What makes a hit? Is it the lyrics, the artiste, the hype at the time? Is it "something special" about the voice or rhythm?

The TEENage Hitlist pinpoints the hits and the misses as soon as we hear both local and international releases.

Local Hit of the Week

No Hypocrite Hail by Chan Dizzy

Head Concussion Records' flagship artiste, Chan Dizzy, has a new single that has been steadily building steam locally titled No Hypocrite Hail. The song is produced by Sensi of Head Concussion Records as well.

No Hypocrite Hail, as the title suggests, is a track detesting the proposition of a cloaked fake friendship by an adversary, simply for the latter's gain. It's a relatable theme for listeners, and has a catchy hook that one can sing-a-long to with relative ease.

Sensi must be praised for the instrumentation's heavy drums and dark synths, as these elements complimented the song's lyrical theme and Chan Dizzy's hardcore vocal delivery.

TEENage Hitlist believes that No Hypocrite Hail serves as Chan Dizzy's best opportunity at a single of popularity proportions similar to 2010's Nuh Strange Face and Hello Badmind.

International Hit of the Week

Diamonds by Rihanna

Less than a year ago Rihanna released her sixth album Talk That Talk, an album that spawned several hit singles. Continuing her sequence of releasing projects within a short span of time, the Bajan pop princess has released the first single titled, Diamonds, from her upcoming yet to be titled new album.

The track was produced by her longtime collaborators Stargate, and is the first lead single they have done for Rihanna since Only Girl in the World. Additional production was done by Benny Blanco, and the track's main songwriter is the Australian Sia.

Listeners can also hear a slight Australian accent within Rihanna's vocal enunciations throughout the song's entirety.

Sia and Stargate steered Rihanna in a new musical direction, as the instrumentation features an anthem-like aroma, with vocally praiseworthy delivered lyrics focused on love gained, as opposed to love lost or in turmoil, recurring themes of Rihanna's latter first singles.

TEENage Hitlist believes that Diamonds is a fitting first single for Rihanna, an artiste that constantly has to reinvent herself due to the saturation of her music within the marketplace.

— Dominic Bell