#HitsOfTomorrow – A Weekly Rundown Of The ‘Should-Be’ Hits

Perhaps trying to score their own “Bang Bang”-scale hit, Lauren Spencer Smith, GAYLE and Em Beihold join forces for “Fantasy.” While none of the three talents necessarily match up to Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj, it’s always welcome to see young talents come together rather than compete for the spotlight. The track may not be as big a hit, but it feels just in time for summertime radio.

Speaking of Nicki Minaj, she joins forces with Ice Spice for “Princess Diana,” another likely smash for the two. And meanwhile, after they won a Grammy for their first collab, SZA recruits Doja Cat for a remix of her Billboard Number One hit “Kill Bill.” Cat fits perfectly into the already blockbuster single. Perhaps the remix will help the track move back up to the top spot and become this summer’s #1 hit.

Finally another winning combination comes courtesy of Diplo, who brings together Sturgill Simpson (introduced as Johnny Blue Skies here) and Dove Cameron, giving us country disco! Ever since Kacey Musgraves’ “High Horse” and Kylie Minogue’s “Golden” era in 2018, this subgenre has gone mainstream. Cheat Codes even did a whole album One Night In Nashville earlier this year. The song is a winner – while I’m not sure Top 40 will embrace the single, it’s likely to become a club hit!

These are the sure-shot hits, now let’s get to the songs that deserve a little extra attention –   the SHOULD-BE hits of the week. Without further ado, here is this week’s #HitsOfTomorrow. 

“Try Me” – Jorja Smith

One of the freshest and most talented voices of the last five years, Jorja continues to blaze her own trail. “Try Me” feels like the start of a new era for the talent and once again, Smith’s songwriting skills are on fine display here as she laments her own place, being her own worst critic. The single should impact strongly in her native England but we really need to see the star shine globally with this single, as there just isn’t enough maturity on Top 40 these days unless it comes from seasoned artists. This is a winner that gets us moving and thinking and that’s always a winning combination.

“Chemical” – Post Malone

Okay, so does Post Malone really need a shout-out here? Probably not, but I get concerned when a track leans this nostalgic-pop, we are treading in challenging “hit” waters. “Chemical” is Malone’s first solo release of the year and the guitar-driven single relies on the talent’s singing, which worked wonders on “Circles” and here’s hoping that happens again. Radio can often be fickle and they box artists into niches that the artists wish not to be defined by. Recently, Malone’s singles haven’t garnered the same immediate impact that his previous efforts did. At a time when the shelf life of artists continues to be defined by their personal lives, I hope the single and the juggernaut talent continue to see success, so much so that I don’t feature them here!

“Loving You” – Cannons

You know the saying that if it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it? Well, Cannons seem to be on a forever groove mode these days. The band keeps playing within their wheelhouse but each and every track they release has that bop to it that gets you moving like it’s the first disco record you’ve heard in a while. “Loving You” is just as good as any of their previous releases but there is a seductive simplicity that singer Michelle Joy exudes here specifically that makes the sound out. I’m still waiting for that smash Number One hit and I think this single has was it takes to do the job. Are programmers listening?!

“Don’t Give Up” – Zoe Wees

It’s hard to have a distinctive voice in this day and age but Zoe Wees managed to have that gift that drew us in right out of the gate. “Don’t Give Up” is probably the singer’s strongest single since “Control” and I think it’s because she is able to beautifully combine the emotional punch the lyrics require with a genuine sincerity that empowering singles require. The upbeat mantra is likely to become an ad world favorite but hopefully before that, it becomes a big hit in its own right. We need this.

“Mine” – Kelly Clarkson

Everyone knows Kelly Clarkson. We all know she can sing the phonebook and literally her popular “Kellyoke” segments on The Kelly Clarkson Show often put the original singer’s versions to shame. But the oversaturation of the star between her talk show, her stint on The Voice and hosting events has somewhat if not completely diluted her value as one of the biggest pop voices of the last twenty years. Clarkson released “Mine” alongside “Me” this week, but it’s the former track that’s the stronger single. Beyond the initial interest, given that she has the platforms to headline her post-divorce new single, the winning track looks to have a challenging time. Besides Adele or Beyonce, very few artists are able to hold onto their relevance on the mainstream charts. “Mine” will be a great test to see if the strength of a single can still give us a hit or if Clarkson has been exiled to genre-specific radio now.

Even More Hits!

“Enjoy Your Life” – Romy

“Other Side Of The Moon” – Aden Foyer

“Sin City” – Avelino, Wretch 32

“On The Rocks” – Foley

Listen To #HITSOFTOMORROW Playlist on Spotify!