AT40: Khalid (1) - Week Of July 13, 2019

Hello, fam! This is the third week in a row in which we have a guest host, only this time with Ava Max filling in for Ryan Seacrest. As for the countdown itself, it was pretty meh. We have a new #1 which isn't all that exciting. But at least we're finally getting some competition for the top spot, so that's something I guess. Before we get to this week's fresh 40, here are the songs we're saying goodbye to this week:

• When The Party's Over by Billie Eilish (#16)
• Con Calma by Daddy Yankee & Katy Perry featuring Snow (#22)
• Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande (#37) [Spent 1 Week At #1]

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Wow. by Post Malone
40. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#39) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
39. Find U Again by Mark Ronson featuring Camila Cabello (DEBUT)
38. Chlorine by TWENTY ØNE PILØTS (#40) [+2]
37. Happier by Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE (#35) [–2] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
36. Call You Mine by The Chainsmokers featuring Bebe Rexha (#38) [+2]
35. So Close by NOTD, Felix Jaehn, and Captain Cuts featuring Georgia Ku (#36) [+1]
34. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee (#33) [–1]
33. Love Me Less by MAX featuring Quinn XCII (#34) [+1]
32. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee (#31) [–1]
31. Just Us by DJ Khaled featuring SZA (#32) [+1]
30. Better by Khalid (#29) [–1]
29. Wake Up by Travis Scott featuring The Weeknd (#30) [+1]
28. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco (#27) [–1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
27. Walk Me Home by P!NK (#28) [+1]
26. Senorita by Shawn Mendes featuring Camila Cabello (DEBUT)
25. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid (#25) [=] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
24. Speechless by Dan + Shay (#26) [+2]
23. All My Friends by AJ Mitchell (#24) [+1]
22. You Need To Calm Down by Taylor Swift (DEBUT)
21. La La Land by Bryce Vine featuring YG (#21) [=]
20. Without Me by Halsey (#20) [=] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
19. Truth Hurts by Lizzo (#23) [+4]
18. Easier by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#19) [+1]
17. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored by Ariana Grande (#13) [–4]
16. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande (#15) [–1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
15. Cross Me by Ed Sheeran featuring Chance The Rapper and PnB Rock (#18) [+3]
14. Nightmare by Halsey (#14) [=]
13. Never Really Over by Katy Perry (#17) [+4]
12. ME! by Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie (#7) [–5]
11. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max (#8) [–3]
10. Cool by Jonas Brothers (#12) [+2]
9. Hey Look Ma, I Made It by Panic! At The Disco (#11) [+2]
8. If I Can't Have You by Shawn Mendes (#9) [+1]
7. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani (#5) [–2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
6. Bad Guy by Billie Eilish (#10) [+4]
5. Old Town Road (Remix) by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus (#4) [–1]
4. I Don't Care by Ed Sheeran featuring Justin Bieber (#6) [+2]
3. Wow. by Post Malone (#1) [–2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
2. Sucker by Jonas Brothers (#2) [=] [Spent 8 Weeks At #1]
1. Talk by Khalid (#3) [+2] [1^st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign (4^th And Final Week At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: ME! by Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie (–5)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Tie between Never Really Over by Katy Perry and Bad Guy by Billie Eilish (+4)

New Entrants:
- We have three new songs entering the countdown this weekend. Kicking things off is the return of Camila Cabello in the first of two songs she appears in. Here, she collaborates with Mark Ronson in Find U Again. Earlier this year, Mark Ronson gave us Nothing Breaks Like A Heart, which featured Miley Cyrus. That one was amazing. I can't really say that about Find U Again, in part because of Camila. I'm not huge on her vocal performance in the song. But the production is decent here. This may grow on me with more listens, so it's possible that my opinion may change. We'll see.

- Up next, Camila Cabello collaborates with another artist in this next single. This time, it's with Shawn Mendes in Senorita. Last time, they worked together in I Know What You Did Last Summer, and during that time they rose to popularity. It appears that they may be dating again, as I've heard the news about them wanting to get back to together. But anyway, I find this song to be better than that of I Know What You Did Last Summer. I definitely like the Latin vibe here and their vocals mesh well together in the chorus. I'll have more on this in the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown post this weekend. But yeah, this is a nice song all around.

- With ME! falling off a cliff, it was only a matter of time until Taylor Swift's next single would make an appearance. She brings us You Need To Calm Down. I explained this song in full detail in my previous posts. But to sum it all up, I'm not a fan. Taylor sounds underwhelming in the chorus and the beat is not interesting for the most part. I do like the lyrical content and I get what the song is going for. The music video is nicely done. But I feel that the song itself was executed rather poorly in terms of her vocal performance and the production itself. Overall, this is not good and probably my first song I legitimately dislike from Taylor Swift. I'm still looking forward to what Lover brings us. Hopefully, her future singles won't sound similar to this one.

Best Debut Of The Week: Senorita by Shawn Mendes featuring Camila Cabello

Baby, I Know I'll Never Blurb U Again
- In terms of our exits this week, When The Party's Over left from a high position, which was expected since that one has died down in favor of Bad Guy. Con Calma was destined to leave and it's pretty sad since I like the song. Daddy Yankee is likely a one-hit wonder, I'm afraid. And finally, Thank U, Next was due to leave for some time. Though I did kinda liked the song, this was actually the first sign of Ariana Grande beginning to sell out. But I just didn't realize it at the time given that I was still excited for her new album back then, only to be very disappointed in the end.

- This is the second week in a row in which we have a new #1. But it's not what I was hoping for, unfortunately. Talk is just weak for Khalid's standards, mainly because the production doesn't mesh well with his voice. It's pretty disappointing that it's his highest peaking single on the Billboard Hot 100, especially since he's had better (no pun intended).

- The Top 5 entry from I Don't Care was expected. But I'm not all that wild about it either. Sure, it's pretty decent and I'm slightly growing back into this. But I think it lacks something to make it memorable. That's just my opinion. I won't be too disappointed if it ended up at #1.

- Turns out, Hey Look Ma, I Made It is doing the exact same thing High Hopes did when it entered the AT40. It's gaining popularity outside of Hits 1 now. I can't be certain if it'll end up hitting #1 here as well. But it would be nice if it did. I loved the song when it first came out and I still do now. I'm glad it's finally catching on, even if it's nearly a year old.

- Then, there's Cool making it's unwelcome entry into the Top 10. Not ideal, since the song doesn't offer much of anything. Though, it's finally starting to lose momentum, so I won't get too concerned.

- This is likely the beginning of the end for ME! as it is now out of the Top 10. It has pretty much died out elsewhere right now. I still love the song (though not quite as much as I used to), but I'm not too sad about it even if it leaves soon. But if anything, I prefer this over her latest single.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Summer Days by Martin Garrix featuring Macklemore and Patrick Stump
• Paradise by Bazzi
• Look Back At It by A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie
• Someone You Loved by Lewis Capaldi

Extras/Optional Extras:

• Umbrella by Rihanna featuring Jay-Z
• Hips Don't Lie by Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean
• Bad Romance by Lady Gaga
• Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars
• Tik Tok by Kesha
• Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus
• Whatever You Like by T.I.
• Lose Yourself by Eminem
• Toxic by Britney Spears
• Time Of Our Lives by Pitbull featirng Ne-Yo
• SexyBack by Justin Timberlake
• Part Of Me by Katy Perry

Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:
20. Old Town Road (Remix) by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus
19. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande
18. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored by Ariana Grande
17. Cross Me by Ed Sheeran featuring Chance The Rapper and PnB Rock

1 – Bad:
16. Easier by 5 Seconds Of Summer
15. Cool by Jonas Brothers
14. Wow. by Post Malone

2 – Mediocre:
13. Talk by Khalid
12. Without Me by Halsey

3 – Decent:
11. I Don't Care by Ed Sheeran featuring Justin Bieber

4 – Good:
10. Sucker by Jonas Brothers

5 – Great:
9. Nightmare by Halsey
8. Hey Look Ma, I Made It by Panic! At The Disco
7. Truth Hurts by Lizzo
6. ME! by Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie
5. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max
4. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith
3. Bad Guy by Billie Eilish
2. If I Can't Have You by Shawn Mendes

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Never Really Over by Katy Perry

Total Score: 60/100 = 60% (D–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: My Girl by The Temptations (1965)

Most Missed Song: The A Team by Ed Sheeran

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Higher Love by Kygo featuring Whitney Houston

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande (#3)

My Top 5 Picks
1. Never Really Over by Katy Perry
2. If I Can't Have You by Shawn Mendes
3. Speechless by Dan + Shay
4. Bad Guy by Billie Eilish
5. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Old Town Road (Remix) by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus
2. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande
3. La La Land by Bryce Vine featuring YG
4. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored by Ariana Grande
5. Cross Me by Ed Sheeran featuring Chance The Rapper and PnB Rock

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Bed by Nicki Minaj featuring Ariana Grande: This is more of snooze-fest with a dull premise and both of these artists don't have good chemistry here. I much prefer something along the lines of Side To Side and Bang Bang.
Dinero by Jennifer Lopez featuring DJ Khaled and Cardi B: One of Jennifer Lopez's weakest singles. I'm not feeling the lyrics here. That, coupled with her lack of personality in the song, makes this an unpleasant listen.
Home With You by Madison Beer: This is pretty solid, especially for a newcomer in Madison Beer. I like the beat and her vocals are good. Not necessarily a stand-out, but it's better than Hurts Like Hell.
Growing Pains by Alessia Cara: Not quite as good as Here and some earlier singles. But it's still enjoyable, because I love the beat and Alessia sounds great in the chorus. Too bad this didn't become the hit I wanted it to be.

My Top 10 Songs From Christina Aguilera

Hello, fam! Today, I am doing a new Top 10 from another artist who I adore since I was a kid: Christina Aguilera! She has been relevant ever since the start of the century. Her voice is just fantastic and I love the way she can hit those high notes. The effort she puts into her songwriting is just incredible. Simply put, she is a talented singer and a great songwriter as well. Even though her birthday isn't until December, I feel like now is still a good time for me to countdown some of my favorite songs from her. So with that, I'm ready to begin. Here are my Top 10 favorite songs from Christina Aguilera:

10. I Turn To You (from Christina Aguilera)

9. Ain't No Other Man (from Back To Basics)

8. Fall In Line (featuring Demi Lovato) (from Liberation)

7. Hurt (from Back To Basics)

6. Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You) (from Christina Aguilera)

5. Say Something (featuring A Great Big World) (from Is There Anybody Out There?)

4. Fighter (from Stripped)

3. What A Girl Wants (from Christina Aguilera)

2. Genie In A Bottle (from Christina Aguilera)

1. Beautiful (from Stripped)

And so, those are my personal favorite songs from Christina Aguilera. What is your favorite song from her? Just let me know. As always, I like to see what you guys think of the list I put together. Again, thank you all for taking the time to read this. I hope everyone has a good day!

Shawn Mendes (2) - Week Of July 6, 2019

Hello, fam! Welcome to the second half of 2019. I feel like this year has gone by pretty fast. In fact, we're one step closer to the new decade. It won't be much longer until it rolls around. So yeah, that's something I'll be looking forward to. Again, I want to remind everyone that the 2012 Billboard Year-End Rankdown is still happening. You have until the end of this month to submit your rankings. If I have to, I'll extend the deadline. So with that, let's begin the second half of 2019! Before we get to this week's fresh 45, here are the songs we're saying goodbye to this week:

• Jordan McGraw – Flexible (#44)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Shawn Mendes – If I Can't Have You
45. Billie Eilish – When The Party's Over (#43) [–2]
44. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings (#45) [+1]
43. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Chlorine (#38) [–5]
42. Lauv featuring Troye Sivan – I'm So Tired... (#35) [–7]
41. Post Malone – Wow. (#39) [–2]
40. Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE – Happier (#41) [+1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
39. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me (#40) [+1]
38. Push Baby – Mama's House (DEBUT)
37. NOTD, Felix Jaehn, & Captain Cuts featuring Georgia Ku – So Close (#37) [=]
36. Bazzi – Paradise (#42) [+6]
35. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (#36) [+1] [Spent 8 Weeks At #1]
34. Billie Eilish – Bury A Friend (#34) [=]
33. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling (#33) [=] [Spent 7 Weeks At #1]
32. Andy Grammer – Don't Give Up On Me (#32) [=]
31. Ariana Grande – Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored (#31) [=]
30. MAX featuring Quinn XCII – Love Me Less (#21) [–9]
29. P!NK – Walk Me Home (#28) [–1]
28. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly (#30) [+2]
27. Ciara – Thinkin Bout You (#23) [–4]
26. Dan + Shay – Speechless (#26) [=]
25. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger (#25) [=]
24. Panic! At The Disco – Dancing's Not A Crime (#20) [–4]
23. Martin Garrix featuring Macklemore and Patrick Stump – Summer Days (#29) [+6]
22. Billie Eilish – Bad Guy (#22) [=]
21. Kaskade featuring Meghan Trainor – With You (#27) [+6]
20. Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved (#16) [–4]
19. Ava Max – So Am I (#19) [=]
18. Imagine Dragons – Bad Liar (#24) [+6]
17. Taylor Swift – You Need To Calm Down (#17) [=]
16. Alec Benjamin – If We Have Each Other (#18) [+2]
15. Katy Perry – Never Really Over (#15) [=]
14. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Easier (#13) [–1]
13. Jonas Brothers – Cool (#11) [–2]
12. Halsey – Without Me (#12) [=] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
11. Marshmello featuring CHVRCHES – Here With Me (#9) [–2]
10. Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus – Old Town Road (Remix) (#14) [+4]
9. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It (#10) [+1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
8. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho (#8) [=]
7. Khalid – Talk (#7) [=]
6. Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie – ME! (#5) [–1]
5. Ed Sheeran featuring Justin Bieber – I Don't Care (#6) [+1]
4. Jonas Brothers – Sucker (#4) [=] [Spent 13 Weeks At #1]
3. The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer – Who Do You Love (#3) [=]
2. Halsey – Nightmare (#2) [=]
1. Shawn Mendes – If I Can't Have You (#1) [=] [2^nd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Taylor Swift – Delicate (1^st of 3 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: MAX featuring Quinn XCII – Love Me Less (–9)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Tie between Bazzi – Paradise, Martin Garrix featuring Macklemore and Patrick Stump – Summer Days, Kaskade featuring Meghan Trainor – With You, and Imagine Dragons – Bad Liar (+6)

New Entrants:
- Here's a question: does anybody here remember Rixton? You know, the group that had a huge hit Me And My Broken Heart back in 2014? These guys have made their return under their new name, Push Baby, as they bring us Mama's House.  Let's not mince words: Me And My Broken Heart is one of the most hated songs of 2014. I did like it at first...until I realized how whiny it sounds. So yeah, this didn't hold up well for me in the long run. As for their new song...well, I'll just go ahead and talk about it. I did have this in blue when it first debuted on Hit-Bound. But that was based on my initial reaction. Now, I find the song to be flat out mediocre.  The grating falsetto in the chorus and the poor lyrical content aren't doing the song any favors. In addition, the verses don't have much to offer because they lack personality and as I mentioned, the lyrics leave something to be desired. The production is decent. But that's the only saving grace in a song that's flat out not good. Yeah, to put it simply, I'm not digging this.

Don't Stop Blurbin'
- Good riddance to Jordan McGraw – Flexible. The song thankfully flopped and did not last long on the countdown. It is cringe-worthy in pretty much every sense of the word and his voice is not interesting at all. It will never be missed in the slightest. NEXT!

- Good to see I'm So Tired... making it's way down to the Bottom 5. The sooner this mess of a song leaves, the better. I don't need this polluting the countdown any longer.

- Seeing Love Me Less have the Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week is also pleasing. Unfortunately, I do expect the song rebounding at some point. But yeah, it's good to see it lose some momentum this week.

- So, it was mentioned during the 4-1-1- recap that Dan + Shay were involved in Joe Jonas's wedding. I wonder were they able to sing a few songs at his wedding? Hmm...

- Before introducing You Need To Calm Down, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Taylor Swift trademarked her brand new kitty. Remember when the Jonas Brothers mentioned at the time they hosted the countdown that she LOVES cats? Well, apparently she loves her new kitty so much, hence why she made that decision.

Summer Throwbacks:

Hits 1 did things a little differently this year as far as Summer Throwbacks go. Instead of doing them during the countdown, they decided to have 5 Seconds Of Summer host the show based on that. Here are the songs they've played:

• One Direction – What Makes You Beautiful
• Katy Perry – Roar
• TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Ride
• Justin Timberlake – Can't Stop The Feeling
• 5 Seconds Of Summer – She Looks So Perfect
• The Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feeling
• Meghan Trainor – All About That Bass
• Walk The Moon – Shut Up and Dance
• Eminem featuring Rihanna – Love The Way You Lie
• Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
• Magic! – Rude
• Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton – Can't Hold Us
• Tove Lo – Talking Body
• Flo Rida featuring Sia – Wild Ones
• Charlie Puth – Attention
• Maroon 5 – Maps
• Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe
• LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett – Party Rock Anthem
• Karmin – Brokenhearted
• Taylor Swift – You Belong With Me
• Florida Georgia Line – Cruise
• Demi Lovato – Cool For The Summer
• Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX – Fancy
• Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road

My Top 5 Summer Throwbacks

1. Eminem featuring Rihanna – Love The Way You Lie
2. Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe
3. Katy Perry – Roar
4. Demi Lovato – Cool For The Summer
5. Justin Timberlake – Can't Stop The Feeling!

Hit-Bound:

• SHAED – Trampoline
• Lizzo – Truth Hurts
• Asher Angel featuring Wiz Khalifa – One Thought Away
• The Chainsmokers featuring Bebe Rexha – Call You Mine
• Public – Make You Mine
• Blanco Brown – The Git Up
• Shawn Mendes featuring Camila Cabello – Señorita
• Miley Cyrus – Mother's Daughter
• OneRepublic – Rescue Me
• In Real Life – Crazy AF
• P!NK – Hustle
• Kygo featuring Rita Ora – Carry On
• Ed Sheeran featuring Chance The Rapper and PnB Rock – Cross Me
• AJR – 100 Bad Days
• Mark Ronson featuring Camila Cabello – Find U Again

Hit-Bound Breakdown:
0 – Crap:
15. Ed Sheeran featuring Chance The Rapper and PnB Rock – Cross Me 

1 – Bad:
14. AJR – 100 Bad Days 

2 – Mediocre:
None! 

3 – Decent:
13. In Real Life – Crazy AF
12. Asher Angel featuring Wiz Khalifa – One Thought Away
11. Blanco Brown – The Git Up
10. Mark Ronson featuring Camila Cabello – Find U Again
9. The Chainsmokers featuring Bebe Rexha – Call You Mine

4 – Good:
None! 

5 – Great:
8. P!NK – Hustle
7. SHAED – Trampoline
6. Public – Make You Mine
5. OneRepublic – Rescue Me
4. Lizzo – Truth Hurts
3. Miley Cyrus – Mother's Daughter
2. Kygo featuring Rita Ora – Carry On

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On Hit-Bound:
1. Shawn Mendes featuring Camila Cabello – Señorita

Overall Grade: 57/75 = 76% (C)

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Bruno Mars – Chunky

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Shawn Mendes featuring Camila Cabello – Señorita
2. Kygo featuring Rita Ora – Carry On
3. Miley Cyrus – Mother's Daughter
4. Lizzo – Truth Hurts
5. OneRepublic – Rescue Me

YouTube 15:

• Post Malone – Wow.
• Meghan Trainor – Hurt Me
• Ellie Goulding featuring Juice WRLD – Hate Me
• Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger
• Sebastian Yatra featuring Jonas Brothers, Daddy Yankee, and Natti Natasha – Runaway
• Billie Eilish – Bad Guy
• Julia Michaels – Falling For Boys
• Khalid – Talk
• Alan Walker featuring Sabrina Carpenter and Farruko – On My Way
• Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus – Old Town Road (Remix)
• Ali Gatie – It's You
• Ed Sheeran featuring Justin Bieber – I Don't Care
• Nicki Minaj – MEGATRON
• Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie – ME!
• Why Don't We – Come To Brazil

Song Reviews:
- Taken from the NBC television show, Songland, we have more of Meghan Trainor with her new single, Hurt Me. I think she sounds better in this one than in With You from a vocal standpoint. Production is pretty solid as well. So yeah, I kinda like this.

- More of Ellie Goulding is nice, and she collaborates with Juice WRLD in Hate Me. Now unlike some people here in the blogging community, I do like Ellie's latest music. This song is actually no exception. I think one of the song's strengths is the production, which I find to be better than that of Close To Me. She sounds good overall and I like Juice's verses for once. It's a good song, but not much compared to what Ellie Goulding has done in the past.

- Up next is more of Julia Michaels with her new song, Falling For Boys. It's really not that different compared to her previous singles. Her voice is rather weak in the chorus and I'm not feeling the production overall. Yeah, not something I'll come back to in the long run. I much prefer What A Time, which is her best song.

- Why Don't We are back once more, and they bring us Come To Brazil. Not too much I can say about this one. I like the Latin vibe here. The instrumentation is good and their vocals are nice. Overall, it's a good song.

YouTube 15 Breakdown:
0 – Crap:
15. Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus – Old Town Road (Remix)

1 – Bad:
14. Post Malone – Wow.

2 – Mediocre:
13. Khalid – Talk

3 – Decent:
12. Alan Walker featuring Sabrina Carpenter and Farruko – On My Way
11. Julia Michaels – Falling For Boys
10. Ed Sheeran featuring Justin Bieber – I Don't Care

4 – Good:
9. Ali Gatie – It's You
8. Nicki Minaj – MEGATRON

5 – Great:
7. Sebastian Yatra featuring Jonas Brothers, Daddy Yankee, and Natti Natasha – Runaway 
6. Meghan Trainor – Hurt Me
5. Ellie Goulding featuring Juice WRLD – Hate Me
4. Why Don't We – Come To Brazil
3. Billie Eilish – Bad Guy
2. Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie – ME!

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The YouTube 15:
1. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger

Overall Grade: 56/75 = 75% (C)

Most Missed YouTube 15 Song: JoJo – Save My Soul

My Top 5 YouTube 15 Picks
1. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger
2. Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie – ME!
3. Billie Eilish – Bad Guy
4. Why Don't We – Come To Brazil
5. Ellie Goulding featuring Juice WRLD – Hate Me

Hits 1 Weekend Countdown Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Crap:
20. Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus – Old Town Road (Remix)

1 – Bad:
19. Jonas Brothers – Cool
18. Taylor Swift – You Need To Calm Down
17. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Easier

2 – Mediocre:
16. Khalid – Talk
15. Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved
14. Halsey – Without Me

3 – Decent:
13. Alec Benjamin – If We Had Each Other
12. Ed Sheeran featuring Justin Bieber – I Don't Care
11. The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer – Who Do You Love

4 – Good:
10. Jonas Brothers – Sucker

5 – Great:
9. Halsey – Nightmare
8. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It
7. Ava Max – So Am I
6. Imagine Dragons – Bad Liar
5. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho
4. Marshmello featuring CHVRCHES – Here With Me
3. Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie – ME!
2. Katy Perry – Never Really Over

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Shawn Mendes – If I Can't Have You

Overall Grade: 68/100 = 68% (D+)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Journey – Don't Stop Believin' (1981)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Coldplay – A Sky Full Of Stars

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Kygo featuring Whitney Houston – Higher Love

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right (#20) and Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry (#7)

My Top 5 Picks
1. Shawn Mendes – If I Can't Have You
2. Katy Perry – Never Really Over
3. Dan + Shay – Speechless
4. Billie Eilish – Bad Guy
5. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus – Old Town Road (Remix)
2. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings
3. Lauv featuring Troye Sivan – I'm So Tired...
4. Ariana Grande – Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored
5. MAX featuring Quinn XCII – Love Me Less

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
None!

AT40: Post Malone (1) - Week Of July 6, 2019

Hello, fam! Welcome to the second half of 2019. I hope you all had a good 4th of July weekend! I just want to remind everyone that the 2012 Billboard Year-End Hot 100 rankdown is still happening. You have until the end of this month to send me your submissions. More details are right here, as well as the link to submit your rankings. It's likely that I'll extend the deadline. We'll see. Before we get to this week's fresh 40, here are the songs we're saying goodbye to this week:

• Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake (#37)
• Medicine by Jennifer Lopez featuring French Montana (#40)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Sucker by Jonas Brothers
40. Chlorine by TWENTY ØNE PILØTS (DEBUT)
39. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#39) [=] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
38. Call You Mine by The Chainsmokers featuring Bebe Rexha (DEBUT)
37. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande (#32) [–5] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
36. So Close by NOTD, Felix Jaehn, & Captain Cuts featuring Georgia Ku (#36) [=]
35. Happier by Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE (#34) [–1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
34. Love Me Less by MAX featuring Quinn XCII (#38) [+4]
33. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee (#30) [–3]
32. Just Us by DJ Khaled featuring SZA (#35) [+3]
31. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee (#28) [–3]
30. Wake Up by Travis Scott featuring The Weeknd (#31) [+1]
29. Better by Khalid (#26) [–3]
28. Walk Me Home by P!NK (#29) [+1]
27. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco (#24) [–3] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
26. Speechless by Dan + Shay (#33) [+7]
25. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid (#22) [–3] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
24. All My Friends by AJ Mitchell (#27) [+3]
23. Truth Hurts by Lizzo (#25) [+2]
22. Con Calma by Daddy Yankee & Katy Perry featuring Snow (#19) [–3]
21. La La Land by Bryce Vine featuring YG (#23) [+2]
20. Without Me by Halsey (#16) [–4] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
19. Easier by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#20) [+1]
18. Cross Me by Ed Sheeran featuring Chance The Rapper and PnB Rock (#18) [=]
17. Never Really Over by Katy Perry (#21) [+4]
16. When The Party's Over by Billie Eilish (#17) [+1]
15. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande (#12) [–3] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
14. Nightmare by Halsey (#15) [+1]
13. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored by Ariana Grande (#11) [–2]
12. Cool by Jonas Brothers (#14) [+2]
11. Hey Look Ma, I Made It by Panic! At The Disco (#13) [+2]
10. Bad Guy by Billie Eilish (#10) [=]
9. If I Can't Have You by Shawn Mendes (#9) [=]
8. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max (#6) [–2]
7. ME! by Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie (#8) [+1]
6. I Don't Care by Ed Sheeran featuring Justin Bieber (#7) [+1]
5. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani (#3) [–2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
4. Old Town Road (Remix) by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus (#4) [=]
3. Talk by Khalid (#5) [+2]
2. Sucker by Jonas Brothers (#1) [–1] [Spent 8 Weeks At #1]
1. Wow. by Post Malone (#2) [+1] [1^st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign (3^rd of 4 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande (–5)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Speechless by Dan + Shay (+7)

New Entrants:
- We have two entrants this week. Up first is the return of TWENTY ØNE PILØTS with Chlorine. Now these guys have impressed me with their music for the most part. But I feel like Chlorine is one of their weakest singles. I don't really hate the song, but it's just not interesting to me. Tyler Joseph sounds okay, but I'm not exactly feeling the chorus. I just find it underwhelming. So yeah, this is mediocre. But if anything, I rather hear this than Legend, which is bad all around.

- The Chainsmokers are back once again, and they collaborate with Bebe Rexha in Call You Mine. Personally, I think this is inferior compared to songs like This Feeling and Closer. It's basically a attempt to recreate those songs, but I think it falls short of that. I like Bebe's voice here. She shows that she is a talented singer, especially when hearing the chorus. But I'm not feeling the drop here, which kinda affected my overall thoughts on the song. I feel like these guys have done better. This may grow on me, but I'm not all that impressed for now. It's good vocally, but the production kills the potential.

Best Debut Of The Week: Call You Mine by The Chainsmokers featuring Bebe Rexha

So I Blurb You Mine
- It's about time we said goodbye to Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake. That song was not good at all and I'll probably never get the appeal for this. Medicine, on the other hand, I did love and it was one of the best songs Jennifer Lopez has put out. But I knew it wouldn't last long. In fact, this only lasted one week, making it the shortest-tenured song of the year on the AT40.

- So, we get a new #1 song this week and it comes from Post Malone with Wow.. I'm not wild about it being up there. I personally think Sunflower is better, yet that one didn't end up going to #1. Wow. is just underwhelming. Oh well.

- Talk has reached a new peak which I'm not excited about, either. I'm sure this is going to be our next #1, and that bugs me since it's not good. The weird production just doesn't fit well with Khalid's voice. But that's just me.

- ME! is still hanging around in the Top 10. I highly doubt this'll end up getting any higher since it has started to free-fall elsewhere. I don't quite love it as much when it was brand new, so I'm not totally sad about it. But honestly, I was expecting this to be a #1 hit on this countdown. I guess not.

- Speechless made a nice jump this week into the Top 30. It's nice to see the song gain at least some steam. I guess the remix with Tori Kelly might've helped fuel the momentum after all. We'll see how long it lasts.

- This week marks one year since Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer made its debut. So, Happy Anniversary to this song! It feels like we've been getting a lot of those lately.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Summer Days by Martin Garrix featuring Macklemore and Patrick Stump
• Find U Again by Mark Ronson featuring Camila Cabello
• Paradise by Bazzi
• You Need To Calm Down by Taylor Swift
• Look Back At It by A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie

Extras/Optional Extras:

• Just A Dream by Nelly
• Don't Give Up On Me by Andy Grammer
• Good For You by Selena Gomez featuring A$AP Rocky
• Boy With Luv by BTS featuring Halsey
• Here With Me by Marshmello featuring CHVRCHES
• Airplanes by B.O.B. featuring Hayley Williams
• Honey, I'm Good by Andy Grammer
• Whatcha Say by Jason Derulo
• Super Bass by Nicki Minaj
• Down by Jay Sean featuring Lil' Wayne
• Keep Your Head Up by Andy Grammer

Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:
20. Old Town Road (Remix) by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus
19. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande
18. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored by Ariana Grande
17. Cross Me by Ed Sheeran featuring Chance The Rapper and PnB Rock

1 – Bad:
16. Cool by Jonas Brothers
15. Wow. by Post Malone
14. Easier by 5 Seconds Of Summer

2 – Mediocre:
13. Talk by Khalid
12. Without Me by Halsey

3 – Decent:
11. I Don't Care by Ed Sheeran featuring Justin Bieber

4 – Good:
10. Sucker by Jonas Brothers

5 – Great:
9. Nightmare by Halsey
8. When The Party's Over by Billie Eilish
7. Hey Look Ma, I Made It by Panic! At The Disco
6. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max
5. ME! by Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie
4. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith
3. Bad Guy by Billie Eilish
2. Never Really Over by Katy Perry

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. If I Can't Have You by Shawn Mendes

Total Score: 60/100 = 60% (D–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Alone by Heart (1987)

Most Missed Song: A Sky Full Of Stars by Coldplay

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Higher Love by Kygo featuring Whitney Houston

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande (#4)

My Top 5 Picks
1. If I Can't Have You by Shawn Mendes
2. Never Really Over by Katy Perry
3. Speechless by Dan + Shay
4. Bad Guy by Billie Eilish
5. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Old Town Road (Remix) by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus
2. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande
3. La La Land by Bryce Vine featuring YG
4. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored by Ariana Grande
5. Cross Me by Ed Sheeran featuring Chance The Rapper and PnB Rock

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Move To Miami by Enrique Iglesias featuring Pitbull: This is pretty cool, even though these guys have done better in the past. The Latin vibe pulls me in.
Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer: I much prefer Jet Black Heart, which is easily their best single. But this is still solid all around. I'm glad this song helped them have a huge hit through the course of 2018.

2019: A Mid-Year Review

Hello, fam! We've now reached the end of the first half of 2019. And with that, it is now time to do a mid-year review. Now, I have been falling behind on my blog this year due to me being busy with work and a lot of different things. But now I've finally caught up on my posts. So, what I'll do is compile some of the stats and I'll recap what has happened so far this year. Of course, these stats below are not final. The complete statistics will come in December, when I do my Year-End posts. For now, let's get on with the Mid-Year review. The color code that I'll be using is right here:

• Purple – Best Song
• Green – Great
• Blue – Good
• Pink – Decent
• Yellow – Mediocre
• Turquoise – Bad
• Red – Garbage
• Orange – Worst Song

Now, the first thing we're going to do is take a look at our #1 songs for 2019 so far. I review the American Top 40 and the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown on a weekly basis. We had several different #1 songs at this point last year. Let's take a look at our #1 songs for this year:

Hits 1 Weekend Countdown:

• The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling (7 Weeks Total; 3 in 2018, 4 in 2019)
• Halsey – Without Me (5 Weeks)
• Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It (3 Weeks)
• Jonas Brothers – Sucker (13 Weeks) (New Record!)
• Shawn Mendes – If I Can't Have You (1 Week)

American Top 40:

• Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (4 Weeks)
• Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next (1 Week)
• Halsey – Without Me (4 Weeks)
• Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside (3 Weeks)
• Ariana Grande – 7 Rings (5 Weeks)
• Jonas Brothers – Sucker (8 Weeks)
• Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger (1 Week)

Looking at this list, this is actually the least competitive year as far as #1 goes, especially on Hits 1. Part of that has to do with the fact that some of the songs have been reigning the top spot for a long period. Of course, we had Sucker dominate on Hits 1 for a while. It broke the record for most weeks at #1 with 13 weeks at the top, surpassing Taylor Swift – Shake It Off, Walk The Moon – Shut Up And Dance, and Adele – Hello who each have 12. Again, congrats to these guys for breaking the record. As for the American Top 40, competition for #1 was pretty weak as well. But we did have some variety at least. We'll see what the second half of the year brings in terms of new #1 songs. Hopefully, we'll get more variety at #1.

More Stats:

Now, I'll be going over some of the other things that occurred during the year. Despite this not being the final update (the complete stats will come in December when I do my Year-End posts), we've had a lot of crazy things that happened in the first half of 2019. Let's a take a look at the stats below:

Hits 1 Weekend Countdown:

Smallest "Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week":

Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones [–6] (February 9, 2019)

Imagine Dragons – Machine [–6] (February 9, 2019)

Imagine Dragons – Natural [–6] (February 9, 2019)

Smallest "Biggest Jump Of The Week":

Lauv featuring Julia Michaels – There's No Way [+7] (January 5, 2019)

TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Chlorine [+7] (January 5, 2019)

Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside [+7] (January 26, 2019)

Lauren Daigle – You Say [+7] (March 9, 2019)

Cardi B featuring Bruno Mars – Please Me [+7] (March 9, 2019)

Dean Lewis – Be Alright [+7] (March 23, 2019)

Biggest "Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week":

Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower [–23] (April 13, 2019)

Biggest "Biggest Jump Of The Week":

Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger [+21] (March 2, 2019)

Lady Gaga featuring Bradley Cooper – Shallow [+21] (March 30, 2019)

Ciara – Thinkin Bout You [+21] (June 22, 2019)

Smallest Combined Biggest Movers:

Billie Eilish – Bury A Friend and Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly (16 Spots; May 25, 2019)

Biggest Combined Biggest Movers:

Seeb featuring BΔSTILLE – Grip, Cardi B featuring Bruno Mars – Please Me, and Lauv featuring Troye Sivan – I'm So Tired... (48 Spots; March 16, 2019)

Highest Debut Of The Year:
Jonas Brothers – Sucker (#7) (March 16, 2019)

Lowest Debut Of The Year:
Jennifer Lopez – Limitless (#42) (January 19, 2019)
Billie Eilish – When The Party's Over (#42) (May 11, 2019)


American Top 40:

Smallest "Biggest Fall Of The Week":
Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It [–2] (January 26, 2019)
Selena Gomez – Back To You [–2] (January 26, 2019)
Alessia Cara – Trust My Lonely [–2] (January 26, 2019)
Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B – Girls Like You [–2] (January 26, 2019)
Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho [–2] (February 2, 2019)
Bazzi – Mine [–2] (February 2, 2019)
Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It [–2] (February 2, 2019)
Why Don’t We – 8 Letters [–2] (February 2, 2019)
Camila Cabello – Consequences [–2] (February 2, 2019)
Post Malone – Better Now [–2] (February 2, 2019)
Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies [–2] (February 2, 2019)
Ariana Grande – Breathin' [–2] (February 2, 2019)
Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next [–2] (April 27, 2019)
Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho [–2] (April 27, 2019)
Halsey – Without Me [–2] (April 27, 2019)

Smallest "Biggest Rise Of The Week":
Silk City featuring Dua Lipa – Electricity [+3] (February 9, 2019)
DJ Snake featuring Selena Gomez, Ozuna, and Cardi B – Taki Taki [+3] (February 9, 2019)
Post Malone – Wow. [+3] (February 9, 2019)

Biggest "Biggest Fall Of The Week":
Silk City featuring Dua Lipa – Electricity [–22] (February 16, 2019)

Biggest "Biggest Rise Of The Week":
Jonas Brothers – Sucker [+16] (March 30, 2019)

Smallest Combined Biggest Movers:
Travis Scott featuring Drake – Sicko Mode and Bebe Rexha – Last Hurrah (11 Spots; April 6, 2019)

Biggest Combined Biggest Movers:
Silk City featuring Dua Lipa – Electricity and Ariana Grande – 7 Rings (37 Spots; February 16, 2019)

Highest Debut Of The Year:
Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie – ME! (May 18, 2019)

Lowest Debut Of The Year:
Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho (#40) (January 12, 2019)
Ariana Grande – Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored (#40) (March 2, 2019)
Zedd featuring Katy Perry – 365 (#40) (March 16, 2019)
LIVVIA – Damn (#40) (March 30, 2019)
Benny Blanco featuring Tainy, Selena Gomez, and J. Balvin – I Can't Get Enough (#40) (April 27, 2019)
Drax Project featuring Hailee Steinfeld – Woke Up Late (#40) (May 4, 2019)
P!NK – Walk Me Home (#40) (June 8, 2019)
Jennifer Lopez featuring French Montana – Medicine (#40) (June 29, 2019)

And now, that's a wrap for the 2019 Mid-Year Review! I'll be back later in December to tally up the final stats for the year. More likely than not, you'll see more stuff included in my Year-End post. I hope everyone here has enjoyed reading this as I took some time to write all of this. Let's hope the second half of the year goes well. Have a good 4^th of July Holiday weekend!

Shawn Mendes (1) - Week Of June 29, 2019

Hello, fam! So just yesterday, I found out that there's another type of sport called Pesäpallo. It's just like baseball, except it's a lot different. I haven't actually watched those games yet, but I'm sure it's a lot more exciting. I never mentioned this to anyone, but I did go to a Braves game at the new stadium last month. It was a fun experience. Hopefully someday, I get a chance to go back. Right now, let's get on to another topic: the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown! I have some things that are worth talking about. Before we get to this week's fresh 45, here are the songs we're saying goodbye to this week:

• Alessia Cara – Out Of Love (#42)

The Countdown:
Last Week's #1 Song: Jonas Brothers – Sucker
45. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings (#44) [–1]
44. Jordan McGraw – Flexible (#43) [–1]
43. Billie Eilish – When The Party's Over (#45) [+2]
42. Bazzi – Paradise (#37) [–5]
41. Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE – Happier (#38) [–3] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
40. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me (#39) [–1]
39. Post Malone – Wow. (#40) [+1]
38. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Chlorine (#41) [+3]
37. NOTD, Felix Jaehn, Captain Cuts featuring Georgia Ku – So Close (#35) [–2]
36. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (#34) [–2] [Spent 8 Weeks At #1]
35. Lauv featuring Troye Sivan – I'm So Tired... (#32) [–3]
34. Billie Eilish – Bury A Friend (#36) [+2]
33. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling (#31) [–2] [Spent 7 Weeks At #1]
32. Andy Grammer – Don't Give Up On Me (#28) [–4]
31. Ariana Grande – Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored (#29) [–2]
30. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly (#30) [=]
29. Martin Garrix featuring Macklemore and Patrick Stump – Summer Days (#27) [–2]
28. P!NK – Walk Me Home (#26) [–2]
27. Kaskade featuring Meghan Trainor – With You (#33) [+6]
26. Dan + Shay – Speechless (#19) [–7]
25. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger (#25) [=]
24. Imagine Dragons – Bad Liar (#21) [–3]
23. Ciara – Thinkin Bout You (#14) [–9]
22. Billie Eilish – Bad Guy (#23) [+1]
21. MAX featuring Quinn XCII – Love Me Less (#24) [+3]
20. Panic! At The Disco – Dancing's Not A Crime (#17) [–3]
19. Ava Max – So Am I (#20) [+1]
18. Alec Benjamin – If We Have Each Other (#22) [+4]
17. Taylor Swift – You Need To Calm Down (DEBUT)
16. Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved (#15) [–1]
15. Katy Perry – Never Really Over (#16) [+1]
14. Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus – Old Town Road (Remix) (#12) [–2]
13. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Easier (#13) [=]
12. Halsey – Without Me (#10) [–2] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
11. Jonas Brothers – Cool (#11) [=]
10. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It (#7) [–3] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
9. Marshmello featuring CHVRCHES – Here With Me (#9) [=]
8. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho (#8) [=]
7. Khalid – Talk (#18) [+11]
6. Ed Sheeran featuring Justin Bieber – I Don't Care (#5) [–1]
5. Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie – ME! (#2) [–3]
4. Jonas Brothers – Sucker (#1) [–3] [Spent 13 Weeks At #1]
3. The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer – Who Do You Love (#4) [+1]
2. Halsey – Nightmare (#6) [+4]
1. Shawn Mendes – If I Can't Have You (#3) [+2] [1^st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) (4^th And Final Week At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Ciara – Thinkin Bout You (–9)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Khalid – Talk (+11)

New Entrants:
- With ME! currently on a downward spiral elsewhere, we get another single from Ms. Taylor Swift entering the countdown this week. She brings us You Need To Calm Down, which is taken from her upcoming album titled Lover. So, there were rumors about a possible collaboration with Katy Perry heading into its release. At first, I got excited. But then we found out that it was actually a solo single, which meant that there really was no collaboration. However, they did posted pictures of them making up while being dressed up in fast food costumes. It would've been cool if they actually did a collaboration together. But anyway, enough about that. Let's get on to my opinion of the song. I liked ME! from the very first listen because I found it to be catchy, even though the lyrics weren't amazing. I can't really say that about her successor. I do think the lyrical content is slightly better than that of its predecessor and I get what the song is trying to offer. But she doesn't really deliver with her vocal performance and I'm not quite feeling the beat here. I did kinda liked Reputation even though it wasn't as good as 1989. I won't say too much about her new album just yet as we're only two songs in. Taylor is definitely a talented singer and she shows it in the majority of her music that I love. But You Need To Calm Down just doesn't do it for me, both in terms of her vocal performance and the production. While it's in blue for now, it's definitely closer to red than it is green.

Billie Jean Is Not My Blurber
- In terms of our exit this week, I did find Out Of Love to be a decent ballad and is better than Trust My Lonely, which wasn't really a good song in my book. Seeing as Alessia Cara can't seem to get another hit elsewhere, I wasn't shocked to see this one not last long.

- Before introducing 7 Rings, Spyder Harrison mentioned that Ariana Grande has a new tattoo inspired by Jim Carrey. I'm guessing she has watched a lot of his movies back in the day.

- Although I don't totally love Bazzi – Paradise, it's having a terrible run on the countdown, what with it dropping for the third week in a row. Something tells me it'll not be very long with us.

- Before introducing Wow., Spyder Harrison mentioned that Post Malone did a performance while wearing a Dolly Parton outfit and everyone loved it. Heck, even Dolly herself would be proud. That was pretty cool.

- Before introducing Chlorine, Spyder Harrison mentioned that TWENTY ØNE PILØTS had a street named after them, though it was only temporary. I guess they wanted a place where fans can hang out for a while.

- This week marks the one-year anniversary for High Hopes! It was this time last year that the song made its debut and it would eventually go on to become a major hit elsewhere. Believe it or not, it actually debuted at #34. I thought it might hold on the week of its anniversary. But it decided to drop instead. Heh, I guess the voters didn't want it to hold.

- Remember that sudden, massive jump that Thinkin Bout You had last week? Yeah, that seems like a distant memory. It's right back to square one as it dropped last week. I won't be shocked if it ends up leaving within a few weeks.

- I kinda wish that Love Me Less would start dropping at the very least. There's really not a whole lot to the song that's seriously worth caring about at all, and Quinn XCII's verse isn't helping.

- You know what? I've actually started to come around to love So Am I. Sure, I won't say it's quite as good as Sweet But Psycho, but it's something I enjoy for the time being.

- I'm a little surprised to see Cool holding a spot in its second week, but I'm okay with it since it's not a good song. I'll bet it's only here because Hits 1 has started to fall in love with the Jonas Brothers. Not helping is that the song has slowly gained back some momentum. Hopefully, it doesn't last long.

- Nightmare has reached a new peak at #2 because of course, Hits 1 loves Halsey, and so do I. It's a solid song that has grown on me for the past few weeks. But I know there are a lot of people who will not be happy about it being in the Top 5.

- On that note of the Jonas Brothers, Sucker has finally been dethroned from the #1 spot for the first time in what seems like forever. If I Can't Have You takes the crown this week. It's refreshing to see something different at #1 for a change. I'm still in love with the song overall, so I'll take it. Shawn Mendes has definitely impressed me with his latest music.

Hit-Bound:

• Blanco Brown – The Git Up (DEBUT)
• P!NK – Hustle
• In Real Life – Crazy AF
• Lizzo – Truth Hurts
• SHAED – Trampoline (DEBUT)
• Shawn Mendes featuring Camila Cabello – Señorita
• The Chainsmokers featuring Bebe Rexha – Call You Mine
• AJR – 100 Bad Days
• Ed Sheeran featuring Chance The Rapper and PnB Rock – Cross Me
• Asher Angel featuring Wiz Khalifa – One Thought Away
• OneRepublic – Rescue Me
• Mark Ronson featuring Camila Cabello – Find U Again
• Miley Cyrus – Mother's Daughter
• Public – Make You Mine
• Kygo featuring Rita Ora – Carry On

Entrant Reviews:
- Kicking things off on Hit-Bound this week is a country song that is currently gaining momentum at this moment. Blanco Brown brings us The Git Up. I talked about this one briefly when it was on the YouTube 15 last week. I'm still not exactly sure what to think of it yet. The guy's voice is okay. But I do like the production and the beat. Not much else I can about it. One thing's for sure, though: it's better than Old Town Road in every way.

- We have a new group called SHAED who bring us their debut single titled Trampoline. This is pretty cool for the most part. I like Chelsea's voice in the song. I think she is unique. I also like the beat and the instrumentation. I'm hoping it ends up debuting soon.

Best Hit-Bound Entrant Of The Week: SHAED – Trampoline

Hit-Bound Breakdown:
0 – Crap:
15. Ed Sheeran featuring Chance The Rapper and PnB Rock – Cross Me

1 – Bad:
14. AJR – 100 Bad Days

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
13. In Real Life – Crazy AF
12. Asher Angel featuring Wiz Khalifa – One Thought Away
11. Blanco Brown – The Git Up
10. Mark Ronson featuring Camila Cabello – Find U Again
9. The Chainsmokers featuring Bebe Rexha – Call You Mine

4 – Good:
None!

5 – Great:
8. P!NK – Hustle
7. SHAED – Trampoline
6. Public – Make You Mine
5. OneRepublic – Rescue Me
4. Lizzo – Truth Hurts
3. Miley Cyrus – Mother's Daughter
2. Kygo featuring Rita Ora – Carry On

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On Hit-Bound:
1. Shawn Mendes featuring Camila Cabello – Señorita

Overall Grade: 57/75 = 76% (C)

Most Missed Hit-Bound Dropout: Kungs featuring Ephemerals – I Feel So Bad

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Shawn Mendes featuring Camila Cabello – Señorita
2. Kygo featuring Rita Ora – Carry On
3. Miley Cyrus – Mother's Daughter
4. Lizzo – Truth Hurts
5. OneRepublic – Rescue Me

YouTube 15:

• Billie Eilish – Bad Guy
• Ali Gatie – It's You
• Zara Larsson – All The Time
• Post Malone – Wow.
• Ashley O – On A Roll 
• Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus – Old Town Road (Remix)
• Sebastian Yatra featuring Jonas Brothers, Daddy Yankee, and Natti Natasha – Runaway 
• Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger
• Alan Walker featuring Sabrina Carpenter – On My Way
• Ed Sheeran featuring Justin Bieber – I Don't Care
• Nicki Minaj – MEGATRON 
• Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie – ME!
• Marshmello featuring Kane Brown – One Thing Right 
• Khalid – Talk
• Shawn Mendes featuring Camila Cabello – Señorita

Song Reviews:
- More of Zara Larsson is very nice, as she brings us All The Time. Earlier this year, she gave us Ruin My Life, which I thought was solid. I can pretty much say the same about her new single. I love the production and Zara sounds amazing with her vocals. Overall, this is divine and I would argue that it's better than her predecessor.

- Taken from the Netflix series Black Mirror, Miley Cyrus plays a character whose name is Ashley O, and she sings On A Roll. I'm not exactly sure what to think of this one. I think she sounds good in the chorus and I kinda like the production. That's all I have to say, though I much prefer Mother's Daughter over this song.

- Next, we have Sebastian Yatra who collaborates with Jonas Brothers, Daddy Yankee, and Natti Natasha in Runaway. The Latin vibe here is pretty cool. I like the verses overall and the production is pretty good. Overall, it's a fun song.

- Nicki Minaj is back with her new single titled MEGATRON. I'm not exactly sure why she decided to call the song after a character from Transformers, but this is not bad for the most part. Nicki showcases her rapping skills and I like the beat here. It's not as good as what she's done before, but I like this for the time being.

- Finally, we have more of Marshmello with his latest single called One Thing Right. The song is another example of how much Marshmello has evolved for the worse. I'm not feeling the production for the most part, mainly because it tries to mix with country and trap together and it doesn't work out. Kane is a good singer and I think he sounds good in the song. But it's really the production that brings it down for me. My thoughts on this are similar to Happier. While I'll say it's much better than a certain song that shall not be named, it's still pretty mediocre. Seriously, this is the same guy that made Ritual and collaborated with Selena Gomez in Wolves, which was my #2 favorite song of 2018. His latest singles (except for Here With Me and a few others) have just been disappointing and not very appealing to me overall.

YouTube 15 Breakdown:
0 – Crap:
15. Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus – Old Town Road (Remix)

1 – Bad:
14. Post Malone – Wow.

2 – Mediocre:
13. Khalid – Talk
12. Marshmello featuring Kane Brown – One Thing Right

3 – Decent:
11. Alan Walker featuring Sabrina Carpenter – On My Way
10. Ed Sheeran featuring Justin Bieber – I Don't Care

4 – Good:
9. Ali Gatie – It's You
8. Ashley O – On A Roll

5 – Great:
7. Sebastian Yatra featuring Jonas Brothers, Daddy Yankee, and Natti Natasha – Runaway 
6. Billie Eilish – Bad Guy
5. Nicki Minaj – MEGATRON
4. Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie – ME!
3. Zara Larsson – All The Time
2. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The YouTube 15:
1. Shawn Mendes featuring Camila Cabello – Señorita

Overall Grade: 55/75 = 73% (C)

Most Missed YouTube 15 Song: Halsey featuring Lauren Jauregui – Strangers

My Top 5 YouTube 15 Picks
1. Shawn Mendes featuring Camila Cabello – Señorita
2. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger
3. Zara Larsson – All The Time
4. Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie – ME!
5. Nicki Minaj – MEGATRON

Hits 1 Weekend Countdown Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Crap:
20. Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus – Old Town Road (Remix)

1 – Bad:
19. Jonas Brothers – Cool

2 – Mediocre:
18. Khalid – Talk
17. Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved

3 – Decent:
16. Taylor Swift – You Need To Calm Down
15. Alec Benjamin – If We Had Each Other
14. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Easier
13. Halsey – Without Me
12. Ed Sheeran featuring Justin Bieber – I Don't Care
11. The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer – Who Do You Love

4 – Good:
10. Jonas Brothers – Sucker

5 – Great:
9. Panic! At The Disco – Dancing's Not A Crime
8. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It
7. Halsey – Nightmare
6. Ava Max – So Am I
5. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho
4. Marshmello featuring CHVRCHES – Here With Me
3. Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie – ME!
2. Shawn Mendes – If I Can't Have You

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Katy Perry – Never Really Over

Overall Grade: 73/100 = 73% (C)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Michael Jackson – Billie Jean (1983)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Ariana Grande featuring The Weeknd – Love Me Harder

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Cheryl – Let You

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right (#28), Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry (#5), and Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#3)

My Top 5 Picks
1. Katy Perry – Never Really Over
2. Shawn Mendes – If I Can't Have You
3. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger
4. Dan + Shay – Speechless
5. Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie – ME!

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus – Old Town Road (Remix)
2. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings
3. Lauv featuring Troye Sivan – I'm So Tired...
4. Jordan McGraw – Flexible
5. Ariana Grande – Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift – Babe: I think this was a nice collaboration overall. And it was nice to see Taylor Swift going back to her roots in this one.
The Wrecks – James Dean: Everything about this one is just spot on. The song reminds me a lot of I Love Rock 'n Roll from The Arrows, which I love.
Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes: It was one year ago that Hits 1 picked up on this single. I still love it even though it has worn on some. It was nice to see this one become Brendon Urie's biggest hit.
Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right: I may not like her current representation on the countdown. But this one was actually solid. I find this, along with All The Ways, to be a lot better than her predecessor.
Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin – I Like It: I may not have liked this at first. But I kinda started to come around to it. Even though the lyrics weren't good, I liked the Latin vibe.