Another Monday, another chart listing. Now, as we move into February, we're really starting to see the chart picture of 2017 start to form. Time to deconstruct it, and see what my thoughts are this week.
10. You Don't Know Me - Jax Jones (Chart Position - 3)
Time for banging head against a brick wall time... But how is this song actually popular? None of the elements that seem to feature in it are actually engaging to the listener, or even remotely interesting. The beat, as I repeatedly say, is excruciatingly painful, the vocals are full of 2008 levels of auto-tune and poor modulation, the mix of the two is particularly poor and the whole thing is finished with the horrible amount of smuggery that the song possesses. (On an unreleated note, I'm now being told that smuggery is not a word. I demand that it is!) This is just a train-wreck of a song, and I wish that we could just get this song out of the charts and never talk about it again. At least Sheeran's double bill is still keeping this song at number 3.
9. Rockabye - Clean Bandit (feat. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie) (Chart Position - 6)
Out of the three hang-overs from last year still left in the chart, Rockabye is definitely the worst of them. I'm just finding nothing positive to say about it, because it seems to be resolutely holding it's position, and keeping newer songs out of the chart. To repeat myself from four weeks ago:
I don't like the main message of the song, which paints single parenthood as literally the worst thing ever, the melodies and beat are all over the place, some showing off the flair and creativity of old Clean Bandit, others just sounding like poor, generic pop beats and Sean Paul's contributions are starting to grate on me. 2017 needs to get releasing some stuff, because, as the weeks go on, I can see I'm going to find more flaws with this.
They have and I have. Please, get rid of this song. For my own sanity, and so I can start writing some original content about something again.
8. Call On Me: Ryan Riback Extended Remix (Starley) (Chart Position - 7)
It's weird. This song keeps going up, but it always looks like it's in trouble. That's partly because of my 'I'm never wrong nature' and also because it always have the dreaded red arrow consistently next to it. Maybe people just don't listen to this on Monday. Anyway, it's hard to add much to what I've already discussed about this song. I have, between this week and last week, had a chance to listen to the original Call On Me (the purely Starley version) and, I have to admit, I can see why this is in the charts and that version isn't. I mean, sure, it's a decent version, but it's a bit... well.. weird. This at least conforms to some kind of rules, while that doesn't seem to fit into any kind of musical genre. Having said that, maybe it would be more interesting if the original was in the charts. I mean, sure, the lyrics in both versions (being the same song) mean nothing, and the beat in the original is really quite shoddy. But what that version does is it at least tries to play around with conventional formulas. This just stays rigidly inside it's EDM box, playing with it's mixers and faders. I'm seriously worried about the future of house music, because unless things change rapidly, we could be heading for a very difficult future. EDM used to be where all the really good experimental stuff was. Now, it's a shadow of it's former self, and, if something isn't done, all it's fans will start flocking to Grime, which is doing much more original stuff than EDM. And please don't make me talk about that.
7. I Don't Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker) - ZAYN & The Other One (Chart Position - 10)
Oh boy, this song is going to be a whole can of worms... Now, I just want to say, please don't shoot me for this. But I don't like Zayn Malik (no, not 'ZAYN', it's not an acronym). And I don't really like Taylor Swift. So this song was always going to be a massive miss for me. I don't know, but I just don't really like either artist's discography. Zayn feels far too aggressive in his singing for me, and he also just feels like The Weeknd's annoying little brother. And TS... well, it's just because I don't think I really want to know about her private life all of the time, yet social media and buzzfeed websites seem to force it down my neck when I could give a toss. Sure, she's produced some decent songs, but a lot of them, especially her singles like Never Ever Getting Back Together and Bad Blood just feel far too arrogant and cocky. I like artists with humility, and she rarely has that. So this song is full of undeserved swagger that just grates on me. The lyrics are also pretty bland: they don't seem to be as full of passion that Malik and Swift seem to think that they are. I would also like to say that this song is attached to a movie. Now, that would normally play no factor in my enjoyment (or not) of the song. However, the movie in question is... Fifty Shades Darker. And therefore the fact that this is attached to that lessens it automatically. It's the same issue I have with Ellie Golding's Love Me Like You Do: I do want to like it, but because it's attached to a movie I have serious issues with, from both a critical, unemotional viewpoint and a moral, emotional one, it has to suffer because of it. I'm genuinely surprised that TS has actually attached herself to this song, because it seems like exactly the opposite of what she'd be involved with. So, everything is pretty much stacked against this song: I don't like the artists, the vocals or the lyrics, and I despise the movie it's promoting. But, the reason why this song is only number 7 and not lower is simple... the instrumental is really good. I love the power, the force and the ferocity that the beat has. The melodies are superb too: not too distracting, but just enough to enhance the song. I certainly don't like this that much, but there are positives, and I have to acknowledge them, in the same way I have to acknowledge the negatives.
6. September Song - JP Cooper (Chart Position - 8)
I'm still surprised that this song isn't creating as much of a vibe as I thought it would be. It's a shame, because it's not that bad. Sure, it's still a little rough around the edges, especially in the way it tries to blend 80's Groove with pop reggae and just doesn't come off. However, I really like most of the rest of it, and I really think it deserves a bit more exposure. It's different, and I like different, even if it's not quite perfect. But I don't think it deserves to drop down the chart as it seems to be doing, and I hope that it can remain around for a bit longer. I think there's still things to discuss with this song.
5. Touch - Little Mix (Chart Position - 5)
Now this song has dropped down a little, I will admit. However, that is no detriment upon it's quality, and rather just a want to promote the songs from 2017 a bit more, rather than hangovers from last year. However, I will repeat what I said four weeks ago:
Still a great song. Certainly, the developments this week have pretty much put paid to this one's steady climb through the ranks, but I would say that it's still a worthy number 1. The song itself is catchy and interesting, the Mixers have fantastic vocals that really sell the song more than most other girl groups could. In fact, I was thinking recently that they're probably the strongest girl band in recent memory. Yes, I'd say they're better than Girls Aloud, The Saturdays and even the Spice Girls (although that's a controversial topic for another day). Touch is still great, and there's little more I can say other than that.
I do still like it though. Don't get me wrong on that score.
4. Human - Rag'n'Bone Man (Chart Position - 9)
Again, I've moved this song about because it's basically still only in the charts because the BRITS haven't happened yet, but, again, I do still like it. Here's my thoughts from three weeks ago:
Another song that has slipped down the chart, however this isn't a detriment on quality. Stiff competition, and possible overplay, have pushed this song out of the top spot it was in last week, but that's nothing to be ashamed of. Last week, I said the amount of times I listened to this song was in the triple digits, and that's true still. Sadly, the fresher, more recent songs of a certain redhead have pushed this down a little bit in my estimations, but I still stand by everything that I said last week, the same as I did for I Would Like and Touch. This is still a great song, Rag'n'Bone Man are a great find and I hope they win at the BRIT Awards. However, I just need a period to avoid the song, just to get it out of my head for a bit. And then I'll be able to come back to it, and have a fresh appreciation for it.
3. Paris - The Chainsmokers (Chart Position - 4)
Ok, so this has mostly gone up because I've been listening to it a lot this week. I'm really starting to get into this song, just because it's got so many elements to it that I enjoy. I love the slow build-up, and the way it launches into the saxophone-filled chorus. I love the lyrics, that give off a lovely feeling about running away from responsibility. I love the vocals, which are just husky enough to give off a feeling of weariness, but joyful enough to bask in the amazing spectacle that the song presents. But most of all, I love the images that the song presents. I love the ideas it paints in my head. Some might think that I'm stepping away from my detached frame of mind, but when something connects with you emotionally, you have to factor that into your response: you can't just remained detached to it. And I like Paris for just that reason - it resonates with me.
2. Castle On The Hill - Ed Sheeran (Chart Position - 2)
I'm starting to think I have the same opinion of these two songs. If they had been released separately, than they would both be number 1's. But, since they were released at the same time, I suppose one has to play second fiddle. And I've just been listening to Shape Of You a lot recently. That said, my thoughts on this song haven't changed that much. Here are my thoughts from two weeks ago, which sum up my thoughts better than I could do now:
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.
1. Shape Of You - Ed Sheeran (Chart Position - 1)
I suspect this song's going to be around forever. Here are my thoughts on the song from four weeks ago, which have reasserted themselves across the week:
This second success from Sheeran is more in the vein of his X songs, particularly Sing, Don't and Bloodstream. Those songs really made Sheeran the long-last success that he is, and Shape Of You is more proof of the formula being a success. The beat, with it's various guitars and medley of instruments, is a lovely thing to listen to. I think it's a great hit, backed up by some amazing vocals from Sheeran himself. He captures that feeling of loving someone for their physical appearance perfectly. Like Closer, it doesn't glamorise it, but rather paints it in a cinematic scope. Everyone has some experience of being infatuated with someone based on their physicality, and Sheeran captures that perfectly. It's certainly a better depiction than Sexual could manage in a thousand years. That's the power of skilful lyrics. Shape Of You sets the bar pretty bloody high for 2017, and it's going to be hard to top.
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. Call On Me: Ryan Riback Extended Remix - Starley
8. September Song - JP Cooper
9. Human - Rag'n'Bone Man
10. I Don't Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker) - ZAYN & The Other One
Me:
1. Shape Of You - Ed Sheeran
2. Castle On The Hill - Ed Sheeran
3. Paris - The Chainsmokers
4. Human - Rag'n'Bone Man
5. Touch - Little Mix
6. September Song - JP Cooper
7. I Don't Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker) - ZAYN & The Other One
8. Call On Me: Ryan Riback Extended Remix - Starley
9. Rockabye - Clean Bandit (feat. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie)
10. You Don't Know Me - Jax Jones
I hope you join me next week for another chart analysis!
10. You Don't Know Me - Jax Jones (Chart Position - 3)
Time for banging head against a brick wall time... But how is this song actually popular? None of the elements that seem to feature in it are actually engaging to the listener, or even remotely interesting. The beat, as I repeatedly say, is excruciatingly painful, the vocals are full of 2008 levels of auto-tune and poor modulation, the mix of the two is particularly poor and the whole thing is finished with the horrible amount of smuggery that the song possesses. (On an unreleated note, I'm now being told that smuggery is not a word. I demand that it is!) This is just a train-wreck of a song, and I wish that we could just get this song out of the charts and never talk about it again. At least Sheeran's double bill is still keeping this song at number 3.9. Rockabye - Clean Bandit (feat. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie) (Chart Position - 6)
Out of the three hang-overs from last year still left in the chart, Rockabye is definitely the worst of them. I'm just finding nothing positive to say about it, because it seems to be resolutely holding it's position, and keeping newer songs out of the chart. To repeat myself from four weeks ago:I don't like the main message of the song, which paints single parenthood as literally the worst thing ever, the melodies and beat are all over the place, some showing off the flair and creativity of old Clean Bandit, others just sounding like poor, generic pop beats and Sean Paul's contributions are starting to grate on me. 2017 needs to get releasing some stuff, because, as the weeks go on, I can see I'm going to find more flaws with this.
They have and I have. Please, get rid of this song. For my own sanity, and so I can start writing some original content about something again.
8. Call On Me: Ryan Riback Extended Remix (Starley) (Chart Position - 7)
It's weird. This song keeps going up, but it always looks like it's in trouble. That's partly because of my 'I'm never wrong nature' and also because it always have the dreaded red arrow consistently next to it. Maybe people just don't listen to this on Monday. Anyway, it's hard to add much to what I've already discussed about this song. I have, between this week and last week, had a chance to listen to the original Call On Me (the purely Starley version) and, I have to admit, I can see why this is in the charts and that version isn't. I mean, sure, it's a decent version, but it's a bit... well.. weird. This at least conforms to some kind of rules, while that doesn't seem to fit into any kind of musical genre. Having said that, maybe it would be more interesting if the original was in the charts. I mean, sure, the lyrics in both versions (being the same song) mean nothing, and the beat in the original is really quite shoddy. But what that version does is it at least tries to play around with conventional formulas. This just stays rigidly inside it's EDM box, playing with it's mixers and faders. I'm seriously worried about the future of house music, because unless things change rapidly, we could be heading for a very difficult future. EDM used to be where all the really good experimental stuff was. Now, it's a shadow of it's former self, and, if something isn't done, all it's fans will start flocking to Grime, which is doing much more original stuff than EDM. And please don't make me talk about that.7. I Don't Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker) - ZAYN & The Other One (Chart Position - 10)
Oh boy, this song is going to be a whole can of worms... Now, I just want to say, please don't shoot me for this. But I don't like Zayn Malik (no, not 'ZAYN', it's not an acronym). And I don't really like Taylor Swift. So this song was always going to be a massive miss for me. I don't know, but I just don't really like either artist's discography. Zayn feels far too aggressive in his singing for me, and he also just feels like The Weeknd's annoying little brother. And TS... well, it's just because I don't think I really want to know about her private life all of the time, yet social media and buzzfeed websites seem to force it down my neck when I could give a toss. Sure, she's produced some decent songs, but a lot of them, especially her singles like Never Ever Getting Back Together and Bad Blood just feel far too arrogant and cocky. I like artists with humility, and she rarely has that. So this song is full of undeserved swagger that just grates on me. The lyrics are also pretty bland: they don't seem to be as full of passion that Malik and Swift seem to think that they are. I would also like to say that this song is attached to a movie. Now, that would normally play no factor in my enjoyment (or not) of the song. However, the movie in question is... Fifty Shades Darker. And therefore the fact that this is attached to that lessens it automatically. It's the same issue I have with Ellie Golding's Love Me Like You Do: I do want to like it, but because it's attached to a movie I have serious issues with, from both a critical, unemotional viewpoint and a moral, emotional one, it has to suffer because of it. I'm genuinely surprised that TS has actually attached herself to this song, because it seems like exactly the opposite of what she'd be involved with. So, everything is pretty much stacked against this song: I don't like the artists, the vocals or the lyrics, and I despise the movie it's promoting. But, the reason why this song is only number 7 and not lower is simple... the instrumental is really good. I love the power, the force and the ferocity that the beat has. The melodies are superb too: not too distracting, but just enough to enhance the song. I certainly don't like this that much, but there are positives, and I have to acknowledge them, in the same way I have to acknowledge the negatives. 6. September Song - JP Cooper (Chart Position - 8)
I'm still surprised that this song isn't creating as much of a vibe as I thought it would be. It's a shame, because it's not that bad. Sure, it's still a little rough around the edges, especially in the way it tries to blend 80's Groove with pop reggae and just doesn't come off. However, I really like most of the rest of it, and I really think it deserves a bit more exposure. It's different, and I like different, even if it's not quite perfect. But I don't think it deserves to drop down the chart as it seems to be doing, and I hope that it can remain around for a bit longer. I think there's still things to discuss with this song. 5. Touch - Little Mix (Chart Position - 5)
Now this song has dropped down a little, I will admit. However, that is no detriment upon it's quality, and rather just a want to promote the songs from 2017 a bit more, rather than hangovers from last year. However, I will repeat what I said four weeks ago:Still a great song. Certainly, the developments this week have pretty much put paid to this one's steady climb through the ranks, but I would say that it's still a worthy number 1. The song itself is catchy and interesting, the Mixers have fantastic vocals that really sell the song more than most other girl groups could. In fact, I was thinking recently that they're probably the strongest girl band in recent memory. Yes, I'd say they're better than Girls Aloud, The Saturdays and even the Spice Girls (although that's a controversial topic for another day). Touch is still great, and there's little more I can say other than that.
I do still like it though. Don't get me wrong on that score.
4. Human - Rag'n'Bone Man (Chart Position - 9)
Again, I've moved this song about because it's basically still only in the charts because the BRITS haven't happened yet, but, again, I do still like it. Here's my thoughts from three weeks ago:
Another song that has slipped down the chart, however this isn't a detriment on quality. Stiff competition, and possible overplay, have pushed this song out of the top spot it was in last week, but that's nothing to be ashamed of. Last week, I said the amount of times I listened to this song was in the triple digits, and that's true still. Sadly, the fresher, more recent songs of a certain redhead have pushed this down a little bit in my estimations, but I still stand by everything that I said last week, the same as I did for I Would Like and Touch. This is still a great song, Rag'n'Bone Man are a great find and I hope they win at the BRIT Awards. However, I just need a period to avoid the song, just to get it out of my head for a bit. And then I'll be able to come back to it, and have a fresh appreciation for it. 3. Paris - The Chainsmokers (Chart Position - 4)
Ok, so this has mostly gone up because I've been listening to it a lot this week. I'm really starting to get into this song, just because it's got so many elements to it that I enjoy. I love the slow build-up, and the way it launches into the saxophone-filled chorus. I love the lyrics, that give off a lovely feeling about running away from responsibility. I love the vocals, which are just husky enough to give off a feeling of weariness, but joyful enough to bask in the amazing spectacle that the song presents. But most of all, I love the images that the song presents. I love the ideas it paints in my head. Some might think that I'm stepping away from my detached frame of mind, but when something connects with you emotionally, you have to factor that into your response: you can't just remained detached to it. And I like Paris for just that reason - it resonates with me.2. Castle On The Hill - Ed Sheeran (Chart Position - 2)
I'm starting to think I have the same opinion of these two songs. If they had been released separately, than they would both be number 1's. But, since they were released at the same time, I suppose one has to play second fiddle. And I've just been listening to Shape Of You a lot recently. That said, my thoughts on this song haven't changed that much. Here are my thoughts from two weeks ago, which sum up my thoughts better than I could do now: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.
1. Shape Of You - Ed Sheeran (Chart Position - 1)
I suspect this song's going to be around forever. Here are my thoughts on the song from four weeks ago, which have reasserted themselves across the week:
This second success from Sheeran is more in the vein of his X songs, particularly Sing, Don't and Bloodstream. Those songs really made Sheeran the long-last success that he is, and Shape Of You is more proof of the formula being a success. The beat, with it's various guitars and medley of instruments, is a lovely thing to listen to. I think it's a great hit, backed up by some amazing vocals from Sheeran himself. He captures that feeling of loving someone for their physical appearance perfectly. Like Closer, it doesn't glamorise it, but rather paints it in a cinematic scope. Everyone has some experience of being infatuated with someone based on their physicality, and Sheeran captures that perfectly. It's certainly a better depiction than Sexual could manage in a thousand years. That's the power of skilful lyrics. Shape Of You sets the bar pretty bloody high for 2017, and it's going to be hard to top.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. Call On Me: Ryan Riback Extended Remix - Starley
8. September Song - JP Cooper
9. Human - Rag'n'Bone Man
10. I Don't Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker) - ZAYN & The Other One
Me:
1. Shape Of You - Ed Sheeran
2. Castle On The Hill - Ed Sheeran
3. Paris - The Chainsmokers
4. Human - Rag'n'Bone Man
5. Touch - Little Mix
6. September Song - JP Cooper
7. I Don't Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker) - ZAYN & The Other One
8. Call On Me: Ryan Riback Extended Remix - Starley
9. Rockabye - Clean Bandit (feat. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie)
10. You Don't Know Me - Jax Jones
I hope you join me next week for another chart analysis!
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