Scenes 'n' Soundwaves: Say She She Stays #1, Kesha, Hozier Big SNS Movers, Olivia Rodrigo Displaces Wallen on Hot 100 (SNS week of 7/9/2023)

A little late for this one, so I will keep it relatively brief, discussing a few of the songs on my list.

Say She She's "Don't You Dare Stop" remains in the top spot for the third consecutive week, equaling their "Trouble", while led off this year's #1 chart action. It holds off Colorjoy's take on "Blue Eyed Addiction" which remains #2. Thee Sacred Souls, in which Say She She will tour with on a few dates, holds at the #3 spot, with "Love Is the Way", while Orbis Max's "R U OK" holds at #4. The Orbis Max song, which features Lisa Mychols and Ed Ryan will be included on the new indie compilation International Pop Overthrow, Vol 4, along with other indie acts.

Beach music takes the next three spots, with The Tonez' "Caught Up" (7-5), Jerry Powell's "One More Summer Night" (8-6), and the former #1 "Love Makes the World Go Round" by The Main Event Band featuring Sharon Woodruff at #7. Aside from having three of the top four spots, Colorjoy, Say She She and Orbis Max are also at 9, 11 and 12, with "Vacant Side", "Reeling" and "No Hero", respectively. Both the Colorjoy and Say She She songs were released together as sort of an "A and B" side (using vinyl 45 terminology), while the Orbis Max song was the follow-up single. For Colorjoy that makes five top 10 songs from the duo's debut album Golden Age. Miley Cyrus holds at a bulleted #10 with "Jaded", the follow-up to her #1 "Flowers".

Kesha's latest single, "Only Love Can Save Us Now" makes a 43-8 jump on the SNS 100 this week. The song is from her new album Gag Order.

BIG MOVER: At #8 is Kesha's "Only Love Can Save Us Now", jumping into the top 10 from #43 to grab Impact honors. This is the songstress' first blog top ten song; she had been in the top 20 twice previously as a featured performer on 2010's "My First Kiss" with 3OH!3, and 2019's "Body Talk" with The Struts; both songs peaked at #13. Her biggest solo blog hits were "Blow" (2011), and "Praying" (2017) both of which peaked here at #38.

So, why the sudden interest in this artist? It is a very unusual song, starting out with the sparse pop and pretty much rapped over, that fits in with the pop/hip hop sound of the past several years, but the choruses are what captivates me. A grandiose production in which the title of the song is repeated just gives me the chills. It's filled with anthemic ambience with gospel overtones, and part of me wishes the song would go on for a couple more minutes. I have played this over and over several times this past week.

While this appears to be her blog "breakthrough", the song hasn't really been getting much attention elsewhere, at least thus far. It has yet to chart, even though it's been out for two months. The album that it is taken from, Gag Order, sits at #168 on the Billboard 200, a sharp drop from her first four albums which were top ten on that album chart. Still, it's sort of a new direction for the artist, born Kesha Rose Sebert, with experimentation in electronic, and psychedelic music.

"Only Love Can Save Us Now" is, in part, an LGBTQ anthem, according to Kesha. She states, "Saying it's heartbreak is not enough", as the singer observed the injustices that the community faces. "I don't have the answer, and I'm not a politician, but that's the energy", she told Self magazine in an article by Amy R. Spiegel. The song is, also in part, a rant about some legal issues with producer Dr. Luke, who Kesha claims sexually assaulted her.

So, with the big 43-8 jump of "Only Love Can Save Us Now", could it hit #1 next week? It's too early to say. Songs with that big hook in the chorus tend to burn out with me with repeated listens, so we will see how much staying power it will have. As I mentioned, it has yet to chart anywhere, but then again, that's not a requirement for the SNS 100, as Miley Cyrus' "Jaded" is the only song in my top 20 that's on the Billboard Hot 100 this week. Still, having a pop artist of this stature would definitely enhance her chances on my chart.

Kesha is on tour; she'll be playing at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on November 3 and 4.

Elsewhere in the top 20, Iration, Rhonda McDaniel and Cannons enter that region of the chart, but the other big mover on the SNS 100 is Hozier's "Francesca", last week's Top Debut, grabbing Mover of the Week honors in a 70-28 advance.

The Faithful Brothers a seven-piece band from Tel Aviv, Israel, have the Top Debut this week with "Dance My Hurt Away".

DEBUTS: Six songs debut in the SNS 100 this week, with the Top Debut being "Dance My Hurt Away" by The Faithful Brothers, a seven-piece group from Tel Aviv, Israel. The tune was recently featured on the Beach Music Cafe website. Starting off as a cross between Stevie Wonder's "Uptight Everything's Alright" and The Osmonds' "Yo-Yo", the song could have come out around 1969 as it has that sunshine pop and soul of that era down pat. This is one to watch.

Right behind is beach music outfit the Randy Clay Band with "Wildflower". Clay and the gang hit the top 20 last year with "Carolina Night". One of the things I love about the beach music genre is that they always seem to cover songs from the 1960's and 70's that were my favorites the first time around, and this song, originally a big hit for the band Skylark (that featured a very young, soon-to-be-record executive producer David Foster), is redone very faithful to that original, with a cool guitar intro. Could make it two in a row for Randy Clay and the crew.

L.A. all-girl punk pop band The Linda Linda's had a #12 blog hit in 2021 with "Oh!", and they return with "Too Many Things", and that style is in full effect here. Definitely a throwback to that genre's heyday but it still works in 2023.

It's been a while since we heard from Grace Potter. The Vermont rocker has been a regular in the Top 20 since "Tiny Light" with her band The Nocturnals was a fixture on my first blog charts in 2010. Pretty much on her own these days and exploring many styles, she last charted her with 2020's "Back To Me", a #16 blog hit featuring Lucius. She debuts here with "Good Time" . This one is a funky laid-back country-rockish thing, reminiscent at times of Sheryl Crow's "All I Want To Do", at times. She seems like she's having a damn good time here.

Olivia Rodrigo's "vampire" debuts at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week. The song also enters the SNS 100 at #97.

Olivia Rodrigo has the #1 song on the Hot 100 this week, debuting at that position with her latest, "Vampire" which ended the 13-week run of Morgan Wallen's "Last Night" (at least for now). Ms. Rodrigo was the only artist to debut at the top spot with her debut record; she accomplished it with "Drivers License" in 2021. That song also reached #35 on my blog. As for "Vampire" the song starts off with a subdued piano and vocal ballad, but the beats pick up a bit once the song gets going, and the up-tempo is in full effect by the time the song concludes. The Disney star had found success with her first album Sour, and now this leadoff single is from her forthcoming sophomore effort Guts.

Finally, the much-maligned rock band Nickelback enters with "Those Days". Say what you will about this band, but in reality, they are one of the very few bands (Fall Out Boy being another) out there trying to keep the rock genre alive and relevant. While it's been said that this is a throwback to the band's early 2000's heyday, for me it seems like they're borrowed a page from country rock as I sense some Luke Combs or Morgan Wallen influences. This is Nickelback's second blog entry; "Bottoms Up" hit #83 here in 2011.

Debuting in the Tremors section is the latest from P!nk, "Trustfall". A trance-like beat accompanies her unmistakable vocals.

Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist

July 9, 2023

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	1	NUMBER ONE: SAY SHE SHE "Don't You Dare Stop"▲ (Single Only) (3 Weeks at #1)	7
2	2	Colorjoy - Blue Eyed Addiction (Renewed Version)	10
3	3	Thee Sacred Souls - Love Is The Way	10
4	4	Orbis Max with Lisa Mychols ft. Ed Ryan - R U OK	15
5	7	The Tonez - Caught Up	8
6	8	Jerry Powell - One More Summer Night	11
7	6	The Main Event Band ft. Sharon Woodruff - Love Makes The World Go Round	11
8	43	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK: KESHA "Only Love Can Save Us Now" Album: Gag Order	4
9	11	Colorjoy - Vacant Side	10
10	10	Miley Cyrus - Jaded	8
11	12	Say She She - Reeling	7
12	13	Orbis Max - No Hero	7
13	9	Deb Browning - Think I Found Forever▲	17
14	14	Einsteins Dad - Anytime Blues	7
15	15	John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band - Day In the Sun	6
16	5	Marlisa Kay Small and Jerry Thomas West - Love Really Hurts Without You●	10
17	32	Iration - Daytrippin'	3
18	22	Rhonda McDaniel - Say A Prayer	8
19	17	I-42 Band - Beach Fever On My Mind	13
20	25	Cannons - Loving You	6
21	27	Morgan Wallen - Last Night	13
22	20	Allison Ponthier - Hollywood Forever Cemetary	9
23	28	Too Much Sylvia - It Still Is	7
24	30	Rev. Bubba D. Liverance and the Cornhole Prophets - Dreamsicle	5
25	18	Colorjoy - Drops of Honey▲	13
26	36	Lesa Hudson - Count On Me	5
27	16	Hannah Goodall - The Girl Who Once Loved You●	13
28	70	MOVER OF THE WEEK: HOZIER "Francesca" Album: Unreal Unearth	2
29	21	Rick Strickland and Lesa Hudson - Got it Right (The First Time)●	24
30	23	Ed Sheeran - Eyes Closed	12
31	37	Arlo Parks - Devotion	4
32	24	Jimmy Ogburn's Salt Luvs Pepper ft. David Cornelius - Love Me Like I Love You	19
33	29	Say She She - In My Head●	19
34	38	Sunny War - No Reason	7
35	39	boygenius - Not Strong Enough	10
36	19	The Heavy Heavy - Go Down River	11
37	35	Wayne Free - Our Paradise	10
38	26	The Carolina Queens - The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)	15
39	33	Miya Folick - Bad Thing	14
40	44	Pageants - Worse	7
41	52	Luke Combs - Fast Car	3
42	31	Tennis - Forbidden Doors	11
43	46	The Gaslight Anthem - Positive Charge	8
44	34	The Heavy - Hurricane Coming	16
45	53	Dua Lipa - Dance The Night	6
46	76	LP - One Like You	2
47	42	Hanna Jadagu - What You Did	9
48	57	Eddie Testa Band - Feel The Love	4
49	55	The Arcs - Heaven Is a Place	6
50	41	Goldie Boutiiler - Cowboy Gangster Politician	17
51	45	Isn't It Always - Laced Love	11
52	56	Jim Quick and Coastline - Those Summer Days	7
53	51	Arlo Parks - Weightless▲	21
54	60	Prairie Fire - Death of An Artist	6
55	40	TYTILLIDIE - Body On Me	14
56	65	Beach Weather - Sex, Drugs, Etc.	3
57	62	Sylvia Johns Ritchie - When I Wish For You	4
58	64	Taylor Swift - Karma	4
59	54	Deb Browning and Six Piece Suits - It Don't Get Better Than This	35
60	50	Devon Gilfillian - All I Really Wanna Do●	20
61	47	Marlisa Kay Small - Anyway	13
62	63	K.Flay - Raw Raw	6
63	67	Cat5 Band - What's Love Got To Do With You	4
64	48	Drugdealer - Valentine	13
65	72	Frankie Cosmos - Abigail	3
66	75	Taylor Swift - Cruel Summer	2
67	59	Foo Fighters - Rescued	8
68	49	Colorjoy - Beautiful People●	16
69	58	Colorjoy - Golden Age▲	18
70	66	Highwind - Never Sitting Pretty	4
71	79	Pollyanna - Good For You	3
72	82	Danielle Ponder - Roll The Credits	2
73	73	The Six Piece Suits - That Groove	4
74	94	Lana Del Rey - Say Yes To Heaven	2
75	81	Miley Cyrus - River	3
76	86	Elle King - Jersey Giant	2
77	78	Jenny Lewis - Psychos	12
78	87	The Holiday Band - Happy Music	2
79	80	Halogens - Without Warning	4
80	97	Sir Prize and the Twomorrow Knightz - Automatic Satin Circus	2
81	91	Roger Smith - Baby Boomers	2
82	69	Rev. Bubba D. Liverance and the Cornhole Prophets - Ti Ta Ti Ta Ti Ta Ta▲	25
83	71	What's Left? - Do It To Me	9
84	96	Blur - The Narcissist	2
85	---	TOP DEBUT: THE FAITHFUL BROTHERS "Dance My Hurt Away" (Single Only)	1
86	---	Randy Clay Band - Wildflower	1
87	90	Kelly Clarkson - Mine	2
88	61	Tim Izzard - Alice Pearl	12
89	88	Say She She - Trouble●	33
90	---	The Linda Lindas - Too Many Things	1
91	85	Miley Cyrus - Flowers▲	25
92	68	SZA - Kill Bill	18
93	101	Loverboy - Release	1
94	89	Grace Gaustad - Disappear	3
95	---	Grace Potter - Good Time	1
96	84	Tame Impala - Wings of Time	16
97	---	Olivia Rodrigo - Vampire	1
98	74	Beck - Thinking About You	19
99	103	J.D. Cash - This Song Will Last Forever	1
100	---	Nickelback - Those Days	1