Sunday, June 14, 2020

If the Countdown Made Sense: Week of June 13, 2020 - The Weeknd (7)

Hit-Bound dropouts follow the same rules as countdown dropouts.

Songs We're Saying Goodbye To
If the World Was Ending - JP Saxe/Julia Michaels (#30) [#26]
me & ur ghost - blackbear (#28) [#28]
I Love Me - Demi Lovato (#25) [#16]
In Your Eyes - The Weeknd (#9) [#9]

Last Week's #1: Blinding Lights - The Weeknd (6)

#30: Adore You - Harry Styles (RE-ENTRY) [#3] {N/A}
#29: Circles - Post Malone (RE-ENTRY) [#3] {N/A}
#28: X - Jonas Brothers/KAROL G (RE-ENTRY) [#16] {-15}
#27: Don't Start Now - Dua Lipa (+2) [#2] {N/A}
#26: Toosie Slide - Drake (-12) [#11] {N/A}
#25: Heartless - Diplo/Julia Michaels/Morgan Wallen (RE-ENTRY) [#25] {+3} *new peak*
#24: Midnight - Alesso/Liam Payne (+2) [#24] {-15} *new peak*
#23: Level of Concern - Twenty One Pilots (-1) [#10] {-15}
#22: Be Kind - Marshmello/Halsey (+5) [#16] {-15}
#21: Old Me - 5 Seconds of Summer (+3) [#21] {-15} *new peak*
#20: Maniac - Conan Gray (-3) [#17] {-15}
#19: Break My Heart - Dua Lipa (-9) [#10] {-15}
#18: Watermelon Sugar - Harry Styles (-) [#18] {-15}
#17: No Judgement - Niall Horan (-1) [#16] {-15}
#16: Before You Go - Lewis Capaldi (-8) [#8] {-15}
#15: death bed (coffee for your head) - Powfu/beabadoobee (+8) [#8] {+10}
#14: Blueberry Faygo - Lil Mosey (+6) [#12] {+15}
#13: I Hope - Gabby Barrett/Charlie Puth (+8) [#12] {+13}
#12: Savage (Remix) - Megan Thee Stallion/Beyoncé (-1) [#11] {+15}
#11: ROCKSTAR - DaBaby/Roddy Ricch (+1) [#11] {N/A} *new peak*
#10: Sunday Best - Surfaces (-3) [#6] {+5}
#9: Falling - Trevor Daniel (-4) [#5] {+8}
#8: Stuck with U - Ariana Grande/Justin Bieber (-2) [#5] {+12}
#7: The Bones - Maren Morris (-3) [#4] {+3}
#6: The Box - Roddy Ricch (+9) [#6] {+15} *new peak*
#5: Roses (Remix) - SAINt JHN/Imanbek (+14) [#5] {+14} *new peak*
#4: Intentions - Justin Bieber/Quavo (-1) [#3] {+7}
#3: Rain On Me - Lady Gaga/Ariana Grande (+10) [#3] {+13} *new peak*
#2: Say So - Doja Cat (-) [3 weeks at #1] {+12}
#1: Blinding Lights - The Weeknd (-) [7th week at #1] {+11}

Biggest DROP!!!: Toosie Slide - Drake (-12)

Biggest Jump: Rain On Me - Lady Gaga/Ariana Grande (+10)

Hit-Bound
Banana (Minisiren Remix) - Conkarah/Shaggy/DJ Fle [2]
Bang! - AJR [3]
Black And White - Niall Horan [2]
Breaking Me - Topic/A7S [1]
CITY OF ANGELS - 24kGoldn [3]
Cruel Summer - Taylor Swift [1]
Daisies - Katy Perry [2]
Falling - Harry Styles [2]
In Your Eyes - The Weeknd [1]
Kings & Queens - Ava Max [3]
Let's Fall in Love for the Night - FINNEAS [3]
Like That - Doja Cat/Gucci Mane [3]
MAMACITA - Black Eyed Peas/Ozuna/J. Rey Soul [1]
Man - JoJo [1]
Moral of the Story - Ashe [3]
Oh My God - Alec Benjamin [3]
Ride It - Regard [2]
RITMO - Black Eyed Peas/J Balvin [2]
Supalonely - BENEE/Gus Dapperton [2]
the other girl - Kelsea Ballerini/Halsey [3]
Together - Sia [3]
Ur So F**kInG cOoL - Tones And I [2]
17 - Pink Sweat$ [3]
100 Ways - Jackson Wang [3]

Kwaheri, everybody! See you all soon.

Hunger Games Countdown: Week of June 13, 2020 - Khalid/Disclosure (1)

Songs We're Saying Goodbye To
Teeth - 5 Seconds of Summer (#30) [2 weeks at #1]
Falling - Trevor Daniel (#29) [#2]
Check Your Phone - Cheap Cuts/Pete Wentz (#28) [#4]
Yummy - Justin Bieber (#27) [#2]
Living Proof - Camila Cabello (#26) [#2]

Last Week's #1: Oh My God - Alec Benjamin (1)

#30: Put A Little Love On Me - Niall Horan (-22) [#5] {N/A}
#29: ROCKSTAR - DaBaby/Roddy Ricch (DEBUT) [#29] {Nice to Meet Ya}
#28: I'm Ready - Sam Smith/Demi Lovato (-6) [#3] {N/A}
#27: Old Me - 5 Seconds of Summer (-11) [#3] {N/A}
#26: Stuck with U - Ariana Grande/Justin Bieber (-19) [#7] {N/A}
#25: X - Jonas Brothers/KAROL G (-13) [#12] {N/A}
#24: Ride It - Regard (DEBUT) [#24] {N/A}
#23: ROXANNE - Arizona Zervas (-10) [1 week at #1] {N/A}
#22: Good Thing - Zedd/Kehlani (-20) [#2] {N/A}
#21: You Need To Calm Down - Taylor Swift (+4) [3 weeks at #1] {N/A}
#20: Kill My Mind - Louis Tomlinson (-15) [2 weeks at #1] {Sunday Best}
#19: Let's Fall in Love for the Night - FINNEAS (DEBUT) [#19] {Know Your Worth}
#18: Kings & Queens - Ava Max (-14) [#4] {N/A}
#17: Mind Is A Prison - Alec Benjamin (-) [2 weeks at #1] {YOU CAN'T HOLD MY HEART & Small Talk}
#16: Level of Concern - Twenty One Pilots (+2) [#5] {Nice to Meet Ya}
#15: Blueberry Faygo - Lil Mosey (+9) [1 week at #1] {N/A}
#14: Savage (Remix) - Megan Thee Stallion/Beyoncé (+6) [#14] {To Die For} *new peak*
#13: Ur So F**kInG cOoL - Tones And I (DEBUT) [#13] {To Die For}
#12: Nice to Meet Ya - Meghan Trainor/Nicki Minaj (-2) [#2] {Don't Let It Break Your Heart}
#11: Maniac - Conan Gray (+12) [#6] {Know Your Worth}
#10: The Hype - Twenty One Pilots (+9) [#2] {Oh My God}
#9: Oh My God - Alec Benjamin (-8) [1 week at #1] {N/A}
#8: Small Talk - Niall Horan (+1) [#8] {N/A} *new peak*
#7: To Die For - Sam Smith (+7) [#6] {Slow Dance}
#6: Don't Let It Break Your Heart - Louis Tomlinson (RE-ENTRY) [#5] {Slow Dance}
#5: YOU CAN'T HOLD MY HEART - Monsta X (+1) [#5] {N/A} *new peak*
#4: Sunday Best - Surfaces (+7) [1 week at #1] {N/A}
#3: Lights Up - Harry Styles (-) [2 weeks at #1] {N/A}
#2: Slow Dance - AJ Mitchell/Ava Max (+13) [#2] {N/A} *new peak*
#1: Know Your Worth - Khalid/Disclosure (+20) [1st week at #1]

Biggest DROP!!!: Put A Little Love On Me - Niall Horan (-22)

Biggest Jump: Know Your Worth - Khalid/Disclosure (+20)


Hit-Bound Exits:
Bang! - AJR
Memories - Maroon 5 [x2]

#19: Rain On Me - Lady Gaga/Ariana Grande (-4) {N/A}
#18: Falling - Harry Styles (-) {N/A}
#17: Black And White - Niall Horan (+2) {N/A}
#16: Midnight - Alesso/Liam Payne (-4) {Man}
#15: 100 Ways - Jackson Wang (-4) {Banana (Minisiren Remix)}
#14: Banana (Minisiren Remix) - Conkarah/Shaggy/DJ Fle (-5) {Intentions}
#13: Teeth - 5 Seconds of Summer (RE-ENTRY) {The Box}
#12: MAMACITA - Black Eyed Peas/Ozuna/J. Rey Soul (DEBUT) {Toosie Slide}
#11: Like That - Doja Cat/Gucci Mane (+3) {Daisies}
#10: Intentions - Justin Bieber/Quavo (+7) {In Your Eyes}
#9: Man - JoJo (DEBUT) {N/A}
#8: Toosie Slide - Drake (-2) {N/A}
#7: RITMO - Black Eyed Peas/J Balvin (+1) {N/A}
#6: The Box - Roddy Ricch (+7) {Together}
#5: In Your Eyes - The Weeknd (+2) {N/A}
#4: Breaking Me - Topic/A7S (DEBUT) {Cruel Summer}
#3: Cruel Summer - Taylor Swift (DEBUT) {N/A}
#2: Together - Sia (+8) {N/A}
#1: Daisies - Katy Perry (+15)

Kill Counts
Know Your Worth: 2
Nice to Meet Ya: 2
Slow Dance: 2
To Die For: 2
Banana (Minisiren Remix): 1
Cruel Summer: 1
Daisies: 1
Don't Let It Break Your Heart: 1
Intentions: 1
In Your Eyes: 1
Man: 1
Oh My God: 1
Small Talk: 1
Sunday Best: 1
The Box: 1
Together: 1
Toosie Slide: 1
YOU CAN'T HOLD MY HEART: 1

Kwaheri, everyone! See you all soon.

Sunday, June 7, 2020

Week of June 6, 2020 - Niall Horan (1)

Niall Horan (1)

We have a new #1, and I’m a little disappointed, because I think there were some better songs that deserved to dethrone Blinding Lights, but I’m not too disappointed, because our current #1 isn’t bad. Other than that, we had a Hit-Bound re-entry, (which I thought would stop with the condensing, but I guess not because songs fluctuate in and out of the top 30 all the time) One debut in the last spot, and a pretty small biggest drop. Here’s the link for the current Community Rankings if you’re interested in that, and I’ll make this the last day to do the form for the prep for Event 3 of the Weekend Countdown Olympics, which I’ll then announce tomorrow (although you may have a pretty good idea as to what it is at this point). We’ve hit 50K Pageviews, so an announcement for that will come in the following days, so for now, we’ll jump into this week’s countdown starting with an… “exit”.

Song We’re Saying Goodbye To
Like That - Doja Cat/Gucci Mane (#29) [#29]

Last Week’s #1: Blinding Lights - The Weeknd (6)

#30: Heartless - Diplo/Julia Michaels/Morgan Wallen (DEBUT) [2* weeks in Hit-Bound] {1 week}
#29: Roses (Remix) - SAINt JHN/Imanbek (+1) [#29] {4 weeks} *new peak*
#28: Rain On Me - Lady Gaga/Ariana Grande (-) [#28] {2 weeks}
#27: death bed (coffee for your head) - Powfu/beabadoobee (-6) [#21] {11 weeks}
#26: CITY OF ANGELS - 24kGoldn (+1) [#26] {5 weeks} *new peak*
#25: RITMO - Black Eyed Peas/J Balvin (-) [#25] {8 weeks}
#24: X - Jonas Brothers/KAROL G (+2) [#24] {3 weeks} *new peak*
#23: Supalonely - BENEE/Gus Dapperton (+1) [#17] {10 weeks}
#22: Ride It - Regard (+1) [#22] {6 weeks} *new peak*
#21: Stuck with U - Ariana Grande/Justin Bieber (+1) [#21] {4 weeks} *new peak*
#20: Falling - Trevor Daniel (-3) [#14] {9 weeks}
#19: Oh My God - Alec Benjamin (+1) [#17] {7 weeks}
#18: Sunday Best - Surfaces (-5) [#13] {11 weeks}
#17: Be Kind - Marshmello/Halsey (+1) [#17] {5 weeks} *new peak*
#16: Intentions - Justin Bieber/Quavo (-2) [#14] {13 weeks}
#15: If the World Was Ending - JP Saxe/Julia Michaels (-4) [#10] {16 weeks}
#14: In Your Eyes - The Weeknd (+1) [#10] {7 weeks}
#13: me & ur ghost - blackbear (+6) [#13] {14 weeks} *new peak*
#12: The Bones - Maren Morris (-3) [#9] {6 weeks}
#11: Midnight - Alesso/Liam Payne (+1) [#11] {6 weeks} *new peak*
#10: I Love Me - Demi Lovato (-3) [#7] {13 weeks}
#9: Old Me - 5 Seconds of Summer (-1) [#7] {10 weeks}
#8: Say So - Doja Cat (-3) [#3] {22 weeks}
#7: Level of Concern - Twenty One Pilots (+9) [#7] {8 weeks} *new peak*
#6: Blinding Lights - The Weeknd (-5) [6 weeks at #1] {16 weeks}
#5: Before You Go - Lewis Capaldi (-1) [#2] {18 weeks}
#4: Break My Heart - Dua Lipa (-1) [#3] {7 weeks}
#3: Watermelon Sugar - Harry Styles (+3) [#3] {13 weeks} *new peak*
#2: Maniac - Conan Gray (+8) [#2] {13 weeks}
#1: No Judgement - Niall Horan (+1) [1st week at #1] {13 weeks}

Last Year’s #1: Sucker - Jonas Brothers [11/13 weeks at #1]

Countdown Extra: The Box - Roddy Ricch

Our one and only debut this week is actually my favourite song currently on the countdown. It’s Heartless… no, not by The Weeknd, by Diplo, Julia Michaels and Morgan Wallen. This is the second song on Hits 1 from Dilpo’s country Thomas Wesley project (which is actually just Diplo’s real name) and it’s really good. Diplo’s production is actually really good here, definitely better than that awful guitar in Lonely, with the Jonas Brothers, and Julia Michaels actually fits the song really well. The best part of Julia Michaels’ contribution is the fact that it gets rid of the only part I don’t like in the original, and that’s the first verse a la Morgan Wallen. He really doesn’t sound good in the first verse, so when replaced with Julia Michaels, it’s much better. I feel the clean version takes away from the flow of the song a bit, but it’s not that big of an issue. Overall, fantastic song that’s definitely making it onto my year-end list. *1 week in Hit-Bound, 2 weeks on Voting Poll

Biggest DROP!!!: death bed (coffee for your head) - Powfu/beabadoobee (-6): Yay! I’m really glad that this song got the biggest drop, since this is easily the worst song on the countdown right now (even though it wasn’t too big of a drop, I’m still happy).

Biggest Jump: Level of Concern - Twenty One Pilots (+9): Another relatively small biggest something, but I’m still happy that this jumped. It’s for sure not one of the best songs on the countdown, but it’s solid.

Countdown Ranking

0 - Crap:
#30: death bed (coffee for your head) - Powfu/beabadoobee
#29: Supalonely - BENEE/Gus Dapperton
#28: Falling - Trevor Daniel

1 - Bad:
#27: Say So - Doja Cat
#26: Ride It - Regard

2 - Mediocre:
#25: Oh My God - Alec Benjamin
#24: me & ur ghost - blackbear
#23: If the World Was Ending - JP Saxe/Julia Michaels

3 - Decent:
#22: Old Me - 5 Seconds of Summer
#21: I Love Me - Demi Lovato
#20: No Judgement - Niall Horan
#19: RITMO - Black Eyed Peas/J Balvin
#18: Intentions - Justin Bieber/Quavo

4 - Good:
#17: Maniac - Conan Gray
#16: Level of Concern - Twenty One Pilots
#15: Stuck with U - Ariana Grande/Justin Bieber
#14: Break My Heart - Dua Lipa

5 - Great:
#13: Before You Go - Lewis Capaldi
#12: X - Jonas Brothers/KAROL G
#11: Be Kind - Marshmello/Halsey
#10: Watermelon Sugar - Harry Styles
#9: Sunday Best - Surfaces
#8: CITY OF ANGELS - 24kGoldn
#7: Roses (Remix) - SAINt JHN/Imanbek
#6: Blinding Lights - The Weeknd
#5: The Bones - Maren Morris
#4: Midnight - Alesso/Liam Payne
#3: Rain On Me - Lady Gaga/Ariana Grande
#2: In Your Eyes - The Weeknd
#1: Heartless - Diplo/Julia Michaels/Morgan Wallen

Overall Score: 104/150 = 69%

5 Oldest Songs
#5: Intentions - Justin Bieber/Quavo, I Love Me - Demi Lovato, Watermelon Sugar - Harry Styles, Maniac - Conan Gray & No Judgement - Niall Horan {13 weeks}
#4: me & ur ghost - blackbear {14 weeks}
#3: If the World Was Ending - JP Saxe/Julia Michaels & Blinding Lights - The Weeknd {16 weeks}
#2: Before You Go - Lewis Capaldi {18 weeks}
#1: Say So - Doja Cat {22 weeks}

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Breaking Me - Topic/A7S

My Favourite Song Last Year: Summer Days - Martin Garrix/Macklemore/Patrick Stump

My Least Favourite Song Last Year: bad guy - Billie Eilish

Hit-Bound
Toosie Slide - Drake [10*]
Bang! - AJR [6]
Daisies - Katy Perry [4*]
100 Ways - Jackson Wang [7*]
Let’s Fall in Love for the Night - FINNEAS [3*]
17 - Pink Sweat$ [11*]
I Hope - Gabby Barrett/Charlie Puth [7***]
Together - Sia [3*]
Kings & Queens - Ava Max [7*]
Moral of the Story - Ashe [5; 2nd time]
Like That - Doja Cat/Gucci Mane [1; 2nd time]
Ur So F**kInG cOoL - Tones And I [1]
the other girl - Kelsea Ballerini/Halsey [4; 2nd time]
Blueberry Faygo - Lil Mosey [7*]

Also Available For Vote
Banana (Minisiren Remix) - Conkarah/Shaggy/DJ FLe [1*]
Falling - Harry Styles [1*]
Black And White - Niall Horan [1*]
ROCKSTAR - DaBaby/Roddy Ricch [1*]
If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know) - The 1975 [7**]
The Box - Roddy Ricch [3*]
Savage (Remix) - Megan Thee Stallion/Beyoncé [5**]

*indicates one week spent on the voting poll, rather than Hit-Bound

I guess we’ll start off with Like That by Doja Cat and Gucci Mane. I already reviewed this the last two weeks in a row, so I don’t feel the need to again, but I will say that I’m pretty sure it’ll re-enter, because I highly doubt that that was its peak.

Our only debut this week actually debuting Hit-Bound is more Tones And I with her new song Ur So F**kInG cOoL. (That stylization is a pain to write) Personally, this is my favourite Tones And I single yet. It doesn’t stray too far from what she does all the time, being the keys and other production stuff, like the bassline, but I think she has much better control over her voice this time around, and it isn’t as scratchy (is that the right word?) as it is in Dance Monkey. The production in the chorus is actually really cool, and her voice works really well with it. I think the clean version doesn’t take away too much either, because it has her breathing in instead of… well, you know what. I hope it does better than Bad Child, and I definitely think it could.

This had better be a Tik Tok song, or else I’m just really confused. It’s DJ FLe's Minisiren Remix of Banana by Conkarah and Shaggy, and um… this is okay? I mean, it’s one of the weirdest songs I’ve heard in a really long time, probably because it’s a latino song… and a Tik Tok song. It’s not terrible, the beat’s pretty good, it’s really steady. Whoever’s singing (I didn’t bother to check) sounds decent, but it’s just a little too weird for me to really like.

Hits 1 picked up on two One Direction ballads this week. The first one is It’s Black And White by Niall Horan, and these songs are… kind of non-singles. Both were released earlier, and only picked up because Hits 1 loves One Direction. That being said, they’re probably the best songs from their respective albums. This one was released alongside Heartbreak Weather, when Hits 1 picked up on Small Talk. I actually really like this song. I’d say that this and Nice To Meet Ya are probably tied, just because they’re so different. Niall sounds really good, and the song fits him really well. I like the instrumentation quite a bit here, and I hope this outperforms Small Talk.

The next song that I was talking about is Falling by Harry Styles. I think Hits 1 just decided to pick up on this, because the rest of the world is picking up on Watermelon Sugar, and they want more Harry Styles. This song is spectacular though. Harry just sounds jaw-dropping-ly amazing in the chorus, and it really gives me chills. The piano line is really well constructed, and actually changes throughout the song (unlike some other ballads in the past), and I really like it. If this debuts, (and I think it will because I mean, it’s Harry Styles. How could it not?) it could be the first time in a long time that we’ve had two songs of the same title on the countdown at once, of course with the other Falling being Trevor Daniel’s. If that happens, I’ll try to indicate who it is in every blurb. As for the Hunger Games Countdown? We’ll fix that issue when we get to that crossroads.

Hits 1 is starting to pick up on some more rap songs, and I’m pretty happy about that, because this is easily one of the best rap songs of the year. Of course, I’m talking about ROCKSTAR by DaBaby and Roddy Ricch. Oddly, we now have two Roddy Ricch songs on Hits 1. As for DaBaby, he makes his Hits 1 debut, even though he should’ve been on My Oh My. The best part of this song is easily the production. That guitar is freaking addicting, and both artist’s voices work really well with it. I think DaBaby’s voice sounds better than Roddy’s here, but Roddy does put in a good verse. I just like DaBaby more because he can sing, and he raps pretty fast at some points. That chorus is actually really catchy, and I can totally see this appealing to pop lovers, and debuting soon.

Best Debut: Falling - Harry Styles (It was really close)

Hit-Bound Ranking

0 - Crap:
#21: Daisies - Katy Perry
#20: If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know) - The 1975

1 - Bad:
#19: Toosie Slide - Drake
#18: 100 Ways - Jackson Wang

2 - Mediocre:
#17: Moral of the Story - Ashe

3 - Decent:
#16: Together - Sia
#15: 17 - Pink Sweat$
#14: Banana (Minisiren Remix) - Conkarah/Shaggy/DJ FLe
#13: Like That - Doja Cat/Gucci Mane

4 - Good:
#12: Savage (Remix) - Megan Thee Stallion/Beyoncé

5 - Great:
#11: Kings & Queens - Ava Max
#10: the other girl - Kelsea Ballerini/Halsey
#9: Let’s Fall in Love for the Night - FINNEAS
#8: Black And White - Niall Horan
#7: Blueberry Faygo - Lil Mosey
#6: I Hope - Gabby Barrett/Charlie Puth
#5: Ur So F**kInG cOoL - Tones And I
#4: Bang! - AJR
#3: ROCKSTAR - DaBaby/Roddy Ricch
#2: The Box - Roddy Ricch
#1: Falling - Harry Styles

Overall Score: 75/105 = 71%

Why You Gotta Be So Blurb-less?

Three songs left Hit-Bound but stayed on the voting poll this week, being The Box, Savage and If You’re Too Shy. The Box was the countdown extra this week, so I’m pretty sure it’ll debut next week. Savage got a lot of airplay this week, so I think it also has a really good shot at debuting. As for If You’re Too Shy, I hope it leaves.

Rain On Me pulled a Sunday Best this week, so I just didn’t add it to the list.

Okay, why is Ride It higher than Roses? Roses is definitely more popular, and should be way higher on this list.

Also, why didn’t Rain On Me jump? There was so much potential for it to jump, but then it didn’t. Oh, Hits 1. We’ll never understand you.

I’ve lost interest in both RITMO and Intentions, both due to overplay. I also lost interest in Toosie Slide and 100 Ways. Toosie Slide is getting really annoying and boring, and I really don’t like Jackson Wang’s voice, even if the production in 100 Ways is decent.

Sunday Best dropped 5 spots this week, and I have absolutely no clue why.

Why the heck is me & ur ghost jumping so much? It should not be getting a new peak this late in its run.

Also Midnight’s just shy of the top 10. I’m not complaining, but it’s odd.

Blinding Lights fell off of #1. I’m not too sad, because it got six weeks at #1, which was more than I could ask for, but I’m still disappointed.

Watermelon Sugar made its top 5 debut this week, and I’m really happy. I’d like to see it hit #1.

Maniac keeps sporadically jumping from #10 to #2 for no apparent reason. Don’t ask.

Our new #1 this week is none other than No Judgement by Niall Horan. This song’s alright. I’m okay with it being at #1, since it’s not bad, but I’m not okay with why it’s at #1. It’s only there because Hits 1 just loves One Direction and can’t let one of their songs slip by. Honestly, I hope they reunite just so we don’t have to get music from four separate artists. Oh well, what can you do.

I listened to Kygo’s new album, Golden Hours, and it’s really good. I would recommend it.

How Hits 1 Songs Are Doing on the Hot 100
#1: Rain On Me - Lady Gaga/Ariana Grande
#2: Savage (Remix) - Megan Thee Stallion/Beyoncé
#3: ROCKSTAR - DaBaby/Roddy Ricch
#4: Blinding Lights - The Weeknd
#5: Say So - Doja Cat/Nicki Minaj
#6: Toosie Slide - Drake
#7: Don’t Start Now - Dua Lipa
#8: The Box - Roddy Ricch
#9: Intentions - Justin Bieber/Quavo
#11: Circles - Post Malone
#12: Adore You - Harry Styles
#13: The Bones - Maren Morris
#14: Roses (Remix) - SAINt JHN/Imanbek
#15: Stuck with U - Ariana Grande/Justin Bieber
#16: Blueberry Faygo - Lil Mosey
#19: I Hope - Gabby Barrett
#21: Falling - Trevor Daniel
#24: Sunday Best - Surfaces
#26: death bed (coffee for your head) - Powfu/beabadoobee
#30: Before You Go - Lewis Capaldi
#31: My Oh My - Camila Cabello/DaBaby
#32: In Your Eyes - The Weeknd
#34: Break My Heart - Dua Lipa
#35: everything i wanted - Billie Eilish
#36: Memories - Maroon 5
#39: Be Kind - Marshmello/Halsey
#42: RITMO - Black Eyed Peas/J Balvin
#43: hot girl bummer - blackbear
#44: Supalonely - BENEE/Gus Dapperton
#45: Watermelon Sugar - Harry Styles
#48: Dance Monkey - Tones And I
#53: Heartless - Diplo/Morgan Wallen
#61: Level of Concern - Twenty One Pilots
#66: X - Jonas Brothers/KAROL G
#73: If the World Was Ending - JP Saxe/Julia Michaels
#75: Ride It - Regard
#79: Daisies - Katy Perry

Top 10 on the Hunger Games Countdown
#10: Nice to Meet Ya - Meghan Trainor/Nicki Minaj
#9: Small Talk - Niall Horan
#8: Put A Little Love On Me - Niall Horan
#7: Stuck with U - Ariana Grande/Justin Bieber
#6: YOU CAN’T HOLD MY HEART - Monsta X
#5: Kill My Mind - Louis Tomlinson
#4: Kings & Queens - Ava Max
#3: Lights Up - Harry Styles
#2: Good Thing - Zedd/Kehlani
#1: Oh My God - Alec Benjamin

Top 10 If the Countdown Made Sense
#10: Break My Heart - Dua Lipa
#9: In Your Eyes - The Weeknd
#8: Before You Go - Lewis Capaldi
#7: Sunday Best - Surfaces
#6: Stuck with U - Ariana Grande/Justin Bieber
#5: Falling - Trevor Daniel
#4: The Bones - Maren Morris
#3: Intentions - Justin Bieber/Quavo
#2: Say So - Doja Cat
#1: Blinding Lights - The Weeknd

Kwaheri, everyone! See you all soon.

Saturday, June 6, 2020

If the Countdown Made Sense: Week of June 6, 2020 - The Weeknd (6)

Songs We're Saying Goodbye To
Circles - Post Malone (#29) [#3]
Supalonely - BENEE/Gus Dapperton (#24) [#24]
RITMO - Black Eyed Peas/J Balvin (#19) [#17]
Daisies - Katy Perry (#18) [#18]
X - Jonas Brothers/KAROL G (#16) [#16]

Last Week's #1: Say So - Doja Cat (3)

#30: If the World Was Ending - JP Saxe/Julia Michaels (-4) [#26] {-15}
#29: Don't Start Now - Dua Lipa (-1) [#2] {N/A}
#28: me & ur ghost - blackbear (RE-ENTRY) [#28] {-15} *new peak*
#27: Be Kind - Marshmello/Halsey (-7) [#16] {-10}
#26: Midnight - Alesso/Liam Payne (+1) [#26] {-15} *new peak*
#25: I Love Me - Demi Lovato (-3) [#16] {-15}
#24: Old Me - 5 Seconds of Summer (-1) [#23] {-15}
#23: death bed (coffee for your head) - Powfu/beabadoobee (-15) [#8] {+4}
#22: Level of Concern - Twenty One Pilots (RE-ENTRY) [#10] {-15}
#21: I Hope - Gabby Barrett/Charlie Puth (-6) [#12] {N/A}
#20: Blueberry Faygo - Lil Mosey (-6) [#12] {N/A}
#19: Roses (Remix) - SAINt JHN/Imanbek (RE-ENTRY) [#14] {+10}
#18: Watermelon Sugar - Harry Styles (+3) [#18] {-15} *new peak*
#17: Maniac - Conan Gray (+8) [#17] {-15} *new peak*
#16: No Judgement - Niall Horan (+1) [#16] {-15} *new peak*
#15: The Box - Roddy Ricch (-2) [#13] {N/A}
#14: Toosie Slide - Drake (-2) [#11] {N/A}
#13: Rain On Me - Lady Gaga/Ariana Grande (DEBUT) [1 week in Hit-Bound] {+15}
#12: ROCKSTAR - DaBaby/Roddy Ricch (DEBUT) [0 weeks in Hit-Bound] {N/A}
#11: Savage (Remix) - Megan Thee Stallion/Beyoncé (-) [#11] {N/A}
#10: Break My Heart - Dua Lipa (-) [#10] {-6}
#9: In Your Eyes - The Weeknd (+21) [#9] {+5} *new peak*
#8: Before You Go - Lewis Capaldi (+1) [#8] {-3} *new peak*
#7: Sunday Best - Surfaces (-1) [#6] {+11}
#6: Stuck with U - Ariana Grande/Justin Bieber (+1) [#5] {+15}
#5: Falling - Trevor Daniel (-) [#5] {+15}
#4: The Bones - Maren Morris (-) [#4] {+8}
#3: Intentions - Justin Bieber/Quavo (-) [#3] {+13}
#2: Say So - Doja Cat (-1) [3 weeks at #1] {+6}
#1: Blinding Lights - The Weeknd (+1) [6th week at #1] {+5}

Biggest DROP!!!: death bed (coffee for your head) - Powfu/beabadoobee (-15)

Biggest Jump: In Your Eyes - The Weeknd (+21)


Hit-Bound
Banana (Minisiren Remix) - Conkarah/Shaggy/DJ FLe [1]
Bang! - AJR [2]
Black And White - Niall Horan [1]
CITY OF ANGELS - 24kGoldn [2]
Daisies - Katy Perry [1]
Falling - Harry Styles [1]
Heartless - Diplo/Julia Michaels/Morgan Wallen [2]
If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know) - The 1975 [2]
Kings & Queens - Ava Max [2]
Let's Fall in Love for the Night - FINNEAS [2]
Like That - Doja Cat/Gucci Mane [2]
Moral of the Story - Ashe [2]
Oh My God - Alec Benjamin [2]
Ride It - Regard [2]
RITMO - Black Eyed Peas/J Balvin [1]
Supalonely - BENEE/Gus Dapperton [1]
the other girl - Kelsea Ballerini/Halsey [2]
Together - Sia [2]
Ur So F**kInG cOoL - Tones And I [1]
X - Jonas Brothers/KAROL G [1]
17 - Pink Sweat$ [2]
100 Ways - Jackson Wang [2]

Kwaheri, everybody! See you all very soon.

Hunger Games Countdown: Week of June 6, 2020 - Alec Benjamin (1)

Geez, this countdown just absolutely LOVES Alec Benjamin!

Song We're Saying Goodbye To
Intentions - Justin Bieber/Quavo (#30) [#2]

Last Week's #1: Sunday Best - Surfaces (1)

#30: Teeth - 5 Seconds of Summer (-24) [2 weeks at #1] {Maniac}
#29: Falling - Trevor Daniel (-25) [#2] {Maniac}
#28: Check Your Phone - Cheap Cuts/Pete Wentz (-17) [#4] {N/A}
#27: Yummy - Justin Bieber (-24) [#2] {Level of Concern}
#26: Living Proof - Camila Cabello (-1) [#2] {X}
#25: You Need To Calm Down - Taylor Swift (-4) [3 weeks at #1] {Kings & Queens}
#24: Blueberry Faygo - Lil Mosey (+5) [1 week at #1] {N/A}
#23: Maniac - Conan Gray (-1) [#6] {Lights Up}
#22: I'm Ready - Sam Smith/Demi Lovato (-13) [#3] {The Hype}
#21: Know Your Worth - Khalid/Disclosure (-7) [#3] {N/A}
#20: Savage (Remix) - Megan Thee Stallion/Beyoncé (DEBUT) [#20] {Oh My God}
#19: The Hype - Twenty One Pilots (-6) [#2] {Oh My God}
#18: Level of Concern - Twenty One Pilots (-13) [#5] {Oh My God}
#17: Mind Is A Prison - Alec Benjamin (+2) [2 weeks at #1] {N/A}
#16: Old Me - 5 Seconds of Summer (+11) [#3] {Kings & Queens}
#15: Slow Dance - AJ Mitchell/Ava Max (-7) [#3] {Kings & Queens}
#14: To Die For - Sam Smith (+1) [#6] {N/A}
#13: ROXANNE - Arizona Zervas (-11) [1 week at #1] {N/A}
#12: X - Jonas Brothers/KAROL G (+5) [#12] {N/A} *new peak*
#11: Sunday Best - Surfaces (-10) [1 week at #1] {N/A}
#10: Nice to Meet Ya - Meghan Trainor/Nicki Minaj (+16) [#2] {N/A}
#9: Small Talk - Niall Horan (+9) [#9] {N/A} *new peak*
#8: Put A Little Love On Me - Niall Horan (-1) [#5] {Lights Up}
#7: Stuck with U - Ariana Grande/Justin Bieber (+13) [#7] {Oh My God}
#6: YOU CAN'T HOLD MY HEART - Monsta X (+4) [#6] {N/A} *new peak*
#5: Kill My Mind - Louis Tomlinson (+18) [2 weeks at #1] {N/A}
#4: Kings & Queens - Ava Max (+24) [#4] {N/A} *new peak*
#3: Lights Up - Harry Styles (+13) [2 weeks at #1] {Good Thing}
#2: Good Thing - Zedd/Kehlani (+22) [#2] {N/A} *new peak*
#1: Oh My God - Alec Benjamin (+11) [1st week at #1] *new peak*

Biggest DROP!!!: Falling - Trevor Daniel (-25)

Biggest Jump: Kings & Queens - Ava Max (+24)

Kill Counts
Oh My God: 4
Kings & Queens: 3
Lights Up: 2
Maniac: 2
Good Thing: 1
Level of Concern: 1
The Hype: 1
X: 1

Hit-Bound
#21: Bang! - AJR (-19) {Don't Let It Break Your Heart}
#20: Memories - Maroon 5 (-14) {Midnight}
#19: Black And White - Niall Horan (DEBUT) {100 Ways}
#18: Falling - Harry Styles (DEBUT) {Banana (Minisiren Remix)}
#17: Intentions - Justin Bieber/Quavo (RE-ENTRY) {Midnight}
#16: Daisies - Katy Perry (-5) {N/A}
#15: Rain On Me - Lady Gaga/Ariana Grande (-11) {N/A}
#14: Like That - Doja Cat/Gucci Mane (-11) {N/A}
#13: The Box - Roddy Ricch (-4) {Don't Let It Break Your Heart}
#12: Midnight - Alesso/Liam Payne (+4) {N/A}
#11: 100 Ways - Jackson Wang (+3) {Ur So F**kInG cOoL}
#10: Together - Sia (+3) {N/A}
#9: Banana (Minisiren Remix) - Conkarah/Shaggy/DJ FLe (DEBUT) {N/A}
#8: RITMO - Black Eyed Peas/J Balvin (-3) {Ur So F**kInG cOoL & Let's Fall in Love for the Night}
#7: In Your Eyes - The Weeknd (+5) {N/A}
#6: Toosie Slide - Drake (+9) {Ur So F**kInG cOoL}
#5: Don't Let It Break Your Heart - Louis Tomlinson (+5) {Ur So F**kInG cOoL}
#4: ROCKSTAR - DaBaby/Roddy Ricch (DEBUT) {Ride It}
#3: Ur So F**kInG cOoL - Tones And I (DEBUT) {N/A}
#2: Ride It - Regard (+6) {N/A}
#1: Let's Fall in Love for the Night - FINNEAS (+6)

Kwaheri, everyone! See you all soon!

Sunday, May 31, 2020

Week of May 30, 2020 - The Weeknd (6) [FULL CHART REVIEW!]

The Weeknd (6)

Man, what a week for my 1-Year Anniversary to land on. So turns out, the countdown was shortened to 30 songs. Is this permanent? Probably, but I’m not certain. This is kind of a disappointment, because Hits 1 probably won’t pick up on any of the smaller hits anymore, and the 2020 Ultimate Rank… we’ll figure that one out. For the time being, that’s still happening. This does have its perks though, as Hits 1 won’t keep songs around for nearly as long as they used to (as you may be able to see from our list of exits) and the voting poll is finally back to normal. Unfortunately, I had to stop If the Countdown Made Sense, because it would be pretty much identical to the countdown. If not, very close. I’m already planning a replacement though. We do have a bunch of good songs that managed to survive this, but a bunch of good songs that left too. Anyways, this week is full chart review week, so I’ll be going over every single song currently on the countdown right now. A few changes will be made to the weekly posts, mostly in regards to the top 20 ranking. I decided I would just rank the entire countdown, because it’s only 10 songs more than I normally would, and 20 is over half anyways. That also means I’ll be combining my top/bottom 5 picks into that as well. Of course this week there will be no blurbs, as I’m reviewing every song anyways. So I say we start this thing with our whopping record-breaking list of 17 (!) exits. (Fun fact, 17 also made a re-entry this week in Hit-Bound. Coincidence? I think not.) Oh, yeah! Event 2 on the Weekend Countdown Olympics is live! And you have to redo Community Rankings! (The #80-#71 one)

Songs We’re Saying Goodbye To
Dance Monkey - Tones And I (#45) [#21] {30 weeks}
South of the Border - Ed Sheeran/Camila Cabello/Cardi B (#44) [#7] {23 weeks}
ROXANNE - Arizona Zervas (#43) [#9] {25 weeks}
Graveyard - Halsey (#42) [#3] {36 weeks}
hot girl bummer - blackbear (#41) [#4] {19 weeks}
Nice To Meet Ya - Niall Horan (#40) [8 weeks at #1] {32 weeks}
What A Man Gotta Do - Jonas Brothers (#38) [#2] {17 weeks}
Teeth - 5 Seconds of Summer (#36) [2 weeks at #1] {31 weeks}
Adore You - Harry Styles (#34) [10 weeks at #1] {24 weeks}
I’m Ready - Sam Smith/Demi Lovato (#32) [#31] {3 weeks}
You should be sad - Halsey (#29) [#6] {16 weeks}
Circles - Post Malone (#27) [2 weeks at #1] {35 weeks}
The Man - Taylor Swift (#23) [#7] {15 weeks}
Stupid Love - Lady Gaga (#22) [#9] {12 weeks}
Modern Loneliness - Lauv (#21) [#17] {13 weeks}
Don’t Start Now - Dua Lipa (#18) [#2] {23 weeks}
My Oh My - Camila Cabello (#12) [#5] {20 weeks}

Last Week’s #1: Blinding Lights - The Weeknd (5)

#30: Roses (Remix) - SAINt JHN/Imanbek (+7) [#30] {3 weeks} *new peak*
#29: Like That - Doja Cat/Gucci Mane (DEBUT) [1* week in Hit-Bound] {1 week}
#28: Rain On Me - Lady Gaga/Ariana Grande (DEBUT) [1* week in Hit-Bound] {1 week}
#27: CITY OF ANGELS - 24kGoldn (+12) [#27] {4 weeks} *new peak*
#26: X - Jonas Brothers/KAROL G (+2) [#26] {2 weeks} *new peak*
#25: RITMO - Black Eyed Peas/J Balvin (+8) [#25] {7 weeks} *new peak*
#24: Supalonely - BENEE/Gus Dapperton (-) [#17] {9 weeks}
#23: Ride It - Regard (+12) [#23] {5 weeks} *new peak*
#22: Stuck with U - Ariana Grande/Justin Bieber (+3) [#22] {3 weeks} *new peak*
#21: death bed (coffee for your head) - Powfu/beabadoobee (+10) [#21] {10 weeks} *new peak*
#20: Oh My God - Alec Benjamin (-3) [#17] {6 weeks}
#19: me & ur ghost - blackbear (-5) [#14] {13 weeks}
#18: Be Kind - Marshmello/Halsey (+2) [#18] {4 weeks} *new peak*
#17: Falling - Trevor Daniel (-1) [#14] {8 weeks}
#16: Level of Concern - Twenty One Pilots (-3) [#11] {7 weeks}
#15: In Your Eyes - The Weeknd (-5) [#10] {6 weeks}
#14: Intentions - Justin Bieber/Quavo (+16) [#14] {12 weeks} *new peak*
#13: Sunday Best - Surfaces (+6) [#13] {10 weeks}
#12: Midnight - Alesso/Liam Payne (+14) [#12] {5 weeks} *new peak*
#11: If the World Was Ending - JP Saxe/Julia Michaels (+4) [#10] {15 weeks}
#10: Maniac - Conan Gray (-8) [#2] {12 weeks}
#9: The Bones - Maren Morris (+2) [#9] {5 weeks} *new peak*
#8: Old Me - 5 Seconds of Summer (+1) [#7] {9 weeks}
#7: I Love Me - Demi Lovato (+1) [#7] {12 weeks}
#6: Watermelon Sugar - Harry Styles (+1) [#6] {12 weeks}
#5: Say So - Doja Cat (-2) [#3] {21 weeks}
#4: Before You Go - Lewis Capaldi (+1) [#2] {17 weeks}
#3: Break My Heart - Dua Lipa (+3) [#3] {6 weeks} *new peak*
#2: No Judgement - Niall Horan (+2) [#2] {12 weeks}
#1: Blinding Lights - The Weeknd (-) [6th week at #1] {15 weeks}

Last Year's #1: Sucker - Jonas Brothers [10/13 weeks at #1]

Countdown Extra: Daisies - Katy Perry

Well… should I go through all 17 exits? Yeah, probably. Our first is Dance Monkey. I liked this song, but it was getting kind of old. Although I do wish it got more success. Next up is South of the Border. It was also old, but also good. ROXANNE left next, and it was fantastic, and I’m sad it’s gone. Graveyard also left. That was the oldest song on the countdown, and I didn’t love it anyways. Another exit was hot girl bummer, and that was a good song, if not getting a little old. Nice To Meet Ya also left, and it was a great song, but old. What A Man Gotta Do kind of flopped, and I’m fine with that although it was good. Teeth was getting really old and stayed here for too long, Adore You LEFT!!! YES!!! I’m Ready was a flop, which sucks since it was pretty good. You should be sad was good. Circles was also old, but it was fantastic. If I could go and redo my top 45 of 2019 list, this would for sure be higher. The Man was alright for Taylor Swift standards. I lost interest in Stupid Love, so I’m not disappointed. Modern Loneliness was fantastic, and I’m sad it was a flop. Don’t Start Now was getting a little old, but good, and I lost interest in My Oh My. There you go.

Since our beloved countdown was shortened, it makes it quite a bit easier to do a full chart review this week. So there’s a bonus. We’ll start with our #30 (ouch) being the Imanbek Remix of Roses by SAINt JHN. I’m pretty glad this song survived this week, since it’s really good. I listened to the original, and yeah, this is for sure better. The bass-heavy production really adds a lot to the song, and really fits with this song. The pitched-up vocals actually sound decent, although it’s a little hard to hear the lyrics. Overall, a really great song, and I’m glad it’s currently a hit. Oh also, this is the first time the bottom spot on the countdown has jumped from last week.

Actually our first of two debuts this week, both of which skipped Hit-Bound. At #29, this one’s called Like That by Doja Cat and Gucci Mane. I think I’m actually turning around a bit on this one. (Go ahead, gasp) Although I still don’t like Doja’s rapping, which is probably what prevents this from being green, I’ve come to tolerate her singing voice, and this is less overplayed and more catchy than Say So. Also, Gucci Mane surprisingly adds a lot to the song, making it feel a little less like a carbon copy of Say So. Although I don’t love the bridge, overall this is a decently solid song. I could see it doing well here and everywhere.

Immediately after our first debut, we have our second called Rain On Me by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande. As predicted, this grew on me. I learned to tolerate Gaga’s speaking voice a little more, and in all honesty, Ariana makes this song a lot better. Other than that, the song’s extremely catchy. I really like the contrast between Gaga and Ariana’s voices, and they really make the other’s voices stand out. I started listening to ChromaticaGaga’s new album, and I didn’t love it, but I’m glad this is still good.

This is another song that I’m really glad survived this, at #27, called CITY OF ANGELS by 24kGoldn. I’ve explained why I like this before. I really like his voice, and it’s really unique. I think it fits really well with the song, and I like his accent when he yells “no!”... I’m not sure why. The guitar sounds really good in this song, and overall the chorus is pretty great. My only problem with this is that it’s under two minutes, which is really short. But overall, a great song that I’m glad is still here despite the massive cuts.

At #26, we have last week’s debut, X by the Jonas Brothers and KAROL G. I feel like I could literally just copy-paste last week’s review and it would all still apply. This song is an absolute bop, excelling vocally, and while KAROL G doesn’t add too much to the song, it really doesn’t bring down the song at all. As I expected, it didn’t debut too high on the Hot 100, so this could be a flop, but I have no doubts it’ll do well here. I like the latino vibe.

Another song that I’m glad survived at #25, RITMO by the Black Eyed Peas and J Balvin. I like the Rhythm of the Night sample, and it fits well with the song. Although this song is starting to get slightly annoying, due to overplay on my local radio station, I still like it quite a bit. J Balvin feels a little lifeless when he’s rapping, and it’s in spanish and I don’t understand it, but will.i.am and Corona sound pretty good, although that’s an unfortunate rapper name based on the current circumstances. I think this has already hit its peak globally, so I can’t see this going too much higher than it is now, but I still like it.

Although not my least favourite song on the countdown without Adore You, I definitely don’t like this next one, Supalonely by BENEE and Gus Dapperton. It feels way too meme-y, and although the production’s cool and it’s kind of groovy, I really can’t get behind either BENEE or Gus’ voices here. BENEE’s is heavily layered with autotune, and Gus’ is… not. One of my least favourite lines is “I been lonely by the way” near the end. No, I don’t know why, I just really hate it every time I hear it. Yeah, not a great song.

Coming in at #23, we have the remix of a Jay Sean song, Ride It, by Regard. I don’t love this. The pitched-down vocals really don’t sound that good, and if I were him, I definitely would’ve pitched them up, even if that would’ve sounded a little high… or you know, just change the key, and make it not that low. What I don’t like is that this was such an easy fix, but he went with the pitched-down vocals anyways. Although this is undoubtedly catchy, the production just really doesn’t do it for me. In the original or this, really. I’d rather this not be a hit… even though it already is… hold on. Just ignore me for a second while I go and have a crisis.

This next song at #22 came out a few weeks ago, and I’d say it still holds up, although not as good. Stuck with U by Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber really just got overshadowed by Rain On Me, I feel. This was for charity, and although it’s an incredible vocal performance from both artists, it being one of Justin’s best, this feels a little forgettable. I mean, just a few weeks ago, it was a huge release, and after a week, I kind of forgot it existed. We’ll see how it does here, since this is still fairly early in its run, and I’d honestly be fine if it was a hit.

My new least favourite countdown song, just outside of the top 20, we have death bed by Powfu and beabadoobee. It’s pretty obvious why this isn’t great, it’s the same two lines repeated over and over again by beabadoobee with some mediocre rapping overtop of it by Powfu. That’s right. OVERTOP of the two lines. They don’t just bring it back in the chorus, in which case I’d like it a whole lot better, no. He raps overtop of it. Also, for some weird reason, Hits 1 edited it so it sounds like a breakup… which makes it a whole lot worse, because it loses the half-decent writing that it had. Yeah, this isn’t great.

At #20, we have one of the five non-hits left on the countdown. It comes from Alec Benjamin’s new album, These Two Windows, and it’s called Oh My God. This is just your typical Alec Benjamin song, with his high unemotional voice, and it’s just a really boring song. I feel like a lot of his stuff is just underwhelming, and the production leaves a lot to be desired. I think if he collaborated with a DJ it would turn out really well. No? Tell me what you think of that idea.

The third of five non-hits, (the first being CITY OF ANGELS), at #19 we have me & ur ghost by blackbear. I’m really surprised this outlasted hot girl bummer, because that song was a much bigger hit than this. Overall, I think this song’s more boring than hot girl bummer. It’s much different, being kind of chill, but I preferred hot girl bummer’s upbeat vibe. The production actually leaves quite a bit to be desired. I find it odd that it’s still here, but whatever.

Coming right up in at #18, we have the new Marshmello song with HalseyBe Kind. I predicted this would be the song of the summer, and I’m officially stepping away from that prediction. Although I think it had potential to be that, it didn’t score as well as I thought it would. Halsey actually sounds quite good, and compared to the singles from Manic, this is much better. There’s no drop, but Marsh’s production is noticeable, and pretty good. This is a really good song.

Next up, we have a song that re-entered (which I think is another reason they shortened the countdown) called Falling by Trevor Daniel. I don’t like this song. Although the song’s catchy, and the production’s fine I guess, I really don’t like his voice. It brings down this song so much. In the pre-chorus, the pitched-up background vocals really don’t sound that good. I really wish this wasn’t a hit, but it is, so oh well.

At #16, we have Twenty One Pilots with Level of Concern. I think this song’s decently forgettable, because I constantly forget about it, but I still really like this song. Tyler Joseph’s unique vocals really shine here, and the production is pretty great. It’s not that catchy, but I really like the chorus. TOP’s sound is always unique and cool, so this is good. Better than most of the singles from Trench.

My personal favourite countdown song, In Your Eyes dropped five spots this week. I listened to the other In Your Eyes, by Robin Schulz and Alida, and it’s also good. But this song’s great. The only reason I like it better than Blinding Lights right now is because it’s newer. It gives off a bit of the same vibe, but also a bit of a different vibe, because the saxophone actually adds a lot to the 80s-type production. Abel’s vocals are really good, and I hope this becomes just as big a hit as Blinding Lights. Although I doubt it will.

I was actually kind of scared that Intentions by Justin Bieber and Quavo survived this, but I guess Hits 1’s finally accepted that this is a hit. I’ve almost always been a fan of Justin’s vocals, and this is no exception. This is extremely catchy, and is for sure a step up from Yummy. I think the production’s actually really cool here, and Quavo’s voice is honestly decent. Overall, this is a great hit.

Back up at #13, we have our current #1 on the Hunger Games Countdown, Sunday Best by Surfaces. This is such a fun song, and although I didn’t like it at first, I quite love it now. The guy’s voice honestly doesn’t sound that bad, and has become a lot more tolerable. This song is really catchy, upbeat, and just a ton of fun, which I don’t think anyone could hate. There’s no way these guys are getting another hit, but this is good in the meantime.

Another one of the non-hits here, at #12 surprisingly, we have Midnight by Alesso and Liam Payne. I’m actually really glad this is up in the top 20. It’s pretty fantastic. Liam’s voice is the best it’s ever been, and Alesso’s production is pretty good, especially the drop. I don’t have much else to say here, except that it’s really good.

JP Saxe and Julia Michaels come in at #11 with If the World Was Ending. This song’s kind of boring if I’m being honest. JP’s voice isn’t great, and I can almost fall asleep listening to it. But other than that, it’s not terrible.

Starting off the top 10, we have the biggest drop this week, dropping from #2, Maniac by Conan Gray. I consider this a hit, despite it having not charted on the Hot 100 yet, although I think it will soon. This is a really upbeat song, and it’s pretty catchy. Conan’s voice sounds pretty good, and I was really surprised to find out he didn’t have an accent. I sincerely thought he was British. This probably didn’t deserve to be #2 here… but whatever, I’m not complaining.

I’d say this next song at #9 is fairly new here, The Bones by Maren Morris. This is the biggest country song right now, and for good reason. Maren Morris actually sounds spectacular in this song. Like, just really really good. The song’s really catchy, and I find it surprisingly suitable for a pop audience. This is better than her last three songs that have been on Hits 1, GIRLRich and The Middle. This is a fantastic song that deserves to be even higher than this.

Six non-hits? Ah shoot, I counted wrong. Okay, Hits 1 is still fine. Of course, it’s 5SOS with Old Me at #8. This is alright. It’s not bad, but it’s not good either. It’s really forgettable and kind of boring. I also think the clean version interrupts the flow of this song. So yeah, this isn’t great.

At #7, we have I Love Me by Demi Lovato. Meh. This song’s alright. I for sure lost interest in it since its Hit-Bound debut. It’s definitely better than Anyone, but not as good as I’m Ready, which we lost this week. This song feels boring, and suffers from the exact same problems as Old Me.

I was really surprised this next song didn’t hit the top 5, since it got re-released last week. Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles is #6, and I forgot how much I liked this song because of the weird run it had. It’s really catchy, and the production is fantastic here. Harry actually sounds really good here, and I have no doubt that this will hit #1 here. Actually, I think it has a really good shot at hitting the top 5 on the Hot 100.

Starting the top 5, we have Say So by Doja Cat. This song is extremely annoying. I’ve heard it way too much, and I really don’t like this at all anyways. Her voice in the chorus honestly isn’t great, compared to Like That, and the rapping still isn’t good. Although the song’s really groovy, and the production is admittedly pretty good, her vocals bring this down a lot for me, and the sheer repetitiveness of it also brings it down.

At #4, we have Lewis Capaldi’s second slow hit, Before You Go. It’s taking a really long time, but I can definitely see it in the top 5 on the Hot 100 in the next few weeks. I honestly don’t hate Lewis’ voice, and although it’s a bit gravelly, I don’t think it’s a turn-off, I think it actually adds quite a bit of charm to his voice. The writing’s fantastic in this song, being about one of his friends who took his own life, and it’s also really catchy. I’d love to see this be the song that dethrones Blinding Lights whenever that may happen.

A top 5 debut this week, Break My Heart by Dua Lipa comes in at #3. This song’s really groovy, and for sure better than Don’t Start Now, which left this week. Dua sounds really good, and the chorus is really great.

Niall Horan’s No Judgement hits #2 this week, and this is another forgettable song that’s only here because Hits 1 stans One Direction members. It’s alright. It’s slow, which I don’t really like, and it gets very boring at points. That being said, Niall’s vocals are still really good, so it doesn’t go in red, just blue for being boring.

And for the sixth week in a row at #1, we have Blinding Lights by The Weeknd. I could easily see this being the #1 of the year, and at this rate, it for sure could be. The cut this week might not help it, but I think it’ll still have a good shot. I’ve already explained why I like this countless times, so I don’t really feel the need to again, but I hope it stays at #1 even longer.

Biggest DROP!!!: Maniac - Conan Gray (-8)

Biggest Jump: Intentions - Justin Bieber/Quavo (+16)

Full Countdown Ranking

0 - Crap:
#30: death bed (coffee for your head) - Powfu/beabadoobee
#29: Supalonely - BENEE/Gus Dapperton
#28: Falling - Trevor Daniel

1 - Bad:
#27: Say So - Doja Cat
#26: Ride It - Regard

2 - Mediocre:
#25: If the World Was Ending - JP Saxe/Julia Michaels
#24: Old Me - 5 Seconds of Summer
#23: me & ur ghost - blackbear
#22: No Judgement - Niall Horan
#21: Oh My God - Alec Benjamin

3 - Decent:
#20: I Love Me - Demi Lovato
#19: Like That - Doja Cat/Gucci Mane

4 - Good:
#18: Maniac - Conan Gray
#17: Roses (Remix) - SAINt JHN/Imanbek
#16: Stuck with U - Ariana Grande/Justin Bieber
#15: Break My Heart - Dua Lipa
#14: Level of Concern - Twenty One Pilots

5 - Great:
#13: Before You Go - Lewis Capaldi
#12: Be Kind - Marshmello/Halsey
#11: X - Jonas Brothers/KAROL G
#10: RITMO - Black Eyed Peas/J Balvin
#9: Intentions - Justin Bieber/Quavo
#8: Watermelon Sugar - Harry Styles
#7: Blinding Lights - The Weeknd
#6: Rain On Me - Lady Gaga/Ariana Grande
#5: Midnight - Alesso/Liam Payne
#4: CITY OF ANGELS - 24kGoldn
#3: Sunday Best - Surfaces
#2: The Bones - Maren Morris
#1: In Your Eyes - The Weeknd

Overall Score: 103/150 = 69%

5 Oldest Songs
#5: Intentions - Justin Bieber/QuavoManiac - Conan GrayI Love Me - Demi LovatoWatermelon Sugar - Harry Styles & No Judgement - Niall Horan {12 weeks}
#4: me & ur ghost - blackbear {13 weeks}
#3: If the World Was Ending - JP Saxe/Julia Michaels & Blinding Lights - The Weeknd {15 weeks}
#2: Before You Go - Lewis Capaldi {17 weeks}
#1: Say So - Doja Cat {21 weeks}

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Lose Somebody - Kygo/OneRepublic

My Favourite Song Last Year: Power is Power - The Weeknd/Travis Scott/SZA

My Least Favourite Song Last Year: bad guy - Billie Eilish

Hit-Bound
If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know) - The 1975 [6*]
Together - Sia [2*]
the other girl - Kelsea Ballerini/Halsey [3; 2nd time*]
I Hope - Gabby Barrett/Charlie Puth [6***]
The Box - Roddy Ricch [2]
Let’s Fall in Love for the Night - FINNEAS [2*]
Heartless - Diplo/Julia Michaels/Morgan Wallen [2*]
Toosie Slide - Drake [9*]
Daisies - Katy Perry [3*]
Blueberry Faygo - Lil Mosey [6*]
Bang! - AJR [5]
Kings & Queens - Ava Max [6*]
Savage (Remix) - Megan Thee Stallion/Beyoncé [4*]
Moral of the Story - Ashe [4; 2nd time]
100 Ways - Jackson Wang [6*]

Also Available For Vote
17 - Pink Sweat$ [10]

We only got one Hit-Bound song this week, that being a re-entry, that being 17 by Pink Sweat$. This song’s kind of forgettable, but whatever, I guess it’s here.

Oh yeah, also, we lost two Hit-Bound songs this week, Lay Your Head On Me and Bad ChildLYHOM was alright, but I lost interest in it, and Bad Child was good.

Hit-Bound Ranking

0 - Crap:
#16: Daisies - Katy Perry

1 - Bad:
#15: If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know) - The 1975

2 - Mediocre:
#14: 100 Ways - Jackson Wang
#13: Moral of the Story - Ashe
#12: 17 - Pink Sweat$

3 - Decent:
#11: Toosie Slide - Drake
#10: Together - Sia

4 - Good:
#9: Savage (Remix) - Megan Thee Stallion/Beyoncé

5 - Great:
#8: the other girl - Kelsea Ballerini/Halsey
#7: Kings & Queens - Ava Max
#6: Let’s Fall in Love for the Night - FINNEAS
#5: Blueberry Faygo - Lil Mosey
#4: I Hope - Gabby Barrett/Charlie Puth
#3: Bang! - AJR
#2: The Box - Roddy Ricch
#1: Heartless - Diplo/Julia Michaels/Morgan Wallen

Overall Score: 57/80 = 71%

How Hits 1 Songs Are Doing on the Hot 100
#1: Savage (Remix) - Megan Thee Stallion/Beyoncé
#2: Say So - Doja Cat/Nicki Minaj
#3: Blinding Lights - The Weeknd
#5: Toosie Slide - Drake
#7: The Box - Roddy Ricch
#8: Don’t Start Now - Dua Lipa
#9: Intentions - Justin Bieber/Quavo
#10: Circles - Post Malone
#12: Adore You - Harry Styles
#13: Stuck with U - Ariana Grande/Justin Bieber
#14: The Bones - Maren Morris
#15: Roses (Remix) - SAINt JHN/Imanbek
#17: Blueberry Faygo - Lil Mosey
#19: I Hope - Gabby Barrett
#20: Someone You Loved - Lewis Capaldi
#21: Falling - Trevor Daniel
#25: My Oh My - Camila Cabello/DaBaby
#26: Sunday Best - Surfaces
#27: everything i wanted - Billie Eilish
#29: death bed (coffee for your head) - Powfu/beabadoobee
#31: Memories - Maroon 5
#33: X - Jonas Brothers/KAROL G
#36: Before You Go - Lewis Capaldi
#39: Break My Heart - Dua Lipa
#40: Daisies - Katy Perry
#41: RITMO - Black Eyed Peas/J Balvin
#43: Be Kind - Marshmello/Halsey
#45: Supalonely - BENEE/Gus Dapperton
#46: hot girl bummer - blackbear
#47: Dance Monkey - Tones And I
#50: Heartless - Diplo/Morgan Wallen
#58: In Your Eyes - The Weeknd
#64: Watermelon Sugar - Harry Styles
#66: Level of Concern - Twenty One Pilots
#73: If the World Was Ending - JP Saxe/Julia Michaels
#74: Ride It - Regard

Top 10 on the Hunger Games Countdown
#10: YOU CAN’T HOLD MY HEART - Monsta X
#9: I’m Ready - Sam Smith/Demi Lovato
#8: Slow Dance - AJ Mitchell/Ava Max
#7: Put A Little Love On Me - Niall Horan
#6: Teeth - 5 Seconds of Summer
#5: Level of Concern - Twenty One Pilots
#4: Falling - Trevor Daniel
#3: Yummy - Justin Bieber
#2: ROXANNE - Arizona Zervas
#1: Sunday Best - Surfaces

Top 10 If the Countdown Made Sense
#10: Break My Heart - Dua Lipa
#9: Before You Go - Lewis Capaldi
#8: death bed (coffee for your head) - Powfu/beabadoobee
#7: Stuck with U - Ariana Grande/Justin Bieber
#6: Sunday Best - Surfaces
#5: Falling - Trevor Daniel
#4: The Bones - Maren Morris
#3: Intentions - Justin Bieber/Quavo
#2: Blinding Lights - The Weeknd
#1: Say So - Doja Cat

Kwaheri, everybody! See you all soon.

If the Countdown Made Sense: Week of May 30, 2020 - Doja Cat (3)

Hey, I figured I'd do this anyways, with a few minor changes.

1. The countdown is now only 30 songs
2. A song can not be more than 15 spots away from where it is on the countdown
3. A song that's already left the countdown can not be higher than #26
4. A Hit-Bound song cannot be higher than #11

Songs We're Saying Goodbye To
You should be sad - Halsey (#45) [#23]
I'm Ready - Sam Smith/Demi Lovato (#44) [#17]
The Man - Taylor Swift (#43) [#27]
Stupid Love - Lady Gaga (#42) [#10]
Modern Loneliness - Lauv (#41) [#37]
Ride It - Regard (#40) [#36]
Heartless - Diplo/Julia Michaels/Morgan Wallen (#39) [#39]
Dance Monkey - Tones And I (#38) [#14]
Oh My God - Alec Benjamin (#37) [#37]
Memories - Maroon 5 (#36) [#11]
me & ur ghost - blackbear (#34) [#34]
Level of Concern - Twenty One Pilots (#33) [#10]
everything i wanted - Billie Eilish (#32) [#6]
Someone You Loved - Lewis Capaldi (#31) [#8]
hot girl bummer - blackbear (#23) [#9]
Roses (Remix) - SAINt JHN/Imanbek (#17) [#14]
Adore You - Harry Styles (#14) [#3]
My Oh My - Camila Cabello (#6) [#6]

Last Week's #1: Say So - Doja Cat (2)

#30: In Your Eyes - The Weeknd (-) [#22] {-15}
#29: Circles - Post Malone (-22) [#3] {N/A}
#28: Don't Start Now - Dua Lipa (-25) [#2] {N/A}
#27: Midnight - Alesso/Liam Payne (RE-ENTRY) [#27] {-15} *new peak*
#26: If the World Was Ending - JP Saxe/Julia Michaels (+9) [#26] {-15} *new peak*
#25: Maniac - Conan Gray (-3) [#22] {-15}
#24: Supalonely - BENEE/Gus Dapperton (+2) [#24] {-} *new peak*
#23: Old Me - 5 Seconds of Summer (+6) [#23] {-15} *new peak*
#22: I Love Me - Demi Lovato (+6) [#16] {-15}
#21: Watermelon Sugar - Harry Styles (+6) [#21] {-15} *new peak*
#20: Be Kind - Marshmello/Halsey (+1) [#16] {-2}
#19: RITMO - Black Eyed Peas/J Balvin (-) [#17] {+6}
#18: Daisies - Katy Perry (DEBUT) [#18] {N/A}
#17: No Judgement - Niall Horan (+7) [#17] {-15} *new peak*
#16: X - Jonas Brothers/KAROL G (DEBUT) [#16] {+10}
#15: I Hope - Gabby Barrett/Charlie Puth (+1) [#12] {N/A}
#14: Blueberry Faygo - Lil Mosey (+1) [#12] {N/A}
#13: The Box - Roddy Ricch (-) [#13] {N/A}
#12: Toosie Slide - Drake (-) [#11] {N/A}
#11: Savage (Remix) - Megan Thee Stallion/Beyoncé (-) [#11] {N/A}
#10: Break My Heart - Dua Lipa (+10) [#10] {-7} *new peak*
#9: Before You Go - Lewis Capaldi (+16) [#9] {-5} *new peak*
#8: death bed (coffee for your head) - Powfu/beabadoobee (+10) [#8] {+13} *new peak*
#7: Stuck with U - Ariana Grande/Justin Bieber (-2) [#5] {+15}
#6: Sunday Best - Surfaces (+3) [#6] {+7} *new peak*
#5: Falling - Trevor Daniel (+3) [#5] {+12} *new peak*
#4: The Bones - Maren Morris (-) [#4] {+5}
#3: Intentions - Justin Bieber/Quavo (+7) [#3] {+11} *new peak*
#2: Blinding Lights - The Weeknd (-) [5 weeks at #1] {-1}
#1: Say So - Doja Cat (-) [3rd week at #1] {+4}

Biggest DROP!!!: Circles - Post Malone (-22)

Biggest Jump: Before You Go - Lewis Capaldi (+16)


Hit-Bound
Bang! - AJR [1]
CITY OF ANGELS - 24kGoldn [1]
Heartless - Diplo/Julia Michaels/Morgan Wallen [1]
If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know) - The 1975 [1]
Kings & Queens - Ava Max [1]
Let's Fall in Love for the Night - FINNEAS [1]
Level of Concern - Twenty One Pilots [1]
Like That - Doja Cat/Gucci Mane [1]
me & ur ghost - blackbear [1]
Moral of the Story - Ashe [1]
Oh My God - Alec Benjamin [1]
Rain On Me - Lady Gaga/Ariana Grande [1]
Ride It - Regard [1]
Roses (Remix) - SAINt JHN/Imanbek [1]
the other girl - Kelsea Ballerini/Halsey [1]
Together - Sia [1]
17 - Pink Sweat$ [1]
100 Ways - Jackson Wang [1]

Kwaheri, everybody! See you all... um... yesterday?

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