Musical McCool Season 4, Week 20 (I Had Some Help, HIND'S HALL, Eurovision, Thinkin' Bout Me and more)

Hey guys, welcome back to Musical McCool, my weekly series dissecting the Irish charts! Well, we finally reached the Eurovision week, where even with all the boycotts in Ireland, we got a TON of the songs from the contest chart. I have many thoughts on this, most of them boiling down to "Fuck the European Broadcasting Union"...

The Top 10

... BUT they weren't actually our biggest story this week!

1. I Had Some Help - Morgan Wallen [LW: - / WOC: 1]

2. A Bar Song (Tipsy) - Shaboozey [LW: #3 / WOC: 5]

3. espresso - Sabrina Carpenter [LW: #1 / WOC: 5]

4. Too Sweet - Hozier [LW: #2 / WOC: 7]

5. MILLION DOLLAR BABY - Tommy Richman [LW: #9 / WOC: 3]

6. Belong Together - Mark Ambor [LW: #6 / WOC: 11]

7. Not Like Us - Kendrick Lamar [LW: #11 / WOC: 2]

8. Fortnight - Taylor Swift (Ft. Post Malone) [LW: #4 / WOC: 4]

9. i like the way you kiss me - Artemas [LW: #5 / WOC: 8]

10. Austin - Dasha [LW: #7 / WOC: 13]

Yep, we got a new number 1, namely the new collab between post Malone and Morgan Wallen. We'll get into the consequences of that and the quality of the song itself later, but for now, the timing of this feels... convenient, like the big machine pushing a huge single to distract us from the pedophile allegations floating around one of the biggest names in music and/or the Eurovision controversy... just saying.

Ironically though, it wasn't enough to stop Not Like Us from pushing its way up to the number 7 spot, waving its colours proudly and refusing to be silenced. And frankly, from what I've seen online, it's not even a question which of these 2 Top 10 entries will be more culturally relevant in the long run.

The Punished and the New

So as you would image, this was a week where some of the big players made a comeback of the success of more current success stories... by which I mean Doomsday Blue by Bambie Thug rebounded to number 23 and Last Night by Morgan Wallen smashed back in at number 35, due to Eurovision and I Had Some Help respectively.

That's really it for our winners, which brings us to our MANY losers! Some Drake fans may be taking solace in Kendrick's euphoria dropping down to 24 and meet the grahams to 50, but notice that Family Matters plummeted past both of them to 53 and Push Ups fell to 64, it's VERY clear who lost this battle! And he doesn't even have the same excuse of our single ACR victim:

we can't be friend by Ariana Grande - #14 -> #34

Honestly, this had a far better run than I think anyone expected. She really should have pushed bye instead though! Otherwise, Hide Away by Daya thankfully isn't THAT viral just yet, as it slipped down to 37, while obsessed by Olivia Rodrigo sadly lost all its momentum down to 47 - not sure this one will make the year-end, unfortunately - along with vampire down to 51 and so american to 80. And the bad news continues as Gracie Abrams' Risk didn't pay off, sliding down to 67; shame, it's a great song. Finally, Dua Lipa's album barely made a dent last week, and the only new song to chart from it These Walls fell to 85; call it fatigue or poor marketing, but I'm not sure I could have predicted this at the start of 2024!

And now, the new arrivals, and we have a LOT of them, starting with the big one:

Title: I Had Some Help by Post Malone (Ft. Morgan Wallen)

Position: #1

The fact that this song became a huge overnight hit isn't what surprised me. The fact it debuted at number 1, in a country where neither of these 2 have held that top spot in the last couple of years - which remember, Taylor herself was unable to do - shocks me to my core. And to be clear, I'm not against it, I think both of these artists have released some quality music, regardless of who they may be as people (even though Morgan REALLY needs to stop drinking and getting arrested).

As as it happens, I actually think this song is pretty good. The guitar line reads as very 2000s country, the vocals are pretty clean, and both Morgan and Post can sell this brand of upbeat bitterness very well, as they point out their partner's part in the breakup. As someone who's been gaslit into thinking a break-up was all my fault in the past, this is a song I naturally gravitate to pretty strongly!

That being said, I do think it's a little too blame-heavy, like they don't take ANY responsibility for what sounds like some pretty hedonistic behaviour. I can't help but feel like I'm listening to a friend rant about an ex while quietly thinking to myself "my GOD you have no self-awareness", but trying to be supportive. Still, I can't deny how ridiculously catchy this is, and it's well-produced enough to put a slight smile on my face in spite of everything. With the recent run of fantastic Top 10 singles, I can't say this is great or anything special, but I do enjoy it more than I expected.

Title: Stargazing by Myles Smith

Position: #14

Solo by Myles Smith thankfully never took off here the way it did in the UK - good thing too, it's a really nothing track that's gotten extremely grating over repeated listens - but I have a nasty feeling that with the success of this new single, that might all be changing. As for this song on its own though... this is certainly a lot better.

It's trying more for a 2013-era electronica song in the vein of Avicii or certain fases of Coldplay - Hell, Myles Smith genuinely sounds like he's imitating Chris Martin in spots here - with the rocllicking instrumentation and chorus of chanting vocals building to that drop. Basically, it's taking what Solo started and actually executed it better, with a bit more of a pulse. And lyrically, the song is about realising that a person you've been stargazing with forever, each looking for your own North star, was actually right next to you all along.

It's a bit corny, and frankly, I think the song is lacking some power or added lyrical detail, but for what it is, this is perfectly fine. Not a particularly stand-out song, but decent enough, which is a big improvement.

Title: The Code by Nemo

Position: #17

*sigh* The tragic thing about Eurovision 2024 is that from what I heard today, the lineup was actually pretty strong. But in the spirit of #BoycottEurovision, I'm going to respectfully go through every song pretty quickly.

So Nemo won the contest for Switzerland, and the song's actually eclectic, with operatic elements, rap breakdowns, a bunch of contradictions that emphasise the lyrics about not ffiting into yourf binary worldview, as they broke the code. It's pretty clever, it's Eurovision-quirky, and while it lacks a slight emotional punch for me, I think it works. Wouldn't have been my choice to win, but hey, I didn't vote.

Title: Hind's Hall by Macklemore 🇵🇸

Position: #19

Just for the record, YouTube has restricted the video due to "violations of our Communiuty Guidelines", so I can't link it here like I normally would... just want to make that very clear, as if YouTube didn't have enough bad press: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgDQyFeBBIo And you know, it feels very fitting that this should chart this week, amid all the Eurovision songs. I've seen a lot of discourse online about Macklemore choosing to do this for relevance, an opportunist who only speaks up when he knows it can benefit his rocky career. And respectfully, as someone who once placed this man near the very top of my Worst Albums of 2017 list... go fuck yourselves, every last one of you.

I know songs like Same Love and White Priviledge II might not be to your taste, but if there's one thing I will never accuse Macklemore of, it's being disingenuous when it comes to speaking up about things that matter. And in this case, where so many other artists have been noticeably silent, the fact that artists like him and Brother Ali have spoken up should ONLY be commended.

The anger in Macklemore's voice, the Ana La Habibi sample, the reminder that the police arresting protesting students are just actors in uniforms, working for a corrupt government which has such a problem with peaceful protest, yet somehow are fine with a fucking genocide! He also calls out the companies and the industries that have NOT backed Palestine yet, proclaiming that they can't buy his silence, along with saying a big FUCK YOU to Joe Biden, and assuring him he will NOT be voting for him in the upcoming election. And when you consider Biden's obsession with the youth vogte, then attempting to shut down TikTok at a VERY crucial point where a lot of pro-Palestine content was circulating... I'm not saying that's the main reason, but it certainly must have made his decision easier! And for those who would scream "anti-semite", he points out the difference between anti-semites and anti-zionists, especially when MANY Jewish people have been marching in those protests as well, shouting "FREE PALESTINE" as they distance themselves from a fearmongering government who've been justifying apartheid for 75 years!

But what I think is the most powerful moment of the song is where he calls out the music industry. All the artists who normally pride themselves on activism, who are suddenly pretty quiet when it's not happening to them or their children. And even I felt called out when he said "fuck a response from Drake". But he's right. If anything, the Kendrick vs Drake beef being so widely covered by the media to the point where it actively pulled focus away from Gaza... that's kind of fucked up.

Personally, I'm just stunned by this. It's the kind of song that I think a lot more people honestly could and should have made, but I commend Macklemore wholeheartedly for standing up and yelling with his full chest "Free Palestine!" The song's an anthem that we sorely need right now. Let's get our priorities straight.

Title: Europapa by Joost Klein

Position: #22

So again, I wasn't watching Eurovision this year... but had I been doing so, this would have been my favourite to win it.

This song has been all over Dutch socials for a while now, as Joost Klein made a really heartfelt yet catchy tribute to his late parents in the form of a half-celabratory, half-lamenting anthem about living in Europe, and how he'll likely never leave. It feels like a particularly sardomic jab at the EU and Eurovision by proxy, which is likely why they disqualified him after he got pretty justifiably angry with a reporter. Normally I'd never condone being aggressive with the press, but when he got off stage crying after performing this anthem to his dead loved ones on a world stage, and someone IMMEDIATELY pushed a camera in his face... I'd have probably decked whoever it was!

As is, this combines the best parts of emotion and catchiness, it's Europop at its finest, and while Joost is just as complicit as any other artist who participated alongside Israel, let's not forget the organisers of Eurovision are the real greedy monsters; the fact they disqualified him but NOT Israel is shady as Hell.

Title: RimTim Tagi Dim by Baby Lasagna

Position: #26

So this is a category of Eurovision song called "Euro-nonsense", where a country submits something as weird and absurd as they can in the hopes on winning the popular vote. I mean this one has a fucking cat in the thumbnail, and it's based around a meaningless phrase, by a guy called Baby Lasagna, COME ON!

And yeah, it brings in elements of metalcore and dance music to make an anthem about selling your cow and leaving home, chasing your dreams and ignoring the anxiety, knowing you're likely going to miss your cat more than your family.

It's silly, it's catchy, but compared to Cha Cha Cha, the song that tried this last year... eh? It's fine.

Title: 360 by Charli XCX

Position: #54

Charli's newest album roll-out has me feeling cautiously optimistic. I don't know if doing Barbie reignited her passion for making pop weird again, but if I thought was kind of a return to form, I think 360 is a similar step in a positive direction.

I just really like the way this sounds, it reminds me like a more restrained version of what she delivered on vroom vroom, and while it's still a far cry from her best 2019 material, I still like the fast-paced tempo and the weirdly elegant mix.

It's a very short song, I'm not surprised it's just an intro track for the new album, but if it's a sign of more to come... yeah, I may actually get back onboard.

Title: Teresa & Maria by alyona alyona & Jerry Heil

Position: #55

Fuck, under different circumstances, this could have been another real winner.

Ukraine's alyona alyona and Jerry Heil have incredibly different styles, but together, they sound like a match made in Heaven, driving forward a message of non-judgement and how every single one of us, no matter our background or medium, can make a change.

Again, a message that either fell on deaf ears or is sickeningly ironic, but either way, with the sweeping production and the timing of that rap breakdown at the top of that crescendo - not to mention the very real war that Ukraine is still enduring, for over 2 years now - it's no wonder this one grew to be an audience favourite.

Title: Thinkin' Bout Me by Morgan Wallen

Position: #61

Oh for fuck's sake, I thought I was in the clear!

Yes, with Morgan Wallen going to number 1 so quickly, it only makes sense that other songs from him should follow in its wake! And while I personally think we already hit rock-bottom with Last Night - by FAR his worst song in my opinion - the other 2 tracks that charted from him are both pretty awful too!

And this is a real stinker - one that, again, I thought I'd avoided - where Morgan is shouting incoherently at this girl who allegedly put him through Hell, as he bitterly scorns her new partner and continuously points out that every activity she does with this new guy, she'll still be thinking about him. It REEKS of butthurt entitlement - even going so far as the have the bridge go "I don't know where you are, but I know where you SHOULD be" - and with the smarmy guitars and the awful vocal mixing, it makes for one of the most unpleasant and sour songs to chart in a good long while!

This is just trash, the kind of incel anthem that guys write after losing their first girlffriend and taking zero blame for it, dumping all of the onus on HER. And as much as you want us to belive SHE was the nightmare who ruined YOU... based on this song, i think you need to take a good long look in the mirror. Abysmal track, here's to hoping it doesn't take off in Ireland like it did in the States.

Title: Mon Amour by Slimane

Position: #76

Boring piano ballad that's all about demanding whether or not you love him, while he claims he would jump through fire for you.

When is France going to stop making simpering piano ballads when they clearly already peaked with Voilà years ago?

Title: Unforgettable by Marcus & Martinus

Position: #92

Middle-aged Swedish Jedward doesn't impress me much.

Going for a groovy dance song is an interesting tactic for last year's winners, and with the Justin Timberlake-ness of our 2 vocalist, it ends up feeling a bit rote and generic, especially with the Maneater-esque lyrics.

Decent enough I suppose, but for this contest, it doesn't build to be all that much, it feels like it's full of restrained half-steps.

Title: La noia by Angelina Mango

Position: #94

Pretty good until those AWFUL backing synths cam in? Why would you choose to make your drop sound like that?!

Still, I like the guitars, and Angelina Mango actually has a TON of raw charisma. Bad entry, but I may check out more from her.

Title: You Proof by Morgan Wallen

Position: #96

So I know a lot of people would put the song in the same category as Thinkin' Bout Me, one of Morgan's worst songs, one of his worst hooks, one of his worst instrumentals... and yet I find myself disagreeing.

To me, You Proof is closer to Whiskey Glasses, a song that is undeniably VERY toxic, where he's drowning his sorrows in alcohol and clearly not coping very well, looking for a drink strong enough to drive her out of his mind. And the production mirrors his hedonistic escapism, with that weird, keening synth that is barely recognisable as a guitar wailing away in the background. But I think that's kind of why I like it. It's a song where Morgan is undeniably at his worst, but his desperation and willingness to pay for the most expensive and unhealthy alcohol out there makes his pain more believable to me. He can certainly sell that sadness better than resentment or hedonistic lechery!

 Again, I know that a lot of people expected me to call this a terribly-produced country song that absolutely doesn't work. But I can't say that, because for what Morgan Wallen was going for here, as unpleasant as it is, I think it actually achieved what it set out to do. I won't call it good, but I also can't call it entirely unrelatable. Plus, I think all the alcohol puns and references are a little cleverer than they have any right to be.

And now we get to the Best and Worst, and despite all the controversy, Eurovision didn't spawn either one. Worst is easily going to Morgan Wallen's Thinkin' Bout Me, arguably one of his worst ever songs, while the Best is obviously going to Hind's Hall by Macklemore, go listen to it if you somehow missed it and give this man some props!

National Treasures

And now it's time for our new entries to the Homegrown Top 20. And hey, on the topic of Eurovision:

Title: Tsunami by Bambie Thug

Position: #13

Look, this came out over a year ago, and quite frankly, if it had been my first introduction to them, I don't think I would have been that impressed.

Don't get me wrong, I think Bambie still has a lot of eprsonality and energy, but the lyrics here feel so fucking tryhard, demanding you to take them seriously as a tidal wave, and every time they call me a bitch, it feels so forced.

Still, the production's alright, even if it feels VERY dated. Had this been made 15 years ago, I might have enjoyed it, but now... nah, not for me.

Title: I Want What I Don't Need by Villagers

Position: #19

Wow, I haven't thought about this and in years!

A Dublin-based group who saw a fair amount of acclaim and praise in the early 2010s - including in Belgium where I grew up - and have apparently continued making music over the next decade, with their newest album dropping just a couple of weeks ago. And look, I'm very mixed on this new song. I find the pseudo-deep lyrics to contain some moments of pathos, especially when Conor J addresses the audience directly at the end about free will being a myth, and feeling like you HAVE to succeed in a life that is genuinely meaningless. A tad depressing, but my real issue is with the vocals and production, which feel far too light and weedy to convey the message properly.

Thank fuck for the string section adding some grandeur back into this, otherwise I may be a lot harsher. Also, a guy chastising you for being out of key when he sounds so fucking strained is pretty funny.

And that's our week! As always, let me know in the Comments what you thought of the songs covered this week, and leave a Like if you enjoyed! Please make sure to follow me everywhere so you don't miss a thing, and Subscribe to the blog to keep up with my weekly chart reflections. I hope life treats you kindly, and until the next time, I'm Fionn and this is The Social Tune signing off!