Pop Shots – A Look At The Charts
Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is hitting you with a little Billboard singles chart analysis, as we have a bevy a familiar names, and voices, on the Billboard Hot 100, including some of the pop’s most powerful women, a reigning queen of country, and a band that’s on the verge of making a big comeback.
The rankings are taken from this past Wednesday’s chart, and since this is Pop Shots, you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
Musically, Ariana Grande has been in my “can do no wrong” category for quite some time – basically, since her 2013 debut album, Yours Truly. Her latest single, “No Tears Left To Cry,” is a bit of a throwback to that era. Her vocals are, as always, ridiculously amazing, and the production has hints of ‘90s R&B, which is part of what originally drew me to her music back in the day. The end result is a single that has “song of the summer” written all over it.
Expect to hear “No Tears Left To Cry” blasting at high volumes from cars all the way until the fall. And yes, that includes my car.
Most of you know I’ve always liked Taylor Swift. Her career has taken some interesting turns, and while her foray into pop has been wildly successful, and I’ve enjoyed a lot of the music, Red era Taylor will likely always be my favorite version of Taylor. I just really enjoyed when there was still a hint of country in her music.
That said, her latest single, “Delicate,” even with it’s computer vocal tricks, is an undeniably great song, and a nice return to form – at least pop form – after the bass heavy “Ready For It,” which I’m not sure most folks were truly ready for … at least not from Taylor.
Selena Gomez hasn’t released a new album since 2015, but over the past few years she’s become the queen of singles, and guest appearances. Her collaborations with Kygo (“It Ain’t Me”), and Marshmello (“Wolves”) have been radio mainstays, and her single “Bad Liar” was a pretty big hit, as well.
I’m not sure if she has some sort of magic touch when it comes to making pop songs, but Selena’s latest, “Back To You,” which is off of the 13 Reasons Why – Season 2 Soundtrack, is yet another fantastic addition to her growing collection of hits, and I’m starting to wonder if she has special powers.
Talk about a slow build, “Sit Next To Me” was originally released in July of 2017, and it’s just now beginning its rise up the chart.
You may remember Foster The People from their mega-hit “Pumped Up Kicks,” which was released in the fall 2010, and was one of the biggest songs of 2011. With “Sit Next To Me” – a song that would never make any Mean Girls playlist – becoming ever-present, it looks like the band has found the perfect comeback single.
A country pop ballad about letting the tears flow, Carrie Underwood has once again knocked it out of the park with killer vocals, and emotional lyrics that are sure to connect with listeners.
I could easily see this song becoming an anthem, as it’s relatable not just for break ups, but for basically any kind of loss, or sadness. As she sings “let it flow like a river,” she’s essentially telling us it’s OK to feel sadness, and that’s an affirmation a lot of people need to hear.
And with that, my time is up for the week, but I'll be back next week with more shots on all things pop.
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