A LOT TO TALK ABOUT THIS WEEK, so let's get right to it.
SMOKIN' HOT: Beach music artist Gary Lowder was the story at last weekend's Carolina Beach Music Awards, garnering ten awards, including Entertainer, and Male Vocalist, and several which also included his band, the aptly named Smokin' Hot.
Gary Lowder was the big winner at the annual Carolina Beach Music Awards. Gary, along with his band Smokin' Hot won 10 awards, including Entertainer and Male Vocalist. |
In addition to his solo nods, Gary and his band captured Album of the Year honors for In the Moment, the "Smoothie" (i.e. Ballad) for "I'll Be Loving You Always", and Collaboration, with Joe Morris. Also, the band's "Wildfire" song won for Engineer (Scott Frazier), Producer (Ricky Fox), and Live Production (Bob Blair). Finally, its vocalist and trombonist Bridger Warlick won for Rising Star.
Meanwhile, among the other awards, Rhonda McDaniel won for Female Artist, and Too Much Sylvia won four times, three for "Another Day" as Song of the Year, along with its writer Rick Lee, and Video of the Year as well, and also for Group of the Year.
Teddy Swims, a national breakout artist in the pop field this year but popular in beach music circles for a few years now, won for the National Dance/Shag song for "Broke", a duet with country star Thomas Rhett.
Congratulations to all the CAMMY winners for 2024!!!!
MEANWHILE ON THE HOT 100, Shaboozey moved a little closer to history as his "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" scores a 17th week on the Billboard Hot 100. That moves him all alone in second place among the longest running number one songs on the big chart. It breaks out of a logjam for the 16-weekers, but in doing so, breaks a tie with Morgan Wallen's "Last Night" for the longest running song by a solo artist.
"A Bar Song" is now only two weeks off the record of 19, set in 2019 by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus' "Old Town Road". I have theorized that it really has only those two weeks to tie that record, as the barrage of Christmas songs usually takes the top come December. However, a look at the Billboard chart for week ending November 16 still doesn't show any holiday entries, despite that adult contemporary stations usually start playing all-holiday music come November 1 (and several new holiday songs debut on the AC chart). These songs usually make their way on top gradually as more people start getting into the spirit in the week before and after Thanksgiving. Thus, it may take an extra week for that to happen, enabling "A Bar Song" to potentially set the record. Of course, the way it is going, regardless, it can set the record come January when the holiday entries vanish from the charts.
I might also add that Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" has logged 14 weeks at #1 by spending at least a couple weeks (often more) at the top every year since 2019. Assuming that the week of December 7 would be the first of five possible weeks in the holiday season, Carey could also tie the record of 19 if it runs the holiday table. Last year, the song logged two weeks at the top but was beaten out by Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" which topped the chart for three weeks.
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars' "Die With a Smile" is still #2 and also can be a factor in "A Bar Song's" fate, but it is just a wait and see. And again, not much change in the top 10 as many of the "regulars" of the past several months are still there. One to watch is the #5 song, "Lose Control" by Teddy Swims which hit #1 back in March but has now logged 43 weeks in the Top Ten, and 65 weeks on the entire chart. The record is 91 set by "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals set in 2022. Because of the recurrent rules, a song lasting this long that drops out of the top 25, gets removed from the chart, which is what happened to the song during that holiday season, as it had ranked at #21 before the holiday blitz. While "Lose Control" is still 26 weeks away from the record, it has been steadily in the top 10 that the barrage of Christmas entries may not be able to dislodge it from the chart.
One more note. This week's chart, ending November 16 will be the final chart before Billboard tabulates its year-end list. While the odds-on favorite is "A Bar Song", with its 17-week chart toppers, don't discount "Lose Control",a number one in its own right, which has been on the chart all year and much of it in the top ten.
MOVING BACK TO THE SNS 100, "A Bar Song" vaults back to the top spot for a second week; it previously topped my list during the combined September 15/22 week but has been in the top four every week since. In fact, the top two songs mirror Billboard's as "Die with A Smile" holds at #2 here. "Takes One To Know One" by The Beaches, which had a four week run, drops to #3, Jitwam's "Opendoors" drops 3-4, and Starbuck's "Jones About You" moves 6-5.
There are no new entries in the top 10, nor are there in the top 20, either. Thus, the Impact award goes to the biggest point mover in the top 20, which happened to be last week's winner, "Feels Like Love To Me", by Doyle Wood and Terri Gore (18-15). Just outside the top 20 is "Driving Me Out of Her Mind" by Gary Lowder and Smokin' Hot, no doubt spurred by their CAMMY blitz, moving 33-21. Finally, the Mover of the Week goes to last week's Top Debut, "Feel" by The Heavy Heavy, spurred by their appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show earlier this week, moving 69-40.
NORTH CAROLINA QUEENS: Two personal favorite artists have the top two debuts this week. Deb Browning from Fayetteville scores the Top Debut with her new Christmas song, "Christmas In the South" at #41, while Charlotte's Christina Taylor breaks a three-year hiatus with "Pretty Like You" coming in at #51.
Both of these artists have been blog faves over the years. Deb has been dominating the SNS 100 (and year-end) lists for three years now, Christina has had hits here going back to 2013 when her debut "Alibi" under her real name Taylor Centers reached #22 that year.
While they were both from North Carolina, their musical paths diverged. Ms. Browning went east to the Grand Strand and became one of the top beach music artists; she was voted "Rising Star" at the 2021 CAMMYs, and Female Vocalist in 2023. Meanwhile Ms. Taylor went west to Nashville and has been on the verge of country stardom. Some of her early work was featured on CMT, as well as the Radio Disney channel, but somehow never really broke through to the mainstream.
Let me start with Deb's new Christmas song, one of two holiday entries to debut this week. Deb previewed "Christmas in the South" on November 13, on Jim Quick's show on 94.1 The Surf, then followed it up on Ray Scott's Riptide Radio that afternoon. A bouncy, shaggable song, with music and lyrics by Jerry Layne, the upbeat song is about while other parts of the country are getting snow and cold weather, the South, while lamenting the things that are associated with the holiday, is very much content with the relative warm weather that greets that area during the season. Deb's voice is so much suited to the holiday season and is no stranger to this time of year. She hit #1 two years ago with "Here Comes Amazon", one of only three holiday entries to ever top my chart, and this one has a good chance as well. Definitely a winner, but of course, you wouldn't expect anything else from Deb Browning.
Country singer Christina Taylor debuts on the SNS 100 with "Pretty Like You", her first single in three years. |
As for Christina Taylor, "Pretty Like You" breaks a three-year hiatus as her last song was also a holiday entry; her take on "Jingle Bell Rock" which featured Haley Mae Campbell, Brenna Bone and Kaylee Rose, reached #9 in 2021. Ms. Taylor had taken the time off to get married and raise a family, but she is very much back.
I've never met Christina, but I am friends with Mary Anne Reed Nolan, from my hometown of Roselle Park who has known Christina since she was a child and has followed her growth both as a person and artist. It was Mary Anne that recommended "Alibi"---a rock song--that piqued interest in her music. However, she wasn't comfortable with that style of music and her next song "Wild" was more in a pop direction. Still, that really didn't suit her as well, thus she tried country for her third effort, ,"Dodged Your Bullet" which reached #10 on the SNS 100. She found her wheelhouse, and that was when she changed her stage name from Taylor Centers to Christina Taylor (perhaps to avoid confusion to another famous singer with a first name of Taylor?).
Christina is very much country and should be very much bigger than she has thus far. Despite a cool duet with Canadian country star Brett Kissel, a few years back, she still hasn't gotten much notice. I've always touted her to be a star. While it has been tougher for a female country artist to break through, we've seen the likes of Lainey Wilson, Carly Pearce and Gabby Barrett have hits and find stardom. To be honest, Christina should be up there as well.
As for "Pretty Like You", this is a well-delivered song with a personal message. Very introspective in nature, it's about striving to be someone you admire and wishing you were there as well, trying to change to be that person, when you really have to just be yourself and realize that you are indeed "pretty" without resorting to be someone you aspired to be.
I really hope this gets some country airplay. She is a star. She has six top 10 blog hits; this should easily be number seven.
AMONG THE OTHER DEBUTS: Whiskey-Chitto Ramblers enter with "Breakdown" with a solid guitar intro and Seth Storer's ultra cool voice leading the way. This one has a lot of emotion and should be the song to break them into the top 20. England's Gotts Street Park, coming off a big #1 blog hit enter with "Mountains". This one features Enny, a British rapper and singer. While her voice is similar to Pip Millett's, it sort of has a Sade feel to it, but the song has elements of hip hop. But it's a nice cool and often jazzy thing, different enough from GSP's prior song.
The Cynz follow their top 30 "Crow-Haired Boys" with "Woman Child", a very melodic rocker with sort of a 60's flair to it. Some good harmonies between Cyndi Dawson and Henry Seiz, the song is up-tempo with awesome production but retains the rawness.
Actress Kate Hudson has been making some inroads in music; her "Gonna Find Out" reached my top 20, and this week she enters with TWO songs. "Voices Carry" is a cover of the 1980's hit by Til Tuesday; Kate adds a new dimension to Aimee Mann's original voice without straying too far from it. Her other entry is her take on the holiday classic "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas". On this one she changes the tempo a bit, and that adds a lot to the oft-covered classic. Different enough to score; let's hope this gets airplay on adult contemporary stations. It's deserving of that.
Hannah Goodall's "Angel and Devil" is a fast follow to her "Narcissist"; it's more in a pure pop direction than her "The Girl Who Once Loved You". Might take a few listens, but a good song. Finally, "Light On" by White Denim is a sort of psychedelic jazz, a very interesting combination, to be sure.
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist
November 10,
2024
This Week |
Last Week |
ARTIST-Title |
Weeks on List |
1 |
4 |
NUMBER ONE: Album: Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going (2 weeks at #1) |
15 |
2 |
2 |
11 |
|
3 |
1 |
12 |
|
4 |
3 |
12 |
|
5 |
6 |
12 |
|
6 |
8 |
10 |
|
7 |
5 |
13 |
|
8 |
9 |
10 |
|
9 |
10 |
10 |
|
10 |
7 |
14 |
|
11 |
11 |
10 |
|
12 |
13 |
11 |
|
13 |
16 |
7 |
|
14 |
12 |
9 |
|
15 |
18 |
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK: (Single Release) |
8 |
16 |
14 |
11 |
|
17 |
20 |
7 |
|
18 |
15 |
14 |
|
19 |
17 |
15 |
|
20 |
19 |
11 |
|
21 |
33 |
6 |
|
22 |
23 |
9 |
|
23 |
25 |
11 |
|
24 |
26 |
9 |
|
25 |
30 |
9 |
|
26 |
37 |
4 |
|
27 |
21 |
15 |
|
28 |
38 |
5 |
|
29 |
22 |
12 |
|
30 |
24 |
11 |
|
31 |
35 |
6 |
|
32 |
36 |
Sylvia Johns Ritchie -I Don't
Care Who Knows ( I Love My Baby) |
7 |
33 |
43 |
3 |
|
34 |
29 |
13 |
|
35 |
42 |
4 |
|
36 |
39 |
7 |
|
37 |
41 |
5 |
|
38 |
31 |
15 |
|
39 |
32 |
20 |
|
40 |
69 |
MOVER OF THE WEEK: "Feel" Album: One of a Kind |
2 |
41 |
--- |
TOP DEBUT: (Single Release) |
1 |
42 |
27 |
19 |
|
43 |
28 |
15 |
|
44 |
34 |
17 |
|
45 |
45 |
5 |
|
46 |
44 |
7 |
|
47 |
46 |
5 |
|
48 |
40 |
6 |
|
49 |
49 |
4 |
|
50 |
47 |
7 |
|
51 |
--- |
1 |
|
52 |
56 |
3 |
|
53 |
52 |
6 |
|
54 |
57 |
4 |
|
55 |
50 |
7 |
|
56 |
76 |
2 |
|
57 |
59 |
4 |
|
58 |
60 |
3 |
|
59 |
61 |
3 |
|
60 |
90 |
2 |
|
61 |
83 |
2 |
|
62 |
65 |
4 |
|
63 |
71 |
3 |
|
64 |
48 |
7 |
|
65 |
67 |
4 |
|
66 |
68 |
3 |
|
67 |
81 |
2 |
|
68 |
66 |
16 |
|
69 |
53 |
17 |
|
70 |
55 |
12 |
|
71 |
80 |
3 |
|
72 |
79 |
6 |
|
73 |
86 |
5 |
|
74 |
82 |
4 |
|
75 |
54 |
16 |
|
76 |
64 |
5 |
|
77 |
97 |
Deb Browning and Marlisa Kay
Small -Sunshine and Summertime● |
29 |
78 |
--- |
1 |
|
79 |
58 |
9 |
|
80 |
--- |
1 |
|
81 |
70 |
27 |
|
82 |
94 |
2 |
|
83 |
77 |
6 |
|
84 |
87 |
3 |
|
85 |
--- |
1 |
|
86 |
75 |
5 |
|
87 |
--- |
1 |
|
88 |
51 |
11 |
|
89 |
93 |
2 |
|
90 |
95 |
2 |
|
91 |
--- |
1 |
|
92 |
62 |
10 |
|
93 |
--- |
1 |
|
94 |
78 |
5 |
|
95 |
84 |
Rev. Bubba D. Liverance and the
Cornhole Prophets - Down With That |
11 |
96 |
89 |
38 |
|
97 |
--- |
1 |
|
98 |
85 |
17 |
|
99 |
63 |
14 |
|
100 |
74 |
13 |
Murmurs:
David F. Porfirio - Fuori del Ristorante
Sarah Kinsley - Sublime
Monophonics - Sage Motel
Hajej - High No More
Moto Bandit - Daylight Down
The Beaches - Jocelyn
Sir Prize and the Twomorrow Knightz - Temptress
Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats - Call Me
Dexter and the Moonrocks - Sad in Carolina
Lady Gaga - Disease
Kelly Clarkson - You For Christmas
Melinda Lindner - Come On a Sleigh Ride
Blake Shelton - Texas
The Wombats - Sorry I'm Late
The Struts - Can't Stop Talking
Harper Grace - Santa Baby
Murmurs: Songs which are in the
queue for future adds onto the Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist.
|
Songs
with the greatest increase in favorite points over the prior week
|
Holiday
Songs
▲Song garnered most plays
on Spotify, for the month, with a
superscript following the symbol if most played for multiple months; or if a
song was among the top 5 most plays for two months. ● Song
among top 5 most plays on Spotify.
Awards given during the last blog of each month. To qualify, the song must be currently or
have peaked in the top 40. (Until September 2024)
Songs
on the SNS 100 are included on the following public Spotify playlists
Scenes
‘n’ Soundwaves Top 40: Contains songs in positions 1-40 on the SNS
100
Scenes
Up and Coming: Songs From 41-100 that are moving up the
chart that have not reached the top 40
Scenes
Down and Going: Song formerly in the top 40 that are
descending but still on the SNS 100.
Scenes
Recurrents: Songs which had been in
the top 20 and/or songs on the chart 25 weeks or more, that have dropped off
the SNS 100.