All 4 1994: January 9th: All For A New Year

 Yes, after two years, the retro charts are back for 2025, this time we're checking out the ARIA singles charts of 1994 and after the mediocrity of 1993, I am looking forward to seeing what 1994 has to offer and for the first chart of the year we have a rather quiet one on hand.

Unfortunately we are not off to a good start in our top ten because "Please Forgive Me" by Bryan Adams maintains number one for another week, it had reasonable sales week to see off the challenge of "Boom! Shake the Room" by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince which is a shame because "Please Forgive Me" is putrid shlock (see my worst hit songs of 1993).

The top three wound up fairly stable with former chart topper Ace of Base remaining at number three with "All That She Wants".

Salt 'N' Pepa moved up one place to number four with "Shoop" (a song that is fine but not my thing). At number five is a new entry with Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting collaborating on "All For Love", we'll get to the quality of the song later but it's here thanks to decent sales and this being a reasonably big event collab.

Jimmy Barnes collab with The Badloves "The Weight" remains a signpost of stability at number six while Radiohead's "Creep creeps up one spot to number seven.

"Got to Get It" by Culture Beat slipped back to number eight and looks set to fall further as M People climbed three places to hit the top ten at number nine. Finally Mariah Carey's ballad "Hero stayed steady at number ten.

Losses

 Alright, lets start as usual with our losers and we had two songs that took big tumbles out of the top ten with Urban Cookie Collective's "The Key. The Secret" plunging from number four to number eleven but they have a new single on the rise which we will get to in a moment while "Dreams" by Gabrielle dipped from nine to fifteen.

"Lemon" by U2 slid seven places to twenty and Kim Wilde's cover of "If I Can't have You" dropped nine to thirty

Culture Beat were one of the biggest losers of the week as "Mr. Vain" stumbled from eighteen to thirty one while "Somewhere" by Efua slipped from twenty seven to thirty five.

Rick Price and Margaret Urlich's collab "Where is the Love" seems appropriate hecause it fell nine places to number forty while "If I Had No Loot" by Tony! Toni! Tone! akidded down eight places to number forty three.

Finally the biggest song of 1993 "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" by Meatloaf fell twenty slots to forty four and "Angels" by John Farnham fell from thirty six to forty nine.

Re Entries

Just the one return this week with 4 Non Blondes back at number 46 with "What's Up?". 

Gains

So the underwhelming collab between Elton John and Kiki Dee "True Love" got a solid boost up nine spots to thirty four. Even worse Michael Bolton's "Said I Loved You...But I Lied" got an eight place gain to thirty two

Twenty 4 Seven's "Slave to the Music" feat Stay-C and Nance got one of the biggest gains this week though as it rocketed from forty six to twenty eight while Urban Cookie Collective thundered up twenty places to twenty four with "Feels Like Heaven" and Cut 'N' Move's cover of "Give It Up" sure did a LOT of moving up as it rocketed from forty one to nineteen this week. 

New Entries

Just the two new entries this week, starting with...

41. "Been Loving You Too Long" by Diesel

Ahh because 1994 needs to start with a cover of an Otis Redding song somehow, yet, I think Diesel does a good job here? Not saying this is better than the original...nothing tops Otis Redding but I would take this cover over Michael Bolton caterwauling through "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" mostly because gives this song a somewhat understated vibe and I really do like that, it doesn't top the original but I mean we're talking Otis Redding for crying out loud! Diesel still does a good job, this is worth checking out unlike

5. "All For Love" by Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting

Well okay. this is a collab that should be really good even with the questionable quality of Bryan Adams current number one hit but it does have Rod Stewart and Sting on it, it being for the "Three Musketeers" movie and all so law of averages says this should be at least good, right? 

Well no, this song is everything I dislike about adult contemporary music where it's just flaccid cliches that are eye roll worthy, you could swear that the earnest version of Bon Jovi wrote this song and what is worse is that nobody on the song sounds remotely good here. At least the instrunental has some redeeming value even if the lyrics are banally vomit inducing.

Yeah it's worst of the week by default as we only have two songs here. Diesel gets best of the week for "Been Loving You Too Long"

ARIA New Singles Entry Review: November/December 2024.

 Hi everyone, final one of these ARIA singles new entry reviews because I am going to go full steam back into the weekly charts and because November was kind of slow, I'm going to combine both November and December as per last year mostly due to neither month being all that busy for new entries so we'll see. 

November

"Noid" by Tyler, The Creator

Ahh, the first taste of Tyler, the Creator's excellent new album "Chromakopia" and while this isn;t the best song from the album, it is still really damn good with that incredible guitar sample and Tyler just owing the story telling with his protagonist St Chroma trapped by persistent feelings of paranoia and being  watched ike he is in the The Truman show. Good song on an even better album, go check out "Chromakopia" if you haven't already

"Disease" by Lady Gaga

So Lady Gaga has apparently begun the roll out for her seventh album with this being the lead off single for her new album in 2025 and I cannot be the only person who at first thought lyrically this was just "The Cure" part 2 except less believeable and with darker instrumentation? Tyhat was the thought that came to my head after several listens. Look, this is fine enough but its not going to stick around and for Lady Gaga, that's a problem.

"Sao Paulo" by The Weeknd feat. Anitta

So I've got some major concerns about this upcoming The Weeknd album, "Dancing in the Flames" was mediocre and "Timeless" feat. Playboi Carti continues to be one of the more pointless songs Abel has released. so what would we get with this third single? Well, we might be about to get one hell of a messy album because this is basically a Brazillian funk song that plays more to the strenghs of Anitta than The Weekndbwho does sound out of his depth here, Decent but not much more than that

"Bed Chem" by Sabrina Carpenter

So I decided to throw this song in as it is one of the songs from the Sabrina Carpenter album that has stuck around and I did want to talk ahout as I really enjoy rhis song! Yeah, it's a goofy sex song which the title barely conceals the sexual innuendo at play here but there's something I like about the way Sabrina delivers her vocals here, she's having fun with this and she's got the personality to sell a rather silly song like this

"2 Hands" by Tate McRae

Ugh, time to talk about the newest Tate McRae song and...I hear the instrumental appeal behind this, it;s got a decent tension to it that I would back somebody like Ariana Grande or somebody else in that lane to sell but Tate McRae just does not have the personality to pull this sort of song where she wants this dude to put his two hands on her. I am going to forget this song exists in record time.

"Bad Dreams" by Teddy Swims

Teddy Swims won me back with :"The Door"...a song that I think is damn great and you know what? This is also pretty damn great! It's got this really good groove that makes his biggest hit "Lose Control" look even more incredibly stiff if that was even possible. I love the near reggae groove this song has as Teddy Swims sings about this love that if he lost her it would be a bad dream for him. This is really cute...hope this winds up a hit.

Worst of the Month: "2 Hands" by Tate McRae

Honourable Mention: "Noid" by Tyler. The Creator

Best of the Month: "Bad Dreams" bv Teddy Swims and 'Bed Chem" by Sabrina Carpenter.

December

"Luther" by Kendrick Lamar feat. SZA

Um, how do I talk about one of my favourite songs of the year? Seriously this song is in contention for my top 50 favourite songs of 2024...that's how much I love this. Kendrick Lamar and SZA are just absolute magic together especially on a flipped sample of a Luther Vandross song. The song seems to be about the affects of untreated trauma and acting in ways that nught give themselves some temporary relief from the feelings of the untreated trauma, it's definitely a song that Kendrick seemed to have needed given it's high placement on the tracklist but it's still a god damn great song on "GNX"...an album that is one of Kendrick's best,

"Defying Gravity" by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande

Kind of surprised we didn't get more songs from "Wicked: The Movie" show up here but I am glad this one did because yeah this is absolutely fantastic..there's not too many who can go toe for toe with Ariana Grande but Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba just absolutely puts in an incredble performance on this song. This song is worth checking out even if you don't care for "Wicked'

"Ma Meilleure Ennemie" by Stromae and Pomme

On the other side of the ledger is this song from the "Arcane" movie coming from Stromae who is apparently bigger in Europe and has better songs than this mess that sounds like it's going to age pretty terribly with that clunky production. Nope, this one is not for me in the slightest. I'll be moving on.

"Messy" by Lola Young. 

So I have known of Lola Young for awhile, she's a British singer/songwriter hailing from South East London who released a pretty good sophomore album this year with this song probably being one of the best songs from that album, it's an indie pop rock song about a relarionship where this guy can't be straight with her and he wants one thing while expecting the other, she's getting frustrated with him and it's making the relationship murky or as she describes messy. All up, I like this and I doubt I need to give much encouragement for this to be a hit because I suspect it's on the way there.

"Toxic Til the End" by Rose

So "APT" has really grown on me and I am loooking forward to writing about that song come list time in January but until then we've got this new one and yeah, I don;'t like this one as much unfortunately, its got all the hallmarks of being a Taylor Swift knock off and we're starting to see a few way too many try to rip off Taylor's sound without writing or even the music too match. I'd skip this one.

Wsorst of the Month: "Ma Meilleure Ennemie" by Stromae and Pomme

Best of the Month: "Luther" by Kendrick Lamar with SZA

ARIA Singles Top 50 Singles: New Entry Review. October

 "Timeless" by The Weeknd feat. Playboi Carti

So here's The Weeknd's follow up to "Dancing in the Flames" and...well, I am genuinely starting to have concerns about this new album of Abel's because this is one heck of a mess and the Playboi Carti feature does not help this song what's so ever although when has a Playboi Carti feature heped any song ever so it shouldn't be a surprised that his feature here is completely useless and adds so very little to the song. as per is Playboi Carti's whole shtick.

Even The Weeknd sounds somewhat flat on this trap rap slog, I am going forget this song in record time because this is not good at all.     

"Baby I'm Back" by The Kid Laroi

It's never a good sign when a song starts with a rather promiment sample of "Baby Come Back" by Player and it's a sample that Kid Laroi just cannot ride the sample even on the hook of this song when he is desperately trying to convince this girl that he is back and will stick around for her.

In short, Anthony Fantano aka The Needledtop on Youtube said it best "Stop remaking classic songs into shit songs" and yeah, he is right because this is fucking unnecessary

"Embrace It" by Ndotz

Oh god. Australia, we are not going to follow the USA's trend of enabling random rappers to chart, right?  Turns out Ndotz is a British rapper with Angolan heritage but Dave or Stormy this guy isn't because yeah, this guy's rapping sounds terrible with an even more annoying beat that's nothing more than a collection of beeping.

Oh and the content is nothing more than vapid rapping about women and vulgar sex references that don't make the song anywhere near close to attractive especially with that awful beat that would any woman off sexy time. In short, this is unnecessary and gross. Next!

"Sympathy Is A Knife" by Charli XCX feat. Ariana Grande

Last song from BRAT that I'll have to cover on the blog and yeah this is one that having heard the original I didn't care for all that much and this renix kind of makes this song worse especially as it becomes about whinging about the media attention Ariana's been getting etc. Not bad but definitely not good either.

"Thick Of It" by KSI feat. Trippie Redd

My time is better served by talking songs that are actually worth something not junk like this. Absolute garbage and Trippie Redd, you should know better.

"APT" by Rose feat. Bruno Mars

Well this is a pairing I wasn't at all expecting, a member of Blackpink teaming up with master of the throwback sound Bruno Mars who is fresh off the back of a collab with Lady Gaga and I have to say I am glad this song has had time to grow on me because when I first heard "APT" I was not a fan at all but it's grown on me in recent weeks mostly because I hear it on the radio A LOT and maybe a case of Stockholm Syndrome, yes the drums sound a little compressed and maybe overmixed but it wouldn't be a crime to deny just how fun and catchy this soug is and just how much a renix with Avril Lavigne would go off but as it is Bruno is just fine and this works as a 2000s throwback..check it out!

"Love Somebody" by Morgan Wallen

So look, I am going to say what I said about Morgan Wallen on Twitter a week or so ago. Wallen is a mediocre to awful artist who piggy backed to fame because people felt sorry for him over the 'n- word' scandal which is how the god awful "Last Night" became a thing and while he has one or two good to great songs, a lot of the singles he has released have absolutely sucked (see my worst hit songs of 2023 list) or been mediocre at best and "Love Somebody" falls into the latter camp of forgettable mediocre shlock to the point where if you had told me it was a Maroon 5 knock off I wouldn't question you! Ity just sounds so hollow and sterile ...blergh.

"That's So True" by Gracie Abrams

Speaking of mediocre, Gracie Abrams new single and I guess it's somewhat tolerable compared to previous efforts but again she isn't a unique voice or presence on the pop landscape and here because happened to get the Taylor Swift endorsement package like Sabrina Carpenter did but eh this song is fine enough, the hook is memorable enough...I guess.

Worst of the Month: "Thick of It" by KSI and Trippie Redd

Dishonourable Mention: "Embrace It" by Ndotz

Honourable MentIon: Nothing good enough to deserve this slot

Best of the Month: "APT" by Rose and Bruno Mars

ARIA New Entry Review: September 2024

 "Sailor Song" by Gigi Perez

So this one is kind of interesting as Gigi Perez is an American singer/songwriter who notched her first ARIA singles charting song courtesy of it going viral and given my history with viral songs being rocky at best...I was concerned about what we'd get from this but as it turns out we got a decent torch song out of it! I don't precisely love it, the details feel a bit too broadly sketched but I won't mind if it sticks around. Good song.

"The Emptiness Machine" by Linkin Park

Oh boy, I was dreading having to review this song because there is no easy way to talk about the return of Linkin Park given the death of lead singer Chester Bennington and now the controversy around new lead singer Emily Armstrong and her contentious religious beliefs because the controversy kind of overshadowed the song a bit however it makes sense because "The Emptiness Machine' is basically a nothing of a song that really takes away from the talents of the band members other than Armstrong, why is Mike Shinoda singing when he is a better rapper than singer? The instrumental also just sounds stale...like the band are trying on a shoe that just doesn't quite fit. I think forgetting this song exists might be the best thing for everyone.

"It's Ok I'm Ok" by Tate McRae

So Tate McRae is clearly trying to fill the hole in 2020s pop music that was left by Britney Spears and yet I am left weirdly annoyed by her newest single which somehow bas less flavour than that of cardboard or dry museli because at least Britney had a deal of charisma but Tate McRae cannot sell this at all and the hook might the most annoying hook on a song I've heard all damn year. Yeah, Tate McRae keeps striking out for me,,,,next!

"Dancing In The Flames" by The Weeknd

The return of The Weeknd fels one of the biggest events of the back of half of this year which is in part why I am tonr on this opening salvo for his upcoming new album and honestly? I am not that impressed, the song sounds like a pale facsimile of songs that The Weeknd has done better in the past, the instrumental doesn't represent what dancing in those flames represent in terms of danger, it almost feels weirdly to fluffy coming from The Weeknd of all people so yeah not a fan of this and I wanted to be.

"Talk Talk" by Charli XCX feat. Troye Sivan

So this is a song for Charli XCX's Brat remix album and given this is actually one of the songs from Brat that I was not a fan of (Yes, I have heard "BRAT"...I get the appeal but it's just not for me) and yeah, this just doesn't work, it just sounds like a pile up of noise that neither Charli or Troye sound good over. Think I'll be moving on from this.

"Diet Pepsi" by Addison Rae

 Oh god. We really are now so bereft of pop stars that we turn to some social media personality turned wannabe singer Addison Rae for a song that tries to evoke diet Lana Del Rey vibes and while this per isn't terrible, it sure does make me want to go back to Lana Del Rey's last album and listen to that instead. 

Worst of the Month: "It's Ok I'm Ok" by Tate McRae 

Best of the Month: "Sailor Song" by Gigi Perez (A rough month overall and this wouldn't get BOTM in an otherwise stronger month but the song is pretty good)

ARIA Singles Chart New Entry Review: August 2024.

 "Guy For That" by Post Malone feat. Luke Combs

Third time's the charm with regard to this country album Post Malone is rolling out, right? "I Had Some Help" feat. Morgan Wallen has only gotten more shrill and insubstantial since it's release and while "Pour Me A Drink" feat. Blake Shelton was marginally better however forgettable it is but again, there's apart of me wondering if Posty is pulling on a few too many old country tropes, well thankfully this song isn't about drinking, it's more about how he has people for fixing things like flat tyres etc but when it comes to fixing a broken heart..there's no one that can do that for this girl. 

Now this song has problems, its too short and could have afforded a third verse and a bridge plus why does Post Malone's vocal pick up sound so choppy and why is Post allowing Luke Combs to just steal the show from him on a song that's for his album? Overall the song isn't terrible but it's by no means good either.

"Guess" by Charli XCX feat. Billie Eilish

2024 is almost certainly the year of being incredibly horny and Brat so when Charli XCX invited Billie Eilish onto a remix of this song which is all about underwear and what Charli has got going on "down there" and yeah...it god damn works better as a duet than it did as a Charli XCX solo song. Billie absolutely nails the incredibly horny vibe of the song with her verse  claiming the underwear being worn is a pair brought in Tokyo...fucking love this. Check it out.                                                                                                                    

"Big Dawgz" by Hunamankind and Kalmi\

So Indian rap has crossed over to the charts with this song from Indian rapper Hunamankind and his producer Kalmi and you know I do hear the appeal with the warping instrumentation courtesy of the production from Kalmi but Hunamankind's vocals just don't do anything for me and when the lyrics don't do any heavy lifting...yeah...I'm going to move on real quick from this. 

"Apple" by Charli XCX

The slow drip of songs charting from "Brat" has been interesting to say to the least especially as this is probably one of the better songs from the album to have charted, probably because it reminds me the most of the early 90s big beat era and Charli XCX is introspectively exploring the relationship between her, parents and the rest of her family. I dig this, check it out even if like me you are having an "Well, there is other music" winter. 

"Backbone" by Chase & Status feat. Stormzy

So Chaase and Status are a UK electronic duo who have gotten a lot of praise from UK critics for their production work and that is certainly true here as the production on this song has a lot of bite and menace to it, it certainly sounds intimidating but then there's the track's guest feature and why this song has gotten so big out of the blue...Stormzy. I am sorry but his vocals do not add to the menacing or intimidating atmosphere set by Chase and Status especially when tbe lyrics are mostly just empty as hell flexing. I'll take the instrumental and move on. 

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"I Love You, I'm Sorry" by Gracie Abrams

Oh yay, another Gracie Abrams track hitting the charts and it's just not very good at all. on between the clingy "I just cannot get over you, I still love you" and yet it comes across as bland and cookie cutter as oatmeal biscuitsand cardboard. It just sounds like bog standard indie nonsense that got cut to ribbons in the 2010s, Pass. 

"Die With A Smile" by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars

In the early 2010s, this collab probably would have seen erections so big in the music industry, sales of Viagra would have probably taken a dip however in 2024, there's been an oddly sedate reaction to Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars finally getting on a song together and it's hard to gage why especially as Lady Gaga hasn't really been that active in the music scene since Chromatica in 2020, you'd think people would be chomping at the bit for new Lady Gaga music 

All that preamble to say that I absolutely love this song, yeah, the song is a bit too squeaky clean to really pull off the throwback but this harmonies connect even if I think Bruno is a tad too loud in the mix but yeah this works as something of a pop/rock power balla. It's worth giving a chance, check it out.

"Taste" by Sabrina Carpenter

So I haven't heard all of Sabrina Carpenter's new album "Short 'n' Sweet" but I have been able to hear this song on the radio and via streaming and I think this song might be the best of the three singles more because it's got this coursing guitar on the verses that I am actually a sucker for however I will also add that it does sound like a "great value" Olivia Rodrigo song that Olivia would perform vocally with much greater hitting impact than Sabrina does, in any case, it's still good, check it out. 

"Kisses by Bl3ss x CamrinWatson feat. bbyclose"

So I cannot find any information about any of the artists involved in this song. I'm not surprised this is charting either it sounds like something that is pretty Brat by Charli XCX adjacent except without the swagger or punch that puts the aong over the top especially those vocals that sound like they had a child filter put over her voice. Other than that and some pretty generic lyrics that I forgot moments after hearing them, there's just not much to this song, Time to move on.

"The Door" by Teddy Swims

Oh look it's the better of the two Teddy Swims singles, thankfully "The Door" isn't as stiff and as controlled as "Lose Control" and does have a looser vibe to it which Teddy Swims can play into a lot more convincingly The content of this song is incredibly dark with Swims singing about walking out and getting away fron an abusive relationship in order to save his own life and yeah this one does hit hard. Damn good song that deserves to be a bigger hit than "Lose Control" ever was. Please check this out!

Worst of the Month: "I Love you, I'm Sorry" by Gracie Abrams

Honourable Mention: "The Door" by Teddy Swims, "Guess" by Charli XCX and Billie Eilish

Best of the Month: "Die With A Smile" by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars

ARIA Singles New Entry Review: July 2024. Brat! The Month of the Unwanted Comebacks

"Us" by Grace Abrams feat. Taylor Swift

I have absolutely no interest in checking out that new Gracie Abrams album. I haven't been at all impressed with the singles but maybe there would be something that could make me change my mind and look, it did come with the Taylor Swift feature so maybe I had some hope. Well no,...because this sounds like a song that was scrapped by Swift during the making of "The Tortured Poets Departmeht" and is nowhere near as interesting. Fast forward this one.

"Devil is A Lie" by Tommy Richman

So we are going to make Tommy Richman a thung now, "Million Dollar Baby" is a fine enough song but I was curious as to what Richman would follow it up with and we got "Million Dollar Baby" part 2. Richman has a formula and he is going to stick with it come hell or high water and as a result, I don;'t really care for this as much as "Million Dollar Baby", it's kind of weak.

"Pour Me A Drink" by Post Malone feat. Blake Shelton

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Second go around with "country" Post Malone and this apparent flirt with country, this time trading out Morgan Wallen for Blake Shelton and this is a little better even if Posty and Blake have very little by way of vocal interplay in a song where they are begging for somebody to pour them a drink. Ehh...it's fine enough but nothing to write home about.,..that's all. 

"Nights Like This" by The Kid Laroi

We could have moved on from this Juice WRLD carbon copy with worse vocals, Australia, we really could have but truth be told The Kid Laroi is doing a manful job of being an Aussie on the ARIA singles chart right now but this is still somewhat of a generic Juice WRLD sounding dud. We could have done without a Kid Laroi comeback.

"Girl, So confusing" by Charli XCX feat. Lorde 

So  I haven't listened to "BRAT" apart from the songs that hit the ARIA singles chart, Charli's music just doesn't do much for me generally so I have avoided it so to not rain on the parade of those having a BRAT summer or winter but this charted courtesy of a remix featuring Lorde and yeah, this is actually pretty damn good, mostly because it addresses some issues that had gone on between Charli and Lorde. Check this song out even if you are like me and having a non Brat season

"Girls" by The Kid Laroi

The second Kid Laroi song this month and I'll give it this, that hook is somewhat catchy but that's not saying much when The Kid Laroi has the enthusiasm of stiff cardboard in his vocal delivery. This actually could have been really good but just winds up being thoroughly mediocre so yeah, I am hitting fast forward on this one

"Hot To Go!" by Chappell Roan

Its weird how easily Chappell Roan songs from "The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess" have crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100...seriously both "Red Wine Supernova" and "Pink Pony Club" are flying up the Hot 100 yet "Hot to Go!" is the only song to cross over to the ARIA top 50 in Australia, what gives, Aussies? Anyway, this song is not the best on the album but it's still really damn good and Chappell is just absolutely brilliant on here, it's still worth checking out as is the whole album.

"Misses" by Dominic Fike

Oh speaking of unwanted comebacks...Dominic Fike is back on the charts with this mess that sounds utterly terrible that tries to be sincere in the lyrics but winds up dripping in less sincerity than a damn Donald Trump rally speech. It's also noticeably undercooked in the production. Yeah, this is another fast forward...time to move on from this junk

"Lies Lies Lies" by Morgan Wallen

Sigh...Kind of disappointed that Morgan Wallen didn't release a song called "Chairs Chairs Chairs" given what he is currently confronting in his private life but we get this instead and it's fine...I guess?  Wallen has worse songs out there (*glares at "Thinkin' 'bout Me"*). Its a song about where Wallen is admitting that he is lying about  his drinking habits and behaviour to his partner because addiction is hard to get over. This isn't as bad as it could have been, check it out if you are curious.

"Tobey" by Eminem feat Big Sean and Babytron

So Eminem did indeed get an album bomb for his new album but this will be the only song I am going to be covering from it because yeah...I did not care for the album at all but "Tobey" was one of the better songs from the album and that's literally not because of Eminem himself but because of  both Big Sean and Babytron, both of whom deliver focussed and somewhat punchy verses to the point I am curious for what Big Sean has coming! Overall, this is pretty solid but nothing spectacular.

"Tough" by Quavo feat. Lana Del Rey

This was an unexpected collab and definitely one that gave me "This is going to be a mess" vibes going in and well...it's fine? The song lyrically feels a bit overwritten which kind of makes sense when you realize that a fourteen year old aspiring country singer is one of the co writers but otherwise the instrumentation is kind of pretty and Quavo and Lana have some decent chemistry, it's solid, check it out if you are curious

"Kehlani" by Jordan Adetunji

It kind of sucks a song using Kehlani's name in the title charts but nothing from Kehlani's mostly decent last album hasn't charted especially as I don't think this is anything worth caring about especially as this is just a song where this UK based rapper is trying to hook up with a girl he compares to Kehlani somehow and I don't know, the song just feels overall skeevy, I am going to forget this exists if it doesn't creep me out.

"28" byZach Bryan

Considering that male singer/songwriter types are currently what is appealing to the audience, I am kind of sad that more of "The Great American Bar Scene" didn't cross over especially as the album is pretty damn great with "28" being one of the stand out cuts from the album but it's also the song that sounds really close to Jason Isbell and that is a massive compliment! Zach Bryan reminiscing about loveless birthdays and now finally feeling content with somebody he loves, damn great song. 

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"360" by Charli XCX

Another song from Brat and this one is actually better than "Girl, so confusing", mainly because the song is short and catchy, there's a punch to this that WORKS so damn well and Charli sounds great over this. Ehh...what else can I say, this one works for me. Nice one , Charli.

Worst of the Month: "Nights Like This" by The Kid Laroi

Dishonourable Mention: "Misses" by Dominic Fike

Honourable Mention: "Hot To Go!: by Chappell Roan

Best of the Week: "28" by Zach Bryan

ARIA New Singles Review: June 2024.

"Pink Skies" by Zach Bryan

So the timing of this review is interesting considering I am writing this in the same week that Zach Bryan releases his new album "The Great American Bar Scene" with this song being the lead single for it and...I really like this! Sure, it's not Zach's best but it is a somewhat raw song where he is describing attending a funeral and a series of events that happened at this funeral and yeah the more stripped back arrangement does lend the song some weight and pathos, I like it, keen to hear the album.

"Band4Band" by Central Cee and Lil Baby

So I guess we were due to have a Central Cee song hit the charts in 2024, only this time he brought along Lil Baby and I have to be honest, there's really not much to this, its just Central Cee and Lil Baby basically whining and flexing over another lazy beat. Central Cee kicks off the song complainung about flights being delayed for goodness sake. Either way, this is really forgettable...let's move on.

"Houdini" by Eminem

Oh look, its return of Eminem and he is touting the death of his alter ego Slim Shady for this new album cycle, this time with a song that bares the same title as a Dua Lipa song earlier this year...and I am not going to mince words...this sucks and in ways that are hard to quantify but let's start with that sample of Steve Miller Band's terrible 1982 hit "Abracadabra" which sounds somewhat downtuned while Eminem makes a Megan Thee Stallion being shot joke and some really other cringey bars around trans people and others...ugh...this is garbage, See my worst list at the end of the year for this song.

"Please Please Please" by Sabrina Carpenter

Ahh, a reprieve from the mediocre to outright nonsense hitting the charts this month because it's time to deal with the new Sabrina Carpenter single. "Espresso" has only gotten more annoying and insubstantial everytime I have heard it...a decent if over mixed groove doesn't go far enough to hide the song's obvious flaws. I will say that "Please Please Please" is somewhat better in that the groove isn't as over produced and it does sound like a 60s bubblegum song with a more modern twist but again I am left struggling with Sabrina's vocals which hit between an Ariana Grande coo and so sugar sweet that if a person can give you diabetes by singing...this song would. I don't mind the song but overplay might kill it for me.

"Close to You" by Gracie Abrams

So we jump from one Taylor Swift tour opening act to another, while I have liked one or two songs from Gracie Abrams, I have never been impressed by her that much so this was an opportunity to win me over and unfortunately this doesn't do it for me, it sounds like a really horrendous Instagram or Tik Tok song for teenage girls who think they are so edgy because they shop at Supre or Forever 21 but is so gummy that it lacks any bite whatsoever. I'll forget about this in record time.

"The Man He Sees In Me" by Luke Combs

So I have been a bit surprised with just how quick Luke Combs has released a new album this year, you'd think with the success of the "Fast Car" cover, he'd sit back and take a break but no, in stead we got that song for the Twisters movie soundtrack and now this song for his new album about father-son relationships and yeah, this hits hard even with it not being my favourite from the album, it's a song that where Luke sings about wondering what kind of man his sons see him to be and hoping he is living in a manner where they see him in a good way. Great song, definitely check out the album!

"High Road" by Koe Wetzel feat. Jessie Murph 

Just me or is Jessie Murph doing a lot of country or country adjacent features this year? She's got that song with Jelly Roll and now this with Texas country star Koe Wetzel and yeah...this sucks, for a lovr song, it just sounds curdled and sour and Jessie Murph doesn't really add much to it so yeah this is absolutely a skip.

Worst of the Mionth: "Houdini" by Eminem

Dishonourable Mention: High Road" by Koe Wetzel feat. Jessie Murph

Honourable Mention: "Pink Skies" by Zach Bryan

Best of the Month: "The Man He Sees In Me" by Luke Combs.