Kali Dials Up Her First Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Top 10 With ‘Area Codes’

Rising rapper Kali races to her first top 10 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart with her breakout hit “Area Codes,” which sprints 16-10 on the list dated May 27. The viral smash hit continues its impressive journey, having debuted at No. 48 just two weeks ago, and continues to swell in streams and sales.

“Area Codes,” released on Trump Card/Atlantic Records, rang up 12.5 million official U.S. streams in the week ending May 18, according to Luminate, a 35% surge from the prior week. The improvement pushes the track 11-6 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs chart. Sales, too, are up by double-digit percentage gains: “Area Codes” sold 2,000 downloads in the same period, up 65% and prompting an 8-6 rise on R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales. Thanks to the sales boost, “Area Codes” nabs the week’s Sales Gainer honor for the biggest increase among the chart’s 50 titles.

Emphasizing the song’s viral appeal, “Area Codes” has reached the top 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart with minimal airplay, the third metric – along with sales and streams – that factors into the chart’s rankings. The single registered 1.4 million in audience impressions, the 13th lowest among the chart’s 38 songs with airplay activity.

By reaching No. 10, Kali’s “Area Codes” also matches the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs peak rank of the song it interpolates, Ludacris’ song of the same name, featuring Nate Dogg, from August 2001.

TikTok has been a significant factor in the song’s growing profile, as a portion of it has soundtracked more than 400,000 clips on the platform to date. (While activity on TikTok does not contribute directly to Billboard’s charts, some of the most popular songs experience corresponding gains in digital sales and streaming on contributing services.)

Elsewhere, “Area Codes” dials up other advances on several charts, including an 8-5 jump on Hot Rap Songs and a 54-33 flight on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.

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