Occasionally, I don’t mind dressing down some big business and their desensitized executives, but the new #1 on the BILLCS Top 30 manages to take care of all of that for all of us!
Check out information about my ONLINE RADIO SHOWS after the chart commentary below as they are directly tied in with this blog. As most of you know, I host 3 online radio shows – the all-Canadian The MAPL Tapes, and two iterations of Your Weekend New Music Mix – and produce The MAPL Tapes and 2 online radio segments – my new music and retro picks of the week – that are all pre-recorded. The MAPL Tapes, and the picks of the week are happily being syndicated and you can find the current schedule for all at the bottom of the home page of this blog.
Toronto’s Scott Helman gets his first #1 on the chart with a fun indie release that generated enough virality in music circles online to get past the million mark in streams, the irrefutable “Mr. Record Label”. Scott also performed recent dates in Denver and New York City, so hopefully coming back to Canada for some shows in 2027 will be in order.
Will Swinton is back in the Top 5 of the chart, following up his #1 from earlier this year “Better Off”, with “Hate My Guts” (above) climbing 6-3. His most recent single is “You’ll Always Be Mine”, which you can check out below.
Alex Sampson’s super-infectious “Misery” is not an easy song to let go of, and accordingly the track from his EP Growing Pains reaches another new peak, up 5-4.
Toronto’s Kinga and Sweden’s legendary dance producer StoneBridge make two of a perfect pair, and their collaboration on “Just Play the Music” (above) climbs 7-5. And if that’s not enough Kinga for you, the Luv Foundation (UK) remix of the super-energetic “Pump” (below) continues its rise, 22-18.
Using your soaring voice as one of a song’s hooks is always a fab idea, and Toronto indie performer Siobhan Bodrug hits it out of the park with “Monster” rising 11-8.
The Fastest Riser on the chart should by all rights be a radio hit. Co-produced by Felix Cartal, Rêve’s exuberant dance track “Devour” soars 16-9.
Sonny Fodera and Hayla arrive in the Top 10 together for the first time with the album track “Only Thing That Matters” (13-10) from Sonny’s album Can We Do It All Again. It’s Sonny’s fourth Top 10 appearance and Hayla’s seventh. Sonny has had two #1’s, and Hayla has had four.
“Have I Been Good to You” by L.A. indie artist Ian Cobiella climbs 17-13 and has a delightful chorus containing one of my favourite verses right now: “How much greater could you be / When I can only catch my breath when you sleep”. Brilliant!
The light dance pop of Natalie Imbruglia’s “Just Drive” might be the tonic that you need at the moment, so give it a listen, particularly if you enjoy the music of Robyn. It rises 20-15 and comes from Natalie’s new album Algorithm.
Did you know that the song which is interpolated in “Who Can Dance” (26-20) by UK dance producer WH0 reached #1 on the BILLCS Top 30 back in 1999? And that’s “U Don’t Know Me” by Armand van Helden featuring Duane Harden, which samples the disco hit by Carrie Lucas, “Dance with You”. “U Don’t Know Me” was also my #7 song of 1999.
The accolades continue for Nanaimo, B.C.’s Cameron Whitcomb, who won three Canadian Country Music Awards over the weekend, including Entertainer of the Year. “Kingdom of Fear” might be the biggest radio hit by a Canadian artist this year, being played across all pop formats as well as country radio, and it climbs 27-21.
Leading the debuts this week is the touching and danceable “Happiness Is So Sad” by Swedish House Mafia and fellow Swede, singer/songwriter Lykki Li, at #26. It’s the debut release for the newly indie dance production trio’s label DANSA Records. It’s the fourth chart entry for the trio, who have been to #1 twice with 2012’s “Don’t You Worry Child” (with John Martin) and 2024’s “Finally” (with Alicia Keys).
Next at #27, Greyson Chance is back with one of his most personal tracks to date, “Dirty Laundry”. But it’s got a danceable piano house rhythm to counter some prickly lyrics at time, and makes for a unique and memorable song. It’s Greyson’s 10th chart entry.
Rounding out the debuts at #28 is the first chart entry for none other than Carly Rae Jepsen, from her new double album Day and Night called “Don’t Leave Me on the Dance Floor”. It’s never too late to chart with the right song. Her 2017 release “Cut to the Feeling” could have made the chart but I didn’t get in to it until long after it had peaked, and it remains my favourite by her to date. I may have got sick of “Call Me Maybe” but the video is still an enjoyable watch.
ONLINE RADIO SHOWS
You can hear me and many of my blog choices on this growing list of online radio stations and features!
The MAPL Tapes offers the best of Canadian music past and present, and can be heard Mondays at 6pm EST as well as on five other stations between Monday and Sunday.
On Saturdays and Sundays from 8pm to Midnight EST I bring you “Your Weekend New Music Mix”, four hours of commercial-free music from the 2000’s including many song choices from this blog. My New Music Pick of the Week is played both days at 10pm ET, and airs several times during the week on other stations. You can view its schedule by clicking at the following link: Schedule.
The 3D Variety Show by Planet Radio Canada (which returns tomorrow evening after a two week break)
I’m featured Tuesdays between 7 and 7:30 pm EST with my Retro Pick of the Week on the live online radio show “The 3D Variety Show”, powered by www.xstreamrockradio.com with “The Musicman” James Rogers. I also join occasionally for looks at music from our past through some live segments.
The Retro Pick of the Week also airs on at 12:25 pm ET on Tuesdays on KPHR.
Chicago’s Lake Online Radio now anchors Hunter Wilbur’s “Modern Hype” on Sundays at Midnight EST, which airs my New Music Pick of the Week. You can also hear the new music pick on Hunter’s other show Fridays at 8pm EST on “Hot Hits with Hunter” on UK station Dodge Radio.
For other details about all of the shows, such as dates and times of broadcasts, go to my home page and scroll down to the bottom right side! Schedules are updated regularly.
BILLCSMUSIC BLOG 
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