Pop Sweep: April 12, 2014...

Hey gang, it's time to kick off the first of today's "chart sweeps", checking out the songs making their way on to the various singles charts in Billboard magazine. As usual, I'll start out on the pop side of things, then later in the day work over to rock, R&B, country, and dance music...

On the "big" chart, Billboard's Hot 100, which combines radio airplay, internet streaming, and sales tallies, Pharrell holds on to the top spot for a sixth week with "Happy"...

The top entry of the week belongs to Colombian siren Shakira, who follows up her collab with Rihanna, "Can't Remember To Forget You", which is still in the top-40 at #32, with "Empire" at #58. Is it me, or does it sound like the Latin child of PM Dawn's "I'd Die Without You" and Alanis Morissette's "Uninvited"? Still, I prefer this to the duet track in spades.

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Lady Gaga premiered her high-concept video for her ARTPOP single "G.U.Y." last week, and the song makes it on the chart at #76. It's the fifth track from the album to make the chart - her first single "Applause" made it to #4. You know, there is a line between art and spectacle, and this straddles it like a jockey, with elaborate sets coupled with twink-approved stunt casting of whatever Real Housewives showed up and the gay Seacrest himself, Andy Cohen as some sort of Greek god/Teletubbies sun morph. The song itself is an enjoyable slice of electro-pop, but I have no idea what concept the Gags was going for here.

The alt-rock duo Black Keys return at #77 with the first single from their upcoming eighth album Turn Blue, "Fever". Despite their huge success on the rock charts, this is only their fourth time on the Hot 100, and only "Lonely Boy" has gone higher so far at #64 in 2011. This is probably the most anticipated rock entry of the year so far, and may prove to be their biggest hit, even if it doesn't match the resonance of their previous best...

British "boy-band" Rixton, who hail from Manchester, debut at #87 with "Me And My Broken Heart". Member Jake Roche had previously acted in the long-running ITV soap-opera Emmerdale. I was hoping that fellow countrymen Lawson would be the ones of this type to make it in the States, but it looks like they've watered down the formula and the Disney Channel tweens are eating it up...

Rapper B.o.B follows up his #53 hit "Headband" with the more focused "John Doe" featuring Priscilla at #89. This is one of my favorites of the genre lately, proving you can be "hard" and have a real message these days.

Well, at #94 is the opposite of that, a song with no message but branding "spring break" 2014, and it's "Beachin'" by bro-country singer Jake Owen. It's the second single from Owen's Days Of Gold album; the title track went to #83 last year. His star has lessened a little, and this country-rap piffle isn't going to help a lasting legacy, but may grab some of the Florida Georgia Line fans to drunk to notice.

The last new entry on the "big" chart at #98 is redneck hunk Tyler Farr with "Whiskey In My Water". It's the follow up to his breakthrough single "Redneck Crazy", which peaked at #29 on the Hot 100 last year. Although this follows the usual NashYork "checklist", his voice and choice to go for romantic drama over party times give this my upvote. And dayum is he good to look at.

And now on to the pop radio format charts...

On the Mainstream Top-40 radio panel, Pharrell commands for a third week with "Happy"...

Last week's top entry on the Hot 100, Scottish DJ/producer Calvin Harris' "Summer", makes its way on to this radio list at #37. Either he's very smart or premature in releasing a seasonal hit like this before we're out of the 40 degree range...

Aussie hip-hop chick Iggy Azalea lands at #39 with her "Fancy" featuring Charli XCX. As I've previously said, this is all about that bassline...

Rounding out the trio of debuts at #40 is the Australian act likely to top the album chart next week, "boy-band" 5 Seconds Of Summer with "She Looks So Perfect". It looks like these guys will end up the One Direction (who they opened for on tour) to Rixton's the Wanted. Sounds like even the "heys" and "woahs" were market-tested...

Meanwhile, on the older-skewing Adult-Top 40 format, "Happy" takes a second week at #1...

The sole entry here at #40 is the pop-rock band from Ohio New Hollow with "She Ain't You". Going for the same market as Rixton and 5SOS (they had a marketing arrangement with the girls' clothing store Justice), their sound is marginally more serious, like Deep Blue Something (there's a reference for ya)...

Lastly, on the Adult Contemporary (or "easy listening") radio chart, Passenger's "Let Her Go" is on top for a second week...

An odd early entries for a modern-rock-style single on this format, Neon Trees come in at #27 with "Sleeping With A Friend". Lead singer Tyler Glenn just officially "came out of the closet" to the press, and since then happily the single seems to be getting its legs on radio. On the AC chart they went to #13 with "Everybody Talks"...

Another "out" musician, George Michael, enters at #29 with my "Pop Pick of the Week", the sublimely beautiful "Let Her Down Easy". On this chart he had back-to-back #1's with "One More Try" and "Kissing A Fool". George takes this cover of a Terence Trent D'Arby song and with minimal arrangement help shows us how much we really need him in the pop music conversation.

Rising to #30 is singer/songwriter Christina Perri with "Human", the first single from her upcoming second album. This song was released back in November (it has made it to #49 on the Hot 100), but it took a while to "grow" on me, though now I've succumbed to its vulnerable charms...

That's all for the start of today's musical journey...I'll return in 90 minutes with the latest songs on rock radio...