My Weekly Top 10 (February 26, 2016) #7 Kendrick Lamar - King Kunta

Kendrick Lamar's fourth top 10 hit in my personal countdown, King Kunta, moves from #8 to #7 this week.  It's the first top 10 hit from his Grammy-nominated album To Pimp a Butterfly.

The song already has 62,914,361 views as of today.

Kendrick Lamar

I have been listening to Kendrick Lamar's brilliant album Good Kid M.A.A.D. City, which was nominated for a Grammy award a few years ago, and man, it's a fucking fantastic album!! Probably the best one from last year!  Too bad I failed to see him perform here in Manila, in that big concert in Clark.

However, in his latest Grammy-nominated album, To Pimp a Butterfly, only one song has yet entered my personal countdown.

He now has four top 10 hits in my personal countdown.  One of them went all the way to #1.

2014 - Backstreet Freestyle (#1)

2015 - M.A.A.D. City (with MC Eiht) (#4)

2016 - Poetic Justice (with Drake) (#7)

2016 - King Kunta (#7)

Grammys 2016: Kendrick Lamar Should Win Album of the Year

I know the Grammy Album of the Year will still be announced on Monday, but I already have two albums on my list that should figure prominently in the nominations for the Grammy's of 2017 - Adele's 25 and Justin Bieber's Purpose.

We all know that the music academy loves Adele but Justin Bieber will know if his fellow musicians really love him as well, if they bestow him a well-deserved Album of the Year nomination.

But that will have to wait till December this year.

The nominated albums this year are quite an eclectic bunch and I'm not surprised that Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly was there.

When it was released March of last year, I immediately bought the album, because I was really bowled over by his last album Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City.

Disappointingly though, I did not take too well with the new album. There are no clear 'singles' from this album and I found it too artsy.

The jazz influence was very strong and we all know very well that jazz is an acquired taste and you'd really have to have sophisticated ears to listen to it.

If you come from a bakya pop background like me, combining jazz and rap is not an easy palate of music to listen to.

However, I admire the great ambition Kendrick gave in album. He certainly achieved something that is sonically different from what he had done before as he included as many different beats and sounds in it.

Even the way Kendrick raps differs from track to track, depending on the way he wants to deliver his message.

Anyhow, I won't be surprised if Kendrick goes home with the award. It's about time that the academy honors someone from the rap world because they have snubbed the best works of Kanye West and Eminem - and that's fine with me - since I find these guys egotistical SOBs. That maybe the reason ninominate lang sila but the award was not given to them.

Kendrick though is very low key and seems humble to me. Maybe finally, the academy would vote a rapper this time for their highest award.

However, just like Beyonce last year, the spoiler for the award also has strong academy backing.

I'm sure the whole country membership of the academy would vote for Chris Stapleton's Traveller.

So you never really know till the winner is announced.

My Weekly Top 10 (February 5, 2016) #7 Kendrick Lamar / Drake - Poetic Justice

Kendrick Lamar's fifth top 10 hit and Drake's 6th, Poetic Justice, moves up this week to #7 in my personal countdown.  It's the current peak position of this song.

UK #5 May 31, 2015 Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar - Bad Blood

Bad Blood becomes Taylor Swift's 8th top 10 hit in the UK.  This week, the song peaks at #4.  Kendrick Lamar also guest raps in this song.

My Weekly Top 10 May 29, 2015: #4 Kendrick Lamar feat. MC Eiht - M.A.A.D. City

I discovered this song last year as I listened to Kendrick Lamar's fantastic album of the same title, M.A.A.D. City.  I heard that he has released a new album.  I will buy that soon but for now, let me enjoy first his songs from this album.

The title track moves up this week to #4.  MC Eiht is also featured in this track.  It's also his first appearance in my personal countdown.

Gary Barlow Tops My Personal Countdown for the Fifth Time

In a career spanning three decades, Gary Barlow's tenth top 10 solo hit in my personal countdown becomes his fifth #1 song as well.  This week, 6th Avenue moves up to the top spot of my personal countdown.  It's the second top 10 hit from his latest album, Since I Saw You Last.  Gary's span of solo chart hits extends to 17 years this week.

Here are my ten favorite songs for the week ending December 12, 2014.

1. Gary Barlow - 6th Avenue (#3)

2. Kendrick Lamar - Backstreet Freestyle (#2)

3. Brett Eldredge - Beat of the Music (#4)

4. Imagine Dragons  - Cha-Ching  (#10)

5. John Legend - The Beginning (#6)

6. Jamie Cullum - Save Your Soul (#7)

7. G.R.L. - Ugly Heart (#8)

8. Maroon 5 - It Was Always You (#9)

9. Walk the Moon - Shut Up and Dance (NEW)

10. Take That - These Days (NEW)

The Futuristic Polar Bears Puts EDM at the Top Spot

Two EDM acts get the top two spots in my personal countdown this week.  The Futuristic Polar Bears and R3hab and Deorro, get the #1 and the #2 slots in my personal countdown this week. EDM has definitely made its presence felt this year, thanks largely from the creative track lists of Les Mills Body Jam.

Ed Sheeran also has two top 10 hits in my personal countdown this week.  Afire Love is on its way to the top while Sing hangs out at #7.

Here are my ten favorite songs for the week ending November 7, 2014 -

#1 Futuristic Polar Bears - Back to Earth (#2)

#2 R3hab & Deorro - Flashlight (#3)

#3 Ed Sheeran - Afire Love (#4)

#4 Sara Bareilles - I Choose You (#6)

#5 Ingrid Michaelson - Girls Chase Boys (#7)

#6 Chris Brown, Usher, Rick Ross - New Flame (#8)

#7 Ed Sheeran - Sing (#9)

#8 Kendrick Lamar - Backstreet Freestyle (#10)

#9 Brett Eldredge - Beat of the Music (NEW)

#10 A Great Big World - Rockstar (NEW)

Imagine Dragons and Kendrick Lamar! What A Rockin' Combination!

Can one of our concert producers freakin' bring the Imagine Dragons here to the Philippines?!! Every song they've released has been such a radio hit and each of their songs doesn't even sound alike!! Top of the World, Radioactive, Demons - you'd think three different bands sang these songs, but it's the same band, which really amazes me! And they're only from LA, isang PAL flight away lang sila!! 

Anyway, I heard the Napoleses are bringing Kendrick Lamar here sa concert sa Clark. Sayang, parang ayaw kong payamanin pa ang mga Napoleses, especially that show off daughter of theirs - magnanakaw na nga, bibigyan ko pa ng pera ko. I can always fly somewhere else to see Kendrick naman.

Chart Performance: Kendrick Lamar

Rapper Kendrick Lamar gets his very first US top 10 album, as good kid, m.A.A.d city, debuted at #2.