Pop Sweep: July 28, 2012...


Hey folks, thanks for stopping by, it's time for the first of today's five-part series sampling the new music on Billboard magazine's weekly music charts. This time out I'll run through the songs debuting on the all-genre Hot 100 and the adult-pop charts.

On the Hot 100, the highest new song is by hip-hop artist and songwriter Frank Ocean. Ocean's had a big month, where he revealed in a heartfelt tumblr post his feelings towards another man. Without the big People mag "I'm Gay" cover story, he put a story out to people about what it feels like rather than what "it" is. The reception has been extremely positive, with the hip-hop community coming to his support, and after the release of his debut album Channel Orange a week earlier that was planned, and selling way over what was originally estimated. One of the centerpieces of the album, "Thinkin' About You", perfectly captures the emotion of someone trapped in a hidden love. The video, though, has zombies. And it debuts at #85...


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Moroccan-American rapper French Montana has his first pop hit as a lead artist at #90 with "Pop That", featuring Rick Ross, Drake, and Lil' Wayne...(NSFW)


Country singer Thomas Rhett has done something his father, Rhett Akins, couldn't: place a single in the pop Top-100, as his debut track "Something To Do With My Hands" comes in at #93...


Arriving at #95 is a personal favorite of mine since it was a big hit in England a year ago."The A Team" was a #3 hit there, and the album it came from, +, topped the charts there as well. The song now is growing in the States, and I'm tickled pink - easily my pick of the week...


Popping in at #98 is San Franciscans Train follow their top-10 hit "Drive By" with the Latin-flavored "50 Ways To Say Goodbye"...


And at #99 is country self-proclaimed freak show duo Big & Rich with their more somber single, "That's Why I Pray"...let me something about this. I guess neo-gasbag John Rich has taken control of the group, since this is the typical hot-button fallacies (the "don't pledge allegiance" shit. get real. I'm not going to pretend the damn thing was written - by a socialist, mind you - without the "under God" in it in the first place), and the self-sanctimonious drama in this recording is souring me the more I listen to it. But make your own decision. Thoughts?


Meanwhile, over on the Adult-Pop chart, the Hot 100 leader Carly Rae Jepsen debuts at #32 with her collaboration with Owl City on "Good Time"...


and at #40 is Christina Perri, last seen on her song from the Twilight: Breaking Dawn movie, "A Thousand Years". This time she gets some help from Jason Mraz, who's already in the top-10 of that chart with "I Won't Give Up", on "Distance"...


Next up in 90 minutes: the newest rock songs on the radio. Till then!

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