Who is Chappell Roan?; A 15th Week for 'A Bar Song" (SNS week of 10/20/2024)

 A QUICK ONE as this one is a bit late.

Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" holds at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a 15th week in yet another stagnant chart.    That ties "As It Was" by Harry Styles for 5th place on the number one longevity list.    There is a three-way tie with 16 weeks, set by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men, "One Sweet Day" in 1995; Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber's "Despacito"(2017), and more recently, Morgan Wallen's 2022 smash "Last Night".   It/s also four weeks away from the all-time record, "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, of 19, set in 2019.

As I mentioned the last few weeks, the Hot 100 hasn't moved much, with the same songs at the top week after week, maybe in slightly different order, but that's pretty much it.    Last week I wondered if Jelly Roll's "I Am Not Okay" actually does the improbabe and MOVES INTO the top 10 from outside it.   It moves 17-14 this week, penetrating the stagnant part of the chart.   We shall see.

Chapelle Roan is one of the new pop superstars this year, and has made her presence felt in many areas outside of music.

One of the "elite" songs on the chart, and one moving up my SNS 100 is "Good Luck Babe" by Chapelle Roan.    If you know my blog and what I listen to, is that I like to support the "developing" and "up and coming" artists trying to catch a break.     But when I see artists like Roan seemingly coming out of nowhere and being treated not only like a superstar, and who knows it, but also the subject of gossip, tabloids and social media memes, I felt like I am missing something.

"Good Luck Babe", moving 51-45 on this week's blog chart, and #4 on Billboard is a cool, typical but catchy pop effort, and it was always good to see a new artist up there.    Well, perhaps she is new to me, but apparently everyone knows her.   What?    I saw a bunch of memes, some politically motivated with issues of the day that mention her, and some remarks she made.     Not really knowing what they were, I went and did some research.

Her real name is Kayleigh Rose Amstutz and was born in 1998 in Missouri, describing the name "Roan Chappell" as somewhat of a "drag persona".   She apparently fits in with the Hollywood woke culture, which probably makes her relevant to the current order of things.  Many have called her a "queer pop icon", and she herself is LGBTQ+. She has actually been around since 2017, charted nationally for the first time in 2020 ("Pink Pony Club", #26), had some mid charters since then; cracked the top 20 last year with "Hot to Go" before her top ten breakthrough with "Good Luck Babe".

As for the memes and social media posts from friends about what she said?  Apparently, the controversy stems from her support of Palestinian women (and perhaps a pro-Palestinian stance as well), as a result of the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel.   While I'm not going to delve into that conflict here as there are some artists supporting the Palestinian end of this, her apparent support has resulted in criticism from the likes of talk show host Bill Maher, who noted that Roan's lifestyle would never be accepted on the Gaza strip.   

But that conflict aside, Roan has generated controversy in other areas. She confronted (or threatened) a photographer at an Olivia Rodrigo concert, and at paparazzi in general.   She has quick developed a "superstar" attitude.

Granted, she has "made it", but what bothers me is that there are so many struggling musicians, especially females that have worked so hard at their artistry, trying to modestly land some sort of "big break", only to keep struggling for acceptance.    While the talents of, say, a Charlotte Sessions or Juliet Callahan wait desperately to be heard, Ms. Chappell gets instant success and acts like she owns the world and get absorbed into the Hollywood lifestyle.    Having said that, now that she has made it, she does have the right to air her views, and hopefully send a positive message to her young fans.   But remember, success can be very fleeting.  This business can do that.

"Good Luck Babe" is a good song and will move it up the charts as long as it appeals to me.   I will try and ignore all the negativity and will treat the song like I would for any other artist, developing or established.

TO THE SNS 100, "Takes One To Know One" by The Beaches garners a second week at #1, as my top five is starting to look like Billboard's (with different songs) as all five hold positions.  There are two new entries in the top 10.    One of them is one of Billboard's "elite" songs, "Die With A Smile" by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars (11-6).    The other one is The Black Keys' "Don't Let Me Go" (14-10).  New Jerseyan Nikki Briar nabs the Impact award with her cover of "Free Fallin'" (22-18), with Thee Sacred Souls' "Live For You" (23-10) becoming the outfit's fourth straight top 20.

Again, we have two Movers of the Week. They include last week's Top Debut, Øff Guard's "North Star"(75-51), and Linkin Park's "The Emptiness Machine" (63-46) which has been ruling the alternative chart the past several weeks.  

DEBUTS:   Due to the lateness of this blog, I will just briefly review the new entries.   The Top Debut goes to beach music outfit, The Mighty Saints of Soul, with "You Don't Know What Love Is", coming in at #66.  This is another classic good-feel, bouncing shag song, already a hit in the Grand Strand.    Has vibes of "More Today Than Yesterday", and a hear a bit of General Johnson in the lead singer's voice.  

As for the other entries, Arc De Soliel is a multi-instrumentalist, real name is Daniel Katawatha.  "Trying to Escape" is a cool, dimensional instrumental, with much ambiance.     Rainy Day Outlaws' "I Know" is very bluesy and heartfelt.    "I'm In Love (Subaru)" by Sports Team is a nice soul-pop gem with a great airy production.  Songstress Tamar Beck's "Good Impression" has some 1980's characteristics, a bit new waveish in nature.  Female quintet The Last Dinner Party's "Nothing Matters" is a nice mid-tempo song with some great harmonies and instrumentation.  Dollys' "Cornerstones" starts off rock-oriented confection and quickly settles into a more raw-vocal.  I'm not sure if this is a band, or a solo artist, but it's very good.    Isabella Pombrio is Nashville-based and is one of those artists playing the bars in that town.  I was going to add "Cherish Life" from her first album but noticed her current single is "Avoiding Highways", very cool and acoustic, thus I added that instead.  She has a beautiful voice.   Finally, there's Mt. Joy's "Highway Queen" which is in the alt-folk lane.

Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist

October 20, 2024

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	1	NUMBER ONE: THE BEACHES "Takes One to Know One" (Single Release) (2 Weeks at #1)	9
2	2	Gotts Street Park ft Pip Millett - Got To Be Good▲	10
3	3	Jitwam - Opendoors	9
4	4	Shaboozey - A Bar Song (Tipsy)●	12
5	5	Dustin Ahkuoi and Sharon Woodruff - Back By Popular Demand	11
6	11	Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars - Die With A Smile	8
7	6	Jalen Ngonda - Here To Stay	11
8	10	Starbuck - Jones About You	9
9	7	Michael Kiwanuka - Floating Parade●	12
10	14	The Black Keys - Don't Let Me Go	8
11	8	Marsha Morgan - Knockin' Down Doors	12
12	9	Steve Cheek - Last Summer	16
13	19	Dani Zanoni - I Know	7
14	15	The Pozers - Missing You (Missing Me)	7
15	16	Beabadoobee - Beaches	6
16	20	Pip Millett - Hard Life	7
17	12	Post Malone ft Blake Shelton - Pour Me A Drink	12
18	22	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK: NIKKI BRIAR "Free Fallin'" (Single Release)	7
19	23	Thee Sacred Souls - Live For You	8
20	18	The Black Keys - I Forgot To Be Your Lover	8
21	24	Mike Taylor -  I Don't Wanna Cry	9
22	13	Cage the Elephant - Rainbow	12
23	17	Public -Make You Mine	14
24	31	Teddy Swims - Bad Dreams	4
25	21	Royel Otis - Foam●	17
26	25	Vacations - Midwest	8
27	35	Doyle Wood and Terri Gore - Feels Like Love To Me	5
28	32	The Cynz - Crow-Haired Boys	8
29	29	Sir Prize and the Twomorrow Knightz - Glitter Balls	10
30	36	The Dust-Ups - What Getting Over You Looks Like	6
31	38	Orbis Max - We Shall Rise Again	4
32	37	Leon Bridges- Peaceful Place	8
33	26	Anna Lavigne - Falling	13
34	40	Billie Eilish - Birds of a Feather	6
35	34	Norah Jones - Running	14
36	27	Orbis Max and Jim Richey - Learning to Love	13
37	42	Calypso Joe and the Coconuts - Beacha' Didn't Know	6
38	30	Øff Guard - The Minute	10
39	28	Late Night Drive Home - Stress Relief	11
40	48	Sylvia Johns Ritchie -I Don't Care Who Knows ( I Love My Baby)	4
41	33	Rev. Bubba D. Liverance and the Cornhole Prophets - Down With That	8
42	45	Hozier - Nobody's Soldier	6
43	49	Gary Lowder and Smokin' Hot - Driving Me Out of Her Mind	3
44	47	David F. Porfirio - Nero's Fiddle	7
45	51	Chappell Roan - Good Luck Babe	3
46	63	CO-MOVER OF THE WEEK: LINKIN PARK "The Emptiness Machine" Album: From Zero	3
47	39	The Tonez - I Hear You Knocking	17
48	43	Billie Eilish - Lunch	18
49	57	Randy Clay Band - It's The Simple Things	4
50	41	Ray Lamontagne - Step Into Your Power	14
51	75	CO-MOVER OF THE WEEK: ØFF GUARD "North Star" (Single Release)	2
52	54	Phantogram - Happy Again	4
53	77	Bon Jovi - Living Proof	2
54	53	Lucius - Old Tape	5
55	55	Amplifier Heads - They Came to Rock	4
56	62	Foster The People - See You In the Afterlife	4
57	67	Myles Smith - Stargazing (Take My Heart Don't Break It)	4
58	50	Charlotte Sessions - I've Fallen For A Dragon▲²	35
59	78	The Shang Hi Los - Morganatic Panic	2
60	70	Abi Carter - Peppermint Sky	9
61	84	Franz Ferdinand - Audacious	2
62	61	Shang Hi Los - Op-Operator	24
63	71	Mavis Staples - Worthy	3
64	44	Isn't It Always? - Dream Again	13
65	46	Kings of Leon - Nowhere to Run	16
66	---	TOP DEBUT: MIGHTY SAINTS OF SOUL "You Don't Know What Love Is" (Single Release)	1
67	65	Kesha - Joyride	4
68	52	The Holiday Band - I Got It Bad For You●	17
69	80	Lake Street Dive - Dance With a Stranger	3
70	88	Widely Grown - While the Night Is Young	2
71	76	Badflower - Detroit	4
72	81	Hannah Goodall - Narcissist	2
73	59	Northern Tracks - Deceiving Minds	17
74	87	Michael Des Barres - Fox on the Run	2
75	---	Arc De Soleil - Trying to Escape	1
76	69	Teddy Swims - The Door	19
77	86	Artemas - Dirty Little Secret	3
78	---	Rainy Day Outlaws - I Know	1
79	94	Gwen Stefani - Somebody Else's	2
80	---	Sports Team - I'm In Love  (Subaru)	1
81	---	Tamar Berk - Good Impression	1
82	---	The Last Dinner Party - Nothing Matters	1
83	56	Sabrina Carpenter - Please Please Please	13
84	68	Deb Browning and Marlisa Kay Small -Sunshine and Summertime●	26
85	---	Dollys - Cornerstones	1
86	64	Sylvia Johns Ritchie - Burnin' It Up For Your Love	7
87	66	Sylvia Johns Ritchie - Good Love Don't Come Easy	27
88	83	Lissie - Night Moves●	21
89	---	Isabella Pombrio - Avoiding Highways	1
90	58	Jason Aldean - Let Your Boys Be Country	12
91	97	The Fray - Time Well Wasted	2
92	72	Donny Trexler - Just A Little Bit of Your Love	15
93	---	Mt. Joy - Highway Queen	1
94	60	Einsteins Dad -After the Rain	16
95	74	Starbuck - Beach A Go Go	19
96	91	The Offspring - Make It All Right	14
97	73	Tim Cashion - Building Me Up	12
98	90	Rivermist - Everything's Changed●	33
99	RE ENTRY	Einsteins Dad - It's Just America	2
100	79	The Heavy Heavy - Happiness	14

Murmurs:

The Veils - The Ladder

Karen O and Danger Mouse - Super Breath

Cola - Pulling Quotes

U2 - Picture of You (X+W)

The Beaches - Jocelyn

Kacey Musgraves - The Architect

Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats - Heartless

David Gray - Plus and Minus

Blondshell - What's Fair

Frank Iero and the Patience - Veins! Veins! Veins!

Sabrina Carpenter - Taste

Deb Browning - Christmas In the South (11/13)

Rivermist - Jukebox Jenny

Christina Taylor - Pretty Like You (11/8)

Pale Jay - Low End Love Songs

Jelly Roll - I Am Not Okay

The Heavy Heavy - Feel

East Coast Party Band - Lifetime

Orbis Max - Candy on the Hill

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

 

▲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)