ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart Review: 28th April

 So we have a quiet week in prospect here, one that has absolutely no new entries and some beyond frustrating shifts in our top ten, I got to say Australia, you guys love to cling to songs longer than ever now but let's start with the top ten where for yet another week "Ordinary" by Alex Warren hangs onto the number one spot, it's got sales and streaming margins to hold up ahead of "Pink Pony Club" by Chappell Roan which finally pushed it's way up to number two to become Chappell's highest ever charting single.

It pushed "APT" by Rose and Bruno Mars down to number three as it is losing steam big time on streaming, expect some larger falls for this in the weeks ahead if streaming continues to fall off.

Streaming is to blame for the continued rebound of fucking "Beautiful Things" by Benson Boone, why are we continuing to entertain this shitstain of a song in the top ten? Regardless, it's up two to number four because people still haven't moved on from this..

"Die With A Smile" by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars slipped one to number five as it's slowly but finally appearing to look unsteady, same could be said of "That's So True" by Gracie Abrams down one to number six. 

"Messy" by Lola Young rebounded one spot to number seven because it got a little sales boost this week likewise did "Birds of a Feather" by Billie Eilish at number eight. 

Both did enough to push past "Nokia" by Drake down two spots to number nine while back in the top ten this week is "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" by Shaboozey which returned to the top ten at number ten up two spots mostly because people still aren't letting go of songs like this one. 

Gains

Now to the big moves outside the top ten with two of them coming for Sombr with "Undressed" up eleven places to fourteen and "Back to Friends" up eight places to twenty four.

"Love Me Not" by Ravyn Lenae broke into the top twenty at number twenty while Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" rebounded up seven to number twenty eight. 

"Revolving Door" by Tate McRae also up eight to thirty two because we don't know how to make the good Tate McRae songs hits, she had better on that damn album.

On the theme of old songs rising "Something in the Orange" by Zach Bryan jumped eight places to thirty five while the never ending chart run of "Riptide" by Vance Joy continues as it jumped eight to thirty six, "Mr Brightside" by The Killers rebounded eight to forty.

Our lone new entry from last week also climbed eight places this week off it's debut that being "Sorry I'm Here for Someone Else" by Benson Boone up to forty two.

Re-Entries

Three returns with "Where the Wild Things Are" by Luke Combs back at number forty nine while "Stick Season" by Noah Kahan re-emerged at forty eight and "Pink Skies" by Zach Bryan skap back in at number forty five.

Losers

The only major loser this week is Ed Sheeran's "Azizam" which lost all it's streaming traction to plummet to thirty places to fifty. Ouch. 

Also saw "Timeless" by The Weeknd and Playboi Carti down eight to forty one while "Taste" by Sabrina Carpenter also hit an eight place skid to hit twent eight. 

Drop Outs

As for our drop outs this week, I am a little disappointed that we lost "Twilight Zone" by Ariana Grande but when both "Busy Woman" by Sabrina Carpenter and "Dark Thoughts" by Lil Tecca are gone too, I guess I can't complain too hard. 

So with there being no new entries to talk about that wraps up this week, we'll likely see the new single from Lorde debut alongside goodness knows what espercially if we do get that album bomb from Morgan Wallen in a few weeks. 

All 4 1994. 24th April. Easy Gin and Juice Sleeping in My Animal Car

Wham bam thank you mam, we have a new number one and it's one that I saw coming last week with Celine Dion's cover of Jennifer Rush's 1985 hit "The Power of Love" taking top spot and in the end it wasn't really even a contest as it had a clear sales lead. It's a move I am happy about as it's still a damn great song. 

Right behind it is something I should have seen coming given that it's an obvious hit in waiting. "The Sign" up five to number two as it gathers strength on sales, it also moved past former number one "It's Alright" by East 17 which slipped two places to numnber three. 

"The Sign" did manage to push back "Without You" by Mariah Carey to number four and "Streets of Philadelphia" by Bruce Springsteen down one to number five, 

Rising three places to number six is "Breathe Again" by Toni Braxton while "Dum Da Dum" by Melodie MC fell two to number seven. 

"Whatta Man"  by Salt 'N' Pepa feat. En Vogue fell two to number eight while "Sing Hallelujah" by Dr Alban looks like it might be having it's time in the top ten ended early as it slides down one to number nine.

Finally remaining at number ten is "Things Can Only Get Better" by D:Ream.

Losers

So the losers include "Hey Mr D.J." by Zhane down ten to number fifty while the sappy "Now and Forever" by Richard Marx fell six to forty four. while "Stay (Faraway, So Close)" by U2 slipped from thirty nine to forty three.

"Feelin' Alright" by EYC tumbled eight to thirty one.

Gains

"Return to Innocence" by Enigma somehow got a decent boost from twenty four to sixteen this week. I just do not get the appeal of that song at all. 

"Right in the Night (Fall In Love with the Music)" by Jam & Spoon (feat Plavka) is making its way up the charts off it's debut last week, it's up from thirty one to twenty four. 

The Screaming Jets got a "Helping Hand" from the public this week as their latest single rose nine places to twenty six. 

Also up nine this week is 'Hush Sweet Lover" by K.D Lang which climbed to twenty eight, also "Groove Thang" by Zhane got a nine place gain to thirty four which is good news. 

New Entries

Four new songs this week beginning with...

49. "Gin & Juice by Snoop Doggy Dogg.

With "What's My Name" being a medium sized hit for Snoop, we got a brand new song from him and I think this one is better? Yeah, it's a chill west coast vibe that just sits absolutely perfectly as Snoop Doggy Dogg absolutely coasts over this beat rapping about how despite all the drama going on, he is putting it all aside just to have a good time even if it appears that there might be some consequences around the corner. Great little song. Worth checking out.

48. "Easy" by Hunters & Collectors

Brand new Hunters & Collectors song from their album "Demon Flower" and I have got to say this is not one of their better singles, why is Mark Seymour sounding so drowned out in the mix to the point I can barely understand anything he is singing and it's a shame because the rock production sounds absolutely awesome but I cannot stand that vocal production. Next!

42. "Animal" by Pearl Jam

So "Daughter" still absolutely bangs and I am hoping that this third single from "Vs" absolutely bangs as well, well it kind of does...Eddie Vedder's vocals aren't as prominent here and it sounds like the instrumental is swallowing him up in the mix but for this sort of song, I guess it makes sense because this is one angry song where some have interpreted it as being anger at the media or those committing gang rapes, either way this is a pretty good song but not great.

21. "Sleeping in My Car" by Roxette

So by now, you all know I have a love of Roxette, "The Look" is my favourite hit song of 1989 and "Joyride" is one of my favourite songs ever and honestly "Sleeping In My Car" doesn't stray too far from the Roxette formula of catchy songs with great instrumentals and this is actually catchy as hell. 

Yeah, I'll give it best of the week but it was close. "Gin & Juice" by Snoop Doggy Dogg is solid as hell too. 

Worst of the week isn't a contest, it's going to "Easy" by Hunters & Collectors. 

ARIA Singles Chart top 50. 21st April.

 So this week felt slow as hell not just because we only have one new entry but because it felt slower like the charts are just grinding to a slow crawl akin to holiday traffic in gridlock especially as some older songs are making some seriously frustrating gains however before we get to all that. let's go through the top ten where for yet another week, it's "Ordinary" by Alex Warren at number one, while it's not number one on sales,

It held up ahead of "APT" by Rose and Bruno Mars which is slowly fading on streaming and looks no chance of re-taking number one, it's probably more under threat from "Piml Pony Club" by Chappell Roan which spent the week being consistent in all areas to climb one spot to number three. 

Lady Gaga's Australian tour announcement saw "Die With A Smile" rebound five to nuimber four while 'That's So True" by Gracie Abrams slipped one to five thanks to weakness on streaming.

Whar's also rebounding much to my disgust is "Beautiful Things" by Benson Boone which climbed two places to number six. Please do NOT let this shit become another fucking "Heatwaves", Australia, I am warning you. 

"Nokia" by Drake slipped two to seven mostly because sales slipped and streaming isn't quite holding it up as much as I had expected.

Also down two to number eight is "Messy" by Lola Young and "Birds of a Feather" by Billie Eilish to number nine. 

Wrapping up the top ten, we have "Luther" by Kendrick Lamar and SZA up two to number ten. 

Gains

:Outside of the top ten, there was a ten place gain to twenty for "Azizam" by Ed Sheeran, this song has hit written all over it. 

"The Door" by Teddy Swims rebounded six places to twenty six while Sombr's "Back to Friends" rose seven to thirty two. 

Older songs also had good sized gains which is frustrating to a degree with "Too Sweet" by Hozier up nine to thirty eight and "Austin" by Dasha up eight to thirty seven.

Re Entries

Just the one return this week with "Abracadabra" by Lady Gaga back in the top fifty after Gaga's Australian tour announcement at twenty eight. 

Losers

The biggest loser this week was unsurprisingly "Twilight Zone" by Ariana Grande which just utterly collapsed twenty five places to forty six while "Dark Thoughts" by Lil Tecca slipped fourteen places to forty seven. 

Drop Outs.

Just the two drop outs with long running hit "Pink Skies" by Zach Bryan and a debutant from last week "Caramel" by Sleep Token exiting the chart.

New Entries

Just the one new entry this week with...

50. "Sorry I'm Here for Someone Else" by Benson Boone

Look, I don't have a lot of time for Benson Boone's whiny gen z music and "Beautiful Things" remains an absolute abomination to this day and I cannot understand why that song is still taking up space in the top ten despite the song still being a caterwauling disaster and "Slow It Down" is also terrible however I will say that this song is slightly better in that Boone doesn't go down the path of obnoxiously caterwauling and this song does have a  nice melody and bassline to it even if Boone still sounds like a smug douche. Ehh, take it or leave.

No best or worst of the week. 

All 4 1994: 17th April. Like the Way You Work the Right Stepping Groove Thang In the Night

 1994 keeps rolling on and I have to be honest despite the fact a few mediocre songs have gone to number one, I think overall it's been a pretty solid year so far with more good weeks than bad and while some baaad songs are around, the truly excellent songs have also shone. The top ten is a case of that because while the mediocre  "It's Alright" by East 17 remains at number one for a seventh week but I doubt it's going to get an eighth week as it's losing sales. 

All that means is "The Power of Love" by Celine Dion while stuck at number two again this week, it's looking the early favourite to take top spot if things for "It's Alright" fall even further but let's not discount "Without You" by Mariah Carey at number three, it's got good enough sales to also be a contender here.

Up two to number four is "Streets of Philadelphia" by Bruce Springsteen which had a good sales week  but just couldn't quite mount a challenge to unshake the top three however it was good enough to move past "Dum Da Dum" by Melodie MC which remained at number five and unseat "Whatta Man" by Salt 'N' Pepa feat. En Vogue which slipped two to number six.

A song which I think could be a player for number one soon is "The Sign" by Ace of Base which climbed two places to number seven pushing past "Sing Hallelujah" by Dr Alban down one to number eight.

Up three to number nine is Toni Braxton's "Breathe Again" giving Toni her first Australian top ten hit while also nabbing their first Australian top ten hit is D:Ream with "Things Can Only Get Better" up one spot to number ten. 

Losers

Let's move to look at the rest of the top starting off with those that lost ground in a major way this week and we're starting with Haddaway's underwhelming "Life" which slipped eleven places to forty five while Heart's "Will You Be There (In The Morning" fell from forty two to thirty six. 

Bit sad that Janet Jackson's "Because of Love" tumbled so bad this week, falling from twenty nine to forty one, it's a good song and deserves a whole lot better. 

Sliding seven is Zhane's "Hey Mr D.J." to number 40 (More on Zhane in our new entries this week) while Richard Marx gooey "Now and Forever" got blasted down from twenty seven to thirty eight. 

Down seven to twenty is "Asshole" by Denis Leary, it's pretty much falling away gracefully, the song is still very funny to me.

Down nine to twenty six for former number one hit "Give It Up" by Cut 'n' Move while other hits like "Feelin' Alright" by EYC stumbled from sixteen to twenty three and "Slave to the Music" by Twenty 4 Seven feat Stay-C and Nance fell from thirteen to twenty two. 

Gains

Our gains are a mixed set this week because while I am not impressed that "Can We Talk?" by Tevin Campbell continued it's rise up six places to twelve (geezus, we can do better than this shit), or that "Twist and Shout" by Chaka Demus & Pliers with Jack Radics and Taxi Gang climbed five places to thirteen. I will say that i am pleased that "I Can See Clearly Now" by Jimmy Cliff got a good jump from twenty six to nineteen and that "Mountain" by Chocolate Starfish got a four place gain to sixteen.

That said we continue to indulge Tevin Campbell because his other single on the chart this week "I'm Ready" got one of the biggest gains of the week up from his debut last week at forty six to twenty one this week! Why?

Then there's K-Klass getting a decent boost up from twenty three to eighteen however I am happy that "Feel Like Making Love" by Pauline Henry got a sizeable boost up from forty three to twenty seven.

Twenty 4 Seven feat Stay-C and Nance jumped eleven places with "Is It Love" to sit at twenty nine. 

Up eight to thirty seven is "Hush Sweet Lover" by K.D Lang. 

New Entries

Four new entries this week beginning with...

49. "Stepping On Remix" by Sexing The Cherry

Oh get your minds out of the gutter, I know Sexing The Cherry sounds quite rude but considering it's actually an Australian group which first released this song as a single in 1993 before being re released in 1994 and included on the Heartbreak High soundtrack and look, I do think this song has it's momentums where it reminds me of Mixmaster Bunny's hits in the late 80s but I really am not sure what I am supposed to get out of this other than the group name sounding like it's out to seduce virgins and making clunky eurodance beats that have become pretty typical of the 90s so far...next!

47. "The Way You Work It" by EYC

Okay so with "Feelin' Alright" being a hit, EYC are back with another single and wow, is this a blind knock off "It's Alright" with less charm and even more annoying vocals and terrible outdated early 90s production because this sounds terrible even the bratty lead vocals and that noise that's somehow prominent in the mix on the bridge that makes me think a fire alarm had gone off in the studio while they were recording this nightmare. Yeah...this is junk...toss it. 

43. "Groove Thang" by Zhane

Oh thank god, something that isn't complete garbage for a change and coming from Zhane, I am actually really impressed by this particular song because "Groove Thang" has something of a solid r'n'b melody that actually sounds modern and actually groovy which makes it live up to the title of the song, the harmonies also are infectious and the hook is absolutely sticky and will get stuck in your head for quite awhile. I dug this, check it out if you are curious. 

31. "Right In the Night (Fall in Love With the Music" by Jam & Spoon feat. Plavka

And your regularly scheduled Eurodance/techno new song for the week with this one actually being a lot better especially as Plavka's vocals on the hook are actually really pretty and I will say that quicker tempo driving guitar and piano groove does a lot when Plavka isn't singing and the bass groove also does a decent job. Yeah, I hope this does well, pretty good.

However best of the week is going to Zhane for surprising me with "Groove Thang". Worst of the week...that belongs to the utterly obnoxious "The Way You Work It"  by EYC. 

ARIA Singles top 50 Chart Review: 14th April.

 Look. going to skip over any preamble as I do have a fair bit happening in real life right now so let's start with our top ten where for yet another week and it's got challengers coming at it from all angles as it's not really comfortable in any platform, I am actually surprised it's still at number one!

"APT" by Rose and Bruno Mars refuses to go away as it remained at number two. Streaming helped "Pink Pony Club" by Chappell Roan rose one spot to number three as it spent the week gaining on sales and streaming. 

Also not going away is "That's So True" by Gracie Abrams which slipped one to number four because like "APT", it's still got streaming somehow. 

Up five to number five is "Nokia" by Drake, it's got decent sales and streaming, its looking like it could make a surge for number one at some point. 

The next four retained their positions with "Messy" by Lola Young at number six, "Birds of a Feather" by Billie Eilish at number seven, "Beautiful Things" by Benson Boone at number eight and "Die With A Smile" by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars at number nine.

Finally rounding out the top ten is "Anxiety" by Doechii which slipped five places because while it's doing well on sales, it's losing big time on streaming to the songs above it. 

Gains. 

So the Gains this week feel like a smaller lot than last week, we only had a nine place gain for "Undressed" by Sombr to twenty six and "Love Me Not" by Ravyn Lenae up seven to twenty five. 

Re Entries

As for returning songs, we only saw "Stargazing" by Myles Smith back at forty three. 

Losers 

"I Love You, I'm Sorry" by Gracie Abrams slid six places to forty six while "Riptide" by Vance Joy is finally starting to fade away six places to forty two.

Tate McRae's "Revolving Door"  spun down seven places to thirty four while "Dark Thoughts" by Lil Tecca lived up to it's name sliding down nine to thirty three.

Teddy Swims chart run with "The Door" had doors slammed six times down to thirty two. 

Drop Outs

So four drop outs this week with two non starters leaving those being deluxe edition track from Ariana Grande in "Dandelion" and Chappell Roan's "The Giver".

The other exits were longer running hits like "Denial is a River" by Doechii and "TV Off" by Kendrick Lamar. 

New Entries

Three new entries this week, beginning with.

39. "Back to Friends" by Sombr

Ahh so it's time to talk about the Sombr song that gained traction recently that I am a little bit cooler towards mostly due to that weird buzz that seems to cause more of a distraction than anything else on the song which is a shame because Sombr seems to have otherwise good production instincts even if the writing on this song can feel a btt similar in subject matter to "Undressed" and his vocals are allowed to breath in the mix. All in all, not a bad song just one I am unlikely to revisit., 

36. "Caramel" by Sleep Token

Here we go, another run in with Sleep Token and I am a bit more trepidatious about this song especially as I didn't like "Emergence" and unfortunately, it's the same sterile trying to mix heavier metal sounds with pop and r'n'b that just doesn't click with me at all and it just sounds messy at best and weirdly discordant while being sludgy at points, as a result it just winds up not being fun to listen to at all. Next!

30. "Azizam" by Ed Sheeran

We wrap up this week with the lead single from Ed Sheeran's upcoming new album "Play" and well... it is one of Ed's better pop sell out singles with what amounts to a dance pop song with Persian influences. The lyrics are pretty basic love song stuff with Sheeran asking his dear to meet him on the dancefloor if she's interested in playing the romance game but yeah, I dig this a fair bit, definitely better than "Shape of You" and "Eyes Closed" in terms of lead singles.

"Azizam" by Ed Sheeran gets the best of the week. Worst of the week goes to "Caramel" by Sleep Token...that song just does absolutely nothing for me.

All 4 1994 10th April. Hush, Is It Love, My Sweet Lover? I'm Ready so Sail Away

Let's not waste time and get stuck into this week because the top four pretty much remains the same as last week. Of course, "It's Alright" by East 17 remains number one for a sixth week and it's sales aren't as steady as they once were, things might be about to get interesting.

This could pave the way for a challenge for number one by "The Power of Love" by Celine Dion which held at number two and is gaining strength across the board, it's just a matter of time as to when it will make it's move.

"Without You" by Mariah Carey remains at number three whi,e "Whatta Man" by Salt 'n' Pepa feat. En Vogue is stuck at number four. 

Up two places to number five is "Dum Da Dum" by Melodie MC while "Streets of Philadelphia" by Bruce Springsteen remained rooted to the number six spot.

"Dum Da Dum" made an effective swap though as "Sing Hallelujah" by Dr Alban fell back two places to number seven while rising two spots is "Loser"
 by Beck to  number eight.

One of the biggest gains of thr week belongs to "The Sign" by Ace of Base which climbed from forty one to number nine this week, this song is going to be huge and will probably make a play for number one within in weeks, you have been warned here. 

Rounding out the top ten is "Said I Loved You...But I Lied" by Michael Bolton down two spots to number ten...thank god the traction for this song is rapidly dying out and this awful drudge of a song is going away. 

Losers

Cut 'N' Move's "Peace, Love & Harmony" down eight to forty eight while former chart topper "All For Love" by Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting slipped eleven to forty one, the same goes for "Movin' On Up" by M People which slipped from twenty four to thirty two. 

While "Asshole" by Denis Leary slipped from sixteen to twenty one.

Gains

So outside of the  massive gain for Ace of Base's "The Sign" into the top ten, what other major gains occurred? Well, somehow people are in love with 2 Unlimited's "Let the Beat Control Your Body" even if I am not so that's up from forty seven to thirty nine. 

"Dry County" by Bon Jovi jumped eight to thirty one while Engima's "Return to Innocence" jumped nine places to twenty four. 

Finally the second biggest gain of the week belongs to Toni Braxton as "Breathe Again" jumped ten places to number twelve. 

New Entries

Four new entries all in the lower quarter of the chart this week so let's begin with...

49. "Sail Away" by Urban Cookie Collective

You can all relax this is not a knock off of Enya's 1989 hit "Orinoco Flow"...thank god but it is more hedonistic dance music where it's more about the beat than anything that is said in the song because the vocals can barely be made out over the thumping electronic music and what sounds like somebody trying to burp politely over and over again (See Ginuwine, this is how you burp in a song). Next!. 

46, "I'm Ready" by Tevin Campbell

Another Tevin Campbell song and can only hope that this one is better than the previous effort and yeah, it is better! There's a gentle r'n'b groove that kind of works here and even if Campbell's voices on the second verse bug me, they still sound like a lamb bleating but the chorus sounds good and he does sound believeable as he begs this girl to make a conmitment to him and acknowledge that she's ready to love him. It's fine, check it out if you are curious.

45. "Hush Sweet Lover" by K.D Lang.

I was really looking forward to checking out this song especially after Urban Cookie Collective and Tevin Campbell so what did we get? A pretty gorgeous love ballad that verges on almost being jazz where Lang begs her lover to be quiet and just let her love them and them to share their love with her and she is just owning this song vocally. This is exactly what I needed. CHECK THIS OUT!!

40. "Is It Love?" by Twenty 4 Seven feat. Stacy-C and Nance

And from KD Lang's beautiful vocals straight back into eurodance and big beats although I will say "Slave to the Music" is a decently good song so I was curious as to what the follow up  would be like and yeah, I definitely like this softer sound that make the vocals clearer and its actually really nice song where it's somebody wanting to know if the other person is seeking love and genuine connection from them on the dancefloor, I do buy it especially given the vocals are surprisingly emotional and that kind of works. Good song.

However best of the week is going to KD Lang for "Hush Sweet Lover". Worst of the week is going to Urban Cookie Collective for "Sail Away"

ARIA Singles top 50 Chart Review: 7th April

 Let's dive into this week because it sure is an interesting one and it seems we do have a set number one for now so diving into our top ten where "Ordinary" by Alex Warren remains at number one for a second week, it has a lead on streaming but nowhere else which does make it vulnerable to other competitors.

That may not be the case for "APT" by Rose and Bruno Mars which held at number two but it's losing ground on streaming 

"That's So True" by Gracie Abrams rose one place to number three on the back of some residual streaming. Also up a spot to number four thanks to streaming is "Pink Pony Club" by Chappell Roan although some of this might also be due to "Anxiety" by Doechii down two to five as it bleeds on streaming despite having a sales lead.

Standing still is "Messy" by Lola Young which is stuck at number six, its not got that much streaming or sales so it's pretty much inertia keeping it in the top ten. 

Speaking of inertia, "Birds of a Feather" by Billie Eilish rebounded three places to number seven while  "Beautiful Things" by Benson Boone climbed one spot to number eight, they both took advantage of "Die With A Smile" by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars falling two spots to number nine.

Finally Drake completes our top ten with "Nokia" up one place to number ten and looks set to hang around in the top ten thanks to having some decent sales and streaming, Great. Not. (Yeah, that song has soured on me a bit, doesn't help it's on an album that is complete ass).

Gains

So not too much in the way of big gains this week but I will express some annoyance at the eight place gain for "Riptide" by Vance Joy to thirty six...so tired of old songs clogging the chart if I am to be blunt. 

I don't mind the five place gains to thirty two for "Love Me Not" by Ravyn Lenae, the same for "Indigo" by Sam Barber and Avery Anna to twenty nine. 

Re-Entries

Two returns this week with "Mr Brightside" by The Killers back at forty nine and "Busy Woman"  by Sabrina Carpenter at forty seveen

Losers 

Lets blow through some of these big losers this week with "TV Off" by Kendrick Lamar down seven to fifty. Unsurprisingly but sadly, "The Giver" by Chappell Roan is down fifteen to forty three. 

"Denial Is A River" by Doechii slumped seven places to thirty seven as it's streaming is surprising slowing down. 

Drop Outs

So apart from the two Playboi Carti left overs that left this week, we also lost longstanding hit in "Stargazing" by Myles Smith and other songs with a shorter run like "Abracadabra" by Lady Gaga, "Like Jennie" by Jennie and "Burning Down" by Alex Warren

New Entries

Four new entries this week, beginning with...

45. "Dandelion" by Ariana Grande

First of two songs from the External Sunshine deluxe album that charted this week and I cannot be the only one who thinks this song is as wonky as hell, right? From the weirdly out of tune trumpet to that weird drum noise and Ariana sounding needlessly thin and compressed on a song where she's telling this guy he can blow her away because she'll be his dandelion and no, Ariana, you've got a beautiful voice and really the production needs to be better. I'm moving on. 

35. "Undressed" by sombr

Breaking on to the charts this week is an American singer songwriter Sombr and right now he has two songs gaining traction with this one being the better one, it sounds like a better version of an indie pop/rock song with the backing vocals and Sombr actually sounding like he has space and room to breathe in the mix surrounded by guitars and a gentle keyboard and especially with lyrics about a relationship on the edge but he isn't quite ready to let go, she still means a lot to him and he isn't ready to move on. Decent song. Worth checking out. 

23. "Mutt" by Leon Thomas

The second of our two debutants on the chart this week is Leon Thomas, a GRAMMY winning singer songwriter and producer with this song being on his sophomore album and well...I am not as much of a fan of this as I would like to be mostly because it just doesn't click in the production especially with some of those choices and while the lyrics play to lack of trust through drug use etc, I just can't get my head around this, check it out if you are curious but I am going move on pretty quickly about this. 

16. "Twilight Zone" by Ariana Grande

So this might surprise some people but I think this song from the deluxe edition of "Eternal Sunshine" is Ariana Grande's best song since "No Tears Left to Cry" back in 2018. I just love the sound and gentle cooing singing from Ariana Grande here even though the production is more compressed and tinny than it needs to be around her vocals which is weird considering she has one of the best voices in pop music today outside of Adele, there's frustration that works well here. This is excellent. Check it out.

Yeah, it also gets best of the week just edging out "Undressed" by Sombr. Worst is also going to Ariana Grande for "Dandelion"...I just cannot stand how wonky that song is. 

All 4 1994: 3rd April. Dry Sign Since I Lost The County

 Let's just jump straight into this week because yeah, it's really not all that interesting apart from a few shifts in the top ten because for yet another week, "It's Alright" by East 17, it's now spent five weeks at the top and doesn't look like slowing down any.

Remaining at number two is "The Power of Love" by Celine Dion because it's just doing steady on sales but will be a decent threat to top spot should "It's Alright' sales start to slow down or stumble.

Also in decent position is Mariah Carey's howling "Without You" up one to number three, it pushed past "Whatta Man" by Salt 'N' Pepa feat. En Vogue which slipped to number four...frankly I am surprised this really isn't making a bigger push for number one, it's got number one hit written all over it. 

Up one to number five is the grading "Sing Halleluljah" by Dr Alban, its just making steady gains and should continue to improve it's position.

The most pleasing news in our top ten this week is that Bruce Springsteen's "Streets of Philadelphia" had an eleven place rise to number six! I know it's because of the movie but I am just thrilled that this song is here. It's a great song. 

Melodie MC's remaining at number seven with "Dum Da Dum" while thankfully Michael Bolton's rising tide of ass "Said I Loved You...But I Lied" fell three to number eight...thank goodness for that!

Finally I have mixed feelings on our two new arrivals to the top ten with "Things Can Only Get Better" by D:Ream up four places to number nine. Fine song so reasonably happy to see it here.

Wish I could say the same for "Loser" by Beck which also rose four places to round out our top ten at number ten. 

Losers

Not as many losers this week and what of our losers, most of them were just continued losses of momentum like "Feels Like Heaven" by Urban Cookie Collective down from thirty eight to forty three while "What is Love" by Haddaway down from thirty seven to forty two. 

"Shoop" by Salt 'n' Pepa just utterly collapsed from twenty five to bit thirty eight...ouch!

Former top ten hit "Stay (Faraway, So Close!" by U2 slipped from twenty eight to thirty four while former number one "All For Love" by Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting copped a nine place dump down to thrty. 

"Hey Mr D.J" by Zhane slipped nine places to twenty nine. 

Gains

This week was an incredibly busy one for gains and while I am not thrilled that "Twist and Shout" by Chaka Demus & Pliers with Jack Radics and Taxi Gang got a ten place boost to seventeen, we did see "Cornflake Girl" by Tori Amos jump from twenty six to nineteen and Chocolate Starfish climbed twelve spots to 21 with "Mountain" 

Right behind all of that is "Breathe Again" by Tori Braxton which jumped eight places to twenty two, I can see this breathy r'n'b song being a top ten hit and it's on it's way to becoming one.

Also not thrilled that "Let Me Show You" by K-Klass got a seven place boot to twenty eight however "I Can See Clearly Now" by Jimmy Cliff jumped nine spots to twenty seven which I am absolutely delighted about. 

Finally "Helping Hand" by The Screaming Jets jumped from forty one to thirty six because Aussie pub rock apparently still has a place on the charts.

New Entries

Thankfully a much lighter week in terms of new entries with just three new songs this week starting with

49. "Since i Don't Have You" by Guns 'N' Roses

I think it needs to be said that I have a mixed at best relationship with Guns 'N' Roses music. Sure "Sweet Child of Mine" is great but damn they have some absolute stinkers as well and I wasn't expecting much given they  are covering a 1958 song by The Skyliners that was also covered by Don McLean in 1981 and then by country singer Ronnie Millsap in 1991. Also seems like this ballad about having lost love and trying to move on from a lost relationship is just a good excuse for a guitar solo from Slash and Axl Rose to turn crooner. It's not terrible but this is just a little odd from Guns 'n' Roses.

41. "The Sign" by Ace of Base

So here we have the lead single from Swedish pop group Ace Base, it's from their debut album called "The Sign" and fuck, I don't know if I have heard a catchier pop song in a while! That hook is sticky as hell and combines a lot of sounds from reggae and europop. The song hits on themese of exploring the moment that a couple realizes that this relationship is probably over and yeah it does so maybe the catchiest and kind of fun way yet. Expect this to be heard everywhere!.

39. "Dry County" by Bon Jovi

Sixth and final single from Keep the Faith and it's a long song for sure clocking in at six minutes and thiry seven seconds where over gentle piano, guitar and drums, Bon Jovi laments the then decline of the US oil industry and how the decline affected thoses who relied on the income that the industry provided them in order to support their families. It's certainly an impassioned performance from Jon Bon Jovi. This is good but I am not sure that I will ever come back to it. 

That wraps up the week and I am going to give worst of the week to "Since I Don't Have You" by Guns 'n' Roses as that song probably just doesn't hit me as much as the other two do.

Best of the week is going to "The Sign" by Ace of Base and that's not even a contest. It has the potential to be a massive hit going forward in 1994. We'll see what happens next week and whether East 17 can hang on to the top spot. 

ARIA Singles Top 50 Chart Review: 31st March

So we have a comedown week albeit one that is still incredibly interesting because yet again we have a new number one and a first for the artist involved so let's dive straight into our top ten where "Ordinary" by Alex Warren climbed three  places to take number one, it's streaming that got this song over the line for number one because while it's got consistent sales, it's the streaming margins that got this song over the line.

It put it ahead of "APT" by Rose and Bruno Mars which held steady at number rwo thanks to still being a good sized player on streaming with formr number one "Anxiety" by Doechii which slipped two places to number three while "That's So True" by Gracie Abrams down one to number four.

Remaining at number five is "Pink Pony Club" by Chappell Roan while holding at six is "Messy" by Lola Young.

Up two places to number seven is "Die with a Smile" by Lady  Gaa and Bruno Mars because people aren't sick of this song somehow while "Luther" by Kendrick Lamar and SZA held at number eight.

Unfortunately with the receding of the Playboi Carti album bomb, it allowed for the mass that is "Beautiful Things" by Benson Boone to return to the top ten up two to number nine.

Finally holding on at number ten for another week is "Birds of a Feather" by Billie Eilish at number ten.

Gains

So there were a tonne of gains mostly smaller ones that were because the Playboi Carti album bomb however most of the big gains this week belonged to Teddy Swims with "Bad Dreams" up eighteen to twenty seven while "The Door" is up ten to twenty six and "Lose Control" rebounding eight places to fourteen.

It was a good week for Alex Warren with "Carry You Home" rising eight to break into the top twenty at number twenty. 

Re - Entries

Three returns this week with Zach Bryan the main beneficiary with "Something In the Orange" at number forty eight and "Pink Skies"  at forty six. 

The other new entry is "Stargazing" by Myles Smith at fifty

Losers

So lets get past the big losses for Playboi Carti with "Evil J0rdan" down twenty six spots to thirty three and "Rather Lie" featuring The Weeknd down twenty to thirty six.

"The Giver" by Chappell Roan fell fourteen to twenty eight which was to be expected considering it is a detour from Chappell in terms of her sound. 

Outside of that, "TV Off" by Kendrick Lanar slid down nine places to 43 while "Abracadabra" by Lady Gaga tumbled eight to number thirty nine. 

Drop Outs

Look, I am not complaining that we lost all but two of the Playboi Carti entries from last week nor "Emergence" by Sleep Token. 

A little disappointed that "A N X I E T Y" by Sleepy Hallow and Doechii.

New Entries

47. "Burning Down" by Alex Warren

A third Alex Warren single hitting the charts and this one is probably the best of the three to the point that I am surprised that this song didn't hit the chart earlier this year especially with the popularity of both "Ordinary" and "Carry You Home" but yeah, this song has a fire about it which makes it work for me as Warren is singing about how a person in his life isn't who he thought they were and as a result the relationship is burning down around him and he is left to pick up the pieces. All up good song but he is up against some competition for best of the week because...

37. "Love Me Not" by Ravyn Lenae

So we finally get American R ' n' B singer Ravyn Lenae on the Australian singles chart and I have to be honest, I didn't pay a lot of heed to her album "Birds Eye' from last year although after having heard this song in particular...I am left wishing I had because this song is damn great! Yeah, I love how Ravyn's spy vocals bounce along with the rather strong groove of the track, it reminds me a lot of what Amy Winehouse was doing before she passed. If this goes on to become a hit, it will be high on my year end best list.

22. "Dark Thoughts" by Little Tecca

Long time no hear from Little Tecca until now with this song hitting the charts and really there is not a lot to be said given that I do get the appeal of a song like this,it carries a solid energy that does work and the production does feel decent. Shame the content doesn't rise much above Lil Tecca's shameless bragging and his relationship woes with this girl. All up, I don't think this song is outright bad as the beat saves a lot but it is certainly not anything I am going to be coming back to.

That wraps the week and yeah "Dark Thoughts" by Little Tecca gets worst of the week although it's not really that bad. Best of the week goes to "Love Me Not" by Ravyn Lenae.