So, we're back to relatively normal service. While there is still a lot of Ed Sheeran in the charts, for the most part it's the usual mixed bag. So, lets dive straight in:
10. Blem - Drake (Chart Position - 8)
This song is boring. Plain and simple. Why this has even charted, I don't actually know. It is heartening to know, however, that unlike Sheeran, Drake's album barely maintained dominance for a week. And it's no wonder: his material is either offensive or boring. Blem is definitely in the latter category, and sure, Drake does actually try to do some things a little differently. However, that feels wasted by the fact that everything else is the same, and that... well it's Drake. His vocals are so, so flat. Bad, but I can't see this sticking around till April.
9. Passionfruit - Drake (Chart Position - 3)
This is possibly the most drastic drop on my chart since these rankings began, and while some would say that it's unwarranted, the reason why this song was so high originally was only because of the poor quality of last week's chart. Sure, it's the best Drake song I've heard and remember by a country mile, but, when up against much stiffer competition, this just crumbles. But, if Drake continues along this route, you might find my unrelenting criticism of him lessening somewhat.
8. Something Just Like This - The Chainsmokers (Chart Position - 9)
So... This is back... And I'm still adamant that this isn't as good as Closer, Paris or even All We Know. Sure, there is plenty to like about the song, like most of the instrumental, or the lyrics, but the vocals definitely aren't the thing that people are going to like about this. Sure, Coldplay have their fans, but I'm not one of them, and I don't get the appeal of using them on a song like this. It needs to be upbeat and full of energy, and this isn't. It's really not a bad song though, and while the beat drop isn't great, it had grown on me a little more over the past few weeks. Something Just Like This is a little bit of a mixed bag: while it shows growing confidence for the Chainsmokers, it's another poor performance from Coldplay, and is the perfect example of a song being weaken by dodgy guest vocals.
7. New Man - Ed Sheeran (Chart Position - 6)
Every Ed Sheeran song this week is using posts from previous weeks, as I intend to do a full album review at some point:
In contrast to most of the album (although not the singles released so far), this has a much more upbeat tempo. I think it makes a lovely contrast, and it shows the total range of Sheeran's voice. It's almost rap at points, but not quite, because it's a bit more skilfully controlled. I like the way this is a totally different breakup anthem to Happier - it's much more angsty, but without being over the top and irritating. A lovely companion piece to Happier, with a strong beat and strong vocals.
6. Happier - Ed Sheeran (Chart Position - 10)
Every Ed Sheeran song this week is using posts from previous weeks, as I intend to do a full album review at some point:
This song honestly reminds me of Cyndi Lauper's True Colors. I think it's something to do with the melodies, I think they might be pulled from that. Honestly, however, I think this is possibly better than that, because the lyrics on this are to die for. Seriously, they are fantastic. I love the rising beat, and the build up to the rousing finale that manages to feel perfectly placed to deliver the maximum emotional impact. And it's not a brag anthem! It's about a break-up, but it doesn't just tell a one-sided story. Rather, it's someone they were admitting they were wrong to do the things that they did, and they're glad the other person escaped. It's a beautiful song, and I love it. Not really much more to say.
5. Perfect - Ed Sheeran (Chart Position - 7)
Every Ed Sheeran song this week is using posts from previous weeks, as I intend to do a full album review at some point:
Another love song, but one that doesn't feel overwrought or soppy. Perfect is less of a love ballad, and more of a slow jam, but one that feels perfectly judged. In the same vein as Lego House or Thinking Of You, there's something very special about this song that's hard to elaborate on. The chorus is one of the strongest for a Sheeran song that I've heard, and I love the simple nature of the message. A triumph from start to finish.
4. Castle On The Hill - Ed Sheeran (Chart Position - 4)
Every Ed Sheeran song this week is using posts from previous weeks, as I intend to do a full album review at some point:
Now, of course, this song's been out for quite some time, but I don't think that's any great detriment upon this song. On the contrary, this song's longevity has been one of it's highlights. It's such a simple song, about the innocence of youth, about returning home to find everything's changed, about that feeling of returning to a place you haven't seen in years. Now, anyone can produce a song about those topics, but Sheeran manages to make it feel real. You're going through the experiences with him, and I think that's such a powerful image to have. Now, of course, Sheeran is a musical master, and while his lyrics and voice would be enough to sell this, he is aided by a fantastic beat and some excellent melodies that provide an excellent instrumental for this song. Castle On The Hill is one of the strongest songs of the year, and I think it's possibly a little bit of a minor classic, since it's mostly been overshadowed by Shape Of You. Fantastic.
3. Shape Of You - Ed Sheeran (Chart Position - 2)
Every Ed Sheeran song this week is using posts from previous weeks, as I intend to do a full album review at some point:
Of course this was going to be here. Shape Of You is undoubtedly Sheeran's greatest hit, and it's not hard to see why. It has such a relaxed feel to it in every element of production: the writing, the vocals, the melodies, the beat, everything just feels so relaxed and chilled. The story of simple physical attraction is wonderfully told, and it never amounts to anything more than it purports to be. I know I keep saying this about Sheeran, about his storytelling, but it is true - he does tell a story with his music. Each song is like a little short story that paints a world perfectly, but never outstays it's welcome. This is helped by Sheeran's voice, which, like every song on this list, is just phenomenal. He has an amazing instrument, and is totally in command of that instrument. That his songs have possibly the best production values on the chart is another positive. Sheeran has many different styles, all of which are executed successfully, and Shape Of You is the ultimate proof of that. The crowning glory in the career of one of the best artist's of the past decade. Simply amazing.
2. Galway Girl - Ed Sheeran (Chart Position - 1)
Every Ed Sheeran song this week is using posts from previous weeks, as I intend to do a full album review at some point:
Why wasn't this released as a single? This is fantastic! It's electronic, mixed with Irish river-dance, mixed with a wonderful acoustic sound. It shouldn't, by rights, work... but oh my God, it does! It's upbeat, slow, different and familiar all at the same time. It's simply about an Irish girl who has a one-night stand with Ed, and I love it's simplicity. It isn't pretentious about anything, just tells it like it is. And I love it. It's melody is simple, allowing it's barrage of styles to come together, and it doesn't outstay it's welcome either. It's nice and short, and it just works. Simply magical.
1. Symphony - Clean Bandit (feat. Zara Larsson) (Chart Position - 5)
Oh my word, another song by another artist has beaten Ed Sheeran? Sure, I love Sheeran's stuff, but this is new and exciting, and I like new and exciting things. And what's more new and exciting than Zara Larsson? Seriously, this girl is amazing! I'm so glad she finally has her first album out, because, having pick and mixed it, it's fabulous, and she definitely needed her album to truly show off how good she is. Her vocals here are fantastic: unlike on that terrible Euro anthem she did with David Guetta (which I still maintain wasn't here fault), they blend perfectly with the beat, indicating at least a competent level of collaboration between her and Clean Bandit. And Clean Bandit are back! Rockabye was just a blip! Regular followers will be aware that I was worried that Rockabye was going to be the in house style for future Clean Bandit, but Symphony has dispelled all my fears about that. Listening to this is like listening to Rather Be all over again: a sudden blot out of the blue that you weren't expecting, and instantly fall in love with. The melodies, the effects, the bridge, the ACTUAL LIVE INSTRUMENTS, this is perfection. Matching Clean Bandit with Zara Larsson has produced the same magic that matching them with Jess Glynne did. Spellbindingly good, this song has definitely set, or, at the very least matched, the high of 2017 so far.
So, this is the Spotify Chart cross-compared with my listings for ease of reference:
Spotify:
1. Galway Girl - Ed Sheeran
2. Shape Of You - Ed Sheeran
3. Passionfruit - Drake
4. Castle On The Hill - Ed Sheeran
5. Symphony - Clean Bandit (feat. Zara Larsson)
6. New Man - Ed Sheeran
7. Perfect - Ed Sheeran
8. Blem - Drake
9. Something Just Like This - The Chainsmokers
10. Happier - Ed Sheeran
Me:
1. Symphony - Clean Bandit (feat. Zara Larsson)
2. Galway Girl - Ed Sheeran
3. Shape Of You - Ed Sheeran
4. Castle On The Hill - Ed Sheeran
5. Perfect - Ed Sheeran
6. Happier - Ed Sheeran
7. New Man - Ed Sheeran
8. Something Just Like This - The Chainsmokers
9. Passionfruit - Drake
10. Blem - Drake
So, join me next week, as we edge over the quarter way mark of the year. And join me later this week, when I'll be looking back over the past three months, and reviewing some of the most patchy charts for quite some time! Also, I'll be looking back at some of the most important songs from the period!
10. Blem - Drake (Chart Position - 8)
This song is boring. Plain and simple. Why this has even charted, I don't actually know. It is heartening to know, however, that unlike Sheeran, Drake's album barely maintained dominance for a week. And it's no wonder: his material is either offensive or boring. Blem is definitely in the latter category, and sure, Drake does actually try to do some things a little differently. However, that feels wasted by the fact that everything else is the same, and that... well it's Drake. His vocals are so, so flat. Bad, but I can't see this sticking around till April.9. Passionfruit - Drake (Chart Position - 3)
This is possibly the most drastic drop on my chart since these rankings began, and while some would say that it's unwarranted, the reason why this song was so high originally was only because of the poor quality of last week's chart. Sure, it's the best Drake song I've heard and remember by a country mile, but, when up against much stiffer competition, this just crumbles. But, if Drake continues along this route, you might find my unrelenting criticism of him lessening somewhat.
8. Something Just Like This - The Chainsmokers (Chart Position - 9)
So... This is back... And I'm still adamant that this isn't as good as Closer, Paris or even All We Know. Sure, there is plenty to like about the song, like most of the instrumental, or the lyrics, but the vocals definitely aren't the thing that people are going to like about this. Sure, Coldplay have their fans, but I'm not one of them, and I don't get the appeal of using them on a song like this. It needs to be upbeat and full of energy, and this isn't. It's really not a bad song though, and while the beat drop isn't great, it had grown on me a little more over the past few weeks. Something Just Like This is a little bit of a mixed bag: while it shows growing confidence for the Chainsmokers, it's another poor performance from Coldplay, and is the perfect example of a song being weaken by dodgy guest vocals.
7. New Man - Ed Sheeran (Chart Position - 6)Every Ed Sheeran song this week is using posts from previous weeks, as I intend to do a full album review at some point:
In contrast to most of the album (although not the singles released so far), this has a much more upbeat tempo. I think it makes a lovely contrast, and it shows the total range of Sheeran's voice. It's almost rap at points, but not quite, because it's a bit more skilfully controlled. I like the way this is a totally different breakup anthem to Happier - it's much more angsty, but without being over the top and irritating. A lovely companion piece to Happier, with a strong beat and strong vocals.
6. Happier - Ed Sheeran (Chart Position - 10)
Every Ed Sheeran song this week is using posts from previous weeks, as I intend to do a full album review at some point:
This song honestly reminds me of Cyndi Lauper's True Colors. I think it's something to do with the melodies, I think they might be pulled from that. Honestly, however, I think this is possibly better than that, because the lyrics on this are to die for. Seriously, they are fantastic. I love the rising beat, and the build up to the rousing finale that manages to feel perfectly placed to deliver the maximum emotional impact. And it's not a brag anthem! It's about a break-up, but it doesn't just tell a one-sided story. Rather, it's someone they were admitting they were wrong to do the things that they did, and they're glad the other person escaped. It's a beautiful song, and I love it. Not really much more to say.
5. Perfect - Ed Sheeran (Chart Position - 7)
Every Ed Sheeran song this week is using posts from previous weeks, as I intend to do a full album review at some point:
Another love song, but one that doesn't feel overwrought or soppy. Perfect is less of a love ballad, and more of a slow jam, but one that feels perfectly judged. In the same vein as Lego House or Thinking Of You, there's something very special about this song that's hard to elaborate on. The chorus is one of the strongest for a Sheeran song that I've heard, and I love the simple nature of the message. A triumph from start to finish.
4. Castle On The Hill - Ed Sheeran (Chart Position - 4)
Every Ed Sheeran song this week is using posts from previous weeks, as I intend to do a full album review at some point:
Now, of course, this song's been out for quite some time, but I don't think that's any great detriment upon this song. On the contrary, this song's longevity has been one of it's highlights. It's such a simple song, about the innocence of youth, about returning home to find everything's changed, about that feeling of returning to a place you haven't seen in years. Now, anyone can produce a song about those topics, but Sheeran manages to make it feel real. You're going through the experiences with him, and I think that's such a powerful image to have. Now, of course, Sheeran is a musical master, and while his lyrics and voice would be enough to sell this, he is aided by a fantastic beat and some excellent melodies that provide an excellent instrumental for this song. Castle On The Hill is one of the strongest songs of the year, and I think it's possibly a little bit of a minor classic, since it's mostly been overshadowed by Shape Of You. Fantastic.
3. Shape Of You - Ed Sheeran (Chart Position - 2)
Every Ed Sheeran song this week is using posts from previous weeks, as I intend to do a full album review at some point:
Of course this was going to be here. Shape Of You is undoubtedly Sheeran's greatest hit, and it's not hard to see why. It has such a relaxed feel to it in every element of production: the writing, the vocals, the melodies, the beat, everything just feels so relaxed and chilled. The story of simple physical attraction is wonderfully told, and it never amounts to anything more than it purports to be. I know I keep saying this about Sheeran, about his storytelling, but it is true - he does tell a story with his music. Each song is like a little short story that paints a world perfectly, but never outstays it's welcome. This is helped by Sheeran's voice, which, like every song on this list, is just phenomenal. He has an amazing instrument, and is totally in command of that instrument. That his songs have possibly the best production values on the chart is another positive. Sheeran has many different styles, all of which are executed successfully, and Shape Of You is the ultimate proof of that. The crowning glory in the career of one of the best artist's of the past decade. Simply amazing.
2. Galway Girl - Ed Sheeran (Chart Position - 1)
Every Ed Sheeran song this week is using posts from previous weeks, as I intend to do a full album review at some point:
Why wasn't this released as a single? This is fantastic! It's electronic, mixed with Irish river-dance, mixed with a wonderful acoustic sound. It shouldn't, by rights, work... but oh my God, it does! It's upbeat, slow, different and familiar all at the same time. It's simply about an Irish girl who has a one-night stand with Ed, and I love it's simplicity. It isn't pretentious about anything, just tells it like it is. And I love it. It's melody is simple, allowing it's barrage of styles to come together, and it doesn't outstay it's welcome either. It's nice and short, and it just works. Simply magical.
1. Symphony - Clean Bandit (feat. Zara Larsson) (Chart Position - 5)
Oh my word, another song by another artist has beaten Ed Sheeran? Sure, I love Sheeran's stuff, but this is new and exciting, and I like new and exciting things. And what's more new and exciting than Zara Larsson? Seriously, this girl is amazing! I'm so glad she finally has her first album out, because, having pick and mixed it, it's fabulous, and she definitely needed her album to truly show off how good she is. Her vocals here are fantastic: unlike on that terrible Euro anthem she did with David Guetta (which I still maintain wasn't here fault), they blend perfectly with the beat, indicating at least a competent level of collaboration between her and Clean Bandit. And Clean Bandit are back! Rockabye was just a blip! Regular followers will be aware that I was worried that Rockabye was going to be the in house style for future Clean Bandit, but Symphony has dispelled all my fears about that. Listening to this is like listening to Rather Be all over again: a sudden blot out of the blue that you weren't expecting, and instantly fall in love with. The melodies, the effects, the bridge, the ACTUAL LIVE INSTRUMENTS, this is perfection. Matching Clean Bandit with Zara Larsson has produced the same magic that matching them with Jess Glynne did. Spellbindingly good, this song has definitely set, or, at the very least matched, the high of 2017 so far. So, this is the Spotify Chart cross-compared with my listings for ease of reference:
Spotify:
1. Galway Girl - Ed Sheeran
2. Shape Of You - Ed Sheeran
3. Passionfruit - Drake
4. Castle On The Hill - Ed Sheeran
5. Symphony - Clean Bandit (feat. Zara Larsson)
6. New Man - Ed Sheeran
7. Perfect - Ed Sheeran
8. Blem - Drake
9. Something Just Like This - The Chainsmokers
10. Happier - Ed Sheeran
Me:
1. Symphony - Clean Bandit (feat. Zara Larsson)
2. Galway Girl - Ed Sheeran
3. Shape Of You - Ed Sheeran
4. Castle On The Hill - Ed Sheeran
5. Perfect - Ed Sheeran
6. Happier - Ed Sheeran
7. New Man - Ed Sheeran
8. Something Just Like This - The Chainsmokers
9. Passionfruit - Drake
10. Blem - Drake
So, join me next week, as we edge over the quarter way mark of the year. And join me later this week, when I'll be looking back over the past three months, and reviewing some of the most patchy charts for quite some time! Also, I'll be looking back at some of the most important songs from the period!
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