Greyson Chance – Page 2 – BILLCSMUSIC BLOG

#BILLCSTop30 #655 – December 19/22

This edition of the new chart is my last one for 2022. The next edition will kick off 2023 on January 2, 2022. I’ll have one more edition of the BILLCS New Music Report in two days, but the report will not publish next week as I will be preparing my Top 100 of 2022. I expect to count down the list on Twitter in three parts starting Thursday December 29. The full list will be published on December 31, and that evening an online radio broadcast of my Top 30 of 2022 will happen first on Radio GTA and then on Mix88.ca. So there’s lots more coming to put a wrap on an interesting year in music!

The best places to communicate with me continue to be Twitter @billcs or Instagram @thebillcs or Facebook @BILLCSMusicProjects. Follow this blog using the “Follow” button at the bottom of the home page.

Check out my ONLINE RADIO SHOWS below too as they are increasingly tied in with this blog.

For the final chart of the year, “Yours” by Conan Gray is locked in at #1 for a second appearance at the top. But also, where will the song finish on my year end list next week?

Both “Golden Hour” by JVKE (above) and “Until I Found You” by Stephen Sanchez (also above) have been bookends making a deliberate pace up the chart. “Golden Hour” however moves 6-3, and “Until I Found You” inches up 5-4, which will also allow them to finish off well on my year end list. JVKE also has a new song which you shouldn’t miss. It was a surprise for me to f,ind out that “Hero” was recorded with Martin Garrix and it’s definitely turning into a new favourite. Check it out below with its cool animated video.

Charlie Puth’s short but thoughtful “Charlie Be Quiet” moves up 8-5 and becomes his third Top 5 song on this chart. The other two were “Attention” (#1) and “We Don’t Talk Anymore” (with Selena Gomez, #5).

The top of the chart is heavy with action as Darin’s “Satisfaction” (above) climbs 14-6 and is the Fastest Riser on the chart for a second chart in a row. His other entry, “What’s The Point” (below), jumps 25-20.

“The Power” is looking to become Matoma’s personal best on the chart. The rollicking sports anthem moves up 10-7, one position behind the peak of his 2016 release “False Alarm” with Becky Hill.

I’ve really had a sweet spot all year for ballads or softer songs recorded by new male singers. You can add Toronto’s Shawn Molko to that list as his lovely “I Will Wait” climbs 11-8.

Continuing to rev up the dance charts is “Lionheart (Fearless)” by Joel Corry and Tom Grennan which rises 13-9.

Toronto duo Crash Adams get their first Top 10 placement on the chart with “Give Me A Kiss”, which jumps 12-10.

Zac Poor’s poignant bop “Ghost Boy” kicks into high gear and moves up 22-16.

The Highest Debut on the chart belongs to Greyson Chance with “Black Mascara” at #25, another stunning track from his Palladium album. His beautiful performance of the song from his December 1 show in Toronto sticks in my memory and compelled me to revisit it, now one of my favourites from the album. As his song “Athena” departs the chart this week after peaking at #6, Greyson continues to have to songs on the chart as “My Dying Spirit” holds at #2.

At #26 is the unanticipated collaboration of dance music legend Armand Van Helden and British house music queen Karen Harding. The song is “Wings (I Won’t Let You Down)”, an Armand release from 2016 built around the refrain of Ph.D.’s 1981 Top 5 UK hit “I Won’t Let You Down”, which has been revamped to include original lyrics and vocals from Karen. Even better, the song keeps the late Jim Diamond’s vocal intact in the chorus. It’s an upbeat song made into something euphoric thanks to the talented team. While “Wings” is Armand’s first appearance under his own name on this chart since 2007 (since he’s also a member of Duck Sauce), it’s also his sixth entry, which includes two #1’s, the house classic and UK #1 “U Don’t Know Me” (with Duane Harden, 1999) and “My My My” (2005). “My My My” in fact is an early example of a dance producer building a new song around an old one, which in that case was Gary Wright’s “Comin’ Apart”. Karen has also worked on other tracks like this, for example ALTÉGO’s “I Wanna Know”, which I wrote about recently, is a similarly styled reboot of CHIC’s “Soup For One”. “Wings” is Karen’s 7th entry on the chart.

The last new entry at #27 is the dance music radio firecracker “Spiral” by NYC’s Lena Leon at #27. This song has quickly moved up into the Top 10 of the national dance music radio charts. It’s well-deserved, with an excellent vocal driving a unique house music release. It’s Lena’s second entry on the chart, her first being earlier this year with Mahalo and Milkwish on “Careless” (#3).

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! You can also follow me on Spotify at the following link: BILLCS Top 30 Songs.

ONLINE RADIO SHOWS

You can hear me and many of my blog choices on this growing list of online radio stations and features!

Radio GTA

Listen to The Big 20 from 10pm to Midnight EST on Wednesdays as “The Musicman” James Rogers and I bring you the latest in new songs. The show also repeats on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. EST and Sunday mornings at 2:00 AM EST. You can hear past episodes of The Big 20 at this link.

On Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 6pm EST I bring you “Your Weekend New Music Mix” six hours of commercial-free music from the 2000’s including many song choices from this blog.

Halton Hills Online

“Your Weekend Music Mix” has a second home on Saturday and Sunday evenings from 8pm to Midnight EST! It’s a different mix from Radio GTA’s show, and like that one it is also commercial free. “The Big 20” also airs on this station at 6pm EST Saturdays.

The 3D Variety Show by Planet Radio Canada

I’m featured Tuesdays between 7 and 7:30 pm EST with my New Music Pick of the Week which debuts every week on “The 3D Variety Show” with “The Musicman” James Rogers, and I also join occasionally for looks at music from our past through some live segments. A repeat of “The 3D Variety Show” airs on Wednesdays at 7pm EST on Radio GTA. My pick of the week airs 20 times during the week and you can view its schedule by clicking here. You can hear past episodes of The 3D Variety Show at this link.

Addictive Energy (currently on hiatus until January)

This is a weekly show hosted by Hunter Wilbur that airs on several online stations but is anchored at Mix88.ca on Saturdays beginning at 8pm EST. You can hear past episodes of Addictive Energy at this link.

For other details about the shows, such as dates and times of broadcasts, go to my home page and scroll down to the bottom right side!

#BILLCSTop30 #654 – December 5/22

My chart is three days early as I will be going on my first week-long cruise on Saturday, and plan to take a break from my regular routines to enjoy everything that it has to offer. With this kind of trip, vacation means vacation! A reminder too that there will be no BILLCS New Music Report until Wednesday, December 14.

Check out my ONLINE RADIO SHOWS below too as they are increasingly tied in with this blog.

The new chart is my second last for 2022 and marks another shakeup, including another new #1. Conan Gray’s stunning ballad “Yours” makes the big leap 6-1 for his first chart topper which is culled from his album Superache. It’s also an early Happy Birthday for Conan, who turns 24 on Monday!!

Remaining at #2 is “My Dying Spirit” by Greyson Chance from the Palladium album. It’s kind of odd to have two songs that aren’t from the electronic dance world at the top, but these ones are very deserving. And Greyson performed one of my favourite concerts of the year last night in Toronto. Though he said he was nervous he was deeply committed and I felt that the concert was the equivalent of a musical group hug.

“Golden Hour” (above) by JVKE rises 10-6, as a new duet of the song, featuring British singer Cat Burns (below), is released, to try and capitalize on the Top 40 success of “Golden Hour” in the UK. As much as I enjoyed Cat’s duet with Sam Smith on “Go” earlier this year, I think that “Golden Hour” is just fine with JVKE solo, though do listen for yourself to decide. And have you noticed that most of the song is pretty much a waltz?

Charlie Puth gets a 31st birthday present today as “Charlie Be Quiet” climbs 14-8, becoming his fourth Top 10 on my chart, from his album Charlie.

L.A. based singer/songwriter Lily Lane’s dynamic and dramatic “Bad” climbs 12-9 from her EP Queen of Hearts. I enjoy how the singer borrows stylistically from some singers and their songs – in the chorus I clearly hear Adele’s “Rumour Has It”.

Norway’s Matoma gets his 3rd Top 10 and first in 4 years with new sports anthem “The Power” soaring 19-10. He previously reached #6 in 2016 with “False Alarm” (with Becky Hill) and #10 in 2018 with “Lonely” (with MAX).

Toronto’s Crash Adams has been picked up by Warner Records and their fun and breezy single “Give Me A Kiss” climbs 18-12.

I’m hoping that Joel Corry & Tom Grennan’s “Lionheart (Fearless)” becomes a huge North American hit outside of dance radio and clubs. This potent anthem bolts 21-13.

The Fastest Riser on the chart – to no surprise to regular readers – is “Satisfaction” (above) by Darin, which vaults 26-14. It looks like the Swedish star is destined for a fourth Top 10 in a row. And might there be a fifth? His pop cover of Johnossi’s “What’s The Point” (below) debuts at #25.

I’ve been enjoying how Martin Garrix has been tapping into more alternative electronica rather than focusing on dance pop or festival bangers. His collaboration with DallasK and vocalist Sasha Alex Sloan, “Loop”, rises 22-17.

The rest of the previous chart’s debuts also make headway. “100% Pure Love” (above), the Crystal Waters classic redone by Years & Years, climbs 27-19. Then there’s the winning collaboration of Tiësto and Tate McRae for “10:35” (also above), which moves up 28-21. And right behind is Zac Poor’s beautiful indie release “Ghost Boy” (below), up 29-22. Although “Ghost Boy” ultimately confronts homophobic behaviour, if you listen closely to the lyrics you may also relate if you have ever been bullied or have been made deliberately to feel out of place.

The Highest Debut belongs to two of my faves, Illenium and MAX, two artists I would never have thought would work together, but here they are with “Worst Day” at #24. The song to me could have even been an outtake from Illenium’s Ascend album. It’s a heavenly match and more on the pop side than usual for Illenium, and introduces MAX to yet another audience. “Worst Day” is Illenium’s 10th chart entry, following last year’s #1 “Sideways”, and it’s MAX’s 12th and first in almost two years!

At #28, Canadian dance producer DLMT makes his chart debut along with Australia-based duo Party Shirt with the immensely fun “Goin’ Down”. This one is tailored for New Year’s Eve parties and just try to resist moving around to it.

And at #29, New York City-based but Israel-born dance producer GATTÜSO returns with his second chart entry, “I’ll Be There”, which is graced with the voice of go-to dance singer/songwriter Zak Abel. GATTÜSO reached #8 earlier this year with “Afterglow” in collaboration with Nicky Romero and singer/songwriter Jared Lee.

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! You can also follow me on Spotify at the following link: BILLCS Top 30 Songs.

ONLINE RADIO SHOWS

You can hear me and many of my blog choices on this growing list of online radio stations and features!

Radio GTA

On Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 6pm EST I bring you “Your Weekend New Music Mix” six hours of commercial-free music from the 2000’s including many song choices from this blog.

Halton Hills Online

The 3D Variety Show by Planet Radio Canada

Addictive Energy (currently on hiatus until January)

For other details about the shows, such as dates and times of broadcasts, go to my home page and scroll down to the bottom right side!

#BILLCSTop30 #653 – November 21/22

There’s a lot of big moves on the new edition of the chart, so I’ll be focusing on writing about those. But there’s a change-up at #1 too and four steaming hot debuts.

My chart continues to be posted bi-weekly below with an accompanying blog post. The regular blog posts under the new name The BILLCS New Music Report now appear weekly on Wednesdays.

Check out my ONLINE RADIO SHOWS below too as they will become increasingly tied in with the BILLCS New Music Report. This week I am on air LIVE on Tuesday November 22 at 8pm EST counting down Toronto’s Top 10 from this week in 1969 on the 3D Variety Show.

ANNOUNCEMENT

I would normally publish the next chart blog post on Monday December 5. However I will be away on vacation from December 3 to 10, so it will appear three days early, on Friday December 2!

I always look forward to this song coming up on my personal playlists, so there is absolutely no reason why it shouldn’t be the new #1 song on the BILLCS Top 30. Up 2-1 it’s the crazy infectious “The Boss” by French producers Coopex and Charles B with NYC singer/songwriter Robbie Rosen. It’s the first #1 for both producers, but the second for Robbie, following last year’s glorious “Sanctuary” which he made with Dutch producer Howen.

Coming up close behind and looking to succeed it in two weeks is “My Dying Spirit” by Greyson Chance, which soars 7-2 and ties “Dancing Next To Me”, which also reached #2 in 2020. “My Dying Spirit” comes from Greyson’s fascinating album Palladium, and I am so looking forward to seeing him perform in concert in Toronto on Thursday December 1!!

The Fastest Riser on the chart is one that I simply cannot get enough of – it draws me in and makes me sing along every time. From his album Superache, Conan Gray’s “Yours” vaults 22-6 to follow “Memories” (which peaked at #4) into the Top 10. Conan is currently touring in eastern Asia.

Also making an impressive move is Stephen Sanchez, whose “Until I Found You” sails 16-7. The production and its layered harmonies sounds to me like The Everly Brothers (specifically Phil Everly) in a contemporary setting!

Amid all of the movement, two more songs land in the Top 10. Two Friends and Mod Sun climb 11-9 with the crowd-pleaser “Timebomb” (above), while Rhode Island native JVKE’s impressive “Golden Hour” (below) moves up 18-10!

“Charlie Be Quiet” by Charlie Puth moves up 20-14. It’s short and sweet but packs a big punch!

Toronto singer Shawn Molko rises 28-16 with the absolutely beautiful ballad “I Will Wait”. He’s definitely a new talent to keep your eyes and ears on.

Also from Toronto, pop/rock duo Crash Adams knows how to package up a lot of fun in just under three minutes with “Give Me A Kiss” (26-18), which is their third chart entry to date. Watch the video too above too, which is shot in Southern California.

Then soaring 29-19 is “The Power” by Matoma, sure to be a New Year’s Eve anthem this year!

It’s not going to take long for a commanding song like “Lionheart (Fearless)” by Joel Corry and Tom Grennan to get out of the lower reaches of this chart. This week it’s up 30-21.

The Highest Debut belongs to Sweden’s Darin as “Satisfaction” bows at #26. The fun and flirty single follows one of my summer faves, “Superstar” (which peaked at #2), and two #1’s, the ballad “Holding Me More” and last year’s “Can’t Stay Away”. In total it’s Darin’s 8th chart entry, going back to 2008.

Years & Years surprised us a few weeks back with a reverent cover of Crystal Waters’ “100% Pure Love”. Yes folks, it’s THAT good, and arrives at #27. It’s Y&Y’s 12th entry on the chart, and 4th this year, and follows the immensely appealing Night Call album, from which three songs (including #2 “Sweet Talker” with Galantis) reached my Top 10. Olly Alexander’s vocal is especially playful on this release!

After watching his sensational set in Las Vegas this past summer, it’s no surprise to me that Tiësto gets his first chart entry in three years with “10:35” featuring Calgary’s Tate McRae at #28 from his upcoming album Drive. This is exquisite ear candy for radio, clubs and festivals, and Tiësto’s 6th chart entry, though he also has 4 entries as a remixer which begin as early as 2003! It’s also Tate’s 2nd entry after last year’s “You” with Regard and Troye Sivan.

The fourth debut is the brilliant release by Montana-born, L.A.-based singer/songwriter Zac Poor, a heartbreaking but hopeful track called “Ghost Boy” at #29. Although almost anyone can relate to its story, it’s the LGBTQ2S+ community to whom the song will mean a lot. Zac’s been a prolific songwriter for others like Tori Kelly, Backstreet Boys and Tate McRae – total coincidence their songs debut back to back! – over the past 10 years, along with releasing his own music periodically (and appearing in this blog), but this is his chart debut. Be sure to watch its lovely video above – tears or a big lump in your throat are likely, so keep a tissue handy.

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! You can also follow me on Spotify at the following link: BILLCS Top 30 Songs.

ONLINE RADIO SHOWS

You can hear me and many of my blog choices on this growing list of online radio stations and features!

Radio GTA

On Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 6pm EST I bring you “Your Weekend New Music Mix” six hours of commercial-free music from the 2000’s including many song choices from this blog.

Halton Hills Online

The 3D Variety Show by Planet Radio Canada

Addictive Energy

This is a weekly show hosted by Hunter Wilbur that airs on several online stations but is anchored at Mix88.ca on Saturdays beginning at 8pm EST. Be sure to listen to Hunter’s special Thanksgiving show starting at 11 a.m. EST on Thursday November 24! You can hear past episodes of Addictive Energy at this link.

For other details about the shows, such as dates and times of broadcasts, go to my home page and scroll down to the bottom right side!

#BILLCSNewMusicReport – November 9/22 spotlighting @Darinofficial @DLMTmusic & @PartyShirt @YearsandYears @TheHim & @BullySongs #MByrd

Check out my posts about 10 new songs below, along with picks of the week from online radio buddies “Big Daddy” Russ Horton and Hunter Wilbur, and myself. “The Musicman” James Rogers offers more tunes from the 80’s in his Classic Five. Plus I recap this week’s BILLCS Top 30 new #1 and the Fastest Rising song on the chart.

The BILLCS New Music Report is a work-in-progress and I welcome your suggestions so feel free to contact me @billcs on Twitter @thebillcs on Instagram or @BILLCSMusicProjects on Facebook.

SPOTLIGHTING

DARIN, “Satisfaction”

After three brilliant singles, it’s absolutely no surprise that “Satisfaction” is another newly minted gem for 2020’s Darin. Like “Superstar” and “Can’t Stay Away”, a flirty and sexy style of dance music for the Swedish pop sensation draws its influences from 80’s stars like Madonna, George Michael, Pet Shop Boys, and other risk takers who converted several of their songs into visual feasts too. Minus the unnecessary voyeuristic plot, the video for “Satisfaction” captures this too with Darin embracing his sexuality amid some eye-catching choreography.

DLMT & PARTY SHIRT, “Goin’ Down”

With the right club DJ and the right mix, “Goin’ Down” is one of those infectious dance tracks that could easily become a centrepiece in a mid-evening set. It’s brought to you by increasingly noted Toronto producer DLMT – he’s recently remixed Bad Bunny – and American-Australian producers and Tik Tok favourites Party Shirt. I’m certain the hook featuring Latin horns is a sample (but I can’t place it… help) and the producers totally smash the production in “Goin’ Down” with their loaded bag of tricks. “Goin’ Down” is one of those dance tracks you don’t want to let up and leaves you feeling exhilarated at the end.

YEARS & YEARS, “100% Pure Love”

Taking a break from original tunes after his fine album from earlier this year Night Call, Olly Alexander and team offer us “100% Pure Love”, a reverent cover of the 1994 Crystal Waters smash. It wouldn’t have occurred to me that this one could be a Years & Years song but it makes total sense. Olly certainly has fun with the vocal, and the supporting musicians nail the mid-90’s house bounce that it could not go without. It’s bound to sound fab at a Y&Y live event!

THE HIM and BULLYSONGS, “Violet Skies”

Dutch producer The Him continues to keep vibrant beats rolling, and switches it up a bit with the slower but funk-flavoured “Violet Skies”. The vocalist is BullySongs, a British artist probably known more as an epic hit-making songwriter for the dance music world cream of the crop like Armin van Buuren, Galantis and Don Diablo among others. His gentle, echo-filled vocal gives “Violet Skies” that soothing, delightful quality that you associate with watching a sunset on the beach. Notch up another impressive release for The Him!

M. BYRD, “Flood”

Although I haven’t written about his music till now, I’ve been paying attention to the growth of Germany-born singer/songwriter M. Byrd through the songs I’ve heard. His new song “Flood” almost sounds like a fresh start, a song about letting go of certain things and people in our lives, even if temporary, to lead your best life. M. Byrd describes it as follows:

“I like to think of it as a constant cascade, like a waterfall that is becoming stronger and stronger, the more it is raining. Musically I find that to be most apparent in the littler guitar melody that slowly weaves into the song…”

Musically, the song harkens back to late 80’s, early 90’s alt.pop/rock that evolved out of the new wave era by British groups like The Railway Children, House of Love, and The Mighty Lemon Drops – whether or not that could have been in M. Byrd’s trajectory is another thing. “Flood” is most enjoyable and also succeeds on its own merit as cathartic and ambitious.

FEATURING

COCO & BREEZY and TARA CAROSIELLI, “Just Say”

“You’re toxic but it only makes me wanna love you”

That memorable recent lyric might have been nagging you when you’ve heard it on your dance radio show, and it comes from “Just Say” by Coco & Breezy with singer/songwriter Tara Carosielli. The independent release has quickly made huge strides and is in the Top 20 nationally for dance music radio airplay. That’s great news for twin sisters Coco & Breezy, otherwise known as DJs/producers/ entrepreneurs Corianna and Brianna Dotson. Among their achievements include running a successful sunglasses company that began when they were teenagers, and performing as tour dancers with Prince. “Just Say” has a welcoming, light-hearted, playful vibe that fills a bankable void left by 90’s pop/R&B acts like TLC or Brandy.

MICHAEL MALCOLM and VICTOR PERRY, “Out Of My Mind”

NYC singer-songwriter Victor Perry teams up with new Canadian dance producer Michael Malcolm for “Out Of My Mind”. Some of Victor’s best releases have been in the deep house genre, and this song about being just a little bit more than infatuated goes down easy. Michael’s production isn’t full of effects or tricks, and ably showcases Victor’s superlative Michael Jackson-inspired vocal. Club DJ’s and dance radio shouldn’t sleep on this one!

OLLY MURS, “Die Of A Broken Heart”

Olly Murs is back with a fresh sound after four years since his last new music. He’s a superstar in England from the early ’10’s hits “Heart Skips A Beat” and “Troublemaker” (with Flo Rida) but is in comeback mode with the reggae-tinged “Die of a Broken Heart”. And it’s a nice change from recording songs with Snoop Dogg or Shaggy for name value. The sound is bright and crisp with a nice percussive backdrop, which allows his vocal to really soar. As a guy in love, he’s got a new album coming appropriately called Marry Me so there may be more opportunities yet for Olly to be back on the charts.

JOT SINGH, “Nothing Like This World”

Earlier this year, I introduced you to L.A.-based singer/songwriter Jot Singh and his beautifully sung acoustic release “Don’t Play With Fire”. “Nothing Like This World” serves as a worthy follow-up. This time it’s a more DIY effort, relying on some effectively distinct choppy guitar sounds which compliment another solid vocal by Jot. The song is about taking risks to help give yourself a better life, and the optimistic lyrics and dreamy melody yield better than average results. Check out the video above!

TYLER GARRETT, “Deception”

This past summer brought us an ambitious full album release, Mirage, by L.A. dance music multi-talent Tyler Garrett. “Deception” is sure to turn heads as Tyler shifts flavours from pop/dance/house and into trance for a trek to a darker side of electronic music. Self-realization is at the core of “Deception”, and Tyler playfully alters his vocal before the chorus kicks in. It’s a tad long at almost 5 minutes but trance music fans will thoroughly enjoy it, and I think it would benefit from an even deeper trance mix.

BILL’S NEW MUSIC PICK OF THE WEEK

My New Music Pick of the Week is a 5-7 minute radio segment that airs more than 20 times/week on online radio stations around the world.

“I Will Wait” by new Toronto singer/songwriter Shawn Molko

BIG DADDY” RUSS HORTON’S PICK OF THE WEEK

“Big Daddy” Russ Horton is the owner of online stations Radio GTA, Halton Hills Radio Online, & FM108.ca.

“Kick Ass” by the one and only Bryan Adams (with an amusing prologue by John Cleese)

HUNTER J. WILBUR’S PICK OF THE WEEK

Hunter J. Wilbur is the host of the online radio shows “Modern Hype” and “Addictive Energy” which can be heard on several online stations including Classic Hits Canada.

A fast-paced slice of EDM by Quickdrop, “Too Late To Turn Back”

“THE MUSICMAN” JAMES ROGERS’ CLASSIC FIVE

“The Musicman” James Rogers is the owner and host of The 3D Variety Show heard Tuesdays on Planet Radio Canada. The Classic Five is “pop music 101” of the post-Beatles era – classics you need to know! Each title is linked to a Spotify stream of the song.

Queen – Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Toto – Africa
Yes – Owner Of A Lonely Heart
Wham! featuring George Michael – Careless Whisper
U2 – I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

BILLCS Top 30 #1 SONG

“Bad Habit” by Steve Lacy

BILLCS Top30 FASTEST RISER

“My Dying Spirit” by Greyson Chance (18-7)

#BILLCSTop30 #652, November 7/22

The BILLCS Top 30 has been unofficially 25 years old since September, but I didn’t keep any of the charts at that time, and they were only being shared on various chart-related Internet sites. This week marks the first one that I still have which yielded this Top 10:

YOU MAKE ME WANNA … Usher
BITTER SWEET SYMPHONY The Verve
TUBTHUMPING Chumbawumba
WALKIN’ ON THE SUN Smash Mouth
FLY Sugar Ray
RATTLESNAKE Like
FREE Ultra Naté
BABYLON The Tea Party
EVERYTHING TO EVERYONE Everclear
LAST OF THE BIG GAME HUNTERS Barstool Prophets

My chart continues to be posted bi-weekly below with an accompanying blog post. The regular blog posts under the new name The BILLCS New Music Report now appear weekly on Wednesdays.

Check out my ONLINE RADIO SHOWSbelow too as they will become increasingly tied in with the BILLCS New Music Report.

“Bad Habit” by Steve Lacy is one of the most memorable songs of 2022 and it’s one that I don’t think I’ll get tired of any time soon. Fittingly, it rises 2-1 for my fellow Gemini from Compton, California whose performance on Saturday Night Live this past weekend you can check out above.

Climbing 5-2 is the superbly infectious “The Boss” by French producers Coopex and Charles B and NYC singer/songwriter and “American Idol” alumnus Robbie Rosen. Robbie reached #2 late last year with “To The Top” (with Natixx and Lyonbrothers) and was #1 exactly a year ago with Dutch producer Howen for “Sanctuary”.

“Full Force” (above) by Italy’s Luca + Giam with American vocalist Sam Merkin rises 6-4. Check out their latest release with New Zealand-based singer theajsound called “Game Changer” below.

The irresistible “Celebrate” by Laurentius and Oke makes another big move, up 9-5, from their upcoming EP together called Jaiye.

Greyson Chance is back-to-back in the Top 10 with two songs from his Palladium album. “Athena” (above) rises 8-6 while the engrossing “My Dying Spirit” (below) is the Fastest Riser on the chart, soaring 18-7.

Two more songs land in the Top 10. Florida’s Tonner climbs 13-9 with “Castles” (above), and Showtek gets their first Top 10 since 2019 with “Welcome Back Home” (below) featuring NYC’s MC Ambush, up 11-10.

The Fall has begun with great music from some fantastic new male singers. Stephen Sanchez’s “Until I Found You” (above) breaks loose and moves up 22-16, while JVKE’s piano-laden “Golden Hour” (also above) rises 21-18. And they’re joined by Conan Gray whose “Yours” (below) rises 27-22.

I can’t get enough of Charlie Puth’s “Charlie Be Quiet” from his new album Charlie, which I hope will eventually be promoted at radio. It climbs 24-20. His best song hands down in years.

Capital Cities and Bobby Nourmand make a respectable move of 26-21 with their collaboration “Together”.

The Highest Debut belongs to a great new voice from Toronto which you might recognize from last week’s BILLCS New Music Report. It’s Shawn Molko and his scintillating ballad “I Will Wait” at #28.

Norway’s Matoma returns to the chart for his fifth entry which is “The Power” at #29. The song is already becoming an unexpected sports anthem, having been played at national hockey (Matoma got to play it himself at a New York Rangers game recently) and baseball games. Watch out for this one in the coming weeks. The uncredited powerhouse vocal is by co-writer Clementine Douglas.

The third new entry is a song guaranteed to be love at first listen. Joel Corry teams up with British vocalist Tom Grennan for “Lionheart (Fearless)” at #30. It’s Joel’s 2nd appearance on my chart following 2020’s enduring #1 “Head & Heart” (with MNEK).

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! You can also follow me on Spotify at the following link: BILLCS Top 30 Songs.

ONLINE RADIO SHOWS

You can hear me and many of my blog choices on this growing list of online radio stations and features!

Radio GTA

On Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 6pm EST I bring you “Your Weekend New Music Mix” six hours of commercial-free music from the 2000’s including many song choices from this blog.

Halton Hills Online

The 3D Variety Show by Planet Radio Canada

Addictive Energy (currently on hiatus but returning soon!!)

This is a weekly show hosted by Hunter Wilbur that airs on several online stations but is anchored at Mix88.ca on Sundays beginning at 8pm EST. You can hear past episodes of Addictive Energy at this link.

For other details about the shows, such as dates and times of broadcasts, go to my home page and scroll down to the bottom right side!

#BILLCSTop30 #651, October 24/22

I have decided to call my new blog format the “BILLCS New Music Report” and it begins on Wednesday. This will be a weekly, more newsletter-styled format in which I will be able to cover more music than I can using the song-by-song format I’ve used for the last several years. I’ll also be able to build each blog post gradually during the week instead of deciding that day whether I will write about something or not. This will be a work-in-progress and your suggestions will be welcome to help make it more readable each week! It will also tie-in my work in ONLINE RADIO SHOWS more, since they are now a big part of my life.

I’ll be frequently reiterating that if independent artists, producers and managers who want exposure in my blog – over 13 years in existence with a tie-in to online radio – they need to communicate with me. I will however also continue to promote and write about songs/artists I discover on my own. My personal chart, the BILLCS Top 30, has been online since 1998, and I’ll continue to write it up and count it down every second Monday. The “10/10” feature, where I write about 10 songs all in one post, may find its way into the BILLCS New Music Report.

With such a strong playing field for this chart, Francesco Yates’ “Jimi” shows that it has long legs into its 8th appearance on the chart (16 weeks) and remains on top for a 2nd appearance!

It’s been very rare for a Billboard #1 to hit #1 on my chart in recent years, but Steve Lacy’s unique and memorable “Bad Habit” rises 4-2 and positions itself to perhaps do that in two weeks. Did you know Steve was part of Calvin Harris’ Love Regenerator project on “Live Without Your Love”?

It’s short and sweet but also keep your eye on “The Boss” (above) by Coopex, Charles B and Robbie Rosen (6-5) in two weeks too. It’s been stuck behind a lot of great songs these past few weeks, and is Robbie’s 2nd concurrent Top 10 along with “Stained Glass” at #7. Robbie also has a fine new dance release with none other than DubVision called “Stitch You Up” which you can check out below!

Luca + Giam and Sam Merkin waste no time following #3 “Hold Me Down” into the Top 10 as “Full Force” takes advantage of a quieter part of the chart to leap 12-6.

That also allows “Celebrate” (above) by Laurentius and Oke to make another big move and slide into the Top 10, up 15-9! In preparation for their EP Jaiye, another track called “Run” has been released which you can hear below.

“But Not Tonight” moves up 13-10 for Paul Van Dyk and Christian Burns, giving each their second Top 10’s on this chart. Paul got to #4 in 2008 with “Let Go” and Christian was the voice for Tiësto’s #3 “In The Dark” from 2007. And along with “Turn On The Lights Again”, “But Not Tonight” also becomes the second cover in the Top 10 (the original is by Depeche Mode from 1986), the other being “Turn On The Lights Again” by Fred Again.. and Swedish House Mafia (#4) (which makes a new song out of a verse from Future’s 2012 track). LF System’s “Afraid To Feel” at #3 isn’t an outright cover but prominently samples Silk’s “I Can’t Stop (Turning You On)”.

Lily Lane’s exceptional “Bad” (22-17) from her EP Queen of Hearts is definitely one to watch in the coming weeks.

The Fastest Riser is Greyson Chance’s cathartic “My Dying Spirit” (26-18) from his album Palladium. It’s hard not to be moved or enthralled by this one as you listen to it more and more.

A lot of summer favourites exited the chart, so that made room for five debuts.

In a total surprise, Charlie Puth gets his first chart appearance in the five years since his #1 “Attention” with “Charlie Be Quiet” (#24) from his new album Charlie. It’s another quick (only 2:08) track, but it’s jam-packed with the racing thoughts in your head when you have a crush on someone and want to make your move. While I’m not crazy about the layers of production he (over) adds to his voice, it’s hard not to love this one!

Positivity and unity are the driving forces behind “Together” by Capital Cities and Bobby Nourmand which bows at #26. I got burned out on “Safe and Sound” years ago so it never charted, so I get to welcome Capital Cities to the chart with this independent release. Producer Bobby Nourmand however has been a frequent visitor, with two #1’s “D E E P in NY” and the double-A sided “Subterranean/Estranged”, but “Together” is his first appearance in four years.

With every listen I adore “Yours” by Conan Gray even more. So this album track from Superache arrives at #27. I’ve been seeing the online raves about Conan’s recent concert performances, as well as the kind outreach he gives to fans, so hopefully he’ll play my city again next year. “Yours” follows his #4 “Memories”.

Toronto pop/rock duo Crash Adams returns to the chart at #28 with another track keep you smiling, “Give Me A Kiss”. It’s their third visit to the chart and follows 2021’s #11 “Symphony”. Be sure to watch the video for the song above, it’s loads of fun and set in southern California!

The fifth debut is “Loop” by Martin Garrix, DallasK and Sasha Alex Sloan at #29. It’s another sparkling collaboration that shows the ongoing evolution of Martin Garrix. He can make a banger explode any day but something more nuanced like “Loop” is always more than welcome. It’s his 11th chart entry and follows the #5 “Won’t Let You Go” from earlier this year.

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! You can also follow me on Spotify at the following link: BILLCS Top 30 Songs.

ONLINE RADIO SHOWS

You can hear me and many of my blog choices on this growing list of online radio stations and features!

Radio GTA

On Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 6pm EST I bring you “Your Weekend New Music Mix” six hours of commercial-free music from the 2000’s including many song choices from this blog.

Halton Hills Online

The 3D Variety Show by Planet Radio Canada

Addictive Energy (currently on hiatus but will return)

For other details about the shows, such as dates and times of broadcasts, go to my home page and scroll down to the bottom right side!

#BILLCSTop30 #650, October 10/22

Look for a format change from this blog starting next week. While I’ve enjoyed writing about individual songs post-by-post for the last several years, with interjections from my “10/10” feature to feature 10 songs all at once, I’m finding that it’s too time consuming to keep up, given the insurmountable number of releases each week, and not as productive as it can be.

So starting on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, this blog will change to a once a week “newsletter” kind of format. What that looks like exactly I think will develop over the next few months with input from you. And with ONLINE RADIO SHOWS now being a big part of my life, there will be more integration with the radio programming. My New Music Pick of the Week, which is currently only a radio segment, will be featured in the newsletter. The focus will still be on new and mainly independent music. Submissions for the blog continue to be welcome!

The other thing I’ve noticed this year is that music people – including artists, producers, managers – are no longer as approachable online as say 10 years ago. A lot of artists use social media as recipients only, don’t look at their timelines, and only post/tweet to promote their music. There are also a lot of artists who prefer one platform over another (and I’m still not and have no plans to be on Tik Tok!) – but we don’t know that till we follow them on that platform, so it’s a guessing game at best at times.

Independent artists, producers and managers who want exposure by my blog – over 13 years in existence with a tie-in to online radio – need to communicate with me. To be honest, there are several songs I’ve written up and had good connections with the artists or their teams, and then with the next releases, nothing!! I will however continue to promote and write about songs/artists I discover on my own. And my personal chart, the BILLCS Top 30, has been online since 1998 – 25 years in January!! – and I’ll continue to write it up and count it down every second Monday.

Toronto singer/songwriter/guitarist Francesco Yates gets his first #1 on my chart with “Jimi”! It knocks Jessie Ware’s “Free Yourself” out of the top spot after a month because it’s simply the song I look forward to hearing the most right now! Francesco is also the first Canadian artist to reach #1 on my chart since Loud Luxury & Frank Walker took “Like Gold” to the top early last year.

There’s a lineup of songs waiting to take over from “Jimi” at #1, but more about that will be known in two weeks. In the meantime, I’m happy to see Steve Lacy at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Bad Habit”, which rises on my chart 6-4. Watch for a flood of Grammy nominations for Steve at year’s end.

“Turn On The Lights Again” by Fred Again.. and Swedish House Mafia reworking Future’s 2012 release into a trance-y festival anthem climbs 7-5. It’s a song that never fails to draw you in every time. Fred Again.. has a new album coming at the end of the month called Actual Life 3.

NYC’s Robbie Rosen, a former “American Idol” contestant, is ultra-prolific and now has two songs in my Top 10. The sublimely catchy “The Boss” (above), created with French producers Coopex and Charles B, rises 8-6, while “Stained Glass” (below), an arpeggio-loaded big room-flavoured collaboration with Germany’s Severman and India’s Arshan Joel, rises 12-9. They are Robbie’s 6th and 7th Top 10’s on this chart.

Greyson Chance now has two songs on the chart from his album Palladium. The riveting “Athena” (above) moves up 13-10, and becomes Greyson’s third Top 10 on the chart, following “Dancing Next To Me” (#2) and “Hellboy” (#3). But the more provocative winner “My Dying Spirit” (below) also arrives on the chart at #26. Greyson’s North American tour is now underway, and I look forward to his December 1 show in my city!

The Fastest Riser on the chart is probably the most joyous one too. It’s “Celebrate” (above) by Dutch producer Laurentius and Luxembourg singer/songwriter Oke, which soars 25-15. Check out “Jaiye”, the title track of their upcoming EP together, below.

“Castles” by Florida’s Tonner has a dreamy, lilting melody and a feel good vibe, and it rises 21-16.

Two Friends and Mod Sun have a real grower with the anthemic “Timebomb” (above), which moves up 22-17. You can check out Two Friends’ new one with Jutes called “Chloe”, below.

Oliver Sim’s pensive “GMT” is off to a great start, climbing 26-19. It’s from his new solo album Hideous Bastard. He has indicated that new music from his band The xx is in the works, but with no ETA as of yet.

The Highest Debut of four songs belongs to Rhode Island’s JVKE with “Golden Hour” at #24. The song is gradually becoming a pop radio hit. It seems like unconventional songs like this that are soaked in influences from the early pop/rock era are striking a chord with younger listeners today. JVKE is only 19 and definitely has a great voice. He also produces and plays multiple instruments. “Golden Hour” is culled from JVKE’s new album This Is What ___ Feels Like Vol 1-4.

Then at #25 we have another 19 year old (soon to be 20), Stephen Sanchez, with “Until I Found You”. The northern California native to me echoes The Everly Brothers on this song, whether or not he’s familiar with the late great duo. It’s a beautiful, ear-pleasing song from his new album Easy On My Eyes.

The fourth debut is the rollicking drum ‘n bass-influenced track by Manila Killa and fknsyd called “Take Me Higher” at #29. As the title song from his album Dusk wraps up its chart run at #27 (with a #2 peak), and after seeing Manila Killa’s live show last week, it’s timely to revisit this unique and infectious offering from him.

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! You can also follow me on Spotify at the following link: BILLCS Top 30 Songs.

ONLINE RADIO SHOWS

You can hear me and many of my blog choices on this growing list of online radio stations and features!

Radio GTA

On Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 6pm EST I bring you “Your Weekend New Music Mix” six hours of commercial-free music from the 2000’s including many song choices from this blog.

Halton Hills Online

The 3D Variety Show by Planet Radio Canada

Addictive Energy

For other details about the shows, such as dates and times of broadcasts, go to my home page and scroll down to the bottom right side!

#BILLCSTop30 #649, September 26/22

Online radio is now a bigger thing in my daily life than I ever thought it would be, and it’s a lot of fun to be back in the announcing element after many years. So be sure to check out my shows The Big 20 and Your Weekend New Music Mix, as well as my short segment My New Music Pick of the Week, every week. You can find the schedule of stations on which they air near the bottom of the home page of my blog site or go to ONLINE RADIO SHOWS after the blog post.

Jessie Ware’s “Free Yourself” shot to #1 quickly two weeks ago, and it holds tight at the top for a second appearance. It’s still kind of early to call which song might succeed “Free Yourself” at #1, but there are rumblings below.

Francesco Yates gets a personal best on the chart with “Jimi” climbing 3-2. It’s a fun track with a great guitar solo – I’m hoping he’s holding out for the right deal while we all enjoy his independent releases. But can “Jimi” hold on enough to succeed “Free Yourself” at #1?

Scotland’s LF System continue to surge up the chart with their UK #1 “Afraid To Feel”, which climbs 10-4. Is #1 a possibility in the near future?

Petawane’s ode to sweet soulful love songs, “Music”, continues to rise steadily, this time up 7-5.

Rarely does half of the Top 10 make an exodus, but that’s what has happened on this chart, allowing several songs to move up quickly.

Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit” is the deserved Fastest Riser as it climbs 16-6. Will #1 be in reach for this one?

Fred Again.. and Swedish House Mafia rework Future’s “Turn On The Lights” as “Turn On The Lights Again” (above), certain to be a festival anthem over the next year. The song moves up 11-7 but the red hot Fred Again.. has another new one worth checking out called “Danielle (smile on my face)” below.

French producers Coopex and Charles B team up with American super-talent Robbie Rosen for the fast but fun “The Boss”, climbing 17-8. You’ll be singing along to this one as it name-check’s Diana Ross’ same-titled song from 1979.

Canadian-German duo Lola Dutronic move up 12-9 just as the summer ends with “Let’s All Dance (Our Last Summer)”.

And the Canadian Top 15 radio hit for DVBBS and Brandyn Burnette, “Summer Nights”, rises 13-10. It’s DVBBS’ fourth visit to my Top 10, and Brandyn’s 15th as a lead artist (add one to include a release under his pseudonym EMAN8).

Greyson Chance’s new album Palladium has arrived, and it’s a highly personal album of many moods and ruminations based on experiences which carved the strange path for Greyson that has finally led here. I’m still digging “Athena” (above), which climbs 19-13, but the album is chock full of songs to keep you paying attention, and one of those is the provocative “My Dying Spirit”, whose new video you can watch below. And I’m looking forward to hearing all of its songs at his show in my city in December!

Luca + Giam and Sam Merkin’s “Hold Me Down” reached #3 a while back, and their latest collaboration “Full Force” could get there too, if a 22-15 move gives any indication.

The Highest Debut at #25 belongs to the extremely infectious 80’s throwback “Celebrate” by Dutch producer Laurentius and Luxembourg singer/songwriter Khalid Oke. Emphasizing African rhythms and references, it’s a sheer delight that comes from their upcoming EP together called Jaiye.

The enduring #1 “Romance with a Memory” by The xx’s vocalist/bassist Oliver Sim exits the chart after the mandatory 10 appearances (20 weeks), and is immediately replaced by the enthralling “GMT” at #26. This is a slower, deliberately paced song with a striking story (partially an ode to London, England), carried by an excellent, sympathetic vocal by Oliver. It’s from his new album called Hideous Bastard, which also contains “Romance with a Memory”. You can also check out the minimalist extended remix by his bandmate Jamie xx above.

Canadian dance producer Famba returns to the chart for the first time since 2020 with his fifth entry, the splendid trance-influenced deep house track “Forever” at #27. Famba first appeared on the chart almost 6 years ago with the amusing “Right Here Right Now” which peaked at #2.

Singer/songwriter Lily Lane is now based out of L.A. but originally from Boston, and her song “Bad” arrives at #28. It’s taken from her EP Queen of Hearts and is led by an unmistakable, powerful vocal. Lily is also the sister of Tucker, one half of the duo Sofi Tukker.

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! You can also follow me on Spotify at the following link: BILLCS Top 30 Songs.

ONLINE RADIO SHOWS

You can hear me and many of my blog choices on this growing list of online radio stations and features!

Radio GTA

On Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 6pm EST I bring you “Your Weekend New Music Mix” six hours of commercial-free music from the 2000’s including many song choices from this blog.

Halton Hills Online

The 3D Variety Show by Planet Radio Canada

Addictive Energy

For other details about the shows, such as dates and times of broadcasts, go to my home page and scroll down to the bottom right side!

#BILLCSTop30 #647, August 29, 2022

After having several years as an announcer as well as manager, program director and music director in college radio back in the day, I never expected to be back announcing on a regular basis. My New Music Pick of the Week has had a couple of go’s round, but is now played on 21 online radio stations. I co-host and assist in programming the two hour show The Big 20 every week, and it’s played on more than 10 online radio stations around the world, and also includes my pick of the week segment. And I host Your Weekend New Music Mix which airs throughout the day starting at Noon on Saturdays and Sundays on two online stations. All of this is made possible through the wonders of technology. And on occasion I do appear live, such as on the 3D Variety Show some Tuesday evenings. I owe many thanks to James Rogers, Russ Horton and Hunter Wilbur for believing in these shows and for spreading the good word about them so that people all over the world can hear them! I enjoy being your online radio guide to new music every week. Links to each station now appear on my blog site home page near the bottom.

Make sure you read about my frequently updated ONLINE RADIO AFFILIATES (see details after the post)!

Harry’s House won album of the year on the MTV Video Music Awards, and I’m still hopeful that “Daydreaming” will be released as a single, which would definitely perk up Top 40 radio. “Daydreaming” reigns at #1 for a third appearance. It’s anyone’s guess right now as to what might be #1 in two weeks.

Cozying up to “Daydreaming” is “Dusk” by Manila Killa and Lights, which inches up 3-2, trading places with Darin’s “Superstar”. “Dusk” is a personal best for Manila Killa, having surpassed the #3 peak of 2018’s “I Want You” (with Robotaki and Matthew John Kurz).

Francesco Yates is back in Canada, opening for Backstreet Boys on their tour. His fun rocker “Jimi” moves up 7-5, becoming his third consecutive Top 5 on this chart.

Strutting its stuff in the Top 10 is “Free Yourself” by Jessie Ware, which rises 10-6.

Petawane’s beautiful ode to classic soul songs called “Music” soars into the Top 10, climbing 15-8.

Frankmusik’s “Confusion Girl Completed” rises 14-9 and passes the #11 peak of the 2009 original of the song. It also becomes Frankmusik’s 13th Top 10 on this chart, and second this year following #2 “The Half Moon Came Up In The Sky”.

“Love That About You” becomes McEwen’s 11th Top 10 entry on this chart, and first since 2014, climbing 12-10. He previously racked up the previous Top 10 hits as recorded by Adam Tyler.

Canadian-German duo Lola Dutronic has been breezing up the chart with their end of summer blast called “Let’s All Dance (One Last Summer)”, which rises 19-14.

The Fastest Riser on the chart is still on top of the official UK singles chart after 8 weeks. It’s by Scottish producers LF System called “Afraid To Feel”, which climbs 27-19.

Greyson Chance’s song about determination and moving on, “Athena” (above), moves up 28-23, and last week he released his final single from his upcoming album Palladium called “Homerun Hitter”, which you can check out below.

The Highest Debut belongs to 24 year old Compton, California native and Grammy nominee Steve Lacy with “Bad Habit” at #24. This is definitely a worthy out-of-left-field hit that lives up to its hype. While not immediately memorable lyrically, its melody gets easily stuck in your head, and then the lyrics follow. It’s from Steve’s second album Gemini Rights.

Next at #26 is the quick but superbly fun “The Boss” by collaborating French dance producers Coopex and Charles B along with singer/songwriter Robbie Rosen. Robbie is also riding the chart up 23-20 with “Stained Glass” with producers Severman and Arshan Joel. It’s Robbie’s 10th chart entry in just under two years.

At #28, Italian dance producers Luca + Giam and American singer/songwriter Sam Merkin follow up their #3 “Hold Me Down” with the similarly infectious “Full Force”.

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! You can also follow me on Spotify at the following link: BILLCS Top 30 Songs.

ONLINE RADIO AFFILIATES

You can hear me and many of my blog choices on this growing list of online radio stations and features!

Radio GTA

On Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 6pm EST I bring you “Your Weekend New Music Mix” six hours of commercial-free music from the 2000’s including many song choices from this blog.

Halton Hills Online

The 3D Variety Show by Planet Radio Canada

I’m featured Tuesdays between 7 and 7:30 pm EST with my New Music Pick of the Week which debuts every week on “The 3D Variety Show” with “The Musicman” James Rogers, and I also join occasionally for looks at music from our past through some live segments. A repeat of “The 3D Variety Show” airs on Wednesdays at 7pm EST on Radio GTA. NOTE: “The 3D Variety Show” is currently on hiatus, returning on Tuesday September 6!

Modern Hype

This is a weekly show hosted by Hunter Wilbur that airs on several online stations but is anchored at Mix88.ca on Sundays beginning at 8pm EST.

For other details about the shows, such as dates and times of broadcasts, go to the bottom right side of my blog site home page!

#BILLCSTop30 #646 – August 15/22

As older favourites depart, new ones arrive, so in this edition of the BILLCS Top 30 there are five debuts. There’s all kind of movement throughout the chart and it’s fun to identify your surprises every two weeks.

Make sure you read about my frequently updated ONLINE RADIO AFFILIATES (see details after the post)!

However there are no surprises at the very top. Harry Styles’ “Daydreaming” (above) is locked in at #1, while “Superstar” by Sweden’s Darin (below) stays tightly put at #2.

“Dusk” by Manila Killa and Lights (above) moves 5-3 and is a song to keep your eyes on, while the enduring “Memories” by Conan Gray (below) climbs 7-4.

Three songs land in the Top 10. First up rising 11-7 is Francesco Yates’ fun tribute to all things Hendrix called “Jimi”. Francesco is currently in the US opening for the Backstreet Boys on their tour.

Then moving up 12-9 is Javi’s delightful cover of Sade’s “Cherish The Day”. It’s Javi’s third visit to the Top 10 in one form or another. He had a solo #3 with “Situation” (Monsieur Adi remix) in 2010 in the days of free downloads, and then later provided vocals for Native Underground’s “Till It Hurts” which peaked at #9 in 2011.

The Fastest Riser on the chart soars 26-10 and it’s the latest from Jessie Ware, “Free Yourself”. It’s her 11th Top 10 on this chart, and with that big jump, has designs on the top of the chart. Check out its new video above.

Petawane’s gorgeous soul song “Music” is also off to a grand start, climbing 22-15. Try to count how many songs and performers the song name-checks!

“Let’s All Dance (Our Last Summer)” by Canadian-German electronic duo Lola Dutronic moves up 23-19 and is a grower that will sneak up on you.

“Summer Nights” by DVBBS and Brandyn Burnette rises 28-21 and also is just outside of the Top 20 on the Canadian Top 40 charts. It’s a great song for both radio and festivals.

The Highest Debut at #22 is tailor-made for festivals and clubs and is destined to be an enduring electronic classic. Burning hot British producer/DJ Fred Again.. collaborates with Swedish House Mafia in reworking Future’s “Turn On The Lights” as “Turn On The Lights Again”. This one is so powerful it would generate cheers even if you didn’t know the song, and is definitely Fred Again..’s ticket into the A list club of producer/DJ’s. It’s only Swedish House Mafia’s second time on this chart, their first of course being with the #1 “Don’t You Worry Child” almost 10 years ago.

Another huge producer, Paul Van Dyk, scores his first chart entry since 2008’s “Let Go” (#4) with the cover of the 80’s Depeche Mode track “But Not Tonight” at #26. The vocalist is Christian Burns, who last appeared on the chart in 2007 with Tiësto on the #3 “In The Dark”. Christian was also a member of British pop trio BBMak back in the day, and they reached #6 in 2000 with “Back Here”, the first of three entries for them.

LF System’s “Afraid To Feel” arrives at #27 and is starting to make big noise on dance radio in North America at last. It’s been #1 in the UK for six weeks, quite a feat for producers Conor and Sean right out of the gate. The song samples the American R&B group Silk’s 70’s track “I Can’t Stop (Turning You On)” featuring vocals by Debra Laws.

Greyson Chance returns to the chart for the fourth time in three years with “Athena” (#28) from his upcoming album Palladium. Greyson is now recording independently with releases on Lowly Palace. “Athena” follows the #2 “Dancing Next To Me” and the outrageously fun #3 “Hellboy”.

And with a warm and inviting message, Dutch dance producers Showtek are back, this time working with NYC rapper MC Ambush for “Welcome Back Home”, which bows at #29. It’s Showtek’s fourth chart entry, and their first, “Cannonball (Earthquake)” (with Justin Prime and Matthew Koma), got to #1 in 2013.

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! You can also follow me on Spotify at the following link: BILLCS Top 30 Songs.

Check out and ‘like’ the BILLCS Music Projects Facebook page 🙂

ONLINE RADIO AFFILIATES

You can hear me and many of my blog choices on this growing list of online radio stations and features! Links to all stations appear later in this section in blue.

Radio GTA

On Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 6pm EST I bring you “Your Weekend New Music Mix” six hours of commercial-free music from the 2000’s including many song choices from this blog.

Halton Hills Online

The 3D Variety Show by Planet Radio Canada

I’m featured Tuesdays between 7 and 7:30 pm EST with my New Music Pick of the Week which debuts every week on “The 3D Variety Show” with “The Musicman” James Rogers, and I also join occasionally for looks at music from our past through some live segments. A repeat of “The 3D Variety Show” airs on Wednesdays at 7pm EST on Radio GTA. NOTE: “The 3D Variety Show” is currently on a 3 week hiatus, returning on Tuesday September 6!

My New Music Pick of the Week also now airs on:

Party Dog Radio, Sundays at 8pm EST on The Big 20
Unique Radio Australia, Fridays at 7am EST on The Big 20
Mix88.ca‘s “Addictive Energy” show with Hunter Wilbur on Saturdays after 9pm EST

On Hunter Wilbur’s “Modern Hype” show on the following stations:

Radio GTA, Saturdays after 11pm EST
Mix88.ca, Saturdays after 11pm EST (different edition of the show from Radio GTA above)
WXNZ, community radio in Maine, Mondays after 10pm EST
Free 99, Tyler, Texas, Fridays after 11pm EST
98.6 The Mix, Houston, Texas, Saturdays after Noon EST
KSKO Public Radio, McGrath, Alaska, Tuesdays after 11 pm EST and Sundays after Midnight EST

More new affiliates are joining and I will post them as I compile the information.