Billboard Hot 100 Top 10:
1- "Look What You Made Me Do" - Taylor Swift (=) -- In Taylor's second week at the top of the charts, she nosedives pretty sharply in both streaming and sales, but that's to be expected after a huge debut. But despite the expected second full week dip, she still collected 114,000 sales and 61.2 million streams. And radio, which is always the metric slowest to catch up, jumped from 64 million in audience last week to 72 million this week. The big question will be where does the song go from here? Is it going to keep falling and fade away or will it recapture some traction and stay in this spot for 10+ weeks? Personally I don't mind if either happened. I like the song and am fine with it being here, but I won't be offended if we did more sharing with this spot.
2- "Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)" - Cardi B (+1) -- Don't be deceived with this song rising to the No. 2 spot. There's not a competition between Cardi B and Taylor for the top spot. Not yet, anyways. Cardi B is getting a whole ton of streaming with this song, but radio and sales are pretty much dead. I'm guessing this stays at No. 2 and never gets to No. 1. Or maybe that's what I'm hoping will happen.
3- "Despacito" - Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber (-1) -- If Taylor never swept in, "Despacito" would've ended its reign at the top with a record-breaking 17 weeks and given way to Cardi B. I'm certainly grateful that the latter didn't happen and I'm totally fine with Mariah and Boyz II Men only having to share their crown as opposed to giving it up completely.
4- "...Ready for It?" - Taylor Swift (new) -- This I didn't actually expect to hit top five. But what it says is that when the album is released, you'll definitely know my opinion on this blog because I imagine every song will make an appearance. As is the norm for Taylor, actually. Hence is why I think she has the record for most Hot 100 entries for a female. Also, with Taylor having two concurrent top five hits, she is the first artist to do it since... herself back in February 2015 with "Blank Space" and "Shake it Off." With Taylor's two songs and Cardi B's song, this is also the first time since December 2014 that we've had three solo women as lead artists in the top five. With Taylor and Cardi at the top two spots, its the first time solo women have occupied the top two spots concurrently since that same December 2014 weekend. This needs to happen more often. I don't know why we don't accept female singers today as much as we do male singers, but we need to. And I'm not trying to be politically correct here. I just like female singers and I want them to get more hits. Finally, my opinion on this song will be below.
5- "1-800-273-8255" - Logic featuring Alessia Cara & Khalid (+4) -- I was under the impression last week that this would be a one week appearance in the top 10 following the VMA performance of the song. But man, I am so happy to see this song rising up to the top five. It's slipping on sales, so I don't know how long it will be here, but I hope that streaming and radio can keep this alive because a song that helps people with suicidal thoughts get help definitely deserves praise.
6- "Wild Thoughts" - DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna & Bryson Tiller (-2) -- The rest of these songs all seem to be on their way out. They all are losing momentum and they all dropped two spots. Now we're just waiting for new songs to replace them. Quite frankly I'm glad that this one never hit No. 1. And I hope it fizzles out and dies as fast as DJ Khaled's other song, "I'm the One," once that song FINALLY dropped out of the top five.
7- "Attention" - Charlie Puth (-2) -- I've never been a fan of this song. Boring pop song from a boring white guy writing generic lyrics. I'm glad that it's heading out.
8- "Believer" - Imagine Dragons (-2) -- I'm also glad that Imagine Dragons is heading out. They're a lot of good rock songs around. Let's bring a good one into the top 10 and not another bland one like this. And for the love of all things good, let's keep "Thunder" FAR AWAY from the top 10.
9- "Unforgettable" - French Montana featuring Swae Lee (-2) -- This is the song that I'd actually like to recover and get ahead of all these songs. I wanted it to last longer. Oh well. Life goes on.
10- "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" - Shawn Mendes (-2) -- Can we please get rid of Shawn Mendes next week? That would make me so happy!!
Rising on the Hot 100:
11- "Rake it Up" - Yo Gotti featuring Nicki Minaj (+2) -- We have a decent slate of rising songs due to all of the atrocious XXXTENTACION and Lil Uzi Vert songs tanking or dropping out as the Hot 100 resets itself back to normal. This is not a song effected by that as the highest as the highest debut from those two thugs was No. 31. But I say that just so you know why some of the other songs jumped so high. "Rake it Up" jumped into the top 10 a few weeks ago after the music video, then it thankfully dropped out. And now it looks like its slowly back on its way in. I just hope it sputters out here at No. 11 or doesn't stay very long because no one on earth needs this atrocity.
13- "Sorry Not Sorry" - Demi Lovato (+5) -- Speaking of female singers, let's get Demi into the top 10! I would've preferred it if it were "Tell Me You Love Me" soaring up, but I'll take this. It might be an average Demi song, but it's worthy of replacing one of our dumb songs that are falling out.
18- "Feel it Still" - Portugal. The Man (+2) -- I am so addicted to this song. Happy to see it slowly rising. I would love it if the top 10 were its final destination, but I fear it might get stuck here in the teens. But even so, I'm happy that it got this high.
27- "What Lovers Do" - Maroon 5 featuring SZA (+46) -- This was expected. First full week of sales cause a major boost. I'm not offended by this song. If you missed my thoughts on it last week in the midst of all the crap from the aforementioned thugs, this is catchy and groovy enough for me to say whatever and not be brokenhearted, but its still a bland, boring Maroon 5 song. I wish Adam Levine would reach back into the past and learn from his older self how to write good music.
31- "I Get the Bag" - Gucci Mane featuring Migos (+11) -- Dog crap with a side of horse manure. We did we let this song get all the way up to No. 31?
44- "The Race" - Tay-K (+20) -- And who in the living fetch is streaming and selling this atrocity? If you are one of them, cancel your subscription to whatever streaming service you listen to, delete all of your music and never listen to a song again. You have lost all your rights and privileges to music.
46- "Transportin'" - Kodak Black (+11) -- You know, I really wish all of these XXX and Lil Uzi songs were replaced by actual good music, not any of this trash.
48- "When it Rains it Pours" - Luke Combs (+8) -- Hey, it's not an awful rap song rising! It's a boring country song instead. Joy...
69- "B.E.D." - Jacquees (+17) -- I spoke too soon. It's time to start panicking here because this seems like it's going top 50 and I have no idea why.
73- "Havana" - Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug (+10) -- Heck, I'll take this one over those others. Even if we do have Young Thug. Practically a masterpiece compared to our previous five songs.
76- "They Don't Know" - Jason Aldean (+13) -- More bland country music getting popular.
78- "Every Little Thing" - Carly Pearce (+15) -- FINALLY!!!!! Did I have to wait all the way until No. 78 to get a song rising that's worthy of rising?
82- "More Girls Like You" - Kip Moore (+16) -- TWO IN A ROW!!!!
83- "It Ain't My Fault" - Brothers Osborne (+17) -- THREE IN A ROW!!!!!!
84- "Wish I Knew" - The Revivalists (+12) -- FOUR IN A ROW!!!!! Now can we please replace these previous songs with the other duds that are rising instead? Why can't we accept good music in this country?
New Arrivals:
4- "...Ready for It?" - Taylor Swift -- Now this is more like the Taylor we're all used to. I would contend this is a lot closer to the stuff from "Red" and "1989" than it is to "Look What You Made Me Do." Taylor doing her typical romance songs instead of a bitter diss track. Makes me think that "Look What You Made Me Done" was released first to get people's attention while the whole album won't quite be like that. But we'll see on November 10. This certainly has me intrigued because, while the lyrics are more simple and generic about her essentially crushing after a guy, the thing that makes it most unique is that there is a strong electronic vibe to it. This is practically a straight up EDM song from Taylor. The type of thing that I was hoping would be released when her and Calvin Harris were a thing. Perhaps I'm biased because I love EDM, but I think this is a sound that works for Taylor. I really wanted that Calvin Harris/Taylor Swift collaboration because I envisioned what Taylor's voice would sound like with that EDM backdrop and I liked what I envisioned. Now I feel like I got it with this song. This even has a pretty good drop that should get people excited at parties. In fact, if you take the "Let the games begin" segment of the pre-chorus out of context, this would also make a great stadium song. So yeah, I really enjoy this, even though the lyrics don't jump out at me.
77- "These Heaux" - Bhad Bhabie -- Remember that one girl from the viral Dr. Phil video who said the phrase "Cash me ousside how bow dah" and how some insane person remixed it into a song that ACTUALLY debuted on the Billboard charts? Well, she's back. And this time with an actual song and not a remix of a song from something that she said. Her name is Danielle Bregoli. But she's calling herself Bhad Bhabie. A wretchedly awful name from a punk 14-year-old girl that no one should be paying any attention to. If you watched the actual video clip that got turned into a remixed viral hit, then you'll know how annoying this girl is and you'll know how awful it would be if she released a song. And yeah, it's as bad as you would think. From the moment you see the word "heaux" and realize it's just a purposely misspelled version of "hoes," you know you're in for a doozy. She doesn't want to be compared to "these hoes" who do some awful stuff. This girl has no ounce of talent in her and is nothing but controversy. Can we please not give her a stage like this? I hope this is gone next week and that nothing else from her ever debuts on the charts again.
81- "Bad at Love" - Halsey -- Despite me not being madly in love with Halsey's "Now or Never," I actually listened to her whole album when it came out because the girl has potential and I was wanting to see if I could salvage anything from the album. And I could. There were some decent songs on there like "Eyes Closed," "Sorry," "Good Morning" and "Devil in Me." But "Bad at Love" wasn't one of them. Granted, it's not an awful song. And I do appreciate the self-awareness with Halsey claiming she's bad at love and the problems with her relationship are probably her fault. Not enough of that going around. But the song as a whole is just lackluster and uninteresting. Halsey doesn't display any vocal talent. There's no strong melody that sticks in your head. To me it just seemed like a song Halsey quickly threw together to fill space on the album and now for some reason has decided to release as a single.
86- "Greatest Love Story" - LANco -- The greatest love story? Well that's a lofty title to live up to. But I suppose when you're talking to the girl you want to marry, it's right to think that the two of you are going to be the greatest love story the world has ever seen. This here is a simple, acoustic love ballad from a country band that I've never heard of where our lead singer tells a detailed story of him and his high school sweetheart. They were perfect for each other, but then she went off to college and their lives went in different directions. After the first two verses, the chorus is in past tense as he's singing that "we were going to be the greatest love story." But TWIST. She comes back after four years and the final chorus is in present tense. They go on a date again. They find there are mutual feelings still. So he buys a ring and proposes to her and she says... well, we'll never know. The song leaves us on a cliffhanger. Overall not a country song that I'll play for my friends when I brag about the good country songs I found hidden on the Billboard charts this year, but it's not bad.
97- "Sky Walker" - Miguel featuring Travis Scott -- Yes. Miguel is rapping about Star Wars. Kinda. I think he's trying to be clever here by using the play on Star Wars by calling his song "Sky Walker" instead of "Skywalker." And since he's a big Star Wars fan, he has decided to throw in a line saying that's he's just having fun and "Luke Skywalkin' on his haters." So he's turned Luke into a verb. And I'm not really sure how this metaphor fits into his song and I don't know exactly what he's meaning. We've also got some "Top Gun" in there with Tom Cruise, so he's being super clever with his movie references used as boring rap metaphors in his boring rap song filled with plenty of Migos sound effects that had me annoyed and a useless feature from Travis Scott, who doesn't sound too different from Miguel. If you're not paying attention, you might miss him. The song is also too long (4:20) for how little content there is. Maybe he should've used some actual creativity and shaved a whole minute off the song. It could've been fine. Miguel is better than XXX and Lil Uzi and certainly better than that Danielle girl. But I'm not giving this a pass.
100- "No Fear" - DeJ Loaf -- For some reason I see the name DeJ Loaf and I feel I should be more familiar with this girl. But I'm not. My first thought was intrigue that we're getting a female rapper not named Cardi B or Nicki Minaj who actually sounded like she hand talent. At least the internet listed her as a rapper. I don't know what her previous material is like and I don't really care to know, but this isn't rap. I suppose you could call it R&B if you wanted, but this is more like a simple pop song. In fact, this reminds me of a young, toned-down Rihanna. It's a love song kinda similar to LANco's "Greatest Love Song" that I just covered. But it's simpler than that, yet seems to have a lot more sincerity to it. DeJ Loaf is singing from the heart that she really cares for her lover and she wants them to be together, despite the tough challenges that life is throwing their way. But if they do their best to ignore all of the stuff happening around them, she knows they can make. It's simple, yet sincere and I really enjoy it. I didn't know what to expect from this, but I was pleasantly surprised.
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