I’m looking forward to the day when I have more time to work on my music hobbies, including blog writing. That day is coming soon as I create my sunset on my daytime career later this summer. I’m sure kicking start the music industry again will need all the help it can get so that both big and small artists can flourish. But it all starts with the music, which is why I continue to want to share what I’m enjoying every two weeks with you all in the BILLCS Top 30 🙂
Gareth Emery stays at #1 by a proverbial hair with “You’ll Be OK” (with Annabel on vocals) and that’s largely thanks to his online performance last week called “High AF”, in which Gareth’s set used an L.A. backdrop from 71 stories up as the sun was setting. It was a great set which you can watch above along with the video for “You’ll Be OK”. You can check out his latest preview from his album The Lasers below called “Gunshots”.
“Rain On Me” by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande seems to be a sure bet for #1 in two weeks and is many people’s choice for song of the summer, and deservedly so. It’s the first time since Gaga has appeared in my Top 5 since “Applause” (#2, 2013) and is Ariana’s highest peaking song to date.
An 8 point jump by “Rain On Me” was not enough to become the Fastest Riser on the chart. That feat belongs to “Never Let Me Down” by Germany’s VIZE with British vocalist/songwriter Tom Gregory, which soars 17-7 thanks to it’s immediately recognizable and blazing, infectious hook. It will be a contender for the top.
Two other songs climb into the Top 10. The Weeknd’s “After Hours” (above) clocks in at over 6 minutes but it moves along briskly and influences from pals Daft Punk are felt throughout. It rises 12-8, becoming The Weeknd’s 5th trip to my Top 10, while L.A. producer Jerin James’ gracious and soulful debut “Birds and Bees” (below), featuring the voice of Deverano, leaps 15-10. From having a daughter who took competitive dance lessons for 10 years, I can visualize many a lyrical dance routine to this one (though a creative tap routine would also work)!
Alesso has been busy with online performances, as with one for Stella Sessions this past weekend, below. His underrated single “Midnight” (above), featuring an excellent vocal by Liam Payne, rises 14-11.
The more I play it, the more I love it. “Sleepwalking”, despite its title, has an amazingly energetic vibe about it courtesy of Win & Woo with vocalist Kyan Palmer, and it climbs 16-13. Other than remixes, it’s Win & Woo’s highest ranking song to date on the chart.
With designs set on the Top 10 very soon, the sultry and soulful “Save A Kiss” by Jessie Ware rises 21-14. Check out the slick PS1 remix above!
Loud Luxury was everywhere on the weekend, I caught them performing in two online festivals plus being interviewed on TV. The lads of course are promoting their EP Nights Like This to the hilt, and from that comes the rollicking “Aftertaste” featuring singer and co-writer Morgan St. Jean, moving up 20-15.
Out of the four debuts two weeks ago, Toronto singer/songwriter Tafari Anthony gets the biggest showing with a 29-21 move for the brusque but soulful “Centerfold”, which calls out a former lover in no uncertain terms.
I’m a bit of a latehead on the highest debut this week, but it’s also a perfect song for Pride month, quite obviously inspired by Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own” and it provides an alternate take on that song. “Dancing Next To Me” is the heartwarming, highly danceable first entry on my chart for Greyson Chance and it arrives at #24.
As “Lost Boy” slips to #26, Victor Perry’s first single from his upcoming EP Rewind arrives at #25. The gorgeous heartache of “What I Deserve” is being featured all this week on NYC’s Afterglow On Air from 7 to 9 a.m. so tune in to catch it in the mix!
One of my favourite singers returns to the chart for the first time since 2007 and that is Montreal-born Rufus Wainwright. He has a new album coming called Unfollow The Rules, which has been preceded by the EP “You Ain’t Big”. The whimsical title song, with one of Rufus’ best vocals in years, arrives at #27. “You Ain’t Big” is Rufus’ 14th chart entry. He has had three number ones: “April Fools”, “Foolish Love” (both 1998, from his debut album) and “California” (2001, from Poses).
The song that battled it out for the fourth debut on the chart is the emotional anthem “Leave It All Behind” by Florida’s Trivecta featuring vocalist Fagin. It comes from Trivecta’s EP Everyday, which I wrote about recently.
A reminder that the music from my chart and blog are featured regularly on the new online radio station Radio GTA. You can hear their Big 20 on Wednesday evenings with ‘The Musicman’ James Rogers and listen for songs from the chart too 🙂 Scroll down the station’s main page to listen to lots of variety from across the decades! I’m the new music consultant for the station so you can expect even more in 2020 🙂 You can start by joining our new interactive Facebook group too!!
View the full BILLCS Top 30 right here! Click on the hyperlink on the song titles to hear the songs or watch the videos!
Listen to the BILLCS Top 30 Songs on Spotify! Click on this link to take you there, and follow me on Spotify: BILLCS Top 30 Songs
Check out and ‘like’ the BILLCS Music Projects Facebook page 🙂
Want to see what I’ve been listening to and charting for the past 22 years? Rummage through the BILLCS Top 30 Archive (where you can click on the link within) when you have a chance!!
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