Hot 100 Top 20 Ranked January - Week of 1/12/19

Hi everyone. So this was quite the week on the Hot 100. Since all the Christmas music went away, we had a shit ton of massive jumps. 50 songs jumped over 10 spots in fact. We also had quite a few returns to the chart, some new entries, and Baby Shark debuting at #32 for some reason. Anyways, I'm only talking about the top 20 today and it's... fine. Most of the songs have just been around forever. We seriously need some new blood in the top 20 right now. But whatever, let's just get into it:

0-Awful

20. Halsey - Without Me

Peak: #1 (1 Week)

Current: #1 (+1)

Weeks: 13

So uh yeah this was predictable. But we let this hit #1. This. Songs like Dynamite, Bad Romance, Payphone, Die Young, Get Lucky etc all peaked #2. Those are some of the greatest and most iconic songs of the decade. This is one of the worst. First of all Halsey sounds fucking awful. She’s a mediocre singer normally (save for a few tracks) but this has to be a career worst for her. Her voice is lathered in autotune, but she still can’t hit a single note. The lyrics are obnoxious and I hate them for personal reasons as well. The production is fairly grating, especially that transition from the bridge to the final chorus. Overall, this song sucks. Expect to see it in the bottom spot of these rankings every time it’s here. (Also the remix with Juice WRLD is just as awful and I hope it doesn't help the song very much).

19. Juice WRLD - Lucid Dreams

Peak: #2

Current: #18 (+9)

Weeks: 34

Why is this still here????? It was never good, but it has just gotten worse over time. I explained why I hate this song in detail during my worst list, but to sum things up (as a certain Blogger might say) this song makes me want to loathe. I also just don't get how it's still #18. The radio has ditched it. Sales are basically gone. Streaming is way down. So why is this still so god damn high. I doubt it'll still be here next time I do this, so let's just move on.

18. Lil Baby & Gunna - Drip Too Hard

Peak: #4

Current: #8 (+4)

Weeks: 16

This is such a nothing of a song. Lil Baby isn't interesting. Neither is his friend, Gunna. Or at least I thought they were friends. But it turns out Lil Baby does not follow him on Twitter. In fact, he only follows Lil Yachty. Perhaps the two had a falling out? Maybe they're having troubles deciding who gets money for this song thats still in the top 10 for some reason. I did some "research", and it turns out Gunna doesn't follow Lil Baby either. The only thing I can say: I seriously hope this Twitter "drama" is not a sign that Lil Baby is working a collab album with Lil Yachty. Anyways, the song sucks. Its just really boring and I thought talking about Lil Baby's Twitter would be more interesting. Rough times.

1-Bad

17. Cardi B - Money

Peak: #13

Current: #17 (+2)

Weeks: 11

I like Cardi B. I put both I Like It and Finesse very high on my best list. But I can't endorse this. First of all, while Cardi has charisma, it barely comes through here. I kinda liked the more interesting flow she had been using in songs like I Like It, but here she goes back to her basic and boring flow from Bodak Yellow. Also, and I know me bringing this up is getting very old, but there's two notes. In the entire damn song. What I do find kinda funny is that this song has been predicted to jump into the top 10 on multiple occasions, but each time it lands quite a bit lower. I hope that this song is not the direction Cardi takes her next album, because this just isn't very good.

16. Sheck Wes - Mo Bamba

Peak: #6

Current: #15 (+2)

Weeks: 19

I get why this song is pretty loved. Its energetic and pretty fun. I honestly kinda like the beat. I'm kinda a sucker for twinkly production. But I just don't like this guy's voice. And the way he strrrrrrrrrrrrrrretches ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut hisssssssssssss worrrrrrrrrrrrrrds can be pretty annoying. Also the lyrics are complete nonsense but like I'm not gonna judge trap rap by lyrics unless they're REALLY bad. These are just generic at worst. I believe this song is already locked for next year's year-end list, and it seems to kinda be on its way out, and frankly I'm fine with that.

2-Mediocre

15. DJ Snake/Selena Gomez/Ozuna/Cardi B - Taki Taki

Peak: #11

Current: #19 (+11)

Weeks: 14

When I first heard about this song, I was kinda looking forward to it. After all, Cardi B and Selena Gomez have both made plenty of songs I like, and DJ Snake has had a few. But even greater than my expectations for its quality were my expectations for it's hit potential. I thought this had a good shot at debuting top 10. However, Lil Wayne and Tha Carter V stopped any chance of that happening, but its still top 20 I guess? Anyways that was a really long preamble. The song is pretty forgettable and annoying. Snake's drop is grating, Ozuna's voice is awful and he can't sing, and Cardi's verse feels very phoned it. The only reason it's gotten this high is due to Selena's part which I quite like. Overall, mediocre song that is hopefully getting caught between years.

14. Maroon 5/Cardi B - Girls Like You

Peak: #1 (7 Weeks)

Current: #7 (+7)

Weeks: 32

Overall I still consider myself a fan of this song. I liked it from first listen, and it held up reasonably well over time. But it shouldn't still be so high and my local radio station shouldn't still be playing it ever 10 minutes (they play the version without Cardi for whatever reason, which only makes it worse). Just, go away.

3-Decent

13. Post Malone - Better Now

Peak: #3

Current: #10 (+13)

Weeks: 36

I don't even have anything interesting to say here. Just go away already. I like you Post, and I like this song overall, but its time is over. It shouldn't still be top 10 on pop radio or here. And yes, I'm a little annoyed that this blocked Eastside from going top 10 this week.

12. 5 Seconds of Summer - Youngblood

Peak: #7

Current: #14 (+10)

Weeks: 31

I'm happy that 5 Seconds of Summer had a big hit. But once again, this shouldn't still be in the top 10 on pop radio, or in the top 20 here. In the grand scheme of things, I still do consider this to be a great song. However, this top 20 ranked is meant to reflect my current thoughts on these songs, and right now I'm pretty tired of this song. Just send Lie To Me to radio already, that song is great.

11. Gucci Mane/Bruno Mars/Kodak Black - Wake Up In The Sky

Peak: #11

Current: #12 (+6)

Weeks: 16

I want to like this song. I really do. But its just not clicking with me. I enjoy Bruno's hook (flyyyyyyy), but he does sounds pretty phoned it. Gucci's parts are good. He's not the world's best rapper, but he's fine. I liked his big collab with Migos, I Get The Bag. Slippery, not as much. But yeah I don't hate Gucci Mane. This beat is.... fine. It makes for perfectly good background music. But what does hurt the song for me is Kodak Black. If you didn't read my review of his album, I don't like Kodak. I think he's a shitty rapper and a shitty person. And while he does have a song I quite like (more on that later), he just cannot pull his weight here. 

10. Post Malone - Wow.

Peak: #13

Current: #13 (+34)

Weeks: 2

I think this one just needs time to grow on me. Everything here is fine but not all that special. Post delivers a perfectly decent vocal performance, but I've kinda come to expect more from him these days than just decent. The beat is kinda catchy but can be grating. The lyrics are pretty funny at points, but I honestly can't tell if they're supposed to be. Like seriously, who flexes about listening to Fall Out Boy (aside from Fall Out Boy themselves). While this isn't awful, its easily one of Post's more forgettable singles.

4-Good

9. Bad Bunny/Drake - MIA

Peak: #5

Current: #20 (+11)

Weeks: 12

Let's talk about Drake. In 2018, there was lots of him. In 2019 there is much less. He has no lead artist credits on the entire chart (I believe). He's probably still dropping an album this year so I'm sure he'll be back. But for now we've got this, and its not half bad. Drake actually sounds pretty good singing in Spanish. He's most of the reason this song is so high. The beat is perfectly pleasant but pretty generic. However, I'm still not totally on board with Bad Bunny as a performer. I'm not totally sure that this song is gonna be a hit, but if it does that would be fine by me.

5-Great

8. Panic! At The Disco - High Hopes

Peak: #5

Current: #5 (+1)

Weeks: 22

I've already talked about this song quite a lot so I'll keep this brief. I still enjoy this song, but less than I used to. I'm glad its getting back because Brendon Urie deserves another hit. I would be down if this somehow got to #1 because I will take literally anything over Halsey. I would take a 31 spot jump for Baby Shark to #1 if it meant Without Me wasn't there anymore.

7. Kodak Black/Travis Scott/Offset - ZEZE

Peak: #2

Current: #9 (+6)

Weeks: 12

I don't like Kodak. At all. I don't even like him here all that much. His verse is not good, even if his hook is decent. But what carries this song are the guests. Offset is arguably the best "generic trap rapper" out there, and he delivers extremely solid flows here. Travis's part is probably my favorite out of any of the performers. I just really like his super autotuned vocals, I'm not totally sure why. But I'd be lying if I said the best part of this song is anything but the beat. I like that it uses a steel drum as the main instrument, as that isn't something you hear in mainstream pop music all the time. If also helps that I really like the basic structure of the beat, despite it being very similar to that of Ric Flair Drip. Overall, great song and I'm glad that it's becoming Kodak's biggest hit. Its by far his best.

6. Ariana Grande - breathin

Peak: #12

Current: #16 (+6)

Weeks: 20

This is still pretty great. It does everything it needs it to be enjoyable: Ariana sounds great, the production is airy and enjoyable, and the lyrics are good if a little too undetailed. I do try avoid listening to this song on the radio too much, as I don't want to end up getting sick of it. However, I do believe its the best Sweetener single and a very enjoyable song.

5. Marshmello/Bastille - Happier

Peak: #3

Current: #6 (+1)

Weeks: 20

I remember the first time I heard this song. I was in the U.K. and had just finished listening to Sweetener for the first time. I then checked out the Spotify New Music Friday playlist and I saw this and Promises there. I didn't like either that much at first. But with they both grew on me to the point where I would consider them great. Why am I bringing this up? Well, uhhhhhh....... I've already talked about Happier many times and want something new to discuss I guess. Anyways, great song, hope it sticks around a while longer.

4. Travis Scott/Drake - SICKO MODE

Peak: #1 (1 Week)

Current: #4 (=)

Weeks: 22

Still great. My opinion on this one is essentially unaltered from when I talked about it last. Weirdly, I always forget this song hit #1. I'm happy it did though. Also, this song could last 6 months+ in the top 10, which is something not many songs do. It kinda was like ZEZE or Drip Too Hard for a while, where it just hung around the #8-#10 range for a long time. Then the music video dropped, Girls Like You and thank u, next blocked it from #1. Until via a god awful Skrillex remix and bundles it got to #1. 

3. Ariana Grande - thank u, next

Peak: #1 (7 Weeks)

Current: #2 (-1)

Weeks: 9

This song has started to get a weird amount of backlash and frankly I don't get it. The beat is super nice and it has twinkly happy bells as a main percussion which I always enjoy. Ariana stays in her lower register (which for her is still pretty high) and she sounds pretty damn great while doing it. The hook is incredibly catchy, and the lyrics are certainly something special. I always enjoy a good kiss-off song, which is kinda what this one is, but it has more substance than most other similar songs. Ariana is both thanking, and letting go of her exes which I find quite interesting. Now, just get imagine up in the top 20 as well please.

2. benny blanco/Halsey/Khalid - Eastside

Peak: #11

Current: #11 (+10)

Weeks: 25

Surprise! This isn't #1. Its not because I enjoy the song any less than I did when I made my best list, I still stand by putting it at #1. Its more that something else came along that I prefer to it, even if its just by a little. I still love everything about this song, from blanco's amazing production to Khalid and Halsey's surprising amount of vocal chemistry. So what could possibly beat this? Well....

1. Post Malone/Swae Lee - Sunflower

Peak: #3

Current: #3 (+2)

Weeks: 11

I love this song so much. I've almost listened to it 100 times on Spotify, and even more on the radio, but it still hasn't faded on me even a bit. Every single thing is just amazing here. The airy and floaty beat fits the mood perfectly, and our two performers deliver some of the best performances of their entire careers. I also really like the lyrics here, where its basically about a teenage relationship. Swae is the part of the person who just is in it for the hookup, and Post is the other half, who wants to make a more meaningful connection. This is something I can seriously relate to, which is kinda rare in music these days. This only got better after seeing the Spiderverse movie. I hope this gets to go to #1 in the near future.

Score: 62/100 = 62% (B-, Decent)