It's a seminal moment in every summer - the party's are amping up, June is rounding the corner and we're about to dive crotch-first into the Independence Day Week. This is one of the most important moments in our Summer and also our lives. We're about to crest the half-way point of this long, arduous Summer that shows no sign of ending. It's time for another wave of jams, though. Let's dive in!
Hot Jam of the Week: "Soulmate" by Lizzo
There were a lot of new jams this week, but the most notable is probably Lizzo, who teamed up with an animated Queer Eye team for a nice positive self-image video for us this summer. This isn't really that catchy or innovative of a Lizzo track and the Queer Eye inclusion isn't all that strong but it's fun. I don't think this hits the heights of Lizzo Summer 2019 but it could be fun for a bit.
"Roses" by SAINT jhN
This track pops up again, but just barely on our radar. It's still a fun, throbbing track that's actually been hovering quite a bit on the periphery of ubiquity this week. I like it, it's fine and actually still doing well enough to find a spot here. I heard it a bit this week. It's good. I really don't have much else to say at this point. Another first! Oh, Summer 2020.
"Rain on Me" by GaGa and Ariana
After a few weeks off, this blasts back on the Winner's List. Okay, I will admit this is starting to grow on me. The beginning has an "Edge of Glory" feel which is always spectacular and the collabo is tight. I'd like something more than the cookie cutter 80s pop revival beat, but it's fine for now. It's doing okay chart-wise and could actually hang around for a bit.
"Whats Poppin" by Jack Harlow ft. everyone
The beat is a little sparse for me and it seems like a cash grab collabo, but it actually feels very modern to me, which gets it points here. More importantly, it's burning up Spotify and seems to fit a lot of needs, which could mean it gains some traction as a notable summer jam. I could never listen to this again and be pretty happy, but it's always possible it gains speed. It probably will. I've never felt older, which is a good sign.
"Watermelon Sugar" by Harry Styles
This track has definitely been on and off the charts, and to be honest, it doesn't totally fit he prototype of what's popular right now. It feels way more like a 2013-kind of white boy crossover R&M. Having said all that it's more amazing that it's still doing well. It's a great summer song, after all. I could go for some watermelon.
"Party Girl" by StaySolidRocky
Alright, this track has been here and there for a while now, and I still think it pretty much sucks, but it's been a pretty empty week. We're definitely leaning more streaming than radio this week. It should be no real surprise that these tracks aren't that Top 40 friendly. It's almost as if most of the country is blindingly racist. Weird. Weird thoughts. The flow is a little slow and slurry here for my taste, but it's good enough to acknowledge as a something this summer.
"Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd
I don't even know how this got the #2 position. I was just kind of looking through everything and this feel on my lap. I heard it maybe once, but it's got a good combo of radio, streaming, Billboard, and me liking it right now. It's very solidified right now as an early contender, but still has a half of summer to get through. That hasn't always been kind to these early leaders. We'll see!
"Rockstar" by DaBaby ft. Roddy Rich
After a lot of weeks being the presumptive number one in an otherwise vaccuum, "Rockstar" killed it this week. I was tempted to throw the remix down as the Hot Jam and possibly also throw it here as the #1 again. It's not too weird for a track to be on this list twice in one week, right? Dropping a new video this week seals it and it's doing fantastic by all our metrics, including liking it at this point. The BLM remix also feels of the moment in a time where not many other tracks are finding the voice to respond, despite a national community yearning for this kind of thoughtful catharsis.
Next week...
There were a handful of big releases this week that are pretty bad and will probably never see much action this summer. Katy Perry tried her hand at Gay Anthem "Daisies" which is so derivative that at one point "Swish Swish" literally starts playing instead. I just don't think the gay community needs Katy Perry as their spokesperson. Also, this is totally a quarantine video, but not very well done. Doja Cat dropped "Like That" which seems really manufactured and not nearly the earworm of "Say So." Then there's the usual culprits. Also, for some reason, this is the #1 song in the country. It's not very good.
Hot Jam of the Week: "Soulmate" by Lizzo
There were a lot of new jams this week, but the most notable is probably Lizzo, who teamed up with an animated Queer Eye team for a nice positive self-image video for us this summer. This isn't really that catchy or innovative of a Lizzo track and the Queer Eye inclusion isn't all that strong but it's fun. I don't think this hits the heights of Lizzo Summer 2019 but it could be fun for a bit.
"Roses" by SAINT jhN
This track pops up again, but just barely on our radar. It's still a fun, throbbing track that's actually been hovering quite a bit on the periphery of ubiquity this week. I like it, it's fine and actually still doing well enough to find a spot here. I heard it a bit this week. It's good. I really don't have much else to say at this point. Another first! Oh, Summer 2020.
"Rain on Me" by GaGa and Ariana
After a few weeks off, this blasts back on the Winner's List. Okay, I will admit this is starting to grow on me. The beginning has an "Edge of Glory" feel which is always spectacular and the collabo is tight. I'd like something more than the cookie cutter 80s pop revival beat, but it's fine for now. It's doing okay chart-wise and could actually hang around for a bit.
"Whats Poppin" by Jack Harlow ft. everyone
The beat is a little sparse for me and it seems like a cash grab collabo, but it actually feels very modern to me, which gets it points here. More importantly, it's burning up Spotify and seems to fit a lot of needs, which could mean it gains some traction as a notable summer jam. I could never listen to this again and be pretty happy, but it's always possible it gains speed. It probably will. I've never felt older, which is a good sign.
"Watermelon Sugar" by Harry Styles
This track has definitely been on and off the charts, and to be honest, it doesn't totally fit he prototype of what's popular right now. It feels way more like a 2013-kind of white boy crossover R&M. Having said all that it's more amazing that it's still doing well. It's a great summer song, after all. I could go for some watermelon.
"Party Girl" by StaySolidRocky
Alright, this track has been here and there for a while now, and I still think it pretty much sucks, but it's been a pretty empty week. We're definitely leaning more streaming than radio this week. It should be no real surprise that these tracks aren't that Top 40 friendly. It's almost as if most of the country is blindingly racist. Weird. Weird thoughts. The flow is a little slow and slurry here for my taste, but it's good enough to acknowledge as a something this summer.
"Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd
I don't even know how this got the #2 position. I was just kind of looking through everything and this feel on my lap. I heard it maybe once, but it's got a good combo of radio, streaming, Billboard, and me liking it right now. It's very solidified right now as an early contender, but still has a half of summer to get through. That hasn't always been kind to these early leaders. We'll see!
"Rockstar" by DaBaby ft. Roddy Rich
After a lot of weeks being the presumptive number one in an otherwise vaccuum, "Rockstar" killed it this week. I was tempted to throw the remix down as the Hot Jam and possibly also throw it here as the #1 again. It's not too weird for a track to be on this list twice in one week, right? Dropping a new video this week seals it and it's doing fantastic by all our metrics, including liking it at this point. The BLM remix also feels of the moment in a time where not many other tracks are finding the voice to respond, despite a national community yearning for this kind of thoughtful catharsis.
Next week...
There were a handful of big releases this week that are pretty bad and will probably never see much action this summer. Katy Perry tried her hand at Gay Anthem "Daisies" which is so derivative that at one point "Swish Swish" literally starts playing instead. I just don't think the gay community needs Katy Perry as their spokesperson. Also, this is totally a quarantine video, but not very well done. Doja Cat dropped "Like That" which seems really manufactured and not nearly the earworm of "Say So." Then there's the usual culprits. Also, for some reason, this is the #1 song in the country. It's not very good.
No comments:
Post a Comment