Now That’s What I Call Music! 69 (February 1)

[wjr15]

The tracklist for the next album in the Now! compilation series. Available February 1st.

1. Ariana Grande - Breathin
2. Marshmello & Bastille - Happier
3. DJ Snake feat. Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B - Taki Taki
4. The Chainsmokers feat. Kelsea Ballerini - This Feeling
5. Silk City & Dua Lipa feat. Diplo & Mark Ronson - Electricity
6. Calvin Harris & Sam Smith - Promises
7. Loud Luxury feat. brando - Body
8. Ellie Goulding, Diplo & Swae Lee - Close To Me
9. LSD feat. Sia, Diplo & Labrinth - Thunderclouds
10. Shawn Mendes & Zedd - Lost In Japan (Remix)
11. Khalid - Better
12. Camila Cabello - Consequences
13. Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper - Shallow
14. Dan + Shay - Tequila
15. Lauv feat. Julia Michaels - There’s No Way
16. lovelytheband - broken

NOW PRESENTS WHAT’S NEXT
17. George Ezra - Shotgun
18. Jack Samson - Slow 3
19. The Accidentals - Heavy Flag
20. Sasha Sloan - Older

[renaboss]

Lol at "Shotgun" under "What's Next". UK #1 forever ago.

[eriedj]

Lauv is currently at #32 on Mediabase Top 40.

[Au$tin]

Jan 14, 2019 15:34:10 GMT -5 renaboss said:

Lol at "Shotgun" under "What's Next". UK #1 forever ago.

But in the US, where this compilation is to be released, it's sitting at #47 on pop airplay and #20 on hot AC and growing.

[rockgolf]

I like "Shotgun". I've been listening to a Spotify playlist of every UK #1 from 1952 to the present, and I realised ("s" since we're talking about the UK) that Shotgun could have been a hit at any time during that period. It has a really timeless pop feel to it.

[Kris]

Tequila being released Jan 10 2018

[Az Paynter]

If we ever get this far in that Now! rankdown series, this one could be a major challenge to rank. Stacked with good pop music.

[owenlovesmusic]

This is so boof none of these songs were big like at all

[rimetm]

1. Ariana Grande - Breathin
Hot 100: #12 [peaked]
Pop Radio: #2 [recurrent]

In tradition of these tracklists, we're starting with a very poppy, decently successful song, one of two possible openers (the other being just the biggest single on the record)

2. Marshmello & Bastille - Happier
Hot 100: #3 [peaked]
Pop Radio: #1 [peaked]

Safe pick, would've been the other potential opener.

3. DJ Snake feat. Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B - Taki Taki
Hot 100: #11 [peaked...?]
Pop Radio: #18 [gaining]

A bit of a gamble, but decently successful already and a world hit they probably licensed for the British volumes simultaneously.

4. The Chainsmokers feat. Kelsea Ballerini - This Feeling
Hot 100: #50 [gaining...?]
Pop Radio: #15 [gaining]

The main music scene seems tepid on Chainsmokers following the off-putting-ness of Sick Boy, but pop radio still considers them safe, and this is likely to go top 10 on pop radio eventually.

5. Silk City & Dua Lipa feat. Diplo & Mark Ronson - Electricity
Hot 100: #62 [gaining...?]
Pop Radio: #16 [gaining]

Not the Mark Ronson track I'd have hitched my wagon to, but NBLaH maybe came out too soon to be licensed for this, and Dua is a safe pick for a pop album.

6. Calvin Harris & Sam Smith - Promises
Hot 100: #65 [peaked]
Pop Radio: #20 [recurrent]

Goes well with Electricity, but not a very big hit, even in the pop sphere.

7. Loud Luxury feat. brando - Body
Hot 100: #80 [gaining]
Pop Radio: #23 [gaining]

I suspect this one will be a sleeper hit in both sectors, and it's recognizable enough as a Canadian/British hit to not be a loss even if it just stops now in the US.

8. Ellie Goulding, Diplo & Swae Lee - Close To Me
Hot 100: #31 [gaining]
Pop Radio: #12 [gaining]

Ellie's biggest hit in years and at least a token appearance for Swae Lee since we likely won't be getting Sunflower in next volume. I could see this pulling an On My Mind.

9. LSD - Thunderclouds
Hot 100: #67 [peaked]
Pop Radio: #22 [recurrent]

I love the song, but again, like Promises, this doesn't really feel like a fruitful pick, even for pop.

10. Shawn Mendes & Zedd - Lost in Japan
Hot 100: #48 [peaked]
Pop Radio: #15 [peaked]

They got all the other big Zedd songs of the past few years, not surprised they'd go for this one even if it wasn't as big; probably wanted to rep Shawn after getting most of his hits too.

11. Khalid - Better
Hot 100: #24 [gaining]
Pop Radio: #19 [gaining]

This one's a sleeper hit in the waiting and is already doing well, so it's a good one for NOW to snatch up.

12. Camila Cabello - Consequences
Hot 100: #51 [peaked...?]
Pop Radio: #14 [gaining...?]

I can't get a bead on where this song's going on either format, but sure, safe downtempo song from a prior hit artist, sure...

13. Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper - Shallow
Hot 100: #5 [peaked]
Pop Radio: #23 [peaked]

An event single, but it at least seems to have legs in the mainstream world, so a good pick.

14. Dan + Shay - Tequila
Hot 100: #21 [recurrent]
Pop Radio: #22 [gaining]

A real oldie, but I'm glad to see it here, especially now that it's a pop radio hit.

15. Lauv feat. Julia Michaels - There’s No Way
Hot 100: --
Pop Radio: #33 [gaining]

That's a bold strategy, Cotton, let's see if it pays off for them! In seriousness, I doubt this will be a significant hit on either format tbh, Julia's time in the limelight is past.

16. lovelytheband - broken
Hot 100: #29 [recurrent]
Pop Radio: #14 [recurrent]

A little late on the draw, but it did get big in between albums, so I'll give it a pass.

So yeah, that middle section has some pop radio only bloat that looks mediocre to us Hot 100 viewers, but there are really only 3 songs that are duds in terms of relevance.

[owenlovesmusic]

crazy to think these compilations sold 500K+ a week at one point... now they’d be lucky to get more than 30K.

[rockgolf]

Streaming and iTunes kills NOW's sales. Even if you want to purchase music rather than stream it, you've got to want (and not already own) at least 8 of the 16 main songs to break even by buying the album, rather than separate tracks. And there aren't that many really big hits on the list.

The UK NOWs are double albums, and very nearly every charttopper gets on the tracklist. #1 songs NOT appearing on a NOW UK album are rare.

(I know this is a bit of a stretch, but I kinda feel at least a little responsible for the NOW US series. I'd been a follower of the UK releases for a decade, and was printed in Billboard's Chart Beat Chat column asking why the US didn't have a similar series. Fred Bronson, the Chart Beat columnist said he couldn't think of any good reason why not. About six months later, the first US NOW was announced. Probably just egotistical speculation, but I can't help but think that some US record big-wig read that column and thought "I gotta look into that".)

[pnobelysk]

I emeber now 50 did extra well Bc of The significance of 50 years. Id like to think the 100th edition will have a similar result but I’m also terrified of where sales will be by the time (or if) we get to a 100th edition