande (#1) [–3] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
3. Mine by Bazzi (#2) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
2. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie (#3) [+1]
1. Delicate by Taylor Swift (#5) [+4] [1^st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Despacito by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber (3^rd of 5 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: God's Plan by Drake (–6)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Drew Barrymore by Bryce Vice and Bed by Nicki Minaj featuring Ariana Grande (+8)

New Entrants
- To kick off this week's new entrants in the first weekend of August, we have newcomer Dennis Lloyd with the song called Nevermind. There's isn't a whole lot I can say about this one. I do like the production here for the most part. But I'm not quite sold on his vocals. I think he sounds a bit underwhelming in some parts of the song. While it's definitely not a bad song, it's not something I'll remember in let's say...five years?

- Drake has his third song on the countdown, by the name of In My Feelings as God's Plan continues to die down and Nice For What following suit. I talked about this when it debuted on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown. Right off the bat, I'm not all that crazy about the song. Drake has some decent vocals and he shows it in the song. But I find the production to be pretty weak, and the part after the chorus is kinda annoying. And I should mention that he just released a music video for the song, which I haven't seen as of yet. Anyway, this song is just not my cup of tea. Maybe it'll grow on me, but right now I'm not impressed.

- With Meant To Be finally starting to die out, Bebe Rexha has another new single looking to become a success. Her new song is called I'm A Mess. I can say right now that it's a step up from its predecessor. The production here is good for the most part, and thankfully it doesn't try too hard to be a country song like in its predecessor. The lyrical content here is better written. Bebe does have a good voice and she uses it pretty well. In Meant To Be, she didn't contribute much mainly because Florida Georgia Line took over the song. But here, she does more singing. Although I can say it's far from her best songs, this is still good overall.

How Deep Is Your Blurbs?
- As always, we'll begin with our exits. First off, Move To Miami was not destined to last long here as it wasn't popular elsewhere. Alone dropped off from a high position of #17. I guess people have gotten tired of Halsey after a while. Finally, we have the departure of Lights Down Low. It was a song that, while I my not like it, was enjoyed by many here in the blogging community. It had a long, good run here on the American Top 40, so I'll give it that. I'm sure this will probably make it onto the Year-End list come December.

- Before introducing Better Now, Ryan Seacrest mentioned that Justin Bieber would like Post Malone to be his ring bearer at his wedding. Heh, I'm guess Bieber wants to make this the best wedding. He's hoping that works out.

- So, Ryan Seacrest mentioned during the introduction for Back To You that Selena Gomez decided to throw a pasta party for her birthday. I wonder did she had plenty of spaghetti for dinner all day, or was it something else? Whatever it was, I'll bet it tastes so good!

- I'm not too thrilled about the Top 10 entrant from I Like It. I have a bad feeling that one is going to stay for a while. However, I'll admit that I'm slowly coming around the song. But I still find parts of the song to be annoying.

- On the note of Cardi B., it was only a matter of time until Girls Like You would make its inevitable entry into the Top 5. It's pretty obvious that it'll be a #1 song soon given how well the song is doing. Heck, I could even see it happening next week.

- Finally, we have a new #1 for the third week in a row, in which Taylor Swift takes quite a leap to the top spot. It's nice to see Delicate becoming a real hit from Reputation, although I don't expect it to reach the Top 10 on Billboard. Still, I'm grateful for its success and Taylor deserves it.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• No Brainer by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Chance The Rapper, and Quavo
• Jackie Chan by Tiesto & Dzeko featuring Preme & Post Malone
• Almost Love by Sabrina Carpenter
• SoulMate by Justin Timberlake

Extras/Optional Extras:

• This Is What You Came For by Calvin Harris featuring Rihanna
• Don't Wanna Know by Maroon 5 featuring Kendrick Lamar
• Style by Taylor Swift
• I Don't Wanna Live Forever by ZAYN featuring Taylor Swift
• Uptown Funk! by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
• Boom Clap by Charli XCX
• What About Us by P!NK

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

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

2 – Mediocre:
None!

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

4 – Good:
14. Better Now by Post Malone
13. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes
12. Mine by Bazzi

5 – Great:
11. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani
10. Nice For What by Drake
9. Back To You by Selena Gomez
8. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer
7. Delicate by Taylor Swift
6. Remind Me To Forget by Kygo featuring Miguel
5. Growing Pains by Alessia Cara
4. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
3. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande
2. Don't Go Breaking My Heart by Backstreet Boys

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

Total Score: 72/100 = 72% (C–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: How Deep Is Your Love by The Bee Gees (1977)

Most Missed Song: Blank Space by Taylor Swift

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Youth by Shawn Mendes featuring Khalid

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay (#13)

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

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

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Stay Together by Noah Cyrus: It's a step up from her predecessor, so I'll give her that. I'd probably would've liked this a lot more if she had better vocals.
Get Low by Zedd featuring Liam Payne: I think this is one of Zedd's weakest singles, in part because the production was pretty weak. Plus, Liam didn't do much to impress me. This was probably the point where some people here started to turn on Zedd for selling out.
Honest by The Chainsmokers: While this song isn't really a stand-out from Memories...Do Not Open, Drew still does a nice job with his vocals here. That's really all I can say about it.

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

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

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

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

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

39. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies (DEBUT)

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

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

36. Drake – In My Feelings (DEBUT)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9. Dua Lipa – IDGAF (#10) [+1]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hit-Bound:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2 – Mediocre:
None!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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