Latto Is 2022’s Top New Artist: The Year in Charts
Written by djfrosty on December 1, 2022
Latto finishes 2022 as Billboard’s top new artist, after her breakthrough year on the charts with the smash single “Big Energy.”
The 23-year-old Atlanta-born rapper is also 2022’s Top New R&B/Hip-Hop Artist and the top female rap artist, while “Big Energy” is No. 1 on the year-end R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales, Rap Digital Song Sales and Rhythmic Airplay Songs recaps.
Explore All of Billboard’s 2022 Year-End Charts
Latto’s “Big Energy” was a big deal in 2022, peaking at No. 3 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart in April and spending 37 weeks (all consecutive) in the top 40 of the weekly chart. The track flourished in popularity on TikTok and eventually migrated to hit status at streamers, retail and radio. It vaulted to No. 3 following the release of a new remix of the track with Mariah Carey and featuring DJ Khaled.
On the “Big Energy” remix, Carey sings a portion of her 1995 No. 1 Hot 100 hit “Fantasy” – both songs sample Tom Tom Club’s 1982 Hot 100 hit “Genius of Love.”
“Big Energy” also closes 2022 at No. 7 on the year-end Hot 100 Songs roundup. Aside from “Big Energy,” Latto notched another hit on the Hot 100 during the 2022 chart year through her featured turn on Megan Thee Stallion’s “Budget.”
Latto additionally landed a top 20-charting album on the Billboard 200 with the song’s parent set, 777, peaking at No. 15 in April.
Latto follows recent year-end top new artist honorees Olivia Rodrigo (2021), Roddy Ricch (2020), Billie Eilish (2019), Cardi B (2018), Lil Uzi Vert (2017), Bryson Tiller (2016) and Fetty Wap (2015).
Billboard’s year-end music recaps represent aggregated metrics for each artist, title, label and music contributor on the weekly charts dated Nov. 20, 2021 through Nov. 12, 2022. The rankings for Luminate-based recaps reflect equivalent album units, airplay, sales or streaming during the weeks that the titles appeared on a respective chart during the tracking year. Any activity registered before or after a title’s chart run isn’t considered in these rankings. That methodology details, and the November-November time period, account for some of the difference between these lists and the calendar-year recaps that are independently compiled by Luminate. The Top New Artists category ranks the best-performing new acts of the year based on activity on the Billboard 200 albums and Billboard Hot 100 songs charts, as well as Billboard Boxscore (touring), for the 2022 tracking period.