Taylor Swift (6) - Week of Jan 17, 2026

 

Hey guys! After not having any debuts the past 2 weeks, we finally have new songs on the countdown this week.

Before we get to this week's fresh 30, let's say goodbye to the songs leaving the countdown: 

• ROLE MODEL - Writing's On The Wall [#27] {4w} PK: 24
• Alessi Rose - First Original Thought [#20] {15w} PK: 15
• Chappell Roan - The Subway [#12] {23w} PK: 6

Last week's #1 song: Taylor Swift - The Fate of Ophelia [5 weeks at #1]

30. Justin Bieber - YUKON [=] {13w} PK: 26

29. Tame Impala - Dracula [Debut] {1w} PK: 29

28. Kehlani - Folded [Reentry] {13w} PK: 23 Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

27. Bruno Mars - I Just Might [Debut] {1w} PK: 27

26. Tyla - CHANEL [+3] {6w} PK: 26

25. Jonas Brothers - Backwards [=] {4w} PK: 25

24. SIENNA SPIRO - Die On This Hill [+4] {8w} PK: 23

23. Meghan Trainor - Still Don't Care [+1] {9w} PK: 18

22. Madison Beer - bittersweet [=] {14w} PK: 16

21. Charlie Puth - Changes [=] {10w} PK: 15

20. Tate McRae - TIT FOR TAT [+6] {16w} PK: 18

19. AJR - The Big Goodbye [+4] {15w} PK: 17

18. Sophia James - So Unfair [=] {12w} PK: 18

17. Benson Boone - Mr Electric Blue [-2] {6w} PK: 15

16. 5 Seconds of Summer - NOT OK [+1] {16w} PK: 8

15. Laufey - Lover Girl [+1] {13w} PK: 15

14. Kevin Jonas - Changing [-3] {8w} PK: 11

13. KATSEYE - Gabriela [+1] {24w} PK: 10

12. Ed Sheeran - Camera [-3] {18w} PK: 5

11. Alex Warren/Jelly Roll - Bloodline [+8] {14w} PK: 9

10. KPop Demon Hunters Cast - Golden [=] {26w} [4 weeks at #1]

9. sombr - 12 to 12 [+4] {11w} PK: 9

8. Sabrina Carpenter - Tears [=] {20w} [3 weeks at #1]

7. David Guetta/Teddy Swims/Tones And I - Gone Gone Gone [=] {14w} PK: 7

6. RAYE - WHERE IS MY HUSBAND! [=] {12w} PK: 2

5. Taylor Swift - Opalite [-1] {14w} [2 weeks at #1]

4. sombr - back to friends [-2] {26w} PK: 2

3. Olivia Dean - Man I Need [=] {18w} PK: 3

2. Conan Gray - Vodka Cranberry [+3] {24w} PK: 2

1. Taylor Swift - The Fate of Ophelia [=] {15w} [6 weeks at #1]

Debuts: 

Super mega ultra hit Folded reentered after leaving all the way back in October. Ummmmmmmmmmmmm, okay then? I guess we have a candidate for the If The World Was Ending award, aka the most random reentry of the year.

It's about damn time Dracula finally debuted. I've been enjoying this a lot recently. It's already been at #1 6 weeks in a row on my personal charts. The haunting dance production is super cool, and singer Kevin Parker sounds great. Hopefully this does well.

Lastly, we have the highly anticipated solo return of this artist. Bruno Mars has his first solo song on the countdown in 9 years since 2017's That's What I Like, which is just insane to think it's been that long. He debuts with I Just Might. This song has been worth the wait. The funk production is insanely fun, and Bruno sounds great. There's no doubt this will be a huge hit and possibly even go #1.

Countdown Extra: Machine Gun Kelly - times of my life

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Alex Warren/Jelly Roll - Bloodline [+8]

Biggest...DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Tie between Kevin Jonas - Changing and Ed Sheeran - Camera [-3]

Last year's #1 song: ROSÉ/Bruno Mars - APT. (2/6 weeks at #1)

Favorite song last year: Vella - All My Love

Least favorite song last year: SZA - BMF

Most missed song: Jain - Makeba (2023)

Recommendation for Hits 1: Steve Aoki/Sound Rush/Hoobastank - The Reason

5 Oldest Songs

1. Tie between sombr - back to friends and KPop Demon Hunters Cast - Golden {26w}
2. Tie between Conan Gray - Vodka Cranberry and KATSEYE - Gabriela {24w}
3. Sabrina Carpenter - Tears {20w}
4. Tie between Olivia Dean - Man I Need and Ed Sheeran - Camera {18w}
5. Tie between Tate McRae - TIT FOR TAT and 5 Seconds of Summer - NOT OK {16w}

Hitbound

NF - FEAR [5]

Madison Beer - bad enough [Debut]

5 Seconds Of Summer - I'm Scared I'll Never Sleep Again [5]

Charlie Puth - Beat Yourself Up [Debut]

Stephen Sanchez - SWEET LOVE [Debut]

Doechii/SZA - girl, get up. [3]

Hilary Duff - Roommates [Debut]

Charli XCX - Wall of Sound [Debut]

JYT - What U Want [5]

senses - tiptoeing [Debut]

Nick Jonas - Gut Punch [3]

GIRLSET - Little Miss [5]

Machine Gun Kelly - times of my life [3]

KATSEYE - Internet Girl [3]

The Kid LAROI/Lithe - RATHER BE [2]

Sabrina Carpenter - Such A Funny Way [4]

Also Available On Survey

Sabrina Carpenter - When Did You Get Hot? [12]

Madison Beer just released her new album locket, and she's here with bad enough. This is just decent. It's slightly better than bittersweet, but not by much. The production is decent, but Madison is oversinging way too much and has weird vocal effects in the chorus, which sounds terrible.

On a more positive note, we have another single from Charlie Puth called Beat Yourself Up. This isn't on the same level as Changes, but it's still a great song. The 80s soft-rock production is really fun, and Charlie sounds great as per usual.

It's been a hot minute since we've heard from Stephen Sanchez. He was last seen on Hits 1 with Baby Blue Bathing Suit in 2024, which was extremely mid. Luckily his latest song Sweet Love is so much better. The 60s style production is super fun, and Stephen sounds great. I wouldn't mind if this became a hit.

We have more Hilary Duff, because we totally needed more of her. She's back with Roommates. Did she just ripoff Taylor Swift? The production is literally just lifted from Anti-Hero. Such a weird song to steal from, but ok then. This is a lot better than Mature from a few months ago. The production is a lot more upbeat and Hilary sounds good.

Charli XCX decided to "bless" us with another single from Wuthering Heights called Wall of Sound. I don't know how to feel about this song. This song is just extremely weird, and the production starts to break down halfway through. Can Charli just make a normal song for once in her life?

We end hitbound with a random nobody. Alt rock band senses debut hitbound with tiptoeing. I literally don't know anything about this band. Apparently they're some Los Angeles punk rock band who met on Craigslist. Their Spotify description literally only says "We met on Craigslist". I may not know who these people are, but this song is kind of a banger. The emo punk rock production is super fun, and whoever this singer is sounds great. I may have to check out more of their music. Apparently they made a rock cover of Good Luck, Babe.

Exits:

• Olivia Dean - So Easy (To Fall In Love) [8]
• Freya Skye - silent treatment [6]
• Tate McRae - NOBODY'S GIRL [8]
• In Color - Lighter [4]
• Alex Warren/Gigi Perez - Eternity [7; 2nd time]*

So Easy (To Fall In Love) and silent treatment find themselves in the abyss and will probably debut soon. NOBODY'S GIRL and Lighter were just mid. And Eternity doesn't count as a hitbound dropout since the original version was on the countdown. It will be added to the Miscellaneous Hitbound Dropouts list, which you can view here: https://zestpond.blogspot.com/p/kinda-hitbound-dropouts.html

2026 total dropouts: 18

Estimated total for 2026: 134 (+4)

Abyss

t.A.T.u. - All the Things She Said [1]

Pitbull/Lil Jon - Damn I Love Miami [1]

Olivia Dean - So Easy (To Fall In Love) [1]

Freya Skye - silent treatment [1]

Prince - When Doves Cry/Purple Rain (Hits 1 Exclusive Stranger Things Remix) [2]

MAX/Andy Grammer - The Thing I Love [3]

MOLIY/Silent Addy/Skillibeng/Shenseea - Shake It To The Max (FLY) (Remix) [6]

Jackson Wang - Made Me A Man [7]

Sabrina Carpenter - When Did You Get Hot? [12]

Why is a 24 year old song in the abyss? I won't complain, since All the Things She Said is an amazing song. Wait, All the Things She Said is already 24 years old? I'm getting old...

Wall of Blurbs:

We lost Writing's On The Wall, First Original Thought, The Subway. RIP to Writing's On The Wall. It could have lasted at least a little longer on the countdown. And First Original Thought and The Subway were both very old and really needed to leave.

I really thought YUKON would have left this week. But nope, Hits 1 would rather let it rot in the bottom spot in the countdown for a million weeks.

Die On This Hill really does not need to be jumping.

It only took 3 months, but Lover Girl finally made it to the top half of the countdown. It really needs to be a lot higher.

How did Vodka Cranberry end up at #2? There's a 0% chance this goes #1. 

The Fate of Ophelia is already at its 6th week at #1. I don't see any songs that can overtake it soon, so expect it to stay #1 for a lot longer.

That's all for now, see you all next week!

Last week's poll of the week results:

Best Top 5 Song?

1. Olivia Dean - Man I Need: 28.57 % (4 votes)
2. Taylor Swift - The Fate of Ophelia: 21.43 % (3 votes)
3. sombr - back to friends: 21.43 % (3 votes)
4. Conan Gray - Vodka Cranberry: 21.43 % (3 votes)
5. Taylor Swift - Opalite: 7.14 % (1 vote)

Poll of the week: