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

Hey guys! Not too much happened this week. But at least the post is out earlier than last week. Hopefully, I'll have time this week to review the America's Got Talent finals. Performances air tonight and the results are tomorrow night. Maybe I'll even talk about some of my favorite acts that made it to the live shows (but not the finals) to make up for all the skipped posts. I'm not entirely sure yet. But that'll be determined sometime this week depending on my workload. Before we get to this week's Fresh 45, here are the songs we're saying goodbye to this week.

• DJ Khaled/Rihanna/Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts (#43)

Last Week's #1 Song: Shawn Mendes – There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back

The Countdown

45. Calvin Harris/Pharrell/Katy Perry – Feels (#39)

44. AJR – Weak (#28)

43. The Chainsmokers/Halsey – Closer (#45) [8 Weeks At #1]

42. Julia Michaels – Issues (#44)

41. Bruno Mars – That's What I Like (#41) [1 Week At #1]

40. Linkin Park/Kiiara – Heavy (#42)

39. Lady Gaga – The Cure (#38)

38. The All-American Rejects – Sweat (DEBUT)

37. MAX/Gnash – Lights Down Low (#26)

36. Fall Out Boy – Champion (#31)

35. Kygo/Selena Gomez – It Ain't Me (#36)

34. Panic! At The Disco – L.A. Devotee (#33)

33. Hailee Steinfeld – Most Girls (#24)

32. All Time Low – Good Times (#29)

31. The Chainsmokers – Honest (#25)

30. Ed Sheeran – Shape Of You (#27) [9 Weeks At #1]

29. Bruno Mars/David Guetta – Versace On The Floor (#30)

28. Andy Grammer – Give Love (#37)

27. Justin Bieber/BloodPop – Friends (#32)

26. Harry Styles – Two Ghosts (#40)

25. Halsey – Bad At Love (#34)

24. Linkin Park – One More Light (#6)

23. Hey Violet – Hoodie (#21)

22. Maroon 5/SZA – What Lovers Do (#23)

21. Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee/Justin Bieber – Despacito (#22)

20. Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill (#11) [3 Weeks At #1]

19. Louis Tomlinson/Bebe Rexha/Digital Farm Animals – Back To You (#18)

18. P!nk – What About Us (#15)

17. Cheat Codes/Demi Lovato – No Promises (#16)

16. Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still (#35)

15. Macklemore/Skylar Grey – Glorious (#20)

14. Imagine Dragons – Thunder (#17)

13. Charlie Puth – Attention (#14) [1 Week At #1]

12. Zedd/Alessia Cara – Stay (#10) [4 Weeks At #1]

11. Kesha – Praying (#13)

10. Mono Mind – Save Me A Place (#12)

  9. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do (#10)

  8. Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road (#3)

  7. The Chainsmokers/Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#5) [3 Weeks At #1]

  6. Imagine Dragons – Believer (#8) [3 Weeks At #1]

  5. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry (#9)

  4. Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl (#19)

  3. Liam Payne – Strip That Down (#2)

  2. Shawn Mendes – There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back (#1) [5 Weeks At #1]

  1. Niall Horan – Slow Hands (#4) [2^nd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers/Daya – Don't Let Me Down

Biggest DROP!!!... Of The Week: Linkin Park – One More Light (–18)

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

New Entrants
~ Our lone new entrant this week consists of the return of The All-American Rejects after a few years with Sweat. I've enjoyed these guys' music for quite a while now and I would consider myself a fan. Move Along was an enjoyable album and had three fantastic singles. If I'm being totally honest, Sweat wasn't that great at first listen. But it's a perfect example of a song that takes several listens to get into it. Now I actually really like it. The vocals are on point, even in the chorus with the continuous shouting of "sweat." For some reason, I find that enjoyable. I really like the instrumentation and the production, especially in the chorus. Not to mention that awesome guitar solo right before the final chorus. Overall, I find it quite enjoyable. It's catchy and it brings a great amount of energy to this countdown. This is the kind of music I personally want to hear more of. I love it, so I hope it does well.


Hit-Bound
~ Here is the Hit-Bound list:

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

~ Ed Sheeran debuts this week with Perfect. This is probably the best single off of Divide so far. Everything about it is amazing, from the lyrical content to Ed Sheeran's vocals. I'll talk more about it when it debuts. But fun fact: Ed Sheeran actually had a concert this past weekend near where I live as part of his current tour. I would've loved to have gone, but I couldn't get my hands on any tickets. Oh well.

~ Next we have Dua Lipa debuting with New Rules. You may know her from Martin Garrix's track Scared To Be Lonely from earlier this year, which made it somewhat big. This new song is very catchy. I think Dua Lipa has a great voice and she shows it well on this song. I would like to see this song do well on Hits 1.

Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks

1. Zayn/Sia – Dusk Till Dawn

2. Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso/F.G.L./watt – Let Me Go

3. Ed Sheeran – Perfect

4. The Script – Rain

5. Dua Lipa – New Rules

What Blurbers Do

~ Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl is already in the Top 5 on its third week. I totally wouldn't mind see this song at the top soon. It's currently the best song in the Top 5 and I would much rather see this at the top spot than our #3 and #5.

~ Imagine Dragons – Believer is still cruising around the Top 10. Most people are probably sick of it by now. But I have to say, this song isn't as bad now as it was when it first debuted. I have grown slightly into it. Not enough for it to change to blue. But I'd say enough to eliminate any chances of it appearing in my Bottom 10 songs of the year.

~ Mono Mind – Save Me A Place is already in the Top 10 on week #3, which I'm very happy about. It's unlike any song I've ever heard and I'm glad that it's been pretty successful on this countdown so far. It deserves this kind of recognition.

~ I did not think Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still would already have the Biggest Jump of the Week on its second week. But I'm pretty happy about. It's arguably the best debut from last week. So it's nice to see it already doing well here.

~ I have given What Lovers Do repeated listens this past week. Now I don't know what to think of it. It's kind of boring, but kind of catchy at the same time. So right now I don't know. But don't be surprised if this changes to blue or maybe even green within a week or two. It seems to be one of those grower tracks similar to The All-American Rejects – Sweat.

~ Linkin Park – One More Light took quite a fall this week. I guess it was nice while it lasted. But seriously. A song that makes almost everyone think of Chester should not drop so much so suddenly. Let it slowly fade over time. It is a little saddening though because I had started to really enjoy it a couple of weeks ago. But I guess this is what happens when you bring in a non-official single.

~ We have five songs dropping out of the Top 30 this week. Four of them are good, but I wouldn't be heartbroken if they left one of these upcoming weeks. But the fifth one that is currently sitting at #44 deserved to drop. I've been waiting months for this to happen. Now let's get it off the countdown for good.

~ Calvin Harris/Pharrell/Katy Perry – Feels has now officially fallen to the bottom of the countdown. Quite saddening, but at least it did somewhat well here. Hopefully it doesn't leave just yet. I'd appreciate if it'd just hang around for a little while longer.

~ Our one exit this week is a little saddening. I do believe that Wild Thoughts was Top 10 worthy. It's been one of the biggest songs in the country the past couple of months, yet it did poorly here. I'm not too surprised considering Hits 1 has a tendency to underrate songs that many would consider to be overrated everywhere else. But whatever. At least it was here for a little while.

Top 20 Review

0 – Crap:

20. Liam Payne – Strip That Down

1 – Bad:

19. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry

2 – Mediocre:

18. Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road

17. Imagine Dragons – Believer

3 – Decent:

16. Zedd/Alessia Cara – Stay

4 – Good:

NONE

5 – Great:

15. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do

14. Charlie Puth – Attention

13. Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill

12. Imagine Dragons – Thunder

11. Shawn Mendes – There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back

10. Niall Horan – Slow Hands

9. Cheat Codes/Demi Lovato – No Promises

8. Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl

7. The Chainsmokers/Coldplay – Something Just Like This

6. Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still

5. Louis Tomlinson/Bebe Rexha – Back To You

4. Macklemore/Skylar Grey – Glorious

3. Kesha – Praying

2. Mono Mind – Save Me A Place

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:

1. P!nk – What About Us

Total Score: 84/100 = 84% (B)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Cobra Starship/Sabi – You Make Me Feel...

Most Missed Countdown Song: Neon Trees – Sleeping With A Friend

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Logic/Alessia Cara/Khalid – 1-800-273-8255

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Coldplay – Hymn For The Weekend (#10)

My Top 5 Picks

1. P!nk – What About Us
2. Mono Mind – Save Me A Place
3. Kesha – Praying
4. Macklemore/Skylar Grey – Glorious
5. The All-American Rejects – Sweat

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

Hey guys! I apologize for the late post. I was pretty busy these past few days and there was a lot to talk about this week. As far as America's Got Talent goes, I've decided I will not be posting anymore reviews for this season. Maybe I'll review the finals, which take place next week. But I'm just way too far behind. So I apologize to those that enjoyed reading them. But I think it's for the better. Before we get to this week's Fresh 45, here are the songs we're saying goodbye to this week.

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

Last Week's #1 Song: Niall Horan – Slow Hands

The Countdown

45. The Chainsmokers/Halsey – Closer (#38) [8 Weeks At #1]

44. Julia Michaels – Issues (#44)

43. DJ Khaled/Rihanna/Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts (#40)

42. Linkin Park/Kiiara – Heavy (#37)

41. Bruno Mars – That's What I Like (#42) [1 Week At #1]

40. Harry Styles – Two Ghosts (DEBUT)

39. Calvin Harris/Pharrell/Katy Perry – Feels (#22)

38. Lady Gaga – The Cure (#39)

37. Andy Grammer – Give Love (DEBUT)

36. Kygo/Selena Gomez – It Ain't Me (#28)

35. Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still (DEBUT)

34. Halsey – Bad At Love (DEBUT)

33. Panic! At The Disco – L.A. Devotee (#29)

32. Justin Bieber/BloodPop – Friends (DEBUT)

31. Fall Out Boy – Champion (#16)

30. Bruno Mars/David Guetta – Versace On The Floor (#30)

29. All Time Low – Good Times (#14)

28. AJR – Weak (#27)

27. Ed Sheeran – Shape Of You (#21)

26. MAX/Gnash – Lights Down Low (#15)

25. The Chainsmokers – Honest (#24)

24. Hailee Steinfeld – Most Girls (#11)

23. Maroon 5/SZA – What Lovers Do (DEBUT)

22. Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee/Justin Bieber – Despacito (#32)

21. Hey Violet – Hoodie (#25)

20. Macklemore/Skylar Grey – Glorious (#20)

19. Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl (#31)

18. Louis Tomlinson/Bebe Rexha/Digital Farm Animals – Back To You (#19)

17. Imagine Dragons – Thunder (#26)

16. Cheat Codes/Demi Lovato – No Promises (#34)

15. P!nk – What About Us (#17)

14. Charlie Puth – Attention (#6) [1 Week At #1]

13. Kesha – Praying (#23)

12. Mono Mind – Save Me A Place (#18)

11. Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill (#10) [3 Weeks At #1]

10. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do (#13)

  9. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry (#12)

  8. Imagine Dragons – Believer (#8) [3 Weeks At #1]

  7. Zedd/Alessia Cara – Stay (#7) [4 Weeks At #1]

  6. Linkin Park – One More Light (#5)

  5. The Chainsmokers/Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#9) [3 Weeks At #1]

  4. Niall Horan – Slow Hands (#1) [1 Week At #1]

  3. Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road (#3)

  2. Liam Payne – Strip That Down (#2)

  1. Shawn Mendes – There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back (#4) [5^th Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: The Chainsmokers/Daya – Don't Let Me Down

Biggest DROP!!!... Of The Week: Calvin Harris/Pharrell/Katy Perry – Feels (–17)

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

New Entrants
~ First up, we have Harry Styles returning with Two Ghosts. I wouldn't say it's as good as Sign Of The Times. But it still shows what Harry is capable of. I love how he's branching out into this genre of music. It's a lot more alternative and rock. So he gets my respect for going this route while every other One Direction member continued going pop. This is the kind of song I would listen to when probably trying to relax. There's no big production here. It's just a couple of instruments and Styles' voice, which all sound really good. I don't think it'll get big because this station isn't exactly one with this kind of music unfortunately. But we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

~ Next we have Andy Grammer with Give Love. Hits 1 omitted LunchMoney Lewis from the track, which I'm perfectly fine with. His part did nothing for me. I had a little bit of bumpy ride with this song. It's catchy, but that's about it. There's nothing about it that will make it stick. It will easily be forgotten a few months after it leaves. At least that's what I think. It's by no means a bad song. But it's not as good as some of his previous work. Maybe I'll grow into it, maybe not. I'll give it a few more listens and I'll get back to you guys if anything changes.

~ Next is Portugal. The Man breaking out of Alt Nation into the more mainstream stations with Feel It Still. I did find this song a bit mediocre at first listen. But after more listens, it's grown on me. It's still nothing amazing, but it's enjoyable at the very least. It's very catchy. Overall, I think it's a good song. I would like to see it do well on here.

~ Replacing herself on the countdown, we have Halsey with Bad At Love. I think this is a huge step up from Now Or Never. This is the kind of song I want to hear from Halsey. She has a very good voice and I'm glad she actually showed it off in this song as opposed to Now Or Never, which was very boring partially because of the vocals. This song isn't as underwhelming. It's a good song. It's probably not going to make my Top 45 of the year. But it's still something I can enjoy for a little while.

~ Next we have Justin Bieber along with one of the producers from his 2015/2016 hit, Sorry. This track is called Friends and it's essentially about Justin wanting to still be friends with his ex. I think the lyrical content is good. The vocals are very good. Justin is a very good singer. I'm not head-over-heels in love with the drop. But that aside, it's a good song. I'm sure people are pretty sick of Bieber at the moment after his guest appearance on Despacito helped it dominate on the Billboard Hot 100 for a solid 16 weeks. But I'm enjoying this song and I surprisingly still enjoy Despacito. I hope it does well.

~ Finally we have Maroon 5 with the highest debut of the week up at #23. As someone that's been a Maroon 5 fan for the longest time, this is pretty disappointing. I'll admit, the verses are okay and I like what SZA had to contribute. But the rest of the song just fell flat in my opinion. The chorus is underwhelming. We really don't need to hear Adam Levine's falsetto for an entire chorus. Overall, I think the song is boring. It's in red, but I guess you can say it's borderline blue. It's not an awful song by any means. But it's just disappointing considering that they've been one of my personal favorite bands.


Hit-Bound
~ Here is the Hit-Bound list:

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

~ First we have Taylor Swift debuting with ...Ready For It?, which is NOT an official single. Me personally, I think this song is a lot better than Look What You Made Me Do. After listening to this song, Look What You Made Me Do got a bit more mediocre. But that's just me. I feel like there's more going on in this track. I like the production and the vocals are pretty good as well. Still nowhere near Taylor Swift's best work. But it's enjoyable.

~ Why Don't We – Something Different has a cool vibe to it and I like the production. The chorus seems a little repetitive. But that aside, it's a good song.

~ Next up, we have Kelly Clarkson debuting with Love So Soft. This song seems very bland if I'm being honest. I'm not a fan of the production. I hate the way her voice cracks. It reminds me of Julia Michaels. I get that she's trying something different, but it just doesn't work for me. I feel like she hit her peak with the very emotional Piece By Piece and now Love So Soft is bringing her back down. This is all just my opinion though.

~ It's been about three years since we've heard from Sam Smith. Right off the bat, I don't think this is as good as Stay With Me. But one of the things I love about Sam Smith is that he sings with so much soul and emotion and that really shows on Too Good At Goodbyes. I can feel every word he sings. That being said, there's great lyrical content. All in all, it's a good song. Nothing amazing, but I can appreciate it for what it is.

~ Next we have Zayn featuring Sia with Dusk Till Dawn. This is probably one of the strangest, yet best collaborations of the year. I haven't been one with Zayn's music lately. But this song is perfection from start to end. Zayn sounds great during the verses and I love that exploding chorus where Zayn and Sia's vocals blend together and we get to hear what they're really capable of. This is a huge step up from Still Got Time and I hope it debuts soon.

~ Immediately following that, we have Hailee Steinfeld and Alesso debuting with Let Me Go. This track features Florida Georgia Line, making it another strange collab that works very well. I like the verses, but the chorus is what really grabs my attention. The vocals blend very nicely and the production is exceptional. I think Hailee Steinfeld manages to really show off her vocal capabilities on this song. It does seem a little bit like Starving 2.0, but I feel like Let Me Go has more to it that I can enjoy for a longer period of time. My only complaint is that it seems really short being less than three minutes. I really considered putting this song as my #1 pick this week. Though it may not be #1, it's a very close #2.

~ Finally, we have the return of The Script, who I've been a big fan of ever since I first heard Breakeven. Their new single, Rain, is definitely a different sound for them. But it's still something I can get into. I think the vocals could use a little more work. But what I think is amazing is that The Script have consistently impressed me with every single they've released, especially their lead singles. From Breakeven* and For The First Time to Hall Of Fame and Superheroes, this band really knows how to change up their sound while still appealing to fans like me.

*Breakeven is technically not a lead single. But it was the first song by them that I was exposed to.


Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Zayn/Sia – Dusk Till Dawn
2. Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso/F.G.L./watt – Let Me Go
3. The All-American Rejects – Sweat
4. The Script – Rain
5. Sam Smith – Too Good At Goodbyes


Bad At Blurbs
~ So Shawn Mendes is back at #1. Perfectly fine with me as long as it blocks out Strip That Down. And hey, I still have an excuse to look up pictures of him.

~ Nothing really changes in the Top 5 except for us welcoming back Something Just Like This. I wouldn't mind this song staying within the Top 10 for another couple of months. Though I'm sure people that are just sick of The Chainsmokers overall would disagree.

~ As far as our Top 10 entrants go, Sorry Not Sorry was destined to hit the Top 10 at some point. I'm also not surprised that Look What You Made Me Do is already in the Top 10. I actually thought it'd be higher. But whatever.

~ Jumping into the Top 15 this week, we have Kesha – Praying. I still adore this song, so I hope it can jump into the Top 10 sometime soon. It's easily one of the best songs on here.

~ And just like that, Hailee Steinfeld – Most Girls is back out of the Top 20. This song has been slightly fading on me lately. So I wouldn't mind if it continued to drop. But if it jumps back into the Top 20, I wouldn't mind that either.

~ I can't help but notice Spyder Harrison saying that Fall Out Boy – Champion had the Biggest DROP!!!!... of the Week when it actually didn't. Get your facts right, Spyder. That aside, I'm a little sad by this drop. But depending on how the rest of the year goes, it might be able to make my Top 45 of the year.

~ I'm also not very happy about the actual biggest DROP!!!... of the week. Feels might not be in my Top 5 picks at the moment. But it's still one of my personal favorite songs at the moment. The production and all the vocals are just on point and I'm sad that it couldn't even make it into the Top 10. But I'm grateful for how long it was here.

~ As far as our exits go, Mercy and Just Hold On both had pretty good countdown runs. I still like them, but I don't mind seeing them go. Now Or Never and Uh Huh both deserved to go. It's about damn time. That leaves us with two songs. Play That Song lasted much longer than I thought it would. Yet somehow, I never got sick of it. It was a good song while it lasted. You will somewhat be missed by me. Finally, we have one of the contenders for worst song of the year. Bad Liar has finally left the countdown! The fact that people actually praised this song confuses me. But at least it's gone. You will certainly not be missed.


Top 20 Review
0 – Crap:
20. Liam Payne – Strip That Down

1 – Bad:
19. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry

2 – Mediocre:
18. Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road
17. Imagine Dragons – Believer

3 – Decent:
16. Zedd/Alessia Cara – Stay

4 – Good:
NONE

5 – Great:
15. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do
14. Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill
13. Shawn Mendes – There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back
12. Imagine Dragons – Thunder
11. Niall Horan – Slow Hands
10. Charlie Puth – Attention
9. Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl
8. Cheat Codes/Demi Lovato – No Promises
7. The Chainsmokers/Coldplay – Something Just Like This
6. Linkin Park – One More Light
5. Louis Tomlinson/Bebe Rexha – Back To You
4. Macklemore/Skylar Grey – Glorious
3. P!nk – What About Us
2. Kesha – Praying

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Mono Mind – Save Me A Place

Total Score: 84/100 = 84% (B)


Throwback Pick Of The Week: O.A.R. – Shattered (Turn The Car Around)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Ella Henderson – Ghost

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Logic/Alessia Cara/Khalid – 1-800-273-8255

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Coldplay – Hymn For The Weekend (#7)


My Top 5 Picks
1. Mono Mind – Save Me A Place
2. Kesha – Praying
3. P!nk – What About Us
4. Macklemore/Skylar Grey – Glorious
5. DJ Khaled/Rihanna/Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts

Niall Horan (1) – Week Of September 2, 2017

Wow. We are already in September. It feels like 2017 has really been flying by. It's crazy. Anyway, the countdown this week was pretty good for the most part. I hope everyone had a great Labor Day. There's not much else I have to say. So let's just get right into things. Before we get to this week's Fresh 45, here are the songs we're saying goodbye to this week.

• James Arthur – Say You Won't Let Go (#29)
• DJ Khaled/Justin Bieber/Chance The Rapper – I'm The One (#41)
• Hailee Steinfeld & Grey/Zedd – Starving (#42) [4 Weeks At #1]
• Childish Gambino – Redbone (#43)

Last Week's #1 Song: Charlie Puth – Attention

The Countdown

45. Selena Gomez – Bad Liar (#40)

44. Steve Aoki/Louis Tomlinson – Just Hold On (#45)

43. Julia Michaels – Issues (#44)

42. Bruno Mars – That's What I Like (#34) [1 Week At #1]

41. Train – Play That Song (#37)

40. DJ Khaled/Rihanna/Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts (#30)

39. Lady Gaga – The Cure (#38)

38. The Chainsmokers/Halsey – Closer (#39) [8 Weeks At #1]

37. Linkin Park/Kiiara – Heavy (#27)

36. Halsey – Now Or Never (#32)

35. Shawn Mendes – Mercy (#35)

34. Cheat Codes/Demi Lovato – No Promises (DEBUT)

33. Julia Michaels – Uh Huh (#31)

32. Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee/Justin Bieber – Despacito (#21)

31. Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl (DEBUT)

30. Bruno Mars/David Guetta – Versace On The Floor (#18)

29. Panic! At The Disco – L.A. Devotee (#11)

28. Kygo/Selena Gomez – It Ain't Me (#23)

27. AJR – Weak (#26)

26. Imagine Dragons – Thunder (#33)

25. Hey Violet – Hoodie (#28)

24. The Chainsmokers – Honest (#25)

23. Kesha – Praying (#20)

22. Calvin Harris/Pharrell/Katy Perry – Feels (#16)

21. Ed Sheeran – Shape Of You (#13) [9 Weeks At #1]

20. Macklemore/Skylar Grey – Glorious (#36)

19. Louis Tomlinson/Bebe Rexha/Digital Farm Animals – Back To You (#19)

18. Mono Mind – Save Me A Place (DEBUT)

17. P!nk – What About Us (#22)

16. Fall Out Boy – Champion (#15)

15. MAX/Gnash – Lights Down Low (#24)

14. All Time Low – Good Times (#17)

13. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do (DEBUT)

12. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry (#14)

11. Hailee Steinfeld – Most Girls (#12)

10. Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill (#6) [3 Weeks At #1]

  9. The Chainsmokers/Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#8) [3 Weeks At #1]

  8. Imagine Dragons – Believer (#2)

  7. Zedd/Alessia Cara – Stay (#10) [4 Weeks At #1]

  6. Charlie Puth – Attention (#1) [1 Week At #1]

  5. Linkin Park – One More Light (#9)

  4. Shawn Mendes – There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back (#3) [4 Weeks At #1]

  3. Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road (#4)

  2. Liam Payne – Strip That Down (#5)

  1. Niall Horan – Slow Hands (#7) [1^st Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Justin Timberlake – Can't Stop The Feeling

Biggest DROP!!!... Of The Week: Panic! At The Disco – L.A. Devotee (–18)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Macklemore/Skylar Grey – Glorious (+16)

New Entrants
~ I'm surprised Cheat Codes/Demi Lovato – No Promises managed to debut so quickly. I still think it's a good song even though it's been around for quite a while now. Both vocalists sound really good together. I like the production. The best part is probably the final chorus when we get to hear both of their voices blended together with the build-up in the background leading to the final drop. It's not an amazing song by any means. But I can appreciate it for what it is. One thing's for sure, it's better than Sorry Not Sorry.

~ Next we have Ed Sheeran debuting with Galway Girl. This is definitely a little bit of a different sound for him. It has this really cool folk vibe to it that's something I can definitely get into. Ed Sheeran really shows off what he's capable of vocally. I like the lyrical content. All in all, it's a really good song. My only complaint is that it's too short. But that aside, it's a great song and I hope it does well.

~ Being one of the two debuts in the Top 20, we have Mono Mind – Save Me A Place. I don't think words can explain how much I love this song. It has this awesome electronic vibe that catches my attention from the very start. I've never heard anything quite like this. I love the beat. The electronic effect on the vocals in the verses sound really cool. I love the way the female vocalist, who sounds a little bit like Ellie Goulding, comes in for the chorus followed by the whispering of "That's where I want to be." The production on this track is exceptional. Overall, I think it's a fantastic song that deserves this kind of recognition. For me, this is my favorite debut of the week. Hopefully it does well. But I don't think it'll have a problem with that after having debuted all the way up at #18.

~ Finally, we have the return of Taylor Swift all the way up at #13 with Look What You Made Me Do. I'll admit, I was pretty split on this at first listen. I didn't exactly get into it until the second and third listens. But even then, it's still not an amazing song. I've seen a lot of mixed reviews and I can 100% understand why someone might dislike this song because I'm 50/50 here. It has a good vibe. I like how it's a little darker than all her other songs. I love the pre-chorus. But the actual chorus seems a little underwhelming to me. It's very repetitive and there's no actual singing. It's probably the weakest out of all of her lead singles. The best part is the final build-up with the phone conversation where she says the old Taylor is dead. Overall, it really is not that great of a song. But there's just something about it that gets me hooked into it. I can't really explain it. It's catchy, but there's something about it that makes it appealing despite it being a very weak track. So I guess you could say I like this in more of a guilty pleasure kind of way. But it's one of those songs where I know I'm going to get sick of it pretty quickly. Hits 1 is obviously going to overplay it, so I guess I'll just have to live with it.

Oh and as far as the music video goes, the best part is easily the end.


Hit-Bound
Here is the Hit-Bound list:

• The All-American Rejects – Sweat
• Halsey – Bad At Love
• Rita Ora – Your Song
• Selena Gomez – Fetish
• Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still
• Sabrina Carpenter – Why
• Zedd/Liam Payne – Get Low
• Andy Grammer – Give Love
• Evaride – Heartless (DEBUT)
• Maroon 5/SZA – What Lovers Do (DEBUT)
• Justin Bieber/BloodPop – Friends
• Harry Styles – Two Ghosts
• PRETTYMUCH – Would You Mind

~ Maroon 5 are back. Normally, I would be excited about this. But they're music has been seriously going downhill lately. What Lovers Do is honestly just boring in my opinion. It doesn't have the same kind of energy as some of their older hits like Wake Up Call. Also, we really don't need to hear Adam Levine's falsetto for an entire chorus. It doesn't fit nor does it sound good. This band used to be one of my favorites. But if they keep releasing this kind of music, that'll keep bumping them down.

~ Next we have Evaride with Heartless. This is definitely something I can get into. It brings a lot more energy than What Lovers Do. The vocals sound good. I really like the chorus. All in all, it's a cool song. I hope it debuts soon.


Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. The All-American Rejects – Sweat
2. Evaride – Heartless
3. Justin Bieber/BloodPop – Friends
4. Harry Styles – Two Ghosts
5. Halsey – Bad At Love


Throwback Summer Hits
~ As part of the Labor Day edition of the Weekend Countdown, we had some summer throwbacks thrown into the countdown in between songs. Here is the list of all the songs included.

• 5 Seconds Of Summer – She Looks So Perfect
• Ariana Grande – Dangerous Woman
• B.o.B/Hayley Williams – Airplanes
• Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe
• Charli XCX – Boom Clap
• Demi Lovato – Cool For The Summer
• Ellie Goulding – Love Me Like You Do
• Eminem/Rihanna – Love The Way You Lie
• Fall Out Boy – My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up)
• Florida Georgia Line – Cruise
• fun./Janelle Monáe – We Are Young
• Iggy Azalea/Charli XCX – Fancy
• Katy Perry – California Gurls
• Katy Perry – Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)
• LMFAO – Party Rock Anthem
• Macklemore & Ryan Lewis/Ray Dalton – Can't Hold Us
• Magic! – Rude
• Maroon 5 – Love Somebody
• Maroon 5 – Payphone
• Mike Posner/SeeB – I Took A Pill In Ibiza
• Miley Cyrus – Party In The U.S.A.
• Omi – Cheerleader
• One Direction – What Makes You Beautiful
• Pitbull/Ne-Yo/Afrojack/Nayer – Give Me Everything
• Robin Thicke/Pharrell/T.I. – Blurred Lines
• Sia/Sean Paul – Cheap Thrills
• Taylor Swift – Bad Blood
• Twenty One Pilots – Ride
• Walk The Moon – Shut Up and Dance
• Wiz Khalifa/Charlie Puth – See You Again

~ This list is fine for the most part. I personally would've preferred to see more older songs and less songs from the past two years.

~ It's hard to listen to Maroon 5's new single after listening to Payphone and Love Somebody, two songs that were enjoyable even if they weren't Maroon 5's best work.

~ Of course Blurred Lines is here. But I'm a little surprised Imagine Dragons – Radioactive didn't make it on considering that it was pretty much Hits 1's Song of the Summer for 2013.

~ As I said in the Independence Day edition of the countdown, I love hearing the 2012 hits again, including Call Me Maybe, Payphone, We Are Young, and What Makes You Beautiful.

~ On that post, I also said I don't think See You Again can really qualify as a summer throwback (even though it was a hit in the summer). I still stand by that because it's not the kind of song you'd want to be blasting in your car. However, songs like Party In The U.S.A., Party Rock Anthem, and Shut Up and Dance are a different story.

~ I'm glad to see that Airplanes made it on the list of throwbacks yet again. I still think it's a fantastic song. With B.o.B's catchy verses and Hayley William's memorable chorus, it stands out as one of my favorite songs of 2010.

~ Along with Airplanes, we also have Love The Way You Lie on here, which was another massive favorite of mine back in 2010. I said that this song is my personal favorite of all-time and I stand by that decision. This is the kind of rap music I like. Excellent production, good lyrical content, fantastic guest vocalist for the chorus, and overall great presentation. This is what I like to hear. Not the crappy rap music nowadays with trap beats that all sound the same and meaningless lyrics. Kudos to Eminem for really setting an example for other rappers. And Rihanna just shines like a diamond on this track.

Top 5 Summer Throwback Picks

1. Eminem/Rihanna – Love The Way You Lie

2. B.o.B/Hayley Williams – Airplanes

3. Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe

4. Maroon 5 – Payphone

5. Pitbull/Ne-Yo/Afrojack/Nayer – Give Me Everything

Save Me A Blurb

~ So Charlie Puth clearly couldn't handle being #1 for a second week, so Niall is now at the top. This constant changing of #1 songs does nothing but make me a little bit anxious as Liam Payne is not that far from the top. But thinking realistically, Taylor Swift will be at the top either next week or the week after. Then I'm sure it'll stay there long enough for Strip That Down to start to make its way down. So really, we only need to hold that song away from the top for one more week (maybe two, but I doubt it). Let's hope Niall has it in him to hold out for another week before Taylor comes in hot.

~ I can't help but notice Body Like A Back Road sitting at #3. And I just realized that this is his highest peaking song. Good to know North America enjoys listening to mediocre country music as opposed to artists like Carrie Underwood.

~ I'm very pleased with the jump from Macklemore/Skylar Grey – Glorious. It's been getting better with each listen and I'm glad to see that it's doing well here. Hopefully it can keep this up and not turn into the next Wild Thoughts.

~ I really shouldn't be surprised to see Despacito outside of the Top 30. It's like Hits 1 is purposely underrating the biggest songs in the country. First I'm The One, then Wild Thoughts, and now this. Their tagline, "The 45 biggest songs in North America," gets more questionable every time something like this happens.

~ Not much else really went on. Play That Song is in the Bottom 5 showing signs of a potential departure in the near future. And thankfully, Bad Liar fell to the very bottom of the countdown.

~ As far as our exits go, Redbone deserved to leave. I'm The One was pretty underrated, but it wasn't that amazing to begin with. Say You Won't Let Go lasted much longer than I thought it would. But at the same time, it left pretty early. I expected it to hang around in the Bottom 15 for a longer period of time. Finally, the departure of Starving was long overdue. I understand if songs like Closer stay this long. But Starving was never as big of a hit outside of this station. All I have to say is that it's about damn time.

Top 20 Review

0 – Crap:

20. Liam Payne – Strip That Down

1 – Bad:

19. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry

18. Imagine Dragons – Believer

2 – Mediocre:

17. Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road

3 – Decent:

16. Zedd/Alessia Cara – Stay

4 – Good:

15. All Time Low – Good Times

5 – Great:

14. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do

13. Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill

12. Charlie Puth – Attention

11. Niall Horan – Slow Hands

10. Shawn Mendes – There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back

9. MAX/Gnash – Lights Down Low

8. Hailee Steinfeld – Most Girls

7. Linkin Park – One More Light

6. The Chainsmokers/Coldplay – Something Just Like This

5. Fall Out Boy – Champion

4. Louis Tomlinson/Bebe Rexha/Digital Farm Animals – Back To You

3. Macklemore/Skylar Grey – Glorious

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:

1. TIE: P!nk – What About Us

1. TIE: Mono Mind – Save Me A Place

Total Score: 83/100 = 83% (B)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Eminem/Rihanna – Love The Way You Lie

Most Missed Countdown Song: Eminem/Rihanna – The Monster

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Thirty Seconds To Mars – Walk On Water

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Coldplay – Hymn For The Weekend (#12)

My Top 5 Picks

1. TIE: Mono Mind – Save Me A Place

1. TIE: P!nk – What About Us

3. Macklemore/Skylar Grey – Glorious

4. Louis Tomlinson/Bebe Rexha – Back To You

5. DJ Khaled/Rihanna/Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts