We compile our Top Tunes playlists from songs that have charted in the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the previous month.
Occasionally, something strange happens when a big album gets released. Many songs which end up not being hits chart in the top 10. This happened this month with Drake, and his album Scorpion.
7/7: 2 spots in the top 10
-- #6 "Nice For What"
-- #9 "God's Plan"
7/14: 7 spots in the top 10
7/21: 3 spots in the top 10
-- #1 "In My Feelings"
-- #4 "Nice For What" (14 weeks on chart)
-- #6 "God's Plan" (25 weeks on chart)
In the last few months I've seen it happen two other times. Post Malone and J. Cole. Neither of these were as big as Scorpion, so I'll expand to the top twenty to show the point.
Post Malone first:
5/5: 1 spot in top 20
-- #5 "Psycho"
5/12: 8 spots in top 20
5/19: 2 spots in top 20
-- #4 "Psycho" (11 weeks on chart)
-- #13 "Rockstar" (34 weeks on chart)
J. Cole had no songs in the top 20 week of 4/28 or 5/12, but 6 the week of 5/5.
A chart topper is a chart topper, but it can be misleading in this era to call a chart topper a "hit."
#1 NICE FOR WHAT / Drake
Erin - ⭐️⭐️ "Leave it on" Well, it would appear we found the song of the summer. As much as I ignore Drake, I look forward to hearing this song on summer playlists in the future, and in the mix on oldies stations eventually.
Matt - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "My jam" When Drake was coming back this Spring with his feature on "Look Alive" and then releasing "God's Plan," I said things like "I'm over Drake." Then he goes ahead and releases this number, and I still can't get enough of it. Sampling, cutting, chopping, crowd interaction. The gamut. Love it.
#2 I LIKE IT / Cardi B
Erin - ⭐️⭐️ "Leave it on" “I like texts from my exes when they want a second chance.” This song has been on the radio too long for me to turn it up every time it comes on, but I will interrupt a conversation to sing along to that line. Perfect example of Cardi B at her best. The cadence and rhyming scheme is just too good.
Matt - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Turn it up" Can't give it four stars, because it does drag on a bit, passing the four-minute mark. I do love the smoldering hot vibe of the track and the rollicking, off-balance beat. Summer party time.
#3 IN MY FEELINGS / Drake
Erin - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Turn it up" It’s that time of summer when summer romances are either heating up or cooling down, so it’s the perfect time for deeper summer jams. I have to give Drake more credit than I do. He’s undoubtedly talented and hardworking, and knows when to drop an album or a single (even if it feels like intentional and more perpetual sometimes).
Matt - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "My jam" A new entry, but I'm about it. A departure from "Nice For What" but expands on the parts of that song that made it so good.
#4 NO TEARS LEFT TO CRY / Ariana Grande
Erin - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "My jam" Avid readers may have noticed that my star ranking went up and this is also my first 4 star ranking. Ariana is doing some cool stuff with her new work and it creeps up on you. I liked this out of the gate but instead of wearing me down, I’m more into it than ever. I can’t wait to see what her upcoming album, Sweetener, has in store.
Matt - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "My jam" Still blazing. Hyped for the album.
#5 GIRLS LIKE YOU / Maroon 5
Erin - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Turn it up" Any other longtime Maroon 5 fans out there? I’ve been with them since Harder to Breath and Songs About Jane, and while they definitely slumped for a while, they’re back. Or I’m getting old. Either way, chat me in the comments with your thoughts on their career progression. I don’t have enough characters to even get started.
Matt - ⭐️ "Turn it off" Wow, even Cardi B couldn't make this one interesting. I wonder if Levine has a deal with one of those companies that makes lullabies out of pop hits. This one wouldn't need much tweaking.
#6 BOO'D UP / Ella Mai
Erin - ⭐️⭐️ "Leave it on" **See note above about summer romances heating up/cooling off. It feels like this song comes to us from another era. It’s so deep and soulful I can’t believe it’s hitting the top 10 but I’m so glad it is. I’m thinking we have an evergreen on our hands.
Matt - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Turn it up" A wonderful song to break up the pop radio routine. Warm, earnest, patient, endearing. Synths so warm, drum sounds so controlled and present. The song's production puts it in the current moment, but aside from that, the song seems to look backwards musically, not forward. Which is fine, and adds to the comfortability of listening to it. My point is that, by nestling itself into the canon of romantic slow jams, it risks losing its own voice. I'm not sure what the future holds for Ella Mai.
#7 LUCID DREAMS / Juice WRLD
Erin - ⭐️ "Turn it off" Anyone else getting a little Dashboard Confessional feel from the vocals and emo lyrics? I’m imagining this is the anthem for incoming college freshmen who were just dumped by their high school sweethearts. It’s not a bad choice. The imagery is creative, the rhythm is great, and while I’m not sure Juice WRLD is mainstream enough to keep hitting the top ten, this track will undoubtedly bring fans to a solid full album.
Matt - ⭐️ "Turn it off" It's cool that acts like Juice WRLD and XXXTENTACION have found commercial success through a truly DIY apparatus. (Streaming, etc.) There is a feeling of a genre being born. Low fidelity, amateur production techniques, earnest lyrics, if at times navel-gazing and sophomoric. Like with hip hop, punk, and rock and roll, the production and lyrics alienate older listeners (like me, thus the one star rating), which creates a feeling of inclusion for fans of the songs. Songs that manage to float to the top do, however, tend to exploit some traditional pop tendency. A sweet vocal hook, interesting word play, a tight groove. Streaming seems to be leading us to a global culture, where the freedom of choice can make anyone a star, but holding on to that stardom is even harder. I'm watching this movement.
