So, we're now into June. Nearly half way through the year, and the charts still seem to be stuck in this rut of terrible mediocrity. Very few of the songs on this list I'd call actively enjoyable, and some I'd say that I disliked or hated. Anyway, let's get started:
10. Swalla - Jason Derulo, Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign (Chart Position - 9)
This is still here. Seriously, there's nothing else that is better than this? This song is probably one of the worst things to chart this year, and I'm seriously losing patience with it. The whole thing is a mess, from start to finish, and it doesn't help that the artist's track records are so poor. This whole song feels like one extended joke that's gone very badly wrong. Please don't make me talk about this next week, I can barely talk about it now.
9. Despacito: Remix - Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee & Justin Bieber (Chart Position - 1)
I don't really understand why this is liked as much as it is. Sure, in previous weeks, I've written about how this song is so poor, with so many technical, lyrical and performance problems. But even if I was a Bieber fan, I don't see why this song is so loved by Bieber's fanbase. This is just so insubstantial: there's nothing to it! It's just a lightweight blob of blandness and nothing, that it makes me wonder why people are actually happy to put it at number 1. This song is nothing more than an insult to Bieber's fans, as Bieber's songs usually aren't blandly annoying. This is not what anyone was expecting, and I'm amazed this has even cranked the top 10, let alone get to number 1.
8. I'm The One - DJ Khaled, Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper & Lil Wayne (Chart Position - 2)
Again - don't understand why this is so loved? Sure, this has a much stronger beat than Despacito, but I feel like this is just too badly structured for it to have any technical merit. The main reason for this is, of course, obvious: there's simply too many people involved in the song, and too many of them seem to be coming from completely contradictory angles. Some of it is so clearly improvised, and it doesn't all meld together as well as it should. This song just feels like a mess, and it shows. Sure, elements like the instrumental are pretty decent, but a lot of it feels terribly forced. Another song that falls to bits the moment anyone looks at it, yet somehow is insanely popular.
7. Unforgettable - French Montana & Swae Lee (Chart Position - 3)
It's telling how poor the charts are when the top three songs languish near the bottom, alongside a ninth placed song that really should have seen better days. This is just boring, bland and uninspiring, simple as that. There's no new content here, and the content we have is just bland and dull. This is very, very poor, and there is no reason for this to be number 3. I just don't see how anyone could derive any pleasure from this song: it's so soulless and bland.
6. Strip That Down - Liam Payne & Quavo (Chart Position - 4)
Sorry, but I just can't like this. Every time I listen to this, I just think that this song really doesn't suit Liam Payne. Payne's vocals are quite light and airy, and this song feels like it needs a much deeper vocal for it to work. I just find this a massive mistake for him, which is a shame because I feel like he's very much committing to the style in question, unlike Zayn Malik who just ripped the Weeknd's style with no soul in it at all. However, the genre that Strip That Down is going for simply feels wrong for Payne, and it's a shame considering his commitment to the song in question. However, I'm still looking forward to more stuff from Payne coming soon, if he gives every song this level of commitment.
5. Mama - Jonas Blue & William Singe (Chart Position - 5)
I might have been a bit harsh on this song last week, however I still feel that some of my criticisms are justified. Some of the song feels very by-the-numbers: at this point, both EDM and Jonas Blue have done the same thing before, and, I would argue, a lot better as well. There's not really an awful lot that feels new, and this feels just like By Your Side or Perfect Strangers, but with some of the melodies and effects rearranged and changed. Sure, there's a strong performance from William Singe, but I don't feel like this song gives him sufficient range to stretch his abilities. Mama is a misstep for Jonas Blue, and a concerning one, especially since they seemed to be the ones holding EDM together. I sense a worrying future lies ahead for EDM.
4. There's Nothing Holding Me Back - Shawn Mendes (Chart Position - 6)
I feel like I'd just be repeating everything I've said before if I was to try and rewrite my previous thoughts, so I've decided to just copy my thoughts from last week. That will have to do, as I can't be bothered to re-write them:
I still think this has problems. There's Nothing Holding Me Back has grown on me, but I still feel like it needed a bit more work before it was released. The jumps between the relaxed, easy-going style of the verses and the full-on guitar riffs of the chorus just feel a bit odd and a bit bizarre. The rest of the song is pretty decent, however, and I think that, in some areas, it's Shawn Mendes' best song. Yet, the simple fact that the instrumental jumps from style to style prevents this from reaching it's true potential, and it's kept from being as highly-regarded by me and others as it could be. I reckon an acoustic version of this song could go down a treat.
3. Attention - Charlie Puth (Chart Position - 7)
The charts have reached full on mediocrity with these two entries. I mean, Puth's stuff has always been pretty average at best, but this is ridiculous. I think my thoughts from last week, accurately surmise my feeling towards Attention:
This is still pretty bland, run-of-the-mill Charlie Puth. If you've heard any Charlie Puth song before this, it's the sort of thing you would expect. Sure, there are some good aspects about it (such as the instrumental, which at least flows into each cord, unlike There's Nothing Holding Me Back), but the main thing that lets it down is Charlie's vocals. There's not enough energy there for the song that's being told. It's what let Marvin Gaye (the song, not the artist) down: he just doesn't quite have the push to give the song what it deserves. It doesn't help that his vocals get somewhat lost in the mix as well. Attention is really trying to be good, but unfortunately just misses out, despite trying as hard as it can.
2. Pretty Girl: Cheat Codes X CADE Remix - Maggie Lindemann, Cheat Codes & CADE (Chart Position - 10)
Now, I like this song... And yet, I'm not entirely sure why. It's not the sort of thing I normally like. In parts, the lyrics are obtuse and irritating. And it's a remix, and you all know my thoughts on remixes. And yet... I like it. Maybe it because it knows it's restrictions, and works within them. Maybe it's because it's just loud and out there, and we need that at the moment. Maybe because it feels like a feminist pop song that the Spice Girls would come up with, but is far, far less obtuse. Or maybe it's just one of those things - I like it, but I can't articulate it. That seems to be the way with a lot of songs from this year.
1. Symphony - Clean Bandit & Zara Larsson (Chart Position - 8)
I don't think I can repeat myself about this song again, so I'll just paste in my thoughts from last week to cover for it:
Symphony is a little ray of sunshine. I love the lightness of this, I really do. It's the perfect song for the airy summer weather we've been having: a bright, light tune that knows it's limits and doesn't try to overstep them. It helps that every element of the production is perfect, and all those elements are singing from the same hymn sheet. From the confident beat to the lovely melodies and Zara Larsson's amazing vocals, this song is exactly what we should have more of in the charts in summer: confidently produced light songs like this. A great piece of work.
So, this is the Spotify Chart cross-compared with my listings for ease of reference:
Spotify:
1. Despacito: Remix - Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee & Justin Bieber2. I'm The One - DJ Khaled, Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper & Lil Wayne
3. Unforgettable - French Montana & Swae Lee
4. Strip That Down - Liam Payne & Quavo
5. Mama - Jonas Blue & William Singe
6. There's Nothing Holding Me Back - Shawn Mendes
7. Attention - Charlie Puth
8. Symphony - Clean Bandit & Zara Larsson
9. Swalla - Jason Derulo, Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign
10. Pretty Girl: Cheat Codes X CADE Remix - Maggie Lindemann, Cheat Codes & CADE
Me:
1. Symphony - Clean Bandit & Zara Larsson
2. Pretty Girl: Cheat Codes X CADE Remix - Maggie Lindemann, Cheat Codes & CADE
3. Attention - Charlie Puth
4. There's Nothing Holding Me Back - Shawn Mendes
5. Mama - Jonas Blue & William Singe
6. Strip That Down - Liam Payne & Quavo
7. Unforgettable - French Montana & Swae Lee
8. I'm The One - DJ Khaled, Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper & Lil Wayne
9. Despacito: Remix - Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee & Justin Bieber
10. Swalla - Jason Derulo, Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign
Join me next week, where I expect I'll remain hopeful that the chart will change, and be disappointed when it doesn't...
10. Swalla - Jason Derulo, Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign (Chart Position - 9)This is still here. Seriously, there's nothing else that is better than this? This song is probably one of the worst things to chart this year, and I'm seriously losing patience with it. The whole thing is a mess, from start to finish, and it doesn't help that the artist's track records are so poor. This whole song feels like one extended joke that's gone very badly wrong. Please don't make me talk about this next week, I can barely talk about it now.
9. Despacito: Remix - Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee & Justin Bieber (Chart Position - 1)I don't really understand why this is liked as much as it is. Sure, in previous weeks, I've written about how this song is so poor, with so many technical, lyrical and performance problems. But even if I was a Bieber fan, I don't see why this song is so loved by Bieber's fanbase. This is just so insubstantial: there's nothing to it! It's just a lightweight blob of blandness and nothing, that it makes me wonder why people are actually happy to put it at number 1. This song is nothing more than an insult to Bieber's fans, as Bieber's songs usually aren't blandly annoying. This is not what anyone was expecting, and I'm amazed this has even cranked the top 10, let alone get to number 1.
8. I'm The One - DJ Khaled, Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper & Lil Wayne (Chart Position - 2)
Again - don't understand why this is so loved? Sure, this has a much stronger beat than Despacito, but I feel like this is just too badly structured for it to have any technical merit. The main reason for this is, of course, obvious: there's simply too many people involved in the song, and too many of them seem to be coming from completely contradictory angles. Some of it is so clearly improvised, and it doesn't all meld together as well as it should. This song just feels like a mess, and it shows. Sure, elements like the instrumental are pretty decent, but a lot of it feels terribly forced. Another song that falls to bits the moment anyone looks at it, yet somehow is insanely popular. 
7. Unforgettable - French Montana & Swae Lee (Chart Position - 3)It's telling how poor the charts are when the top three songs languish near the bottom, alongside a ninth placed song that really should have seen better days. This is just boring, bland and uninspiring, simple as that. There's no new content here, and the content we have is just bland and dull. This is very, very poor, and there is no reason for this to be number 3. I just don't see how anyone could derive any pleasure from this song: it's so soulless and bland.
6. Strip That Down - Liam Payne & Quavo (Chart Position - 4)
Sorry, but I just can't like this. Every time I listen to this, I just think that this song really doesn't suit Liam Payne. Payne's vocals are quite light and airy, and this song feels like it needs a much deeper vocal for it to work. I just find this a massive mistake for him, which is a shame because I feel like he's very much committing to the style in question, unlike Zayn Malik who just ripped the Weeknd's style with no soul in it at all. However, the genre that Strip That Down is going for simply feels wrong for Payne, and it's a shame considering his commitment to the song in question. However, I'm still looking forward to more stuff from Payne coming soon, if he gives every song this level of commitment.
5. Mama - Jonas Blue & William Singe (Chart Position - 5)
I might have been a bit harsh on this song last week, however I still feel that some of my criticisms are justified. Some of the song feels very by-the-numbers: at this point, both EDM and Jonas Blue have done the same thing before, and, I would argue, a lot better as well. There's not really an awful lot that feels new, and this feels just like By Your Side or Perfect Strangers, but with some of the melodies and effects rearranged and changed. Sure, there's a strong performance from William Singe, but I don't feel like this song gives him sufficient range to stretch his abilities. Mama is a misstep for Jonas Blue, and a concerning one, especially since they seemed to be the ones holding EDM together. I sense a worrying future lies ahead for EDM.4. There's Nothing Holding Me Back - Shawn Mendes (Chart Position - 6)
I feel like I'd just be repeating everything I've said before if I was to try and rewrite my previous thoughts, so I've decided to just copy my thoughts from last week. That will have to do, as I can't be bothered to re-write them:I still think this has problems. There's Nothing Holding Me Back has grown on me, but I still feel like it needed a bit more work before it was released. The jumps between the relaxed, easy-going style of the verses and the full-on guitar riffs of the chorus just feel a bit odd and a bit bizarre. The rest of the song is pretty decent, however, and I think that, in some areas, it's Shawn Mendes' best song. Yet, the simple fact that the instrumental jumps from style to style prevents this from reaching it's true potential, and it's kept from being as highly-regarded by me and others as it could be. I reckon an acoustic version of this song could go down a treat.
3. Attention - Charlie Puth (Chart Position - 7)
The charts have reached full on mediocrity with these two entries. I mean, Puth's stuff has always been pretty average at best, but this is ridiculous. I think my thoughts from last week, accurately surmise my feeling towards Attention:This is still pretty bland, run-of-the-mill Charlie Puth. If you've heard any Charlie Puth song before this, it's the sort of thing you would expect. Sure, there are some good aspects about it (such as the instrumental, which at least flows into each cord, unlike There's Nothing Holding Me Back), but the main thing that lets it down is Charlie's vocals. There's not enough energy there for the song that's being told. It's what let Marvin Gaye (the song, not the artist) down: he just doesn't quite have the push to give the song what it deserves. It doesn't help that his vocals get somewhat lost in the mix as well. Attention is really trying to be good, but unfortunately just misses out, despite trying as hard as it can.
2. Pretty Girl: Cheat Codes X CADE Remix - Maggie Lindemann, Cheat Codes & CADE (Chart Position - 10)Now, I like this song... And yet, I'm not entirely sure why. It's not the sort of thing I normally like. In parts, the lyrics are obtuse and irritating. And it's a remix, and you all know my thoughts on remixes. And yet... I like it. Maybe it because it knows it's restrictions, and works within them. Maybe it's because it's just loud and out there, and we need that at the moment. Maybe because it feels like a feminist pop song that the Spice Girls would come up with, but is far, far less obtuse. Or maybe it's just one of those things - I like it, but I can't articulate it. That seems to be the way with a lot of songs from this year.
1. Symphony - Clean Bandit & Zara Larsson (Chart Position - 8)
I don't think I can repeat myself about this song again, so I'll just paste in my thoughts from last week to cover for it:Symphony is a little ray of sunshine. I love the lightness of this, I really do. It's the perfect song for the airy summer weather we've been having: a bright, light tune that knows it's limits and doesn't try to overstep them. It helps that every element of the production is perfect, and all those elements are singing from the same hymn sheet. From the confident beat to the lovely melodies and Zara Larsson's amazing vocals, this song is exactly what we should have more of in the charts in summer: confidently produced light songs like this. A great piece of work.
So, this is the Spotify Chart cross-compared with my listings for ease of reference:
Spotify:
1. Despacito: Remix - Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee & Justin Bieber2. I'm The One - DJ Khaled, Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper & Lil Wayne
3. Unforgettable - French Montana & Swae Lee
4. Strip That Down - Liam Payne & Quavo
5. Mama - Jonas Blue & William Singe
6. There's Nothing Holding Me Back - Shawn Mendes
7. Attention - Charlie Puth
8. Symphony - Clean Bandit & Zara Larsson
9. Swalla - Jason Derulo, Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign
10. Pretty Girl: Cheat Codes X CADE Remix - Maggie Lindemann, Cheat Codes & CADE
Me:
1. Symphony - Clean Bandit & Zara Larsson
2. Pretty Girl: Cheat Codes X CADE Remix - Maggie Lindemann, Cheat Codes & CADE
3. Attention - Charlie Puth
4. There's Nothing Holding Me Back - Shawn Mendes
5. Mama - Jonas Blue & William Singe
6. Strip That Down - Liam Payne & Quavo
7. Unforgettable - French Montana & Swae Lee
8. I'm The One - DJ Khaled, Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper & Lil Wayne
9. Despacito: Remix - Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee & Justin Bieber
10. Swalla - Jason Derulo, Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign
Join me next week, where I expect I'll remain hopeful that the chart will change, and be disappointed when it doesn't...
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