Saturday, February 27, 2021

Week of February 27, 2021 - Olivia Rodrigo (1)

Wow, I guess 2021 is going to be a good year. If this week is any indication of how the rest of the year Countdown-wise will look like, I’m all for it. In other news, we’re down to the top 20 on my 2020 Countdown Extras Rankdown, so if you’re not caught up on that, I would highly suggest doing that. I’m also extremely close to getting my new Hot 100 post up. Just warning you guys, there’s gonna be some changes to how I’m doing those. Also, sometime today, I’ll have February’s Callout Scores ready. Once that’s up, I’ll put the link here. Anyways, here’s our exits for this week.

Songs We’re Saying Goodbye To
Diamonds - Sam Smith (#25) [#6] {22 weeks}
positions - Ariana Grande (#23) [#2] {17 weeks}
forget me too - Machine Gun Kelly/Halsey (#19) [#19] {2 weeks}

Last Week’s #1: Golden - Harry Styles (4)

#30: Way Less Sad - AJR (DEBUT) [1 week in Hit-Bound] {1 week}
#29: Good Days - SZA (+1) [#29] {2 weeks} *new peak*
#28: Overdrive - Conan Gray (DEBUT) [1 week in Hit-Bound] {1 week}
#27: We’re Good - Dua Lipa (-9) [#18] {2 weeks}
#26: Lifestyle - Jason Derulo/Adam Levine (+2) [#26] {5 weeks} *new peak*
#25: Fly Away - Tones And I (+2) [#25] {4 weeks} *new peak*
#24: Go Crazy - Chris Brown/Young Thug (-2) [#20] {10 weeks}
#23: I’m not Pretty - JESSIA (+6) [#23] {3 weeks} *new peak*
#22: WITHOUT YOU - The Kid LAROI (+2) [#22] {4 weeks} *new peak*
#21: Skin - Sabrina Carpenter (RE-ENTRY) [#21] {2 weeks} *new peak*
#20: Put Your Records On - Ritt Momney (-3) [#15] {16 weeks}
#19: Heat Waves - Glass Animals (+7) [#19] {5 weeks} *new peak*
#18: What You Know Bout Love - Pop Smoke (+2) [#17] {19 weeks}
#17: Afterglow - Ed Sheeran (-4) [#11] {9 weeks}
#16: My Head & My Heart - Ava Max (-2) [#14] {5 weeks}
#15: Anyone - Justin Bieber (-) [#15] {7 weeks}
#14: Lasting Lover - Sigala/James Arthur (+2) [#14] {9 weeks}
#13: Love Story (Taylor’s Version) - Taylor Swift (-2) [#11] {2 weeks}
#12: 34+35 - Ariana Grande (-2) [#8] {7 weeks}
#11: Lie Lie Lie - Joshua Bassett (+10) [#11] {5 weeks} *new peak*
#10: Therefore I Am - Billie Eilish (-2) [#3] {15 weeks}
#9: Treat People With Kindness - Harry Styles (-) [#9] {7 weeks}
#8: you broke me first - Tate McRae (+4) [#7] {22 weeks}
#7: my ex’s best friend - Machine Gun Kelly/blackbear (-3) [#2] {22 weeks}
#6: willow - Taylor Swift (-1) [#5] {10 weeks}
#5: Save Your Tears - The Weeknd (+2) [#5] {15 weeks} *new peak*
#4: Monsters - All Time Low/Demi Lovato/blackbear (+2) [4 weeks at #1] {24 weeks}
#3: Levitating - Dua Lipa/DaBaby (-) [3 weeks at #1] {20 weeks}
#2: Golden - Harry Styles (-1) [4 weeks at #1] {18 weeks}
#1: drivers license - Olivia Rodrigo (+1) [1st week at #1] {7 weeks} *new peak*

Last Year’s #1: Adore You - Harry Styles [3/10 weeks at #1]

Countdown Extra: Astronaut In The Ocean - Masked Wolf

Well that was a lot quicker than Bang!. Our first debut this week, coming in at #30 after only one week in Hit-Bound is Way Less Sad by AJR! I’m really happy that this debuted so soon, because it’s one of my favourite AJR songs. I’d really love to see this become a hit both here and everywhere else. This song is really just a lot of fun. I mean, all of their songs are, but this one in particular is a lot of fun. Jack Met sounds great here, the horns are great, the writing’s fantastic and it’s really catchy too. Great song.

So my new favourite Conan Gray song is next, being Overdrive at #28. This song is actually just really great. The main part that I really like here is the production. It just has so many layers to it and it’s really interesting to listen to. Conan sounds pretty good with the song too and it’s catchy, while not being overly catchy like Maniac. I really hope this out-peaks Maniac and can hit #1 here. I think it has a shot too, because Hits 1 really likes Conan Gray because they premiered him I’m pretty sure.

Sabrina Carpenter’s Skin re-entered the Countdown at #21 this week. I guess I’m happy it’s back. Although I do want to say that it’s a diss track for a song where she didn’t really say anything bad about her. Who knows, some other stuff might have happened behind the scenes, though.

Best Debut: Way Less Sad - AJR

Biggest DROP!!!: We’re Good - Dua Lipa (-9): It kind of sucks to see this drop so much off of its debut last week, but I don’t care that much, because it’s not her best.

Biggest Jump: Lie Lie Lie - Joshua Bassett (+10): Even though I don’t like this nearly as much as I did when it was first released, I’m still happy that this is almost in the top 10.

Countdown Ranking

0 - Crap:
#30: Golden - Harry Styles

1 - Bad:
#29: Therefore I Am - Billie Eilish

2 - Mediocre:
#28: Fly Away - Tones And I
#27: Put Your Records On - Ritt Momney

3 - Decent:
#26: Good Days - SZA
#25: 34+35 - Ariana Grande
#24: Heat Waves - Glass Animals

4 - Good:
#23: you broke me first - Tate McRae
#22: Skin - Sabrina Carpenter
#21: We’re Good - Dua Lipa
#20: willow - Taylor Swift
#19: Lifestyle - Jason Derulo/Adam Levine
#18: I’m not Pretty - JESSIA
#17: Treat People With Kindness - Harry Styles
#16: Afterglow - Ed Sheeran
#15: What You Know Bout Love - Pop Smoke

5 - Great:
#14: Go Crazy - Chris Brown/Young Thug
#13: Lie Lie Lie - Joshua Bassett
#12: my ex’s best friend - Machine Gun Kelly/blackbear
#11: Monsters - All Time Low/Demi Lovato/blackbear
#10: Anyone - Justin Bieber
#9: drivers license - Olivia Rodrigo
#8: Levitating - Dua Lipa/DaBaby
#7: Overdrive - Conan Gray
#6: Save Your Tears - The Weeknd
#5: Lasting Lover - Sigala/James Arthur
#4: WITHOUT YOU - The Kid LAROI
#3: My Head & My Heart - Ava Max
#2: Love Story (Taylor’s Version) - Taylor Swift
#1: Way Less Sad - AJR

Overall Score: 120/150 = 80%

5 Oldest Songs
#5: Golden - Harry Styles {18 weeks}
#4: What You Know Bout Love - Pop Smoke {19 weeks}
#3: Levitating - Dua Lipa/DaBaby {20 weeks}
#2: you broke me first - Tate McRae & my ex’s best friend - Machine Gun Kelly/blackbear {22 weeks}
#1: Monsters - All Time Low/Demi Lovato/blackbear {24 weeks}

#1 Recommendation for Hits 1: no body, no crime - Taylor Swift/HAIM

My Favourite Song Last Year: Blinding Lights - The Weeknd

My Least Favourite Song Last Year: Say So - Doja Cat

Most Missed Countdown Song: Radioactive - Imagine Dragons

Hit-Bound
3, 2, 1 - 24kGoldn [1]
Remember That Night? - Sara Kays [3]
Astronaut In The Ocean - Masked Wolf [1]
cheers - blackbear/Wiz Khalifa [4]
Talk About Love - Zara Larsson/Young Thug [5]
forget me too - Machine Gun Kelly/Halsey [1; 2nd time]
too many feelings - Ruel [1]
Beginning Middle End - Leah Nobel [1]
Goosebumps (Remix) - Travis Scott/HVME [3]
Bad Girl - Daya [1]
Cry Over Boys - Alexander 23 [3]
Best Friend - Saweetie/Doja Cat [4]
The Business - Tiësto [1]
Provide - G-Eazy/Chris Brown/Mark Morrison [2]
rubberband - Tate McRae [4]

Lots of Hit-Bound entrants this week because we had quite a few Hit-Bound dropouts. Anyways, this first one, I actually reviewed last week for The Goldn Hour (which I’ve switched up by the way… we’ll get to it). I guess since 24kGoldn’s now a host on Hits 1, they’re letting more of his music on Hit-Bound. Anyways, 3, 2, 1 makes its Hit-Bound debut this week. I like this. It’s definitely not my favourite 24kGoldn song, but it actually has some pretty cool production and I’d honestly go as far to say that this is the best production in a 24kGoldn song yet. It’s not all too catchy, but it’s still fun.

Ahhh yes. So this next song has been on my Crownnote recently. If you’re not sure what that is, it’s basically just my personal chart. You can see my page here. Anyways, it’s Astronaut In The Ocean by Masked Wolf. I’ve never heard of this guy before, so I have to assume that it’s a TikTok song. I’m really interested in what this guy has to bring next though, because if it’s anything like this song, it’ll be really good. He switches flows a lot here and he does it really well. The hook is also really catchy. My only problem with this is that I want to be a little bit longer, but whatever. I really hope that this debuts soon.

forget me too dropped out of the Countdown after only two weeks on it. That kind of sucks, but at least it’s back in Hit-Bound, I guess.

Ruel brings his first song to Hits 1. This song’s called too many feelings and it’s pretty good. It’s kind of vibey if I’m being honest. It’s one of those chill songs that you can just sit and bop to. His voice is decent and while the song has room to build a bit and it doesn’t, I don’t really care that much. I don’t know, I enjoy this. Expect it to move into blue somewhat soon.

So next up is somebody called Leah Nobel with her song Beginning Middle End from some Netflix movie. I don’t really like this song. I’m really not a fan of Leah Nobel’s voice. There’s some vocal effect on it that makes it really hard to listen to. Plus, the chorus is just kind of annoying. I don’t know, I’m just really not feeling this one.

Next up is Daya. Remember that name? Yeah, it’s been a while. She had three pretty big hits in 2016, Don’t Let Me Down with The Chainsmokers, Sit Still, Look Pretty and Hide Away and hasn’t really been heard from since. All of those songs were fine. I don’t know, I was never a huge fan of Daya. Don’t Let Me Down was probably the best of those three and even then, it was only good at best. Anyways, this new song is called Bad Girl and I guess the production’s decent? Nothing about this really sticks out to me. Daya’s voice sounds fine, I just find this pretty uninteresting.

Oh yeah, Tiësto exists. That’s pretty much the only thing notable about his new song, The Business. The vocals are pitched down, like in Goosebumps and Ride It. I really don’t like this technique and I don’t get why it’s a thing in EDM songs. It was better in Roses, because it was pitched up, which just sounds better overall. Anyways, yeah, this is pretty much pitched down vocals and mediocre production. Not much else to say about this. Hard pass.

Best Debut: Astronaut In The Ocean - Masked Wolf

Hit-Bound Ranking

0 - Crap:
NONE!

1 - Bad:
#15: The Business - Tiësto
#14: Beginning Middle End - Leah Nobel
#13: Best Friend - Saweetie/Doja Cat

2 - Mediocre:
#12: Goosebumps (Remix) - Travis Scott/HVME

3 - Decent:
#11: rubberband - Tate McRae
#10: Cry Over Boys - Alexander 23
#9: too many feelings - Ruel
#8: Bad Girl - Daya

4 - Good:
#7: Remember That Night? - Sara Kays
#6: Talk About Love - Zara Larsson/Young Thug
#5: 3, 2, 1 - 24kGoldn
#4: cheers - blackbear/Wiz Khalifa

5 - Great:
#3: Provide - G-Eazy/Chris Brown/Mark Morrison
#2: Astronaut In The Ocean - Masked Wolf
#1: forget me too - Machine Gun Kelly/Halsey

Overall Score: 48/75 = 64%

Goldn Era Pick
Best I Ever Had - Drake (2009)

Yeah, so for The Goldn Hour, I’ll just be talking about the throwback pick and 24kGoldn’s pick of the week. Those songs from last week were One More Time and acting like that, respectively. Anyways, the throwback pick (or Goldn Era Pick, as he called it) this week was Best I Ever Had by Drake. I don’t remember ever hearing this song and I don’t know, it doesn’t really grab my attention that much. He sounds good in the verses, but he could sound better in the chorus. Anyways, yeah, that’s pretty much it.

24kGoldn’s Pick of the Week
Good Days - SZA

Yeah, so no new song to review, because he picked Good Days, which is already on the Countdown.

No I Ain’t Happy Yet, But I’m Way Less Blurbs

The exits from the Countdown this week (other than forget me too) were Diamonds and positions. I’m not too disappointed to see either of these go, as they were both getting kind of old.

Now, for Hit-Bound, we lost Fix It to Break It, Girls Like Us, Body and Momma Always Told Me. I don’t care about FItBI too much, as it was pretty good, but not unbelievably fantastic. Plus, it was only destined for a couple of weeks on the Countdown. For Girls Like Us, again, I don’t really care because it wasn’t that good. For Body, I’m pretty happy that it’s gone, because it was pretty bad and for Momma Always Told Me, I’m kind of sad that they didn’t even really give it a shot here. Whatever.

We can get rid of Fly Away at any point now and I really wouldn’t care.

I’m not Pretty actually made a decent-sized jump this week, so that gives me hope that it’ll actually stick around after it’s done being the One to Watch.

Heat Waves is up in the top 20. Even though it’s not my favourite, I’m still happy that it’s here.

Aww My Head & My Heart dropped a couple of spots. Hopefully it can rebound.

Love Story also dropped a couple of spots, which was pretty surprising. But honestly, I’m pretty sure that it’ll hit #1 anyways.

Save Your Tears is in the top 5!!! I really hope that this is the song that dethrones our new #1.

Which is… (finger on table drumroll)... drivers license! Wow, I’m actually really shocked but really happy that Hits 1 recognized this as the hit that it is and brought it to #1. Especially dethroning Harry Styles of all people. You know what’s crazy, though? We’ve already had more female artists at #1 this year than we did for the entirety of last year. We’re only in February too. Awesome, I’m so glad that this is #1.

How Hits 1 Songs Are Doing on the Hot 100
#1: drivers license - Olivia Rodrigo
#2: 34+35 - Ariana Grande
#4: Blinding Lights - The Weeknd
#6: Save Your Tears - The Weeknd
#7: Mood - 24kGoldn/iann dior
#8: Go Crazy - Chris Brown/Young Thug
#9: Levitating - Dua Lipa/DaBaby
#10: positions - Ariana Grande
#11: Love Story (Taylor’s Version) - Taylor Swift
#12: What You Know Bout Love - Pop Smoke
#13: Therefore I Am - Billie Eilish
#17: Holy - Justin Bieber/Chance the Rapper
#18: Good Days - SZA
#19: I Hope - Gabby Barrett/Charlie Puth
#22: Lonely - Justin Bieber/benny blanco
#23: you broke me first - Tate McRae
#25: willow - Taylor Swift
#26: Body - Megan Thee Stallion
#28: Anyone - Justin Bieber
#29: my ex’s best friend - Machine Gun Kelly/blackbear
#31: Bang! - AJR
#33: Before You Go - Lewis Capaldi
#34: Lemonade - Internet Money/Gunna/Don Toliver/NAV
#36: Laugh Now Cry Later - Drake/Lil Durk
#38: Best Friend - Saweetie/Doja Cat
#39: Put Your Records On - Ritt Momney
#43: WITHOUT YOU - The Kid LAROI
#45: Dynamite - BTS
#49: We’re Good - Dua Lipa
#58: Golden - Harry Styles
#59: Monsters - All Time Low/Demi Lovato/blackbear
#60: Goosebumps (Remix) - Travis Scott/HVME
#61: My Head & My Heart - Ava Max
#64: Heat Waves - Glass Animals
#65: Afterglow - Ed Sheeran
#68: Astronaut In The Ocean - Masked Wolf
#76: Lifestyle - Jason Derulo/Adam Levine
#77: SO DONE - The Kid LAROI
#91: Monster - Shawn Mendes/Justin Bieber

Top 10 on the Hunger Games Countdown
#10: drivers license - Olivia Rodrigo
#9: Stay Next To Me - Quinn XCII/Chelsea Cutler
#8: positions - Ariana Grande
#7: Overdrive - Conan Gray
#6: Space Girl - Frances Forever
#5: 34+35 - Ariana Grande
#4: 100 Ways - Jackson Wang
#3: Best Friend - Saweetie/Doja Cat
#2: Haunt You - X Lovers/chloe moriondo
#1: Prisoner - Miley Cyrus/Dua Lipa

Top 10 If the Countdown Made Sense
#10: Golden - Harry Styles
#9: Go Crazy - Chris Brown/Young Thug
#8: Save Your Tears - The Weeknd
#7: my ex’s best friend - Machine Gun Kelly/blackbear
#6: Levitating - Dua Lipa/DaBaby
#5: Put Your Records On - Ritt Momney
#4: you broke me first - Tate McRae
#3: Therefore I Am - Billie Eilish
#2: drivers license - Olivia Rodrigo
#1: 34+35 - Ariana Grande

Kwaheri, everybody! See you all in the next one.

Hot 100 Overview: Week of February 27, 2021 - Olivia Rodrigo (6)

Olivia Rodrigo (6)
So yeah, I decided that I'd be switching to this, like Waffle did, because 1: I get to review more songs and 2: It takes less time. This week is gonna be different, though. This is NOT the normal format. Today, I'll be doing very quick reviews of every song that I've never reviewed on this blog before, then I'll do a short blurbs section. You'll get the proper format next week.

#3: Calling My Phone - Lil Tjay/6LACK (DEBUT) [#3] {1 week}

Quite forgettable, but both artists sound good here. Probably didn't deserve a top 5 debut, though.

#5: Up - Cardi B (-3) [#2] {2 weeks}

This is probably the first Cardi B song where she was the lead artist that I've genuinely liked since I Like It, which was a banger. Her flow is great here and the beat is really good too.

#16: Back In Blood - Pooh Shiesty/Lil Durk (+1) [#16] {7 weeks} *new peak*

Not very interesting, but again, both artists sound good.

#27: Streets - Doja Cat (-5) [#18] {6 weeks}

Doja Cat meets Billie Eilish and I really hate it. The layered vocals are really quite bad. Doja just fits better with rap in my opinion.

#30: Throat Baby (Go Baby) - BRS Kash (+3) [#24] {18 weeks}

Wow, okay, literally just copy + paste my reviews for Calling My Phone and Back In Blood here.

#35: GOOD TIME - Niko Moon (-) [#31] {20 weeks}

Oh hey, this is actually a decent country song. The production works and his voice is not bad.

#40: Just the Way - Parmalee/Blanco Brown (+2) [#40] {8 weeks} *new peak*

IT'S THE GIT UP GUY!!! Honestly, though, he sounds nothing like he did in The Git Up. But I think I kind of like it. He works really well with the guys in Parmalee and that chorus is really catchy. This is actually quite great.

#41: Cry Baby - Megan Thee Stallion/DaBaby (-12) [#28] {11 weeks}

This is terrifying, but it kind of works? Both artists sound great here, but that sample. It's actually just horrifying.

#42: Beers And Sunshine - Darius Rucker (+4) [#42] {10 weeks} *new peak*

Mm-m. Nope. This is ridiculously country and I don't like it that much.

#44: Damage - H.E.R. (+3) [#44] {10 weeks} *new peak*

Yaaaaay. R&B. This is a little less boring than other R&B songs, but it's still not fantastic. It could be a grower though.

#46: Down To One - Luke Bryan (+4) [#46] {8 weeks} *new peak*

Luke Bryan's voice is quite bad. Definitely no exception to this one.

#47: Buss It - Erica Banks (+13) [#47] {6 weeks} *new peak*

She kind of sounds like a new Nicki Minaj. The production's kind of uninteresting, but it's not bad. This one could also be a grower.

#48: Long Live - Florida Georgia Line (+13) [#48] {7 weeks} *new peak*

They don't really sound that good here. Better than their other song Lil Bit, though.

#50: Time Today - Moneybagg Yo (-13) [#37] {2 weeks}

Yeah, I don't know. Moneybagg Yo's voice just really isn't for me, I guess. I didn't like it in Said Sum and this really isn't any different.

#51: What It Feels Like - Nipsey Hussle/JAY-Z (DEBUT) [#51] {1 week}

R.I.P. Nipsey. Man, he was pretty talented. He sounds great here and so does JAY-Z. They work really well together and with the beat. That writing too. Specifically the line: "You let them crackers storm your Capitol, put they feet up on your desk".

#52: hole in the bottle - Kelsea Ballerini (-13) [#39] {18 weeks}

This is actually decent. Kelsea sounds good here and the chorus is infectious.

#53: Wasted On You - Morgan Wallen (-17) [#9] {6 weeks}

Because of all of the controversy surrounding Morgan Wallen, I don't want to support him, so I'm not listening to him anymore, so I don't have an opinion on all of his new songs.

#54: Beat Box - SpottemGottem (-1) [#53] {5 weeks}

He really doesn't sound that good here and it's also way too short (but is that really a bad thing?).

#55: The Good Ones - Gabby Barrett (+1) [#55] {8 weeks} *new peak*

This is fine. Definitely not as good as I Hope, though.

#56: What's Your Country Song - Thomas Rhett (-2) [#54] {9 weeks}

Why does Thomas Rhett always have such great hooks? It's kind of annoying, because his voice has way too much country twang.

#57: Sand In My Boots - Morgan Wallen (-19) [#32] {6 weeks}

N/A

#63: Lady - Brett Young (+5) [#63] {6 weeks} *new peak*

Great writing, but kind of slow and Brett Young doesn't sound good.

#67: GIRL LIKE ME - Black Eyed Peas/Shakira (+4) [#67] {6 weeks} *new peak*

I really want to like this, but AAAAAH Shakira SOUNDS SO BAAAD!

#68: Astronaut In The Ocean - Masked Wolf (DEBUT) [#68] {1 week}

I will talk about this in much more detail in my Countdown Post, but I love this guy's flow and that chorus is great. #crownnoteplug (more on that in my Countdown Post too)

#70: No More Parties - Col Leray (+14) [#70] {2 weeks} *new peak*

This is pretty boring, but she sounds pretty good here. It's R&B though, that seems like a trend throughout that genre.

#72: Momma's House - Dustin Lynch (-) [#72] {6 weeks}

This is way too slow for a country song. Nothing else in this song can save it from that.

#73: Hell Of A View - Eric Church (-) [#73] {6 weeks}

Eric Church is one of the more tolerable country singers, but this song is kind of boring and doesn't really do anything for me.

#74: HEARTBREAK ANNIVERSARY - Giveon (DEBUT) [#74] {1 week}

Meh. Nothing here is all that interesting. It's not bad, it's just really not that interesting and there's nothing here that grabs my attention.

#75: Neighbors - Pooh Shiesty/BIG30 (-24) [#51] {2 weeks}

Not too interesting, but there's nothing that I dislike here.

#78: Somebody Like That - Tenille Arts (+1) [#78] {5 weeks} *new peak*

Kind of boring, but she sounds fine I guess. That chorus is also decent. The instrumentation is quite good in it.

#79: Finesse Out The Gang Way - Lil Durk/Lil Baby (-2) [#39] {3 weeks}

One of Lil Durk's best performances in my opinion. Lil Baby's even not that bad. The beat is really well-made too. Good song.

#80: Masterpiece - DaBaby (+17) [#55] {4 weeks}

It's DaBaby, so he sounds really good here, but the production isn't as good as it is in some of his other songs.

#81: Moonwalking in Calabasas - DDG (+4) [#81] {8 weeks} *new peak*

Ayyy, this is good. DDG has great flow and sounds great. He works well with the beat too.

#82: Bandido - Myke Towers/Juhn (+5) [#82] {2 weeks} *new peak*

Quite boring. Neither artist sounds bad per se here, but they don't exactly sound great either.

#83: Happy Does - Kenny Chesney (-13) [#47] {14 weeks}

Wow, I really hate Kenny Chesney's voice here. It's really quite bad and nothing else about the song can save it.

#84: Cover Me Up - Morgan Wallen (-18) [#52] {7 weeks}

N/A

#85: You Got It - Vedo (+3) [#85] {8 weeks} *new peak*

Vedo sounds quite good here. He works well with the beat and even though it's slow, he makes it work.

#87: Still Trappin' - Lil Durk/King Von (-7) [#53] {8 weeks}

Eh. Both artists sound fine, but nothing about this sticks with me at all.

#88: Pick Up Your Feelings - Jazmine Sullivan (+1) [#88] {4 weeks} *new peak*

Wow, I'm really vibing with this one. Jazmine sounds fantastic here and the chorus is actually memorable unlike some other R&B songs.

#92: BICHOTA - KAROL G (-14) [#72] {12 weeks}

Good beat, but that's really the only that stands out to me here.

#93: Glad You Exist - Dan + Shay (-30) [#63] {2 weeks}

Definitely not one of the best Dan + Shay songs. It's kind of slow, but it's still decent. They sound decent and the hook's interesting enough.

#94: Quicksand - Morray (+6) [#94] {2 weeks} *new peak*

Wow, this guy's flow is really good. He can go pretty fast, but he also tries really different flows here and it works really well. The hook is also really good.

#95: LIKE I WANT YOU - Giveon (DEBUT) [#95] {1 week}

Not sure if his voice is pitched down or not, but it doesn't sound good. It's pretty boring too.

#96: Almost Maybes - Jordan Davis (-) [#95] {4 weeks}

His voice isn't the best, mostly because it's country, but that hook is so fun that I can't help but smile.

#97: Back to the Streets - Saweetie/Jhené Aiko (-22) [#58] {13 weeks}

Hunh. This is honestly the best performance that I've ever heard from Saweetie. That being said, it's kind of boring. If she could sound this way in Best Friend, I think I'd like it quite a bit.

#98: Bad Boy - Juice WRLD/Young Thug (-15) [#22] {5 weeks}

I really like Juice WRLD but ewww that electric guitar and Young Thug sound so bad.

#99: Opp Stoppa - YBN Nahmir/21 Savage (RE-ENTRY) [#97] {2 weeks}

There's too much going out at one time in this song and it really doesn't work. YBN Nahmir also doesn't sound that good either.

#100: How They Remember You - Rascal Flatts (DEBUT) [#100] {1 week}

I have a soft spot for these guys, because they made one of my favourite songs of all time, Life Is a Highway. While this isn't as good, they still sound alright and the chorus is decent.

Blurbs

Yeah, so drivers license debuted at #1 six weeks ago and it's been there ever since. I'm honestly quite happy about this, even if it isn't my favourite song ever.

34+35 is up to #2 and I can honestly see this taking the #1 at any point now.

I have absolutely no clue how Blinding Lights is still in the top 5, but I'm all for it.

So Save Your Tears made a big jump to #4 because of The Weeknd's Super Bowl Performance and it actually only drops to #6 this week, so it could be a pretty big hit.

Looks like Mood is finally starting to lose momentum, dropping down to #7 this week. I'd be fine if this left somewhat soon.

The re-recorded Love Story debuted at #11 this week, which is much higher than I thought it was going to debut at. I hope it sticks around for a bit longer.

Who else has completely forgotten that For The Night is still here. Especially so high. I mean, #14? Really?

So Good Days became a top 10 hit while I was away, so that's cool, I guess.

you broke me first is somehow just outside the top 20. I can't possibly see this sticking around for much longer.

willow's doing pretty well. I'm pretty sure it's doing better than cardigan did, so that's good, because I think it's better.

Anyone made a rebound, which is great because I was unsure how long it was going to stay in the top 40 for.

Bang! also became a top 10 hit while I was away, which is insane and awesome.

Ok, how do Lewis Capaldi songs have so much longevity? I mean, seriously. Before You Go is still at #33.

Ahhh Put Your Records On is a top 40 hit... come on, America.

I guess Dynamite is still here.

We're Good by Dua Lipa debuted at #49 this week. It's kind of low, but honestly, I'm not as disappointed as I was when Levitating debuted that low.

Golden is at #58. Really? Why hasn't this left the Hot 100 yet?

So I guess Monsters by All Time Low is actually a hit now. Alright, then, I'll definitely take it.

My Head & My Heart debuted last week and made a huge jump up to #61 this week. I'm so happy and I really hope it gets to be even bigger than Kings & Queens was.

Hey, remember Tyler Herro by Jack Harlow? Yeah, I forgot that that song existed, but I'm definitely happy that it's still here.

Sucks that Afterglow wasn't a bigger hit. I think it deserved to be.

SO DONE's starting to fall off of the chart, which sucks.

One Too Many by Keith Urban and P!nk is also still here, at #86. I forgot how great this song was. I hope it doesn't leave soon.

Shawn Mendes' Monster is still here. I honestly thought that it would've left a while ago.

Yeah, that's all for this week. The real format will come next week.

Kwaheri, everybody! See you all in the next one.

Callout Scores: February 2021 - Taylor Swift (1)

It's that time again! The end of a month and the start of another. Which means Callout Scores! Here's a refresher on which songs will be included:

1. Any song that hit the top 15 on the Weekend Countdown any time this month.
2. Any song that debuted the Weekend Countdown any time this month.
3. Any song that debuted Hit-Bound any time this month.
4. Any song that re-entered either the Weekend Countdown or Hit-Bound that didn't play at all last month.
5. Any song we ranked in the top 5 for last month's Callout Scores that played in either show this month.
6. Any Countdown Extra any time this month.

Here are the links to Part 1 and Part 2.

Here we go! Here's the results!

#1: Love Story (Taylor's Version) - Taylor Swift: POS: 100, LOVE: 60, NEG: 0, BURN: 0, FAM: 100 (Score: 190)
#2: Prisoner - Miley Cyrus/Dua Lipa: POS: 80, LOVE: 60, NEG: 0, BURN: 0, FAM: 100 (Score: 170)
#3: Levitating - Dua Lipa/DaBaby: POS: 100, LOVE: 40, NEG: 0, BURN: 0, FAM: 100 (Score: 160)
#4: forget me too - Machine Gun Kelly/Halsey: POS: 80, LOVE: 60, NEG: 0, BURN: 0, FAM: 80 (Score: 136)
#5: Anyone - Justin Bieber: POS: 60, LOVE: 60, NEG: 20, BURN: 0, FAM: 100 (Score: 130)
#6: drivers license - Olivia Rodrigo: POS: 80, LOVE: 60, NEG: 20, BURN: 20, FAM: 100 (Score: 120)
#6: My Head & My Heart - Ava Max: POS: 80, LOVE: 60, NEG: 20, BURN: 20, FAM: 100 (Score: 120)
#8: We're Good - Dua Lipa: POS: 80, LOVE: 20, NEG: 0, BURN: 0, FAM: 100 (Score: 110)
#9: cheers - blackbear/Wiz Khalifa: POS: 60, LOVE: 40, NEG: 0, BURN: 0, FAM: 80 (Score: 96)
#10: Monsters - All Time Low/Demi Lovato/blackbear: POS: 80, LOVE: 40, NEG: 20, BURN: 20, FAM: 100 (Score: 90)
#10: Save Your Tears - The Weeknd: POS: 80, LOVE: 60, NEG: 20, BURN: 40, FAM: 100 (Score: 90)
#12: Lie Lie Lie - Joshua Bassett: POS: 80, LOVE: 20, NEG: 0, BURN: 20, FAM: 100 (Score: 80)
#13: Way Less Sad - AJR: POS: 60, LOVE: 20, NEG: 0, BURN: 0, FAM: 80 (Score: 72)
#14: my ex's best friend - Machine Gun Kelly/blackbear: POS: 60, LOVE: 40, NEG: 0, BURN: 40, FAM: 100 (Score: 60)
#14: willow - Taylor Swift: POS: 60, LOVE: 20, NEG: 0, BURN: 20, FAM: 100 (Score: 60)
#16: Provide - G-Eazy/Chris Brown/Mark Morrison: POS: 60, LOVE: 40, NEG: 20, BURN: 20, FAM: 80 (Score: 56)
#16: rubberband - Tate McRae: POS: 40, LOVE: 20, NEG: 0, BURN: 0, FAM: 80 (Score: 56)
#18: Treat People With Kindness - Harry Styles: POS: 60, LOVE: 20, NEG: 0, BURN: 20, FAM: 80 (Score: 48)
#19: Overdrive - Conan Gray: POS: 60, LOVE: 20, NEG: 20, BURN: 0, FAM: 60 (Score: 42)
#19: Remember That Night? - Sara Kays: POS: 40, LOVE: 20, NEG: 0, BURN: 0, FAM: 60 (Score: 42)
#21: Astronaut In The Ocean - Masked Wolf: POS: 40, LOVE: 40, NEG: 0, BURN: 0, FAM: 40 (Score: 40)
#21: Lasting Lover - Sigala/James Arthur: POS: 40, LOVE: 40, NEG: 20, BURN: 20, FAM: 80 (Score: 40)
#23: Best Friend - Saweetie/Doja Cat: POS: 60, LOVE: 20, NEG: 20, BURN: 20, FAM: 80 (Score: 32)
#24: Goosebumps (Remix) - Travis Scott/HVME: POS: 20, LOVE: 20, NEG: 20, BURN: 0, FAM: 80 (Score: 24)
#24: 3, 2, 1 - 24kGoldn: POS: 40, LOVE: 0, NEG: 0, BURN: 0, FAM: 60 (Score: 24)
#26: Fix It to Break It - Clinton Kane: POS: 60, LOVE: 40, NEG: 40, BURN: 40, FAM: 100 (Score: 20)
#27: I'm not Pretty - JESSIA: POS: 40, LOVE: 0, NEG: 20, BURN: 0, FAM: 80 (Score: 16)
#27: The Business - Tiësto: POS: 40, LOVE: 0, NEG: 20, BURN: 0, FAM: 80 (Score: 16)
#29: Bad Girl - Daya: POS: 20, LOVE: 0, NEG: 0, BURN: 0, FAM: 40 (Score: 8)
#29: too many feelings - Ruel: POS: 20, LOVE: 0, NEG: 0, BURN: 0, FAM: 40 (Score: 8)
#31: Diamonds - Sam Smith: POS: 60, LOVE: 20, NEG: 0, BURN: 60, FAM: 100 (Score: 0)
#32: Momma Always Told Me - Mike Posner/Stanaj/Yung Bae: POS: 40, LOVE: 0, NEG: 20, BURN: 20, FAM: 80 (Score: -8)
#33: Afterglow - Ed Sheeran: POS: 60, LOVE: 20, NEG: 40, BURN: 40, FAM: 100 (Score: -10)
#33: WITHOUT YOU - The Kid LAROI: POS: 40, LOVE: 20, NEG: 20, BURN: 40, FAM: 100 (Score: -10)
#35: Beginning Middle End - Leah Nobel: POS: 20, LOVE: 0, NEG: 20, BURN: 20, FAM: 60 (Score: -18)
#36: Fly Away - Tones And I: POS: 60, LOVE: 0, NEG: 20, BURN: 40, FAM: 100 (Score: -20)
#36: you broke me first - Tate McRae: POS: 60, LOVE: 0, NEG: 20, BURN: 40, FAM: 100 (Score: -20)
#38: Good Days - SZA: POS: 20, LOVE: 0, NEG: 20, BURN: 20, FAM: 80 (Score: -24)
#39: positions - Ariana Grande: POS: 60, LOVE: 20, NEG: 40, BURN: 60, FAM: 100 (Score: -40)
#40: Cry Over Boys - Alexander 23: POS: 0, LOVE: 0, NEG: 20, BURN: 40, FAM: 80 (Score: -64)
#41: 34+35 - Ariana Grande: POS: 20, LOVE: 0, NEG: 40, BURN: 40, FAM: 100 (Score: -80)
#42: Therefore I Am - Billie Eilish: POS: 40, LOVE: 0, NEG: 60, BURN: 60, FAM: 100 (Score: -110)
#43: Deep End - Fousheé: POS: 0, LOVE: 0, NEG: 80, BURN: 80, FAM: 80 (Score: -160)
#44: Lonely - Justin Bieber/benny blanco: POS: 0, LOVE: 0, NEG: 80, BURN: 80, FAM: 100 (Score: -200)
#45: Golden - Harry Styles: POS: 0, LOVE: 0, NEG: 100, BURN: 100, FAM: 100 (Score: -250)

Kwaheri, everybody! See you all in the next one.

If the Countdown Made Sense: Week of February 27, 2021 - Ariana Grande (3)

Songs We're Saying Goodbye To
Talk About Love - Zara Larsson/Young Thug (#30) [#30] {1 week}
Body - Megan Thee Stallion (#17) [#17] {5 weeks}

Last Week's #1: 34+35 - Ariana Grande (2)

#30: Skin - Sabrina Carpenter (-1) [#29] {3 weeks} {-9}
#29: Lonely - Justin Bieber/benny blanco (-4) [#2] {18 weeks} {N/A}
#28: Love Story (Taylor's Version) - Taylor Swift (-2) [#26] {2 weeks} {-15}
#27: Mood - 24kGoldn/iann dior (-) [7 weeks at #1] {26 weeks} {N/A}
#26: Lie Lie Lie - Joshua Bassett (DEBUT) [6 weeks in Hit-Bound] {1 week} {-15}
#25: positions - Ariana Grande (-17) [8 weeks at #1] {18 weeks} {N/A}
#24: Treat People With Kindness - Harry Styles (-) [#24] {4 weeks} {-15}
#23: The Business - Tiësto (DEBUT) [2 weeks in Hit-Bound] {1 week} {N/A}
#22: Afterglow - Ed Sheeran (-4) [#11] {9 weeks} {-5}
#21: Best Friend - Saweetie/Doja Cat (+2) [#21] {4 weeks} {N/A} *new peak*
#20: Lasting Lover - Sigala/James Arthur (+1) [#20] {5 weeks} {-6} *new peak*
#19: WITHOUT YOU - The Kid LAROI (+3) [#19] {5 weeks} {+3} *new peak*
#18: Goosebumps (Remix) - Travis Scott/HVME (+2) [#18] {3 weeks} {N/A} *new peak*
#17: Lifestyle - Jason Derulo/Adam Levine (+2) [#17] {4 weeks} {+9} *new peak*
#16: We're Good - Dua Lipa (+12) [#16] {2 weeks} {+11} *new peak*
#15: Monsters - All Time Low/Demi Lovato/blackbear (+1) [#15] {22 weeks} {-11} *new peak*
#14: willow - Taylor Swift (-) [#14] {10 weeks} {-8}
#13: My Head & My Heart - Ava Max (+2) [#13] {5 weeks} {+3} *new peak*
#12: Anyone - Justin Bieber (+1) [#12] {7 weeks} {+3} *new peak*
#11: What You Know Bout Love - Pop Smoke (+1) [#11] {7 weeks} {+7} *new peak*
#10: Golden - Harry Styles (+1) [#10] {17 weeks} {-8}
#9: Go Crazy - Chris Brown/Young Thug (-2) [#5] {18 weeks} {+15}
#8: Save Your Tears - The Weeknd (+2) [#8] {10 weeks} {-3} *new peak*
#7: my ex's best friend - Machine Gun Kelly/blackbear (+2) [#7] {17 weeks} {-} *new peak*
#6: Levitating - Dua Lipa/DaBaby (-2) [#3] {20 weeks} {-3}
#5: Put Your Records On - Ritt Momney (-) [#5] {12 weeks} {+15}
#4: you broke me first - Tate McRae (+2) [#4] {18 weeks} {+4} *new peak*
#3: Therefore I Am - Billie Eilish (-) [#3] {15 weeks} {+7}
#2: drivers license - Olivia Rodrigo (-) [#2] {6 weeks} {-1}
#1: 34+35 - Ariana Grande (-) [3rd week at #1] {15 weeks} {+11}

Biggest DROP!!!: positions - Ariana Grande (-17)

Biggest Jump: We're Good - Dua Lipa (+12)

Hit-Bound
Astronaut In The Ocean - Masked Wolf [1]
Bad Girl - Daya [1]
Beginning Middle End - Leah Nobel [1]
cheers - blackbear/Wiz Khalifa [4]
Cry Over Boys - Alexander 23 [3]
DÁKITI - Bad Bunny/Jhay Cortez [11]
Fly Away - Tones And I [15]
forget me too - Machine Gun Kelly/Halsey [5]
GIRL LIKE ME - Black Eyed Peas/Shakira [8]
Good Days - SZA [5]
Heat Waves - Glass Animals [7]
I'm not Pretty - JESSIA [4]
Lil Bit - Nelly/Florida Georgia Line [3]
Overdrive - Conan Gray [2]
Provide - G-Eazy/Chris Brown/Mark Morrison [2]
Remember That Night? - Sara Kays [3]
rubberband - Tate McRae [4]
Star - LOONA [4]
Talk About Love - Zara Larsson/Young Thug [1; 2nd time]
too many feelings - Ruel [1]
Up - Cardi B [1]
Way Less Sad - AJR [2]
Whoopty - CJ [3]
3, 2, 1 - 24kGoldn [1]

Kwaheri, everybody! See you in the next one.

Hunger Games Countdown: Week of February 27, 2021 - Miley Cyrus/Dua Lipa (1)

Songs We're Saying Goodbye To
Teeth - 5 Seconds of Summer (#30) [2 weeks at #1] {60 weeks}
HOLIDAY - Lil Nas X (#29) [#16] {3 weeks}
Golden - Harry Styles (#28) [#5] {21 weeks}

Last Week's #1: 100 Ways - Jackson Wang (3)

#30: Momma Always Told Me - Mike Posner/Stanaj/Yung Bae (-22) [#8] {2 weeks} {N/A}
#29: Goosebumps (Remix) - Travis Scott/HVME (-25) [#4] {2 weeks} {Toosie Slide}
#28: Therefore I Am - Billie Eilish (-21) [#5] {14 weeks} {Talk About Love}
#27: Blueberry Eyes - MAX/SUGA (-12) [#3] {5 weeks} {In The Morning}
#26: Bitter - FLETCHER/Kito (-10) [2 weeks at #1] {10 weeks} {Fix It to Break It}
#25: Fly Away - Tones And I (-15) [#2] {12 weeks} {going out}
#24: Goodbye - Shaylen (+1) [#4] {7 weeks} {Stay Next To Me}
#23: Lie Lie Lie - Joshua Bassett (DEBUT) [6 weeks in Hit-Bound] {1 week} {Midnight & Haunt You}
#22: In The Morning - Jennifer Lopez (-4) [#15] {7 weeks} {Midnight & Haunt You}
#21: Skin - Sabrina Carpenter (-16) [#5] {4 weeks} {Midnight & Haunt You}
#20: Talk About Love - Zara Larsson/Young Thug (-) [#13] {3 weeks} {Midnight}
#19: Remember That Night? - Sara Kays (-2) [#17] {2 weeks} {N/A}
#18: Midnight - Alesso/Liam Payne (-16) [2 weeks at #1] {23 weeks} {N/A}
#17: Bummerland - AJR (-4) [1 week at #1] {13 weeks} {Good Days & positions}
#16: Hate The Way - G-Eazy/blackbear (+10) [1 week at #1] {15 weeks} {N/A}
#15: going out - ROLE MODEL (-9) [1 week at #1] {15 weeks} {Overdrive}
#14: Good Days - SZA (DEBUT) [4 weeks in Hit-Bound] {1 week} {Oh My God}
#13: Oh My God - Alec Benjamin (+8) [2 weeks at #1] {50 weeks} {N/A}
#12: Fix It to Break It - Clinton Kane (-) [#5] {4 weeks} {N/A}
#11: Toosie Slide - Drake (+16) [#2] {25 weeks} {N/A}
#10: drivers license - Olivia Rodrigo (+13) [1 week at #1] {6 weeks} {Space Girl}
#9: Stay Next To Me - Quinn XCII/Chelsea Cutler (+15) [1 week at #1] {9 weeks} {N/A}
#8: positions - Ariana Grande (+3) [#2] {12 weeks} {Space Girl}
#7: Overdrive - Conan Gray (DEBUT) [1 week in Hit-Bound] {1 week} {N/A}
#6: Space Girl - Frances Forever (+13) [#6] {4 weeks} {Best Friend} *new peak*
#5: 34+35 - Ariana Grande (+9) [#2] {15 weeks} {Best Friend}
#4: 100 Ways - Jackson Wang (-3) [3 weeks at #1] {32 weeks} {N/A}
#3: Best Friend - Saweetie/Doja Cat (-) [#3] {3 weeks} {N/A}
#2: Haunt You - X Lovers/chloe moriondo (+7) [#2] {15 weeks} {Best Friend}
#1: Prisoner - Miley Cyrus/Dua Lipa (+21) [1st week at #1] {12 weeks} *new peak*

Last Year's #1: You Need To Calm Down - Taylor Swift [3/4 weeks at #1]

Biggest DROP!!!: Goosebumps (Remix) - Travis Scott/HVME (-25)

Biggest Jump: Prisoner - Miley Cyrus/Dua Lipa (+21)

Hit-Bound Exits
Ice Cream - BLACKPINK/Selena Gomez [1; 3rd time]
Girls Like Us - Zoe Wees [5]
I'm not Pretty - JESSIA [3]
rubberband - Tate McRae [3]

#15: Provide - G-Eazy/Chris Brown/Mark Morrison (-5) [2] {Beginning Middle End}
#14: 3, 2, 1 - 24kGoldn (DEBUT) [1] {too many feelings}
#13: Astronaut In The Ocean - Masked Wolf (DEBUT) [1] {Bad Girl & Love Story (Taylor's Version)}
#12: Beginning Middle End - Leah Nobel (DEBUT) [1] {N/A}
#11: Bad Girl - Daya (DEBUT) [1] {N/A}
#10: cheers - blackbear/Wiz Khalifa (-1) [4] {N/A}
#9: Lifestyle - Jason Derulo/Adam Levine (-5) [5] {N/A}
#8: Golden - Harry Styles (RE-ENTRY) [1; 2nd time] {N/A}
#7: too many feelings - Ruel (DEBUT) [1] {N/A}
#6: Way Less Sad - AJR (-1) [2] {N/A}
#5: Love Story (Taylor's Version) - Taylor Swift (+2) [3] {N/A}
#4: Cry Over Boys - Alexander 23 (+2) [3] {N/A}
#3: We're Good - Dua Lipa (+5) [2] {N/A}
#2: The Business - Tiësto (DEBUT) [1] {Treat People With Kindness}
#1: Treat People With Kindness - Harry Styles (+10) [7]

Kwaheri, everybody! See you all in the next one.

Saturday, February 20, 2021

Week of February 20, 2021 - Harry Styles (4)

Harry Styles (4)
“Whaaat? No, we don’t rig the surveys so that Harry Styles constantly gets- Yeah, okay, we rig the surveys so that Harry Styles constantly gets the #1.” - Somebody at Hits 1 to somebody else at Hits 1.

So this week had its ups and downs. An up: I got the first two rounds of reveals up on my 2020 Countdown Extras Rankdown and I plan to do another today. A down: Our #1 is Harry Styles again. An up: Our Hit-Bound entrants were pretty good. A down: So were our Hit-Bound exits. An up: The biggest jump is great. A down: The biggest drop is also a good song.

Here’s our list of exits for this week:

Songs We’re Saying Goodbye To
Fix It to Break It - Clinton Kane (#28) [#28] {2 weeks}
Lonely - Justin Bieber/benny blanco (#13) [#13] {13 weeks}
Prisoner - Miley Cyrus/Dua Lipa (#12) [#10] {12 weeks}

Last Week’s #1: Levitating - Dua Lipa/DaBaby (3)

#30: Good Days - SZA (DEBUT) [3 weeks in Hit-Bound] {1 week}
#29: I’m not Pretty - JESSIA (-2) [#27] {2 weeks}
#28: Lifestyle - Jason Derulo/Adam Levine (+2) [#28] {4 weeks} *new peak*
#27: Fly Away - Tones And I (+2) [#27] {3 weeks} *new peak*
#26: Heat Waves - Glass Animals (-) [#26] {4 weeks}
#25: Diamonds - Sam Smith (-6) [#6] {22 weeks}
#24: WITHOUT YOU - The Kid LAROI (-) [#24] {3 weeks}
#23: positions - Ariana Grande (-8) [#2] {17 weeks}
#22: Go Crazy - Chris Brown/Young Thug (+3) [#20] {9 weeks}
#21: Lie Lie Lie - Joshua Bassett (-3) [#18] {4 weeks}
#20: What You Know Bout Love - Pop Smoke (+3) [#17] {18 weeks}
#19: forget me too - Machine Gun Kelly/Halsey (+3) [#19] {2 weeks} *new peak*
#18: We’re Good - Dua Lipa (DEBUT) [0 weeks in Hit-Bound] {1 week}
#17: Put Your Records On - Ritt Momney (-) [#15] {15 weeks}
#16: Lasting Lover - Sigala/James Arthur (-2) [#14] {8 weeks}
#15: Anyone - Justin Bieber (+5) [#15] {6 weeks} *new peak*
#14: My Head & My Heart - Ava Max (+7) [#14] {4 weeks} *new peak*
#13: Afterglow - Ed Sheeran (+3) [#11] {8 weeks}
#12: you broke me first - Tate McRae (-2) [#7] {21 weeks}
#11: Love Story (Taylor’s Version) - Taylor Swift (DEBUT) [1 week in Hit-Bound] {1 week}
#10: 34+35 - Ariana Grande (-2) [#8] {6 weeks}
#9: Treat People With Kindness - Harry Styles (-) [#9] {6 weeks}
#8: Therefore I Am - Billie Eilish (-3) [#3] {14 weeks}
#7: Save Your Tears - The Weeknd (+4) [#7] {14 weeks} *new peak*
#6: Monsters - All Time Low/Demi Lovato/blackbear (-) [4 weeks at #1] {23 weeks}
#5: willow - Taylor Swift (+2) [#5] {9 weeks} *new peak*
#4: my ex’s best friend - Machine Gun Kelly/blackbear (-) [#2] {21 weeks}
#3: Levitating - Dua Lipa/DaBaby (-2) [3 weeks at #1] {19 weeks}
#2: drivers license - Olivia Rodrigo (+1) [#2] {6 weeks} *new peak*
#1: Golden - Harry Styles (+1) [4th week at #1] {17 weeks}

Last Year’s #1: Adore You - Harry Styles [2/10 weeks at #1]

Countdown Extra: Remember That Night? - Sara Kays

Yup, I was not expecting this at all. Surprisingly, our first debut at #30 is SZA’s new hit, Good Days. It really doesn’t sound like the type of song that would typically debut on the Countdown, but honestly, I think I’m starting to like it. It’s an extremely R&B song, which is probably a first for Hits 1. Anyways, onto the actual song. I think SZA sounds pretty great here. She’s always sounded great and that definitely showed in her past three Countdown songs. The chorus is actually somewhat catchy and I can remember what it sounds like after a few days of listening to it, which doesn’t normally happen with R&B music with me. My only real issues with it is that the verses can get kind of boring and it’s much longer than it needs to be. Other than that, though, it’s actually quite good. Expect it to start changing colours very soon.

So the other week, Dua Lipa released Future Nostalgia Side B, which added four new songs to her album Future Nostalgia. Her new single from those four new tracks, We’re Good debuts at a pretty high #18 this week. This wouldn’t have been my pick as the new single. I would have chosen Not My Problem featuring JID. Don’t get me wrong, this song isn’t bad. It just has a really different vibe from the other singles from Future Nostalgia and it’s not as interesting or catchy. It doesn’t have that infectious 80s vibe which was so prominent on most of the album, especially Physical. Other than that, it’s fine, she sounds good and the production’s alright, but it could’ve been much better.

Well, this is quite weird. I’m not sure how well the original Love Story did on the Countdown, but it probably hit the top 10 and I definitely wouldn’t be surprised if it hit #1 back in the day. So this means that two versions of Love Story by Taylor Swift will soon have both hit the top 10. I’m not entirely sure this re-recorded version was really meant for radio, but honestly, I don’t really care. This is one of those (rare) times that Hits 1 really liking an artist actually pays off for a lot of people. It’s really nice to hear this gem of a song back on the radio. It’s a great song in every meaning of the term. Taylor sounds fantastic, even better than she did in the original, you can hear the instruments here much more than in the original, but every single aspect of the original song is still here. I really love it and it would make me super happy if this hit #1 here. I would definitely expect this to turn to purple in the coming weeks if I were you.

Best Debut: Love Story (Taylor’s Version) - Taylor Swift

Biggest DROP!!!: positions - Ariana Grande (-8): Aw. That kind of sucks that this song is starting to drop, but it got a #2 peak, which is great here especially considering Hits 1 doesn’t exactly love Ariana Grande. I’m pretty sure this is one of the if not the highest-peaking Ariana song. So it’s good that she finally got that.

Biggest Jump: My Head & My Heart - Ava Max (+7): On the other hand, I’m so happy that this song is jumping. It’s debuted on the Hot 100 now and I can only see it climbing everywhere from here on out. It’s a fantastic song and I think it has huge potential to be a huge hit.

Countdown Ranking

0 - Crap:
#30: Golden - Harry Styles

1 - Bad:
#29: Therefore I Am - Billie Eilish

2 - Mediocre:
#28: Fly Away - Tones And I
#27: Put Your Records On - Ritt Momney
#26: Good Days - SZA

3 - Decent:
#25: 34+35 - Ariana Grande
#24: Heat Waves - Glass Animals

4 - Good:
#23: Diamonds - Sam Smith
#22: you broke me first - Tate McRae
#21: We’re Good - Dua Lipa
#20: willow - Taylor Swift
#19: I’m not Pretty - JESSIA
#18: Treat People With Kindness - Harry Styles
#17: Lifestyle - Jason Derulo/Adam Levine
#16: Afterglow - Ed Sheeran
#15: What You Know Bout Love - Pop Smoke

5 - Great:
#14: Go Crazy - Chris Brown/Young Thug
#13: my ex’s best friend - Machine Gun Kelly/blackbear
#12: Lie Lie Lie - Joshua Bassett
#11: Monsters - All Time Low/Demi Lovato/blackbear
#10: Levitating - Dua Lipa/DaBaby
#9: Anyone - Justin Bieber
#8: positions - Ariana Grande
#7: forget me too - Machine Gun Kelly/Halsey
#6: Save Your Tears - The Weeknd
#5: drivers license - Olivia Rodrigo
#4: Lasting Lover - Sigala/James Arthur
#3: Love Story (Taylor’s Version) - Taylor Swift
#2: My Head & My Heart - Ava Max
#1: WITHOUT YOU - The Kid LAROI

Overall Score: 119/150 = 79%

5 Oldest Songs
#5: What You Know Bout Love - Pop Smoke {18 weeks}
#4: Levitating - Dua Lipa/DaBaby {19 weeks}
#3: you broke me first - Tate McRae & my ex’s best friend - Machine Gun Kelly/blackbear {21 weeks}
#2: Diamonds - Sam Smith {22 weeks}
#1: Monsters - All Time Low/Demi Lovato/blackbear {23 weeks}

#1 Recommendation for Hits 1: no body, no crime - Taylor Swift/HAIM

My Favourite Song Last Year: Blinding Lights - The Weeknd

My Least Favourite Song Last Year: Say So - Doja Cat

Most Missed Countdown Song: It’s Time - Imagine Dragons

Hit-Bound
Provide - G-Eazy/Chris Brown/Mark Morrison [1]
Fix It to Break It - Clinton Kane [1; 2nd time]
Talk About Love - Zara Larsson/Young Thug [4]
Best Friend - Saweetie/Doja Cat [3]
Cry Over Boys - Alexander 23 [2]
Remember That Night? - Sara Kays [2]
Way Less Sad - AJR [1]
Girls Like Us - Zoe Wees [5]
Overdrive - Conan Gray [1]
Body - Megan Thee Stallion [10]
Momma Always Told Me - Mike Posner/Stanaj/Yung Bae [3]
rubberband - Tate McRae [3]
cheers - blackbear/Wiz Khalifa [3]
Skin - Sabrina Carpenter [3; 2nd time*]
Goosebumps (Remix) - Travis Scott/HVME [2]

*Skipped Hit-Bound, so this is technically its first time around.

So G-Eazy and Chris Brown have sampled an old song by Mark Morrison. I’m not sure what that song is, but I’ll probably figure it out. Anyways, so now that new song, Provide in on Hit-Bound. This song is actually really good. The blue ranking is definitely just a placeholder right now. G-Eazy actually works really well with the beat here. He works much better than he did in Hate The Way. His extremely non-melodic rapping somehow fits and I don’t know how. Chris Brown also delivers a pretty great hook. Vocally, he’s quite good and he also works well with the production. I really hope that this is a hit here.

Fix It to Break It left the Countdown and re-entered Hit-Bound this week. I never expected this to be a hit, so I’m definitely not that sad about it. I highly doubt that it’ll re-enter the Weekend Countdown.

So AJR have announced since Bummerland that their new album, OK ORCHESTRA will be released on March 26, which honestly isn’t that far away and if the rest of the songs are at all like this new one and Bang!, I’m so excited. Anyways, this new single is called Way Less Sad and this is now my second-favourite AJR song (after Bang!, obviously). This really reminds me of an extremely toned-down version of 100 Bad Days. They hit that great balance of over-the-topness without going overboard that they hit in Bang! and it works so well. The chorus here is actually fantastic and I’m so glad that they didn’t give it to Kygo and Keith Urban or Cardi B. The horns honestly work so well here, Jack Met is singing in the range that works the best for his voice and he’s not trying to go way too high like in Dear Winter, and the lyrics are great too. I honestly can’t think of a single thing that would make this song better. I really hope that this debuts very soon.

So Conan Gray’s now released another single that’s made it onto here and I cannot tell you how happy I am that this is much more like Maniac than Heather. I would honestly say that Overdrive is better than Maniac. It has the same synth-heavy vibe that Maniac did, but Maniac was mainly just a catchy chorus and that was literally the only thing that made it special. This song has more layers to it. Conan actually sounds great here, the chorus has a really interesting melody that I can seriously get behind. The production is also just much more. Yeah, I’m not sure how to describe it. This is a great song though. It was a really good batch of Hit-Bound debuts this week. I want all of these songs to be hits.

Best Debut: Way Less Sad - AJR

Hit-Bound Ranking

0 - Crap:
#15: Body - Megan Thee Stallion

1 - Bad:
#14: Best Friend - Saweetie/Doja Cat

2 - Mediocre:
#13: Goosebumps (Remix) - Travis Scott/HVME

3 - Decent:
#12: rubberband - Tate McRae
#11: Girls Like Us - Zoe Wees
#10: Cry Over Boys - Alexander 23

4 - Good:
#9: Skin - Sabrina Carpenter
#8: Remember That Night? - Sara Kays
#7: Talk About Love - Zara Larsson/Young Thug
#6: Momma Always Told Me - Mike Posner/Stanaj/Yung Bae
#5: Provide - G-Eazy/Chris Brown/Mark Morrison
#4: cheers - blackbear/Wiz Khalifa

5 - Great:
#3: Fix It to Break It - Clinton Kane
#2: Overdrive - Conan Gray
#1: Way Less Sad - AJR

Overall Score: 52/75 = 69%

The Goldn Hour
One More Time - Daft Punk
3, 2, 1 - 24kGoldn
Mood - 24kGoldn/iann dior
WITHOUT YOU - The Kid LAROI
acting like that - YUNGBLUD/Machine Gun Kelly

So over a year after the YouTube 15 was discontinued, we’re finally getting a third show on Hits 1 again! It’s an artist-hosted show with 24kGoldn! He shares some of his favourite, a throwback, some of his music and Hits 1 favourites too. He hosts it with one of his producers, Omer Fedi and I think they actually do a pretty great job of hosting. “But wait, Beluga, there’s only five songs on that list. That’s a ridiculously short show!” You’re probably saying. The thing is, I noticed that Golden and Omer actually only picked about five songs. The rest were just songs that Hits 1 would regularly play and it changes with every replay. So here I’ve only listed the songs that they actually chose, because the rest of the list is just Countdown songs. Personally, I think that they should be given more selection on what they play, but for now, this is fine. If they decide to give them more options, though, I’d be all over that.

So the first song that they chose was a throwback. I can’t remember exactly what they called it, but I’ll just call it a throwback. Anyways, the song that they chose was the 2007 hit One More Time by EDM duo Daft Punk. I’ve never really loved Daft Punk’s stuff. Honestly, the only Daft Punk stuff that I like is their collaborations with The Weeknd and Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (or Kanye’s song that sampled that one). The production isn’t fantastic and the robotic vocals are really weird and don’t really work with anything. Also, this song really doesn’t need to be five minutes long.

Anyways, since 24kGoldn hosts the show, he gets to play his new song, 3, 2, 1. So I’ll be reviewing it today. I think this is pretty good. It’s definitely not his best, I would for sure say that Mood and Coco are both better, but this is still enjoyable. The electric guitar in the chorus fits pretty well with the song and I think Golden’s voice works pretty well with it. The chorus is pretty catchy too. The song’s a little too short though, only clocking in at 2:11. I think it would have benefited from a bridge and another chorus.

So I won’t review Mood, but I just want to share the story that he told right before playing it. So apparently, him, Omer and some other producers were just hanging out at iann dior’s house. Then, one of the producers (I can’t remember if it was Omer or not) picked up a guitar and started playing the riff that can be heard throughout the entire song. While playing Call of Duty, 24kGoldn, on the spot, sang the chorus to Mood. Then, he stopped the game, recorded the chorus, him and iann did their verses and the whole thing only took about 20 minutes. It’s insane how quickly great songwriters can make a huge hit.

They also played WITHOUT YOU by The Kid LAROI. Nothing to add on that one, they just played it.

So I’m pretty sure every week they get at least one song that they can play that isn’t theirs. This week, that song is acting like that by pop-punk artists YUNGBLUD and Machine Gun Kelly. It seems like Travis Barker helps to produce a lot of pop-punk songs nowadays. Anyways, this song is fantastic. I’ve always been a huge fan of pop-rock. I would definitely consider it my favourite genre, Imagine Dragons, Panic! At The Disco and Fall Out Boy are among my favourite artists. I think both YUNGBLUD and Machine Gun Kelly sound great here and they sound honestly really great together. The instrumentation here is also really really good. I’d love to see it debut Hit-Bound sometime soon.

Best Goldn Hour Song: acting like that - YUNGBLUD/Machine Gun Kelly

It’s a Love Story, Baby Just Say “Blurbs”

The Countdown exits this week (other than FItBI) were Lonely and Prisoner. Lonely was never fantastic, even though I didn’t hate it, so I’m not too sad to see it go and Prisoner was only alright, so I’m also not disappointed to see that go.

As for our Hit-Bound exits… oh man. SO DONE and Stay Next To Me. For the former, I’m really sad that it didn’t debut. It’s still doing well on pop radio and did not deserve to drop out. As for the latter, I’m not entirely convinced that it’s gone for good, as it’s still getting consistent spins and it would be weird to just let it go when it’s been leading in spins for the longest time now. Point being, I really hope that it manages to debut next week.

I’m not Pretty fell to #29, because y’know… the One to Watch can never do well. That’s just how it works.

Okay, can we please let go of Diamonds soon? I’ll be really tired of it if it doesn’t leave very soon.

Go Crazy and What You Know Bout Love just keep jumping and dropping. I mean, come on. Just make up your minds already.

I really hope that forget me too becomes a big hit here. That would be awesome.

Yay! Anyone is now a top 15 hit! I really hope that this becomes Justin Bieber’s biggest song here from the past few years.

Save Your Tears is now at #7, which is fantastic. I’d love to see this become a top 5 hit, it really deserves it.

willow’s now a top 5 hit. I would be totally fine if this hits #1 soon. Especially considering…

Golden is back at #1, dethroning Levitating. I mean, come on. This is just absolutely ridiculous. It’ll probably just stay there until Treat People With Kindness can hit #1, completely blocking off drivers license from hitting #1. Also, listening to Adore You and Golden back-to-back made me grow a deeper dislike for Golden, because they’re really just the same song, except Harry sounds slightly less annoying in Golden.

How Hits 1 Songs Are Doing on the Hot 100
#1: drivers license - Olivia Rodrigo
#3: Blinding Lights - The Weeknd
#4: Save Your Tears - The Weeknd
#5: Mood - 24kGoldn/iann dior
#6: 34+35 - Ariana Grande
#7: Go Crazy - Chris Brown/Young Thug
#8: Levitating - Dua Lipa/DaBaby
#9: positions - Ariana Grande
#10: What You Know Bout Love - Pop Smoke
#13: Good Days - SZA
#14: Holy - Justin Bieber/Chance the Rapper
#15: Therefore I Am - Billie Eilish
#16: Lonely - Justin Bieber/benny blanco
#20: I Hope - Gabby Barrett/Charlie Puth
#21: Body - Megan Thee Stallion
#23: Bang! - AJR
#24: you broke me first - Tate McRae
#25: my ex’s best friend - Machine Gun Kelly/blackbear
#27: Lemonade - Internet Money/Gunna/Don Toliver/NAV
#29: willow - Taylor Swift
#30: Laugh Now Cry Later - Drake/Lil Durk
#32: Before You Go - Lewis Capaldi
#34: Anyone - Justin Bieber
#41: Best Friend - Saweetie/Doja Cat
#43: Dynamite - BTS
#44: WITHOUT YOU - The Kid LAROI
#45: Put Your Records On - Ritt Momney
#48: Kings & Queens - Ava Max
#49: ROCKSTAR - DaBaby/Roddy Ricch
#57: Afterglow - Ed Sheeran
#58: Golden - Harry Styles
#59: Goosebumps (Remix) - Travis Scott/HVME
#62: Monsters - All Time Low/Demi Lovato/blackbear
#64: Provide - G-Eazy/Chris Brown/Mark Morrison
#69: Heat Waves - Glass Animals
#74: SO DONE - The Kid LAROI
#82: My Head & My Heart - Ava Max
#91: Monster - Shawn Mendes/Justin Bieber
#95: Lifestyle - Jason Derulo/Adam Levine
#98: Prisoner - Miley Cyrus/Dua Lipa
#99: Skin - Sabrina Carpenter

Top 10 on the Hunger Games Countdown
#10: Fly Away - Tones And I
#9: Haunt You - X Lovers/chloe moriondo
#8: Momma Always Told Me - Mike Posner/Stanaj/Yung Bae
#7: Therefore I Am - Billie Eilish
#6: going out - ROLE MODEL
#5: Skin - Sabrina Carpenter
#4: Goosebumps (Remix) - Travis Scott/HVME
#3: Best Friend - Saweetie/Doja Cat
#2: Midnight - Alesso/Liam Payne
#1: 100 Ways - Jackson Wang

Top 10 If the Countdown Made Sense
#10: Save Your Tears - The Weeknd
#9: my ex’s best friend - Machine Gun Kelly/blackbear
#8: positions - Ariana Grande
#7: Go Crazy - Chris Brown/Young Thug
#6: you broke me first - Tate McRae
#5: Put Your Records On - Ritt Momney
#4: Levitating - Dua Lipa/DaBaby
#3: Therefore I Am - Billie Eilish
#2: drivers license - Olivia Rodrigo
#1: 34+35 - Ariana Grande

Kwaheri, everybody! See you all in the next one. #GoldnHour (Yup, not sure why I put that either)

My Most Bestest Posts (What People Read. A Lot.)