Welcome back to another edition of Today’s/Tomorrow’s Top 40. In this post we’ll start by taking a closer look at three songs that are currently on the Top 40 charts of the world and then three other songs which come from albums that have just been released this week. So get ready to enjoy the best of the present and possibly the best that the future has to offer in terms of great music. Here we go!!!
Flowers by Miley Cyrus
For those of us of a certain vintage, we have known about Miley Cyrus for almost the entirety of her life. She first came into the public eye as the cute young daughter of Country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. From there, the two of them parlayed his musical fame into starring roles in the children’s TV show Hannah Montana. But as Miley grew older, she did so with a clear goal in mind and that was to be a music star in her own right. She has certainly achieved that goal with her chart topping classic hit, “Wrecking Ball”, along with several others that have all cracked the Top 40 in past years. To date, she has sold over 40 million albums and has been streamed/viewed online over 100 million times! Like many child stars, the transition to adulthood has been marked with controversial moments but through it all, Miley Cyrus has always leaned on her love of music to steady herself. She is well-respected by her peers and has wowed many audiences with her rich, deep voice and emotive, heartfelt singing style. If anyone can be counted on to pull off bluesy rock songs in the style of Janis Joplin, it is Miley Cyrus.
This takes us to today’s song. Miley Cyrus had been married to actor Liam Hemsworth. The story goes that at their wedding reception, Hemsworth dedicated the song “When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars to his bride. Well, as often happens to young couples in the spotlight, they broke up a while ago. Like many before her, Miley has channeled her sadness and disappointment into song lyrics. These lyrics form the body of today’s #1 song on the charts, “Flowers”. I would love to say that “Flowers” is a highly original and thoughtful song but, unfortunately, it really isn’t. Instead it mines the usual territory in which an ex-lover is dissed and then the spurned lover talks about how she will survive because of how empowered she feels and how desirable she remains in the eyes of others. According to sources, “Flowers” is supposed to be a line for line rebuttal to the Bruno Mars song that had been dedicated to her by Hemsworth. Furthermore, “Flowers” was released as a single on Liam Hemsworth’s birthday. If you wish to listen to the #1 song in North America and watch a video of Miley Cyrus giving off a “look at what you’re missing, boy” vibe then by all means click here. ***The lyrics video is here.
Something In The Orange by Zach Bryan
Zach Bryan is a Country singer. But before he sang for a living, Bryan was an enlisted serviceman in the U.S. Navy. Zach Bryan got into music as a way to pass the time while at sea. Because of the way technology works today, Bryan was able to write songs and upload YouTube videos of himself singing while sailing in the middle of the ocean. Eventually, the story of a handsome Navy Seal singing love songs at sea caught the attention of the public, and his music videos began going viral, as they say. After eight years of service, Bryan was honourably discharged so that he could pursue a career in music. He was immediately signed to a record contract and has released three albums since. Today’s song, “Something in the Orange”, is a song about heartbreak. It is racing up the charts and should be firmly inside the Top Ten in a matter of a few weeks. For now, you can listen to one of the hottest Country songs around by clicking here. ***The lyrics version can be found here.
10:35 by Tiesto featuring Tate McRae
Tiesto is a Dutch DJ who is quite famous in the world of electronic dance music. Tate McRae is a Canadian singer, dancer and actress who first came into the public eye by becoming the first Canadian finalist on the show So You Think You Can Dance, which she managed to achieve at age 13!!! McRae has used social media outlets such as Tik Tok to promote her music and has enjoyed much success online with songs such as “One Day” and “You Broke Me First”. Tiesto and Tate McRae were brought together by big-monied interests from Dubai to create a song that would be used to promote a new resort opening there called Atlantis The Royal. The video for this song was filmed exclusively at the new resort. The song is about meeting someone special and having a wonderful time together. The title, “10:35”, refers to the moment when the two lovers first meet and come to realize that a magical night lay ahead.
There are plenty of songs that possess a great bass line and a killer groove that touch your heart and soul. There are others, such as “10:35”, that are all about the bottom line and make me think about booking a vacation. Whatever! “10:35” is still a peppy little song and should prove to be a popular tune on the dancefloors of clubs all around the world. You can get your own groove on by clicking on the song link here. ***The lyrics version is here.
Love FromThe Other Side by Fall Out Boy
The career story of Fall Out Boy is a cautionary tale for all bands. Fall Out Boy was never really meant to be a serious band. It began as a side project for singer Pete Wentz and served as something for him to do while he figured out what he really wanted to do in the world of music. Originally more of a hardcore performer in the Chicago area, Wentz grew tired of the hardcore scene there and so began Fall Out Boy as a way to try out a more commercial, rock-alternative vibe for a while. Fall Out Boy’s first album turned out to be very well received (which was unexpected), and then, a second album yielded the mighty hit “Dance Dance”, which went on to become one of the biggest selling songs in the 2010s. Suddenly, Fall Out Boy were being asked to appear on national late night talk shows, to headline festivals and much, much more. It all proved to be too much too soon for Wentz, who attempted suicide at one point, as well as engaged in many attention-seeking social media moments including a constantly-in-the-spotlight relationship with fellow singer Ashlee Simpson. As a band, Fall Out Boy went on a period of hiatus that many felt would end up becoming permanent, but lo and behold, the boys in the band have hung tough and have released several more albums recently. From their latest album, So Much (for) Stardust, comes the new single, “Love From The Other Side”. You can listen to this new release here. ***The lyrics version is here.
In Your Universe by Banners
When I was about to start my final year of teaching, I started things off by dedicating a song to all teachers called “Someone To You”. This song is about the feeling of satisfaction you get when you allow yourself to become special in someone else’s eyes. This happens all of the time when you are a teacher who works with small children. I could wallpaper an entire room in my home using all of the pictures that I have received from students over the years that showed the two of us holding hands in the sunshine or under a rainbow or some other cheery scene. Being able to be that special person for someone else was always the best part of being a classroom teacher. So, when I needed a theme song for my final year, I turned to Scottish born singer Michael Nelson, who goes by the stage name Banners. I discovered Banners in 2015 when I heard his debut EP which contained four songs that were all excellent: “Ghosts”, “Shine a Light”, “Start a Riot” and “Someone To You”. I have followed his career ever since and have always been delighted with everything he releases. His latest album just dropped this week. It is called I Wish I Was Flawless, I’m Not. The first single is “In Your Universe”. You can listen to it here. ***The lyrics version is here.
Underground by City and Colour
City and Colour is the stage name of Canadian singer Dallas Green. *(Ya see, his first name is a city and his last name is a colour; thus, he calls himself City and Colour). He was named after baseball manager Dallas Green who was managing the Philadelphia Phillies the last time they won the World Series. Green’s father had placed a bet on the Phillies and because they ended up winning, he considered “Dallas Green” to be a lucky-charm-style name for his newborn son. Regardless of what his name is or how it came to be, Dallas Green is one of Canada’s most prolific and creative singers these days.
Green began his career with a hardcore rock band called Alexisonfire. In this band, Green had many hit songs and wound up being nominated for several Juno Awards. But Dallas Green had bigger ambitions than simply playing his music as loudly as possible. About five years after Alexisonfire began (and was still thriving), Green started a side project called City and Colour. This iteration of himself as a performer was much softer, emotive and introspective. He often performed by himself with only guitar and a haunted voice to act on his behalf. To broaden his reach, Green teamed up with several other music stars in duets, such as with Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip, to sing one of my all-time favourite songs, “Sleeping Sickness”, as well as with P!nk in another excellent duet of a song called “What Makes A Man”. You can listen to both performances here and here.
Dallas Green tours as City and Colour and continues to play in Alexisonfire as well. This past week, in his City and Colour guise, he released a new album called The Love Still Held Me Near. The first single is called “Underground”. You can listen to it here. ***The lyrics version can be found here.
That’s it for this week. If you have any comments on the songs featured today please feel free to drop them in the comment box below and I will get back to you as soon as I can. If there are other new and noteworthy songs that you feel should be placed in the spotlight, feel free to bring those songs up, too. In the meantime, thanks for reading my words and being part of my world. I appreciate you being here. Bye for now. Have a wonderful week!
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Tom MacInnes, Writer 