Christina Taylor Poised to Enter Super-Stardom with new "I Got That From You" (SNS week of 6/27/2021)

 A lot of stuff to talk about this week, so let's get on with it.

Let's start with this week's Top Debut.   It is the latest from Christina Taylor, "I Got That From You", which was just released July 2 (yesterday, as I am writing this).   It's the Charlotte, North Carolina native's latest attempt to get into the circle of country music elite, and one who has certainly paid her dues, and deserves to be there.

Country singer Christina Taylor has the Top Debut this week with "I Got That From You", coming in at #60 this week.

The song and video, which debuts on my blog playlist at #60, is a very solid country effort, and in my opinion, her best to date.   I've never seen so much soul pouring out from her voice, (or anyone's, for that matter) in her genre.   The very full production compliments her strong vocal, and upon one listen, you're right in there with her.   She wrote the song, and the lyrics are touching and dynamic at the same time.  The video is also powerful.

But perhaps, those who have followed this blog shouldn't really be surprised, since I've been following her budding career for eight years now, and counting.    After all, she has already garnered four top ten songs on my blog, including her proper debut, 2017's "Don't Look Good in Your T-Shirt Anymore".   That song came in at #7 on my year-end list for 2017, and at #62 on my "Top 200 of the 2010's".    

Ms. Taylor has done so much since then.    That song got her on some Internet music charts, she became a favorite on the now-defunct Radio Disney, and was named an "artist to watch" on outlets such as The Country Source, CMT, AXS and others.   She also got to record with one of Canadian country music's biggest stars in Brett Kissel.    

What is hard to believe, and amazingly so, is that I have followed her path since way before "Don't Look Good...", before she used her stage name, and even before she attempted country.

Much of the music that I've been featuring in my blog for almost eleven years have been recommended by friends, and Christina is no exemption.   Apparently one of my hometown friends, Mary Anne Reed Nolan, knew Ms. Taylor back when she was growing up.    When she decided on a music career and released her first single, "Alibi", under her real name, Taylor Centers, I took notice, hoping to perhaps follow a singer with loads of potential, on her path to stardom.   That song, which was a nice slice of catchy contemporary pop, reached #22 on the SNS 100, but if anything, it was only just the start of an evolution.    Christina has said that she had tried several genres of music before finding that country music was the right fit.

Her second single, "Wild", her first blog top 20 hit in 2015, peaking at #18 was more in the alternative singer-songwriter rock-ish vein, perhaps similar to artists like Brandi Carlile or Natasha Bedingfield.  You can tell that her voice had a bit of a soulful country slant in it even then.   That probably led to her third single, "Dodged Your Bullet", from her first EP, Gypsy Heart, which was straight in the country lane, worthy of chart-dom.   It was her first top 10 on my blog, peaking at that #10 position.    She had found her niche.

At this point, with an established sound, she changed her name to Christina Taylor in 2017, and released "Don't Look Good in Your T-Shirt Anymore".  The song got onto CMT's playlist of up-and-coming artists, as well as being a fixture on Radio Disney Country, and other internet outlets.  The song reached #5 on my blog, as well as year-end Top 10 honors (#7).   Her EP, That Girl, also yielded the follow-up title track, which peaked here at #7.   

Since then, she has released the patriotic "American Dreamin'" in 2018 (her fourth straight blog top 10, at #5), "Loser" (#36), "Setting Myself on Fire" (2019, #48), and finally "As Good as You Look" (2020, #48).  That song was a duet with Brett Kissel, one of the top country music stars in Canada who is also starting to make inroads in the U.S., and only helped to elevate Ms. Taylor's stature here, setting herself up for her new song.

I will be monitoring the country charts for action on "I Got That From You".   I will be surprised if this song DOESN'T chart.     Keep up the great work, Christina!

MORE SCREEN AGE RECORDS:   Turning to the blog list, ScreenAge's "Think Again" remains at #1 for a fifth week, but the follow-ups "Going Back" (7-5) and "Questions" (12-6) continue to make inroads.  Thus, the Jersey band becomes only the second act to land three concurrent top 10 songs, the first since Adele did it for five weeks in May and June of 2011.    With "North Star" only falling a notch to #18, that gives ScreenAge four songs in the top 20 for the second week in a row.  As I had mentioned last week, only Adele and The Revivalists had as many as three songs in the upper echelon.    Meanwhile, Pageants comes close (but no cigar) to accomplishing that as well, as "It Might be Crazy" (24-19) and "Just Tell Me" (34-20), enter the top 20, only to have their "All Bets Aside" fall out of it (20-26). 

The question next week is, will "Think Again" hold on for a sixth week at the top?   There is immense competition right below it, and any of the top six could get in there.  That includes Bebe Rexha's "Sacrifice" (3-2), Middle Kids' "Questions" (4-3), or the two aforementioned ScreenAge songs, which could result in an unprecedented third succession at #1 for that band.    It should be noted that Emily MacMahon and company have now held the top spot for seven weeks straight.

The Black Keys' "Crawling Kingsnake" (#4) , Kaleo's "Break My Baby" (#7), and Meg Myers' "The Underground (#8) still are gaining points, albeit without a bullet, but are pushed down by the aforementioned songs.    Anna Lavigne grabs her second top 10 with "Dare to Dream" (19-9), while Modest Mouse, still #1 on Triple-A, makes a 28-11 gain to grab Impact honors with "We Are Between".  David Porfirio's "Day at the Beach" becomes the first "summer" themed song to crack the top 10, moving 25-16 for his fifth straight top 20 entry. 

DEBUTS...WE HAVE DEBUTS:   Aside from the above mentioned Christina Taylor song, there are other worthwhile entries into the SNS 100 playlist this week.   Cold War Kids seems to be a band whose great songs are ignored by alternative radio and so-so songs, (like "First") are big hits.   Their new one, "What You Say", seems to fall into the former category.   After a high debut on the alternative chart last week, it takes a tumble.  And sure enough, I love the song.   Sort of a change-of-pace, it's a rather rhythmic, even disco-ish romp, soulful at times, and in my opinion, their best in quite awhile.   The song gives me chills, which is always a good sign.   Easily the band's best since their 2017 #1 "So Tied Up", and the perfect chart-topper for the recent "1 X 1".

Two acts that made their mark in the 1990's also debut.   The Tragically Hip is a Canadian band that broke through in that decade, with the song, "Long Time Running" making my top 100 in 1992.   Their new one is "Ouch", and is an up-tempo rock-blues rhythmic romp  This is song you can easily groove to, good outside party music, if you will.   I like this one's prospects.    Liz Phair also debuted in the 1990's, and although she recent charted here with "Hey Lou", her new one, "Spanish Doors" is far better and its #83 debut already exceeded that prior song's peak at #84.   This one reminds me a bit of her 1994 hit "Whip Smart", but with an added dimension to it, especially in the chorus hooks.    

The Band CAMINO has been releasing EP's since 2016, but finally made a dent on my playlist last year with the #62 "Daphne Blue".  The new one, "1 Last Cigarette" is from a self-titled full length album due in September.  The song is squarely center on the alternative rock lane.   The song is moving up in the top 20 of Billboard's alternative chart.  Another song you can groove into, and should easily top "Daphne Blue".   The rock guitars really get going mid-song; and another song with much potential.

Finally, Olivia Rodrigo made some pop history by having her first three releases debut in the top 10 of Billboard's Hot 100, including two debuts at #1,  one of which, "Drivers License" did moderately well here, peaking at #35. While "Brutal", added this week at #95 wasn't any of those three, it is getting airplay on alternative stations and is a much tougher sound for the 18-year old Disney star.  Has potential.

THE SUMMER THUS FAR:  Since we are, as of this writing, at the July 4th Weekend, as I promised last week, I am listing the contenders for my annual "Song of the Summer".   I take my playlist chart action from mid-May to mid-September to determine what song gets that honor.   This year, the "contest" began on May 16.    As we are a couple weeks from the mid-point (already?), here are the current leaders:

1. "Think Again", ScreenAge

2. "North Star", ScreenAge

3. "Sacrifice", Bebe Rexha

4. "Crawling Kingsnake", The Black Keys

5. "Save Your Tears", The Weeknd

6. "Sunblind", Fleet Foxes

7. "Let the Bad Times Roll", The Offspring

8. "All Bets Aside", Pageants

9. "Call Me A Fool", Valerie June featuring Carla Thomas

10. "Cyclone Trip", Quarters of Change

Obviously a lot can change in the next two and a half months.  We have a lot of summer to come.   Incidentally, Billboard's current "Song of the Summer" leader is "Butter" by BTS.

Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist

June 27, 2021

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	1	NUMBER ONE: SCREENAGE "Think Again" Album: DNR (5 weeks at #1)	8
2	3	Bebe Rexha - Sacrifice	9
3	4	Middle Kids - Questions	6
4	2	The Black Keys - Crawling Kingsnake	10
5	7	ScreenAge - Going Back	4
6	12	ScreenAge - Questions	4
7	5	Kaleo - Break My Baby	12
8	6	Meg Myers - The Undergroiund	9
9	19	Anna Lavigne - Dare to Dream	4
10	9	Tim Izzard - Night Nurse	13
11	28	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK: MODEST MOUSE "We Are Between" Album: The Golden Casket	5
12	15	Oneiric - Golden Cage	8
13	13	Fleet Foxes - Sunblind▲	17
14	21	Kylie V - On My Mind	13
15	23	Cannons - Bad Dream	8
16	25	David F. Porfirio - Day at the  Beach	7
17	10	Einstein's Dad - Driving Home	9
18	17	ScreenAge - North Star●	11
19	24	Pageants - It Might Be Crazy	6
20	35	Pageants - Just Tell Me	4
21	14	Quarters of Change - Cyclone Trip	15
22	16	The Offspring - Let the Bad Times Roll	16
23	8	Molly Burch - Control	9
24	30	Winnetka Bowling League and Sasha Sloan - Barcelona	7
25	32	Scarabino ft Matt Weiss - Under Your Skin	7
26	20	Pageants - All Bets Aside	11
27	33	Tinkers Lane - I Do Love You	7
28	11	Gia Ness ft. Cameron Ness - Love Song	15
29	18	Valerie June ft Carla Thomas - Call Me a Fool	15
30	22	The Weeknd - Save Your Tears●	20
31	48	MOVER OF THE WEEK: DUA LIPA "Levitating" Album: Future Nostalgia	3
32	36	Ian Roberts - So Fine Summertime	5
33	26	Imagine Dragons - Follow You	11
34	39	Surfer Blood - Summer Trope	4
35	34	Kings of Leon - Stormy Weather	9
36	49	Anna Lavigne - Seashore Blues	3
37	27	The Outcrops - Peace of Mind	8
38	29	Oneiric - The Ride●	16
39	37	The Kid LAROI and Miley Cyrus - Without You	6
40	42	Molly Burch - Heart of Gold	4
41	43	Deb Browning - Stop Messin' With My Man	5
42	31	Wavves - Sinking Feeling	12
43	38	Blake Shelton - Minimum Wage	7
44	41	Twenty-One Pilots - Shy Away	11
45	47	Dua Lipa - We're Good	14
46	44	Anna Lavigne - Every Kind of Heaven●	17
47	40	LP - How Low Can You Go	13
48	45	Elle King and Miranda Lambert - Drunk (And I Don'tWant to Go Home)	13
49	58	R. Mark Black - Whispers (Getting Louder)	5
50	66	Beebadoobee - Last Day on Earth	4
51	85	Saint Motel - It's All Happening	2
52	81	Sharon Van Etten and Angle Olsen - Like I Used To	2
53	46	Jon Batiste  - I Need You	12
54	62	Greta Van Fleet - Heat Above	6
55	65	Jack Penate - Murder	4
56	52	Julien Baker - Heatwave	10
57	50	The Big Takeover - Spilling Water	9
58	55	Beach Bunny - Cloud9	8
59	74	Leon Bridges - Motorbike	3
60	---	TOP DEBUT: CHRISTINA TAYLOR "I Got That From You" (Single Only)	1
61	51	Lake Street Dive - Hypotheticals	13
62	69	Wolf Alice - Smile	5
63	70	Perfume Genius - Describe	5
64	71	The Catalinas - Working on a Groovy Thing	7
65	---	Cold War Kids - What You Say	1
66	53	Jade Bird - Open Up the Heavens	15
67	61	Coldplay - Higher Power	6
68	78	Sleater-Kinney - Worry With You	3
69	84	Chrissy Roberts and Ralph Capasso - I Play To Win	2
70	57	Tytillidie - Doomsday●	18
71	59	Tinkers Lane - Honey Honey●	25
72	79	Evanescence - Better Without You	3
73	54	The Joy Formidable - Into the Blue	10
74	60	Delacey - Unlovable●	25
75	77	Aurora - Runaway	4
76	89	Pink - All I Know So Far	2
77	63	Black Coffee ft. Maxine Ashley and Sun El Musician - You Need Me	20
78	93	Braids - Slayer Moon	2
79	56	Lauren Davidson - Backfire	14
80	---	The Tragically Hip - Ouch	1
81	64	David F. Porfirio - That Night on Bergenline Avenue●	22
82	83	Too Much Sylvia - I Wanna Go Back	5
83	---	Liz Phair - Spanish Doors	1
84	95	Rave Republic X Kevin Krissen and Fablers ft Matt Weiss - Can I Be the One	2
85	---	The Band CAMINO - 1 Last Cigarette	1
86	87	Vance Joy - Missing Piece	3
87	75	Alice Merton - Vertigo	7
88	68	Winnetka Bowling League - Romantic Way	16
89	73	The Blossom - Hardcore Happy	12
90	76	Jade Bird - Headstart●	31
91	67	Moon Taxi - Say	11
92	97	Taylor Swift ft The National - Coney Island	20
93	100	Bleachers - Stop Making This Hurt	2
94	98	Lorde - Solar Power	2
95	---	Olivia Rodrigo - Brutal	1
96	82	Babeheaven - Human Nature	18
97	86	Chet Faker - Low	7
98	88	Girl In Red - Serotonin	6
99	92	Emily MacMahon - Only Us●	25
100	72	The Happy Fits - Hold Me Down	18

Songs with the greatest increase in favorite points over the prior week.   ● Songs with 25 or more plays on iTunes/iPods ▲   Songs with 50 or more plays.