Ed Sheeran – “Azizam”: The title is a Persian word, translating to “my dear” or “my beloved”. It’s a common term of endearment, similar to “honey” or “darling” in English. It’s Ed Sheeran’s first new release in a year and a half. He’s been spending a lot of time in Boston lately, where he surprise-performed for a bunch of people at a jammed Irish pub called The Dubliner, showed up at a Celtics game and even opened a pop-up bar called “The Old Phone.” He’s on a ton of talk shows promoting the track.
Sheeran’s last successful releases were 2021’s “Shivers” and “Bad Habits” from his album “=”, despite two other albums with no successful singles after. “Eyes Closed” came out in the spring of 2023. “Eyes Closed” failed to produce meaningful numbers anywhere but radio where it reached #7 on Top 40 and #1 on Hot AC. The song never got any requests on Liveline and it would’ve been a great song to discuss in “Mason’s Observations” had we been doing this weekly piece two years ago, because it’s fair to question why radio ever played it (and so much).
“Azizam” is most added on Top 40 this week. The song is really fun and catchy, with it’s spike of energy and positivity we could always use more of. It only debuted at #60 on Spotify, which is shockingly low for a major artist, especially with the promotion his team has put into it. It’s now #137, after only 4 days. So far, no requests on Liveline either. We’ll check back in a few weeks.
Drake – “NOKIA”: It just hit #1 on Spotify this week, with no signs of slowing down. I was very lucky to “observe” the live reaction this song got at a club in Boston over the weekend. Most of what they played were pop hits spanning from 2000-2015, with very few songs from the past decade. When “NOKIA” came on, the place went crazy. That groovy beat, the TikTok-viral “baby girrrrlll” part, and Drake’s overall Gen Z appeal had everyone dancing and singing along. Requests on Liveline continue to pour in too: Last week, it was #15 with a bunch more already in the past two days. It’s up to #31 on Top 40 and #8 on Rhythmic. A smash hit in the making!
The Marias – “No One Noticed”: It’s been a struggle to find consistent numbers for this song, originally released in May 2024. We first featured it in our January 8 piece, where it was then #28 on Top 40, #22 on Billboard and #30 on Spotify in America. A few requests had come in for it, but nothing substantial. Since then, we’ve had two requests for it (in four months). The numbers have grown in other places: Currently #13 on Spotify, #19 on Top 40, but #36 on Billboard. Why is this? Radio can’t seem to make up their mind about it. After this much time, songs like this usually disappear, but it’s been hanging on at the lower part of the Pop Radio chart consistently.
Buried Treasures of the Week:
Fountains of Wayne – “Stacy’s Mom”: When frequent “Mason’s Observations” reader Tom Geraci of Newton, Mass., asked me why we hadn’t featured “Stacy’s Mom” yet, I was also stunned: how I could’ve possibly missed it? It’s one of our most requested throwbacks in Liveline’s five-year history, despite radio’s lack of appreciation for old alternative songs and party anthems other than “Low”, “Yeah” and “Give Me Everything”. Men and women of all ages continue to request this song after 22 years. The video is cheesy, but it’s a great pop track with a strong hook that everyone knows. We are fortunate to have hundreds of live weekly requests, which justify playing songs like this nightly because people literally ask for them. The group often stated they wanted to emulate the power pop-rock sound of the Cars. It peaked at #3 on Top 40 in 2003 and was their only hit. Writer and bassist Adam Schlesinger passed away in 2020 at 52 from COVID.
TLC – “Waterfalls”: 1999’s “No Scrubs” is one of the most successful and longstanding pop songs in history. It’s also a Liveline all-time top 10 throwback request. There are weeks when we have played it every single night with an audience demand which very few golds generate: consistent mega-request totals along the lines of “Lose Yourself”, “Baby” and “Mr. Brightside.” 1995’s “Waterfalls” has never been considered forgotten or “buried” per se, but Top 40 has stopped playing it much. But that doesn’t stop Pop listeners from asking for it. To them, this song belongs on the same format that also plays new music from artists like Sabrina Carpenter, The Weeknd and SZA.
After 1995 pop music really started to become formulaic, utilizing many of the same electronic programs and production techniques and styles that are still used today, making many older songs more enduring and not as dated-sounding. For instance, a song from 1995 today is 30 years old but doesn’t sound anywhere near as crazy or out-of-place as playing a song from 1965 in 1995. Could you imagine playing The Beatles or Elvis Presley next to Alanis Morrissette, or “The Macarena?” Based on audience requests, in an era with a sparsity of great new pop product, for many megahits age doesn’t seem to matter. Even kids call for these ancient songs too; songs like “Baby Got Back, “Ice Ice Baby” and “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It”! “Waterfalls” reached #2 on Top 40, #1 on Rhythmic and Billboard where it finished #2 for the year. “Gangsta’s Paradise” was #1.
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While this is a CHR column, there’s a subtle underpinning here that can’t be ignored about some of the weaknesses currently at hot AC. There are actually some fantastic stations in the format right now, and enough healthy product over the last few years to justify a more rhythmic direction For adult top 40, but you would figure if any format actually had permission to play these songs without running it up the flagpole, hot ac would. A few are, such as WBZZ Pittsburgh, but they still seem to be hampered by arbitrary rules like, today’s best hits without the wrap, or no rock, some things from 1995 are great, some consulting concepts aren’t. Just be glad you missed that era. Lol.
To me it feels like mainstream CHR competes more aggressively, when there are large opportunities for adult top 40 stations to own new audiences.
Looking forward your comments on another big release this week, yet having also a disappointing performance so far, Miley’s.
that has summer hit written all over it! Then again, it’s only first week of release. I think people have been conditioned to the assumption that if a song doesn’t immediately stream, it’s not a hit. People might just not be aware of it yet.
I agree. We have two uptempo superstar releases positioned for summer airplay after a dearth of such product, and I am in no way willing to do without them because only 8.5 to 10-million people streamed them in week #1. Elsewhere in this week’s Ross On Radio, I talk about the relative health of Country which still embraces stories that are more than (or other than) streaming, so if pop radio isn’t disappointed, I’m not disappointed.