If I thought March was a middle of the road month on the charts, man, was I in for a surprise just 30 days later. There were fewer new entries to the charts and I think it’s safe to say that its a month right in the middle. Nothing amazing, nothing so terrible that I wrote a page-long, obscenity-laden rant about it.

15. Mooski – Track Star

I can’t get past the mess that is the production here. There are like nine ideas being fleshed out all at once and none of them work together. I think the tempo changes several times, not to mention the fact that Mooski doesn’t bother sticking to any of them. Just a muddle of blah.

14. Young Stoner Life – Ski

Sounds a lot like their other entry this month, Solid. Again, decent beat, solid flows, Gunna doesn’t sound as much like Drake on this track so there’s that. But there’s also not much depth to this one either. Feels like a track we’ve heard many times before.

13. Justin Beiber ft. Daniel Caesar and Giveon – Peaches

It’s a tale of two songs because Caesar and Giveon’s verses actually jive with the jazzy production and keyboards and push the track down the neo-soul road. But then Beiber comes in with his nonsensical chorus and while it is very catchy, it undermines the rest of the track.

12. Young Stoner Life – Solid

Smooth, yet unremarkable. Gunna uses his parts doing his best Drake impression. Young Thug gets extra points for working macaroni and cheese into his verse. It’s a chill track but nothing we haven’t heard before from any of the artists on this one.

11. Bebe Rehxa – Sacrifice

I think Sacrifice is trying to be a banger and it comes close but the sound is a little dark for a clear dance floor jam. It works perfectly with the subject of the lyrics which is basically “you’re mine”. I think it’s just missing a little bit of energy which would have put it over the top and out of meh territory.

10. AJR – Way Less Sad

I don’t remember having a high opinion of the last time I heard these guys, but once again, I find myself pleasantly surprised. The song is nice. I’m not sure how else to describe it. Sampling a Simon and Garfunkel tune is a good choice in this case. I do love me horns in my pop songs when they’re done right. Look, it’s clean and upbeat. It is not going to set the world on fire, but it’s not going make you want to punch things either.

9. Olivia Rodrigo – deja vu

Driver’s License this is not. It does however feel like a continuation of Driver’s License, coming from the point of view of a woman trying to get over a breakup while seeing her ex and his new girlfriend and asking if he notices the similarities. But this one doesn’t feel like a pop hit. Granted, neither did Driver’s License but, it vibes more like an indie rock track. It might have made more sense with Lana Del Rey on vocals than Olivia. And if that’s where she’s headed, that’s all good. The song isn’t bad when you look at it through those eyes.

8. Rod Wave ft. Polo G – Richer

These two just have a solid chemistry between them. The more that I heard Rod’s vocals, the more I like them. The beat does just enough to get the spot done without taking anything away from Rod or Polo. Another solid effort.

7. Taylor Swift – Mr. Perfectly Fine

Another track from the vault, this is a throwback to Taylor’s country pop days before she did what we made her do. So, if you are a fan of Fearless era Taylor, you will like this track. The production is updated and probably a little less sugary than it would have been if it had made the original album. Like the title, the song is perfectly fine. It is exactly what you’d hope to hear from a song Taylor Swift wrote in 2008.

6. Daya – Bad Girl

Remembering the Daya of several years ago, I was not expecting much from the teaser for her next EP, but what I got was a track with production that reminds me of the Weeknd’s recent sound that explores her bisexuality. It’s a darker track with a dancefloor hook that shines through.

5. Lil Nas X – MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)

This is not the gimmicky Lil Nas X of 2019 than rode in with Billy Ray Cyrus to pick up his Grammys and chart records. This is a much more intense and personal song writer who is tapping into the struggles of his past. Trying to separate the song from the video is a tall order ( and what got this track most of its attention outside of the music world COUGHCOUGHFOXNEWSCOUGH) but the track itself is solid. Nas X rides tight to the beat and the sparse production fills the gaps in perfectly.

4. Doja Cat ft. SZA – Kiss Me More

An infectious, light, disco-inspired beat that let’s Doja float a ridiculously catchy hook that will undoubtedly burrow its way into your brain and have you bopping for the rest of the day. It almost feels like an ambient track for a Sunday morning, but this is not background music to chill to. Good luck getting this jam out of your head.

3. Rod Wave – Tombstone

You will be surprised how much emotion can be packed into two and a half minutes. Rod reflects on the legacy he wants to leave behind, while dealing with the current entanglements of life. We have another beat that knows how to be just minimalist enough. It doesn’t need a ton of instrumentation to perfectly compliment Rod’s voice.

2. Ariana Grande – pov

Possibly Grande’s best ballad of her career. It’s beautiful in its simplicity and lyrically, the strongest track I’ve heard off the Positions record. It’s a very fitting was to close an album about a new relationship with a floating and airy track about wanting to see what her partner sees in the relationship. I don’t think ethereal is quite the right description but that’s the path were heading down.

1. Polo G – RAPSTAR

This is one of the best melodic rap tracks I’ve heard in a very long time. The track is so clean, the guitar accents pull the beat along and Polo weaves his way through to tie everything together.