Looking for some new music to add to your playlist, or just curious about what’s going on in the world right now? Here are some of the top songs of the year so far coming from Apple Music and the Billboard Hot 100.
There are many returning songs to the Hot 100 chart, but there are also some newly released ones that are still on the charts.
For example, in Drake’s new album For All The Dogs, many of the songs hit the Hot 100 list. Some notable songs are “IDGAF” featuring Yeat which is currently at #26 on the charts but peaked at #2. After listening to the song, I have given it a 7/10.
Another one of Drake’s songs that has hit the charts from the same album is “First Person Shooter” featuring J. Cole. The song itself right now is #25 on the charts but peaked at #1 for a long time. The rhyme scheme and the instrumental in the track makes it very catchy and pleasing to hear; I can understand why people love the song, I have given it a 9/10
Finally, one of the last Drake songs that was very popular from the album is “Virginia Beach” which solely features Drake. Currently, it stands at #58 on the charts, but it peaked at #3. After listening to it, I can understand why people loved this song, it is a very easily listenable song and it can get sad. Sad songs are very popular in the world as they are relatable, I have given it an 8/10 respectfully.
Up next is another artist that has risen in popularity over the years. Bad Bunny has once again shown incredible musical taste and some good lyricism when it comes to the music he puts out. I don’t speak Spanish myself, so I did look up English translations for the songs I listened to.
“MONACO” is currently #24 on the charts but when it was first released, it jumped quickly up to #5 where it peaked. The song has an excellent instrumental that draws the listener in and brings a sound to music that many may not be familiar with. Overall, for it being one of the few Bad Bunny songs I have listened to, I have given it a 7/10.
Another Bad Bunny song that has reached popularity is FINA, which also has Young Miko on the track. The song is currently not sitting at anything on the charts, but from the people I have talked to, the song has been extremely successful, and they enjoy listening to it. After listening to the song, I have given it an 8/10 as it is lyrically something I enjoy and something that I would listen to a lot.
Moving onto some stand-alone songs from popular artists, there are songs from Doja Cat, Taylor Swift, Jack Harlow, and Jung Kook. All of these artists have become very popular over several years and have built up a pretty big reputation in their areas of music. From pop/rap to K-pop, if any of those genres interest you, maybe try giving one of these a listen.
Moving to a song that has been on the charts for 15 weeks and has stayed in the top 3 spots on the Hot 100. “Paint the Town Red” by Doja Cat is a catchy rap/pop-like song. With its carefully thought-out lyricism, it has stayed in the top 3 spots, with a peak at #1 and currently standing at #3. After listening to the song for the first time through friends I knew it was going to be hard not to add it to my playlist and after careful thought, I have given it a 9.5/10.
Up next for two songs are Taylor Swift’s “Is It Over Now (Taylor’s Version)” and “Cruel Summer”.
“Is It Over Now (Taylor’s Version)” is a rerecorded song from one of Swift’s earlier albums. The song has been standing on the charts for 3 weeks and sits at #5. The song reminds me and many others think of the early to mid-2010s when it was first released. Swift has always written breakup and love songs and this is no exception, with such catchy and relatable lyrics, I have given this one a 9/10. Lastly, for Taylor Swift, we have “Cruel Summer”. This one has been returning to the charts for a couple of years now, and rightfully so. Many have described it as the perfect summer breakup song. This song currently stands in the #1 spot and has been on the charts for a total of 28 weeks. With the summer instrumentals and the emotion in Swift’s voice, I have given this one a 9.5/10.
An artist who has been featured on many songs over the years, Jack Harlow, has hit #2 on the Hot 100 with his song “Lovin on Me”. Despite its explicit language and words being spelled out, that is what gives the song its catchiest point. The way the song is built is what has made it so popular in my opinion. This song has landed its way into my playlist, and maybe yours, with a 9.75/10
Another artist who is very popular in the K-pop scene is Jung Kook. He has released a song titled “Seven” with Latto, and it has been on the charts for 15 weeks. Despite it peaking at #1, the song has steadily declined on the charts to #91. In light of that, I chose to listen with an open mind and found the rhythms and words to be incredibly catchy. The words got stuck in my head, especially the chorus. With that being said, I have given this song a 10/10 as it is an outstanding piece of music in my book.
Finally, we will leave this section of the article off with “I Remember Everything” by Zach Bryan. If you don’t know who Zach Bryan is, he is typically a more country singer from the songs I have heard. I don’t tend to listen to country, but this song in particular is the right blend of sad and country to which I found it to be a masterpiece. The song features Kacey Musgraves, a pretty popular artist as well, which most likely helped boost the popularity of the song. This song had me tearing up a bit, and therefore I feel that it deserves an 8/10 with its spot at #6 on the Hot 100.
Finally, to end this list of songs to try, we will be looking at a few different artists’ songs, Mariah Carey, Tate McRae, and Morgan Wallen. Each of these artists has a unique style, from new to old, these artists have made a name for themselves in their own way.
Starting strong, a classic Christmas song has returned to the charts to add to its 59 weeks on the charts. Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” has been a staple for years now when it comes to holiday songs. I’m sure many people have fond memories of listening to this when they were younger. The song itself is super catchy and can draw its listeners in every year. Currently, this stands at #17 but, of course, has peaked at #1 in the past. Despite that, I still find the song to get repetitive after a while, so I’ve given it a 9.5/10
Moving on, a newer artist has started climbing the charts in recent years. Tate McRae originally got her start in making music on YouTube. She has since broken into the streaming world and her new song “Greedy” has already hit #8 and continues to climb the charts. The song is easy and pleasant to listen to, with a very understandable message. I have given this new song an 8/10.
Finally, we have come to the end of this list of songs with “Last Night” by Morgan Wallen. As I have stated, a lot of people these days don’t like country right now, however, I feel is a classic country song that many people might find okay to listen to. It’s got the classic country accent, but the instrumental is not the same. It has a more pop-like feel to it, causing it to be more pleasant, at least for me. I have ended up rating this one a 7.5/10.