Wrapping up the latest installment of ‘What the Kids are Listening To,’ here’s the Chris Brown song I alluded to yesterday. It sits at #16 on the chart, just behind Morgan Wallen’s ‘What I Want.’
I believe it was Aziz Ansari who did a stand-up routine about how it’s easy to cancel artists you don’t like to begin with, and hard to cancel those of whom you’re already a fan. People will skip an R. Kelly song but you’ll have to pry Michael Jackson from their cold, dead hands.
The #15 song of 2023, according to Billboard’s Hot 100, was Harry Styles’ ‘As It Was,’ quite the feat considering it was the #2 song the year before.
At #16 is another country bro, Bailey Zimmerman, with ‘Rock and a Hard Place.’
That brings us to #17, a track called ‘Under the Influence’ by R&B singer — and abuser of women — Chris Brown.
I’ve been feeling really good about the Billboard Top Ten in this installment of ‘What the Kids Are Listening To.’ The songs have been listenable, the artists have been likable. Overall, a very chill and positive vibe.
Then comes an ugly bump in the road in the form of the abusive pig Chris Brown. How is it that in the Cancel Culture era, when artists can be written off for an offensive tweet, this convicted felon continues to release hit songs? Here’s a guy who isn’t allowed into the UK, Australia or New Zealand because of his criminal record, but American fans (many of them female) put his latest song at #7 on the Hot 100.
Rounding out Billboard’s Top Ten are two songs I have already featured. Ed Sheeran’s ‘Perfect’, which has spent 38 weeks on the chart and 6 weeks at the #1 spot, sits at #9. And Ariana Grande’s ‘No Tears Left to Cry,’ which I wrote about just two weeks ago, is hanging on at #10.
At #11 we have ‘Freaky Friday,’ by comic rapper Lil Dicky. Drawing inspiration from the Lindsay Lohan movie, this song has Lil Dicky and Chris Brown swap bodies and rap as each other.
Sadly, the song at #14 on Billboard’ Hot 100 is yet another rap track objectifying women.
When will it get old for rappers to wax eloquent about how much money and how many women they have? Or — better questions — when will people stop buying this crap and force the performers to try something else for a change?
Meet Me In Montauk 