Another week, another look at the charts. Things have changed quite significantly since last week, and things are settling into place for the next couple of months by the looks of things. Since there's no time like the present, we'll begin:
10. You Don't Know Me - Jax Jones (Chart Position - 3)
Urgh... Why? Once again, I have to look like the grumpy old fogy, but it needs saying: how has this song reached number 3? It's right below Castle On The Hill and Shape Of You! While last week, I said that I wouldn't be as harsh on this song as I wanted to be because of it's low position and new talent, that has been blown out of the window by this song's sudden popularity. I can't get away from the dratted thing, and that isn't helped by the fact that DJ's and radio presenters are biging this up as the next big thing. It so isn't! All the complaints I had last week with this song are still relevant: it's arrogant and obnoxious, they have auto-tuned the vocals to death, with the rest being given some very poor modulation that makes the Dalek voices in Day Of The Daleks tolerable, the lyrics have no structure or storytelling and it just feels so thrown together, that it feels completely distant from any effort at all. It's just a song produced with minimum effort for maximum effect, and the whole approach stinks. I hope this isn't going to be a recurring trend this year.
9. Say You Won't Let Go - James Arthur (Chart Position - 8)
I hate having to talk about this song, so I'll refer you back to my thoughts over the previous three weeks. There's nothing I can say here that will be any different to those. I will say, however, that at least this song looks like it's about to drop out of the charts, so there's a blessing.
8. Rockabye - Clean Bandit (feat. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie) (Chart Position - 6)
Hurrah! We have movement! This song's drop from third position has been a long time coming, and I'm frankly grateful. This is another song that I have little to say about that I haven't already said before: it's got some poor melodies, poor beats, some terrible additions from Sean Paul and it seriously mishandles the subject matter it's trying to talk about. The violin at the end has kept me putting this song below Say You Won't Let Go, however. Down is definitely the way this song needs to go.
7. Call On Me: Ryan Riback Extended Remix - Starley (Chart Position - 9)
While this looks like a new song, this has actually been lurking around near the bottom for quite some time. I hadn't really listened to this song before it settled here, and I have to say, I'm not that impressed. There have been worse efforts this year, but I'm rather disappointed by this one. Once again, we get a generic, dull, uninteresting EDM song, that doesn't really have any redeeming features to speak off. Sure, it's at least toe-tapping, unlike Don't Wanna Know and Just Hold On, which I recommend to insomniacs, but this is just EDM by the numbers. I suppose this is a remix of an existing song, so maybe I just have to go and listen to the other song in order to get the full point of 'it', and often remixes find themselves working with rather limited material. However, it does continue a disturbing trend in recent music: that of the remix being more famous than the original. To name two examples, both Waves and Cheerleader, two big hits from 2014 and 2015, were only successful because of the remix that was made of them. It's a trend that continued into 2016, and it's one I'm worried will continue into this year as well. While I think remixers are great, and deserve credit for their work, I'm worried that the original creators of the songs will go without the credit they deserve, and will discourage people from entering the music business if they believe the only way to create a hit is to allow someone else to butcher it to create an EDM version.
6. I Would Like - Zara Larsson (Chart Position - 7)
I still like this better than Rockabye, and nothing you can say will make me change my mind. I still think this is an immensely listenable song, and while maybe it's not quite as good as when I first heard it, I still think it's a great piece of work by a very talented artist. Also, I love the single cover. Some very good work there too.
5. Paris - The Chainsmokers (Chart Position - 4)
To think, this song came from the same group as the lot that made that bloody awful #Selfie song. Paris continues a string of excellent songs from the group, with another song that oozes old-school filmic glamour. Taking a romantic escape to the titular city as it's starting point, it becomes a song about escaping from responsibilities, and enjoying yourself with reckless abandon with the same careful skill as The Chainsmokers have employed on a lot of their recent work. The vocals are well-pitched, the beat is nicely subdued, but picks up at the right point, and there is some beautiful saxophone work towards the end of the song. The only complaint I have is that some of the melodies throughout the song are a little annoying, and seem to detract from the relaxed quality of the song. However, I still think this is a very good song, that has great potential to climb the chart. Another Chainsmokers success.
4. Touch - Little Mix (Chart Position - 5)
Another song where my thoughts haven't really altered about this song. It's a very good song about the power someone's physicality can have. I've said all I can about the song in previous weeks, and I don't want to start rehashing material.
3. Human - Rag'n'Bone Man (Chart Position - 10)
Again, there's no real change to my thoughts on this song, so it would be illogical to talk about it again. It would have gone down I think, had I been listening to it a lot this week. However, since I haven't, this song has maintained it's position. I still love this song, and I'm surprised it took so long to chart. However, I do think that, by next week, it's a song we won't be talking about.
2. Shape Of You - Ed Sheeran (Chart Position - 1)
Another non mover in the chart, and with good reason. This song just doesn't get old, and it's quickly becoming a highlight of my listening. Sure, it's everywhere at the moment: there's no escaping from it, especially not on Spotify playlists, but I still really like it. It's hard to say any more, and I suspect I'll need to hold some thoughts back, because I don't think this song's going to be going anywhere.
1. Castle On The Hill - Ed Sheeran (Chart Position - 2)
I'm still upset this song's playing second fiddle to Shape Of You, as I feet that it's just as good in it's own right. I love the 'roadtrip' nature of the song (something that always gets a thumbs up from me), and it's so well written: it's packed with feeling and genuine reminiscence that you don't doubt Sheeran for a moment. While not as safe as Shape Of You in the charts, perhaps, this is one that will still be around for a couple of weeks yet.
So, this is the Spotify Chart cross-compared with my listings for ease of reference:
Spotify:
1. Shape Of You - Ed Sheeran
2. Castle On The Hill - Ed Sheeran
3. You Don't Know Me - Jax Jones
4. Paris - The Chainsmokers
5. Touch - Little Mix
6. Rockabye - Clean Bandit (feat. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie)
7. I Would Like - Zara Larsson
8. Say You Won't Let Go - James Arthur
9. Call On Me: Ryan Riback Extended Remix - Starley
10. Human - Rag'n'Bone Man
Me:
1. Castle On The Hill - Ed Sheeran
2. Shape Of You - Ed Sheeran
3. Human - Rag'n'Bone Man
4. Touch - Little Mix
5. Paris - The Chainsmokers
6. I Would Like - Zara Larsson
7. Call On Me: Ryan Riback Extended Remix - Starley
8. Rockabye - Clean Bandit (feat. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie)
9. Say You Won't Let Go - James Arthur
10. You Don't Know Me - Jax Jones
Join me next week for more chart dissection, as we enter the second month of the year!
10. You Don't Know Me - Jax Jones (Chart Position - 3)
Urgh... Why? Once again, I have to look like the grumpy old fogy, but it needs saying: how has this song reached number 3? It's right below Castle On The Hill and Shape Of You! While last week, I said that I wouldn't be as harsh on this song as I wanted to be because of it's low position and new talent, that has been blown out of the window by this song's sudden popularity. I can't get away from the dratted thing, and that isn't helped by the fact that DJ's and radio presenters are biging this up as the next big thing. It so isn't! All the complaints I had last week with this song are still relevant: it's arrogant and obnoxious, they have auto-tuned the vocals to death, with the rest being given some very poor modulation that makes the Dalek voices in Day Of The Daleks tolerable, the lyrics have no structure or storytelling and it just feels so thrown together, that it feels completely distant from any effort at all. It's just a song produced with minimum effort for maximum effect, and the whole approach stinks. I hope this isn't going to be a recurring trend this year.9. Say You Won't Let Go - James Arthur (Chart Position - 8)
I hate having to talk about this song, so I'll refer you back to my thoughts over the previous three weeks. There's nothing I can say here that will be any different to those. I will say, however, that at least this song looks like it's about to drop out of the charts, so there's a blessing. 
8. Rockabye - Clean Bandit (feat. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie) (Chart Position - 6)
Hurrah! We have movement! This song's drop from third position has been a long time coming, and I'm frankly grateful. This is another song that I have little to say about that I haven't already said before: it's got some poor melodies, poor beats, some terrible additions from Sean Paul and it seriously mishandles the subject matter it's trying to talk about. The violin at the end has kept me putting this song below Say You Won't Let Go, however. Down is definitely the way this song needs to go.
7. Call On Me: Ryan Riback Extended Remix - Starley (Chart Position - 9)
While this looks like a new song, this has actually been lurking around near the bottom for quite some time. I hadn't really listened to this song before it settled here, and I have to say, I'm not that impressed. There have been worse efforts this year, but I'm rather disappointed by this one. Once again, we get a generic, dull, uninteresting EDM song, that doesn't really have any redeeming features to speak off. Sure, it's at least toe-tapping, unlike Don't Wanna Know and Just Hold On, which I recommend to insomniacs, but this is just EDM by the numbers. I suppose this is a remix of an existing song, so maybe I just have to go and listen to the other song in order to get the full point of 'it', and often remixes find themselves working with rather limited material. However, it does continue a disturbing trend in recent music: that of the remix being more famous than the original. To name two examples, both Waves and Cheerleader, two big hits from 2014 and 2015, were only successful because of the remix that was made of them. It's a trend that continued into 2016, and it's one I'm worried will continue into this year as well. While I think remixers are great, and deserve credit for their work, I'm worried that the original creators of the songs will go without the credit they deserve, and will discourage people from entering the music business if they believe the only way to create a hit is to allow someone else to butcher it to create an EDM version.6. I Would Like - Zara Larsson (Chart Position - 7)
I still like this better than Rockabye, and nothing you can say will make me change my mind. I still think this is an immensely listenable song, and while maybe it's not quite as good as when I first heard it, I still think it's a great piece of work by a very talented artist. Also, I love the single cover. Some very good work there too.5. Paris - The Chainsmokers (Chart Position - 4)
To think, this song came from the same group as the lot that made that bloody awful #Selfie song. Paris continues a string of excellent songs from the group, with another song that oozes old-school filmic glamour. Taking a romantic escape to the titular city as it's starting point, it becomes a song about escaping from responsibilities, and enjoying yourself with reckless abandon with the same careful skill as The Chainsmokers have employed on a lot of their recent work. The vocals are well-pitched, the beat is nicely subdued, but picks up at the right point, and there is some beautiful saxophone work towards the end of the song. The only complaint I have is that some of the melodies throughout the song are a little annoying, and seem to detract from the relaxed quality of the song. However, I still think this is a very good song, that has great potential to climb the chart. Another Chainsmokers success.4. Touch - Little Mix (Chart Position - 5)
Another song where my thoughts haven't really altered about this song. It's a very good song about the power someone's physicality can have. I've said all I can about the song in previous weeks, and I don't want to start rehashing material.
3. Human - Rag'n'Bone Man (Chart Position - 10)Again, there's no real change to my thoughts on this song, so it would be illogical to talk about it again. It would have gone down I think, had I been listening to it a lot this week. However, since I haven't, this song has maintained it's position. I still love this song, and I'm surprised it took so long to chart. However, I do think that, by next week, it's a song we won't be talking about.
2. Shape Of You - Ed Sheeran (Chart Position - 1)
Another non mover in the chart, and with good reason. This song just doesn't get old, and it's quickly becoming a highlight of my listening. Sure, it's everywhere at the moment: there's no escaping from it, especially not on Spotify playlists, but I still really like it. It's hard to say any more, and I suspect I'll need to hold some thoughts back, because I don't think this song's going to be going anywhere.
1. Castle On The Hill - Ed Sheeran (Chart Position - 2)
I'm still upset this song's playing second fiddle to Shape Of You, as I feet that it's just as good in it's own right. I love the 'roadtrip' nature of the song (something that always gets a thumbs up from me), and it's so well written: it's packed with feeling and genuine reminiscence that you don't doubt Sheeran for a moment. While not as safe as Shape Of You in the charts, perhaps, this is one that will still be around for a couple of weeks yet. So, this is the Spotify Chart cross-compared with my listings for ease of reference:
Spotify:
1. Shape Of You - Ed Sheeran
2. Castle On The Hill - Ed Sheeran
3. You Don't Know Me - Jax Jones
4. Paris - The Chainsmokers
5. Touch - Little Mix
6. Rockabye - Clean Bandit (feat. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie)
7. I Would Like - Zara Larsson
8. Say You Won't Let Go - James Arthur
9. Call On Me: Ryan Riback Extended Remix - Starley
10. Human - Rag'n'Bone Man
Me:
1. Castle On The Hill - Ed Sheeran
2. Shape Of You - Ed Sheeran
3. Human - Rag'n'Bone Man
4. Touch - Little Mix
5. Paris - The Chainsmokers
6. I Would Like - Zara Larsson
7. Call On Me: Ryan Riback Extended Remix - Starley
8. Rockabye - Clean Bandit (feat. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie)
9. Say You Won't Let Go - James Arthur
10. You Don't Know Me - Jax Jones
Join me next week for more chart dissection, as we enter the second month of the year!
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