Zedd (3) – Week Of March 24, 2018

Hey guys! Nothing too interesting happened on the countdown this week. Shawn Mendes hosted in place of Spyder Harrison, likely due to the release of his new music. All I'm gonna say is that no guest artist can host the countdown as good as Spyder Harrison. Before we get to this week's Fresh 45, here are the songs we're saying goodbye to this week.

• Troye Sivan – My My My! (#32)
• Shawn Mendes – There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back (#40) [5 Weeks At #1]
• X Ambassadors – Ahead Of Myself (#41)
• Maroon 5/SZA – What Lovers Do (#45)

Last Week's #1 Song: Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso/F.G.L./watt – Let Me Go

The Countdown

45. Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl (#37) [4 Weeks At #1]

44. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry (#44) [1 Week At #1]

43. Niall Horan – Slow Hands (#43) [3 Weeks At #1]

42. Dua Lipa – New Rules (#42)

41. Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still (#31)

40. Symon – Lonely Girl (#38)

39. AJR/Rivers Cuomo – Sober Up (#35)

38. Taylor Swift/Ed Sheeran/Future – End Game (#29) [1 Week At #1]

37. Kelly Clarkson – Love So Soft (#34)

36. Imagine Dragons – Believer (#39) [3 Weeks At #1]

35. Charlie Puth/Kehlani – Done For Me (DEBUT)

34. Noah Kahan/Julia Michaels – Hurt Somebody (DEBUT)

33. Kesha/The Dap-Kings Horns – Woman (#36)

32. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (DEBUT)

31. Keala Settle/The Greatest Showman Ensemble – This Is Me (#24)

30. Marshmello/Anne-Marie – Friends (#27)

29. Taylor Swift – Delicate (DEBUT)

28. Justin Timberlake/Chris Stapleton – Say Something (#33)

27. Camila Cabello – Havana (#25) [1 Week At #1]

26. Charlie Puth – How Long (#22) [2 Weeks At #1]

25. Alan Walker/Noah Cyrus/Digital Farm Animals – All Falls Down (#23)

24. P!nk – Beautiful Trauma (#8)

23. Bruno Mars/Cardi B – Finesse (#15)

22. Niall Horan – On The Loose (#26)

21. Selena Gomez/Marshmello – Wolves (#21)

20. MAX/Gnash – Lights Down Low (#16)

19. Halsey – Bad At Love (#19) [2 Weeks At #1]

18. Meghan Trainor – No Excuses (#18)

17. Khalid – Young, Dumb, and Broke (#30)

16. Imagine Dragons – Thunder (#28) [5 Weeks At #1]

15. The Weeknd/Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me (#17)

14. 5 Seconds of Summer – Want You Back (#20)

13. Lauv – I Like Me Better (#9)

12. Fall Out Boy – Hold Me Tight Or Don't (#10)

11. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same (#13)

10. Bebe Rexha/Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be (#14)

  9. Macklemore/Kesha – Good Old Days (#5) [1 Week At #1]

  8. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes (#6)

  7. NF – Let You Down (#7)

  6. The Adam Levine Experience – Wait (#12)

  5. G-Eazy/Halsey – Him & I (#11)

  4. Ed Sheeran – Perfect (#4) [2 Weeks At #1]

  3. Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso/Florida Georgia Line/watt – Let Me Go (#1) [1 Week At #1]

  2. Walk The Moon – One Foot (#2)

  1. Zedd/Maren Morris/Grey – The Middle (#3) [3^rd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Ed Sheeran – Shape Of You (7)

Biggest DROP!!!... Of The Week: P!nk – Beautiful Trauma (–16)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Khalid – Young Dumb & Broke (+13)

New Entrants
~ First up this week, we have Charlie Puth with Done For Me featuring Kehlani. This is the next single from Voicenotes, which will still hopefully come out in May. By that point, Attention will be over a year old. Just like his last two singles, this song shows how much he has improved since Nine Track Mind, which was not to very many people's liking. Once again, he handles the production all on his own, which I find quite impressive, especially with how good it sounds. His vocals are really good and I find the chorus very enjoyable. It's a very catchy song and it's one I'll be listening to for a while. And Kehlani's contribution is the icing on the cake. I'm sure this will do well.

~ Next we have Noah Kahan featuring Julia Michaels with Hurt Somebody. There really isn't that much to this song. It's kind of boring in terms of the production. The vocals aren't very interesting until about halfway through the song when the two sing together. Neither of their voices are good on their own. But blended together, it sounds pretty decent. Overall, the song is okay. I can't really see myself growing into it, nor can I see it being that successful. But I guess time will tell on that.

~ It's great timing to have Shawn Mendes host the countdown the same week his song departs. But of course, another song of his has to do well, so In My Blood is joining us after being out for only a couple of days because Hits 1 is obsessed with Shawn. Between this and Lost In Japan, I do think the latter is slightly better, though they are both good songs. I feel like Shawn Mendes is kind of maturing here similar to Mercy from last year. The song is kind of laid-back in the first minute, which I like. His vocals are really good here. I like the instrumentation. I don't think it's something that'll stick with me in the long run. But for the time being, I think it's enjoyable.

~ Finally we have Taylor Swift with Delicate. I really don't think this song is all that interesting. It's a step down from End Game. I like the verses to some extent. But the majority of the song I find underwhelming and somewhat boring. Taylor Swift does not have a spectacular voice that can allow her to sing songs like this. I feel like other songs from Reputation would've made better singles. Delicate is by no means a bad song. But it's a little weak for Taylor Swift in terms of the production and vocals. I know she is capable of more. This track seems more like an album filler than a radio single.


Best Debut of the Week: Charlie Puth/Kehlani – Done For Me


Hit-Bound
~ Brendon Urie hosted Hit-Bound this week. Here is the Hit-Bound list.

• Post Malone/Ty Dolla $ign – Psycho
• Alice Merton – No Roots
• Bazzi – Mine
• Halsey – Alone
• Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me
• Foster The People – Sit Next To Me
• Portugal. The Man – Live In The Moment
• Dustin Atlas/Erin Bowman – Fake Friends
• Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) (DEBUT)
• Drake – God's Plan
• Welshly Arms – Legendary (RE-ENTRY)
• Rudimental/Jess Glynne/Macklemore/Dan Caplen – These Days
• Dua Lipa – IDGAF
• Thirty Seconds To Mars – Walk On Water

~ This week we welcome back Legendary after being away for a week. I still have my doubts about this debuting the Weekend Countdown though with how rock it is. I'm hoping it can get a chance. But we'll have to wait and see.

~ Next we have our host himself, Brendon Urie, with a brand new album coming out soon. I enjoy both new songs, though I like Say Amen better. The song is a lot of fun and it's a perfect jam for a Saturday night. And those vocals are amazing, which is nothing new. Hopefully this makes its debut soon.

~ Hits 1 has been playing the Bad Wolves cover of Zombie this past week, yet we're not seeing it here on Hit-Bound. Although it doesn't top the original version by The Cranberries, I personally think it's a very good cover and I like that Hits 1 started playing it. Maybe we can see it here soon, unless it's one of those songs that plays but doesn't actually debut on any of the weekend shows.


Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. TIE: Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
1. TIE: Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me
3. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me
4. Rudimental/Jess Glynne/Macklemore/Dan Caplen – These Days
5. Thirty Seconds To Mars – Walk On Water


In My Blurb
~ Nothing particularly interesting happened in the Top 5 this week aside from the entry from G-Eazy/Halsey – Him & I. This was very much expected. I'm surprised it took so long with how much Hits 1 obsesses over Halsey.

~ New to the Top 10, we have Maroon 5 – Wait. As far as my opinion on the song goes, we're back to where we started. The song is okay mainly because it lacks a band. It's impressive that with seven band members, they can make their music sound like solely Adam Levine. Maroon 5 has done worse with songs like Don't Wanna Know, but this song just doesn't grab my attention like their older music did. Their older stuff is why I got into them. This is not a good direction for these guys.

~ P!nk – Beautiful Trauma took quite a hit out of the Top 20. A little sooner than I expected. Hopefully it doesn't die out completely just yet because I still really like it.

~ As far as the exits go, There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back was getting old to me. I'm sure I'll grow back into it soon. But right now I'm just a little tired of hearing it. Ahead of Myself has also been fading on me, though I still find it somewhat enjoyable. My My My was very much underrated unfortunately. And What Lovers Do is very possibly the last really good Maroon 5 song we'll get in a while. It will certainly be missed.


Top 20 Review
0 – Crap:
20. Imagine Dragons – Thunder

1 – Bad:
19. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same
18. Zedd/Maren Morris/Grey – The Middle
17. Lauv – I Like Me Better

2 – Mediocre:
16. Halsey – Bad At Love

3 – Decent:
15. Khalid – Young Dumb & Broke
14. Meghan Trainor – No Excuses
13. Maroon 5 – Wait
12. Fall Out Boy – Hold Me Tight Or Don't

4 – Good:
NONE

5 – Great:
11. NF – Let You Down
10. 5 Seconds of Summer – Want You Back
9. Ed Sheeran – Perfect
8. Bebe Rexha/Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
7. G-Eazy/Halsey – Him & I
6. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
5. Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso/F.G.L./watt – Let Me Go
4. MAX/Gnash – Lights Down Low
3. The Weeknd/Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me
2. Macklemore/Kesha – Good Old Days

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Walk The Moon – One Foot

Overall Score: 73/100 = 73% (B)


Throwback Pick Of The Week: Natasha Bedingfield – Pocketful Of Sunshine

Most Missed Countdown Song: Nickelback – When We Stand Together

#1 Recommendation For Hits 1: Eminem/Kehlani – Nowhere Fast

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: The Weeknd/Daft Punk – I Feel It Coming (#24)


My Top 5 Picks
1. Walk The Moon – One Foot
2. Justin Timberlake/Chris Stapleton – Say Something
3. Macklemore/Kesha – Good Old Days
4. The Weeknd/Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me
5. Keala Settle – This Is Me