The Super Short Top Ten Worst Hit songs of 2023

 I have decided to ditch doing a full on worst list for 2023, mostly because we've all moved on, I have no will power to revisit any of these crappy songs and most of the bad songs from 2023 will npt have any kind of staying power apart from a few unfortunate exceptions.

Before we briefly go tip diving, here's a reminder of the rules, a song can qualify for this list if it first appearedon the 2023 ARIA year end or was higher on the 2023 year end than it did on the 2022 year end, also this list is not definitive, it's just my opinion. 

10. "Flowers" by Miley Cyrus (I remember being so excited for this song's release, hearing a song that sounded so bland and cookie cutter and feeling disappointed, Miley, you are better than this, Bring back the "Plastic Hearts" Miley please)

9. "Players" by Coi Leray (Look, Coi Leray has got talent but like Miley, she wastes it on lazy sampling this time using an iconic 80s song from Grandmaster Flash with some pretty terrible lyrics about how girls do the exact same thing as guys,...come on...,it's just lame at this point, Coi)

8. "Green Green Grass"  by George Ezra (What on earth was this? A song aimed for Dulux colour chart ads, Bob Ross or Play School. This was a massive disappointment from George Ezra who I frankly expected better of than this shit).

7. "Popular" by The Weeknd feat. Playboi Carti and Madonna (The music from the Idol pretty much matches the TV show. None of the trio involved with this disaster of a song gives a good performance here, if anything it exposed how overexposed The Weeknd is).

6. "You Proof" by Morgan Wallen (Wow, this song sure sounds like what I would imagine a stomache virus would sound like. Not only is the song sour but Morgan Wallen sounds so fucking insufferably smug on this song that I want to throw things if the song didn't sound so damn lethargic)

5. "Let Go" by Central Cee (When you take a terrible 2013 Passenger song and make it worse and with this dude getting features on other mediocre rappers albums, we might not be rid of him. Just lovely...not)

4. "Daylight" by David Kushner (Okay so Australia wanted Hozier in 2023 but went for a bad rip off instead of anything from that Hozier album last year and now that Hozier is back, we have no need for anymore of these hacky rip offs)

3. "The Color Violet" by Tory Lanez (Well, this is awkward considering Tory Lanez is now serving prison time, Only wish people could get prison time for songs like this one that blow so much ass!)

2. "Rich Flex" by Drake and 21 Savage (Ugh, "Her Loss" is easily Drake's worst album to date and while "Rich Flex" is not the worst song on the album, it is emblematic of the issues with that album in that most of it hides behind misogyny and gunplay. It's pathetic, Drake, you are capable of better.)

The number one worst hit song of 2023:

"Last Night" by Morgan Wallen

This wasn't going to be my number one for awhile...it didn't feel like the hit song I hated the most in 2023 until I realized that "Last Night" is basically the tail end of Luke Bryan's "That's My Kind of Night"...drunken sloppy sex and all is remembered is car tail lights disappearing in the dust while all Wallen can remember is that he and this woman let the liquor talk last night in between the sex and presumable fighting.

What drives the song into the ground though is how utterly miserable this song is on an instrumental basis because this can barely be called country with that down tuned guitar and Wallen's whiny nasal vocals that make the song a completely niserable listening experience.

New Entry Review: March 2024

"Saturn" by SZA 

A brand new SZA single as a lead off to "LANA" and I was looking forward to this mostly because while SZA has never grabbed me with a full album, she does have songs that I adore (my 2023 best list will feature one such song) so how was "Saturn"?

Oh good lord, this is right up there as one of the best songs on the charts right now, I love how the song opens with what sounds like a merimba and SZA just sounds imcredible, The song is just incredibly easy to listen to and go back to. The lyrrics hit on feelings of feeling like everything is terrible and trying to find something better even if that something better requires SZA and her partner to leave and go to that other place so yeah this is fucking great!

?End of Beginning" by Djo

Ahh anorher viral TikTok song gaining traction to wind up on the charts, this song came out in late 2022 and after having heard it, I wish I was as impressed with this song as other people seem to be, the instrumental sounds great, the drums have a nice rbythm but why are the vocals so god damn buried under the instrumentation? It makes the song feel like it is missing a hook so no...this doesn't work for me at all. Next!

"Stumblin' In" by CYRIL

Oh no...just no. Not another one of these type of songs. A producer taking an old song and turning it into unrecognisable junk but quickly just to explain CYRIL is an Australian DJ and producer that got his big breakthrough with this thing and somehow this version of Suzi Quatro and Chris Norman's 1980 hit that at the time had some romantic charm to it but this new version? Nope, there is nothing romantic about this, it just reminds me of the time Kenny G played saxophone over Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" except Cyril brings in these keysand strings then proceeds tio make Quatro and Norman sound washed out as hell. Skip this!.

"We Can't Be Friends (Wait For Your Love) by Ariana Grande

Okay with "Yes, And?" looking like a dud lead single with every passing day, this is the song from Ariana Grande's new album that appears to have some legs on the charts and is sticking around even if I I would have preferred "Supernatural" to be the song from "Eternal Sunshine" that absolutely smashes the charts as this is pretty middle of the road for Ariana as in its not precisely bad. its just forgettable given its another pop song in the vein of how she can't be friends with this guy given she wants a relationship... it feels a bit dime a dozen, that's all.

"Whatever She Wants" by Bryson Tiller

Kind of surprised that Bryson Tiller of all people turned up on the ARIA singles chart with any kind of momentum especially as I have never really thought of him as being all that interesting in his lane of hip hop but none the less, this song did turn up so what did we get? It's fine...I don't hate it, Bryson Tiller can ride this beat pretty well and he seems all ready to buy whatever this woman wants be it the brand names etc, I just wish it didn't feel like it was more empty flexing to say he can spend all this money so easily but check this out if you are curious

"Austin" by Dasha

So with the onslaught of country on the ARIA top 50 singles chatt these days, it's interesting that we have a relative no name make her debut on the charts although I will admit calling Dasha country is a stretch but just quickly Dasha is from California and her song "Austin" went viral on Tik Tok (makes me wonder what people will do for music discovery when TikTok is banned and that appears to only be a matter of time) so what do I make of this?

Well it's another of those songs that I think is absolutely fine even if I think it feels a bit too cookie cutter for it's own good but Dasha has the vocals to sell this song well even if I do get some of the criticisms. Check it out if you are curious.

"Fri(end)s" by V

So members of BTS are continuing to chart solo jaunts while the band is on a break with several members doing their time in military service in South Korea, V being the one that can pull off a smooth and somewhat funky sound that really actually works, I say all this because I feel like this song goes away from what makes V's sound really work, it sounds kind of rough in a way that doesn't flatter V at all. Bit disappointing if I am going to be honest.

Worst of the Month: "Stumblin In" by Cyril

Dishonourable Mention: "Fri(end)s" by V

Honourable Mention: "Whatever She Wants" by Bryson Tiller

Best of the Month: "Saturn" by SZA

ARIA Singles New Entry Review: January 2024

"LeaveMeAlone" by Fred Again....& Baby Keem

So we're starting the new chart year with some Fred Again, this time he is teaming up with US rapper Baby Keem and we'll...I am not sure....I like the instrumental here with the piano and that driving bass groove but what stops me from digging the song is the vocal production that makes Baby Keem sound like he is in a blender or something! It's not precisely bad and there is MUCH worse here.

"One of the Girls" by The Weeknd feat. JENNIE and Lily Rose Depp

Can we all just forget that The Idol existed? The show was terrible and frankly, the music from the soundtrack ain't that much better with this being a case in point, the sterile production as The Weeknd croons about breaking a girl's skin and how he lovesit when she's submissive before a hook where Lily Rose Depp sings that there's no need for love...she just wants to be one of The Weeknd's girls....yuck...this is just toxically icky in so many ways....gross... next song please!

"Yes, And?" by Ariana Grande

So after four years, Ariana Grande returns with the lead single from her upcoming new album Eternal Sunshine which features an interpolation of Madonna's 1990 classic "Vogue" and...Rrally, Ariana? If a snap back at the critics is the best you can do for lead single where she cannot convincingly sell any genuine anger or give the production any sense of bite or menace is the best you can do than I am worried for this upcoming album, it's just another gummy dance pop song that coming from Ariana is really disappointing and a waste of a potentially great interpolation.

"Redrum" by 21 Savage

I don't think this is a hot take but I think 21 Savage is better on his own than when he collaborates with Drake etc, give him some good Metro Boomin' production and he can go OFF when he doesn't have to share that space so with this song being from his latest album American Dream I was hoping that we might have a decent song here...and yeah, 21 Savage does sound menacing as all hell with that vocal delivery and that outro just slaps! Ovetall good song...unlike...

"Thinkin' About Me" by Morgan Wallen

Why, of all the fucking Morgan Wallen songs to chart in 2024, did it have to be the absolute worst song that Wallen has ever made? The lyrics are basically that Wallen can't let go of his EX girlfriend to the point where he is wondering whether or not she is thinking about him while she's with a guy that's not him...its just pathetic...made worse by production that sounds so lifeless and downtuned, its a slog of a song to sit through...ughh.

"Beautiful  Things" by Benson Boone

Ugghhh, we're really going to give this dude another hit...come onnn, seriously? This one might be worse given it gives me "Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz vibes in the lyrics. Cute this ain't...next!

"Feather" by Sabrina Carpenter

Sabrina Carpenter is back and thankfully with a song that is a lot better than "Nonsense" but mostly because it sounds like an at home version of a sound Dua Lipa did better in 2020 on Future Nostalgia! It's not terrible by any stretch of the imagination but it's pretty forgettable.

"Never Lose Me" by Flo Milli

A chart break through, this time it's US R&B act Flo Milli and...I have to be honest here...this feels more like a fragment of a song and not a particularly  interesting or good one especially with that synth line that's not as interesting as Flo Milli's production team think it is.

"Saving Up" by Dom Dolla

Been awhile since we had an Australian hit and we've got it through Dom Dolla. I like this but holy shit, the vocals kind of annoy me,they sound kind of squawky and annoying but given everything else...I'll take it.

"Scared To Start" by Michael Marcagi

My goodness, are the new upcoming male singer/songwriters annoying or what? This song sounds like something Passenger wrote in 2013. I'll rant more about this song at the end of the year.

Worst: "Thinking About Me" by Morgan Wallen

Dishonourable Mention: "Scared To Start" by Michael Marcagi

Honourable Mention: "Saving Up" by Dom Dolla

Best: "Redrum" by 21 Savage

ARIA New Entries Review: January 2023

 Well, happy new year about a month or so late so just a quick update...I am going to continue doing the monthly ARIA new entry review series so yeah the weekly charts current and retro are on the back burner for a bit however year end list content is planned with the top ten best hit songs of 2022 hopefully by end of February plus my usual year end retro best and worst lists this time for 2004. I am also in early stages of seeing if a best list for 1999 is feasible.

However enough of that, time to talk about the songs that entered the ARIA singles chart in January beginning with...

"10:35" by Tiesto & Tate McRae

So this song has been on my replay list for awhile now and yeah,this is probably one of both artists better songs in years. Tate McRae sounds better on this than she has on anything...possibly ever and that hook is sticky as hell...check it out.

"Rumble" by Skrillex, Fred again... & Flowdan

Oh gosh, this is one of those songs where I get the appeal but it does not quite click for me. I actually like the production  from Skrillex and both Fred again and Flowdan sound good over this but yeah something in this ain't quite clicking but objectively this is pretty good.

"Flowers" by Miley Cyrus 

So I was looking forward to this, a new single from Miley Cyrus who'd shown pretty good promise as a rock artist in 2020 only to be pretty much ignored by the public bar "Midnight Sky" being a hit in Australia, only for my excitement to turn to disappointment because "Flowers" is mediocre self empowerment  post break up schlock via early 80s bad disco updated for 2023., it just feels calculating and like this is something Miley's record label wanted her to release because the nu disco sound in pop is in the in sound at the moment...sad thing is this netted a number one

Sigh...you can have your Flowers and hold your hand, Miley but you can do better.

"VIBE" by Taeyang and Jimin

So more k-pop via Taeyang who brought Jimin of BTS for the ride and yeah, this was a load of fun! The song kind of reminds me of the early 2000s boy band sound even if like bands in the early 2000s, the song is a little over produced but it's lightweight pop that's really more about coasting on the vibe...I had fun with this. Worth checking out.

"Sure Thing" by Miguel

Really? We could not have made "Coffee" a hit? Okay seems TikTok virality helped this song from the early 2010s chart and yeah, this is solid even if I don't like voice that comes over the top on the intro as it feels rather unnecessary but these of the song is really a pretty love song, I am fine with this being on the chart...unlike...

"Nonsense " by Sabrina Carpenter 

Le's be real, this song is only here because of chicanery by Sabrina Carpenter's label and Spotify whereby Spotify changed its auto play algorithm and thus gave this song an inflated boost by it appearing disproportionately in auto playlists... I mean really? Of any song they could have inflated the streams of, they could have done better than this gummy mush of song that resort's to spouting gibberish on the chorus. I don't see this sticking around, thankfully.

"Here With Me" by D4VD

Round two with D4VD and while this isn't as horrible as "Romantic Homicide", it still feels pretty forced and D4vD sounds pretty lethargic and the song as a whole feels like vague attempt to copy Steve Lacy's formula. It's not the worst of what is here though

"The Color Violet" by Tory Lanez

Really? I am supposed to care that the public suddenly sympathises with the now imprisoned Tory Lanez enough to give him a charting song on the ARIA  singles chart? Fuck that...I have better things to do than listen to this whiny prison bird complain he'll never dance again over a limp beat...bitch, please...

Worst of the month: "Nonsense" by Sabrina Carpenter

Dishonourable Mention: "The Color Violet" by Tory Lanez (Only just edges out Miley...

Honourable Mention: "Sure Thing" by Miguel

Best of the Month: "VIBE" by Taeyang feat. Jimin

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!

Top Ten Best Hit Songs of 2021

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Drivers License' by Olivia Rodrigo

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

"Deja Vu" by Olivia Rodrigo

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

"Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac

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

Now to the list proper....

Number Ten

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

"Martin & Gina" by Polo G

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

Number Nine

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

"Good Days" by SZA

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

Number Eight

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

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

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

Number Seven

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

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

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

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

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

Number Six

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

"Booster Seat" by Spacey Jane

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

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

Number Five

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

"Afterglow" by Ed Sheeran

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

Number  Four

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

"Leave the Door Open" by Silk Sonic

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

Number Three 

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

"Easy On Me" by Adele

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

Number Two

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

"Levitating' by Dua Lipa

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

Number One

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

"Good 4 U" by Olivia Rodrigo

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

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

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

ARIA SIngles Chart Top Ten: 28th December: Mariah takes number one in the final chart week of 2020.

So this week is the final chart week of 2020 and is going to just be the top ten with no full on chart review like normal...hopefully back to normal for the first chart week of 2021 next week so let's get through this shall we?

"All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey took the number thanks to the Christmas streaming avalanche and it had some sales to help it rise four places to the top, the Christmas streaming avalanche also helped "Last Christmas" by Wham rise thirteen places to number two. 

If the Christmas music wasn't a thing on the chart,"Mood' by 24kGoldn and Iann Dior would have returned to number one this week and spent a 10th week there but as it is it slipped one spot to number three and looks the most likely to go back to number one when the charts is restored to equilibrium. 

Also slipping a spot is"Without You" by The Kid Laroi down to number four, it's also a threat for number one but all it's really got is Spotify streaming and I am not sure how much longer that is going to hold up.

Back to Christmas music because rising from 26 to number 5 is "It's Beginning to look a Lot like Christmas" by Michael Buble while the biggest gainer of the week is Ariana Grande's honestly pretty funny Christmas sex song "Santa Tell Me" which jumped from 28 to number six.

Falling three places to number seven is "Head & Heart" by Joel Corry and MNEK. This still has a surprising amount of streaming, might well be a dark horse for the top spot...

Holding into it's traction despite dropping to number eight is "Levitating" by Dua Lipa feat. DaBaby....good to see. 

The second Ariana Grande song in the top ten is "positions" which stumbled three places to number nine. I wonder if anyone will remember this song by this time next year...just saying.

Finally, Taylor Swift had the biggest fall of the week with "Willow" plunging nine places to number 10.

Here's what the top ten would look like minus the Christmas songs

1/ Mood by 24kGoldn and Iann Dior

2. Without You by The Kid Laroi

3. Head & Heart by Joel Corry feat. MNEK

4. Levitating by Dua Lipa feat. DaBaby

5. Positions by Ariana Grande

6. Willow by Taylor Swift

7. So Done by The Kid Laroi

8. Fly Away by Tones and I

9. Blinding Lights by The Weeknd

10. You Broke Me First" by Tate McRae

The only other bit of news from this week is that in terms of the new entries, there were three of those but the only one that might well stick around and become a hit is "Afterglow" by Ed Sheeran in at 47 (pretty impressive given it was released on Monday last week).

Next week: The chart eitther resets to equilibrium or we have more Christmas chaos. Stay tuned. The chart updates at 5pm AEDT on Saturday. 

Don't forget we wrap up 2000 Sound with the year end worst and best lists for 2000. "Good 1992 Vibrations" starts on 11th January.. The best and worst lists for 2020 are written and will be released in from the 12th January.

ARIA Singles top ten/Chart Review: 17th August. Australia gets hit by some WAP in the top ten

 This week felt weird especially as it feels like the chart is heading for some major changes that didn't quite happen this week...case in point...the top ten where for a  sixth week "Savage Love" by Jawsh 685 and Jason DeRulo spends a sixth and likely last week at number one, it's still doing fine on streaming and sales but have you seen the numbers for our new entry at number two? They are huge which brings us to "WAP" by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion debuting at number two and looks set to take the number one spot easily next week as it rules on streaming and is doing decently on sales as it rides the somewhat overblown controversy that came with it.

It pushed back "Rockstar" by DaBaby and Roddy Ricch back to number three as it finally started to leak on streams and collapse on sales. "Roses" by Saint Jhn remains steady at number four

The song that just refuses to go away is "Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd which rose three places to number five on the back of streaming somehow...this song will likely top Australia's year end list if this keeps up.

"Watermelon Sugar" remains at number six for Harry Styles, the same goes for "Breaking Me" by Topic feat. A7S. 

The second of the new entries to the top ten is "Smile" by the late Juice WRLD and The Weeknd, a song that should be better than it is.

Speaking of Juice WRLD, "Come & Go" with Marshmello rose one place to number 9 and finally riding a massive streaming surge "Mood Swings" by Pop Smoke feat. Lil Tjay rose from 34 to number ten off it's debut last week and is the biggest gainer on the ARIA singles chart this week.

Gains

So outside of "Mood Swings' by Pop Smoke and Lil Tjay having the biggest gain of the week up 24 places to number ten, we had a nine place gain for "Head & Heart" by Joel Corry to number 11.

A string of gains for older songs that can be pinned to the continued receding of the Taylor Swift album bomb "Someone You Loved" by Lewis Capaldi continues to hang around like toxic fungus on the nether regions up from 32 to 25 somehow (this is an example of why the ARIA chart needs a recurrent rule) while "Before You Go" jumped up seven places to 30...yuck.. however in better news "Don't Start Now" by Dua Lipa rebounded to 28. 

"Everybody Rise" by Amy Shark climbed six places to 34.

Re Entries

Two re entries with "For The Night" by Pop Smoke back at 32 and "Ride It" by Regard returning for a second time at number 46.

Losses

The biggest loss wasn't for any of the Taylor Swift songs still on the chart for "Popstar" by DJ Khaled and Drake which flop starred down from 22 to 39 while "Standing with You" by Guy Sebastian sat down from 26 to 40.

"Go" by The Kid Laroi and Juice WRLD stopped to drop eight places to 49.

As for the Taylor Swift songs to lose this week, "Cardigan" fell out of the top ten to 12, :"Exile" feat. Bon Iver hit 17 and "The 1" dropped to 29. 

Drop Outs

All the drop outs this week are Taylor Swift album tracks with "The Last Great American Dynasty", "My Tears Ricochet", "August", "Mirrorball", "Seven" and "Invisible String" all gone. 

New Entries

So I have already mentioned two of our four new entries this week with "WAP" by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion at number two and "Smile" by Juice WRLD and The Weeknd at number eight.

The other two new entries come from 17 year old Canadian singer and actress Tate McRae with "You Broke Me First" at number 47 and finally Sia's "Together" in at 48 (if "Together" becomes a hit...its a contender for my worst hit songs of 2020 for certain).

So that wraps up the week, next week will likely see "WAP" go to number one but we're probably going to get a new entry from Drake in the top ten so watch out for that one...Miley Cyrus may also debut int the top 50, we'll find out on Saturday at 5pm AEST

ARIA Singles top ten/Chart Review: March 24th:

So we got a quiet week this week given the lack of big new releases but we still got a couple of newbies lower down the chart but we'll get to all that in a second but first the business of the top ten where "Sucker" by Jonas Brothers remains at number one for a second week and really I don't see what is going to topple it right now...(well, I can but it hasn't been released yet).

"Sunflowe" by Post Malone and Swae Lee took back the number two position, it's battling with "Wow" by Post Malone on streams right now which is why "Sunflower" managed to push past it this week with "Wow" down one to number three.

"7 Rings' by Ariana Grande remains at number four and "Shallow' by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper at number five (the fact this song has stuck around in the top ten for so long is incredible)

"Dancing With a Stranger" by Sam Smith and Normani waltzes its way up one spot to number six which I am happy to see especially as it passed "Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" by Ariana Grande which slipped back to number seven.

"3 Nights" by Dominic Fike continues to have an unwelcome presence in the top ten moving up one place to number eight pushing "Talk" by Khalid and Disclosure back to number nine

Rounding out the top ten is "Sweet but Psycho" by Ava Max which clings to number ten for another week.

Gains

Unsurprisingly the biggest gain of the week came for Khalid's "My Bad" which jumped from 30 straight into the top 20 at number 18. Australia love Khalid plenty.

"I'm So Tired"  by Lauv and Troye Sivan continued it's upward momentum by leaping six places to number 11.

"Bad Liar" by Imagine Dragons is up to 26 from 33 for some inexplicable reason;...the song blows chunks.

A song I don't mind that broke onto the chart last week is Drax Project's effort with Hailee Steinfeld called "Woke up Late" which is up three to 37

"Exit Sign" by Hilltop Hoods feat. Ecca Vandal and Illy jumped from 47 to 42.

Losers

Some big losers this week with former number one "Thank U, Next" by Ariana Grande unsurprisingly slipping from 25 to 32.

"Nothing Breaks Like A Heart" by Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus dropped six places to 29. Not overly worried, this song should make year end regardless.

"When the Party's Over" by Billie Eilish dropped from 37 to 41 but should rebound with the release of the album.


Drop Outs

Juice WRLD's lead single sunk like a stone "Robbery" disappered off the chart after two weeks taking with it "Look Back At it" by A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie.

Also out is "Lovely" by Billie Eilish and Khalid but I kind of feel as though this song might return given the Billie Eilish association.

New Entries


So the highest debut of the week is "Here with Me" by Marshmello and CHVRCHES at number 35. I kind of feel as though this song should be a lot better than it actually is.

"Don't Call Me" by Mabel, a song that is a huge hit in Europe already, calls in at number 38. The best of the new arrivals.

Finally for some inexplicable reason, "Swervin'" by A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and 6ix9ine enters at 47. Hopefully a one week wonder because it is not a good song.

Anyway that wraps up the week and yeah, Dean Lewis and Flume will be the act to watch given Lewis's album and Flume's mixtape dropped last Friday. Whether Lrewis charts any new songs remains to be seen when the chart for the week beginning 1st April is released by ARIA on Saturday.

ARIA top 20 ranked: Summer 2019

Trying to do this season’s edition of top 20 ranked has been difficult…not just due to time constraints but because a lot of the songs in the top 20 are songs that are still very much from 2018 and the Ariana Grande album bomb of a few weeks ago however I am going to go back to the week of 17^th February and base my ranking on that chart week.

Let’s begin with the total garbage

Awful

20. “Sicko Mode” by Travis Scott feat. Drake

I think I have made my hatred of this song clear and the fact some people are labelling it a modern hip hop classic is an absolute slight to hip hop that has actual quality and bars to go with it. Ugh.

19. “7 Rings” by Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande cooing over a trap beat is not something I have any desire to hear again and interpolating “Favourite Things” makes it even worse. Sadly, the next single isn’t good, and I was starting to LIKE YOU, ARIANA!

Bad

18. “Without Me” by Halsey

I am actively now sick of Halsey writing melodramatic bad relationship songs without anything that would make what she is trying to sell remotely interesting. Also G-Eazy was (unfortunately) a vacuous boring thing before you arrived on the pop scene, Halsey, you weren’t the one to put him there.

17. “Happier” by Marshmello and Bastille

I really don’t understand the appeal of this song at all. Bastille sounds better on their own tracks rather than braying over this electronic mess. We eventually need to start asking questions about when Marshmello is going to release music of a good quality because at this point I’m getting to where I don’t care.

Meh

16. “Thank U, Next” by Ariana Grande

This song is okay but I’ve generally forgotten about it five minutes after having heard it. Not the most memorable number one that Australia has ever had if I am going to be blunt.

15. “Middle Child” by J Cole

I have never really cared or taken much interest in J Cole’s music and this song doesn’t spark any interest in checking out this guy’s music. It’s tolerable but not anything that makes me want to go and see what else he has done.

14. “Wow” by Post Malone

Hey Post, Fall out Boy have no idea what ‘rock’ is so I am not sure what album you were listening to you when you wrote “Rocking out to Fall out Boy” line. I like to think Posty was listening to “Uma Thurman” while writing this song. It’s got a good beat but the lyrics kind of suck.

Decent

13. “7 Minutes” by Dean Lewis

So “Be Alright” has faded on me hard, that song just makes me want to throw things now and this one is kind of better in terms of the framing where Dean Lewis is berating himself for losing this girl and is working out how he let her down and all these memories he has of their time together. The only issue with this song is how painfully repetitive that chorus is.

12. “Waiting” by Kian

A song I am surprised that has stuck around but Kian has shown plenty of promise as a song writer so yeah, all in all “Waiting” is a pleasant listen and I don’t change the station if this song comes on the radio. That guitar line is good and Kian has a pretty strong vocal presence, just wish that the hook was a little better.

11. “Confidence” by Ocean Alley

This is high up because of how good that hook is and not much else because to be honest, I find Ocean Alley’s music to be sleepy surfer rock but “Confidence” works on that person to person level for me that most of Ocean Alley’s other music, but that hook is probably why it topped the hot 100

Good.

10. “Eastside” by Benny Blanco feat. Halsey and Khalid

This is the only GOOD song Benny Blanco has released so far. I am not going to repeat my thoughts on this song that I wrote in a previous edition of top 20 ranked

9. “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee

I finally decided to stop lying to myself and admit that this song is actually pretty good. Post Malone sounds great and Swae Lee can sound like The Weeknd if you really squint hard. Really, I can’t explain what clicked for me but yeah, I admit I like this song a lot.

8. “Better” by Khalid

Why is Khalid moving away from this kind of sound? “Better” is the sort of song that suits him more than the increasingly grating “Talk”. The “SunCity” EP was excellent and this was one of the best songs from it, a delicious slice of moody R ‘n’ B where Khalid is meeting up with this girl he has made a connection with and how nothing feels better than when he is with her. It’s a good song and really deserved to be the hit that “Talk” looks like being.

7. “Sweet but Psycho” by Ava Max

You know when you hear a song where the lyrics get more ridiculous the more you think about it but somehow the song overcomes the ridiculousness by being insanely catchy and full of hooks that you are left singing along? Well yeah, that’s the appeal of “Sweet but Psycho” to me, it’s just a silly song that arrived at a time when we do with some fun and kind of stupid songs on the chart.

Great.

6. “Bury A Friend” by Billie Eilish

This song is so creepy, and the video just adds to that but its just dark and twisted enough to suck you in, it’s Billie talking to that monster lurking under her bed. There’s just enough groove and energy to keep the song moving, it’s one of the more twisted songs that Billie has written but it’s also one of her best.

5. “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart” by Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus

My heart breaks knowing this song isn’t the huge world wide smash that it deserved to be. Miley sounds fantastic over the music provided by Mark Ronson with its country sounding groove that sounds better than anything out of Nashville in the last six months. Oh well, at least I know I can rest easy with the idea that it will make the ARIA year end chart for 2019.

4. “Shallow” by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper

It’s taken awhile but the song connected for me in the last couple of months. Bradley Cooper is surprisingly good but Lady Gaga really does steal the show with her vocals, she just sounds amazing and I am so happy that this song finally became a number one hit in the US. Will be a decade defining classic in the years ahead. Nice one, Lady Gaga and Bradley!

3. “Shotgun” by George Ezra

Keeping this short because I’ve already talked about this song and how good it is. Great song from George Ezra. So happy he got it to number one last year deserved.

2. “Dancing With a stranger” by Sam Smith and Normani

Sam Smith and Normani have a surprising amount of chemistry for a song that uses all its elements well with that fizzy crack of a beat and just enough guitar to keep things moving. Also, Sam Smith sounds amazing on this song as song as he sounded on “Promises”, can he keep going on dance songs, pleas

So that leaves the number one and this doesn’t surprise me one little bit considering how much I have listened to it and loved it.

1.       “Leave Me Lonely” by Hilltop Hoods

This is the kind of hip hop I love, one that makes me smile and want to jump around with it’s prominent guitar rollick and the Hoods rapping about how they’d rather be left alone than hearing bullshit talk and that line “Me and my friends, we aren’t here for your BS” (have to paraphrase that last word!) is just ridiculously catchy and slipping in a line or two about Paul Manafort is priceless. If you haven’t checked out the Hilltop Hoods and their new album “The Great Expanse” than please do so because its excellent.

Final score: 63/100

Comment: Wow. I didn’t realize how good the chart was a few weeks ago. Obviously that score may well have come down a little since but yeah despite the bad, there’s a lot of good to great. Feeling optimistic about this year.