“burnout” is a quiet, emotional alt.pop song that recalls someone who seems to be disenchanted, aimless, and distanced from the people who care about her the most. You’ve already got to know Boston teen singer/songwriter Gillian Heidi through my blog posts last year about her songs “desperate” and “high”. While my past comparisons have touched on everyone from Billie Eilish through to Joan Osborne, it’s clear she has actually been innovative within the pop realm that has recently brought the charts back to life with Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license”. “burnout” has a similar uncertain theme to it, with the protagonist gazing at the stars to ponder what’s to come. Gillian’s vocal in “burnout” is particularly strong and affecting, always a beneficial tell-tale sign when in a minimal, sombre arrangement.
AXEL MANSOOR and ABHI THE NOMAD, “kids can be so stupid”
Readers of this blog know that the songs of Axel Mansoor have been a regular presence in these pages since 2017. He’s been nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award, appeared on NBC’s “Songland”, and now, is the APP icon (below) for the latest social media sensation, the by invitation-only Clubhouse! Truth can be cutting but it can also soothe the minds of those who have their own variation of it, so if you want a hush to go over a room of people, then play “kids can be so stupid”.
To get directly to the point, it’s about being bullied at school as a child, and how those memories still play in our thoughts years and years later. The song is a relatable, totally understandable recollection, while in the back of my mind I can always think of my own parents talking with the parents of some of those kids. And they were the adults who supported their children’s bullying activities, creating immediate bad blood between families in the neighbourhood because of the attitude “it’s not my kid, it’s your kid”, despite the bullying often being about being short, fat, effeminate, brown, black, Asian, and so on. If you didn’t fit their mold, you were not only different, you were not welcome either. Even as time passes, the bullying continues… and guess what, those kid bullies grow up to be adult bullies too, who some of us have had the unfortunate experience of working with.
Axel’s simple and heartfelt way with words and melody, and the compelling rap from Austin’s Abhi The Nomad, are what make “kids can be so stupid” work so well.
So adults, don’t let your babies grow up to be bullies.
Be sure to watch for Axel Mansoor on the Clubhouse APP for the regular session called “The Lullaby Club”.
Nathan Day is a new solo performer from the UK who previously led the band Darlia, which opened for The 1975 on tour, among others. His single “She Came Down From The Stars” – great title, eye-catching video too – should be put on the radar for those who enjoy 90’s flavoured alt.rock with electronic flourishes. His voice will appeal to fans of Nirvana, Radiohead, Oasis, and The Verve, and “She Came Down” is definitely a grower, one that will stand out on alt.rock radio stations and generate texts and emails inquiring about the performer. Look for a slow build on this one. Talents like Nathan Day need time to be nurtured with the public, and the kickstart will be when fans look for it to be played on the radio and for placements on popular rock streaming playlists.
The thought of knowing that a relationship is over puts dread into most people’s minds. L.A.-based alt.rock singer/songwriter Emeline has other ideas though, in her latest release “6 foot deep”. Through her own songs and initiatives as well as that of side project GARZA, Emeline brings forward messages of hope and empowerment. “6 foot deep” is about realizing a relationship is dead before your partner does. You know all of the signs and reasons, but s/he likely does not. It’s powerfully enacted in the entertaining video, in which Emeline dons various personas where she is in control of her own destiny, whether the absent partner understands or not – when you’re “6 foot deep” its time to move on before you suffocate. The song is well-executed and compelling, and I would pitch to fans of Halsey, Lorde, and Hayley Williams, who are most likely to embrace the free-flowing music of Emeline.
Change is afoot at the top of the chart, as new songs make inroads, and recent favourites start to run their course. My chart is totally based on my opinion, there is no science or method to the chart – what I currently enjoy most is at the top, and I’ve been pleased to share my list with you online for 23 years. The only rule I’ve had in place is that songs drop off after 10 appearances (20 weeks), to help keep the chart fresh, unless the song starts climbing back upward, which has only happened once (Adele’s “Rolling In The Deep” managed 11 appearances and peaked at #2).
Swedish production duo NOTD get their first #1 with vocalist Catello with “Nobody”, which also recently topped the US dance airplay charts for 5 weeks. Also contributing to the songwriting were Sandro Cavazzo, noted for his work with Avicii, and Victor Thell of Smith & Thell. NOTD is the first Swedish act to top my chart in over 8 years, since Swedish House Mafia did it in 2012 with “Don’t You Worry Child”!
Swiftly moving up to second place is “Like Gold” by Loud Luxury & Frank Walker featuring vocalist/co-writer Stephen Puth. Loud Luxury have two #1’s to date on my chart – their rework of Craig David’s “Fill Me In” with Ryan Shepherd, and “Show Me” with fellow Canadian group Nikki’s Wives, while their greatest overall success, “Body” (featuring brando) also got to #2. Will “Like Gold” become their third #1?
Charging into the Top 5 is Japanese-British sensation Rina Sawayama with the Lady Gaga-inspired “Lucid”, moving up 9-4. Will “Lucid” become her first chart topper?
UK dance legends Faithless obtain their first Top 10 on my chart just shy of 22 years, since “God Is A DJ” (which bowed on this chart in March 1999), with “Synthesizer”, featuring vocalist Nathan Ball, which climbs 11-7. It’s from their recently released album All Blessed.
Any of the songs ranking 11-14 could find their way into the Top 10 in two weeks.
Rising 14-11 is the dark and mysterious “Sinnerman” (above) by veteran UK producer Hot Since 82 featuring singer/songwriter Ed Graves, from the album Recovery. The joy of finding synergy and harmony with someone is reflected in “All About You” (also above) by The Knocks and Foster The People, which moves up 15-12. The dazzling collaboration of Illenium, Toronto’s Dabin, and fellow Canadian Lights is hard at work in “Hearts On Fire” (below), which climbs 18-14. But the Fastest Riser on the chart belongs to UK producer Bobby Harvey with fellow UK vocalist Danny Dearden for the intense and emotional deep house track “Tell Me” (also below), which soars 21-13.
Out of the songs that debuted two weeks ago, two move up seven places on the chart. Mahalo’s US dance hit “Not Watching Anymore” (above) rises 28-21, while SoCal electronic dance producer Jay Bird’s personal best to date called “Escape” (featuring Chrxstal Sarah, below) climbs 30-23.
The first of four debuts belongs to Victor Perry, in collaboration with German producers Cal1 and l’essay for the soft and lovely “Stories”, which arrives at #27. Victor is just finishing off a long run on the chart with “Fantasy” (#25), which peaked at #3. “Stories” is also a very welcome follow up to last year’s “What I Deserve”, which got to #2 behind Joel Corry & MNEK’s “Head & Heart”.
Next up at #28 is the quirky delight “Space Melody” by Germany’s VIZE and Sweden’s Alan Walker, partnering this time with fellow producer Edward Artemyev and vocalist Leony. VIZE reached #2 last year with the infectious “Never Let Me Down”, while Alan Walker gets his third appearance on the chart, one of which of course was “Faded”, which peaked at #3.
Also making his third appearance on the chart is NYC indie pop-dance-soul singer/songwriter Reigen with the dark and dreamy “blue” at #29. Both of Reigen’s other songs have reached the Top 10, with “Come Back To Me” climbing to #2 and his cover of The Cranberries’ “Dreams” peaking at #10.
Making his debut on the chart is Toronto R&B/pop singer/dancer D!XON with “Arms Around Me” at #30. Be sure to check out its diverse and well-choreographed video above, which totally suits the bold and sexy vibe of the song.
A reminder that the music from my chart and blog are featured regularly on the online radio station The New 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 🙂 You can start by joining Radio GTA’s new interactiveFacebook group too!!
View the full BILLCS Top 30right 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
I wrote about “Ghost” by Ebony Buckle last summer, which introduced me to her stunning voice and unique stories. Based on a 1980’s story about the world’s loneliest whale who would sing at a frequency of 52hz (higher than any species known to humans), “Wonder” quite enchanting indeed. While the video has great effects and weaves the story well, to me it somehow doesn’t capture the warmth and fascination of the song itself as well. Ebony’s voice will recall Kate Bush and Sinead O’Connor for precision, with Maggie Reilly’s flair for storytelling (co-writing courtesy of husband Nick Burns). “Wonder”, with its taut, contrasting arrangement, keeps you patiently waiting for what Ebony will sing next, until its long and deliberate fade out leaves the eye-opening story finished, for now.
CHURCH OF TREES and rOb PreuSS and CAROLE POPE , “World’s A Bitch”
Nothing could mirror the truth more right now, for those of us in lockdown, than the sentiments expressed in “World’s A Bitch”. The song is a total rocking blast from Canadian synthpop project Church Of Trees, and it’s co-written with (and of course sung by) the legendary Carole Pope of Rough Trade, as well as Spoons/Honeymoon Suite keyboard wizard Rob Preuss. Carole’s patented expressively potent vocal, and the hard-hitting lyrics embody a great release for all of the uncertainty we face during the pandemic. Rob is now a revered Broadway musical director in NYC, and has worked with Church Of Trees for a few years now (you can hear some of his remixes of their past releases) as well as on Carole’s last album Landfall, so there’s precise, rich instrumentation behind it all. “World’s A Bitch” is a timely, honest blend of solid Canadian talents. A video is coming soon!
Back in November, I wrote about the debut release by Dublin, Ireland’s Four Nights (aka Tommy Buckley) called “Want You Always”, which brought together a flair for 80’s-flavoured pop melody with a vulnerable vocal and relatable lyrics. While that catchy song has yet to run its course with me, Four Nights’ latest one called “Grow So Cold” arrived yesterday. Like with “Want You Always”, Tommy definitely has a firm way with a melody and song structure. “Grow So Cold” flows beautifully with straight up pop/rock at its core, as its story about a relationship on the wane unfolds. A steadfast vocal and hooky syncopated bass line, which is uncharacteristic for a song like this, help make “Grow So Cold” memorable and worthy of your attention.
It’s been a long January, particularly for those of us in lockdown or with stay-at-home orders, but we will all get through it, and thank goodness for the shortest month of the year, February! While some long-lasting favourites depart and will move down the chart in the coming weeks, there’s no shortage of great music to succeed them! Edition 606 has four new entries and lots of movement particularly in the Top 10.
“Give It Back” (above), the powerful house banger by The Disco Fries, Giiants and Allison Park obtains a third appearance (six weeks) at #1. Looking to replace it are either NOTD and Catello’s “Nobody” (steady at #2, below) or “Like Gold” (also below) by Loud Luxury, Frank Walker and Stephen Puth, which charges 11-4 and is the Fastest Riser on the chart. It’s also Loud Luxury’s fifth Top 5 on this chart, and Stephen’s second (“Sexual Vibe” peaked at #5 two years ago).
This is quite an amazing Top 10, with new peaks from Francesco Yates’ “Late Night Love” (5-3, his personal best on the chart), Jerome Price and Cally Rhodes’ deep house zinger “Chasing Feelings” (6-5), 2020 carryover “Chew On My Heart” by James Bay (9-6, above), and Why Don’t We’s “Fallin’ (Adrenaline) (8-7, below).
Karen Harding gets her second Top 10 with “Let’s Get Together”, this time in partnership with Scotland’s Illyus & Barrientos (12-8), following last year’s #1 “Undo My Heart”.
Soaring into the Top 10 for the first time is Japanese-British sensation Rina Sawayama with the heavily Lady Gaga inspired “Lucid” climbing 15-9.
Lastly, Oliver Heldens and Party Pupils both land in the Top 10 for the first time too with “Set Me Free” (14-10) featuring vocalist and one half of Party Pupils, MAX. It’s MAX’s 9th Top 10 on this chart, either as a solo or featured artist!
Three unique dance tracks by British artists make other waves on the chart as they move up.
“Synthesizer” has a cruel and droll sense of humour about it, but the riveting new song by dance phenoms Faithless and vocalist Nathan Ball climbs 16-11.
Another veteran dance producer, Hot Since 82, is going gangbusters on the chart with “Sinnerman” rising 20-14, featuring vocalist/songwriter Ed Graves.
Watch for “Tell Me” by producer Bobby Harvey and vocalist Danny Dearden to break out further in two weeks. For now, “Tell Me” moves up 27-21.
I, like the rest of the world, cannot resist the many charms of Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License”. The heartfelt and beautifully produced ballad bows on the chart at #25.
L.A. based dance producer Mahalo has become a mainstay on the chart over the past few years, and I usually appreciate his darker, deep house tracks. One of those is “Not Watching Anymore”, which arrives at #28 and becomes his 9th chart entry.
I’ve written about a few Indian producers, or those of Indian descent over the years. The first one to be born in India to appear on this chart is DJ Shaan, with vocalist Londin Thompson, with the pop-flavoured dance track “By Heart”, which arrives at #29. Other producers of Indian descent to appear on the chart in the past include Spirix (born in the USA) and Panjabi MC (born in England).
At #30 is the new winner from SoCal producer Jay Bird, about whose music I’ve written these past few years. His songs haven’t appeared on the chart till now, and that has all changed with his new personal best for me called “Escape”, featuring an outstanding and soulful vocal by Chrxstal Sarah.
A reminder that the music from my chart and blog are featured regularly on the online radio station The New 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 2021 🙂 You can start by joining Radio GTA’s new interactiveFacebook group too!!
View the full BILLCS Top 30right 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
The prolific Victor Perry offers his first solo release since last year’s EP Rewind with “Stories”. It’s a charming and hopeful ode to past relationships that weren’t meant to be. We can only think that those past friends and lovers that we will never see and who aren’t connected to anyone else we know will speak about us in our favour. It’s a cool observation and Victor conveys it with his always welcome earnestness and eloquence. Victor’s vast talents can traverse almost any style and genre, but his solo pop/R&B releases open another very inviting door which we otherwise don’t get to see through. Collaborating with German producers/songwriters Cal1 and l’essay has delivered a seamless execution. Like Victor’s songs on Rewind, particularly “What I Deserve”, “Stories” is one grower to soak in and let linger.
BILLCSMUSIC BLOG 
You must be logged in to post a comment.