Hot 100 Weeks of Nov. 4, 2017.
I usually come back to these when enough has changed in the Top 10 so that I don't have to talk about the same songs over and over again. A lot has changed over the past few weeks, though mostly just positions and not so much the songs on the list. Still, I enjoy getting to listen to some new pop songs and sharing my totally relevant feelings about them because I am an expert on all things music, especially a genre that I don't really care much for to begin with and still for some reason review. All kidding aside here's what's goin' on this week. As before there shall be a playlist at the butt of the page.
1. Post Malone - Rockstar
Like a lot of pop music these days, this one is another song that just doesn't really stand the test of time for me. While enjoyable for a few listens in the car or just for some moody music while working on other things, it just isn't something I find myself wanting to go back to in the close future. But like all music on the charts, it's all about how long it will stay relevant and popular in streaming and radio. While it's not a bad track and it's pretty enjoyable compared to a lot of other stuff in the charts, it just doesn't feel like something that SHOULD stay up here for a long time. It might just take a big album drop like Taylor Swift's upcoming album in a few weeks to drop this one back down. Post Malone seems to be creating a big name for himself these days though and I think that's a good thing.
2. Cardi B - Bodak Yellow
Okay so I kinda avoided this song last time, mostly just cause I couldn't really even finish listening to the song. While it's great to see a new artist, especially a female rapper, hit the number one spot... Well this just isn't that great. I just kinda find the way she raps mildly annoying and hard to listen to. Maybe that's just cause i'm not into this kind of modern rap style with the minimal repeating music that gets annoying after 30 seconds. It's just not something I can get into no matter how hard I might try to give it a chance, and I did give it a couple listens. Still, good on Cardi B for making it this high on the charts.
3. Logic - 1-800-273-8255
I think I said enough about this song last time and pretty much all the things I said still hold over to this week. All I can say is I hope to see more music like this getting attention. I didn't go into the music part of the song too much, but it's pretty standard pop song stuff. Repeating the same chords throughout most of the song, with small changes here and there. It's nothing special, but forgiven this time because the song carries most of it's power through the lyrics. Still maybe there was potential for this to not just be a good song, but a great song IF more attention was put into the music.
4. Portugal. The Man - Feel It Still
The biggest surprise of the year keeps rising on the list, now all the way to number 4. It's amazing that a unique song (especially a rock song) made it this far. Slowly fighting it's way up the charts to this point, I see no reason why it can't make it to the number 3 spot. Of course the dream is that this would somehow make it to number one even if just for one week. Two years back the song "Shut Up and Dance" by Walk The Moon also shockingly made it to the top 10 out of nowhere, peaking at the number 4 spot and staying in the charts for 54 weeks. Sadly I think this might be another situation where a band gets that big hit and is never able to match it again (bands like Bastille and Jimmy Eat World come to mind). Hope it's not just a one time event.
5. Imagine Dragons - Thunder
It must be nice being a "rock" band with two singles back to back in the top 10. This would be the point where I complain about the fact that i've heard in a crap-ton of commercials and the like, but honestly this song isn't as bad with that as believer. By the way here's a list of places I heard the song Believer used in some way:
- Trailer for the Murder on the Orient Express film
- Marvel Inhumans TV Show
- Riverdale TV show
- Nintendo Commercial
- Black Panthers Meetings
- Jeep Commercial
- WWE Network
- Funerals
- Edgy Youth Groups
Some of those are just educated guesses though.
- Funerals
- Edgy Youth Groups
Some of those are just educated guesses though.
While Believer was played out very fast, Thunder got old even faster. This song just has nothing really to offer past a few listens. The dead verse that leads to the slow and boring chorus that repeats the same lines over and over with no emotion. Then the pointless bridge that just quickly falls into the chorus again. The song finally starts to pick up for the last 15 seconds, but it's too late to save this song. GOD IS THIS SONG ANNOYINGLY CATCHY. Look, I want to hate this song so badly... so, so badly. I just can't do it because of its catchy-ness. This is not a good song in any way. Just. really. annoyingly. catchy. Imagine Dragons is great.
6. J Balvin - Mi Gente (W/ Beyonce)
Okay so this happened. Another latin song in the top 10 right after Despacito leaves the charts. The only mistake this one made was getting Beyonce for the guest and not Justin Bieber, as everyone knows Justin Bieber is the one that gets you number one singles. This song definitely lacks all the charm that Despacito had this whole summer. Very annoying club beats and whiny music that gets old in less than 1 minute, which sucks cause it goes on pretty much the entire song. Add the part where everyone has to introduce themselves along with catchphrases and you got yourself a cliche club song. It was pretty cool to hear a robot version of Beyonce speaking Spanish though, that alone gets a 10/10.
7. Demi Lovato - Sorry Not Sorry
So this song is... okay, I think. One thing I really appreciate about this song is that it didn't have a rap verse after the second chorus like every hit female pop song in the last five years or so. Demi Lovato is an artist I really don't have any strong feelings for, I don't love her or hate her. Really I don't find her music to be anything special, but she does have a few songs that are fine. "Cool for the Summer" was a song I really enjoyed back in 2015, but besides that nothing else. "Sorry Not Sorry" is a fine song, but there's nothing here to bring me back after very few listens. Yeah the music is more interesting than a lot of pop music these days because it actually changes for the verses, pre-choruses, choruses and the bridge. The chorus is the weakest part of the song in my opinion, just screeching vocals yelling the overused lines "Baby I'm sorry (not sorry)" and "Being so bad got me feeling so good". The whole ex Disney child star trying to be the bad girl/boy thing is really overdone. What you get is another inoffensive pop song that's not the worst, but really doesn't bring anything new to the charts or Demi's catalog.
8. Sam Smith - Too Good at Goodbyes
Right from the first word spoken I knew this was going to be Sam Smith doing his "I'm very sensitive, isn't it sexy?" Sam Smith thing. But joking aside this is another decent song by Sam Smith. I've never really loved a Sam Smith song, but I totally see the talent in his vocals and I feel like his talent could be elevated with some better music behind him. The music starts off slow and pretty boring, but thankfully picks up near the end of the song and it works well. Lyrically it's an interesting topic about being so guarded and used to pain that he's afraid to get close to someone even though he loves them and wants to be with them or vice versa. I'm not sure exactly was was missing here, but in the end it's a fine song to choose as a first single. There's potential here for some good to great music and I hope to see it soon from Smith.
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhjk Sorry. Feel asleep on the keyboard. Somebody get this guy a personality already.
It looks like I'm not the only one who thought this song was complete garbage. Only being on the charts for 9 weeks and already sliding off the Top 10, only being in the number one spot for a shorter 3 weeks. Compared to her two huge hits from her last album "Shake it Off" and "Blank Space", which held on the number one spot for what felt like an eternity (Blank Space was on top for at least two months I believe). This song does NOT get any better with multiple listens, in fact it actually gets worse as you realize this is in fact actually a real song written by a real artist. Listening to the other singles released so far isn't helping me have any more hope for her new album dropping in less than two weeks. Albums and singles are important to staying relevant in the pop world, Taylor should know this as her last album pretty much launched her to the top of the music industry and that top spot can go away pretty fast. In the pop music world it's all about what's happening now and not what happened before, and while a strong back-catalog and diehard fans can help you stay relevant after some bad releases, people will always quickly move on from you once they see you aren't making anything they connect with anymore. Still that won't happen over just one bad album, at least not for Taylor. It will take many bad decisions from Taylor to really see her drop from the spotlight at the moment. The big question now is, will this be the only single from her new album to hit number one? Probably not, but I kind of hope so.
9. French Montana - Unforgettable
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhjk Sorry. Feel asleep on the keyboard. Somebody get this guy a personality already.
10. Taylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do!
It looks like I'm not the only one who thought this song was complete garbage. Only being on the charts for 9 weeks and already sliding off the Top 10, only being in the number one spot for a shorter 3 weeks. Compared to her two huge hits from her last album "Shake it Off" and "Blank Space", which held on the number one spot for what felt like an eternity (Blank Space was on top for at least two months I believe). This song does NOT get any better with multiple listens, in fact it actually gets worse as you realize this is in fact actually a real song written by a real artist. Listening to the other singles released so far isn't helping me have any more hope for her new album dropping in less than two weeks. Albums and singles are important to staying relevant in the pop world, Taylor should know this as her last album pretty much launched her to the top of the music industry and that top spot can go away pretty fast. In the pop music world it's all about what's happening now and not what happened before, and while a strong back-catalog and diehard fans can help you stay relevant after some bad releases, people will always quickly move on from you once they see you aren't making anything they connect with anymore. Still that won't happen over just one bad album, at least not for Taylor. It will take many bad decisions from Taylor to really see her drop from the spotlight at the moment. The big question now is, will this be the only single from her new album to hit number one? Probably not, but I kind of hope so.