Its been a full six months since my last installment of ‘What the Kids are Listening To’ so I figured it’s due.
The long wait doesn’t necessarily mean I’ve missed out on a lot of chart-topping hits, however. Fewer songs than ever are cycling through the Billboard Hot 100. In fact, the issue has become so dire that Billboard just changed some of the guidelines for how long songs can stick around.
Under the new rules, if a song drops below #5 after a year and a half it will no longer remain on the chart. If it falls below #10 after a year, gone. Below #25 after 26 weeks? Gone. Below #50 after 20 weeks? Gone.
Exceptions will be made for seasonal hits and other tracks on a case-by-case basis (which sounds like a recipe for disaster, if you ask me).
Currently the #1 song on the Hot 100 is a relative newcomer: Taylor Swift’s ‘The Fate of Ophelia.’ This single debuted in the top spot five weeks ago and hasn’t budged since.
At #2 and #3 are two songs that highlight the chart’s staleness issue: HUNTR/X’s ‘Golden’ (20 weeks) and Alex Warren’s ‘Ordinary’ (39 weeks).
In the fourth spot is another song from Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl. ‘Opalite’ is the only other track from the album to remain in the top ten after the record occupied the chart’s top 12 spots more than a month ago.
Perhaps the (in my opinion, asinine) accusations that the song’s lyrics are racially charged has helped keep it in the top five. More likely it’s the infectious girl group energy and one of Swift’s catchiest choruses.
I had a bad habit
Of missing lovers past
My brother used to call it
“Eating out of the trash”
It’s never gonna last
I thought my house was haunted
I used to live with ghosts
And all the perfect couples
Said, “When you know, you know”
And, “When you don’t, you don’t”
[Pre-Chorus]
And all of the foes, and all of the friends (Ha, ha)
Have seen it before, they’ll see it again (Ha, ha)
Life is a song, it ends when it ends
I was wrong
[Chorus]
But my mama told me, “It’s alright
You were dancing through the lightning strikes
Sleepless in the onyx night
But now, the sky is opalite, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, my Lord
Never met no one like you bеfore
You had to make your own sunshine
But now, thе sky is opalite, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh”
[Verse 2]
You couldn’t understand it
Why you felt alone
You were in it for real
She was in her phone
And you were just a pose
And don’t we try to love love? (Love, love)
We give it all we got (Give it all we got)
You finally left the table (Uh, uh)
And what a simple thought
You’re starving ’til you’re not
[Pre-Chorus]
And all of the foes, and all of the friends (Ha, ha)
Have messed up before, they’ll mess up again (Ha, ha)
Life is a song, it ends when it ends
You move on
[Chorus]
And that’s when I told you, “It’s alright
You were dancing through the lightning strikes
Sleepless in the onyx night
But now, the sky is opalite, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, my Lord
Never met no one like you before
You had to make your own sunshine
But now, the sky is opalite, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh”
[Bridge]
This is just
A storm inside a teacup
But shelter here with me, my love
Thunder like a drum
This life will beat you up, up, up, up
This is just
A temporary speed bump
But failure brings you freedom
And I can bring you love, love, love, love (Love)
[Chorus]
Don’t you sweat it, baby, it’s alright
You were dancing through the lightning strikes
Oh, so sleepless in the onyx night
But now, the sky is opalite, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, my Lord
Never made no one like you before (No)
You had to make your own sunshine
But now, the sky is opalite, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Meet Me In Montauk 
I was unaware of the racism allegation and had to look it up. I call nonsense!