There are probably more than a few of you asking “Why on Earth is Aaron doing music reviews?” and that’s totally okay. Many of you might not know that I actually went to school for a couple years trying to get into Music Recording and Engineering, so I do have a pretty extensive music background. I actually used to do this segment in my Facebook notes a while back, so if you did some digging, you might be able to find my original Hot 100 reviews.
But anyway, I like to take a look at the Billboard Hot 100 and review the Top 10 songs on the list, because clearly I know so much about music. Remember this is just my personal taste, so if you like any of these songs, that’s completely okay. You ready? Let’s get started.
1. Halsey – Without Me – Last Week #2 – Weeks on Chart – 15
This is one of the only times where I actually really dig the first song on the list. There is a lot of modern pop music that drives me crazy, and believe me we will talk about it. But that isn’t the case with this song.
“Without Me” is made with loads of passion. That’s probably why it resonates with many of the listeners out there. It seems like every person has been in a relationship where you give everything to your significant other without any return prompting yourself to think “if you could live Without Me.” The vocals on this track are incredibly solid, and like I mentioned, you can really feel the passion going into this song.
Rating – 9.5/10
2. Post Malone & Swae Lee – Sunflower – Last Week – #1 – Weeks on Chart – 13
This song is featured with the new film “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (if you haven’t seen it, definitely check it out!), and definitely provides moments of levity in the film. But as a song, I do think it stands up well by itself. Personally I like the vocal performance of Swae Lee over Post Malone, but there isn’t a moment where Post Malone detracts from the song.
It’s a pretty simple arrangement that should intrigue the mass audience well. I actually enjoy this song a lot, but not quite as much as the Halsey track above.
Rating – 8/10
3. Travis Scott – Sicko Mode – Last Week #4 – Weeks on Chart – 24
Here is where we get to the portion of “I don’t really listen to this type of music” part of the program. I had only heard this song most likely in passing before doing this review, but I sat down and listened to it fully twice to get some thoughts together. It’s definitely not my style of music.
My biggest issue with this kind of music is when the words don’t fall into the beat of the song, but thankfully it all flows relatively well. It isn’t a song I’m going to be throwing into a playlist anytime soon, but it could be worse. In passing, I won’t seek to turn it off. It’s fine.
Rating 5/10
4. Panic! at the Disco – High Hopes – Last Week #5 – Weeks on Chart – 24
I definitely had some Panic! in my playlists growing up, and Brendon Urie is a ridiculously talented vocalist. As far as pop music goes, it fits the bill well. It’s catchy, upbeat, and fun to dance with. It’s not my favorite song Panic! has released, but it’s a worthy competitor.
It helps that I’ve heard this song a lot just watching the MLB Network. It’s a solid track. Urie is strong, and the backup vocals definitely add a lot to this song. Panic! still has it.
Rating – 8/10
5. Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next – Last Week #3 – Weeks on Chart – 11
There isn’t anything particularly wrong with song, but I find it incredibly annoying whenever I listen to it. It’s similar to Halsey’s “Without Me” in that it hits an emotional chord with many listeners who have dealt with crappy relationships in their past. This track takes a different approach, where I don’t feel the passion that I feel in “Without Me.” To me this song comes off a little cheesy.
The beat and the instrumentation are fine. It’s actually a pretty simple pop song, but for some reason it just annoys me a lot. But that’s where this becomes opinionated. I’m sure there are tons of listeners who like this song. But personally I do not.
Rating – 5.5/10
6. Marshmello & Bastille – Happier – Last Week #6 – Weeks on Chart – 22
There is “electronic” music that can be really aggressive, but that isn’t the case with “Happier” where the lead singer of Bastille, Dan Smith, really makes this song work. I’ve been a fan of Bastille for a while, so having him attached to this track was nice to see.
This track really gets you… well Happier. It makes you wanna get up and dance with it and make others around you Happier as well. Another solid track in the top 10… who would have thought?
Rating – 8/10
7. Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B – Girls Like You – Last Week #7 – Weeks on Chart – 34
I actually downloaded this song a while back when it first came out. Except it was the version without Cardi B. Personally I don’t think she adds anything to this song. I’m not a fan of her music so I think she makes this song worse. But as a whole, I think it’s still a pretty solid track. Simple acoustic guitar intro turns into a really catchy pop/rock track.
Seriously, if Cardi B wasn’t in this song, I’d probably rate it higher, but as I said, I don’t think she adds anything to it, so with that, I have to be honest in my rating.
Rating – 7/10 (9/10 without)
8. Lil Baby & Gunna – Drip Too Hard – Last Week #8 – Weeks on Chart – 18
I’d probably like this song more if I could understand the words… The beat is fine. But for crying out loud, I have no idea what they are singing about. Fun fact, this song is supposedly in English. So that’s new.
I don’t have much else to say about this. Not a fan personally. Probably should have known with names like “Lil Baby and Gunna” but oh well.
Rating – 3/10
9. Post Malone – Wow – Last Week #11 – Weeks on Chart – 4
Post Malone makes another spot on the list with “Wow” coming in at #9. For the record, outside of Sunflower above, I’m not really a fan of Post Malone. I find myself wondering what he is saying just like how I was with Lil Baby above. This song doesn’t add much for me.
For the lyrics I can hear, there isn’t much substance to this song in my opinion. I don’t see the appeal, but if you listen to and like it, more power to you.
Rating – 5/10
10. Kodak Black ft. Travis Scott and Offset – Keze – Last Week #10 – Weeks on Chart – 14
I’ll start off by saying I don’t dislike the tropical vibe that goes on throughout this track. It’s definitely a unique choice and I think it works relatively well, so I give them kudos for that choice.
This goes into the same category of “can’t understand a lot of the lyrics” and “no substance” tracks. It’s… fine? I’m not really getting much from it. I don’t think it needed collaborations from 3 artists, but if that’s the way they roll, then cool I guess.
Rating – 5/10
Wrap-Up
There were some surprisingly solid tracks in this weeks top 10, as well as some duds. I’m not going to do this every week, because there might be a lot of songs in the overflow, but I intend to do this at least once a month to see any new songs that pop through. In that time, maybe I’ve changed my mind on some songs I didn’t like previously.
Did you agree with my assessment? What are your thoughts? Send me a tweet @AaronArchCity
Thanks for Reading
Aaron M.
