Chart Review: 9th Feb 2024
Making sense of a nation’s musical tastes
A few nice surprises in the charts this week. Most notably, “Perfect (Exceeder)” by Mason and Princess Superstar has hopped into number (39), another hit resurrected by Saltburn, bizarrely (though I first became aware of it via this video of Limmy watching some bloke doing a dance to it). I really like Princess Superstar’s delivery in the verses of this track, and I think I’ve got a bit of a penchant for tunes this gleefully vapid.
In more up to date music news, YG Marley’s “Praise Jah In The Moonlight” has leapt up 11 places to (9). Since last week, the artist has been blessed with a Wikipedia page, so things really are looking up. I’m still enjoying the track a lot - it’s pointedly not reinventing the wheel, and continues to stand out among a lot of the sludge.
A couple of not very good hip hop tracks to look at on this week’s chart. At (39) is a fellow from Reading going by the name Songer, which is a really terrible stage name (I can’t find out if that’s his real name - you’d think it must be, because it would be a really odd sobriquet to choose). “Toxic” is, as the name suggests, a freestyle over the Britney hit. I know this has made its way into the charts through genuine fan interest and it’s just a self produced effort but you’d think if it’s going to turn into a hit, you’d rejig the sample a bit, i.e. do something a little more creative than rap over an unadulterated, 20 year old song. Anyway it’s not for me but the like “Man’s cray cray, call that Tom Hardy” is very good.
Jack Harlow’s “Lovin On Me” is at (4) and has lingered in the charts, including a stint at (1), for 13 weeks now. I don’t know if this guy’s taken seriously in hip hop - my gut says no he isn’t - but he seems like quite a nice lad. The song’s immensely forgettable and he does some spelling-his-own-name stuff that I thought the genre had moved well beyond.
Two of my least favourites in the chart, “Alibi” (16) and “Beautiful Things” (5) are on the climb. The latter, Benson Boone’s caterwauling effort, looks worryingly primed to make a punt for the top spot. I’m pretty sure this guy qualifies as Christian Rock having heard the song more times than I’d prefer by this point. What’s worst of all is that it’s proving to be quite the earworm, too. I like it less every time I hear it and he’s got new gear on the horizon.
I’ve come around a little on Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control”, however, which remains at (3). I lumped him in with Boone and the rest of these singers who confuse having a powerful voice with singing as loud as you can, but this tune isn’t nearly as bad as I thought it was last week. His singing style isn’t to my taste (you don’t need that many notes) but I wouldn’t deny he’s got the pipes, and I like the gospel feel and the chirping organ, shades of “Feeling Good”. It’s your Hoziers or your Rag ‘n’ Bone Man; the market’s always there for this kind of capital-E emotional stuff.
Noah Kahan at (1) again for the sixth week on the trot. Since last time I’ve watched him perform it on SNL which was quite charming and found out what “Stick Season” is (the hinterland between colourful autumn and the winter holidays). It’s an alright song for sure. I’m quite looking forward to not having to hear it anymore.
Pick of the week: Mason & Princess Superstar - “Perfect (Exceeder)”
