10) Song: Nasty Freestyle
Artist: T-Wayne
Aaaaaaand we're starting off with the worst song currently in the top 10. Yaaaaay. -_____-
Yeah, there is absolutely no redeeming quality to this song whatsoever. The beat is just this dismal mess of synth and piano cords, T-Wayne's autotuned vocals are not that listenable, and there's no connection at all anywhere within the lyrics. It's just this huge word salad of rap cliches and stupid, mind numbing punchlines. If you needed further proof as to just how much Vine hits usually suck (I would say all of them do, but Turn Down For What and Hot Boy exist), then this is it. Obviously, this one's getting a big fat 0/5.
9) Song: Sugar
Artist: Maroon 5
Talk about a complete 180. Seriously, Maroon 5 went from Animals, one of their worst singles, to Sugar, which is easily one of their best. The thing about this song is that it's just so much damn fun. I like the funky instrumentation that has a lot of texture to it, and I'm really into Adam Levine's performance on this song (yes, even the falsetto). Even the lyrics are pretty good. All they're about is just needing some good loving every now and then. A simple concept, but it's one that I think was handled pretty well in this song. This is definitely going on the best list at the end of the year. 5/5
8) Song: Hey Mama
Artist: David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha, & Afrojack
Speaking of surprises, here's a song by David Guetta, usually thought not to make very good music (and, in some cases, lives up to that) that's actually pretty great. I do have a few technical gripes such as how monotonous the flow of the verses can get along with the fact that a line from Birthday Cake (one of the worst songs EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) was used for the chorus, but aside from that, yeah, it's really good. Guetta and Afrojack did a really good job with this beat and how energetic, wild, and chaotic it is while keeping it sounding good, Nicki's performance is great, and Bebe Rexha's vocals are amazing. While I don't really buy Minaj as a standard cooking and cleaning housewife, like, at all, it doesn't really come off that way to me. It's really more of an "I'll be faithful to you and right by your side" type of deal, which I can get behind. Overall, pretty good. 4/5
7) Song: Want To Want Me
Artist: Jason DeRulo
Another funky song? Hell yeah. I'll be damned if this isn't DeRulo's best single to date. Everything from the instrumentation to the vocals right down to the lyrics is just so full of life and passion that it's hard to deny. Every element of this song feels very cohesive, and it all culminates in to this wonderful piece of music. I don't think I need to tell you that this is a 5/5 song for me, but I will just to inform you. Also, is it just me, or is anyone else reminded of late 80s to early 90s synthpop from this?
6) Song: Earned It
Artist: The Weeknd
.png)
So.............people hate this song?
I gotta be honest, I wasn't expecting anything good to come out of the trash that is 50 Shades Of Grey, but to my amazement, we got TWO amazing songs out of it, and believe me, I'll be talking about Love Me Like You Do later this year. Earned It is just a sexy song, pure and simple. It's orchestral production, the chamberish feel that works surprisingly well, oddly enough, with the atmosphere in the song, and The Weeknd's voice is smooth and beautiful. I don't think I'll ever forgive him for being the guy who said "do you like the way I flick this tongue or nah," but as long as he continues to make songs like this, I just may be able to forget about it. 5/5
5) Song: Uptown Funk
Artist: Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars
_(Official_Single_Cover).png)
Everybody and their third uncles twice removed have already praised this song to high heaven, and really, can you blame them? The funky instrumentation, the sheer amount of force and energy in this song, Bruno Mars' charisma and excellent voice, everything about this song is just plain fun. Sure, it's a song where Bruno Mars brags about how awesome he is, but never once does it ever feel like he's being condescending to the listener nor does he ever come across as insulting. In fact, at the end, he actively encourages the crowd to join in with him. 5/5, no doubt.
4) Song: Shut Up & Dance
Artist: Walk The Moon
.png)
I got this song alllllll the way back when it was free on iTunes, and let me just say, easily the best free song I picked up from there. When it comes to a song that aims to be nothing more than just a glittery, fun pop-rock jam, man does Shut Up & Dance deliver. The bouncy instrumentation with its rollicking guitar work and shiny synthesizers combine perfectly with Nicholas Petricca's vocals, and the whole thing is just a huge jam. Also, can we just take a minute to discuss how much fun that music video looks? No? Okay. Whatever, the song's still a 5/5 (wow, there are a lot of those in the top 10 this week),
3) Song: Trap Queen
Artist: Fetty Wap
Look guys, I tried. I tried to hate this song. I claimed for the longest time that I absolutely despised this song. However, no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't resist the infectious amount of silliness that this song has to offer. Sure, the lyrics are nothing special, but it really is Fetty Wap's loose delivery and the production that hold this song together. Oh my god, I can't believe how much I like this song. This is really embarrassing. 4/5
2) Song: Bad Blood
Artist: Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar
.png)
1989, let me just say, is a phenomenal record, not to mention Taylor Swift's best record by a country (or should I say pop :P ) mile. Shake It Off, Blank Space, and Style were all amazing songs, and you can bet your bottom dollar that I was excited as heck to find out what the fourth single was. So how is Bad Blood, exactly? It's......okay. K-Dot easily steals the spotlight with amazing flow, a ton of energy, and a plethora of clever punchlines, and T-Swizzle's voice is amazing as always with a really well done chorus. The beat, however, while not terrible at all, is pretty weak and is mostly percussion. Also, Taylor pretty much just handed the song to Kendrick. She really doesn't do much aside from sing the chorus and bridge. This is definitely not as good as the album version, which is actually quite a bit better. As a whole, I do like this song, just not nearly as much as I'd like to, so I'll give this one a 3/5.
1) Song: See You Again
Artist: Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth
.png)
Well, who knew Wiz knew how to be good at rapping about something other than weed? And actually be BETTER at it? Guys, I've found my favorite hit song of the year so far. The rapping is done with so much passion and heart that it really does tug at my heartstrings, and same with Charlie Puth's chorus (seriously, his vocals are amazing). Let's be real here, though, it really is the lyrics that drive this thing home (no pun intended). Even ignoring the fact that this is a tribute to the late Paul Walker, this song is still emotional and well written as
So yeah, as a whole, this week of the Billboard top 10 scores a 4.1/5. That's an amazing score, and all of those 5/5's definitely help. Let's hope the top 10 stays awesome. I'm Halston, and I'll see you guys next time.
