VOA常速英语:Top 5 Songs for Week Ending Jan. 25

We’re featuring the five most popular songs in the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart, for the week ending January 25, 2014.

This week’s new song isn’t new at all: it first appeared last September. Why the wait? That’s still to come; first, let’s open in fifth place, where A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera hold steady with “Say Something.” As a child, Christina regularly entered - and won - talent shows in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. In 1993, she became a regular on the The Mickey Mouse Club. Her fellow “Mouseketeers” included Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears.

Katy Perry jumps two slots to fourth place with “Dark Horse,” featuring Juicy J of the rap group Three 6 Mafia. The song has been kicking around the singles scene since last September. Last August, fans were asked to vote on two songs - one of which would become the first promotional single from Katy’s Prism album. “Dark Horse” won, and briefly hit the Hot 100 before being retired. Now, it’s the album’s third official single.

Eminem and Rihanna hold at number three with “The Monster.” Is Eminem brewing up a reality show? Last week, comedian Jack Thriller popped up on Instagram, saying Eminem asked him to host a new rap battle TV reality show. He subsequently deleted his post, with Eminem associate Royce Da 5’ 9” tweeting, “Don’t believe any battle show rumors until you hear it from us.”

But, believe this, it’s another week in the runner-up slot for OneRepublic, with “Counting Stars", which holds in second place. This single is a veritable greybeard in the Top 20, having hung around for 30 weeks. Only the Neighbourhood’s “Sweater Weather” and Imagine Dragons’ “Demons” have hung in there longer.

Pitbull and Ke$ha are your Hot 100 singles champs for a second week with “Timber.” Ke$ha is currently receiving treatment for eating disorders, and her mother Pebe Sebert says that’s not the worst of it: doctors told her that Ke$ha could have died from complications, prior to her stint in rehab.

Who knows what surprises next week will bring? There’s only one way to find out: join us in seven days!