Twostepcub's New Music Roundup 03/18/23...
It's time for my weekly new music roundup, where I feature the big
entries on the Hot 100 as well as my personal choices of the songs
making the various radio charts in Billboard magazine, as well as on the charts in the United Kingdom. Well, this week's Hot 100 was all about the return of Morgan Wallen, with his new album One Thing At A Time putting all 36 of its tracks on the chart, so accounting for more than a third of the list. Of these, ten of them make their debut in the top-40, and none of those are even the best song on the overbloated set. Also, some new fodder from Nicki Minaj comes in the top 20 and the only other act making their debut is K-pop singer J-Hope from BTS with rapper J. Cole which is completely forgettable. So sticking to my rules I'm gonna cover the entries in the top-40 on the Hot 100, then some true nuggets elsewhere (as well as the passable Morgan track)...
from the album One Thing At A Time (2023)
Billboard Hot 100 debut: #9
God, this thing proves my adage that all truly great albums are 10 tracks long (and 10 each for double discs). One Thing At A Time is a too long slog meant to flood the charts for its initial week to give Morgan a Drake-like "victory" to proclaim his relevance to the music scene that shunned him rightfully for his many transgressions that crested with that cam video. And like Drake, most of the chaff simply sounds alike, like versions of the same retread meant never to challenge anybody or anything. As for the sole Morgan debut in the top ten, this does stand out from the others, but unfortunately with the same chestpumping braggadocio about an ex that pervades lots of Drake's (as well as other rappers) repertoire. The idea that his woman hasn't just moved on from him and just subconsciously wants to reunite is just laughable. It doesn't really even give a reason.
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from the album One Thing At A Time (2023)
Hot 100 debut: #11
Mix some lifestyle branding with profanity produced with overprocessed vocals, that's what shit this is.
from the single (2023)
Hot 100 debut: #13
Official British Singles chart debut: #30
While this new track that samples Lumidee's dancehall hit "Never Leave You" is more gripping than any of the Wallen tracks, it's a low bar, and I don't see myself coming back to this again for any good reason if it fades from the charts. It's a step up in wordplay and production from the craptacular "Super Freaky Girl" though if it makes its biggest week here I doubt it will even make an album.
"Man Made A Bar" - Morgan Wallen featuring Eric Church
from the album One Thing At A Time (2023)
Hot 100 debut: #15
The pervasive dullness of One Thing At A Time is predominately from its overabundance of rock-country songs about drinking and alcohol, and this one doesn't cover any new ground. I don't know why Eric Church had to spend his own critical capital on assisting this, it seems blatant in giving Morgan a thumbs up from the "good country establishment". Sad.
from the album One Day At A Time (2023)
Hot 100 debut: #27
Using a 25-year-old sports reference to perform a song about a baseball season that happened when he was five, about a team not even making it to the World Series, is a choice. Again, I just think this is branding, a reason to use a racially-insensitive name to have the cousin-fuckers get Pavloved.
from the album One Day At A Time (2023)
Hot 100 debut: #29
One of the more passable tracks on the album, this followed a similar lyrical path of "Thinkin' Bout Me" of mourning a bad breakup but done with more passion and introspection, and a better editor/label team would have cut the other for redundancy.
"Sunrise" - Morgan Wallen
from the album One Day At A Time (2023)
Hot 100 debut: #30
Another of the better songs on One Day Of The Time, Morgan rides the groove well on this heartbreak ballad, with some good chord progression choices. However this is way to far removed from "country music" to even have a shot on radio.
from the album One Day At A Time (2023)
Hot 100 debut: #32
...and then back to the alcohol-fueled fodder. Trying to identify as an outlaw when you're just a drunk with racist undertones sure isn't Waylon Jennings.
from the album One Day At A Time (2023)
Hot 100 debut: #35
Yay, more drinking songs. And this one in that voice. I swear he's like the male version of Rihanna, where if given certain material sounds like a bleating goat.
from the album One Day At A Time (2023)
Hot 100 debut: #38
So when Morgan isn't deluging us with drinking songs, he's deluging us with breakup songs, and that does get tired as well, and this combines the two. Pass.
"Cowgirls" - Morgan Wallen featuring ERNEST
from the album One Day At A Time (2023)
Hot 100 debut: #40
This trap-beat exercise brings in fellow-mulleted singer ERNEST, I guess who would be a "protege" of Morgan's, for a duet that doesn't really need to be, and seems planned to serve a focus group. Ick.
from the album One Day At A Time (2023)
Hot 100 debut: #43
This one skirts the "drinking" fringe, but instead zags to hope with an ode to a woman who saves a drifting soul. Not bad.
from the album One Day At A Time (2023)
Hot 100 debut: #56
If One Day At A Time was twelve songs long, including ones like this, I'd be more favorable to it. A classic two-step with a driving beat and a good story to tell, and the pun hits.
from the album One Thing At A Time (2023)
Hot 100 debut: #65
The last of the songs from One Day At A Time on this week's recap is my favorite of the set, with Morgan channeling his inner Gin Blossoms for a jangle-pop take on a breakup so bad he has to leave town.
from the album Chris Black Changed My Life (2023)
Billboard Rock & Alternative Airplay debut: #26
Billboard Alternative Rock Airplay debut: #26
The quirky band from the land of Sarah Palin follow up their top ten rock hit "What, Me Worry" with this one that possibly could've been named for the famewhore politician. On first listen it seems like a drug-slowed "Crazy" from Gnarls Barkley, but what do I know?
"Soul On Fire" - Godsmack
from the album Lighting Up The Sky (2023)
Rock & Alternative Airplay debut: #30
This song debuted on the Mainstream Rock radio chart last week, but I didn't add it until now, I guess it grew on me. Not essential, but a good guitar-heavy track to blast in the car.
from the album Jared James Nichols (2023)
Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay debut: #37
But then again, this bluesy trippy number from Nichols is better, recalling mid-career Soundgarden to me.
from the album Weathervanes (2023)
Billboard Adult Album Alternative (Triple-A) Rock Airplay debut: #37
The Southern Rock craftsman previews his upcoming album with his band with this haunting tune that has him in fine vocal form.
from the album Amen (2023)
Triple-A Rock Airplay debut: #38
Fans of the Black Keys should give this new one from the English blues-rock outfit a spin or three. This will rock in a small concert setting, with its chant-inducing singalong.
from the album Never Enough (2023)
Billboard Adult R&B Airplay debut: #26
Like Wallen, Canadian soulster Caesar is on the brink of being written off by me for his certain affiliations and endorsements, but in the meantime I can't deny this is a beautiful record. Daniel please get your shit together.
"Oops" - Oliver Heldens x Karen Harding
from the single (2023)
Billboard Dance Airplay debut; #40
OK, I'm a sucker for an interpolation of Yaz's classic "Situation", but this bop sounds great on a car playlist, and X Factor alum Harding's distinctive voice cuts through the throbbing beat.
from the album 2000 (2023)
Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs debut: #6
Chameleon DJ/producer Marshmello takes a genre that gets real monotonous quickly and gets me grooving to this Colombian reggaeton crooner.
"Where You Are" - John Summit & Hayla
from the single (2023)
Dance/Electronic Songs debut: #9
DJ/producer John Summit brings in British singer Hayla, who voices one of the best dance tracks of 2022, Kx5's "Escape", for this similarly-themed trance excursion that is a great workout list addition.
"Feels This Good" - Sigala featuring Mae Muller, Caity Baser, & Stefflon Don
from the album Every Cloud (2023)
Dance/Electronic Songs debut: #50
British Singles Airplay debut: #38
Sure this is a basic banger, but it's miles more entertaining than Muller's upcoming Eurovision trifle of a sing-song.
from the album Amelia (2023)
British Singles chart debut: #73
As Mimi's first full-length drops, one of the better cuts from the set pops on to the British chart. If you like Miley's unbridled breakup pain, you should like this.
from the album Time (2023)
British Airplay debut: #30
The long-running British soul-pop group are back (well, from the original just lead singer Mick Hucknall and sax man Ian Kirkham), and while Mick's voice is definitely not what it was, I have a soft spot for the band that brought soul to sophistipop.
I'll be back with my recap and picks of the albums making the charts.
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