I Feel So Free (#940)

Ahoy,

things happened last week...

Scrobble count:  212.870

Last week in covers:

Most played artists:

• Martina Martinez : New album context. "HADES" has its moments, but it does not really convince me.
• Sebastian der Saubere : Research context. After looking for "ARBEIT IST HEILIG" I noticed the 2025 album "DER MENSCHLICHE KÖRPER ERNEUERT SICH CA ALLE 10 JAHRE KOMPLETT". However, most song are not that special.
• Arlo Parks : New album context. "Ambigious Desire" offers a nice blend of melancholic vibes next to modern beats.
• BTS : Fan times.  

Most played tracks:

[nothing to highlight here]

Noteworthy:

• Sarah Jarosz : Flashback times.
• RAYE : Research context. I revisited "THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE." to look for party tracks.
• I'm With Her : Research context. I revisited "Wild And Clear And Blue".
• Madonna : Fan times.
• BLACKPINK : I really like their latest single "GO". 

News

█ Laufey's new music video "Madwoman" features actor Hudson Williams, who kind of rides a hype train this year. So that may result in a couple of million views on YouTube within two days.

█ Madonna finally announced her new album "Confessions II" - to be released in different formats on July 3rd. She appeared at Coachella on the second weekend - singing with Sabrina Carpenter - and dancing to Anyma. And then there is the the song "I Feel So Free", that might remind fans of "Future Lovers" - a nice opening track for the new album.

█ Normandie have just released an EP - "SIDE EFFECTS PT.1". Their new songs sound harder than you might expect. But with "Mayday" there is also something for fans of more melodic music. 

█ Olivia Rodrigo released her comeback single "drop dead", which comes with a colorful music video, that has a retro filter (vibe) and which was shot at Versailles. Her sound hasn't changed a bit, if you ask me. Let's see how successful the track will chart.

 

New entries

Album charts (Germany)

【01】 BTS - ARIRANG : Wow, it's back at the top.

【02】 Fantasy - Bube Dame König : Hmkay.

【05】 Dermot Kennedy - The Weight Of The Woods : Okay.

 

Single charts (Germany)

【01】 Lush Life...

【02】 Babydoll...

【03】 Tame Impala - Dracula : New peak in week 9.

 

Albums Chart Top 100 (UK)

【01】 Dermot Kennedy - The Weight Of The Woods : Okay.

 

Singles Chart Top 100 (UK)

【01】 Rein Me In...

【02】 iloveitiloveitiloveit...

【03】 Dracula...

【07】 Dominic Fike - Babydoll : New peak in week 13.

【10】 Dominic Fike - White Keys : New peak in week 10.

 

Billboard 200 (USA) - week of April 18

【01】 ARIRANG...

【02】 Morgan Wallen - I'm The Problem : In week 47 it jumps almost to the top. What an achievement.

 

Billboard Hot 100 (USA) - week of April 18

【01】 Choosin' Texas...

【02】 Olivia Dean - Man I Need : New peak in week 33.

【08】 Ella Langley - Be Her : Jumping in the top ten in week 8.

 

Spotify's Top Songs Global - week of April 09

【01】 SWIM...

【02】 Babydoll...

【03】 Bruno Mars - Risk It All : New peak in week 6.

【06】 Dave - Raindance (feat. Tems) : New peak in week 17.

 

Cheerio!

Que pasa (#939)

Ahoy,

meanwhile I'm about to collect new songs for my next "party mission"...

Scrobble count:  212.722

Last week in covers:

Most played artists:

• Tjark : New album context. "auch wenn's uns morgen nicht mehr gibt" provides a nice mix of Indie sounds.
• I'm With Her : Discovery context. I didn't know, that Sarah Jarosz is also part of a group. This group released an album in 2025 - called "Wild And Clear And Blue" - and it has its moments.
• BTS : Research context. 

Most played tracks:

• Nia Archives - Danger : After the mid intro the song really goes off the rails.
• Sasique - Kute & Neat : Social media hype context. Apart from the popular part the song sounds a bit meh...  

Noteworthy:

• Paula Carolina: New album context. I was really disappointed by "wild" thanks to bunch of very silly tracks. (What happened to her?)
• Vicky : New album context. "SWAGLORD" should make fans happy.
• PinkPantheress : Yup, it was all about the latest hit song with Zara Larsson. 

News

█ Lady Gaga will release new music for the upcoming film "The Devil Wears Prada 2" - and I am hyped. (I guess it was reported that she even might have a cameo.)

 

New entries

Album charts (Germany)

【01】 Johannes Oerding - Hotel : Hmkay.

【03】 RAYE - THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE. : Nice.

【04】 BAP - Paar Daach spääder : Hmkay.

【05】 Die Ärzte - Live | Nach uns die Sintflut : A re-entry.

【06】 Chapo102 & 102 Boys - Fahrt ins Blaue : Who?

【07】 Queen - Queen II : I guess, this must be a new edition.

【09】 Ye - Bully : Hmkay.

【10】 Black Label Society - Engines Of Demolition : Who? 

 

Single charts (Germany)

【01】 Zara Larsson - Lush Life : What a success. Back at the top in week 68.

【02】 Dominic Fike - Babydoll : What? (New peak in week 7.)

【07】 Tame Impala - Dracula : New peak in week 8.

【08】 Aymo / Aymen / Amo - Que pasa : A catchy track with autotune and bling lyrics. (Even including product placement in the music video.) Superficial AF. And I admit, this could become successful. An album release will come soon, too.

【10】 Zxkai & Slxughter - No batidão : This 90 second "party song" sounds like an annoying ring tone. (But hey. there is a Diplo remix.)

 

Albums Chart Top 100 (UK)

【01】 RAYE - THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE. : Yay! Good for her. 

【03】 YE - BULLY : Hmkay.

【05】 Melanie Martinez - HADES : I will give it a listen soon.

【07】 Don Broco - Nightmare Tripping : Who?

【09】 Tom Misch - Full Circle : Okay.

【10】 Robyn - Sexistential : Hm, I can understand that.

 

Singles Chart Top 100 (UK)

【01】 Rein Me In...

【02】 Bella Kay - iloveitiloveitiloveit : 

【03】 Tame Impala - Dracula : Ooh, new peak in week 23 - thanks to a remix version with a K-Pop star.

【08】 Dominike Fike - Babydoll : Hmkay, new peak in week 12.

 

Billboard 200 (USA) - week of April 11

【01】 ARIRANG...

【02】 Ye - Bully : Hmkay.

【03】 Melanie Martinez - Hades : Okay.

【05】 Yeat - ADL : Who?

 

Billboard Hot 100 (USA) - week of April 11

【01】 Ella Langley - Chosin' Texas : Back at the top in week 24.

【06】 Olivia Dean - So Easy (To Fall In Love) : New peak in week 27.

 

Spotify's Top Songs Global - week of April 02

【01】 BTS - SWIM...

【02】 Dominic Fike - Babydoll : Hmkay. New peak in week 9.

【07】 Dave - Raindance (feat. Tems) : New peak in week 16.

 

Cheerio!

Click Clack Symphony (#938)

Ahoy,

I was listening to some new albums... 

Scrobble count:  212.575

Last week in covers:

Most played artists:

• RAYE : New album context. "THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE." kind of blew me away - what an exceptional body of work. I would recommend it to anyone, who wants to experience a modern album.
• Robyn : New album context. With 9 tracks her new output "Sexistential" not only has a limited amount of chances to convince, but it also feels sad to admit, that I hardly can connect to her new songs. 
• underscores : New album context. "U" might challenge you with a wild mix, but I wasn't entertained that much.

Most played tracks:

[nothing to highlight here]

Noteworthy:

• Maurice Conrad : Research context. I'm considering adding some songs to a party playlist.
• BTS : New album context. In short: I was disappointed. I like the track "One More Night". For more details on specific (successsful) song see below.
• Duran Duran : Shuffle context. I took the chance to hear classics like "Ordinary World" again.
• Grace Ives : Shuffle context. Tbh I can't remember music like "Girlfriend".
• Kuzo : Research context. I was listening to some newer tracks like "1:25".
• Roxette : Fan times. 

News

█ The BTS comeback gets even bigger with worldwide concert screenings in cinemas.

 

New entries

Album charts (Germany)

【01】 BTS - ARIRANG : Global success, part one.

【02】 Audio88 & Yassin - Zeit zu sterben : Okay.

【04】 Kasi & Antonius - Kids : Who?

【06】 Axel Rudi Pell - Ghost Town : Who?

【08】 Frank Zappa & Captain Beefheart - Bongo Fury : Okay.

【09】 Exodus - Goliath : Who?

【10】 Amigos - Das Remix Album 2026 : Yikes. 

 

Single charts (Germany)

【01】 BTS - SWIM : Okay.

【02】 Lush Life...

【03】 Dominic Fike - Babydoll : Each time some charts remind me of that song I feel the need to listen to it again, because I keep forgetting the sound.

【09】 Tame Impala - Dracula : Thanks to the power of a social media trend this track gains success in its 7th week - but I'm pretty sure it relates to the "JENNIE Remix".

 

Albums Chart Top 100 (UK)

【01】 BTS - ARIRANG : Global success, part two.

【04】 Luke Combs - The Way I Am : Okay.

【10】 Jane McDonald - Living The Dream : Who?

 

Singles Chart Top 100 (UK)

【01】 Rein Me In...

【02】 BTS - SWIM : Aw, that was not enough.

 

Billboard 200 (USA) - week of April 04

【01】 BTS - ARIRANG : That was to be expected.

【02】 Luke Combs - The Way I Am : Okay.

 

Billboard Hot 100 (USA) - week of April 04

【01】 BTS - SWIM : Hm, I'm wondering, if this will last.

【07】 Olivia Dean - So Easy (To Fall In Love) : New peak in week 26.

 

Spotify's Top Songs Global - week of March 26

【01】 BTS - SWIM : Okay.

【02】 BTS - Body To Body : A strong opening track, that deserves the attention it gets. According to Spotify their long time producer Pdogg and Ryan Tedder were attached to the song.

【04】 BTS - Hooligan : The second track of "ARIRANG" has quite a lot of rap parts and an annoying sample (plus weapon sounds) in the instrumental. For it marks the first hint, that the new album might come with flaws.

【05】 BTS - FYA : Track 4 of "ARIRANG" has its moments, but it also seems a bit simple.

【06】 BTS - NORMAL : Track 9 of "ARIRANG" is a midtempo vocal exercise, that could have used a better producer.

【07】 BTS - Aliens : Track 3 of "ARIRANG" has no appeal to me - thanks to another annoying sample.

【08】 BTS - Like Animals : Track 10 of "ARIRANG" comes with blurred beats and power ballad vibes.

【09】 BTS - 2.0 : Track 5 of "ARIRANG" sounds like a bonus track - or even a demo version without final instrumentals.

【10】 BTS - they don't know about us : Track 11 of "ARIRANG" is just another disappointment - just listen to the chorus.

 

Cheerio!

Babydoll (#937)

Ahoy,

I was listening to quite a bunch of new music.

Scrobble count:  212.471

Last week in covers:

Most played artists:

• Gorillaz : New album context. I made it through "The Mountain", but I hardly liked a song - only "Damascus" is really strong.
• BTS : New album context. I had high hopes for "ARIRANG" - and it starts strong - but just a few tracks later it disappoints. Even their comeback single "SWIM" lacks any highlights. I feel sad about it.
• The Toten Crackhuren im Kofferraum (The TCHiK) : New album context. "Love, Hate & Engelenergie" has its moments, but it also sounds surprisingly soft.

Most played tracks:

• Ikkimel - KINK : I have mixed feelings about that track, because it has a nice beat but also boring spoken parts.
• BLACKPINK - GO : Yup.
• Mariybu - Kein Ponyhof : Hm, what an anthem - in terms of empowerment. 

Noteworthy:

• MUNA : Fan times.
• Ebow : Shuffle context. Sometimes I wish she had better beats.
• Harry Styles : Research context. I was looking for new tracks for my next party playlist. 

News

█ So BTS started the promotion phase for their fifth studio album - and soon we will find out, how big it will chart. They made a deal with Netflix to stream a concert worldwide.

 

New entries

Album charts (Germany)

【01】 Unheilig - Liebe Glaube Monster : Yikes.

【02】 SSIO - 0,9 : A re-entry.

【05】 Angus McSix - Angus McSix And The All-Seeing Astral Eye : Who?

【06】 Chris Norman - Lifelines : Yikes.

【07】 James Blake - Trying Times : Okay.

【10】 The Notwist - News From Planet Zombie : Okay. 

 

Single charts (Germany)

【01】 CDY... :(

【02】 Lush Life...

【06】 Dominic Fike - Babydoll : Entering the top ten in week 5.

【07】 Dominic Fike - White Keys : New peak in week 4.

 

Albums Chart Top 100 (UK)

【01】 Harry Styles...

【02】 Olivia Dean...

【03】 James Blake - Trying Times : Okay.

 

Singles Chart Top 100 (UK)

【01】 Sam Fender & Olivia Dean - Rein Me In : Back at the top - in week 40.

【02】 Bella Kay - iloveitiloveitiloveit : New peak in week 8.

【08】 Zara Larsson - Lush Life : Back in the top ten in week 74.

 

Billboard 200 (USA) - week of March 28

【01】 Harry Styles...

【03】 Johnny Blue Skies & The Dark Clouds - Mutiny After Midnight : Who?

【04】 P1Harmony - Unique (EP) : Who?

 

Billboard Hot 100 (USA) - week of March 28

【01】 Ella Langley...

【02】 Olivia Dean...

【03】 Bruno Mars...

【09】 Olivia Dean - So Easy (To Fall In Love) : New peak in week 25.

 

Spotify's Top Songs Global - week of March 19

【01】 Dominic Fike - Babydoll : What?

【02】 PinkPantheress...

【03】 Bruno Mars...

 

Cheerio!

CDY (#936)

Ahoy,

I managed to listen to three new albums...

Scrobble count:  212.270

Last week in covers:

Most played artists:

• Madonna : Fan times.
• Haute & Freddy : New album context. Tbh my first impression of "Big Disgrace" is mixed, because some track sound challenging.
• Deutsche Laichen : New album context. "Punk ist Scheiße, Punk ist geil" is clearly not my cup of tea.
• Altin Gün : Research context. "Garip" has its moments.

Most played tracks:

• BLACKPINK - GO : I like this bop.

Noteworthy:

• ENHYPEN : Research context. "THE SIN : VANISH" gave me nothing.
• Kanye West : Flashback times. "808s & Heartbreak" was a moment back then, that I wanted to revisit. Too bad you can't really support the artist these days.
• ENGIN : New album context. "Sag mir Almanya" features a nice blend of alternative sounds.
• Jonsí : Flashback times. "Go" only has a few nice tracks, but they still deliver.

News

█ "GOLDEN" is the first K-Pop song to get an Oscar.

 

New entries

Album charts (Germany)

【01】 Harry Styles - Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. : Hmkay.

【02】 Sarah Connor - Freigeistin : A re-entry.

【03】 H-Blockx - Fillin_The_Blank : Okay.

【04】 Kayef - Lieder für dich : Hmkay.

【05】 Roland Kaiser - Marathon : A re-entry.

【07】 Rantanplan - Geschwedet : Hmkay.

【08】 He/Ro - Vier Augen : Hmkay.

【09】 Morrissey - Make-Up Is A Lie : Hmkay.

 

Single charts (Germany)

【01】 LACAZETTE & Jazeek - CDY : Yikes. :( What went wrong? Even as a parody this one is hard to enjoy.

【06】 Harry Styles - American Girls : Okay, so also his second focus single achieves massive charts success, despite having not much to offer.

【08】 Dominik Fike - White Keys : Who? And why does he chart?

 

Albums Chart Top 100 (UK)

【01】 Harry Styles - Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. : Of course.

【03】 Morrissey - Make-Up Is A Lie : Hmkay.

 

Singles Chart Top 100 (UK)

【01】 Harry Styles - American Girls : Hmkay.

【05】 Harry Styles - Ready, Steady, Go! : The bassline reminds me of Måneskin - and if it wasn't for a nice drop, this could be just another mediocre HS track. (Yup, I'm not a big fan of this.)

 

Billboard 200 (USA) - week of March 21

【01】 Harry Styles - Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. : Hmkay.

 

Billboard Hot 100 (USA) - week of March 21

【01】 Ella Langley - Choosin' Texas : Back at the top.

【02】 Olivia Dean - Man I Need : New peak in week 29.

【04】 Harry Styles - American Girls : Hmkay.

【06】 PinkPantheress - Stateside (with Zara Larsson) : New peak in week 10.

 

Spotify's Top Songs Global - week of March 12

【01】 Harry Styles - American Girls : Really? Hmkay.

【05】 Dominic Fike - Babydoll : Entering the top ten in week 6. But I still need to figure out, what's so special about this artist.

 

Cheerio!

GO (#935)

Ahoy,

the 212k mark is right around the corner...

Scrobble count:  211.987

Last week in covers:

Most played artists:

• Craig Armstrong : Flashback times. I was looking for some background music, that would help me reading "Project Hail Mary" - and the soundtrack of "In Time" really does it for me.
• Maurice Conrad : New album context. "SAFE FOR WORK" has its moments, but I often find myself hoping for better lyrics.
• Danny L Harle : New album context. "Cerylean" comes with popular feature guests like Dua Lipa or Caroline Polachek, but tbh I was hoping for more catchy tunes.
• Harry Styles : New album context. "Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally" might make his fans happy - but for me the new album sounds pretty much like its singles - as in not interesting enough.

Most played tracks:

• BLACKPINK - GO : I guess this might become my favorite song of this group.
• Charli xcx - Always Everywhere : Her soundtrack album keeps growing on me. And this one is a highlight.
• DRAMA - Here With Me : A lovely song. I've put it in my favorites playlist. 

Noteworthy:

• Megan Moroney : Curiosity context. Tbh I could not really connect to the few songs from "Cloud 9", that I was listening to. Even a Kacey Musgraves feature did not help much.
• Wolf Alice : Research context. I was listening to "The Clearing" - but I did not find many highlights. I was surprised about all the slow tracks.
• The Corrs : Fan times. (And also flashback times.) 

News

█ It's Oscar week... finally - and it looks like the voices of HUNTR/X will perform live. And I'm betting on them to win the song award. But what about the animated feature film? Will it convince the academy?

 

New entries

Album charts (Germany)

【01】 Clueso - Deja vu 1/2 : Hmkay.

【02】 Gorillaz - The Mountain : Okay.

【03】 Bruno Mars - The Romantic : Okay.

【04】 BLACKPINK - DEADLINE : Okay.

【05】 Sodom - Get What You Deserve : Who? (Another re-entry.)

【07】 Souly - Bossbaby Tape : Who? (A re-entry btw.)

【08】 Pet Shop Boys - Dreamworld | The Greatest Hits Live : Tbh the group lost me.

【09】 Rudi Giovannini - Wunderbar : Who? (Yikes)

 

Single charts (Germany)

【01】 Zara Larsson - Lush Life : Wow, she made it - in week 64.

【05】 Alex Warren - Fever Dream : Hmkay.

【08】 PinkPantheress - Stateside : Wow. Entering the top ten in week 7.

 

Albums Chart Top 100 (UK)

【01】 Gorillaz - The Mountain : Okay. (As it was to be expected.)

【03】 Bruno Mars - The Romantic : Okay.

【04】 Mitski - Nothing's About To Happen To Me : Okay.

【05】 PinkPantheress - Fancy That : A re-entry.

 

Singles Chart Top 100 (UK)

【01】 Rein Me In...

【02】 Bella Kay - iloveitiloveitiloveit : Hm, I don't see much appeal in this soft pop song.

【03】 Alex Warren - Fever Dream : Hmkay.

 

Billboard 200 (USA) - week of March 14

【01】 Bruno Mars - The Romantic : Hmkay.

【07】 Gorillaz - The Mountain : Okay.

【08】 BLACKPINK - DEADLINE (EP) : Hm, I guess, they expected more.

【10】 Mitski - Nothing's About To Happen To Me : Okay.

 

Billboard Hot 100 (USA) - week of March 14

【01】 Bruno Mars - I Just Might : Back at the top in week 8.

【04】 Bruno Mars - Risk It All : Hmkay.

【07】 PinkPantheress - Stateside + Zara Larsson : Entering the top ten in week 9.

 

Spotify's Top Songs Global - week of March 05

【01】 DtMF...

【02】 PinkPantheress - Stateside + Zara Larsson : Entering the top ten in week 8.

【03】 Bruno Mars - Risk It All : Hmkay.

 

Cheerio!

Guardian (#934)

Ahoy,

despite checking out a bunch of new singles, my scrobbles of last week seem very much like a collection of flashbacks...

Scrobble count:  211.688

Last week in covers:

Most played artists:

• Charli xcx : Deep dive context. After watching "The Moment" I felt like revisiting "brat summer". ^^
• Alanis Morissette : Fan times.
• Madonna : Fan times. 

Most played tracks:

• Alanis Morissette - Guardian : Ah, that is such a nice bop.

Noteworthy:

• Enya : Something to cool down.
• BLACKPINK (or BLΛƆKPIИK) : New (mini) album context. Seems like the only good songs from "DEADLINE" are the both with music videos - "JUMP" and "GO". The rest has not much to offer, which kind of seems like a shame, because the group could prove it to the world a bit more.

News

█ The BRIT Awards 2026 took place - this time in Manchester. Most wins went to Olivia Dean - including British Album of the Year - and Song of the Year with Sam Fender ("Rein Me In"). Performance highlights were (International Artist of the Year) ROSALÍA (with Björk) and (British Group) Wolf Alice. The opening by Harry Styles seemed like a copy of David Byrne.

 

New entries

Album charts (Germany)

【01】 Howard Carpendale - Zeitlos : Yikes.

【02】 Fjørt - Belle époque : Hm? Do I know this act?

【03】 Mumford & Sons - Prizefighter : Oh, they have a new album?

【05】 Der Butterwegge - Liebe & Revolte : Who?

【06】 Crystal F - Fiebertrauma : Who?

【08】 Universum25 - Die Maschinen wollen leben : What? (And who?)

【09】 Clawfinger - Before We All Die : Who?

 

Single charts (Germany)

【01】 Taylor Swift - Opalite : Thanks to a bunch of remixes, I guess.

 

Albums Chart Top 100 (UK)

【01】 Mumford & Sons - Prizefighter : Hmkay.

【03】 Leigh-Anne - My Ego Told Me To : Who?

【04】 George Michael - Faith : A re-entry, obviously.

【05】 Hilary Duff - Luck Or Something : Okay.

 

Singles Chart Top 100 (UK)

【01】 Rein Me In...

【02】 So Easy...

【03】 PinkPantheress - Stateside : New peak in week 16. And there are two versions - one with Zara Larsson.

【04】 Bella Kay - iloveitiloveitiloveit : Hm, not that spectacular, but a decent pop song.

【05】 sombr - Homewrecker : New peak in week 3.

 

Billboard 200 (USA) - week of March 07

【01】 Megan Moroney - Cloud 9 : Who? First impressions give me Country Music Barbie Doll vibes. ^^

【03】 Hilary Duff - Luck... Or Something : Okay.

【04】 Baby Keem - Ca$ino : Who?

【10】 Mumford & Sons - Prizefighter : Hmkay.

 

Billboard Hot 100 (USA) - week of March 07

【01】 Ella Langley - Choosin' Texas : Now at the top in week 19.

【02】 Olivia Dean - Man I Need : New peak in week 27.

 

Spotify's Top Songs Global - week of February 26

【01】 DtMF...

【02】 BAILE INoLVIDABLE...

 

Cheerio!