CDS Magazine: Issue #1 (May 29th, 2014)

Not a real magazine. Original image:
http://eurovision-addict.blogspot.com

Hey guys! I'm presenting the first ever CDS Music Chart magazine. The first ever coverer? Sanna Nielsen.

So. Why Sanna Nielsen? It may not be obvious to the average reader (as most of you are American), but I think that some of my European readers may have caught on already. For the first time ever, the winner of the Eurovision song contest (Conchita Wurst's "Rise Like A Phoenix") has failed to hit #1 on the CDS Music Chart, let alone reach the Hot 50 ("Phoenix" dips 57-59 on the extended chart this week). Instead, the 3rd place finisher, Sanna Nielsen's "Undo", has blasted into the chart's top 3 (with a 5-3 rise). Why is this important? "Undo" is the first non winner to reach the top 3. Additionally, the spotlight on Sanna comes because she could be the next Song of the Summer winner, AND most amazingly, "Undo" and Sanna Nielsen were nominated for 2 awards at the 1st annual Mid Year CDS Music Chart Awards ("Best New Artist" and "Best Dance Recording") after being listed on the Hot 50 for a single week. If that's not amazing to you, then I don't know what is.

Sanna has come a long way to land on this cover. It took her a record 7 tries to end up representing Sweden in the annual Eurovision song contest. Though her results weren't as large as 2012's "Euphoria" by Loreen (#1; Sweden), "Undo" performed better than most of Sweden's entries in recent years.

As Sanna continues to inch toward the CDS Music Chart Hot 50 summit with "Undo", the possibility of the track reaching #1 at the start of the summer season (mid June) continues to grow. If it leads the first ever summer season issue (June 12th), it's chances of becoming a major success throughout the rest of the season will rise immensely.

As most of you know, voting for the 1st annual Mid Year CDS Music Chart Awards ends tonight! You can cast your vote here and tune in tomorrow to see who wins.

You can also place your vote for who should cover CDS Magazine next week in the comments section or by letting me know on Twitter!

You can read all the other stories in this issue below.

Summer Albums: My Top 10/Preview

First Appeared: May 24th, 2014

As you guys already know, the music industry will be serving up some fresh new albums from an array of artists both old and new. I will say, that this year's crop looks to be more mixed bag, with several notable artists failing to impress me (based on preview tracks I have heard so far). That's a bit of a disappointment, though I may actually be rushing out to stores to puck up more albums than I did last year. Anyway, let's kick off my list of most anticipated summer releases, and more importantly my list of least anticipated albums of summer 2014

Eligibility Period: May 26th - September 16th.

Runner Ups:
New Eyes by Clean Bandit
Trigga by Trey Songz

10. "Platinum" by Miranda Lambert
Release Date: June 3rd, 2014
I don't typically tend to enjoy country songs (let alone entire albums), but I found myself placing country superstar Miranda Lambert's 5th album at #10 on my list of most anticipated albums of the summer. Am I crazy? Is the world coming to an end? Is the selection of pop albums in the summer of 2014 going to be that pitiful? No, no and no. I placed this album on my list because I am actually impressed with what I've heard so far. Her 4 previous albums were pretty much all busts to me, but Platinum, may actually be capable of producing a CDS Music Chart Hot 50 hit ("Somethin' Bad").

All I can say is: Congratulations country music. Don't EVER expect me to place a country album on a list like this again (exceptions: Carrie Underwood and Lady Antebellum).

9. "Unapologetic B*tch/Rebel Heart" by Madonna
Release Date: May 26th, 2014
Okay! This just in! Apparently, Madonna's 13th studio album, Rebel Heart, will be released on Memorial Day as a surprise release. If not, the album's first single, "Unapologetic B*tch", will be released on Monday (Memorial Day). The track was written by Madonna, Natalia Kills and Katy Perry and could feature both of those artists. Everything is up in the air, but Billboard will reportedly leak the news this weekend.

The teaser announcement (which bumped Trey Songz's Trigga off the top 10 anticipated albums list) was made about 1 hour ago. More information as it becomes available. Keep in mind, if the album does come out in full on May 26th, it will directly compete with Mariah Carey's 13th studio album, Me. I Am Mariah, which will be released on May 27th.

8. "Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse" by Mariah Carey
Release Date: May 27th, 2014
Though it may perhaps be the most ridiculous album title in history, Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse receives a positive review from me. Loaded with hip-hop, pop, R&B, and soul tinged tracks, Mariah Carey's new album is a welcomed improvement over her 2009 disaster (Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel). Among the highlights? "Thirsty", "Faded" and "You're Mine (Eternal).

With that being said, some noticeable flaws keep it from reaching higher on this list. First of all, all 3 versions of the album cover are absolutely hideous, with the worst being the Target version. Additionally, several of the tracks feel a bit unnecessary, and the deluxe edition fails to offer anything we haven't already heard.

7. "Untitled" by Robin Thicke
Release Date: July 1st, 2014
Less than a year after scoring one of the longest running #1 tracks in the history of Billboard ("Blurred Lines"), Robin Thicke has confirmed that he will return with another new album on July 1st. Preceded by lead single, "Get Her Back", Thicke's upcoming 7th studio effort follows his best selling 6th studio release, Blurred Lines.

Now normally I wouldn't include Thicke for a number of reasons. First of all, "Get Her Back" is one of his weakest tracks in recent years. Second of all, before 2013 I had no interest in him at all. Lastly, by the time "Blurred Lines" was off the radio, I wanted to burn every remaining copy of it. Fortunately for Robin, the entire Blurred Lines album actually impressed me quite a bit. It didn't fit together the right way, but it had strong key components.

6. "Do It Again" by Röyksopp & Robyn
Release Date: May 26th, 2014
I haven't heard much from Röyksopp before, but I have experienced the sounds of Swedish singer Robyn multiple times. With that being said, I normally wouldn't pick an collaboration EP to appear on this list, but lead single, "Do It Again", blew me away. It's an amazing mixture of dance, electronic music and pop music all rolled into one unstoppable jam.

"Do It Again" debuts at #24 on the CDS Music Chart Hot 50 this week, as the second highest debuting track.

5. "A.K.A" by Jennifer Lopez
Release Date: June 17th, 2014
Though this album cycle has been plagued by several failed singles,  I have seemed to enjoy past album cycles from Lopez, which leads me to believe that I can still have a bit of faith in this project.

The album's first single, "I Luh Ya Papi", failed to become a success. The album's second official single, "First Love" reached the CDS Music Chart Hot 50, but didn't match the #11 peak of Jennifer Lopez's last hit, "Live It Up".

4. "X" by Ed Sheeran
Release Date: June 23rd, 2014
Ed Sheeran is finally back, and based on his more recent endeavors ("I See Fire" and "Sing"), I've finally decided that I'm interested in hearing more of what the young English singer has to offer.

His second studio set, X, comes after the release of his critically acclaimed debut studio set, +. That album spawned several hit tracks including "The A Team" and my personal favorite "Lego House". Hopefully this new album will live up to the hype and at least match the success of his last album. If it doesn't I would actually be thoroughly surprised.

3. "Ultraviolence" by Lana Del Rey
Release Date: June 16th, 2014
One of the most hyped albums of the year, one of my most anticipated albums of the year and an album I expect will crush all the competition during its release week (including, but not limited to, Sam Smith's In the Lonely Hour and Jennifer Lopez's A.KA.). Coming off her most successful single around the world ("Summertime Sadness"), Lana Del Rey has been catapulted into the mainstream spotlight (though that might not have never been her intention).

Her moody, ballad like tracks have started to help her garner lots of attention, with critics and fans alike praising her intense vocal ability. Ultraviolence's lead single, "West Coast", reached #28 on the CDS Music Chart Hot 50, becoming her second highest charting track after her #3 peaking "Summertime Sadness". The album's second single, "Shades of Cool" drops on iTunes this Monday alongside the album's pre-order.

2. "1000 Forms of Fear" by Sia
Release Date: July 8th, 2014
Sia, without a doubt, is one of the music industry's most experienced song writers. She's written/co-written dozens of hit songs for Rihanna, Eminem, David Guetta, Madonna (though none made the album), Flo Rida, Ne-Yo, Britney Spears, Jessie J, Rita Ora, Christina Aguilera, Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez, Kylie Minogue, Katy Perry, Beyoncé and Shakira among others. Additionally, her latest single, "Chandelier", caught my eye. it eventually peaked at #11 on the CDS Music Chart Hot 50 (though it's still elevating). If her new album is anything like "Chandelier", then I expect I'll be very pleased with the outcome. July 8th can't come soon enough!

1. "V" by Maroon 5
Release Date: September 2nd, 2014
If you didn't see this coming, then you obviously haven't been following this blog for a long time. During 2012 (around the time Overexposed came out), the band notched a record 7 consecutive top 5 singles (6 from Overexposed). Additionally, all were certified Gold or higher, making them the only act to have their entire charting discography be certified.

V will be preceded by the release of a new single this summer. The title and exact release are still up in the air.

Now for the extremely hyped albums that didn't make my cut.

"In the Lonely Hour" by Sam Smith
Release Date: June 17th, 2014
Honestly. I don't understand what people see in Sam Smith. All 4 singles from this album failed to impress me, and "La La La" (which Sam Smith is featured on) was a mediocre track (at best). The only track that includes Sam Smith that I actually like is "Latch", and since that track is not included on the album, there is absolutely no way I'll buy this album.

Even if I was handed this album for free, I would still deeply consider lighting it on fire.

"The Secret" by Austin Mahone
Release Date: May 27th, 2014
I don't know who you think you are Austin Mahone, but 6 songs is not an album, so stop calling it one. To make matters worse, his only good song, "What About Love, was left off the final track list. I don't understand what he's trying to do here. He has 7 other tracks that he could have attached on to this 'album' (some of which are decent), but instead he left them off for no good reason. His whole marketing scheme is ridiculous and makes absolutely no sense. This is a waste.

"The Hunting Party" by LINKIN PARK
Release Date: June 17th, 2014
I think that we can all agree that LINKIN PARK releases the same songs every time they have a new album, they just slightly rework them, make a new album cover and make a few music videos. Nearly all of their tracks sound exactly the same (though there will occasionally be a decent tracks hidden in with the rubble).

But based on the two preview tracks I've heard so far, "The Hunting Party" is going to be another dud, a bomb of stuff we've already heard. Instead of releasing a 'new' album every two years in the summer, take a few years off and make another Minutes to Midnight.

Other albums that will likely do well that I will NOT be purchasing:
Whispers by Passenger
Yes! by Jason Maraz
Lazaretto by Jack White
5 Seconds to Summer by 5 Seconds to Summer

CDS Picks: Madonna, Lana Del Rey, Ne-Yo and More

First Appeared: May 24th, 2014

Welcome to yet another installment in CDS Music Chart's wildly popular CDS Picks feature. This time, I'm focusing on new recordings by Madonna, Lana Del Rey, Ne-Yo, Destiny's Child and Sander van Dooran, Martin Garrix, DVBBS and Aleesia. Have more picks for this week? Just tweet me them and I'll give them a spin? Maybe they'll be make next week's rundown.

Madonna - "Unapologetic B*tch"
The surprise announcement of Madonna's new single coming out on Monday (possibly alongside the superstar's 13th studio album) exploded across internet platforms worldwide earlier today (Saturday). The track, which is rumored to have the collaboration of fellow V Magazine coverer Katy Perry, was written by Madonna, Natalia Kills, and Katy Perry.

Earlier this past week, Billboard supposedly unveiled a 50 second instrumental snippet of the track. Based on the supposed preview, the track is disco themed and has been called "Madonna's most ambitious record in over a decade".

Lana Del Rey - Shades of Cool
Following the positive reviews (yet mild chart success) of "West Coast", Lana Del Rey's first single from her upcoming 3rd studio album, a follow up single has been scheduled for release. Titled "Shades of Cool", the track will be released as the second official single from Ultraviolence on May 26th.

The track has been described as a '70s styled track reminiscent of the Born to Die era. Several groups of people have heard the full track, though it has not yet been released to the general public. A short preview was leaked online on May 24th.

Destiny's Child (Michelle Williams feat. Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland) - "Say Yes"
The girl group that rocked America (and the rest of the world) up until 10 years ago, Destiny's Child, is finally back with their 3rd release in the past two years. The new single, "Say Yes", is actually dubbed as Michelle Williams featuring Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland and will be released on the first mentioned's 4th studio album later this year. The track follows "Nuclear" and "You Changed", both of which were 2013 failures. Fortunately, "Say Yes" (though being a reimagined version of a Nigerian church song) sees to have more potential based on its worldwide radio premiere. It goes into a full release on June 2nd.

Ne-Yo - "Money Can't Buy (feat. Jeezy)"
Ne-Yo has been on hiatus for just over a year and a half now, but now he's finally returning to the music scene. His new single, "Money Can't Buy", will debut on Memorial Day (Monday, May 26th) in direct competition with new singles from Madonna, Lana Del Rey, and more.

It's his first new single since 2012's "Forever Now", which became a very mild success from his 6th studio album R.E.D.

Album Review: Do It Again by Röyksopp & Robyn

First Appeared: May 24th, 2014

Welcome to another CDS Music Chart album review! Today I will be reviewing the joint EP/Album, Do It Again, by Norwegian duo Röyksopp and Swedish singer Robyn.

1. "Monument"
This dark and scattered mix of cloudy and feverish vocals is a haunting track that clocks just past the 10 minute marker. The first solid minute feels like a whisk into a darkened space reminiscent of both heaven and hell. Robyn chimes in with chanting vocals for the next two minutes. Throughout this time, special effects layer over her vocals, and knives chop the whispering backbeats in uneven patterns. The vocals fade away until they are replaced with jazz instruments and sounds of drowning words. Robyn returns once more to mutter the chorus for several seconds. Sounds of drums and other related tribal instruments encompass the final 2-3 minutes of the track, until a fire extinguishes all sound in the final moments of the track. It's a melancholy affair that is both intriguing and spooky.

2. "Sayit"
The whispers and darkness start to strip away, and the thumping molds of house music start to pave the way for the rest of the album. "Sayit" combines trance, dance, house and electronic music into one odd, yet irresistible slice of fun. The title is uttered during several instances, but the repetitive phrase is the only one on the entire track. Though there aren't many, the vocals throughout the track are chopped and scattered, just like trance music. It's a robotic, mind bending treat that's like nothing you've heard before.

3. "Do It Again"
The ooey, gooey title track ("Do It Again") reflects the Body Talk days of Robyn's past, while whipping in the classic electronica vibes that made Röyksopp popular. It's like a bridge between the two worlds of Robyn and Röyksopp (dance pop and electronica respectively). It's the heart and the soul of the mini album, the sweetest offering of all 5 tracks. The euphoric feel of the album is in full swing during this track.

"Do It Again" debuts at #24 on the CDS Music Chart Hot 50 1 week ahead of its parent album's release.

4. "Every Little Thing"
Following the runaway pop dance themes of "Do It Again", Röyksopp tones down the production and Robyn takes a break from the strong vocals. With a wave of synths and sirens, "Every Little Thing" feels like the bitter end of an epic party. Emotions rupture all over the track and the pulsating sounds bring a type of depth so unreasonable and unheard of that it feels fake and real at the same time.

5. "Inside the Idle Hour Club"
The second bookend of the mini album is the final track, "Inside the Idle Hour Club". The track, while being near fully instrumental (save for several utters in different languages), is quite an enjoyable experience. The pulsing story maneuvers through different types of music ranging from sweet synth'd flutes to drudging computer beats and bubbly cathedral type music. They all see to perfectly wash over each other, and as the track draws to a close, you can hear the mixture of sounds at varying degrees of volume. It's not my type of album closer, but it certainly works (I'll give them that).

Rating: 90% (A-)

Overview: It's really hard to describe this album. Collectively, Do It Again sounds both scattered and pieced perfectly all at the same time. It feels like a square of chocolate: short and sweet, with a hard exterior ("Inside the Idle Hour Club" and "Monument") and a creamy interior ("Sayit", "Do It Again" and "Every Little Thing"). While 5 songs normally wouldn't be enough to tell a reasonable story, in this case it is. At first however, it feels like a mess. But really, it's quite brilliant. The pieces are all there but its up to the listener to put them together the right way. The album bounces around and experiments with synths, vocals, effects and production to create a raw piece of work that feels both tightly knit and cleverly crafted. Among the highlights (it's hard to pick when there's only 5) are "Monument" and "Do It Again".

It's not your typical release, but if you listen to the whole mini-album all the way through, there's a 75% chance that you'll fully appreciate it.

How the CDS Music Chart Hot 50 Is Calculated

First Appeared: May 22nd

So I've gotten lots of questions from new followers about what exactly this website is. In short terms, the CDS Music Chart Hot 50 is my personal chart - compiled of my favorite songs each week. But there's a little bit more to it than that. There's voting, radio integration and more.

So let me first start off by saying that this website has absolutely nothing to do with Billboard - though occasionally I'll mention Billboard and give predictions for digital track sales through my Twitter feed as well as predict album sales. Other than that, I am not (and do not wish to be) affiliated with Billboard what so ever - I do, however, help create the weekly Top Hits Online chart (which is a huge honor). I'm not really sure how those ideas (that I was somehow related to Billboard) came to fruition, but maybe it's because Billboard (as well as Top Hits Online) inspired this entire website. You see, back in October 2011 I started getting into blogging. I created a now defunct blog, but quickly lost interest, because I couldn't really think of original music related posts that would be interesting to the average reader. I constantly found myself appalled at some of the number ones that Billboard would report and wished to recreate it somehow. Thus, the CDS Music Chart and its corresponding website and were born in April 2012 (I later went back and recreated a top 20 for every week of 2012 that I hadn't covered to make the Year End Top 100 more representative of my thoughts for the full year). But it wasn't like what you'll find in my more recent archives.

Initially, it was random (a bit off the top of my head) and was shockingly only 25 positions long (though it was expanded to 30, and then 40 and eventually 50). It was also first made through Excel and looked somewhat cheap. Now it is created through Word, looking more clean and becoming more readable. As the months flew by, I started growing in prominence and eventually multiplied my audience every month. Due to the growing positive word of mouth, I added several features including an annual events and extra bonus sections to the site. But then in December of my first year, I took a large viewership hit. It wasn't connecting anymore. I responded by creating a Twitter account in January 2013 (the next month) and continued to add more interesting features as well as try to bulk up the quality of my writing. Chart Highlights went from being shorter than 3 paragraphs total to being at least 1 paragraph for each song in the top 10. I added Album reviews, yearly awards and a whole lot more.

So what's my point?

As I continued to bulk up the site, I started laying down rules about how the Hot 50 would be created every week. Unfortunately, I kept these defined guidelines to myself, not realizing the confusion it would cause. So let me walk you through how each and every weekly Hot 50 is created.

There are several key components that make up the Hot 50 as well as rules about songs that can and can't chart. I've broken the components into some key categories below:

• Spins Through My iTunes Library
• Votes Collected From Blog Readers and Other Twitter Users That Follow Me
• Plays Through Regular Radio Stations
• Streaming/YouTube Components
• Eligibility

Now here's the breakdown:

Spins Through My iTunes Library

So as you guys are aware, the chief factor for formulating the entire chart is representing my favorite songs of each week. Due to this, I decided that positions on the chart are determined by how many points they score each week. So what counts as points? A whole bunch of things do. Since the chart is supposed to reflect my opinion (for the most part), the bulk of the points are earned by songs that I play through my iTunes library. Each week I resent my library, play my favorite tracks and at the end of the week, I multiply each track's final iTunes play count by 2 to weigh my plays as more points (to keep the Hot 50 classified as a "personal" chart).

Plays Through Regular Radio Station

This category is pretty straightforward. I, like most people, listen to the radio frequently. The only problem is that listeners have no idea which track will be played next. Occasionally they will play a track that I don't mind listening to, though I wouldn't have picked it if I got to decide what the radio played. Because of this, every track I listen to in full on the radio receives 1 point per play to its score. For example if I heard "A Sky Full of Stars" on the radio 8 times in 1 day, that would be an additional 8 points to its score.

Streaming/YouTube Components

Lots of times, music videos won't be released until a song has been out in release for about a month. Because of this, I added a YouTube component. If I watch a song's music video (and the song is currently charting), I will reward the track a one time 5 point increase. If I don't watch the video in release week, this feature expires, and the track doesn't get an increase. If a track doesn't have a video, if never receives extra points from this component. 

Votes Collected From Blog Readers and Other Twitter Users That Follow Me

I believed that in order to keep people interested (and to make the entire blog more enjoyable), I needed to put into consideration what other people thought. I struggled with making this component work right until I stumbled upon Ranker. I plug in my Hot 50 compiled of all the components above, and give people the opportunity to tell me what their favorite tracks were. Since Ranker works as a "vote up/vote down" system, the top 10 most 'approved tracks' at the time that voting closes receive bonus points. #1 receives 10 extra chart points, #2 receives 9 extra chart points, #3 receives 8 extra chart points and so on. Tracks ranked #21-50 never receive bonus points, but tracks ranked #11-20 can receive bonus points if 500 unique voters place voters or if 10,000 overall votes are cast. This is what I call the 2x multiplier. If this 'multiplier' takes place, then the #1 ranked track receives 20 extra points instead (if you followed the pattern, you'll realize that #20 would end up with 1 extra point, the normal amount for the track ranked #10). In some cases, points collected from this particular component can be the sole reason as to why some tracks catapult up the chart.

Though 10 overall points from all categories is usually enough to chart, occasionally it won't be. If for some reason the #1 most approved track gets no points stemming from any other component, and 10 points isn't enough to crack the Hot 50, it will automatically enter the chart at #50.

Eligibility

This component decides if points given to a song are considered valid. There's a set list of rules each track needs to follow in order to chart. Each track that scores points must follow/meet these rules:

• Track must be recognized by artist as an official track (i.e. no unreleased tracks can chart; snippets can chart if longer than 1 minute and recognized by artist as a song)
• Must not be older than 2 years old (unless officially reissued). If a track debuts 1 year and 50 weeks after release, it can chart for a full run.

And there you have it. That's how the Hot 50 is decided.

Could Kiesza Score Longest Running #1 of 2014?

First Appeared: May 22nd

As May 2014 comes to a close (wow that was fast), Kiesza's "Hideaway" is the month's front runner with 3 weeks at #1 so far. With just one more chart issue with a "May 2014" in the title, the competition starts to heat up. As a side note: check CDS Music Chart tomorrow to see who claims #1 position on the May 29th issue.

To date, all #1 tracks have spent 2-4 weeks at #1 in 2014 ("The Monster" tallied 1 week at #1 in 2013 and 3 more in 2014 for a total of 4 weeks at #1, but for this particular rundown I'm just going to focus on weeks at #1 in 2014). Eminem's "The Monster", Katy Perry's "Unconditionally", Ayah Marar's "Mind Controller", Lorde's "Team" and so far Kiesza's "Hideaway" have all spent 3 weeks at #1 in 2014. The only outliers are Shakira's "Empire" and OneRepublic's "Counting Stars", with 4 and 2 weeks at #1 respectively. Still, when you average that out, you end up with 3 weeks at #1. Surprisingly, through the same point in 2013 (May 23rd), the average was exactly 3 even as well.

So the question is: Could Kiesza Score Longest Running #1 of 2014?

At this point it's all up in the air.

Last week, a mere 5 points separated "Hideaway" (the #1 track) and Coldplay's "A Sky Full of Stars" (the #2 track). With "Hideaway" descending by 4% in week 2 and another 2% in week 3, the track should descend another 1% in week 4 to 108 spins. Meanwhile, "A Sky Full of Stars" should reach 107 spins if it continues elevating at the same pace. That is one of the tightest battles in CDS Music Chart history. So, "Hideaway" does have the upper hand, but not by much. And with Ghost Stories (Coldplay's latest album) arriving in all major retailers, "A Sky Full of Stars" ought to increase more than 2%.

Through 44 #1's since January 2012, only 5 tracks have returned to #1 after a being dethroned by a different track. "Where Have You Been" returned to #1 on the June 21st, 2012 chart, 21 weeks after last ranking #1 in January 2012 (4 total). "We Run the Night" returned to #1 on the July 5th, 2012 chart, 14 weeks after first reaching #1 and returned again on August 30th, 4 weeks after ending it's second run at #1 (8 total). "Do What U Want" returned to #1 after one week off the top slot on November 14th, and returned once more on the November 28th chart after another week off of #1 (6 total). "Applause" returned to #1 for an 11th and final week on November 21st, 2013 4 weeks after wrapping its first reign at #1 (11 total). Most recently, Shakira's "Empire" returned to #1 for 2 more weeks on April 3rd, 2014 after being interrupted by a 2 week run at #1 courtesy of OneRepublic's "Counting Stars", for a total of 4 weeks at #1.

So if Kiesza's "Hideaway" falls off the top slot this week, it's highly unlikely it will return to the summit (there's an 8% chance). If it does manage to stay at #1 this week however, it will rank as the longest running #1 of 2014 (so far) with 4 consecutive weeks at #1 (beating Shakira's 4 non-conseutive week reign with "Empire"). 

So who do you think will reign at #1? Coldplay or Kiesza?

Also, Nicki Minaj's "Pills N Potions" opened at #2 on Wednesday, but has fallen to #7 as of Thursday morning (10 A.M.). If it performs similarly throughout the rest of Thursday and Friday, it should open around #20. I'm predicting #19 at the highest, and #24 at the lowest.

Album Review: Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse

First Appeared: May 21st

Welcome back to another CDS Music Chart album review! Today I will be reviewing the new release from Mariah Carey. In the development since 2011, Me. I Am Mariah...The Elusive Chanteuse, Mariah's 14th studio release, has suffered multiple scheduling conflicts and has been plagued by several failed singles. The new album will reach most international markets (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, and New Zealand among others) on May 23rd. The album arrives in the UK on May 26th, the US and Canada on May 27th, and Japan on May 28th. The album's lead single, "#Beautiful (feat. Miguel)", was released on May 7th and received moderate success worldwide. It reached the top 20 on 12 charts in 8 counties including #3 (its highest peak) in South Korea. It reached #24 on the US on the Billboard Hot 100 in it's debut frame. It managed to reach #14 on the CDS Music Chart Hot 50. The album's second official track, "The Art of Letting Go", was first heard on November 11th, 2013 (and later released for download later on the same day) and reached #119 on the US on the Billboard Hot 100, though it has yet to crack the CDS Music Chart Hot 50 (though it was able to debut on the extended chart at #58). Worldwide the track was a mediocre success reaching the top 10 on 2 charts. The album's third official single, "You're Mine", reached #1 on the US Hot Dance Club Songs, but didn't have success in many other places. It reached #88 on the US on the Billboard Hot 100 in it's debut frame. It managed to reach #9 on the CDS Music Chart Hot 50, becoming Mariah's first ever top 10 single. A Target only version of the album will be packaged with 1 bonus track in the United States.

1."Cry."
The seasoned singer starts off her 14th album with a bare boned piano ballad. Other than the soothing vocals provided by Mariah and the back up, choir-style vocalists that chime in at random times, nothing much happens during the first 2 minutes. Despite this, the track becomes more intense as it progresses, until it flourishes into a well done love ballad complete with Mariah's classical high octave screeches. I guess you could say it's strikingly similar to Carey's first ever hit single, "Vision of Love". It's naked, it's beautiful and it hits the upper reaches of Mariah's extensive - and quite frankly amazing - discography.

2. "Faded"
The bouncing trap beats of "Faded" are a more modern twist on the classic tracks we've all seen Mariah release over and over. While this make over is greatly appreciated, it still feels like we've heard this many times before. Despite this, the decision to have Mike Will Made It produce the track will likely help sell it to the younger audiences (the up and coming producer is responsible for producing most of the tracks on Miley Cyrus' Bangerz, Future's Honest, and Juicy J's Stay Trippy). Overall, it's a clean cut. Sure it may 'fade' behind the rich piles of Mariah Carey classics, but it would be a smash for any other artist other than Mariah. The only issue is that this enjoyable slice cuts off on the shorter end.

3. "Dedicated (feat. Nas)"
The nostalgia patterns continue on "Dedicated", a track supported by a grainy and fuzzy background. Nas hits the gaps in the track, providing this track with consistently filled areas of both rap and graceful vocals in a duet style format. It's a throwback to the rise of the hip-hop era, including several Wu-Tang references. It's a very unique track in the way that it is shaped, however it can't help but feel somewhat cluttered. It's a perfect track sandwiched with tapes of old interviews - most of which nearly completely cover up the superb vocals from both Nas and Mariah. It's unfortunate the way it turned out, but like I said earlier, it's unique; that's why it barely scrapes by as a success.

4. "#Beautiful (feat. Miguel)"
If you haven't heard the flurry of Pop and R&B that is "#Beautiful", then you obviously weren't up to date with the music scene around this time last year. The thumping, beautifully produced (by both Miguel and Mariah) track was one of the most favored pop offerings of the past year, with several major publications dubbing it the "Song of the Summer" shortly after release. Though that entire idea never came to fruition, the track was a moderate success, peaking in the top 20 in most countries it ended up charting in.

5. "Thirsty"
The first of many Hit-Boy produced tracks on Me. I Am Mariah...The Elusive Chanteuse, "Thirsty" helps bring bring integrated hip-hop themes back into Mariah's pop offerings. It's a stunning piece filled to the brim with bubbly vocals and sweet beats. Here's what I said about the track in my CDS Picks post:

"Following the commercial failures of "The Art of Letting Go" and "You're Mine (Eternal)" - save for its success on the CDS Music Chart Hot 50 -, Mariah Carey returns to the music scene with "Thirsty",  a bubbly new hip-hop inspired track. Since the promotion for her new album, Me. I Am Mariah (The Elusive Chanteuse), has hit a few snags, Mariah has tried on numerous occasions to rekindle some interest in the long delayed project. Now, just 2 weeks before its release, she's unveiled this new track, which in itself might be the best Mariah release in over 5 years. Yes, "Thirsty" is easily one of 2014's most promising releases, fitting into the hip-hop, dance and pop genres quite nicely."

It's easily one of the best tracks included on the album, and while it may not be fit for 4th single - "Faded" or "Cry." should have been released as the 4th - it's strong and could end up doing some damage if its cards play out right.

Update: As of 5/23/14, "Faded" was confirmed as the next single. "Thirsty" is just a buzz single.

Song Review: "Pills N Potions" by Nicki Minaj

First Appeared: May 21st

Gosh it has been a long time since Nicki Minaj last cracked the CDS Music Chart Hot 50. Her most recent featured track, "Love Me" (Chris Brown), last appeared on the issue dated November 21st, 2013; about 27 weeks ago. Her most recent track as a lead artist, "High School (feat. Lil Wayne)", appeared at #50 for a single week on the chart dated April 18th, 2013; 58 weeks ago. Now those are pretty lengthy gaps for the Nicki, considering she's the most chart artist in CDS Music Chart's short 2 year history (with 18 so far).

Now, she's finally back and ready to chart.

Her new track, "Pills N Potions", samples her upcoming 3rd studio album and has generated quite the buzz. But why? Because it isn't what you'd expect from an artist like Nicki Minaj. It's not quite a pop song, it's not quite a rap song. It's a subtle mixture; a potion.

Starting off with a swinging drum beat, the track gives off a "Boss A** B****" vibe for a few seconds before Nicki's whisper-like pop vocals clash against the backbeat. The track quickly progresses, as Nicki declares "I still love, I still love, I still lu-uh-uhhv". At this point, the fast rapped verses that Nicki made famous take over, but in a more peaceful way than ever before. Tambourines start to play as we head into the heart pounding bridge that finds Nicki's graceful vocals dancing in circles.

Overview: "Pill N Potions" is easily one of Nicki's greatest tracks to date - and I'm not just saying that. It mixes up lots of elements, themes and imagery into one explosive (yet calm) shot of adrenaline. It contains elements of signature Nicki rap tracks ("Moment 4 Life", "Did It On 'Em") and more) as well as elements of her more recent pop styled endeavors ("Starships", "Super Bass"), though both are definitely tuned down a few notches. The corn syrup (auto-tune) laced choruses of "Starships" and "Super Bass" are traded in for more natural, soothing vocals and the hard core raps of her early days are there but feel more calmed and relaxed. I'm glad that these changes were made. The singing is much more appealing and soulful, and the rapping still has the same effect but you can actually tell what she's saying without having to look up the lyrics. A great return! I hope I see more of this.

Rating: 8.5/10

Forecast: "Pills N Potions" Headed For Top 20

First Appeared: May 20th

Though it has yet to debut, Nicki Minaj's new track, "Pills N Potions" should debut within the top 20 on this week's upcoming chart (based on the rapper's chart history).

Based on her previous track record, the new track could debut extremely high on the list (perhaps #1), or it could bomb and open at #50 before falling off the next week (though that's unlikely since it only happened with one of her entries). Of her 18 prior charters, 14 reached the top 20 (11 of which opened within the region), and 10 of those 14 reached the top 10 (including 4 #1's, 3 of which opened at the top). While that's a pretty solid pack of hits, her 4 most recent charting tracks all spent less than 20 weeks on the chart (3 of them were 10 weeks and below) and only one ("Girl On Fire") received a certification (the lowest one possible; Silver).

"Pills N Potions" has one clear advantage to me; it's lead single. Her last lead single, "Starships", opened within the top 5 (though of course it had a longer week to rank up points). Additionally, "Pills N Potions" will easily benefit from its inclusion on this week's Voter's Top 40 (meaning voters can select it as a favorite and help up its chart score if it finishes within the top 10 most demanded songs). "Starships" did not have a similar advantage since the inclusion of fan votes is new to the 2014 year, and the Voter's Top 40 is a relatively new feature (about 1 month old).

You can vote for "Pills N Potions" when the new Voter's Top 40 list refreshes tomorrow, and download the track on iTunes starting tomorrow morning. "Pills N Potions" is slated to premiere between 6AM-9AM on the East Coast.

Maroon 5 Confirms New Album "V": What Does This Mean For Summer Songs? 

First Appeared: May 19th

Earlier this morning, American band finally confirmed the release of their highly anticipated 5th studio album, V. The new album's title stand for 5 (as in the band's 5th album) in roman numerals. The album will be released on September 2nd. It will be preceded by the release of as of yet untitled new single during the Summer. So what does this really mean? It means that there's more competition for the Summer Songs list. 

Back in 2012, Maroon 5 was at the top of their game. They placed two tracks on the 2012 Summer Songs list, the first ever #1, "Payphone", and fellow #1 "One More Night at #10 and #2 respectively. In 2013, "Love Somebody", (a holdover #1 from September 2012) was able to continue to score points alongside its official release as a single in the United States. It ranked #49 on the Top 75, a fairly high outcome for a track that debuted in the previous year.

Although we have no idea what song Maroon 5 is planning to unveil - or when they plan to do so -, it's a safe bet that whatever track they release will become a massive success on the CDS Music Chart Hot 50. Here's a list of their top tracks (keep in mind the CDS Music Chart Hot 50 was launched in 2012, so only tracks released from 2012 onward are on this list):

1. "Payphone (feat. Wiz Khalifa)"

Peak: #1(x4)

All Time Points: 1383.35

All Time Rank: #5

Certification: 2x Platinum

2. "One More Night"

Peak: #1(x1)

All Time Points: 1238.9

All Time Rank: #12

Certification: Platinum

3. "Doin' Dirt"

Peak: #5

All Time Points: 924.78

All Time Rank: #37

Certification: Gold

4. "Love Somebody"

Peak: #1(x1)

All Time Points: 881.3

All Time Rank: #45

Certification: Gold

5. "Lucky Strike"

Peak: #3

All Time Points: 827.25

All Time Rank: #52

Certification: Gold

6. "Daylight"

Peak: #5

All Time Points: 638.1

All Time Rank: #94

Certification: 2x Platinum

7. "Moves Like Jagger (feat. Christina Aguilera)"

Peak: #5

All Time Points: 505.81

All Time Rank: #128

Certification: Gold

Based on this track record, the band's new single will likely land within the top 5 (as the band's 8th consecutive top 5 single). See which other tracks are competing for the title of 2014 "Song of the Summer" here!

CDS Picks: Nicki Minaj, Robin Thicke, Carrie Underwood & More

First Appeared: May 19th

Welcome to yet another installment in the wildly popular CDS Picks category! This time around I'm focusing on the returns of Nicki Minaj, Robin Thicke, Carrie Underwood and more.  Have your picks for this week's best new tracks? Just tweet me them and I'll give 'em a spin!

Robin Thicke - "Get Her Back"

It's not nearly at the same level of his 2013 #1 smash single, "Blurred Lines", but "Get Her Back" is still a success for Robin Thicke. The track was premiered on Sunday at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards. It's a very soothing track about trying to win back your loved one, but with that being said it can't help but feel a bit corny. I mean if you're trying to get the love of your life back, make it a bit more discrete. Track's like "When I Was Your Man" (Bruno Mars), "What Hurts The Most" (Rascal Flatts or Cascada), "Goodbye" (Kesha) and "Need You Now" (Lady Antebellum) are the ones that get it just right. "Get Her Back" feels forced - especially since Thicke is trying to rekindle his relationship with his estranged wife - yet it shows some remarkable potential.

Nicki Minaj - "Pills N Potions"

Though we actually haven't heard this track yet, "Pills N Potions" will be released as the lead single from Nicki Minaj's forthcoming 3rd studio album this Wednesday (Tuesday night in America). The track will be exclusively premiered early on Wednesday morning and will receive a Worldwide iTunes release throughout the rest of the day. Due to this, it may actually reach some international locations on Thursday morning. Describing the track at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday, Nicki Minaj said:

"It sounds like urgency. It sounds like betrayal. It sounds like running. It sounds like fainting. It sounds like love. It sounds like --- *gasp*!

As for the release of her 3rd album, Nicki stated that the disc will be out before 2015, but she wasn't willing to give out any more details.

Miranda Lambert & Carrie Underwood - "Somethin' Bad"
Wow. This is one crazy jam. First premiered at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards, "Somethin' Bad" is a huge tornado of power, as Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood - the two biggest female country singers (excluding Taylor Swift) - take on a more Rock radio style. It's actually pretty sweet. It's a force of vocals, swirled with an eerie rock sound and a completely different country sound.

"Somethin' Bad" is the second single from Miranda Lambert's upcoming 5th studio album, Platinum, arriving on retailer shelves this June. It follows lead single "Automatic" which was a US Country radio hit earlier this year following its February 2014 release.

Pia Mia - "My Bae"
Though she isn't completely done promoting her first EP, 2013's The Gift, Pia Mia is back with another single. "My Bae" is the supposed lead single from Pia Mia's upcoming debut studio album, and it looks like it could be a hit. With a unique Hawaiian pop sound, the track is unlike anything that's currently on US pop radio. If she promotes it the right way, "My Bae" could end up becoming on of the biggest tracks of the summer.

It's fresh, it's vibrant and it's current. Hopefully it gets the success it deserves. Simple is more.

That's all I got for you in this week's rundown! To see all these posts with corresponding pictures, videos, comments and more, please check the archive. Chart Highlights and the full Hot 50 will be added when they are released today and tomorrow.