Top Ten Best Hit Songs of 2022

 So this best list is one of the harder ones I have had to write more because unlike 1989 where there was too much material, it felt like there was a lack of good to excellent songs due to either the ridiculous amount of older songs clogging the year end and if they were from this year, I just didn't  care for them or they outright pissed me off, don't get me wrong, there were great songs this year...just not as many of them... I will also say my number one best hit of the year is possibly one of the best hits of the whole decade thus far.

So reminder of the rules, a song can make this list if it debuts on or appears higher on the 2022 ARIA year end chart than it did during its original chart run

Older songs, if eligible, can make honourable mentions but not the top ten proper.

All clear? Alright, let's get this show on the road with some honourable mentions. 

HM1: "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" by Kate Bush

I can already hear the shocked indignation already but here's the thing, I've never really connected that well with Kate Bush's music (I cannot stand "Babooshka") however I can respect the hell out of this song from 1985 that given modern pop music's current fawning over the 80s, it sounds modern. We owe Stranger Things a thank you for giving this song it's justly deserved top ten chart run in Australia and the USA.

HM2: "Another Love" by Tom Odell

Look, if this song had of made the year end in 2013, this would have placed number two or three on the best list. I love the barely restrained sadness and fear of losing this girl because he worries he might stuff his chance with this girl up in taking the first step but eventually realizes that he needs to take chances in order to find happiness. Great song.

HM3: "Cuff It" by Beyonce

So I am going to be honest and say that I wasn't head over heels for Beyonce diving into house/EDM unlike all the critics who panicked to praise Renaissance after it was released and "Break My Soul" is going to be one of those songs that doesn't age well at all  however "Cuff It" is actually one of the better songs from the alum, Beyonce sounds fantastic over a nu disco groove and even if the lyrics are a little repetitive, it's a good song, I'll take it.

HM4: "As It Was" by Harry Styles

Yeah...this was going to make the top ten but hearing it a little too often and Harry's rather oddly lethargic performance of his at the Grammys made it sour on me, that said this is still a solidly good song, it's got this gentle chill vibe to it that works in its favour. Yeah it probably deserves to be the biggest song of the year, I just hope "Harry's House' as a whole is not a sign of things to come

HM5: "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)" by Taylor Swift 

 Chillax Swifties, there's more Taylor a bit later on the list proper. The only reason this didn't make the list proper is because there were ten songs I liked more but really, while this to a degree cheating because it comes from the rerecording of Red and Taylor making a ten minute version to break records , this is a really well fleshed out story and Taylor is always at her best when there's a moral ambiguity to her writing, it makes the ten minute run time well  worth it.

Now onto the list proper...

Number Ten

Look, I have said in the past that my number ten slot generally goes to a guilty pleasure....looks like I got my head out the sunroof.. 

"Sunroof" by Nicky You're and Dazy

I know, I know. The song is aggressively chipper and beyond basic also you do have to be in the mood for it and I was waiting to sour on it but it never happened even with the ridiculous amounts of radio airplay it got, this song was a bright spark of pure unadulterated fun where Nicky You're has his head out the sunroof of his car, blasting music and he has one thing on his mind...a girl.

Yeah, his words of love for this girl come across as clumsy and really clunky, the girl likely wouldn't be, impressed but for me, that adds to the charm of the song, it's cute, sweet and just way too much fun. Happy it became a hit.

Number Nine

It was that sort of year...I guess Bieber deserves to be here

"Ghost" by Justin Bieber

Yeah this is a 2021 leftover that debuted on the year end for 2022 and yeah, this is a pretty sweet little pop song even if the percussion is a tad too heavy and lyrically it does feel like Bieber is reaching... (he misses her more than life is a big over reach) but I get the sentiment of this Jon Bellion co-write, it's about missing a loved one be it through walk out or death and Bieber will still cling to the ghost of that person and the memories...something I do get having spent years clinging to memories of my grandmother out of fear I will somehow forget her so yeah this song holds more goddamn weight than I thought.

Number Eight

Remember what I said that when country music does chart in Australia, it's rarely ever good? Well that changed in 2022...

"The Kind of Love We Make" by Luke Combs

Seems Nashville finally came to grips with utilising streaming to its benefit this decade which has actually helped make this song Luke Combs longest running hit in Australia and while "The Kind of Love We Make" is not Luke Combs best song he released in 2022 but there's a charm to this song that makes me love this song. Yeah, it's Luke Combs singing about sexy time with his wife but it's not like the song goes into explicit detail about the bedroom antics and Combs vocal delivery is full of passion which you'd hope for.

Also this is just sticky and melodic enough to get stuck in my head, it's just got enough in the production to keep the song passionate yet playful. Compared to a lot of sex songs, this is really tasteful. Good job, Luke.

Number Seven

Okay, this song might be one of the best things that both these two acts have done to date...

"My Universe" by Coldplay feat. BTS

Yeah, it made the year end...it's actually one of two songs I am thrilled made Aria's year end list for 2022 mostly because it's the best thing Coldplay have made since the album Viva La Vida, for BTS probably "Boy Wit Luv" feat. Halsey. What I like about thid song is how big this sounds which makes sense for a love song where Coldplay and BTS claim this girl is their universe and they just want to put her first which is sweet and works vocally for both Chris Martin and BTS.

Does it seem like pandering to the fanbase? Maybe but this song was one of those that made me smile every time I heard this. Definitely an under rated gem from 2021/22.

Number Six

Speaking of under rated gems...this one was ignored by the US which is a shame because...yeah... Elley Duhe deserves better.

"Middle of the Night" by Elley Duhe

This is the second song I am thrilled made the year end mostly because its great to highlight songs that become hits despite slippimg under the radar to a large degree and oh god, "Middle of the Night" just sounds like the title ofnthe song with the plucky guitars that have something of a Middle Eastern vibe and that dark, creepy atmosphere that gives the song its middle of the night feel. It also sounds like nothing else in 2022.

Elley Duhe can also command this kind of atmosphere too, she's calling for her lover to come to her in the middle of the night and love her in the lyrics and yeah, she sells it well even if it she reminds me a lot of Ellie Goulding however that chorus goes off and when its this good...I'll take it.

Number Five

This next song took its time to grow on me, it was good the first time I heard it and time only helped to convince me that this was great.

"B.O.T.A (Baddest Of Them All)" by Eliza Rose and Interplanetary Criminals

I am so glad this clicked for me in 2022 because daaaammmmnnnn, "B.O.T.A" is fresh, smooth and would likely go off in the club. Eliza Rose manages to split the line between badass and cool. Its also one of the more interesting dance/club hits in years, it's just kind of summer fun that knows its value.

Great song!

Number Four

So Lil Nas X had a quiet 2022 with one notable exception...

"That's What I Want" by Lil Nas X

No joke, this was my number one song of 2022 for quite awhile. Somehow the best pop/rock that hit hardest was this slice of wonderful from Lil Nas X where he just wants a man he can cuddle withand someone to love him for who he is...something that we all want out of life, someone who wants us for who we are and somewhere to belong...its a basic need for us all. 

Hell, Lil Nas X is so keen for that man to love, he even says they can argue and fight but its that hook thats the crowning glory of this song and that shout of "That's what I fucking want" that underlines how much he wants that love and sense of belonging tlhats probably only gotten bigger since he became famous in the wake of "Old Town Road" but yeah, its still a damn great song.

Number Three

My top three best hit songs of the year all feel complicated, songs where the writing shines laying forth some hard emotions that are confronting especially whrn faced with the end of a relationship hence...

"Glimpse of Us" by Joji

Of any song that was a hit this year, this song being number one hit felt...weird in more than one way given Joji's well publicised background and history and given the messy at best album it comes from, this dark piano heavy song might be a single entity in Joji's career where Joji is stuck in the past remembering everything that this ex girlfriend did for him but now they have split up and she's found love again with somebody new yet every time Joji sees his ex with her new man, he sees a glimpse of when he was with her and cannot move past it wondering how he could have fixed things so she would have stayed with him instead.

Its a dark, toxic and frankly emotiinally complicated song that stole my heart for much of this year mostly because there was not much like it on the charts in 2022.

Number Two

There are songs that aren't meant to be hits like bar fests in hip hop, a rock song or even alt country songs like this...

"Something In the Orange" by Zach Bryan 

I remember the shock I felt seeing this debut on the ARIA singles chart, it didn't sound like anything else on the charts, I was sure this was going only be on the charts for a week but nope, its now spent 24 weeks on the chart and no wonder, its a song that surrounds you with its intense, broody atmosphere as Zach Bryan sees the end of his relationship in his partner's eyes like she has already mentally ridden off into the sunset having ended the relationship leaving Zach angry, sad and wondering what he can do save the relationship which he knows there may well be nothing he can do given how convinced she is that its over.

The music with that guitar that sounds like its been through the desert and Zach Bryan's vocals that to a degree remind me of the 90s alternative rock scene.

Its a gut wrenching song that burns brighter with every listen and made a break out star of Zach Bryan and very well deserved however its not number one so what could the number one best hit song be?

Number One

You know, she nor this song doesn't need any introduction but...god dammit, 2022 was the year Taylor Swift broke me...

"Anti-Hero" by Taylor Swift 

This might be one of the best pop songs Taylor Swift has ever written and recorded, I instantly fell in love with this song the first time I heard it...this resonated hard for me in ways that shattered me emotionally, I won't go into detail about the awful 2022 I had (safe to say I nearly closed both my Twitter accounts). Its a song where late at night, Taylor thinks about her own behaviour and sees how those around her might percieve and remember her as while she's alive and long after she's died and the lyrics are just brutal where she acknowledges that some percieve an act of altruism by her as covert narcissism, on the hook, she sings "I'll stare directly at the sun butl never in the mirror" or how she's terrified fans will walk out and not return.

There's just so much I love about this song including Jack Antonoff's production which is just gorgeous here, it sounds like a pop song at midnight, especially in the breakdown where Taylor repeats the opening lines of the hook sounding progressively world weary and ragged like she's about to break down.

"Anti Hero" by Taylor Swift is the best hit song of 2022.

Top Ten Worst Hit Songs of 2022

*Sigh*. I guess we have to deal with the worst popular music of 2022 but honestly when the year was a slow one for the ARIA singles chart, there shouldn't be that much to be mad at, right? Weelll no, the charts were slow because the world was out of lockdown and suddenly, people had more to do than just listen to new pop music hence unlike 2020, in 2022, the popular music really didn't matter that much. 

However what epitomises the worst music of 2022 is the laziness that was on display. Seriously...there were songs this year that didn't bother to recontextualise the sample or just dove into chasing trends from the last two years! 

A reminder that a song can only make this list if it debuted on the year end list for 2022 or charted higher than it did when it previously charted. 

So now that's clear, let's dive in and get this autopsy on 2022's musical garbage over with, starting with...

Number Ten

2022 was a disappointment for this guy,  his album wasn't good and there were genuine concerns over where his next hit was coming, well, he got that hit but did it have to be this?

"I Like You (A Happier Song)" by Post Malone feat. Doja Cat

So here's the thing, I actually don't mind the actual  music here, it's bouncy and really catchy but what does sink this song is the lyrics... Post Malone says he is pulling this girl like he is pulling a hammy which just sounds painful or on the hook where he says that they went over to France and woke up in Japan...what the....? The worst part is that Post Malone sounds like he doesn't want to be there, he sounds really bored.

Then there's Doja Cat whose verse really just misreads the intention of the song and complains her partner got her on a leash? Ugh...this song was only released by a desperate label looking for a hit...somehow I suspect both artists involved wouldn't have minded the miss.

Number Nine

2000s nostalgia is currently doing the rounds and some of it honestly is really good but on occasions, you get this...

"Do It To It" by Acraze feat. Cherish 

This song has honestly grated on my nerves all 2022 and is up there in terms of being annoying as bat shit (only barely saved by the offence to the eardrums that is " Music for a Sushi Restaurant" by Harry Styles for the most annoying song of the year)...but none the less this takes a 2006 song by r'n'b Cherish and removes any kind of personality or groove to make a pale facsimile of a song complete with production stiffer than grandad's legs. 

Also once you've heard the hook, there's really not much else to this wholly unimpressive and really generic dance song. Time to move on.

Number Eight

Look, he made worse music than this in 2022 which we'll get to if his current song on the charts makes the 2023 year end but this was from the first album he released last year and well..

"Jimmy Cooks" by Drake feat. 21 Savage

Let's rip the bandaid off and say the quiet part loud... Drake is coasting and has done since 2018, this has been evident in the music he has been making in that it's low quality junk that requires so very little effort because he knows that name recognition alone will get some of the effuse he calls music to chart highly, take "Jimmy Cooks" for example which hinted at the junk that was to come from both Drake and 21 Savage over beats that aren't anything interesting or do much that's exciting hence its monotonous.

Oh and Drake seems to lack any kind of self awareness when complaining about others being fake. Hey Drake, you are being fake yourself when you put on the phony accents. We can hope for better from both acts but I wouldn't be counting on it given coast mode is on...

Number Seven

Let's deal with a easy target here...

"abcdefu" by GAYLE

This song wore out my last nerve in 2022...blame the radio airplay for it but my God, the reason this song wound up here it sounds like somebody having a major tantrum... if your hook is "abcdefu your mum and your dad" than I have to start questioning you emotional intelligence to be in a relationship if that's the sour and immature way you are going to act, maybe be better and be adult about things, rise above the shitty boyfriend. 

This song would spark Leah Kate to release "Twinkle Twinkle Little Bitch" which thankfully didn't chart but can we do away with nursery rhymes being used in bad pop songs. I will say Gayle has better songs sh released on her EPs last year but seems like she might be set to be a one hit wonder.

Number Six

Remember the days when One Republic were good? Yeah...be nice if we could delete junk like this...

"I Ain't Worried" by OneRepublic

I really don't know what to say about this except OneRepublic have wasted their potential and have turned into massive disappointment over the last couple of years, take this song from the latest Top Gun movie which is horrendously produced where the guitars sound whiny and have about as much depth as a kids wading pool. Throw in lyrics that are pretty much AJR core where Ryan Tedder admits there are issues but he ain't worried about them right now because he has to keep dreams to keep alive other than the more important matters that he should be worried about which either makes Tedder selfish or stupid...who knows but it does make this song a wretched sidelight as a result

Number Five

Feel like this song was telegraphed to be on this list when I first reviewed it but hey, there's no reason for hacks like this to chart...

"Doja" by Central Cee

I could just state that the opening line of this garbage qualifies this song for this list alone plus I doubt Doja Cat likes being name associated with this, top it off with a good dose of lazy word play and the song being so short that it barely feels like any effort was put in at all other than a "no homo" joke that's about as funny as the boring Jason Derulo falling down the stairs at Met Gala meme that seems to get a run every year. 

It just feels like a filler fragment that tried to court controversy but still somehow became a hit. Blergh.

Number Four

At this point, it's starting to feel like bullying but if Imagine Dragons could make better music than they might not have any enemies.

"Enemy" by Imagine Dragons feat J.I.D

I think it's time I gave up on this notion that Imagine Dragons will go back to the sort of music they came to prominence with and that sucks "Enemeeeee" is a Dan Reynolds howling nightmare where the piercing shriek of enemeeee will never leave your brain. What is worse is the beat just sounds clunky and honestly kind of painful when you combine the shrieking with the music, it just sounds so annoying that not even a decent guest verse from J.I.D saves this.

Its just an annoying pain of a song that hopefully with time will go away.

Number Three

For the longest time this was my number one worst hit song of the year, mostly because it infuriates me that this was allowed to happen to an Australian music classic synonomous with Australia and thus...

"Down Under" by Luude feat. Colin Hay

I am left speechless by this, just how was this catastrophe allowed to happen to Men At Work's 80s classic "Down Under" (a song that is controversial for copyright seasons), nobody asked for a curdled and dank bass cover that manages to make a great song about being an Australian visiting countries overseas into this ugly sounding mess that just sounds unpleasant especially when Colin Hay's vocals sound almost drowned out. The bass also strips out the pretty damn great and infectious melody of the original.

Give me Men At Work's somewhat overplayed original over junk like this.

Number Two

2000s revival was in full swing in 2022, the seeds were planted in 2019 but it was full on in 2020 especially as Eiffel 65's "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" was sampled by several acts including Nea's "Some Say" which I didn't mind because that song recontextualised the sample and made it work however it doesn't work when you put two artists desperate for a hit together and add in laziness, you end up with this...

"I'm Good (Blue)" by David Guetta feat. Bebe Rexha

I guess congratulations are in order for both acts on somehow nabbing a hit despite the lack of effort and everything else that is wrong with the song. The biggest issue is the blatant trend chasing of something that was already done to death the past two years, David Guetta took the path of chasing a tired trend of sampling 2000s classic "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" and not doing near enough to make the sample interesting or give it a brand spin  to make it sound fresh...it just sounds lazy.

Then there's Bebe Rexha who sounds nasal on the hook and just kind of miserable, it's like she's bored and forcing herself to have "the best freaking night of her life" complete with the gritted teeth and sarcastic yawning, it's a party song that just isn't having any fun at all and the energy at the party is akin to where the party has hit the point where everyone is either tired, asleep, high, drunk or having the kind of sex on the floor where STDs are guaranteed so yeah this song is a cheap, low effort hangover...next!

However its not the worst hit song of the year...

Number One

Before I rant about this song, let me say... I stand with Southstar.

"Miss You" by Robin Schulz and Oliver Tree

This atrocity is the stuff of nightmares to me, it just sounds like absolute torture chamber music with Oliver Tree sounding even more annoying than he normally does on his own material thanks to some pretty awful vocal mixing and changes in the production that make the bass headache inducing.

Oh, I mentioned changes to this song, right? That's because this song was originally made by producer Southstar who took Oliver Tree's song "Jerk" and with the permission of Tree's label, Southstar worked the lyrics into a new song called "Miss You" which wasn't all that good in the first place but fuck, it's better than what happened next.

What was next was another producer Robin Schulz grabbing hold of one the song, made some changes to the vocals, bass and tempo then proceeded to keep the song called "Miss You" which proceeds to blow up and become a hit despite there being cause for fucking lawsuits.

Now the reason is number one worst hit song of 2022 is because of how this song could make copyright law an even worse nightmare than it is now and just howg much non effort was put into making this shit...did they just say "A few tweaks and nobody will notice that somebody else made it"

Fuck this song and fuck the laziness on display, it's the worst hit song of 2022.

Stay tuned for the best hit songs of 2022 list which hopefully will be out by end of next month. 

ARIA Singles Chart Top 50. New Entries Special: November/December

 "Lift Me Up" by Rihanna

Welcome back Rihanna...oh wait...no, this is not the lead single from that expected (or not?) ninth album of hers but a song for "Wakanda Forever" and is a tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman and yeah, this got to me, it's this gorgeous piano ballad and Rihanna sounds the best she has in years, she is well supported by the choir and all up this song ends up being quite a deal bit moving and powerful. Nice.

"Made You Look" by Meghan Trainor

Okay...I thought we had consigned Meghan Trainor to the bin of bad artists after 2016, nobody asked for a comeback, except she's been actively releasing music for the past couple of years with Nome of it catching traction until this came along and yes, Trainor is still on her Doo wop thing on a songwhere she's bragging that even with nothing on or wearing expensive brand  names, she's made you and me look. The song is complete arse anyway so let's not give this any more attention.

"Shirt" by SZA

Hey, about time we got new music from SZA and its a song that I'd been hearing about for months so I was curious to hear this...it's definitely not as good as her previous singles but there's still a lot to like here, SZa's exploration of a relationship where things have gotten complicated and she's not at all comfortable in this situation that she wants out of. It's a dark song matched by the curdled trap production that offers no relief from the discomfort. Not bad.

"Golden Hour"  by JVKE

It seems like at least once a month, we get some no name rapper winding up charting thanks to Tik Tok  but anyway JVKE is an American producer, singer-songwriter and social media personality with this winding up on the chart and...I am not impressed, this does a whole lot of nothing for me to say. The content is the very teenage sentiment of finally spending time alone with the person you love which is cute but ehh, this merely just exists for me.

"Rich Flex" by Drake and 21 Savage

So this is the only song that I will  touch from "Her Loss" and wow...the shitty misogyny positively drips off this. I think I'll have more to say on this one if it makes the 2023 year end cause yeah, it fucking blows more biscuits than my sister's stinky butt.

"Die for You" by Joji

So this came from Joji's latest album "Smithereens" which was a massive  disappointment especially in the wake of the pretty great "Glimpse of You" and yeah, this is major drop in quality, it's really pretty mucha fragment, I'd skip this.

"Calm Down" by Rema feat. Selena Gomez 

Nigerian Afrobeat artist Rema makes his first appearance on the ARIA chart and he has teamed up with Selena Gomez for this really chill, sweet song about a romance that may not work out over a gentle guitar groove. I really dig this, hope it sticks around, also I think Selena Gomez has found a groove that works for her.

Worst of the month: Rich Flex

Dishonourable mention: Made You Look

Honourable Mentions: Calm Down, Shirt

Best of the Month: Lift Me Up

December

"Just Wanna Rock" by Lil Uzi Vert

Really? We are so desperate for anything from Lil Uzi Vert that we chart fragments from hi  and in this case, it's not a particularly good fragment, it's mostly filler over production that lacks rock edge or groove...yikes.

"Creepin" by Metro Boomin, The Weeknd and 21 Savage

Okay, with the exception  of 21 Savage's verse, this is pretty much a cover of Mario Wigan's 2004 hit "I Don't Wanna Know" , a song I have never liked but somehow I actually like this, Metro Boomin's production ramps up the unease and danger of the situation they find themselves in, yeah...I'll take this?

"Escapism" by Raye fear 070 Shake

Well finally this charts, it's already blowing up in the UK so I am pretty happy to see this here from UK independent artist RAYE and yeah this absolutely incredible, a songabout how she's doting on her husband when for some reason he decides to up and leave RAYE leaving her feeling like shit. Determined to never feel this terrible again, she seeks out alcohol, sex and drugs to help her escape except the creaking, dramatic production  is implying the very real danger that this "escapism" could have bad implications for Raye down the road. Yeah, this is fucking great. Make it a hit please.

"Kill Bill" by SZA

So the first song from that SZA album and while this is not my favourite song from the album, I do like it, the song takes its name from the film series of the same name with SZA using the film to sing about her own dark, twisted murder fantasies namely to kill her ex and his new girlfriend out of pure jealousy, I just wish the production matched the somewhat grisly fantasy vibe more, just feels not quite there, still pretty good though.

"Until I Found You" by Stephen Sanchez and Em Beihold

So the solo version of this song has been on the US Hot 100 for a month or two now but get Em Beihold on board and yeah, it does work even if Em Beihold only serves backing vocals which is disappointing as there was an opportunity there for Em to singa verse from Georgia's point of view but as it is? It's still pretty good and kind of cute even if it definitely sounds like the song was recorded in the early 60s in the production. Check it out if you are curious

"Let Go" by Central Cee

Oh God, why are we rounding out 2022 with Central fucking Cee sampling Passenger's awful song "Let Her Go"? Why? Especially AS Central Cee spends the song complaining about this girl who he had sex with but she up and left after without any after sex care...no wonder she didn't stay when you laugh and call her a ho on the hook of the song? Or that he also fools around with other girls likeshe does with other guys so that makes him as bad as her and this song just a fucking gross skidmark.

Worst of the month: Let Go

Dishonourable mention: Just Wanna Rock

Honourable mention: Creepin'

Best of the week: Escapism 

ARIA Singles Top 50 new entries special: October

 "Romantic Homicide" by D4VD

Well, it appears we are starting October on a pretty shitty note with this slice of lame indie drudge from American rapper D4vd (pronounced David) that got Tik Tok virality to notch a slot on the chart and quite frankly this song blows not even just that D4vd sounds like Alex Turner from the Arctic Monkeys having a wrench progressively tightened on his buts as he croons his way through this self pity party of a song over a guitar that has all the flavour of liquid diarrhoea. Yuck!

"Evergreen (You Didn't Deserve Me At All)" by Omar Apollo

This is an interesting one, Omar Apollo is a bilingual (he sings in English and Spanish) American singer-songwriter with this song getting traction and I have to say this is pretty excellent, it's a slice of r&b soul that these days does not get the attention it so richly deserves. Apollo is trying desperately to move on from a broken relationship but is finding it difficult to move on because he still has real feelings for this person despite the shitty things they have done to him, it's a great song worth checking  out.

"Star Walkin'" by Lil Nas X

The newest Lil Nas X song comes from a collab with League of Legends and wow, I don't feel anything at all from this, it is not a bad song but it sounds oddly calculating and sterile which is weird coming from Lil Nas X of all people but he has done so much better than this. 

"Unholy" by Sam Smith and Kim Petras

See, this is why we should have made "Diamonds" a hit because then at least there would be no reason for Sam Smith and Kim Petras to get in a studio and make this cacophonous train wreck where lyrically Smith and Petras aren't on the same god damn page, Smith is trying to get naughty over what this guy does behind his wife's back while Petras is trying to get all steamy while name dropping expensive brand! What is worse is that this song sounds like a wall of noise... awful...

"Ferrari" by James Hype & Miggy Dela Rosa

English pair James Hype and Miggy Dela Rosa get together to create a weird song where they conflate sex and Ferraris over this weirdly flat groove which I guess kind of makes sense if he is comparing his sexual performance to a Ferrari...it's just a weird song that does nothing for me, that's all.

"How Do I Say Goodbye" by Dean Lewis

Okay so this is probably the best song on that new mediocre Dean Lewis album,  I have pretty much come to the conclusion that Lewis is the Australian version of Lewis Capaldi  only Lewis seems to have more of an idea of his vocal range. On this particular song, Lewis is questioning how he can possibly say goodbye to his dying father when his father has been a big part of Lewis's life...honestly there's better songs in this vein but this has its moments, it's fine.

"Celestial" by Ed Sheeran

Okay so Ed Sheeran made this song for that new Pokemon game and I actually really like this mostly because I think it has the potential to be a pretty damn great pop rock song...the foundations are there...if only they hadn't gone down the EDM breakdown route. Also Ed Sheeran singing this to a Squirtle sounds all sorts of cute.

"Edging" by Blink-182

Oh God...why? This is not the sort of comeback that anyone could have wanted from  Blink 182, this is bad in all of kinds of ways where the production doesn't make any of the wilful immaturity on display seem fun plus the lyrics are painfully juvenile so yeah avoid this garbage...next!

"Poland" by Lil Yachty 

This only got traction because of the forced  "I took a wock to Poland" meme otherwise there's nothing much else to this pointless fragment of a song.

"Bones" by Imagine Dragons

Oh geez, then again maybe I was being harsh on Blink 182 because yeah this song might be the most irritating thing this band have released since "Enemeeeeee". That God damn painful hook that sounds like children shrieking or mice after finding a shred of moldy cheese. Ugh. 

" Miss You" by Oliver Tree and Robin Schulz

Okay so producer Siouthstar took a Oliver Tree song called "Jerk" and used a  sample that was cleared by Tree's label for a song called "Miss You", fellow producer Robin Schulz picked up the song, made a few quick changes, did not get permission and released in what seems plagiarism however let's deal with the fact that this sounds like a nuclear propulsion, it's terribly mixed and Oliver Tree's voice sounds shrill...next!

"Snow on the Beach" by Taylor Swift  feat. Lana Del Rey

Now into the first of three songs from Taylor Swift's pretty damn great album "Midnights", this one featuring Lana Del Rey on backing vocals and yeah this one has been growing on me a lot, it just manages to sound absolutely gorgeous and while I at first thought Lana was was wasted just serving backing vocals, I can't deny it works, check it out.

"Lavender Haze" by Taylor Swift

The album opener that like "Snow on the Beach" has really grown on me with its warped melody and groove that reminds me a lot of trends in modern r'n'b plus lyrics where Taylor sings about avoiding tabloid speculation about her relationship with her boyfriend, Joe Alwyn. I will also note that the hook can get stuck in your head.

"Anti Hero" by Taylor Swift

 I have been wanting to talk about this song for ages because my God, this is Taylor's best lead single to date and one of my favourite songs of 2022 regardless of it being a hit or not, the lyrics of this song pack an incredible punch with Taylor realising that she's the problem in the eyes of some people and it must be exhausting for them to cheer for her the anti hero and to highlight that she repeatedly sings "it's me, hi, the problem is me:" until her voice goes ragged. The 80s style synths and the vocal harmonies just make this song stand out. This is Taylor Swift at her best

Worst of the month: "Miss You" by Robin Schulz and Oliver Tree

Dishonourable Mention: "Romantic Homicide " by D4VD and "Poland" by Lil Yachty

Honourable Mention: "Evergreen (You Didn't Deserve Me At All) by Omar Apollo and "Snow on the Beach" by Taylor Swift feat Lana Del Rey 

Best of the Month: "Anti-Hero" by Taylor Swift (duh)

ARIA Singles Top 50 New Entries Special: September

 "I'm Good (Blue)" by David Guetta and Bebe Rexha

Oh good lord, I guess it makes sense that these two would jump on a sample of Eiffel 65's 2000 hit "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" like everybody LAST YEAR was doing out of sheer desperation for a hit so this really is trend chasing except it shows that Guetta is out of ideas and this trend was played out last fucking year, Bebe Rexha sounds nasal and for somebody claiming she's good...she sounds miserable. One of the worst songs of the year!

"Hold Me Closer" by Elton John and Britney Spears

This is exactly why we should not have allowed "Cold Heart" to become a massive hit last year because it gaves Elton John a convenient to mash more of his back catalogue together into a greasy sounding homogeneous clusterfuck this time using "Don't Go Breaking Heart", "The One" and "Tiny Dancer" and like "Cold Heart", it saps both Elton and Britney of their personalities while destroying two absolute classics. Elton, please stop this!

"Something In the Orange" by Zach Bryan

Uhh... what the hell? Oklahoma singer songwriter and independent country artist Zach Bryan makes a surprise but very welcome debut on the ARIA singles chart with this song from his album this year "American Heartbreak" and yeah, I love this! It's a dark, broody song about the end of a relationship and my goodness, it makes use of negative space and and atmosphere to create the dark and haunting atmosphere, I cannot believe this charted but I am so happy it did.

"New Gold" by Gorillaz, Tame Impala and Bootie Brown

Oh so here's another surprise...only unfortunately this is nowhere as good as I was hoping with those annoying beeps that sound like some emergency is about to happen before more electronics hit Kevin Parker 's hook, it just doesn't sound good or come together that well...next!

"2 Be Loved (Am I ready)" by Lizzo

Well, it's fairly clear the 80s called because song sounds like something that would fit on a Jane Fonda workout tape, it's a song where Lizzo is asking herself if she's ready to be loved however this just doesn't work for me due to how oddly stiff and cheap the song sounds, there's just no nervous tension  to the production which you would think a song like this would need.

"Beautiful Crazy" by Luke Combs

I kind of suspected that in the wake of "The Kind of Love We Make" becoming a surprise hit this year that we were going to get older Luke Combs songs and well...the production is pretty with fiddle playing off a guitar but my problem is with the content about how this girl is beautiful but she's crazy yet there's nothing in the song that make me believe she's crazy...yeah she makes plans and changes her mind...that ain't crazy, Luke!

"When It Rains, It Pours" by Luke Combs 

Second Luke Combs song and well, okay, it's a genuine country song with a gentle guitar rollick and drum machines but again the problem here is the lyrics where this girl leaves him and now he is having all this good luck and is using his good fortune to be sour towards this girl and her mother and that kind of thing just puts me off the song.

"Forget Me" by Lewis Capaldi

The dreaded return of Lewis Capaldi and you know this not bad? Yeah the lyrics are still sour and again Capaldi sounds like he has no real idea of his vocal range or he has been violently kicked in the scrotum on the hook however I really like the melody courtesy of that piano so yeah, I don't mind this.

"Bound 2" by Kanye West

No...just no...

"Hotel" by Montell Fish

Okay, Christian artist Montell Fish had his break through on Tik Tok hence landing on the singles chart and...well, I don't hear the appeal at all, fuzzed out guitar because the song drops so we can hear Fish doing his best crooning The Weeknd impression which really did nothing for so let's just move on...

"Billie Eilish" by Armani White

Okay, this is blatant clickbait, using Billie Eilish's name just to get attention for your clunky trap song that's all about flexing and gun play, the only thing saving this is the fact that White has some charisma and energy compared to many in his genre but that won't make me come back to this.

"Shut Down" by Blackpink 

So this was the only song from that Blackpink album apart from "Pink Venom" to chart and this is not one of the better songs from that album with the squealing instrumentation that would cause dogs to run off bridges and the girls are trying so hard to be aggressive and 'shut down' those who do them wrong, it's kind of adorable but otherwise it sounds like a R ihanna 2015 reject.

Worst: "I'm Good (Blue)" by David Guetta and Bebe Rexha 

Dishonourable mention: "Hold Me Closer" by Elton John and Britney Spears

Honourable Mention: "Forget Me " by Lewis Capaldi 

Best of the Week: "Something In the Orange" by Zach Bryan

ARIA Singles Top 50 Special: August

 Kind of hoping August is better in terms of the new entries especially with how busy it was!

"Are You Entertained?" by Russ feat Ed Sheeran

Okay, we're starting with a new single from mediocre American rapper Russ who has had some success in the US, he teamed up with Ed Sheeran for this and...it's fine? I am not too keen on the content in Russ's verse where mentions 'retiring your parent'...come on dude however the trap production sounds good and Ed Sheeran sounds solid as hell rapping so yeah this is better than I expected.

"Remember" by Becky Hill and David Guetta

Sigh...I have never cared for either Becky Hill or David Guetta, mostly Becky Hill is not all that interesting vocals wise and David Guetta's pass ran out in 2010 so I was worried about this song. 

Turns out my worries were warranted because this is a pretty generic EDM song, sure Guetta gives Hill's weak vocals room to breathe but the lyrics feel clingy and the production feels too chipper to match the content...next!

"The 30th" by Billie Eilish 

Not surprising Billie Eilish dropped a doubled sided single, she did that with success with "Everything I Wanted" in 2020 and with this being the B side, I was curious about what this song had to offer so what did we get?

Uhh, this is genuinely excellent, it's a song about somebody Billie loves being in a car accident, Billie's fears for this person and the realisation that this friend escaped the crash alive however its the production that tips this into greatness with Finneas smartly creating a tense nervous atmosphere at first reflective of worry before the tension builds ands dissipates into joy as Billie shouts "You're alive" over and over so yeah this is a master-class...check this out!

"TV" by Billie Eilish 

So this is the single from the EP, it's dark acoustic song where slams the world for gawking at the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial while ignoring the there's bigger and more systemic issues for American women confront like the overturn of Roe v. Wade and the subsequent loss of easy abortion access for women and how watching TV helped Billie ignore the relationship issues she was facing. 

Yeah this a pretty good yet confronting song that people will overlook because nobody wants confronting truth in pop music these days just like how people willingly want to ignore issues plaguing society through watching sport. Just saying.

"Doja" by Central Cee

So I don't care for Central Cee, everything I've heard from him is either mediocre or downright ass so I was dreading and yeah, this is complete garbage that samples Gwen Stefani and Eve's 2001 hit "Let Me Blow Your Mind" before diving heard first into rickety percussion and Central Cee opening his verse with "How can I be homophobic, my bitch is gay" which for fucking obvious reasons is stupid, she's bisexuality if she's into men and women! 

This whole song just feels like a grab for attention especially with the name dropping of Doja Cat so yeah the next time, this will get attention on the worst list because this is fucking garbage.

"Die for You" by The Weeknd

Australia, what the hell? You could have made "Out Of Time" a hit instead of a song from The Weeknd's 2016 album "Starboy", it went viral this year on Tik Tok. Content wise, it's The Weeknd feeling conflicted about the end of his relationship due to the very real feelings he still has for her, he still loves her.

I just wish the production did not sound so headache inducing with squelching facts noise over The Weeknd singing, there's better on Starboy...next!

"Another Love" by Tom Odell

Another song that went viral courtesy of it becoming something of an anthem for Ukrainian resistance against Russia, this time from British singer songwriter Tom Odell with this particular song being from his 2013 debut single which peaked at number ten in its original run in the UK and I have today, this is actually a really sad but well crafted song about his own frustration and anger at falling for this girl he just cannot be with.

What tips this toward excellent is the gentle piano at the beginning before the song slowly builds momentum from the second verse as the pianos ramp up the anger and the backing vocals kick in so yeah I like this...check it out.

"Sweater Weather" by The Neighbourhood 

So turning now to another 2013 song this time from American alternative band The Neighbourhood and wow the mixing is a mess to the point I cannot point to a defining melody and those vocals do nothing for so I'll pass.

"Summer Renaissance" by Beyonce

Alright, time to deal with the Beyonce album bomb with this being the first of three songs I am covering from it and I went into this hoping it is better than "Break My Soul" which has only gotten increasingly more annoying as time has passed this year and unfortunately this feels like a clattering and messy noise fest like they are trying to merge two or three different ideas into one song which includes sampling Donna Summer's "I Feel Love". Ehh, not a fan

"Alien Superstar" by Beyonce

Second Beyonce song and again we have another interpolation of "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred but oof, this is just not good especially as this air of arrogance that you'd think Beyonce would better than. It's not the worst song I've heard but it's sure disappointing.

"Cuff It" by Beyonce

The last of the Beyonce songs and this is probably the best of three songs with its bouncy groove and a sound that reminds me a lot of Donna Summer's 70s music. Yeah, the writing feels a little clunky but regardless, I'll take it.

"Snap" by Rosa Linn

Oh wow, this isn't the song from Eurovision I expected to go viral on Tik Tok but anyway this is Armenian artist Rosa Linn's big breakthrough...I just wish the song was better especially as the music reminds me a lot of "Ho Hey" by The Lumineers (a song I don't particularly care for) with very pop folk adjacent sound. The content of the song is fine enough where she is musing on getting rid of this ex before she snaps or breaks. Ehh, it's okay...I guess?

"Numb" by Marshello & Khalid

So a collab between Marshmellow and Khalid, Khalid has been releasing singles of his own this with no real chart impact (disappointing given "Skyline" is great) so how is this song?

It's fine? My two biggest issues are the annoying knock of the beat at the end of the chorus while Khalid repeats the word "numb" into incoherence and how "I, I wanna get numb. And forget where I'm from" can be misheard as "I, I wanna get numb and fuck you out in front" but otherwise this is a pretty chipper song that would kill it during summer

"Not Over Yet" by KSI feat. Tom Grennan

Okay, KSI is back with a new single, this time with crooner Tom Grennan. I have say this pretty solid. It's got a good hook and a decent drum rhythm with the content of the song being about self doubt and KSI's struggle to overcome those feelings and while I am not that keen on Grennan's vocal delivery in the latter half of the song, it's still one of KSI's best to date.

"Love Lost" by Mac Miller

So I am going to be honest here, Mac Miller's music has never been my thing, I just never cared for it but anyway this song is from Miller's 2011 mixtape "I Love Life, Thank You" and the sample of Temper Trap's song of the same name gives the song a solid bounce and groove. Just a shame the writing feels a bit weird and clunky so it just does not work in the way I was hoping, it's not bad though.

"Bad Decisions" by Benny Blanco, BTS and Snoop Dogg

Well got to say I saw two thirds of this collaboration coming but what the hell is Snoop Dogg doing here? Well it turns out he shares a pretty stilted verse with Jung Kook before having a verse to himself, the issue here though is the production, there's no sense of danger in it to make anyone think there's going to be consequences  for the bade decisions, it's just forgettable pop EDM fluff.

"Under the Influence" by Chris Brown 

Oh get fucked. I'm not going to be engaging with or indulging with the attempted redemption arc of Chris Brown . I don't care this crap went viral. Fuck it off.

"Staying Alive" by DJ Khaled feat. Drake and Lil Baby

So I am not going to preamble with this song because it's fucking dreadful which keeps up DJ Khaled and Drake's record of making miserable music together and really, miserable is the correct description for this. For a song all about staying alive, it sounds like a song sung in the five minutes before somebody carks it, also to sample a classic 70s disco song like "Stayin' Alive" by The Bee Gees and turn into miserable trap drudge should be a fucking crime! Next....

"Super Freaky Girl" by Nicki Minaj 

Nicki Minaj is back with maybe her best single to date? Yeah the sample of "Superfreak" by Rick James is obvious but I like how Nicki uses the sample to give the song a memorable hook even if the elongated e is kind of annoying and the rest of the song lyrically is nothing new for Nicki Minaj but you know what? It's pretty good and that's weird for me to say.

"Afraid to Feel by LF System

Oh, this finally turned up on the ARIA chart... about time given it has been number one in the UK. LF Sstem are a British do who created this mix in 2019 which includes a interpolation of Silk's 1979 hit "I Can't Stop (Turning You On)" just slowing down Louise Clare Marshall's vocals  and yeah, this might be the best bit of sampling from any song this month, it sounds fantastic even with multiple tempo changes that are set up superbly, let's make this a hit please!.

"Pink Venom" by Blackpink

I was dreading covering this song mostly because I find their production to quite often be clattering headache inducing noise and yet again this is no  different unfortunately which does prevent  me from enjoying it, not helped by the repetitive lyrics, ehh... I'll pass.

"B.O.T.A (Baddest Of Them All" by Eliza Rose and Interplanetary Criminals

Well, here's an interesting song from British DJ Eliza Rose and producer Interplanetary Criminals and samples the synth line from Lisa Lisa and The Cult Jam's song "Let The Beat Hitler, Part 2" so how's the song? Well, it's certainly interesting, it's sound is reminiscent of 90s dance hits like "Encore Une Foi" by Sash!, Eliza Roses's more nasal delivery on the verses doesn't bother me much, I like it.

Let's deal with the crap first, dishonourable mention to "Under The Influence" by Chris Brown. Worst of the month is a tie between "Doja" by Central Cee and "Staying Alive" by DJ Khaled, Drake and Lil Baby.

However  we did get some good to great stuff, Honourable Mention  goes to "Afraid to Feel" by LF System. Best of the month is also a tie with "The 30" by Billie Eilish and "Another Love" by Tom Odell sharing the honour.

ARIA Singles Top 50: Special. July's New Entries

 Due to my hiatus because of health issues, I have decided to cover the new entries from the period of my hiatus as specials 

"Hot Sh*t" by Cardi B feat. Lil Durk and Kanye West

So what on earth is happening with the rollout for this second album by Cardi B? Seems like we've heard a lot about it with multiple singles with this one being the latest and well...the only reason anyone would listen to this is Cardi B because it's not like the beat is anything to write home about or the verses from Lil Durk and Kanye West (his verse left me asking why he is even on this song in the first place)

"Master of Puppets" by Metallica.

"Stranger Things" does it again with the title track of Metallica's 1986 album and really, I will keep it short because yeah, it's pretty much Metallica at the top of their game. Definitely worth checking out!

"Sway My Way" by R3hab and Amy Shark

Well it's about time we got new music from Amy Shark, just a shame that she's teamed up with producer R3hab for a song where the production makes her sound tinny in the mix and devoid of emotion but the most annoying part is that the song takes the melody of Bic Runga's 1998 hit "Sway" and manages to turn a fantastic melody into another generic EDM cut. Yeah, this sucks...next!

"Bad Habit" by Steve Lacy

Okay so American singer-songwriter,  musician and producer Steve Lacy hit the chart after going viral for months with "Dark Red" and well, it's okay? The verses are kind of overwhelmed by the percussion but that melodic 80s hook in the chorus makes this work for me. It's good but  not great.

"Betty (Get Money)" by Yung Gravy

You could have warned me a Rickroll was coming up because yeah the sample of Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give you up" is the most interesting thing about this song from American rapper Yung Gravy. Lyrically the song is all about his chase for money and it feels so uninspired...next!

"From Paris to Tokyo" by Fivio Foreign feat The Kid Laroi

Going to say when you sample a crummy Far East Movement song. Seriously... it's not like either Fivio Foreign or The Kid Laroi are really adding much in the way of content to a pretty generic song. This is pretty forgettable.

Wow... July was just garbage for the new entries. Best is going to "Master of Puppets" by Metallica pretty damn easily. Honourable Mention to "Bad Habits" by Steve Lacy.

As for the bad, dishonourable mention goes to "Hot S***" by Cardi B feat. Lil Durk Kanye West because yeah Cardi doesn't save it from being bad. Worst goes to "Sway My Way" by R3hab and Amy Shark...thank goodness, Amy's new song is much better!

ARIA Singles Top 50 Top Ten/Chart Review. 4th July. Where DId Left and Right Go?

 Well...we got a cooldown week here which was to be expected as there seems to be a pause in the big releases...at least for now. Also it looks like we finally have a battle for the top spot so let's get to that top ten where "Running Up That Hill (Deal With God)" by Kate Bush returning to number one for a third week due to a renewed push on streaming and sales. 

All this pushed Joji's "Glimpse of Us" back to number two but it's right there on streaming, it just needs to pick up on sales and Youtube even so I can still see this returning to number one.

That's not the case for "As It Was" by Harry Styles which remained stuck at number three as it's hanging in on sales but streaming is starting to slow down that if a challenger comes along, it's going to face a battle which may not come from Lizzo's "About Damn Time" up one to number four but from Doja Cat's "Vegas" which climbed three places to number five...now this song has grown on me a little bit so I'm fine with it here for now.

Remaining at number six is "First Class" by Jack Harlow as "Jimmy Crooks" by Drake feat. 21 Savage slipped three places to number seven. Falling back one place to number eight is "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals. 

As expected, breaking into the top ten up a starting twenty three spots is "Break My Soul" by Beyonce at number nine and given my feelings on the song are confused...yeah, I am not sure how I feel about it.

Holding steady at number ten is "Stay" by The Kid Laroi feat. Justin Bieber. 

Gains

So apart from "Break My Soul" having it's big gain into the top ten and "Sunroof" by Nicky Youre and Dazy up six to 25 were a slew of songs that just rebounded, most of them older songs like "Good 4 U" by Olivia Rodrigo which went up four to 34 and "Easy On Me" by Adele up seven to 41 but that was about it really.

Re-Entries

This week saw the return of "Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd at 45.

Losers

There's quite few this week..."Die Young" by Sleepy Hallow feat. 347aidan down eight to 50 while "Wait A Minute" by Willow which slipped seven to 48. 

Two Harry Styles songs also took sizeable tumbles again with "Matilda" down twelve to 39 and "Music for A Sushi Restaurant" down nine to 38.

"Cooped Up" by Post Malone feat. Roddy Ricch freefell down eight to 32 while "Sticky" by Drake lost its stickiness to slide twelve spots to stick to number 27 while "Massive" slumped nine to 21 also for Drake.

Drop Outs

Not complaining about our drop outs this week with "Daylight" by Harry Styles, "Clarity" by Vance Joy and "In the Stars' by Benson Boone all leaving. 

New Entries

Just the two new entries this week so let's begin with...

43. "Where Did You Go" by Jax Jones feat. MNEK

About time this charted in Australia, this song has been charting in the UK for the last couple of months now so it took it's sweet damn time to get here and well it turns out that Jax Jones is heading into mid 90s eurodance trends with this song, its definitely straight out of 1996/1997 and even if I do find elements of the production annoying, that breakdown doesn't do much for me at all, MNEK sounds great here as he always does on EDM/eurodance songs, it's not a great song but hey, it's still pretty good, I'll take this.

19. "Left and Right" by Charlie Puth feat. Jungkook 

Well, this is a collab I should have seen coming. Charlie Puth collabing with a member of BTS has been on the cards for awhile now so what did we get from this collab? Well, to tell you the truth a song I am going to want to forget pretty quickly because wow, Charlie Puth is absolutely the worst part of his own song here,.his squeaky as hell vocal delivery on one of the more generic choruses on a pop song in 2022. Jungkook is probably the best thing over this production where he manages to sound a heck of a lot better than Charlie but it's  not enough to save it.

It's getting the worst of the week while "Where Did You Go" by Jax Jones feat. MNEK gets the best of the week.

Next week is set to be a quiet one so we'll see what happens when the chart updates at 5pm AEST on Friday

ARIA Singles top 50 Top Ten/Chart Review: 27th June. Break My Kind of Love Soul...Honestly Nevermind

 So we didn't get a full on Drake album bomb this week...shocking...I know...but given the album is pretty awful, I am actually happy with that, I am also pretty happy with what occurred at the top of the singles chart this week because we have a new number one and the first for this particular artist, yes, it's Joji with "Glimpse of Us" taking the top spot, now let's be clear here, this was a margins thing because "Glimpse of Us" got to number one on streaming alone, it's not a dominant number one by any means.

Which does open up a return to the top spot for former number one "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" by Kate Bush, down to number two, as it is still incredibly competitive on both sales and streaming, it's competitive here.

"As It Was" by Harry Styles slipped back to number three, now it's still solid on sales and streaming but I question if it can challenge for number one.

There's a new entry at number four and it's one of only three new entries to the chart from Drake with "Jimmy Crooks" feat. 21 Savage. Now this is apparently not the song they are pushing as a single from the album so I don't expect this to stick around. 

However it did help to push "About Damn Time" by Lizzo back two spots to number five and "First Class" by Jack Harlow back one to number six. 

The song that refuses to leave the top ten is "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals which got a one place boost to number seven...aren't people sick of this song yet? Geez.

Nabbing a four place gain to number eight is "Vegas" by Doja Cat, this has got traction right now especially on streaming so will be interesting to see if the hype outlasts the Elvis movie it's from.

Wrapping up the top ten we have two The Kid Laroi songs with "Thousand Miles" down three to number nine and "Stay" feat Justin Bieber also down three to number ten.

Gains

Sadly the gains aren't exactly on the good side this week when the best of the gains is "Sunroof" by Nicky Youre and Dazy up nine to 31, that's not exactly a good sign. In a pretty awful sign "I Ain't Worried" by OneRepublic moved up nine places to 21 because it's bound to be a hit somehow. Finally "2Step" by Ed Sheeran fest Lil Baby is up three to 40. 

Re-Entries

Just one return this week, it comes from Doja Cat with "Woman" at number 43.

Losers

Let's deal with Harry Styles album bomb first so "Daylight" down 14 to 46, "Music for a Sushi Restaurant" down 5 to 29, "Matilda" down 5 to 27 and "Late Night Talking" down four to 14.

As for the rest, there's "Easy On Me" by Adele down 10 to 48, "Clarity" by Vance Joy slipped six to 47 and Gayle's "abcdefu" is finally starting to fuck off down seven to 44. 

"Wait A Minute" by Willow slipped ten places to 41 while "Industry Baby" by Lil Nas X feat. Jack Harlow slipped seven to 36.  "Enemy" by Imagine Dragons feat. JID and League of Legends stumbled nine to 34.

Drop Outs

Our collection of drop outs aren't too surprising with "Yet to Come" by BTS, "True Love" by Kanye West and XXXtentacion, "Without You" by The Kid Laroi with Miley Cyrus, "Don't Blame Me" by Taylor Swift, "10 Things I Hate About You" by Leah Kate and "Little Freak' by Harry Styles all took their exits

New Entries

Five new entries this week beginning with...

32. "Break My Soul" by Beyonce

So we've got four house songs new to the chart this week with the firdt of them being the lead single from Beyonce's upcoming album "Renaissance" and look, I am really not sure how to feel about this song, I don't actively hate it but I really don't love it either. Sure the Big Freedia sample sounds great here and Beyonce does sound nice but more often than not she gets drowned out by how noisy and somewhat repetive the mix is. I don't know...It's not worth hating but it's definitely nothing something I want to relisten to.

23. "The Kind of Love We Make" by Luke Combs

So this is Luke Combs third entry to the ARIA singles chart following in the wake of "Forever After All" in late 2020 with this one from his new album "Growin' Up" but hey I was excited especially as whenever country or anything adjacent to country has charted in the top 50 in Australia, it's been pretty downright terrible (see "Body Like A Backroad" by Sam Hunt in 2017) but thankfully this is the rare country song hitting the Australian singles chart that is really damn good for once! Yeah, Luke Combs vocal delivery here is something that some people might need to get used to but I really like the production as well, it feels country with the twang of the guitars and while I suspect there's a drum machine in use, it still doesn't stop me from enjoying the song. Check it out!

15. "Sticky" by Drake

12. "Massive" by Drake

4. "Jimmy Cooks" by Drake feat. 21 Savage

So I am going to deal with all three of these Drake songs together because I am sick to death of Drake and spending anymore time on this lack of effort is a waste of my time especially as he is the worst part of all three of these songs, he sounds bored singing on "Massive" and "Sticky" where at least the production has some energy and groove, at least 21 Savage provides a much needed break from Drake's monotonous crooning on "Jimmy Cooks" even if his verse isn't anything outstanding but it's welcome because Drake is just...ugh...

So yeah I'm giving "Sticky" the worst of the week mostly because of Drake's crooning ruining the song, if it was given to a person with energy and enthusiasm, the song would actually be great.

As for the best, yeah, that's going to "The Kind of Love We Make" by Luke Combs...not even a contest there.

As for next week...could be a quiet one so we'll have to see when ARIA updates the chart on Friday

ARIA Singles Top 50 Top Ten/ Chart Review. 20th June. Don't Blame Me, Glimpse of Clarity is Yet to Come

 Well this week turned out more interesting than I otherwise expected, we've got a bit of a surprise debuting in the top ten that I can see sticking around plus the rest of the new entries are eclectic as hell, how many of those stick around with a surprise Drake album bomb likely next week...ughhh.

Anyway let's get to the top ten where for a second week "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" by Kate Bush remained at number one thanks to good sales, streaming and Youtube but it got overtaken on streaming this week so I wouldn't be surprised if we see a new number one next week.

"As It Was" by Harry Styles remains at number two, it's still doing solid numbers across the board but it there's a stronger competitor behind it that may well end any hope of a return to number one for this song. 

That competitor is not from "About Damn Time" by Lizzo which rebounded up to number three but it's bleeding on streaming and sales. 

All of this is good news for the biggest new entry of the week, "Glimpse of Us" by Joji debuting at number four, I'll say more about this song later but it's here because of it's incredibly robust streaming especially on Spotify...the big test will be how it holds up against Drake next week. 

It pushed "First Class" by Jack Harlow back two places to number five and "Thousand Miles" by The Kid Laroi one to number six while Kid Laroi's other hit "Stay" feat. Justin Bieber fell back one to number seven.

"Heat Waves" by Glass Animals continues to hang around like a lingering fart at number eight while "I Like You (A Happier Song)" by Post Malone feat. Doja Cat fell back two places to number nine and "Late Night Talking" by Harry Styles stepped back one place to number ten.

Gains.

"Vegas" by Doja Cat climbed five places to number eleven, this song seems to have an interesting amount of traction right now which is weird considering you wouldn't think Doja Cat fans right now are starved of content from her.

"Mr Brightside" by The Killers jumped eleven places to 34 to get the biggest gain of the week while "Hold My Hand" by Lady Gaga rose eight places to 35 thanks to the continued surprising success of that new Top Gun movie.

Re Entries

Just the one re-entry and it's not exactly on the good side with "In The Stars" by Benson Boone back at 49. 

Losses

Alright let's go through what remains of the Harry Styles album bomb, "Little Freak" is sputtering out down 25 to 50, the sun further set on "Daylight" which tumbled eleven places to 32, "Music for a Sushi Restaurant" fell five to 24, "Matilda" waltzed down six places to 22, 

Leah Kate's "10 Things I Hate About You" fell seven places to 47 while "Without You" by The Kid Laroi feat. Miley Cyrus tumbled eleven places to 45.

"True Love" by Kanye West and XXXtentacion collapsed twenty places to 42 (I'll be happier when this has exited the top fifty)

Gayle's 'abcdefu" finally appears to be out of steam as it slipped eleven to 37 while "Cooped Up" by Post Malone feat. Roddy Ricch recoiled down eight to 18. 

Drop Outs

Seven drop outs this week with the biggest of them being "Woman" by Doja Cat, she took "One Right Now" by Post Malone and The Weeknd with her along with "Wasting Angels" by Post Malone feat The Kid Laroi.

Also gone are Kendrick Lamar album tracks "N95" and "Die Hard" feat. Blxst and Amanda Reifer along with Harry Styles album tracks "Grapejuice" and "Satellite"

New Entries

Six new entries, we're starting with...

46. "Don't Blame Me" by Taylor Swift

We're beginning with a 2016 cut from Taylor Swift's second worst album "Reputation" (her worst is "Red", a dubstep infused pop mess that suffered from some poor songwriting and production) that blew up courtesy of Tik Tok and I will say this is one of the better tracks on "Reputation", it's not better than "Getaway Car" but it's close, it's a pop/EDM song that definitely sounds like a more mature version of a song that could have appeared on "Red" where Swift is defending her songwriting about past relationships with love making her crazy. The best part about this song is the hook, it's dark enough that it makes it really memorable and I do appreciate that. Good song.

41. "Clarity" by Vance Joy

I am kind of surprised this charted, Vance Joy hasn't really had a lot of impact on the charts in recent years but this did turn up this week thanks to a boost from his third album "In Our Own Sweet Time" and I am going to be honest here...the worst part of this song is the vocals, I just can't get past how Vance Joy sounds here and even if I think the bouncy guiitar and the other production, it actually sounds rather spring/summer to me. What also doesn't help me like the song is the lyrical content where it's basically a song where Vance Joy is going on about how everything was blurred until love made him find clarity and that just kind of feels cloying to me so yeah while it;s not overall a bad song, I just don't care for it.

40. "Sunroof' by Nicky Youre & Dazy

Okay so there's very little information about the artists involved with making this song but it does seem like this is another song that got big off TikTok and well as it turns out "Sunroof" is this somewhat breezy if slightly clunky pop tune that really does fit for the northern hemisphere summer. The content is about Youre appreciating the pretty girl in his car while he has his head out the sunroof of said car, it's kind of cute so while I can't ignore the clunkiness of the song, I can get behind the sentiment in the song, it's harmless. 

30. "I Ain't Worried" by One Republic

The second song from the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack to hit the ARIA singles chart and I have do have to admit I was kind of worried because OneRepublic's music hasn't been good at all so I was curious to see if there'd be any improvement with this song and well...imagine an intersection where Maroon 5 with Ryan Tedder's vocals sounding like Adam Levine with a head cold meets Peter, Bjorn and John's 2015 song "Young Folks", it barely sounds like a song written for a movie all about Navy aviators, the 2022 version of Kenny Loggins "Danger Zone" this is not. Sigh, OneRepublic, you used to be so much better than this desaturated pop garbage...what happened?

17. "Yet To Come" by BTS

So BTS are going on hiatus to explore solo projects etc, I half suspected something was coming when the band released an "anthology" called "Proof" on the Friday and so really I was expecting a much higher debut for this song than number seventeen but none the less here it is with the song entirely in Korean so how is the song?. It's okay if a little bland and generic, it's basically a song about how while they loved the past,  the future holds the best to come for the group, it just feels like a pretty unmemorable sidenote, a song chucked into "Proof" to give fans an extra unheard song, I don't think the song is bad but I won't be coming back to it. 

4. "Glimpse of Us" by Joji

Last song of the week and honestly, I am shocked that Japanese-Australian Joji has finally gotten something to break through, it probably should have happened a couple of years ago with "Slow Dancing in the Dark" but none the less we've got this new single from his forthcoming album and well...it's one of the best songs of 2022 to hit the ARIA singles chart, a haunting spare piano ballad where he has moved on with a new girl but in everything he and this girl do, he can't help but see everything that his ex did, the song does just enough to keep you engaged and I will admit that I broke down the first time I heard this. Yeah, this song is amazing, if you haven't heard it, I highly recommend you do so.

"Glimpse of You" by Joji runs away with the best of the week. As for the worst, it falls out easily with "I Ain't Worried" by OneRepublic because that song is absolutely wretched.

Next week...ugh...the surprise Drakepocalypse that nobody asked for but how much of "Honestly, Nevermind" will land on the chart will be discovered on Friday at 5pm AEST.

ARIA Top 50 Top Ten/Chart Review: 13th June. Wasting Vegas Angels 2Step to A Happier Song

 So this week felt underwhelming, sure we got a couple of songs from that new Post Malone album hitting the chart but that was about it however we do have some big news that pertains to the very top of the charts and that is there is a new number in the form of "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" by Kate Bush, now it got to number one with the perfect mix of being top on sales, streaming and even Youtube, it's her first number one under ARIA charts but her second in Australia overall, her first was "Wuthering Heights" which reached number one in 1978 on the Kent Music Report charts. 

It pushed "As It Was" by Harry Styles back to number two, it could still get back to number one but that  is going to require streaming momentum to pick back up again, I would say it's under pressure from "First Class" by Jack Harlow at number three but that lost more ground on sales this week.

Sllipping back a place to number four is "About Damn Time" by Lizzo which looks to be just hanging in there even as it does feel like the momentum for this song has died rather prematurely.

Rising one place to number five is "Thousand Miles" by The Kid Laroi because it's filling gap left by the exits of Harry Styles songs from the top ten. The same can be said for The Kid Laroi's other song in the top ten "Stay" featuring Justin Bieber which rose one place to number six. 

Then at number seven is a new entry to the top ten with "I Like You (A Happier Song)" by Post Malone feat. Doja Cat, I will have more to say on the song later but it's here thanks mostly to streaming. 

Continuing to hang around is "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals at number eight while "Late Night Tslking" by Harry Styles slipped four places to number nine.

Boosted by the release of the album is "Cooped Up" by Post Malone feat. Roddy Ricch which got a thirteen place boost to number ten.

Gains

"Cooped Up" by Post Malone feat. Roddy Ricch was the biggest gain of the week with it's thirteen place gain to number.

"Wait for U"  by Future feat. Drake and Tems climbed six places to 18 while "Bam Bam" by Camila Cabello feat. Ed Sheeran rose eight places to 23 while "Enemy" by Imagine Dragons feat. J.I.D & League of Legends rebounded eight places to 24.

"Without You" by The Kid Laroi and Miley Cyrus rebounded ninentto 34 while "Wait a Minute" by Willow also climbed nine to 35 and "That's What I Want" by Lil Nas X jumped six places to 36

"Die Young" by Sleepy Hallow feat 347aiden jumped up ten places off it's debut to 38.

Re-Entries

Two returning entries this week with "No Role Modelz" by J Cole at 49 (I am bewildered about this one) while the one that does make sense is the return of "One Right Now" by Post Malone and The Weeknd at number 42 due to the release of Post Malone's album. 

Losers

All the losers are album bomb tracks so let's begin with Harry Styles with "Grapejuice" spilling 28 places to 47, "Satellite" crashing 19 to 37,  "Little Freak" slipped over nine places to 25, "Daylight" had it's sunset seven places to 21, the same goes for "Music for a Sushi Restaurant" down to 19 and "Matilda" to 16

Kendrick Lamar's "N95" saw it's mask slip 26 places to 46.

Drop Outs

Nothing too major to note here with five of the six drop outs being Harry Styles album tracks along wirh "Potion" by Calvin Harris feat Dua Lipa and Young Thug.

New Entries

44. "2Step" by Ed Sheeran feat. Lil Baby

Ed Sheeran, you are four singles from "=" in, pop/rock is back in vogue, you could have given us "Tides" as a single already but no, instead we get "2Step" and in order to get it onto the charts, multiple remixes with artists around the world including Australia's own Budjerah but seeing as the version that charted is the version with Lil Baby, I am going to talk about that one instead and look, "2Step" isn't helped by the fact that it's one of the songs that I didn't like from "=" in the first place, yeah the guitar that opens the song is pretty but the percussion that overwhelms that pretty guitar rif bugs me...it's like it's not mixed properly and Lil Baby's verse sounds like an insert here verse that he could put any pop song. Next...

30. "Wasting Angels" by Post Malone feat. The Kid Laroi

So we only got two new songs from the new Post Malone album which considering he landed nine new songs from Hollywood's Bleeding on the ARIA singles chart in 2019 is kind of telling that even with the label drama, apart from Drake, people have moved on from artists who weren't particularly active during the pandemic shutdowns of 2020 and 2021 to acts in Post Malone's lane like his counterpart on this song.

Okay, the decreasing public interest in Post Malone aside, I love the production on this track even if Post Malone's vocals are the worst part of the song but the choir on the final part of the song sent shivers down my spy. Post Malone and The Kid Laroi lyrically pontificate about their lives before they got famous and how they are enjoying the ride that comes with fame but are aware of the pitfalls and are doing their hardest to not lapse into any of those pitfalls, it's a better than I expected song from both Post Malone and The Kid Laroi. It's good without being great. 

17. "Vegas" by Doja Cat

So this is the lead single for the soundtrack of Baz Luhrmann's Elvis Presley biopic called "Elvis" and I kind of get the feeling that this song would work better within the context of the movie (which is getting very mixed reviews). Yeah, Doja Cat is having some fun that includes a sample of Elvis's hit "Hound Dog" being sung by Big Mama Thornton. Look, it's fine but if it sticks around for awhile I could see this song souring on me hard especially as the repeated "I get it" does get really damn annoying however we ain't done with Doja Cat yet because...

7. "I Like You (A Happier Song)" by Post Malone feat. Doja Cat.

The only other song to chart new this week from "Twelve Carat Toothache" and look, it's a smooth hook up song that lacks any kind of interplay between Post Malone and Doja Cat even if Post Malone's crooning on the hook is a lot better than usual. Also the production does feel a bit one note and derivative. It's cute and it might be the song from "Twelve Catat Toothache" to stick around because of the Doja Cat feature but I am not feeling this one.

And that ends a rough week...the worst is going to "2Step" by Ed Sheeran feat. Lil Baby...when there's better on the album, Ed has no excuse for releasing this. As for the best, it's rough but I am going with "Wasting Angels" by Post Malone feat. Kid Laroi because hey that choir at the end solid it for me.

Next week, BTS and possibly Joji, we'll have to see when the chart updates at 5pm AEST on Friday.

ARIA Singles Top 50/Chart Review. 6th June. Young True Love Potion

 So this week turned out to be a cooldown from the album bombs we've had at least until Post Malone turns up next week (although that one I am not so sure about  given Post has struggled to really capture any attention this year) but regardless of that..."As It Was" by Harry Styles, it had streaming, sales and youtube on lock for most of this week untiil our new number two came along.

Speaking of which that new number two is Kate Bush's 1985 hit "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" which thanks to hit TV show Stranger Things, it got a boost on sales and streaming to outpeak it's 1985 performance on the Kent Music Report charts where it peaked at number six at the time however it's not certain to stick around when the hype from Stranger Things dies down, there's a small chance that this could take the number one spot next week because it's momentum is enormous.

Rebounding four places to number three is "About Damn Time" by Lizzo as it surprisingly surpassed "First Class" by Jack Harlow which climbed one place to number four.

"Late Night Talking" by Harry Styles slipped back three places to number five. "Thousand Miles" by The Kid Laroi rebounded a full fourteen places to number six while Laroi's other hit "Stay" featuring Justin Bieber also returned to the top ten up 11 places to number seven.

Up three places to number eight is the malingering fart that won't go the fuck away, "Heatwaves" by Glass Animals up three places to number eight.

"Matilda" by Harry Styles slipped six places to number nine while "Big Energy" by Latto feat. Mariah Carey and DJ Khaled climbed seven places back inside the top ten at number ten.

Gains

So let's deal with the double digit gains here first with "Bad Habits" by Ed Sheeran up ten places to number 11. "She's All I Wanna Be" by Tate McRae rebounding with the album boost to 26.

Then there's a nine place gain for "Where Are You Now" by Lost frequencies and Calum Scott to number 12  while "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)" by Elton John and Dua Lipa climbed eight to 13.

Re Entries

So there are three return entries this week including Kate Bush's ""Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" at number two. The other returns are courtesy of Lady Gaga's "Hold My Hand" at 47 (you can thank the noise around the new Top Gun movie for this) and somehow "Without You" by The Kid Laroi feat Miley Cyrus came back at number 43...

Losses

All of the losses are basically just album bombs falling away so let's deal with Kendrick Lamar first with "Die Hard" feat B;xst and Amanda Reifer  down 23 places to 50 while "N95" only dropped the one place to 20.

From Harry Styles though, "Boyfriends" got dumped 24 places to 34,  "Daydreaming" got ssplashed down with cold water eighteen spots to 30, "Kee[ Driving" crashed fifteen to 29, "Love of My Life" got crushed fifteen to 28, "Cinema" had its doors shut 16 places to 27, "Grapejuice" went sour down ten to 19, "Satellite" crash landed eight places to 18, "Little Freak" freaked out ten places to 16, "Daylight" is starting to see the sunset down six to 14  and "Music for a Sushi Restaurant recieved negative reviews so it's down eight to 12.

Drop Outs

Not complaining about our drop outs this week because all of them either suck or overstayed their welcome with "Starlight" by Dave, "Watermelon Sugar" by Harry Styles, "Dua Lipa" by Jack Harlow, "No Role Modelz" by J Cole, "Say Nothing" by Flume feat. MAY-A and "In the Stars" by Benson Boone all taking their exits...thank goodness.

New Entries

Three new entries this week, beginning with....

48 "Die Young" by Sleepy Hallow feat. 347aidan

Okay so Sleepy Hallow are back on the chart, I think I liked "2055" a bit more than a few other people did however this time around he has brought Canadian rapper 347aidan on board and unfortunately this song is not as good as "2055" mostly because of that hook where the production makes 347aidan sound terrible or there was a complete misfire in the studio because either way the vocal effect isn't flattering even with that really good guitar line that they don't seem to do anything with. Also Sleepy Hallow's content here isn't worth noting mostly just him not wanting to die young and empty flexing, either way I am going to forget this exists.

32. "Potion" by Calvin Harris feat. Dua Lipa and Young Thug

I can't have been the only one excited to hear that Calvin Harris is making "Funk Wav Bounces Volume 2", right? So of course it makes sense that Harris would bring in Dua Lipa, who helped him make one of the biggest hits of 2018 with "One Kiss", and Young Thug (He was on 2017's "Heatstroke" with Pharrell Williams and Ariana Grande) although it does feel weird that he is on a song now given his current situation and well..."Poition" is absolutely what you would expect from Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa in that it sounds like a song that could have fit on "Future Nostalgia" because Dua Lipa sounds great here but the production isn't nearly as rich enough as it was on "Heatstroke" for Young Thug to work here and while he harmonises well with Dua Lipa...I am kind of wondering if this song might have benefited with just Dua Lipa on it, it's a decent to good song but it could have been better.

21. "True Love" by Kanye West and XXXtentacion

Uhh...no...can we stop this? Can we stop digging up XXXtentacion, who is dead by the way, fragments to put on undercooked rap songs because this from Kanye is literally just one verse with several choruses as Kanye complains about not being able to see his youngest daughter, how he doesn't like the current custodial arrangement following the divorce from his ex wife etc...it's really not worth much of anything. 

It's also the worst of the week because really it's a fragment of a song and a pretty crappy one at that too. Best in a rough week is going to "Potion" by Calvin Harris feat. Dua Lipa and Young Thug.

Next week, Post Malone album bomb maybe, we'll have to see when the charts update at 5pm AEST on Friday

ARIA Top 50 Top Ten/Chart Review. 30th May. When Harry's House Meets the ARIA Singles Chart.

Look...this week is going to be a Harry Styles avalanche...we're going to be doing nothing other than talking about Harry Styles songs for the most part beause all twelve new songa from "Harry's House" made the ARIA singles chart all in the top fifteen with seven of them joining reigning number one "As It Was" in the top ten, it was a blitzkrieg that I am not convinced did all that much damage anyway given Kendrick cleared out the chart for the most part last week but like I said "As it Was" by Harry Styles spends a sixth week at number one thanks to massivc streaming off the back of the album release.

Now this massive streaming is pretty much the same for all the Harry Styles songs in the top ten so I am going to blow through those quickly with "Late Night Talking" at number two, "Matilda" at number three and "Music for a Sushi Restaurant" at number four.

Jack Harlow's "First Class' managed to stem the surge of Harry songs slightly by only falling three places to number five. 

"Little Freak" by Harry Styles debuts at number six ahead of Lizzo's "About Damn Time" which dropped three places to number seven (this song is still strong and should rebound next week).

The rest of the top ten is all Harry Styles though with "Daylight" at number eight, "Grapejuice" at number nine and "Satellite' at number ten.

Gains

So we do have some small gains this week with two place gains for "No Role Modelz" by J Cole to 48, "Woman" by Doja Cat to 47 and "Good 4 U" by Olivia Rodrigo to number 37.

"Cooped Up" by Post Malone feat. Roddy Ricch rose one place to 26.

Re-Entries

Two returns this week with one being "Say Nothing" by Flume and MAY-A at 49 and the unsurprising return of "Watermelon Sugar" by Harry Styles at number 44.

Loses

There are a LOT of losers this week as you would expect so in an effort to keep this short, I am only going to go through the double digit losses and really given Kendrick did most of the damage last week, this list of double dgit losers isn't as big as you would think.

We'll begin with Kendrick Lamar album cuts that somehow remained the chart with "Die Hard" fear Blxst and Amanda Reifer sliding 22 to 27 and "N95" down 16 to 18.

"Thousand Miles" by The Kid Laroi slumped eleven places to 20 while "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals fell 10 to 16. 

Finally "Dua Lipa' by Jack Harlow fell fifteen to 46. 

Drop outs

Harry Styles took out the rest of Kendrick Lamar album tracks and two other songs that were already on the way out anyway with "Churchill Downs" by Jack Harlow feat. Drake and "Hurtless" by Dean Lewis.

New Entries

So we did get a Harry Styles album bomb so here are the songs that I won't be covering in full...

"Boyfriends" at 15, "Keep Driving" at 14, "Love of My Life" at 13, "Daydreaming" at 12,  "Cinema" at 11, "Satellite" at 10,  "Grapejuice" at 9, "Daylight" at 8 and "Little Freak" at 6.

That leaves us with just three songs to cover beginning with...

4. "Music for a Sushi Restaurant" by Harry Styles

Ahh yes, the vaguely annoying album opener with blaring horns that really do end up becoming aggravating before getting ridiculous and completely annoying. Then there's the lyrics where Harry sings that he could cook an egg on this girl...what the hell, Harry? Proceeds to call her sweet ice cream and then claim she needs a flake put in her which is all sorts of questionable. This song is the song of gross food and sex double entendre that like Timbaland and Justin Timberlake's "Carry Out" winds up disgusting. Next!

3. "Matilda' by Harry Styles

Ahh so this might be one of my favourite songs on "Harry's House", the plucky guitars and Harry Styles telling the story of this girl he knows and how she grew up an abusive or at leastt troubled household and Harry is the one to show empathy and encourage this woman to move forward with her life...travel the world and achieve everything she wants in life despite her upbringing. It's a sweet and well written song using hiding this woman's identity in the main character Roald Dahl's book "Matilda". Yeah, this is excellent. 

2. Late Night Talking" by Harry Styles.

Last of the songs to deal with here and well, it's a bit of a shame that the somewhat wonky production on the verses kind of rules the vibe that Harry Styles is going for here, he is going for the late 70s/early 80s sound that really doesn't work here or have the the late night vibe that the song seems to need and what but can't reach which is a shame because that chorus is actually really catchy but you win some, you lose some, I guess.

So yeah, in a week dominated by Harry, he gets worst of the week for "Music for a Sushi Resraurant" but he also gets the best for "Matilda"

Next week...the fall out of all this which ARIA will reveal on Friday at 5pm AEST

ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart Top Ten/ Chart Review. 23rd May. Kendrick's Mr Morale and The Big Steppers Album Bomb

 We got the biggest disruption to the singles chart this year courtesy of Kendrick Lamar's final album for TDE called "Mr Morale & The Big Steppers", 14 songs from the album entered the ARIA top 50 this week including three in our top ten so let's start there where for another week "As It Was" by Harry Styles kept the number one spot, it's got a lock on number one thanks to excellent streaming and sales with Youtube also kicking in, its postion at the top will only be strengthened next week thanks to the album release.

That meant "First Class" by Jack Harlow stuck at number two. Now it's still reasonably strong on sales and streaming and also has some youtube but have to wonder if it's going to come under some pressure in the weeks ahead.

That brings us to the first of three new arrivals to the top ten...all of them are from Kendrick Lamar with "N95" debuting at number three and really that's all on streaming, I don't see this being in the top ten next week, it shifted "About Damn Time" by Lizzo back one to number four but this song should rebound, it's still reasonably strong on streaming. 

The second of the new entries from Kendrck Lamar in the top ten is "Die Hard" feat. Bixst and Amanda Reifer debuting at number five. 

All of this pushed "Heat Waves" back two places to number six for Glass Animals (I am ready for this song to go the hell away if I am to be hobest)

The laat of Kendrick Lamar new entries is in at number seven with the album opener "United in Grief"...again no expectation that it will stick around.

"Big Energy" by Latoo feat. Mariah Carey and DJ Khaled slipped back two to number eight while "Thousand Miles' by The Kid Laroi slumped four places to number nine while The Kid Laroi's biggest hit to date "Stay" feat Justin Bieber slipped three places to number ten.

For those wondering how the top ten would look without the Kendrick album bomb...

1. As It Was

2. First Class

3. About Damn Time

4. Heat Waves

5. Big Energy

6. Thousand Miles

7. Stay

8. Bad Habits

9. Where Are You Now

10. Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)

Gains

There are none. Every single song that's not from Kendrick  lost hard this week.

Losses

So not to make this blog post a really long one, I am only going to cover the double digit losses which begins with the thirty place loss for "Churchill Downs" by Jack Harlow feat. Drake...ouch.

"Hurtless" by Dean Lewis suffered an eleven place fall while "Starlight" by Dave collapsed seventeen places to 42 and "Good 4 U" by Olivia Rodrigo tumbled eleven to 39.

The momentum has been zapped out of Leah Kate's "10 Things I Hate About You" as it fell 14 to 37 while Adele's "Easy On Me" took a 15 place fall to 34.

Jack Harlow's "Dua Lipa" got unceremoniously dumped 18 places to 31 while "Industry Baby" by Lil Nas X feat. Harlow took an eleven place slide to 26. 

Drop Outs

There's fifteen drop outs and with Harry Styles album bomb next week, some of these likely have ghad their chart runs ended permanently.

New entries from last week like "This Love (Taylor's Version)" by Taylor Swift, "The Heart Part 5" by Kendrick Lamar (weird, would thave thought name recognition alone would have kept the song in the top 50) and "Hold My Hand" by Lady Gaga.

The long running hits that took their exits this week like "Kiss Me More" by Doja Cat and SZA, "Happier Than Ever" by Billie Eilishm "Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd and "Watermelon Sugar" by Harry Styles, 

Older songs that got viralitylike "Lost" by Frank Ocean and "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls.

Newer songs that definitely won't qualify for the year end with "Flowers" by Lauren Spencer-Smith. 

Songs that are question marks for the year end like "Tom's Diner" by AnnenMayKentereit & Giant Rooks, "Nail Tech" by Jack Harlow

Definitely making the year end is "Down Under" by Luude feat. Colin Hay

New Entries

So we are in an album bomb situation so here's the Kendrick Lamar songs that charted that didn't qualify for best nor worst of the week.

48. "Auntie Diaries", 44. "Crown", 45. "Mr Morale" feat Tanna Leone, 30. "Savior" feat. Baby Keem and Sam Dew, 22. "Purple Hearts" feat. Ghostface Killah & Summer Walker, 21. "Silent Hill" feat. Kodak Black, 20. "Count Me Out", 17. "Worldwide Steppers", 16. "Rich Spirit", 12. "Father Time" feat. Sampha

So that leaves us with five new entries to talk about here however we aren't starting with Kendrick somehow because...

27. "Cooped Up" by Post Malone feat. Roddy Ricch

So did you know that Post Malone is literally dropping an album called "Twelve Carat Toothache" in June? Yeah given Post Malone was literally one of the biggest artists in the world around 2018/19, it is kind of amazing how under the radar Post Malone has managed to go however considering both "Motley Crue' and "One Right Now" weren't exactly the kind of hits that Post Malone would have expected in the lead of to the album I guess it's not that much of a surprise this upcoming album feels really low key so how is "Cooped Up"?

Like I was with "Motley Crue", I am really disappointed by this, feels like Post Malone is stepping back toward a trap comfort zone that doesn't even begin to make sense after the best album of his career in 2020, yeah the piano sounds good but Post Malone sounds like he is singing in pain over this trap beat that doesn't do much and couple that with Roddy Ricch dropping his most disappointing verse to date? Yeah I'm skipping this one. 

TW: Mentions of abuse. 

19. "We Cry Together" by Kendrick Lamar and Taylour Paige

This is my favourite song on "Mr Morale & The Big Steppers" and I don't say that lightly. More for the very real depiction by Kendrick Lamar and Taylour Paige of an ugly abusive abusive relationship where both Kendrick and Taylour say some terrible things to each other before Taylour Paige delivers a verse while she's in tears and the anger and frustratio felt by both is palpable before it culminates in the pair having sex. The song is set over this ska jazz groove which gives the song a lot more power and adds to the bitter darkness and rage that swells in the song. 

Probably not a song to listen to if you have been in an abusive relationship and find this sort of song triggering.

7. "United in Grief" by Kendrick Lamar

This is one of those songs where we discover that Kendrick Lamar is revealing his own fallibility as a human being questioning his own attitudes to women,  in that he cheated on his partner while he was on tour and the pain that this brief hook up caused her, reflections on his long career in the music industry, he knows and chooses the need to stay humble and all those accolades he has recieved won't last when he does die and how he has entered therapy to deal with his own mental health. If anything this might be the song where Kendrick is at his absolute best on the album in terms of being able to switch up his flow but it's also a painful reminder that like all of us, Kendrick is not perfect, he is also human...something that become more abundantly clear on the album.

5. "Die Hard" by Kendrick Lamar feat Blxst and Amanda Reifer

So this song is a slice of R & B that brings Blxst and Amanda Reifer on board as Kendrick begs for his partner to be patient with him as he is very much in a vulnerable place right now and pleading her to remain loyal to him and that in the hook delivered by Blxst that she can love him despite all his flaws and all that she has had to put up with from him. Kendrick knows that when he falls in love he falls in love hard which for him means a lot of emotion. Its definitely an intertesting song even though the instrumention is more upbeat and less dark than it is on other songs on the album. 

3. "N95" by Kendrick Lamar

Okay so the album opener charts the highest and is a reference to a particular type of mask used during lockdowns etc in 2020 and 2021 but it's Kendrick lashing out at the state of society in 2022 and with particular refernce to Afican-American culture, he warns against chasing material wealth and possessions amid the troubling economic circumstances of so many post COVID lockdowns. Kendrick also spends a bit of the song calling out the criminals who are on the end of attention of the feds. Not really the best song from the album but ehh, I'll take it. 

And that wraps up the week, a week that really was tough to get through but best and worst fell out easily with worst going to "Cooped Up" by Post Malone feat. Roddy Rich. Best of the week going to "We Cry Together" by Kendrick Lamar and Taylour Paige.

Next week, Harry Styles album bomb but we'll find out when the charts update at 5pm AEST on Friday.