Top Ten Best Hit Songs of 2021

Well now we get to the list that's always the hardest for me that being the top ten best hit songs of any given year...yeah I work from what makes the ARIA singles year end for the year but there's also combing through the list, finding the songs that ruled my year and than figuring out where each song fits on some subjective list for the sake of this blog and truth be told, I was sorely tempted to drop the whole idea of a top ten because really in 2021, there was A LOT of good music that made the ARIA year end for 2021..when I can pull a seolid 21 good to great songs out as contenders for this list and have headaches ordering then I guess even with how transitional popular music felt in terms of trends last year. 

Anyway let's get to the rules for this list.

1. A song can only make this list if it debuted on the year end for 2021 or is a 2020 year end song that's higher on the 2021 list

2. A new rule here due to the ARIA year end being constantly full of old songs so if a song is older than 2020 and debuting on the year end list for 2021 then it's eligible for honourable mention only as i don't think it's fair for older songs to make the top ten and I think the top ten should reflect the music released in 2021. 

3. This my list, my opinion so please don't abuse me in the comments.

So moving on to our six honourable mentions and right off the bat, it's time for controversy because...

"My Ex's Best Friend" by Machine Gun Kelly feat. Blackbear

Somewhere along the line it became cool to hate on Machine Gun Kelly and honestly...I've never ever felt that way toward him...yeah even for that awful collab with Camila Cabello back in 2017 and all the other douchebag things he has done, I've mostly been ambivalent toward him however this infectious slice of pop/rock wormed its way into my heart in 2020 thanks to MGK's album "Tickets to My Downfall" and I'm absolutely thrilled that this became a hit because this is a bewildered MGK trying to figure out his complicated feelings on relationships and rebound relationships...even Blackbear does better than usual here (he is the worst part of that new Avril Lavigne song) and the song is short enough so that the listener doesn't get sick of it. Love it!

"Leave Before You Love Me" by Marshmello feat. Jonas Brothers

Ohh, I know this one is also going to be controversial but this song kind of hits akin to "It Ain't Me" by Kygo and Selena Gomez in terms of artists I don't care for coming together to make a really good song and that's the case here with Marshmello finally producing a song where he gets out of his own way in the production booth and the Jonas Brothers do a really damn solid job of selling a song where they are warning this girl that she's going to fall in love and end up getting hurt if she doesn't leave the club now. Nice job by both acts.

"Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" by Lil Nas X

I think the controversy that surrounded this one with the music video and the shoes kind of made people forget that this song is actually pretty damn good, it's the moment that Lil Nas X completely shed his image as the guy who made that ubquitous 2019 meme song and told the public in no certain terms that he is more than taking that horse down Old Town Road injecting many LGBTIQIA+ themes into his debut full length album and this song is almost the centrepiece of that where Lil Nas X tells his lover that he doesn't want to be on the downlow with regard to his sexuality and also addresses the pressure he feels to represent the LGBTIQIA+ community in the music industry and that really takes a heck of a lot of guts to do and it's damn great song to boot. More Lil Nas X later on this list.

"Drivers License' by Olivia Rodrigo

Word of warning, you are going to be seeing plenty of Olivia Rodrigo on this list and that's mostly because I do think Sour is a really damn good album, yeah, its centred around her teenage heartbreak but it's not like its coming from a 25 year old woman who is five or six years past teenagerdom, Olivia is actually a teenagerr and this year put her emotions and energy into a song all about her excitement about finally getting her drivers license and being able to drive to see her boyfriend only he isn't there and is likely cheating on her which is something that angers and devastates Olivia because she's very clearly still in love with the asshole in question as evidenced by the line "I still fucking love you, babe", the only reason that it's not on the list proper is because there were a heap of really damn good songs that pushed above it.

"Deja Vu" by Olivia Rodrigo

The suspicion I have about this song is that people backed away from it because it sounded a little weird and s little too experimental coming from a teenager who had just released the massive break up ballad yet here's "Deja Vu" a slice of pop rock that had all these little quirks in the instrumentation as Olivia asks if her ex is having moments of deja vu when he takes his new girl out to do all things he used to do with Olivia, it's not quite angry but more wistful as Olivia remembers all that stuff she and the guy did together and hopes he does too...either way this song grew on me A LOT in 2021. Good stuff.

"Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac

The fact that this made the year end for the first time in 2021 is mindblowing to me however even if I didn't have my rule with regard to older songs on the year end in place, this still would have been only an honourable mention...yeah it's a damn great song and Stevie Nicks is an amazing performer however combine this song being on the singles chart all year along with the cover by Jolyon Petch and I got tired of the song pretty damn quick combine that with the fact that Fleetwood Mac have better songs than this in their cannon. I still love "Dreams" but boy, am I ready for a break from it.

Now to the list proper....

Number Ten

So before I saw the ARIA singles year end for 2021,  I was all set to put this guy's Billboard Hot 100 number one on this list, that was until the year end was released and I saw that this other song of his had made the year end and what a delight it is...

"Martin & Gina" by Polo G

I was shocked this made the ARIA year end so much so I screamed with shocked delight when I saw it as it didn't feel like that much of a hit but my god I am happy it's here. Polo G is one of the newer acts in hip hop along with Rod Wave that I really keep an eye on and let me tell you "Martin & Gina" is excellent mostly because it subverts the expectation that it's going to be another luxury brag rap where Polo G goes on about he can afford to spend thousands on buying his girlfriend jewellery and whatever the hell she wants but rather to rap about the ups and downs and give and take of their relationship over this really nicely textured guitar and while "Rapstar' was close to the list, I like to think "Martin & Gina" is the song that made Polo G one of the best up and coming rappers in hip hop.

Number Nine

2021 was the year I spent saying that SZA deserved so much better from her label and basically from everyone around her, when she releases songs like this one, can you blame me?

"Good Days" by SZA

2021 was the year that I got what makes SZA a compelling R'n'B artist, she's got such a wonderful command of her atmosphere to create a song that brings its own sonic world to life with it, it's a song that's just so gentle and relaxing that it makes you forget that world is in a pretty terrible state right now and then there's SZA who is seeking to have more good days and moving on from the bad things that happened in her past eg: bad relationship and letting go of the awful things that have happened to her in the past. It's just really vibey, inspiring song which is rare to find these days especially in the mainstream but I think this song got there for me. Can we get that new SZA album this year? It's about god damn freaking time and....SZA DESERVES BETTER!

Number Eight

So remember my worst list when I criticised Keith Urban's "One Too Many". Turns out he is appearing on the best list too...

"Love Songs Ain't for Us" by Amy Shark feat. Keith Urban

Okay, so this isn't fully on Keith Urban here, "Love Ain't For Us" is actually Amy Shark providing a really damn good vocal performance where the production on the vocals for once also works wonders plus it makes sense that this song is an Ed Sheeran co write given the lyrics of the song but the song does deserve it as the song is a bare bones ballad about how sometimes no love song describes feelings between two people even if the relationship sits at a crosspoint where they not friends or lovers but somewhere between. It's definitely one of those songs to be played toward the end of a school dance or party. Check this song out.

Number Seven

So I was all set to put Lil Nas X's most recent hit on this list but as that one missed the ARIA year end, I took a moment, relistened to this one and well...

"Industry Baby" by Lil Nas X feat. Jack Harlow

Let me say this, if Lil Nas X didn't have the bucket loads of charisma, a song like this doesn't work at all and that instrumentation is grand and actually fits in quite well with Lil Nas X clapping back at those who dare hate him especially after the controversy around the "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" video and the shoes.and he does so brilliantly using his charisma to chop his haters down to appropriate sizes...you'd kind of hope the haters now realize that Lil Nas X will leverage their hate and turn it into hilarious promo for his music but then Jack Harlow shows up to deliver one his best verses of his career...his whole verse is just absolute gold

" don't clear up rumors (ayy), where's y'all sense of humor? (Ayy)I'm done makin' jokes 'cause they got old like baby boomers
Turned my haters to consumers, I make vets feel like they juniors (juniors)
Say your time is comin' soon, but just like Oklahoma (mmm)
Mine is comin' sooner (mmm), I'm just a late bloomer (mmm)
I didn't peak in high school, I'm still out here gettin' cuter (woo)
All these social networks and computers
Got these pussies walkin' 'round like they ain't losers"

It's damn brilliant and a sure sign that Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow will be well worth keeping around for a long time 

Number Six

So this next song is a 2020 song that thanks to Triple J's Hottest 100 and it's second place ranking behind "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals, it charted on the singles chart high enough and long enough to make the year end and that song is on this list...

"Booster Seat" by Spacey Jane

This was a song that put a smile on my face every time I heard it during 2021, it's the sort of song that you play while on a long drive on a freeway during summer with the windows down and that guitar that starts the song bringing this chill vibe even during the heat of summer with Spacey Jane singing about being in the booster seat of a car. 

It also helps that that chorus is one of the best of the year with a song that actually builds up into the chorus rather than dropping down which is something I don't hear enough of in modern music these days...the chorus is supposed to be the central part of a song...build up to it rather than build down. This is just as anthemic as 'Booster Seat" was last year. Definitely check this out. 

Number Five

The best way to describe Ed Sheeran's year last year was mixed, sure, he has two hit songs with both making ARIA"s year end but specifically to find the Ed Sheeran song making this list, you need to go back to the end of 2020 to find it and thus...

"Afterglow" by Ed Sheeran

I never cared for "Bad Habits" and while "Shivers"  did grow on me, it just didn't do enough to make this list (tough competition this year and being merely decent was not enough) but it was the paired back and folky "Afterglow" that hit the Ed Sheeran sweet spot for me this year, its the sort of quietly great song that was needed coming out of an awful year that made me feel better about a lot of things and gave me hope for the next year (that really only kind of turned into an almost carbon copy of 2020 with lockdowns etc) and while Ed Sheeran hasn't definitively explained what the song is about, some have determined that the song maybe a love song to his wife but for me, "Afterglow' became the song for letting go of the bad shit and moving forward with the good. Great song, Ed.

Number  Four

Well what's a 2021 year end best list without this song on it?...

"Leave the Door Open" by Silk Sonic

Some of you will be surprised at how low this is on my list but the truth is that I love other songs on "An Evening With Silk Sonic" just that little bit more however even with that this is still a damn fantastic song with Anderson Paak and Bruno Mars knowing what makes this sort of retro 70s soul go down smooth and easy with the audience and knowing the bounds of good taste with lyrics enticing this young woman into their home by leaving the door open for her should she decide to come over for a romantic evening...and yeah, given how good this song went down in 2021, I was up for it. 

Number Three 

So with the previous song and the next three songs, they were all automatic picks for this list for me and given I think this song will make the best hit songs lists for 2022 in the US, I'm glad I can add it to this list for 2021...

"Easy On Me" by Adele

So many people said upon hearing "Easy On Me" that it wasn't a lead single song and yet I'd argue that it's the perfect lead single especially given everything that has happened, this is Adele taking the decision to end her marriage and begging her ex and her son to go easy, she did what she had to do to find herself again as the love in her marriage had gone and she realized she and her ex were staying together for the sake of their son which didn't make Adele happy. What I love about this song is that it's just Adele's vocals, a piano and some strings...that's it...all ttat's left is Adele's incredible ability to knock a song like this out of the god damn park with her charisma. Fantastic song.

Number Two

So when I was formulating my plans for my 2020 year end best hit songs list this particular song was going to be my number one best hit for 2020 so colour me sad and disappointed when it didn't make the year end for that year but thankfully due to it's ridiculous longevity, it made the ARIA year end for 2021 and so...

"Levitating' by Dua Lipa

Yeah, the asshole that is Father Time kinf of did a bit of a number and the DaBaby feature and subsequent controversy over his big mouth kept this from the top spot with regard to me placing this  but if you strip away all that outside noise and focus on the original version of "Levitating" (which made the year end rather than the remix), it's still a damn GREAT pop song, it's got just enough of those 70s grooves but doesn't go the whole way to feel like a pastiche to the past and Dua Lipa has got that effortless charisma to make the song just sound like an absolute party. It's great fun and in a year like this one, this song was the relief I needed but there was one song that connected for me like nothing else in a year where things in the world stopped making sense so what could it be.

Number One

So let's talk about music made by teenage girls...more specifically pop/rock that dives more toward teenage angst something that Avril Lavigne and others cornered in the early part of this new mess of a millennium so bring on a year like 2021 where pop/rock and pop punk is making a return to the spotlight combine that with a teenage girl's messy relationship break up and you get this...

"Good 4 U" by Olivia Rodrigo

I never could understand the criticism of Olivia Rodrigo's writing her debut album about her relationship break up, after all she is writing about something she has lived through, worked through feelings on and is now pulling from the break up for her music which is absolutely what Taylor Swift and so many other artists before Olivia Rodrigo have done and 'Good 4 U" is a highlight on "SOUR" where Olviia manages to sound righteously sarcastic and angry even though she's losing her dignity over this douche moving on with another girl without caring about Olivia and making sure that she is okay. 

And it's that lack of care from her ex that sparks the undignified rage from Olivia that works so well against the guitars that I have missed in popular music for years and the drums do a lot here to help keep the song in balance. 

Oh yeah, this song features the best two seconds in pop music where Olivia yells "LIKE A DAMN SOCIOPATH" and for all of that...it's the best hit song of 2021,

Top Ten Worst Hit Songs of 2021.

Another year over, another year full of the ARIA singles chart and the hits and misses of the year, time to do a little summer cleaning and pore over the best and worst of the year. Now while 2021 was still a good year, ir was a step down from 2020 in terms of quality and it wasn't all that hard finding stuff that outright sucked that made ARIA's year end list for 2021 be it slog in pop rap, indie pop, pop country and even a couple of arists I like actually disappointing me this year however I will also say that the bad stuff sticks out in amongst all the good so let's get in, pick up the trash and dispose of it.

However before we go any further, a song can only make this list if it debuted on the year end chart for 2021 or peaked on the year end higher in 2021 than it did in 2020 so older songs like "Someone you Loved" by Lewis Capaldi and "Shape Of You" by Ed Sheeran that made year end lists in previous years are not eligible. Also I'll never put a song on a list like this for being boring...boring can be a factor but there's got to be something wrong with the song to make this list. Finally, this is my list, my opinion so please don't abuse me over what essentially is just my opinion.

Now all that is clear, let's get this shit show on the road starting with only four dishonourable mentions...

Dishonourable Mentions

"Rasputin" by Majestic x Boney M

The original wasn't good to begin with and this remix makes this song so much worse with the screeching of "Ra ra Rasputin"...ugh...next

"No Role Modelz" by J Cole

So apparently this qualified for the Australian year end for the first time in 2021 and my god, this leaves me with the feeling that J Cole is vastly over rated as a rapper because this song is ASININE and is only not making the top because of a rule where I don't put older songs in the top ten of a list of my best or worst hit songs however the lyrics are embarrassing....Martin Luther King would have been on Dreamville...geeez...I got better things to do with my time because this is not it.

"Traitor" by Olivia Rodrigo

Of the four songs Olivia Rodrigo lodged on the year end for 2021, this was the one I liked the least mostly because it felt like this childish jabbing in the tummy of her ex rather than her ahowing that she's not stooping down to his level and moving on with her life, sometimes the best revenge on an asshole is to move on and move forward, be better and don't lower yourself to that level which Olivia doesn't do here.

“The Business” by Tiesto

I get the appeal of the song, but I am sorry, the vocals here don’t make this song anything close to attractive…I get that it’s meant to be a song about getting down to business and getting serious but it’s the sort of song that sounds completely miserable and feels like it belongs in a sewer drain or worse. It’s probably one of the songs that just felt unpleasant to listen to every time I tried to get into and enjoy it…it never happened. 

Number Ten

So in 2017, Travis Scott had a sizeable hit with :Goosebumps" taking an uncredited Kendrick Lamar along for the ride...now i don't mind the original...just a shame I can't say the same of the house remix that came this year...

“Goosebumps” by HVME feat. Travis Scott

Welcome to the most unnecessary Spanish house remix of a song to somehow become a hit in years, there was no need for this. Travis Scott’s 2017 hit “Goosebumps” is a 2010s trap gem so what does producer HVME do to it? Pitches Travis Scott down, percussion that makes the song sound like a raging headache wrapped in a heroin wrap except only less deadly. All the elements that made the original work are not here either, there’s no uncredited Kendrick verse, nor is there the atmosphere or that guitar, it’s just a gutless pointless remix that should have never even charted in the first place and the fact this remix outcharted the original performed by Travis Scott and Kendrick Lamar on the ARIA singles chart is just fucking depressing with the original only peaking at 45, HVME’s version with Travis Scott on board got to number 5…ugh.

Number Nine

Speaking of pointless remixes that become very disappointing when you see the names attached to them...

“Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” by Elton John and Dua Lipa

I really didn’t want to do this…I didn’t want to put two acts I absolutely love on worst hit songs of 2021 list. Dua Lipa had one of the best and most iconic pop albums of 2020, she has still been riding residual success on the singles chart thanks to “Levitating”, she didn’t have to do this however “Cold Heart” got enough overt radio play to make the song start to sour on me and here it is. For one thing Dua Lipa supplies these thin, frail sounding vocals singing a section of “Rocket Man (I think it’s Going to be a Long Long Time)” and doesn’t sound like herself in between Elton John singing a section of “Sacrifice” on a new song. PNAU’s production doesn’t help thanks to the pile up of near constant strange noises, the only thing that works is the groove, there’s just too much going on for the song to flow both in the production and lyrically. It’s just a disjointed mess that hopefully will be forgotten about long term

Number Eight

You know, if there was one artist who had a really good 2021, it would have to be Doja Cat...she was pretty much the dominant force on the charts for women in hip hop, it's just a shame that not every song released from Planet Her was good because in 2021, Doja Cat gave us this...

“Need To Know” by Doja Cat

Doja, you’ve done this sort of song before...it was one of the biggest hits of 2020 and called “Say So” and even if the beat Dr Luke provided for that song was washed out and not great however it was better than this trap clunker. While I have gotten to a point where I can handle Doja’s harsher vocal delivery, she just doesn’t sound good here at all where she’s wanting to know if this guy will fuck her already. This is a sex song that’s not as sexy as Doja Cat or anyone else involved with this song thinks it is, thankfully she did better in 2021 but this headache and a half wasn't it.

Number Seven

Speaking of headaches...it's time to talk about the winners of 2021's Eurovision Song Contest...

“Beggin’” by Maneskin

The first thing that should be stressed is that this is not a cover of the original performed by Frankie Valli but rather a cover of the version Madcon recorded in 2007 and in a year where Italian Eurovision winners Maneskin burst onto the scene following their Eurovision win earlier this year thanks to “ZItti e Buoni” but somehow instead of that song getting big, we got this cover that become big and at first I was okay with the song but as time went on, “Beggin’” just got worse thanks to one pivotal factor that being the lead vocals which can best be described as a mix of crooner who forgot that warming the throat up is an important part of being able to sing well and the sound of somebody who is recovering from a serious bout of laryngitis and discovered he can talk again, it isn’t tolerable. At least on songs like “Zitti e Buoni”, the vocals sound pleasant enough but I just can’t with “Beggin’”...I’m sorry...the radio gets turned every time the song comes on.

Number Six

So what cha all know about rolling down in the deep...not like this next bloke has much of a clue

“Astronaut in the Ocean” by Masked Wolf

Well, this is 2021’s obvious worst list target more because the song tries to send a message about depression and anxiety but doesn’t tell a story to make me feel anything for him and the fact he is talking down to the audience on the hook where he manages to piss me off further by referencing Adele’s incredible 2011 hit “Rolling in the Deep” whiile talking down to his audience and the verses read more like him being the quintessential ‘nice guy’ and later brags about his prowess in rap...I mean sure he has a decent flow but that’s about it, he certainly doesn’t have the wordplay or charisma of others. Oh yeah, the song wastes a pretty good guitar that introduced the song...NEXT.

Number Five

Lewis Capaldi took a break in 2021...thank goodness...but that didn't mean we weren't spared of British solo acts howling like banshees...here's proof of that...

“Little Bit of Love” by Tom Grennan

I have been aware of UK singer songwriter Tom Grennan for a while and while there are songs from him I don’t mind like “Run in the Rain” or “Barbed Wire” however “Little Bit of Love” is a pretty awful crossover into commercial pop especially as Tom Grennan feels he has to haltingly shout the hook in the most over the top manner that comes across as really unnecessary  and unfortunately it's one where the Lewis Capaldi reference I made in introducing this song to the list because like on "Someone You Loved", the sentiments are so oversold and yowling they become distracting. Throw in the production that just feels like its compromising Tom Grennan’s overall sound just to get him a cross over pop hit and yeah...this was a dud the charts could have done without.

Number Four

Yeah, we were going to hit this point eventually but it's time to talk about The Kid Laroi on this list...

“Stay” by The Kid Laroi feat. Justin Bieber

The longer this stayed at number one on the ARIA singles chart, the more it soured for me especially as I realized that ‘Stay” is basically just Kid Laroi’s predecessor single (we’ll get to it) part two as the Kid Laroi bleats that he wants this girl to stay even though she’s fed up with his nonsense of getting drunk and wasted despite promising he’ll change which triggers an inert Bieber verse although I will say he sounds better crooning over the beat than The Kid Laroi does, Bieber basically sucks up to this poor fed up woman about her being the reason he believes in love blah blah even though it doesn’t even fit with the sentiment The Kid Laroi is expressing, it’s just totally pathetic from the pair of them, why would she want to stay when all The Kid Laroi seems to do is bleat, guilt trip and act like a baby? No woman who knows her value would stay with a guy like this. As for the instrumentation…well yeah…it sounds like an instrumental that can be inserted into most eighties leaning modern pop songs, it's not all that special. 

Number Three

You might be surprised as to how this song is so high on this list...well one of the artists on this song happens to be an artst I like and given most of what she has released this year was 'easy listening, fit for radio' junk, this one hurts to put here and I thought putting Dua Lipa and Elton John on this list hurt...

"One Too Many" by Keith Urban and Pink

Having heard a lot of Pink's past work for reasons that I can't go into right now but you'll see on the blog soon, I just couldn't reconcile the fact that the very same Pink who recorded songs like "Get the Party Started", "U + Ur Hand" and "So What" was now recording material for the easy listening meat grinder to gobble up and spit out the other side like this song with Keith Urban where Pink sounds like she has been stripped of all her personality next to country singer Keith Urban who also has about as much personality on this song as grandma's beige curtains from the 50s. is just devastating.

Yeah, you can argue that Pink is older and her earlier material isn't representative of who she is now but come on, she's better than this turgid pop slurry off a song that made nobody other than radio programmers happy that they had something to fit in between The Kid Laroi and Jason DeRulo.

Number Two

Well...it's time to cool these heat waves down to a sudden cold snap...

“Heat Waves” by Glass Animals

This is one of those songs where the awful is obvious, the whole song sounds like a god damn mosquito or bee buzzing in your ear until you flick it away or do what I did every time this song come on the radio...turn it off. It’s not pleasant at all even the vocal delivery sounds like they are being put to sleep by having sand thrown in their eyes by the Sandman in children’s stories, it sounds so incredibly lethargic and drowsy sounding, it’s literally the last song I would want to hear on the radio as I am starting my day because of just how unpleasant it sounds, I am honestly surprised that it somehow got Tik Tok virality causing it to become one of the biggest hits of the year because of the mosquito buzzing in the ear sound it has.

It’s just one of those songs that has absolutely no use regardless of the situation, the sound of the sound makes it hard for chilling and the groove is too lethargic and slow to dance to, Almsot like they wanted the song to be a trap song but didn’t have the tools to get it there. 

So before we get to our rightful number one worst hit song of the year, let's blow through a few terrible songs that hit year ends overseas...let's call this segment...

Overseas Charting Noise Pollution

From the Billboard Hot 100...

"Fancy Like" by Walker Hayes.

I am not going to rant at length about how absolutely fucking terrible this song is and by now every critic has hauled this song over the coals for how absolutely rancid it is even if I get the gut feeling, it's the boost Walker Hayes flagging career needed to chart more dross on the Hot 100...just fuck everything....

"Good Time" by Niko Moon

At least Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen didn't have to try to and have a good time when they recorded their ode to partying where as Niko Moon sounds like he is at the flattest party possible where the only beer left to drink is half a can that's been sittting in the all god damn day. What a limp and lethargic song this is.

From the UK Official Charts

"Black Magic" by Jonasu

I've heard this song on the radio once...that's the last time I want to hear this miserable turd again because geezus this is just a repetitive song that makes me want to throw my radio down the toilet.

"Out Out" by Joel Corry, Jax Jones and Charli XCX feat. Saweetie

Oh wow....this was a disappointing collab...too many people on the damn song for it to work well and as somebody who is looking forward to that Charli XCX album...the fact she was involved with this was the biggest disappointment of all.

From the Austrian charts

"Iko Iko" by Justin Wellington

A song that by now has been repeatedly covered and this newest version sounds like wallpaper and Justin Wellington's voice can't sell shit on a stick. Heard this song more than enough on the radio this year.

Well that takes care of that and now for the number one worst hit song of the year...

Number One

Yeah, there's no getting around this one, this song makes me angry much like "Intentions" by Justin Bieber feat. Quavo did and like that song, this one has been a consistent thorn in my side since it became a thing on the ARIA singles chart...and by now, given I have no interest in trolling those who read my cavalcades of nonsense, you should all know what the song is....

"Without You" by The Kid Laroi

Honestly, I don’t want to even put The Kid Laroi here but he keeps making gummy guitar based songs like this where not even he sounds good on it then it leaves me with no choice but to put ‘Without You” here however it’s not even the production that’s the worst part of the song where Kid Laroi himself sounds like he swallowed three packets of razor blades trying to sing the hook before trying to howl his lungs out, to the point it makes Lewis Capaldi on "Someone You Loved" sound tolerable, the worst part of “Without You” is the writing where apparently you can’t make a wife out of a hoe (what a way to talk about women, dude...not) and how the song lacks so little context and feels like Kid Laroi is guilt tripping this girl, it’s just an icky song that deserves the status of being the worst hit song of 2021. 

ARIA Singles Top 50 Top Ten/Chart Review: 20th December. Wandered To the Jingle Bell Rock To Do It to the Top Ten

 Welp, the Christmas slow down has started because this week was kind of slow with just one new entry but we'll get to all that after we deal with the top ten where "Cold Heart (PNAU remix)" by Elton John and Dua Lipa kept the number one for a fourth week but its most likely going to lose the number one next week.

The challenge probably won't come from "abcdefu" by GAYLE despite it climbing two places to number two...it's challenge for number one might come in the new year.

"Stay" by The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber remained steady at number three despite a solid presence still on streaming. 

Meanwhile "Easy on Me" by Adele slipped back two places to number four as the song starts fading on streaming. 'Heat Waves' by Glass Animals held steady at number five (can this song just...fuck off already? Geezus)

"Bad Habits" remains at six and "Shivers" stuck at seven both for Ed Sheeran while "All I Want For Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey stuck at number eight (This will go to number one either next week or the week after, it's just taking it's sweet time).

Spending it's first week inside the top ten is "Do It To It" by Acraze feat. Cherish climbing to two places to hit number nine. 

Clinging onto it's place in the top ten is 'Industry Baby" by Lil Nas X feat. Jack Harlow remaining at number ten. 

Gains

Christmas music continued it's big gains this week with 'Last Christmas" by Wham up six places to number 12, "Santa Tell Me" by Ariana Grande jumped ten to 21 and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee rocked up the chart fifteen to 34.

SZA's "I Hate You" climbed three places to number 16 while "Where Are You Now" by Lost Frequencies and Calum Scot climbed nine spots to break into the top twenty at 17.

Unforunately "Enemy" by Imagine Dragons feat. J.I.D also broke into the top twenty jumping four spots to 18. 

"I Am Woman' by Emmy Meli got a fifteen place boost to 28. 

Christmas Re Entries

:"Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby Helms returns at number 39

Losers

"Drivers License" by Olivia Rodrigo slipped eight places  to 45 while "Without You" by The Kid Laroi feat. Miley Cyrus slipped ten places to 43. 

"Smokin' Out the Window" by Silk Sonic fell six places to 38 while "Oh My God" by Adele fell ten spots to 31. 

"One Right Now" by Post Malone and The Weeknd tumbled six spots to 23 (Kind of wondering if this song is kind of forgettable for the general public tbh)

Drop Outs

Both drop outs are safe on the year end for 2021 with "The Business" by Tiesto and "Astronaut in the Ocean" by Masked Wolf.

New Entries

Just the one new entry this week and unfortunately we have to deal with...

44. "Wandered to LA" by Juice WRLD feat. Justin Bieber

I am going to keep this short and sweet..this is just really medicre cut that was originally created in 2018 and I doubt that Juice WRLD would have wanted to work with Justin Bieber and yet another sign that people are more than willing to suck whatever money they can out of Juice WRLD's grave. Bieber is too loud in the mix in contrast to Juice WRLD who is weirdly pushed back in the mix. Yeah, somebody's wanting coin out of this crap. It's not good.

That wraps up the week. Just two weeks remaining in the chart year, don't forget final episode of Good 1992 Vibrations coming up on Monday and the week after year end best and worst hit songs lists for 1992, the best and worst list hit songs lists for 2021 will be coming some time in the new year, don't worry. 

ARIA chart updates at 5pm AEDT on Friday. 

ARIA Singles Top Top 50 Top Ten: 13th December. I Am Woman and Hate U so Merry Christmas

 So the influx of Christmas music continued this week but I will say it was unxpectedly interesting especially in the top ten as the bunfight for the final places on the year end continues so let's get to that top ten where "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)" by Elton John and Dua Lipa returned to number one thanks to consistency on both sales and streaming. 

It pushed past "Easy on Me" by Adele which slipped back to number two as the hype from the album fades. 

Holding steady are both "Stay" by The Kid Laroi featuring Justin Bieber and 'abcdefu" by Gayle at number four.

Stubbornly refusing to go away is "Heat Waves' by Glass Animals which climbed three places back to number five for some reason.

"Bad Habits" holds firm at number six for Ed Sheeran while "Shivers" tumbled back two places to number seven for Ed Sheeran,

Then we come to the first of the Christmas music breaking into the top ten thanks to "All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey rising ten places to number eight and effectively leading the charge of the Christmas music this week. 

"All Too Well (Taylor's Version" by Taylor Swift slipped two places to number nine while "Industry Baby" by Lil Nas X feat, Jack Harlow stumbled one place to number ten.

Gains

Let's blow through the Christmas music gains this week, already mentioned the ten place gain to eight for "All I Want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey. "It's Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas" by Michael Buble jumped seven places to 14 while "Last Christmas" by Wham climbed a massive 23 places to 18. 

:As for the non Christmas gains, well, "Without You" by The Kid Laroi feat. Miley Cyrus rebounded 11 places to 33, "Levitating" by Dua Lipa jumped eight to return to the top twenty at 16 and "Kiss Me More" by Doja Cat and SZA jumped seven to 15. 

Re entries

Kind of eye rolling at some of these re entries but I think I can pin the blame on streaming services releasing year end stats and people streaming songs that wound up on their personal playlists for these like "Astronaut in the Ocean" by Masked Wolf at 50 and "The Business" by Tiesto at 48. Olivia Rodrigo's "Drivers License" at 37

Christmas re entries

"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee is back at 49 and "Santa Tell Me" by Ariana Grande (this song being a Christmas staple cracks me up so hard) at 31. 

Losers

We got a surprising lot of them this week especially in the double digits so w'll focus on those losses this week with "Oh My God" by Adele tumbling eleven places to 21. 

"Better Days" by NEIKED feat. Mae Muller and Polo G slipping ten to 29 (Goodness the hype for this song died quickly)/ 

Unfortunately "Smokin' Out the Window" got stubbed out eighteen places to 32 while "love nwantiti" by Ckay slumped twelve places to 38. "My Universe" by Coldplay feat. BTS slid twelve to 39 and "Overpass Graffiti" by Ed Sheeran got cleaned up seventeen places to 40. 

"Moth to a Flame" by Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd is on the verge of having it's flame extinguished as it slipped another twelve places to 41. 

"Acapulco" by Jason Derulo slithered down eleven to 44 and "Dreams" by Jolyon Petch tumbled thirteen to 47.

Drop Outs

Not really complaining when "Fancy Like" by Walker Hayes, "A Ok" by Tai Verdes and "Out Out" by Joel Corry, Jax Jones and Charli XCX feat Saweetie took their exits taking with them "Mr Brightside" by The Killers and "2055" by Sleepy Hallow.

The only one I'm vaguely disappointed about is "Flowers (Say My Name)" by ArrDee, I did like that one.

The rest of the drop outs are Adele album cuts like "I Drink Wine", "Can I Get It" and "My Little Love".

New Entries

Four new entries this week beginning with 

43. "I Am Woman" by Emmy Meli

Another newcomer to the ARIA singles chart, this time from Californinan Emmy Meli with this song getting attention via TikTok before becoming a thing on streaming...you know the story and well...I am not sure how to feel about this because lyrically the song is a bunch of statements about how she is all these things and there's no denying the passion in the vocals but I am not sure the music backs her up at all here, it doesn't sound as strong or as anthemic as the song is trying to be lyrically, Helen Reddy's "I Am Woman" this isn't. I don't hate this but I am not going to remember it either.

27. "Merry Christmas" by Ed Sheeran and Elton John

So really I tend to avoid talking a lot about Christmas songs mostly because they have a prety standard formula but we did get this new song from Ed Sheeran and Elton John and well, it's kind of cute? Sure the song does remind me of "Do They Know It's Christmas" musically but lyrically the song Sheeran and John encouraging people to forget their troubles of the past year for awhile to join in some festive fun but not forgetting those who died this past year too. Yeah, the song is corny but Ed and Elton play into it well. I kind of dig it, check it out if you are curious

26. "Where Are You Now" by Lost Frequencies and Calum Scott

Oh it's about time this song charted word of warning, I am not a fan of Calum Scott, his cover of "Dancing On My Own' by Robyn is one of the worst covers of the 2010s so I was a little worried when this song first appeared on the Australian Spotify top 50 and yeah I'm not feeling this song and I'm not sure why...it sounds appealing enough for a summer song and I do think radio will love but again Calum Scott's vocals do nothing for me here, he sounds lie he has a mouthful of marbles for a lot of the song which is just plain weird when the song is trying to be nostalgic so yeah I am not a fan of this at all. 

19. "I Hate U" by SZA.

It always surprises me when SZA debuts this high on the chart however it's nice to finally get an official new single from her with this song being one that fans demanded she release and well...she delivered even if this song isn't quite as good as "Good Days" but it's still a solid R'n'B track with SZA feeling sexually frustrated and wanting this guy to fuck her already and she definitely sells the frustration in her vocals even if I am not sold on the blocky production. This is pretty good.

However it's not getting best of the week because that's going to "Merry Christmas" by Ed Sheeran and Elton John,...I can't help it...it's cute. Worst of the week is going to "Where Are You Now' by Lost Frequencies feat. Calum Scott, it's not overly terrible but it's the song here that I liked least.

Chart will update on Friday at 5pm AEDST

ARIA singles top 50 Top Ten/Chart Review: 6th December. Christmas Music and ArrDee's Flowers

A rather busy week that heralded the exit of most of the Adele album bomb and the arrival of Christmas music which we will get too shortly but first, let's get to our top ten where of course "Easy On Me" by Adele holds on to number one for another week as it rules on streaming and doing okay on sales.

Rebounding one place to number two is "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)" by Elton John and Dua Lipa because it's pretty much consistent across the board, the same goes for "Stay" by The Kid Laroi feat. Justin Bieber despite slipping one place to number 3.

Now I am hoping this is a novelty because rising thirteen places to number four is 'abcdefu" by GAYLE...this song isn't good...I don't want to see this becoming a hit.

"Shivers" held steady at number five while "Bad Habits" climbed one spot to number six both by Ed Sheeran.

This is most likely because "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)" by Taylor's Swift down five to number seven as interest fades post "Red (Taylor's Version)" being released.

"Heat Waves" by Glass Animals and "Industry Baby" by Lil Nas X feat. Jack Harlow held steady at numbers eight and nine respectively.

Wrapping up the top ten down four places to number ten is "Oh My God' by Adele.

Gains.

So I mentioned "abcdefu" by Gayle up thirteen to number four already but there have been A LOT of gains (I'm only covering seven places gains plus this week)...mostly older songs regaining ground with "Dreams" by Jolyon Petch rebounding eight to 34, "Acapulco" by Jason Derulo up eleven to 33 and "Missing Piece" by Vance Joy moving up seven to 32.

"Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" by Lil Nas X called up seven to 31 while Doja Cat's new single from "Planet Her"...'Woman" climbed seven to 30 (I'm really disappointed because "Woman" is not a good song).

In better news "My Universe" by Coldplay feat. BTS climbed seven to 27, the longer it hangs around the more confident I feel it might make the year end...I really like this one.

Finally "Enemy" by Imagine Dragons was the biggest gain of the week is up 15 to 20 because of course it is...yuck.

Re Entries

"Mr Brightside" by The Killers is back number 50 which is frustrating but fine however I'm not happy that "Out Out" by Joel Corry, Jax Jones, Charli XCX feat. Saweetie is back at 48 or that "Fancy Like" by Walker Hayes returned at 47 or that "A OK" by Tai Verdes returned at 46...none of these three songs are any good...I can only hope the oncoming onslaught of Christmas music pitches them out of the chart PERMANENTLY.

Christmas re entries

I am putting the return of Christmas music into a separate category. Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" returns at 18, "It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas" by Michael Buble re enters at 35 and "Last Christmas" by Wham returns at number 41.

Losers

ALL the big losers this week came from the Adele album bomb with "Can I Get It" dropping 25 to 40, "My Little Love" to 39 and "I Drink Wine" to 26

Drop Outs

Taylor Swift saw both "Run (Taylor's Version)" feat. Ed Sheeran and "Enchanted' dropping out. The rest of the drop outs were album tracks from Adele's "30" and "Rolling in the Deep"

New Entries

Just the one new entry this week so let's talk about...

49. "Flowers (Say My Name)" by ArrDee

Okay so ArrDee is a British rapper, he rose to prominence on a remix of "Body" by Russ Millions and Tion Wayne with this song being his first solo single to hit the ARIA singles chart and well, I hate this but I like it, yeah, ArrDee is absolutely being an asshole but he makes the song hilarious and fun with some of the more ridiculous lines about not bringing this girl flowers but give her a good time between the sheets instead. The song makes an inspired use of a sample of a UK garage classic by Sweet Female Attitude's "Flowers" and Destiny Child's "Say My Name" with ArrDee being able to juxtapose the songs away from your bog standard love song into a song that is purely about getting sex...yeah this was good fun...check it out.

That wraps up our week, next week might see ourlast blast of the year from major releases likely from Shawn Mendes and SZA but we'll find out when the chart updates on Friday at 5pm. 

 

ARIA Singles Top 50 Top Ten/ Chart Review: 29th November: Oh My God, abcdefu is the Enemy for My Little Love

 So we have one (likely) final album bomb for 2021 courtesy of Adele's "30" but we also have an assortment of other scattered new entries but firstly to the top ten where the impact of the "30" album bomb was felt right at the top of the chart with "30" with "Easy On Me" by Adele returning to number one courtesy of strength across the board. 

It knocked "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)" by Taylor Swift back to number two, now considering that most of the other songs from "Red (Taylor's Version)" either fell hard or dropped out, it's pretty impressive that this song held on enough to only fall to number two. 

From there though, "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)" by Elton John and Dua Lipa remained glued to number three, "Stay" by The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber stuck at number four and "Shivers" by Ed Sheeran frozen to number five.

New entry by Adele at number six with "Oh My God". Now we'll talk about the song's quality later but this got here thanks to strong first week streaming however that might ebb back next week

"Bad Habits" by Ed Sheeran slipped back to number seven as this song's run is effectively done at this point while 'Heat Waves" by Glass Animals continues to be one hell of an annoying presence in the top ten as it slipped back one place to number eight while "Industry Baby" by Lil Nas X feat. Jack Harlow remains at number nine.

The second new entry to the top ten comes from Adele with "I Drink Wine" debuting at number ten. Again more about this one in the new entries.

Here's how the top ten would have shaped without the Adele album bomb...

10. "Smokin' Out the Window" by Silk Sonic

9. "Ghost" by Justin Bieber

8. "Industry Baby" by Lil Nas X feat. Jack Harlow

7. "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals

6. "Shivers" by Ed Sheeran

5. Bad Habits" by Ed Sheeran

4. "Stay" by The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber

3. "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)" by Elton John and Dua Lipa

2. "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)" by Taylor Swift

1. "Easy On Me" by Adele

Gains

Hard to imagine we got many gains in an album bomb week but we did get a couple and its a shame it's not on the good side with "Do It To It" by Acraze feat. Cherish breaking into the top twenty up from 23 to 16 while "Acapulco" by Jason Derulo climbed two to 44 because this would probably be bigger if not for the album bombs in recent weeks.,

Re Entries

Three re entries this week beginning with "2055" by Sleepy Hallow at 48, "Without You" by The Kid Laroi feat. Miley Cyrus at 47 and of course "Rolling in the Deep' by Adele at 46.

Losers

So over a half of the chart lost so this week I am only going to deal with songs that lost eight places or more, starting with "Run (Taylor's Version)" by Taylor Swift feat. Ed Sheeran which fell 30 places to 49 and is one of only two songs from "Red (Taylor's Version)" to still be in the ARIA top 50 in it's second week.

Down ten places is "Moth to a Flame" by Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd to 36...will be interesting to see if it rebounds in the weeks ahead even with Christmas music coming.

"Beggin'" by Maneskin down eight to 28  while "love nwantiti (ah ah ah)" by Ckay slipped eight to 26 and "Happier Than Ever" by Billie Eilish slumped eight places to 24.

Drop Outs

The majority of the drop outs are songs from the "Red (Taylor's Version)" album bomb but we did also lose "Already Dead" by Juice WRLD (I expect to see this back when the album is released), "Leave the Door Open" by Silk Sonic, "Bad Man (Smooth Criminal)" by Polo G, "Knife Talk" by Drake feat. 21 Savage and Project Pat and "A OK" by Tai Verdes.

New Entries

We are in an album bomb situation for Adele's "30" so here's the chart positions of the songs from "30" I won't be reviewing:

"All Night Parking" feat. Erroll Gurner at 33, "Hold On" at 31, "To Be Loved" at 25, "Cry Your Heart Out" at 21, "Strangers By Nature" at 18 and "Can I Get It" at 15.

That leaves us with just six new entries to deal with so let's start with...

50. "Enchanted" by Taylor Swift

So this is an album track from "Speak Now" that went viral on Tik Tok to the point where streaming ensured it would chart and well...its decent...a pop country song where Taylor is infatuated with this guy she has met at this dull party and worrying about whether her feelings for him will be reciprocated toward her by him. It's a solid song from an overall solid Taylor Swift country pop album that being "Speak Now" and it will be interesting which re recorded album will be released next. 

35. "Enemy" by Imagine Dragons feat. J.I.D & League of Legends

So this is somehow a thing on the charts rather than anything from that last Imagine Dragons album, it's a song from the League of Legends animation series and well...I am not a fan of this...there's no real animosity or darkness that comes with having everyone else be your 'enemy" not to mention that dragged out 'enemy' on the hook is just plain annoying. This song could have afforded to sounded bigger and more imposing...something Imagine Dragons are capable of (remember "Radioactive"?) but never do anymore and as a result come off sounding like a mix of AJR and some teenage musical without the drama to make it interesting...next! 

17. "abcdefu" by Gayle

Alright this is a newcomer to the ARIA singles chart, Gayle is a seventeen year old singer/songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee with this being her breakthrough single and well...I hate saying this but...this sucks...I've heard some people compare this song to "Do Re Mi" by Blackbear but I think the closer and more immediate comparison is "Hot Gitl Bummer" where she's telling this guy's friends and family to fuck off but whem you have the vocal ability that sits somewhere between Julia Michaels and Tate McRae, the swearing on the hook comes off sounding kind of cutesy and pretty damn unbelieveable. The song is this exhausting piece of toxic immature melodrama that belongs on the worst teen dramas where nobody comes off sounding good here. I'm not buying this for a second...

11. "My Little Love' by Adele

So we begin our three song exploration of music from Adele's new album with a song dedicated to her son Angelo that actually gets to me a bit especially with Adele's emotional breakdown right roward the end of the song and the voice clips of her song asking her questions and her giving the best answers she can even if she doesn't know where life is taking her especially as her son is the only stability in her life post the divorce. 

Also let's dispel the controversy...accusations were made that Adele was exploiting her son for album sales which couldn't be further from the truth, if anything the song examines the impact that a divorce can have on a child and the child having the realization that life is going to be so different from what he is used to with his family still living in the same house. This is a good song.

10. "I Drink Wine" by Adele

This song was touted as the second single from "30" before the album was released and has been described as a 70s style Elton John/Bernie Taupin, a song about shedding ego and not taking everything so personally and needing to get over themselves, it's a pretty brutally honest piece of standing in front of the mirror and being brutally honest with herself and only then when she's reached that point of being able to not take things so personally that she can open herself to the possibility of love. Yeah another pretty good song. 

6. "Oh My God" by Adele

The final new entry of the week and the highest of the Adele album tracks that charted this week and probably the first track where she's feeling emotionally free after the divorce was made final, how she's having an internal conflict with regard to wanting to put herself first and take control of her life upon the realization that she's now single for the first time in awhile and is available for dating. Just wish the production felt a little more free as to a degree it does feel a little more claustrophobic than a song like this needs to be.

And that closes out a long week but best and worst fall out easily with the worst going to "abcdefu" by Gayle (a worst list contender if it makes the 2021 year end) for being toxic and exhausting in all the worst ways. Best of the week though goes to "My Little Love" by Adele and that's pretty obvious.

Next week, probably the first onslaught of Christmas music but we'll see what happens when the chart updates on Friday at 5pm AEDT

ARIA Singles Top 50 Top Ten/Chart Review. 22nd November. All Too Well Bad Man Already Do It To a Taylor's Version of Red

 Well, this week the ARIA singles chart exploded with activity thanks to Taylor Swift releasing her re recording of "Red" and other assorted songs showing up here this week which all up makes for a pretty messy week on the chart overall and with Adele swinging in with an album bomb of her own next week...things are looking pretty interesting especially as there are still songs looking to sure up a place on the year end list that might have had their runs cut short

But anyway let's get to the top ten because we have a brand new number one and the eighth of this artist's career, "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)" by Taylor Swift which rode to number one on the back of streaming. Now it's not clear which version ARIA are crediting as being the number one as there is the original version that was on "Red" and the ten minute version on the re recorded edition of "Red" so we'll wait and see with regard to the crediting (ARIA may have combined both versions regardless) but I'm also not sure that this will keep the number one come next week...

Which brings us to "Easy On Me" by Adele steady at number two. Now I would expect that with the album dropping on Friday that this will return to number and we'll have a meaty chunk of the album on the singles chart next week. Hell, the first quarter of  "30" is already on the Spotify daily top 200 songs for Australia.

All of this pushed "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)" by Elton John and Dua Lipa down two places to number three as it's streaming and sales could not much those above it. The same pretty much goes for "Stay" by The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber down to number four.

Also getting knocked back one is "Shivers" by Ed Sheeran to number five, "Bad Habits" also by Ed Sheeran to number six and "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals down to number seven as it spends a forty second week in the top ten. 

The biggest gainer of the week belongs to Silk Sonic's "Smokin' Out The Window" as it jumped a massive twenty six places to number eight to become Silk Sonic's highest charting single in Australia surpassing "Leave the Door Open' which debuted and peaked at number ten (deserved better...we be knew to quote the stans)

This pushed "Indistry Baby" by Lil Nss X feat. Jack Harlow back two to number nine and "One Right Now" by Post Malone and The Weeknd back to number ten.

Gains

I already mentioned "Smokin' Out the Window" by Silk Sonic rising twenty six places to hit the top ten at number eight. The only other gain this week was a one place gain to eleven for "Ghost" by Justin Bieber but that's about it

Re Entries

The album's release saw "Leave the Door Open" by Silk Sonic back at number 41. Nice to see! Just a shame we didn't get more songs from that Silk Sonic album on the chart.

Losses

So what remained of the chart lost this week thanks to Taylor Swift's album bomb so to keep my sanity in check, I am going to go through only the double digit losses. We begin with the 21 place loss to 50 for "A OK" by Tai Verdes while "Knife Talk" by Drake feat. 21 Savage and Project Pat dropped 16 to 49.

"Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac slipped twelve places to 47, "Acapulco" by Jason Derulo plunged 16 to 46 and "Dreams" by Jolyon Petch slumped 16 to 44.

"Love Tonight" by Shouse had it's lights turned off down ten to 42 while "Need to Know" by Doja Cat slithered down ten to 37, "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" by Lil Nas X skidded down ten to 36 and "Missing Piece" by Vance Joy plummeted ten to 35.

Drop Outs.

So we have a whole quarter of the chart that fell out this week, I expect some of it to return in the weeks ahead.

Locked on the year end list: "The Business" by Tiesto, "Peaches" by Justin Bieber feat. Daniel Caesar and Giveon, "Little Bit of Love" by Tom Grennan, "2055" by Sleepy Hallow, "Leave Before You Love Me" by Marshmello and Jonas Brothers and "Without You" by The Kid Laroi 

Question mark over making year end: "Out Out" by Jax Jones, Joel Corry, Charli XCX feat Saweetie, "Guess I'm In Love" by Clinton Kane, "Take My Breath" by The Weeknd and "Fair Trade" by Drake feat. Travis Scott.

Probably won't make year end and I hope it doesn't: "Fancy Like" by Walker Hayes (THANK YOU TAYLOR!), "Life Goes On" by Oliver Tree and "Way 2 Sexy by Drake feat. Future and Young Thug.

Old song filling up chart space: "Mr Brightside" by The Killers

Definitely won't make year end: "Mafia" and "Escape Plan" by Travis Scott.

New Entries

Fifiteen new entries this week and being it's an album bomb week for Taylor Swift's "Red (Taylor's version)" so here's the nine songs from that project I won't be covering in full (I am

21. I Knew You Were Trouble (Taylor's Version) (They made this song worse with the re recording. Didn't like the original to begin with)
25. State of Grace (Taylor's Version)

27. 22 (Taylor's Version)
31. Nothing New (Taylor's Version) feat. Phoebe Bridgers  (This is a really good song, please check it out)

33. Message in a Bottle (Taylor's Version)
34. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (Taylor's Version) (See "I Knew You were trouble")
38. Treacherous (Taylor's Version)

43. I Bet You Think about Me (Taylor's Version) feat. Chris Stapleton (Could have given Chris more to do than to just serve backing vocals, Taylor)

45. I Almost Do (Taylor's Version)

So that still leaves us with six new entries and this is already a LONG post so I am going to endeavour to keep this short but let's begin with...

48. "Bad Man (Smooth Criminal)" by Polo G

We're not starting off with Taylor Swift this week, we're starting with a new song from Polo G and I am going to be honest, I kind of like this, Polo G samples Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" (which he did get clearance to do) and then launches into a flow that I've not heard from him before, he sounds harsher and rougher in verses referencing his gang and weapon activity before a hook referencing the hook of the song he is sampling. My only criticism of the song is that it's way too short so winds up feeling more like a fragment rather than a finished song but still for a fragment of a song...it's fine. 

39. "Do It To It" by Acraze feat. Cherish

I should have guessed songs used in Squid Game were going to wind up on the charts at some point. Acraze is a 25 year old EDM producer Charlie Duncker with an edit he made to a 2006 song by r'n'b girl group Cherish called '"Do It To It' feat. Sean Paul (who I guarantee none of you have thought about in years) and I mean really it's really your standard EDM/Houst dance song that makes a song that hasn't aged well at all. Again this for me has the feeling of something that's more than a little unnecessary and that's not discounting the fact the bass on this thing made me worry for the speakers on my computer. Next.

29. "Already Dead" by Juice WRLD 

So at what point are the music industry going to let Juice WRLD just...you know...rest in peace but regardless we've got a new single from him from an upcoming album called "Fighting Demons" and well this was a song that Juice WRLD teased in 2018 on social media so of course we get this song in 2021 and is it just me but is Juice WRLD either mixed too loud over that piano and clunky sounding trap groove? It just sounds like what 2018 would sound like and has aged rather badly even if I get the lyrics about substance abuse and heartbreak and how the two are mixed but this doesn't sound good sadly. Time to let Juice rest in peace and move on. 

19, "Run (Taylor's Version)" by Taylor Swift feat. Ed Sheeran

So tiime to begin our exploration of three highest charting songs from the re recording of "Red" and this one is from the vault on the album and is the second on the album that Ed Sheeran is featured on (the other being "Everything Has Changed") and I am surprised that this one charted so high especially as Ed Sheeran has rapidly slipped into the backlash zone even despite "=" being pretty good however both Taylor and Ed do harmonise nicely here for a song about Taylor wanting to run away with her partner over a rather nice guitar. Shame it missed the final cut on the original album because this is pretty nice...check it out. 

14. "Red (Taylor's Version)" by Taylor Swift

The title track which is a country song ("Red" originally was a deeply compromised album with Taylor trying to transition toward a pop sound she'd later go full on in 2014 with "1989" and I got to be honest I'm not feeling this one for some reason even with the catchy chorus...I don't know why either, could be the vocal mixing and odd Taylor sounds here. It's not precisely baaad but it's not a track that I really want to come back to either. 

1. "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)" by Taylor Swift.

I'll be honest, I've never cared for which ex Taylor was writing about in her songs, mainly because delving into another human being's love life back in 2012 has never ever felt interesting so with all that in mind, this song is a favourite with Taylor's fanbase and yeah I can see why, this is Taylor's best vocal performance with some really nice production with Taylor telling the story of this relationship with a guy and how the relationship fell apart. It's not quite Taylor's best song in her discography as I've heard some critics say (cuts on "Folklore" are a little better in my opinion) but you know I don't mind this being number one for now, it's good.

That wraps up the week, a long one at that. Worst of the week goes to "Already Dead" by Juice WRLD...because wow...the production on that sucked. As for the best, well it's going to Taylor Swift (I was tempted to give it to Polo G but given how unfinished "Bad Man (Smooth Criminal) feels...) for "Run (Taylor's Version)" feat. Ed Sheeran just nudging out "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)"

Next week: Adele's album bomb swings in, we'll find out where tracks from "30" land on the chart when ARIA updates it on Friday at 5pm. 

ARIA Singles Top Fifty Top Ten/Chart Review 15th November. One Smokin' Out The Window Right Now

 *** My thoughts and condolences to the nine people who died, to the families of those who died and to the many hundreds of people injured at Astroworld Festival in Houston as result of a crowd stampede last weekend. May those who are found didn't do enough to ensure the health and safety of all attending the event suffer the most serious of consequences.***

This week is a relative cool down week even though it really doesn't feel like it given we got one big debut in the top ten (we'll get to it) and three others outside the top ten and various moves which are interesting to say the least but anyway let's get to the top ten because for a second week we have "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)" by Elton John and Dua Lipa at number one thanks mostly to being a behemoth on sales even if it's not leading on streaming. Seems everyone loves this song...except me.

Adele's "Easy On Me" rebounded to number two thanks to strength on streaming and doing alright on sales...the song should get a boost this week thanks to the special on Channel Seven this weekend.

"Stay" by The Kid Laroi also got a rebound up two to number three this week but this song is starting to bleed a bit and there are some really strong songs rising behind it on streaming.

That's probably also the same case for both "Shivers" by Ed Sheeran down two to number four and Ed Sheeran's other hit "Bad Habits" down one to number five, they are both on their way out now

Holding steady at number six and stubbornly refusing to fuck off is "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals. Its still got traction on streaming somehow...thanks for nothing, Tik Tok.

Also holding steady is "Industry Baby" by Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow at number seven. This song's hanging around in the top ten is impressive.

Riaing two places to number eight is "Meet Me At Our Spot" by The Anxiety, it's doing nicely on streaming and on sales. I just wish the song was better. 

The biggest debut of the week belongs to Post Malone with 'One Right Now" feat. The Weeknd. We'll get to the song's actual quality later but it's got streaming on side but sales really aren't on board just yet so this song remains an interesting proposition going forward.

However it did push "That's What I Want" by Lil Nas X down one spot to number ten and I suspect it might be the song to make way for one or two new top ten entries next week.

Gains

"Better Days" by Neiked and Mae Muller feat. Polo G climbed four places to 16 while "Acapulco' by Jason Derulo claimed five places to 30. Okay, this is not funny, we not need :Acapulco" becoming a hit, Australia. 

"Mr Brightside" by The Killers climbed five places to number 45

Losers

No real major losers this week although a couple of songs did lose five places with "Overpass Graffiti" by Ed Sheeran down to 13, "Moth to a Flame" by Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd down five to number 20, "Leave Before You Love Me" by Marshmello and the Jonas Brothers to 37, "Out Out' by Jax Jones, Joel Corry, and Charli XCX feat. Saweetie to 39, "Peaches' by Justin Bieber feat Daniel Caesar and Giveon down to 46 and "Life Goes On" by Oliver Tree down to 49 because the virality is wearing off (thank goodness)

Drop Outs

So of the four drop outs, three of them are from Ed Sheeran with "Visiting Hours" (I don't think it will make the year end list unfortunately), "First Times" and "Tides all leaving.

The other exit belongs to "Money" by Lisa...a song I'm kind of glad is gone becaue yeah, it wasn't good at all.

New Entries

There are four new entries this week however during the week I made the decision that I wouldn't cover the two new Travis Scott songs that both charted this week nor will they be up for best or worst of the week, I can't listen to either "Escape Plan" or "Mafia" and not hear them in the context of what happened at Astroworld Festival and with everything that's piling up about what happened, I decided it's best if the focus remain on helping victims and their families rather than on Travis Scott's new music.

However both songs did indeed chart with "Escape Plan" at 22 and "Mafia" at 47 so with that out of the way, there are just two new entries to review beginning with...

34. "Smokin' Out The Window' by Silk Sonic

The newest single from the super duo Anderson Paak and Bruno Mars which released last week before their album dropped this week and...this song is GREAT. I have not been able to stop listening to it since it was released on Friday, not only is it smooth and really god damn funky. The writing here is hilarious with Bruno complaining that this woman's kids are treating his home like it's a fast food joint then there's the bridge which is basically now a meme where Anderson sings "This bitch got me payin' her rent, payin' for trips", I just love how incredibly silly and loose this feels which is appropriate with what the album as a whole is going for with that 70s soul and funk sound but with enough groove and soul to keep the song from completely being lost to the silliness. I get the feeling that this song is on the way to becoming a hit judging by how quickly the song is rising on streaming services. Although can we get a mash up of this song with "Gold Digger" by Jamie Foxx at some point?

9. "One Right Now" by Post Malone feat. The Weeknd

So after the public overwhelmingly rejected "Motley Crew", Post Malone is back and this time he has brought along one of the biggest music stars in the world right now, The Weeknd, for the apparent lead off single for Posty's new album and well this is as about as pop as I've ever heard Post Malone go with the synths and the incredibly bouncy groove that The Weeknd probably sounds way too at home over while Post Malone does well here, he seems to have lost some of that yodel that could still be prevalent in his music previously but it kind of makes sense here because this is a song where both Post Malone and The Weeknd are pissed about being screwed over by a person and how easy this person seems to think screwing Post Malone over is, the lyrics paint a rather sour and angry picture in stark contrast to the pop production. I don't hate this because yeah that groove does wonders but I do wonder how often I'll come back to it.

That ends our week, I'm not giving out worst of the week this week mostly because "One Right Now" is not that that bad however best of the week is going to "Smokin' Through The Window" by Silk Sonic and I urge you all give Silk Sonic's album "An Evening With Silk Sonic" a listen...you won't regret it.

Next week...might be a stacked one because he got a LOT of major releases including the Red re recording by Taylor Swift, Silk Sonic's album and that new Jessica Mauboy single. We'll find out how it all shakes out on Friday at 5pm.

ARIA Singles Top Ten/Chart Review: 8th November. Overpass Graffiti of First Times has seen Better Days thanks to Tides

 This week was surprising in more ways than one mostly because we got a new number one that I absolutely wasn't expecting nor saw coming and while we did get some impact from Ed Sheeran's album, it was incredibly muted with only a couple of songs managing to chart this week so he definitely doesn't have the overwhelming presence on the chart that he did with "Divide" back in 2017 although I would argue "Equals" is a much better album than "Divide" however let's get to the top ten because the new number one is one of the big stories of the week. 

Riding massive digital sales momentum "Cold Heart (PNAU remix)" by Elton John and Dua Lipa took the number one spot and I guess it surprised me because it's streaming while good isn't the strongest and kind of forgot that it's an absolute titan on digital sales. It's Elton John's sixth number one and he surpasses Sir Paul McCartney as the oldest artist to have a number one hit in Australia while for Dua Lipa, it's her first number one and given my feelings about "Cold Heart" (see my worst hit songs list in January sometime), I'm disappointed it's this that gave her her first number one in Australia rather than the excellent songs on "Future Nostalgia" but anyway...

"Shivers" by Ed Sheeran rose off gains from the album release to rise three places to number two. All this saw last week's number one "Easy On Me" by Adele slip back to number three despite being the leader on streaming this week!

Then we have former chart topper "Bad Habits" by Ed Sheeran hold steady at number four and another former chart topper "Stay" by The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber take a welcome to place slide to number five.

"Heatwaves" by Glass Animals and "Industry Baby" by Lil Nas X feat. Jack Harlow remained steady at six and seven respectively.

A new entry at number eight and the first of the three new Ed Sheeran entries from "Equals" with "Overpass Graffiti" riding solid streaming and sales to debut in the top ten, we'll talk about this song's quality a little later.

Lil Nas X's second song inside the top ten "That's What I Want" got a one place boost to number nine.

Finally, breaking into the top ten is "Meet Me At Our Spot" by The Anxiety thanks to streaming. Guess people really like this one...

Gains

The lone biggest gain of the week belongs to "Acapulco" by Jason Derulo which rose nine spots to 35 and looks like it has got traction going forwards. Folks, we do not need to be making Jason Derulo's stupidest song to date a hit!

Re Entries

So there's two returns this week with one being "Mr Brightside" by The Killers back at number 50 while the album release saw the wonderful "Visiting Hours" by Ed Sheeran return at 29 (I really want "Visiting Hours" to make the year end at this point, there's still time)

Losers

Okay so the losers this week saw "Fair Trade" by Drake feat. Travis Scott slip nine to 48 while "Way 2 Sexy" feat. Future and Young Thug fell into a puddle  down six to 39 and "Knife Talk" feat. 21 Savage and Project Pat slipped seven to 33...I actually expect the latter to rebound thanks to attention from the video.

"Money" by Lisa is going broke down nine to 46 while "Little Bit of Love" by Tom Grennan skidded ten places to 42 (I'm so god damn tired of this song so kind of glad to see it on the way out).

Finally, "Take My Breath" by The Weeknd down eight to 38.

Drop Outs

So I am not that unhappy with the exits this week, two of them being "Someone Like You" and "Rolling in the Deep" both by Adele. 

Also I do think "Get Into It (Yuh)" by Doja Cat will return next week (It's got a video coming) along  with "Alone with You" by Arz and "Obsessed with You" by Central Cee.

The only song that likely won't return is "On My Knees" by Rufus Du Sol.

New Entries

We only have four new entries this week so let's start with...

43. "Tides" by Ed Sheeran

So the first of three Ed Sheeran songs we'll discuss is the one rock leaning song that appears on every Ed Sheeran album and yeah, this is one of my favourite songs on "=". Ed makes me wish he would just cut that god damn rock album already, I would care if it was a pastiche to late 80s U2 where the guitars just go nuts like they do in the intro on "Tides", a song about the birth of Ed's daughter and how his life has changed since becoming a dad, it's a thoughtful and introspective rock song reflecting on the arrival of his little girl into the world. Definitely check this one out if you are keen on hearing the new Ed Sheeran album in any compacity.

31. "First Times" by Ed Sheeran

There's a lot of introspection and reflection on this album and this track is no different as Sheeran sings about the many things he did for the first time when he became an adult over a gentle acoustic guitar, things like achieving his dream of performing in front of 80,000 at Wembley Stadium and meeting the girl of his dreams and the moments he has had with her, yeah it's a slightly corny and dorky song but I'm not really above a gentle acoustic ballad with strings from Ed Sheeran. It's fine.

 

20. "Better Days" by Neiked & Mae Muller feat. Polo G

Oh so the person behind the ephemerally annoying "Sexual" back in 2016 returns bringing English singer songwriter Mae Muller and well known American rapper Polo G with him for a song that seems set to be a hit well into next year and well, I'm pretty indifferent on this one mostly because Mae Muller's vocals are ones that can be easily ignored, she's only a slight upgrade on the basically forgotten Bebe Rexha or hell, most of the other disposable female singers that have come and gone in recent years, sure Polo G is pretty good here but I'm not sure this is a song that's got much replay value for me.

8. "Overpass Graffiti" by Ed Sheeran

The latest single from "=" for Ed Sheeran and you know, I actually really like this one! Yeah, it's a song where Ed sings about a break up that he just can't let go of or forget about it to the point where it lingers in his mind akin to the graffiti seen on the overpass, there's a warmth and sincerity that even with the cooler instrumentation and the percussion that slightly louder than what it should be but the song reminds a lot of the mid to late 80s pop ballads, it's got this good driving rhythm that I really really like so yeah, definitely one to check out.

"Overpass Graffiti" also earns the best of the week, all the Ed songs that charted are really good...some of the hate Ed cops is serious tall poppy syndrome nonsense. 

Worst of the week is going to "Better Days" by Neiked and Mae Muller feat. Polo G, it's not that bad but when Ed's songs stand out just that little more...I'm sorry.

Next week...wow, this week's New Music Friday was loaded...likely Travis Scott, that new collab between Post Malone and The Weeknd plus hopefully some Silk Sonic, if we are that lucky but we'll find out when the chart updates at 5pm on Friday

ARIA Singles top 50 Top Ten/Chart Review. 1st November. I am On My Knees in Acapulco To Flame A Moth

 Well this week feels like a bit of a non event especially as Ed Sheeran is bound to have an album bomb with his new album next week and it feels like so little happened this week apart from the three new entries but anyway let's start with the top ten where of course "Easy On Me" by Adele held the number one spot for a second week but those streaming margins are closing.

Granted I still don't see how "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)" by Elton John and Dua Lipa, which remains at number two, gets to number one especially given what I'm expecting with what is likely to happen next week.

The same goes for "Stay" by The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber which remains at number three, its still solid on streaming but I don't see it having anywhere near the streaming to challenge Adele or Ed. 

That brings us to the likely challengers for number one next week...that being former chart topper "Bad Habits" at number four and current single "Shivers" at number five both by Ed Sheeran, the release of the album will make the race for number one interesting especially as numbers are stacking up in Ed Sheeran's favour for next week.

Then "Heat Waves' by Glass Animals held position at number six (we can make this song go away any time now) while "Industry Baby" by Lil Nas X feat. Jack Harlow remains at number seven.

Now we get to the interesting part of the top ten this week because there was a new entry at number eight..."Moth to a Flame" by Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd, now I will write about this song later but this song got here thanks to pretty damn good streaming numbers.

It forced "Happier Than Ever" by Billie Eilish back to number nine and "That's What I Want" by Lil Nas X back to number ten.

Gains

So the gains really aren't that massive this week with only "Out Out " by Joel Corry, Jax Jones, Charli XCX and Saweetie up eight to 31 while "Way 2 Sexy" by Drake feat. Future and Young Thug rebounded 5 to 31 and 'Blinding Lights' by The Weeknd continues to hang around on the chart this week up five to 29.

Losers

Adele's two returning entries both took seven place drops with "Someone Like You" to 47 and "Rolling in the Deep" to 50.

"Fair Trade" by Drake feat. Travis Scott slipped nine to 39 while "Without You" by The Kid Laroi feat. Miley Cyrus slipped six to 35 and '2055' by Sleepy Hallow plunged six to 34.

Drop Outs

We finally said goodbye and good riddance to both "Girls Want Girls" by Drake feat. Lil Baby and "Astronaut in the Ocean" by Masked Wolf with the latter sue to make the year end, in the case of the former...I am hoping it misses.

We also lost "Traitor" by Olivia Rodrigo, I am not sure where that song stands as far as year end list goes.

New Entries

Just the three new entries this week, let's begin with...

44. "Acapulco" by Jason Derulo

I've known about this song for awhile and honestly given it got massive radio push, I am not surprised people started seeking it out on streaming and on iTunes. Just a shame that in terms of the sound, it's probably the most generic production Jason Derulo has had on a song in a long time, "Acapulco" truly sounds like something out of 2014/15 that's aged badly but it's the lyrics that put this song into the category of asininely stupid, for a start Derulo opens the song with the line "I can't read ya, my sexy Mona Lisa"...uh Jason, Mona Lisa and sexy are words that should never be used in the same god damn fucking sentence! There was nothing inherently sexy about the god damn Mona Lisa.

He then uses the bridge to call this girl dysfunctional and crazy like his mother and then reaffirms that in the chorus by singing "You're just a little loco like boats in Acapulco", I can't tell at this point whether Derulo wants this girl out of his life or if he wants to bang her at this point.

Then there's the second verse where Derulo starts shilling for cryptocurrency and name drops fashion brands. Look, the song is actively so bonkers and stupid, it's not really all that hateable but it's also not that good, I'm passing.

43. "On My Knees" by Rufus Du Sol

So it's time to deal with Rufus Du Sol, a dance/electronic pop group hailing from Sydney with this song coming from their album entitled "Surrender' that was released last week and was ultimately the reason that "On My Knees" became this group's fifth song to hit the ARIA singles chart. It's just a shame that I'm not feeling this at all..the wailing noise that sounds like a feral cat yowling to get out just doesn't make the song sound good especially as it permeates through the whole song and drives me to the point of distraction which is a shame because get rid of the yowling feral cat noise, this could have been a pretty good song in he vein of The Presets. Oh well...it happens

8. "Moth to a Flame" by Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd.

Welcome back to the ARIA singles chart, Swedish House Mafia, this group last had a hit on the singles chart thanks to "Don't You Worry Child" feat John Martin, the song peaking at number one and hitting number 10 on the ARIA singles chart year end in 2012 so it is nice to see they have come back this time teaming up with one of the biggest stars of the 2020s so far for this song and honestly this song is about what I would expect from both acts as "Moth to a Flame" sounds pretty close to some of the darker songs on "After Hours"...it really wouldn't sound out of place on that album with Swedish House Mafia adding just enough touches of their own to ensure that this song is not completely stolen by The Weeknd, as for the content of the song, well its about The Weeknd hooking up with this girl because this other guy's back whom the girl is loyal to but knows she has feelings for the Weeknd so will always go running back to him with The Weeknd urging her to be honest with this other guy rather than sleeping with him behind this poor dude's back, I actually like this a fair bit...it's a good song....not The Weeknd's best but hey, it's still really solid.

It's also easily the best of the week. As for the worst? Ughh, I'll give it to "On My Knees" by Rufus Du Sol only because "Acapulco" so actively dumb on so many levels that it's not worth hating.

Next week...yeah...it's going to be the Ed Sheeran show...strap in for that when ARIA updates the chart on Friday at 5pm

ARIA Singles Top 50 Top Ten/Chart Review: 25th October, Adele, Easy on the Charts

Well I did warn you last week that Adele was coming and boy, when she returns she returns hard because she is the main story this week and with that let's not fuss around and get to the top ten where as expected "Easy On Me" by Adele rode massive streaming and sales to take the number one, it wasn't even a contest, how long it stays at number one is anyone's guess right now.

"Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)" by Elton John and Dua Lipa remained steady at number two thanks to strong sales and decent streaming proving the thought that if Adele had of waited, "Cold Heart' could have got to number one this week on sales because its streaming still lags however I'd be fine with this song falling off because the overt radio play is souring me on this song in record time, I'm sick of it.

From there, it was the Adele effect as everything else was forced down including the former number one "Stay' by The Kid Laroi pushed down to number three mostly because sales fell back, its still as strong as ever on streaming even if the numbers aren't what they were. 

Then there's "Bad Habits" down one to four and "Shivers" down to number five, both by Ed Sheeran, I am not ruling either of these two out of a play for number one especially as the album is out next week.

Then there's "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals which thankfully looks like its second wind might over as it fell back to number six while "Industry Baby" by Lil Nas X feat Jack Harlow slipped to number seven.

"Happier Than Ever" by Billie Eilish slipped one to number eight, same for "That's What I Want" by Lil Nas X to number nine and "love nwantiti" by CKay to number ten

Gains

"My Universe" by Coldplay feat. BTS got the album boost up four to 13 (I don't mind it sticking around as I want it to make the ARIA year end), "Ghost" by Justin Bieber up 11 to 17 as it looks like becoming a huge hit, "Leave Before You Love Me" by Marshmello and Jonas Brothers up four to 27, "Money" by Lisa the biggest gainer of the week up 17 to 32

Re Entries

Such is her power on the pop scene, Adele did also see both "Someone Like You" and "Rolling in the Deep" return at 40 and 43 respectively. 

Losers

"Way 2 Sexy" by Drake feat. Future and Young Thug slipped eight to 38 while "Obsessed With You" by Central Cee slumped eight to 45 and "Astronaut in the Ocean" by Masked Wolf slipped seven to 46 and "Alone with You" by Arz fell seven to 50.

Drop outs

Locked firmly on the year end list but took their exits from the top 50 this week are both "Drivers License" by Olivia Rodrigo and"Mood" by 24kGoldn and Iann Dior. However  "Hurricane" by Kanye West feat. Lil Baby and The Weeknd probably won't.

New Entries

Well, we've only got the one new entry....

1. "Easy On Me" by Adele

It's one of the biggest releases of 2021, the long awaited new single from UK singer/songwriter Adele with her fourth studio album called "30" due to be released next month (November is STACKED for new releases with Adele, Silk Sonic and Taylor Swift dropping something next month) but anyway how is "Easy On Me"? Well its definitely one of Adele's most heartbreaking songs that she just managed to score a home run with as her presence and magnetism are the stars over Greg Kurstin's gentle piano and spare bass and strings as Adele begs her ex husband ans son to go easy on her post a divorce after a marriage where it became clear that the marriage wasn't going to work and in order to be happy, Adele had no choice but to leave the marriage because it just wasn't working, it's an intensely heartbreaking song that with every listen gains all the more resonance and layers of meaning, it doesn't need to be as dark as "Hello" or "Someone Like You" because "Easy On Me" is as powerful as it is. 

That wraps up the week...no best or worst of the week because there was only the one new entry, next week probably going to see that new collab from Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd, something from Rufus Du Sol and whatever other random stuff decides to show up when the chart is announced by ARIA on Friday at 5pm AEDT

ARIA Singles top 50 top ten/ Chart Review: 18th October. A Ghost and his Money

So we got a quiet week again with two new entries that hit below the top twenty five and some scattered movement through the rest of the chart before the big disruptions over the rest of the year as artists race to get new music out in time for Christmas. Anyway let's get to the top ten because for a fourteenth week, it's "Stay" by The Kid Laroi feat. Justin Bieber remains at number one and it looks like this week might be the song's final week at number one with Adele turning up next week to likely take top spot because there's no way now that "Stay" could possibly match the outrageous streaming numbers Adele is already posting.

Adele's arrival next week also likely means the chances of "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)" by Elton John and Dua Lipa , this week stuck at number two, getting to number one are also remote because it has less streaming than "Stay", sales can only do so much. 

"Bad Habits" by Ed Sheeran is steady and at number three while his other single "Shivers" actually moved up one to number four. I am not ruling these two songs out from getting number one  just yet given Ed Sheeran's latest album is still to come.

"Shivers' pushed "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals back to number five as it finally starts to lose traction on streaming...dear god...can we be done with this song once and for all?

"Inidustry Baby" by Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow remains at number six then there's the two place gain for "Happier Than Ever" by Billie Eilish to number seven which I am absolutely thrilled about...love seeing this doing well.

It pushed "That's What I Want" by Lil Nas X back one to number eight and "love nwantiti" by Ckay back to number nine. 

Rounding out the top ten is 'Good 4 U" by Olivia Rodrigo at number ten and will likely be the song that exits top ten next week 

Gains

So "Love Tonight" by Shouse picked up eleven places to number 22 while "Peaches" by Justin Bieber feat. Daniel Caesar and Giveon rebounded seven places to 32 and "Alone With You" by Arz up six spots to 43.

Unfortunately bad songs also rose with "Out Out Out" by Joel Corry, Jax Jones, Charli XCX and Saweetie climbed eight to 42  and traction for "Life Goes On" by Oliver Tree climbed seven to 34

Losers

Not much to say here on the losers front either with 'Hurricane" by Kanye West feat. Lil Baby and The Weeknd slipped seven places to 47 while "Obsessed with You" by Central Cee slumped seven places to 37

Drop Outs

"Friday" by Riton and Nightcrawlers feat. Mufasa and Hyperman dropped out having safely secured it's place on the year end list for 2021 taking with it "Dry" by Rancid Eddie because the streaming momentum died in days.

New Entries

Two new entries this week, let's begin with...

49. "Money" by Lisa

So Lisa is the latest rapper/singer from Blackpink to go solo with this being her latest single and it getting traction from the current Netflix hit of the moment 'Squid Game" and wow, this might be lowkey awful, a pretty standard generic song about spending money where the problems with production, the pile up of noises to approximate money in cash registers and that awful long trumpet note at the beginning that made me think that this was 2015 Jason DeRulo or Fifth Harmony and that somebody had pressed all the buttons on the trumpet at once and it's not even mixed properly to sound good here.

This will be a hit because of the show it's associated with...nothing else...

28. "Ghost" by Justin Bieber

Should have expected another single from "Justice" but this time around, it's probably the best choice of single from the album that the record label have made even if you do have to point out that Bieber is still being beyond clingy and if the song was given to a more interesting artist than Justin Bieber then we might have got something excellent but yeah the song as it is still well executed and Bieber is delivering the lyrics with some passion and intensity that I've not heard in recent material...he is normally very easy to ignore which isn't the case here and considering it's competition this week...yeah, this is still good.

It gets the best of the week this week, no question about it. There's also no contest for worst of the week with "Money" by Lisa taking that.

Next week...Adele likely debuts at number one, we'll find out when the chart updates at 5pm AEDT on Friday.