While it was the perpetually discounted SeeB Remix that turned this song into a moderate hit, I prefer the already-upbeat original. Adult pop was, for the most part, quite vapid in 2016; Hymn For The Weekend is a clear outlier. It's simple and inoffensive but not bland, and the vocal layering is well done. I'm also a big fan of the piano melody and clapping throughout the track. Chris Martin is fully within his comfort zone here, and the band seems to have finally come to terms with their niche this year after questioning it with 2014's A Sky Full Of Stars. The song is everything it needs to be– anthemic, infectious, and sweet. Even if Coldplay can't offer up innovation anymore, they can still make particularly good HAC radio fodder.
This position in 2015: R. City f/Adam Levine - Locked Away This position in 2014: American Authors - Best Day Of My Life
Calvin Harris f/Rihanna - This Is What You Came For
7.1/10
While this song doesn't aspire to be much more than playlist filler, the execution is nearly flawless from both artists involved. This was a side project for Rihanna–albeit one that cracked the year-end top 15–and it shows. She doesn't sound nearly as invested in the music as she did on the four (five?) singles from Anti, but her commanding vocals are still strong enough to carry the track. Harris turns in a nice half-house drop that doesn't overwhelm her presence, her "ooh-ooh-ooh"s flying high over his mellow accompaniment. It's a formulaic effort from the pair, but it's still better than a lot of this year's mainstream pop songs.
This position in 2015: Calvin Harris f/Ellie Goulding - Outside This position in 2014: Ariana Grande f/The Weeknd - Love Me Harder
This is better than Outside by miles but below the flawless Love Me Harder.
Excellent description again
I love Gold and Say It! nice tracks. TIWYCF is a good song but one of my least favorite singles from Harris, is just... uninspired... and I think My Way is better
There are songs that I like from your last batches like "Sugar", "Middle", "Pillowtalk", "Unsteady", "My Way" (), "This Girl", "Never Be Like You", "Hymn for the Weekend", "Gold" and "This Is What You Came For". Cool to see "Lush Life" and "Say It" in the Non-Hits list, although the latter could be sleeper hit in the US. I hope it survives the freeze though.
Oh! And I agree with "H.O.L.Y." in the worst songs list.
Updating with 7 positions momentarily, on just the pop and rhy/urb lists. I'm going to try to do more with non-hits & worst tomorrow, and I'll potentially start the country list.
I chose the fan video above because it has the original audio, which lacks that horrendous synth laid over the radio edit.
Whistling might be making a subtle comeback in the mainstream with both this and Chill Bill becoming surprise hits late this year. The content isn't anything new– lyrics meant to empower young girls to redirect focus away from their appearance. While this message is great, the way it is delivered here is quite banal. It sounds vaguely dated overall, and the second-rate electro-pop production would probably fit in more during the early part of this decade. Additionally, the sassy hook is subtly catchy, albeit mostly derivative. For whatever reason, though, I really like her vocals– those fleeting high notes throughout the song and that chirpy tone have a strong, unidentifiable appeal to me.
This position in 2015: Tove Lo - Talking Body This position in 2014: Katy Perry f/Juicy J - Dark Horse
The real star here is Mike WiLL Made-It; his modern, sleek production on this track is a departure from the rougher feel of the Mississippian duo's breakout singles. It's a lively song, and their excitement is contagious. None of the verses are particularly long, allowing for the now-famous hook–which is repeated four times– to stubbornly make its way into your head. Everyone involved makes a good contribution, from Swae Lee's enthusiastic singing to Gucci Mane name-checking Rajon Rondo to Slim Jxmmi's final exclamation of "Black Beatle, bitch, me and Paul McCartney related!" Appropriately, the song loses track of time, just like people do when they're having fun.
This position in 2015: Jidenna f/Roman GianArthur - Classic Man This position in 2014: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis f/ScHoolboy Q & Hollis - White Walls
At this point, I'm not sure whether the fact that Ariana Grande is still relying on Max Martin to anchor her albums is a good thing. The title of this track is somewhat misleading, as it's really not that edgy, and Grande has plenty of sexier songs. The fact that this tries so hard to be grown-up is puzzling, because the conclusion of the My Everything era already informed the general public that she's capable of exhibiting maturity. Nevertheless, I love her delicate high notes during the verses, and her ad-libs during the final hook are great because during the other choruses it feels like she's holding something back. It's a deceptively catchy song, neither monotonous nor cheesy. Martin does a nice job with the roomy production, emphasizing a sultry guitar that gets a cool solo towards the end.
This position in 2015: Selena Gomez - Same Old Love This position in 2014: Calvin Harris - Summer
The most impactful portion of this song is the droning chorus, but its somewhat obnoxious repetition is actually the weak point here. Rihanna is in her element, though, sounding more like herself than she's ever sounded before– notable because so many of her past songs have felt anonymous. The melodies feel a little lazy, but her delivery more than makes up for it. Work is a surprisingly downcast track, more reminiscent of a cloudy winter day than a Barbadian beach. Drake's performance is accordingly subdued, but his melodic cadence is nevertheless appealing. The track is more dynamic than it first appears, which makes it satisfying to listen to.
This position in 2015: Rae Sremmurd - Come Get Her This position in 2014: Childish Gambino - V. 3005
whew, nice to see this bop here 
