VOA常速英语:Top 5 Songs for Week Ending Dec. 6

We’re giving you the five most popular songs in the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart, for the week ending December 6, 2014.

The boys and girls play together nicely in this week’s Top Five, as you’ll soon discover. Let’s start in fifth place, where Taylor Swift steps back two slots to fifth place with her former champ “Shake It Off.” Next year, Taylor will tour Australia…but the city of Perth was left off the list. Promoter Michael Gudinski says it’s a matter of logistics: three days are needed to construct her outdoor sets, which didn’t leave enough time to include the Western Australian city. Perth got to host Taylor on her last tour - but Adelaide didn’t. This time, the situation is reversed. Shake it off, people.

Holding in fourth place is Maroon 5 with “Animals.” On December 18, they will perform at the first annual People Magazine Awards. Also hitting the stage will be 5 Seconds of Summer. I’m sensing a pattern here!

Jumping into contention is a most unlikely pop hit - but I love it! Hozier rises three slots to third place with “Take Me To Church”. Andrew Hozier-Byrne is a 24-year-old singer from Ireland. Last year, he was still playing small gigs back home. Andrew says he recorded the vocals for “Take Me To Church” in his attic at 2 o’clock in the morning. The video for “Take Me To Church” went viral, and the song has sold more than one million copies in the United States. He’ll tour North America next February.

Meghan Trainor stays put in second place with “All About That Bass.” For her follow-up single, "Lips Are Movin’” Meghan used social media superstars. Her eye-catching video is billed as the first-ever music clip created by social influencers. Stars from YouTube, Vine, and Instagram handled acting, choreography, makeup, set design and other details.

Taylor Swift is your countdown champ for a second week with “Blank Space.” Taylor reportedly wants to be in the upcoming movie "The Secret In Their Eyes." It stars Nicole Kidman and Julia Roberts…who, word has it, would rather give the part to her niece Emma Roberts.

Who will get the part? Who will top the chart next week? Join us in seven days and we’ll get some answers.