Thursday, October 25, 2018

DrogeMiester's Billboard Analysis - October 27, 2018

The new Billboard charts have arrived and so it's time again for me to give you my thoughts! In this weekly post, I cover three sections. First, I give my thoughts on the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. Second, I give my thoughts on the songs that experienced significant gains below the top 10. Third, I give my initial thoughts on our new arrivals this week. I reserve the right to switch things up in the future, but for now this is what I'm sticking with. I've followed the Billboard charts for a long time now and this is a great way for me to express my thoughts to the world. I hope you enjoy!

Billboard Hot 100 Top 10:




1- "Girls Like You" - Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B (=) -- The nightmare with Maroon 5 and this song continues as "Girls Like You" gets a fifth week on top of the Hot 100. What's worse is that the song also celebrates its 13th week on top of the radio charts. The all-time record is currently held by Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris" with 18 weeks at No. 1 in 1998. If that 20-year record is broken by Maroon 5 of all acts, then I'm going to throw a fit. That's practically blasphemy. Adding to the headache this week is a SECOND music video, which is essentially the outtakes of the original video compiled together to create a new video just so the song can get more streaming. The only differences is that the girls spinning around Adam Levine spend more time touching and caressing him instead of just standing there looking confused. I want to say this song's reign is coming to an end soon, but I don't know what is going to top it, especially now that it has two videos adding to its streaming totals.

2- "ZEZE" - Kodak Black featuring Travis Scott & Offset (new) -- Apparently this song almost debuted at No. 1 with 47.6 million U.S. streams. And I don't know how I would've felt if it had accomplished that. Sure, I want Maroon 5 gone. But a collaboration with these three thugs is not what I want to replace it. My thoughts are below in the new arrivals section. And SURPRISE! I don't like it.

3- "Lucid Dreams" - Juice WRLD (-1) -- I think I'm convinced that this song is going to end up peaking at No. 2. It just doesn't have enough momentum to sneak past Maroon 5 and this is the second time recently that a new arrival shoved it down to the No. 3 spot. I suppose I'm not super upset that this won't hit the top. It's certainly had an excellent run for a song of its caliber that I still think is pretty decent. I'm mostly disappointed that it wasn't able to dethrone Maroon 5 because I want them gone.

4- "Better Now" - Post Malone (-1) -- I've had this song stuck in my head for most of the day. And I don't even really know why. I suppose that this is an alright sign as for as my opinion. It's a lot more tolerable than most of Post Malone's stuff. Chart-wise this is in a similar position as Juice WRLD. Neither song has enough momentum to get any higher and will slowly start to fall when other songs decide to step up.

5- "MIA" - Bad Bunny featuring Drake (new) -- Our second new top five debut. And I'm rather amazed that we now live in a world where Bad Bunny of all people has the capability of debuting in the top five. Granted, the fact that this has a Drake feature is a huge part of the reason. But Quavo also had a Drake feature on one of his new songs this week and he could only get that song to debut at No. 48. So Bad Bunny had something to do with this. And it's an unfortunate something because I also don't like this song. My detailed opinion is below. Moral of the story is that I really hope both new top five debuts from this week tank in future weeks.

6- "Happier" - Marshmello & Bastille (+2) -- With the top five feeling very weak right now, Marshmello and Bastille are positioned rather well at the moment, which gives me a lot of hope. I would be ecstatic if this managed to take hold of one of the top five spots. I'll also be rather surprised because EDM songs in general don't usually last long when they hit the top 10. They usually camp out for a few weeks, then dip right back down. If this ends up peaking and hanging out in the bottom half of the top 10, I won't be upset. I never expected this song to get close to this high. But I'm super curious.

7- "SICKO MODE" - Travis Scott (-1) -- The good thing here is that the new music video for the song wasn't able to boost this too much. I was nervous that this would shoot up into the top five, so I'm glad to see it fall. The bad news is that this is still around. I wanted this song to die a long time ago since it's a rather lazy effort from Travis Scott and Drake. But what do you really expect from those two?

8- "Drip Too Hard" - Lil Baby & Gunna (-4) -- I'm glad to see this song drop after the album bomb sent it soaring last week. But I'm sad that it didn't drop harder. Hopefully it will be gone from the top 10 next week.

9- "Youngblood" - 5 Seconds of Summer (-2) -- I suppose I should be happy to see this song still around, but after positioning itself rather well, I was hoping for it to get bigger, but alas I have to settle with it camping out around here. Its momentum appears to be gone, so I'm now expecting it to start falling.

10- "Shallow" - Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper (-5) -- Now that I gave you my detailed thoughts on this song last week, can I say how shocked I am to see this song doing super well? Movie soundtracks typically don't perform super well on the Hot 100, so I was surprised to see this debut in the 20's and even more surprised to see it shoot into the top five for a week. A spectacular feat for Lady Gaga and especially Bradley Cooper. Of course there was part of me that was hoping that it would stay in the top five, but I can't be super surprised to see it slide. I don't think it will be here next week, but it was fun to see it get two weeks in the top five.


Rising on the Hot 100:





11- "Trip" - Ellla Mai (+5) -- I'm expecting this song to enter the top 10 as soon as next week. And I'm not super excited about it. Although I suppose there's been worse things to happen to the top 10. "Boo'd Up" was alright, yet somehow became a huge hit. This song isn't bad. But it's mostly annoying and a lot less impressive than "Boo'd Up," which didn't deserve the attention it got.

16- "Taki Taki" - DJ Snake featuring Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B (+15) -- I can't remember. Is this the week that the music video for this song boosted the track super high or is this song simply soaring in terms of chart points. I suppose we'll see in the upcoming weeks.

19- "God is a Woman" - Ariana Grande (+3) -- I'm a bit surprised to see this song get a bit of a boost this week, coming back into the top 20. But I don't think it'll last.

25- "Boo'd Up" - Ella Mai (+5) -- Oh yeah. Ella Mai also recently released a new self-titled album. It didn't get any new tracks to debut on the charts, but it gave "Boo'd Up" a bit of a boost this week. I'm guessing this is the last time I'll bring up this song on this blog.

27- "High Hopes" - Panic! At the Disco (+8) -- I am so happy to see this song continue to climb. Let's keep it going! This is a super infectious anthem that needs to be blasted everywhere on radios across the country.

32- "Beautiful" - Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello (+15) -- I thought this song was dead, so I was surprised to see it jump so high. Apparently there was a music video released, so I suppose that makes sense. I'm not sure it'll get much higher, though.

33- "Broken" - lovelytheband (+6) -- I'm continually impressed by how much traction this song has gotten. More alternative music like this on the charts would be much welcomed.

37- "I'm a Mess" - Bebe Rexha (+5) -- This didn't get as high as Bebe probably hoped it would get. Not bad for her first single from her first solo album, though. But considering she's collaborated with others to get several huge hits, this not catching fire has to be a bit of a disappointment. Maybe if the song was slightly better, it could've connected more with people.

41- "Wake Up in the Sky" - Gucci Mane, Bruno Mars & Kodak Black (+5) -- We've had too much Kodak Black recently and we never need anymore Gucci Mane. I'm glad that this only jumped five spots because that means it might not get as big as I fear it could.

46- "Ring" - Cardi B featuring Kehlani (+6) -- I'm a bit surprised that this hasn't caught fire given how successful Cardi B has been. I'm also surprisingly disappointed to see this not gaining more traction because this is actually a decent song from Cardi.

53- "W O R K I N  M E" - Quavo (+35) -- This is rising solely because of the release of Quavo's new album, which I'll touch on below as six tracks from the album chart. I'm glad this has mostly failed because the world doesn't need anymore Quavo.

56- "Break Up in the End" - Cole Swindell (+10) -- We haven't seen a whole lot of country recently as it's been a bit of a down swing for the genre on the charts. But I'm sure that'll change soon and I would be totally fine with this becoming a huge country hit because I think it's a pretty good song.

58- "Lie" - NF (+13) -- I wish I liked this song more than I do, but sadly I think this song will be completely forgotten about when it leaves the charts. But I suppose it's still a step above most rap songs today, so it's whatever.

67- "No Stylist" - French Montana featuring Drake (+18) -- French Montana and Drake. No one needs this collaboration in their lives. At least it's not in the top 10 right now, though, like most other Drake songs have been this year. No excuse me while I go find some wood to knock on.

68- "Lost in Japaan" - Shawn Mendes & Zedd (+14) -- I hope this remix can help this song get new life. I was a bit disappointed that the song bombed initially as it was a Shawn Mendes song that I didn't mind. This remix isn't the best thing in the world, but it gives a bit more spice to an already decent Shawn Mendes track.

69- "Best Shot" - Jimmie Allen (+18) -- Country is making a move right now, but with a handful of songs below the top 50. I also am fine with this song doing well, although it's a bit overly simplistic. It could've used a bit more substance, but I like Jimmie Allen's voice and style.

76- "Leave Me Alone" - Flipp Dinero (+18) -- The title of this song accurately describes my reaction to this song rising 18 spots this week.

78- "Hangin' On" - Chris Young (+11) -- Our third country song rising below the top 50. And this is the lesser of the three of them, so thankfully it's the one that's lowest.

81- "Best Part" - Daniel Caesar featuring H.E.R. (+11) -- The best song that you probably forgot existed. But hey, if this can gain actual traction, I'm totally fine with that.


New Arrivals:





2- "ZEZE" - Kodak Black featuring Travis Scott & Offset -- First order of business here. Why has Kodak Black decide to copy 6ix9ine of all people after getting out of prison? In case you don't get what I mean, this year 6ix9ine has released singles titled "KEKE" "FEFE" and "BEBE." And now Kodak Black adds "ZEZE." In each case, the title has absolutely nothing to do with the song, which I find annoying. But I've gotten used to it with 6ix9ine as all his song titles are gibberish. But if this trend catches on further, that's yet another mark against the rap industry in 2018 if more of them decide to not come up with real song titles. Onto the song itself, though. I didn't hate Kodak's "I just got out of prison" song from two weeks ago titled "If I'm Lyin, I'm Flyin." There was actual substance there. "ZEZE" feels more like a real Kodak comeback song, though. And by that I mean the song is pure trash, which is what I come to expect out of Kodak. In fact, he's barely on the song as he lets Travis and Offset do most of the work. Yet Travis lazily drones on his monotone chorus while Offset does typical Migos stuff. Echoes, sound effects, short bars that barely connect with each other. Occasionally Kodak decides to show up on his own song to lazily mumble about nothing. Because the song is about nothing. Typical bottom-of-the-barrel rap trash that these rappers always turn to when they don't know what to rap about. I'm sick of it and I hope this drops like a rock. The only slight positive about this is whatever instrument is used in the background could've worked well if there were any talented rappers to add some content to go along with it.

5- "MIA" - Bad Bunny featuring Drake -- Hey look! It's Drake and Latino Drake teaming up for a song. I say Latino Drake because all Bad Bunny is really useful for is Latino artists lazily throwing him on their songs in order to boost sales. That is, of course, the only thing Drake is used for here in the U.S. Neither artist is all that talented. The surprising part of this song is that it's all in Spanish. I mean, I expected Bad Bunny's part to be in Spanish, but I didn't know Drake was going to sing in Spanish as well. I'm convinced that he simply memorized his portion just for the song. I don't think Drake actually speaks Spanish. But I could be wrong and I don't care to fact check that. That's just what it feels like since Drake's part of the song is so miniscule. Oddly enough, that Drake part is the most interesting part of the song since it's at least tolerable since he's at least enunciating his Spanish. When Bad Bunny comes in, he's mostly mumbling his way through the song while adding a whole lot of sound effects, as if he's not only trying to be the Latino Drake, but also the Latino Future (mumbling) and the Latino Migos (sound effects). I don't like it. The song has a decent enough Latino beat to it, but Bad Bunny's vocals drive me up the wall. And the content apparently isn't worth much. "Mia" is the Spanish word for "mine," so all Bad Bunny is doing is laying claim to this girl. There's nothing to it. Just some empty, bottom-of-the-barrel nonsense that comes with no passion and no emotion. I also hope this drops like a rock. 

48- "Flip the Switch" - Quavo featuring Drake -- When Quavo's new album first showed up on Apple Music, the tagline was "It's Quavo's world and we're just lucky to be a part of it." Or something to that effect. And in a hilarious turn of events, Quavo's album underperforms. So no. It's not Quavo's world right now. And he can't even get a Drake feature to debut higher than No. 48. That's embarrassing. Quavo is always simple to cover because I never give him or his other Migos friends the time of day. I hate their style and they never change it, so why should I waste my time? Here we have a lazy verse from Drake surrounded by a Quavo who sounds bored. I'll give him a small bit of credit for not being as annoying as he often is, but I still find nothing interesting.

61- "Pass Out" - Quavo featuring 21 Savage -- Something I would've done if Quavo's entire album had album bombed. Actually, I would've just skipped it. Like I did most of this song. I mentioned that "Flip the Switch" wasn't as annoying as Quavo usually is. "Pass Out" is. It's as choppy as the most annoying Migos songs and all he's talking about to start things off his taking his girl to the bank and seeing her pass out when she sees all his money. I gave up 50 seconds in when he included an endless string of skrrts in the post-chorus. I didn't get to 21 Savage's part. But I had zero desire to.

86- "Biggest Alley Oop" - Quavo -- Quavo's submission to have a song included in ESPN's advertising of the NBA season? That's what it sounds like to me. And sadly it's the type of song that ESPN will jump at to use. Any awful rapper including any sort of basketball reference will usually be something that causes ESPN producers to slobber all over themselves as if they've never heard a rapper referencing basketball in their life. Oh, you want to know about the song? Yeah, it's bad. What did you expect?

88- "Rerun" - Quavo featuring Travis Scott -- Given how popular Travis Scott is right now, it's REALLY embarrassing that a Quavo and Travis Scott collaboration only debuted at No. 88. But it's certainly good news for me as I would hate to have to deal with this for an extended period of time. I mean, Travis Scott might as well be the fourth member of Migos with how much he's molded his style to blatantly copy everything they do. And they totally buy into it to the point where you can barely tell which one is Quavo and which one is Travis Scott in the song. Also nothing interesting in this song.

93- "Huncho Dreams" - Quavo -- In case you forgot, there was a period of time recently where Quavo and Travis Scott collaborated to call themselves Huncho Jack. I'm assuming this has something to do with that. Or with the fact that this album is called "QUAVO HUNCHO." For some reason Quavo loves the name Huncho. It also starts by sampling some audio from the 2006 movie "ATL," which stars T.I. Why does he do this? I don't know. I gave up on the song when Quavo came in.

100- "Lose It" - Quavo featuring Lil Baby -- Really, Quavo? Lil Baby? It's a good thing that this barely charted at No. 100 and *hopefully* will never see the light of day again on the Billboard charts.

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