Ponder

So which "ponder" are you: English or Bisaya?

Free Tea

Gentlemen, do this to your wife, girlfriend,
crush, even your mother or sister.
To someone you love, someone you like.
Hopefully, you could make them smile.

When You're in a Tough Situation

When you are in a tough situation,
don't just get out of it, get something out of it.
Don't just live through it, learn from it.

(Steven Furtick, Good Morning Midnight)

OPC Praise 40 of 2016

American CCM artist Chris Tomlin takes the #1 spot on this blog's Praise 40 of 2016. After five weeks atop our weekly Praise Parade, the most by any artist this year, he was able to best other fave tracks such as "One Step Away" by the Casting Crowns and "Only You" by Hawk Nelson. What's really striking for me about this song is how it brings to attention how hurt God the Father must have felt when His Son was on the cross, he had to look away. As another year is under way, may we be reminded that of the sacrifice of the "God of Calvary." By His wounds, we are set free; By His blood, we have been redeemed! Praise Him!

OPC Praise 40 of 2016

1. Chris Tomlin, "God of Calvary"
   FIVE WEEKS AT #1 • LYRIC VIDEO
2. Casting Crowns, "One Step Away"
   FOUR WEEKS AT #1 • LIVE VIDEO
3. Hawk Nelson, "Only You"
   ONE WEEK AT #1 • PSEUDO VIDEO
4. Jordan Feliz, "Never Too Far Gone"
   FOUR WEEKS AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
5. Big Daddy Weave, "The Lion and the Lamb" LYRIC VIDEO
6. MercyMe, "Dear Younger Me"
   THREE WEEKS AT #1 • LYRIC VIDEO
7. Kerrie Roberts, "Upside Down"
   ONE WEEK AT #1 • AHG VIDEO
8. David Dunn, "I Wanna Go Back" MUSIC VIDEO
9. 7eventh Time Down, "Lean On" MUSIC VIDEO
10. Britt Nicole, "Through Your Eyes"
    TWO WEEKS AT #1 • ACOUSTIC VIDEO
11. Stars Go Dim, "Walking Like Giants"
    ONE WEEK AT #1 • LYRIC VIDEO
12. Audio Adrenaline, "World Changers" PSEUDO VIDEO
13. Group 1 Crew feat. My Kid Brother, "Power" MUSIC VIDEO
14. Ryan Stevenson feat. GabeReal, "Eye of the Storm"
    ONE WEEK AT #1 • ACOUSTIC VIDEO
15. Kutless, "Bring It On"
    ONE WEEK AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
16. Skillet, "Stars" MUSIC VIDEO
17. Bethel Music & Leeland Mooring, "Lion and the Lamb"
    FOUR WEEKS AT #1 • LIVE VIDEO
18. TobyMac, "Move (Keep Walkin')"
    TWO WEEKS AT #1 • LIVE VIDEO
19. Zach Williams, "Chain Breaker" MUSIC VIDEO
20. Chris Tomlin feat. Danny Gokey, "Impossible Things"
    THREE WEEKS AT #1 • LYRIC VIDEO
21. Every Nation Music feat. Bryson Breakey, "Author of My Life" MUSIC VIDEO
22. Sidewalk Prophets, "Impossible"
    ONE WEEK AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
23. Matthew West, "Unto Us" ACOUSTIC VIDEO
24. Newsboys, "You Hold It All (Every Mountain)" LYRIC VIDEO
25. Citizen Way, "On My Side"
    TWO WEEKS AT #1 • AUDIO
26. Matthew West, "Untold" MUSIC VIDEO
27. Building 429, "Be with Us Now (Emmanuel)"
    ONE WEEK AT #1 • LYRIC VIDEO
28. Jason Gray, "Celebrate"
    ONE WEEK AT #1 • LYRIC VIDEO
29. The Afters, "Battles" LYRIC VIDEO
30. Jordan Smith, "Stand in the Light" MUSIC VIDEO
31. Meredith Andrews, "Soar" LIVE VIDEO
32. Rend Collective, "Joy of the Lord" LIVE VIDEO
33. Hillary Scott & The Scott Family, "Thy Will" MUSIC VIDEO
34. Tauren Wells, "Love Is Action" MUSIC VIDEO
35. Hawk Nelson, "Live Like You're Loved" LYRIC VIDEO
36. Francesca Batistelli, "Giants Fall" LIVE VIDEO
37. 7eventh Time Down, "God Is on the Move" MUSIC VIDEO
38. Matthew West, "Mended" LYRIC VIDEO
39. Phil Wickham, "Your Love Awakens Me" MUSIC VIDEO
40. Planetshakers, "Stronger Than a Thousand Seas" SPOTIFY

Notes:

• Four artists have multiple entries this year: 7eventh Time Down, Chris Tomlin and Hawk Nelson each have two, but Matthew West has three.
• Eighteen artists return from last year, including Danny Gokey who is featured in Chris Tomlin's "Impossible Things."
• Five artists have been present in every edition of the year-end charts since 2013: Big Daddy Weave, Building 429, Matthew West, MercyMe and Newsboys.

OPC Pop 40 of 2016

A newcomer has topped the sixth year of this blog's year-end charts, and she's no other than Kelsea Ballerini, a 23 year-old American country pop singer-songwriter of Italian descent. Tagged as Taylor Swift's pop-country heir apparent, she won New Female Vocalist of the Year in the 2016 American Country Music Awards. She claims the #1 spot on the annual tally, after reigning for six weeks in the weeklies. Check out "Dibs," and the rest of the entries that made it to the OPC Pop 40 of 2016.

OPC Pop 40 of 2016

1. Kelsea Ballerini, "Dibs"
   SIX WEEKS AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
2. Keith Urban feat. Carrie Underwood, "The Fighter"
   SIX WEEKS AT #1 • AUDIO
3. Justin Timberlake, "Can't Stop the Feeling"
   ONE WEEK AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
4. Kenny Chesney feat. Pink, "Setting the World on Fire"
   THREE WEEKS AT #1 • AUDIO
5. Kira Isabella, "I'm So Over Getting Over You"
   ONE WEEK AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
6. The Corrs, "I Do What I Like"
   TWO WEEKS AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
7. Cash Cash & Digital Farm Animals feat. Nelly, "Millionaire"
   ONE WEEK AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
8. Florida Georgia Line, "H.O.L.Y."
   TWO WEEKS AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
9. Switchfoot, "Live It Well"
   ONE WEEK AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
10. Simple Plan feat. R. City, "Singing in the Rain" MUSIC VIDEO
11. Skillet, "Feel Invincible"
    ONE WEEK AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
12. X Ambassadors, "Unsteady"
    ONE WEEK AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
13. Thousand Foot Krutch, "Running with Giants" MUSIC VIDEO
14. Christina Grimmie, "Without Him"
    ONE WEEK AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
15. Goo Goo Dolls, "So Alive" MUSIC VIDEO
16. Rob Thomas, "Hold on Forever"
    LAST YEAR'S #5 • MUSIC VIDEO
17. Jonas Blue feat. Raye, "By Your Side"
    THREE WEEKS AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
18. Jamie Grace, "Party Like a Princess" LYRIC VIDEO
19. Nathan Sykes feat. Ariana Grande, "Over and Over Again"
    TWO WEEKS AT #1, LAST YEAR'S #25 • AUDIO
20. Shakira, "Try Everything" MUSIC VIDEO
21. Daya, "Sit Still, Look Pretty"
    TWO WEEKS AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
22. Tryon, "Somebody to Love Me" LYRIC VIDEO
23. Olly Murs, "Grow Up"
    TWO WEEKS AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
24. Babyface, "Exceptional"
    THREE WEEKS AT #1, LAST YEAR'S #12 • AUDIO
25. We the Kings, "The Story of Tonight" MUSIC VIDEO
26. Nichole Nordeman, "Slow Down" LYRIC VIDEO
27. Clean Bandit feat. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie, "Rockabye" MUSIC VIDEO
28. David Archuleta, "Numb" MUSIC VIDEO
29. Sia feat. Kendrick Lamar, "The Greatest" MUSIC VIDEO
30. Taylor Swift, "Out of the Woods" MUSIC VIDEO
31. Ben Haenow feat. Kelly Clarkson, "Second Hand Heart" MUSIC VIDEO
32. Maroon 5 feat. Kendrick Lamar, "Don't Wanna Know"
    TWO WEEKS AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
33. Lukas Graham, "Mama Said" MUSIC VIDEO
34. Bastille, "Good Grief" MUSIC VIDEO
35. Michael Bublé, "Nobody But Me" MUSIC VIDEO
36. Robbie Williams, "Love My Life" MUSIC VIDEO
37. Matoma feat. Yeng Constantino, "Wonderful Life (Mi Oh My)" MUSIC VIDEO
38. Phoebe Ryan feat. Kid Ink, "Dollar Bill" MUSIC VIDEO
39. Kelly Clarkson, "Piece by Piece" MUSIC VIDEO
40. Cassadee Pope, "Summer" MUSIC VIDEO

Notes:

• Simple Plan makes it two straight years in the Top 10 with "Singing in the Rain" at #10. "Boom" was last year's runner-up.
• No two songs are from the same main artist this year, although Kelly Clarkson and Kendrick Lamar have multiple entries, counting their featuring credits.
• Twelve artists return from last year's chart, with three songs staying to make it to two year-end charts, headed by Rob Thomas who tried to "Hold on Forever" at #16.
• It's the third straight year with an entry for Maroon 5 and Carrie Underwood, but Taylor Swift has the current longest streak as she's been on the OPC year-end chart for four straight years.
• There were 29 number one hits in 2016, but only 18 made it to the final Top 40. Here are the entries that topped our weeklies but failed to make it to the year-end chart: (45) Meghan Trainor, "Me Too"; (46) Lady Gaga, "Million Reasons"; (48) Ben Rector, "Brand New"; (51) One Direction, "History"; (52) Lukas Graham, "You're Not There"; (53) Sofia Carson feat. J Balvin, "Love Is the Name"; (58) Before You Exit, "Clouds"; (59) Against the Current, "Wasteland"; (64) Kelsea Ballerini, "Peter Pan"; (72) Against the Current, "Young and Relentless"; (94) Skillet, "I Want to Live." 

OPC Top Pinoy Songs of 2016

Yeng Constantino is back on top! After topping the first-ever OPC Pinoy Songs Year-end Chart with "Wag Na" in 2011, she successfully reclaims the throne after five years to be the queen of the OPM kingdom once more. After finishing at #3 last year with "What's Up Ahead" featuring her husband Yan Asuncion, she lands at #1 this year with an amusing song that a lot of people could relate to, reason why it topped this blog's chart for six weeks! Check out "Paasa (T.A.N.G.A.)" and the rest of the songs that made it to OPC's Top Pinoy Songs of 2016.

OPC Top Pinoy Songs of 2016

1. Yeng Constantino, "Paasa (T.A.N.G.A.)"
   SIX WEEKS AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
2. Victory Worship feat. Cathy Go, "Reign Forever"
   ONE WEEK AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
3. Gracenote, "Pause"
   FOUR WEEKS AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
4. Mayonnaise, "Five Ever"
   NINE WEEKS AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
5. Sponge Cola, "Pag-Ibig"
   THREE WEEKS AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
6. BoU, "Broken Heart"
   THREE WEEKS AT #1 • LYRIC VIDEO
7. Hazel Faith, "Kinikilig"
   TWO WEEKS AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
8. Quest feat. Clara Benin, "No Greater Love"
   TWO WEEKS AT #1 • LYRIC VIDEO
9. Cornerstone All Stars, "Tara Tena 2016"
   TWO WEEKS AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
10. Victory Worship feat. Isa Fabregas, "Forever Be"
    FOUR WEEKS AT #1 • LYRIC VIDEO
11. Yeng Constantino, "Ferris Wheel"
    FOUR WEEKS AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
12. Parokya ni Edgar, "Lagi Mong Tatandaan" MUSIC VIDEO
13. Mark Carpio, "Hiling" MUSIC VIDEO
14. Gracenote, "Taciturn"
    SIX WEEKS AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
15. Sandwich, "Outlaw"
    ONE WEEK AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
16. Krissy, "Weekend with You" MUSIC VIDEO
17. Leanne and Naara, "Again" MUSIC VIDEO
18. Moonstar88, "Sana Mali"
    ONE WEEK AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO
19. Mayonnaise, "You Can't Be Right" MUSIC VIDEO
20. Zion Aquino, "Give You My Heart and Soul"
    ONE WEEK AT #1 • MUSIC VIDEO

Notes:

• Last year's Top 3 artists (Sponge Cola, Victory Worship and Yeng Constantino) still find themselves in the Top 5 this year. Victory Worship even managed to stay at the #2 spot.
• This year's Top 4 also have other entries in the chart, making them artists with two songs in our year-end tally. In an interesting statistic, these artists are also our only returnees from last year's chart.
• After being featured artists last year, Chito Miranda (in Abra's "Diwata") and Maychelle Baay (in Callalily's "Bitter Song") are also present this year, this time with their bands, Parokya ni Edgar and Moonstar88 respectively.
• A 40-song version of the OPC Pinoy Songs of 2016 is available as a Spotify playlist (some songs are not included as they are unavailable on the platform). Follow me there, by the way!