10 First-Timers on Billboard’s Charts This Week: Alana Springsteen, Paul Russell, Duendita, Juiicy 2xs & More

Billboard has more than 200 different weekly charts in its menu, encompassing numerous genres and formats.

While established artists often compete for a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart and Billboard 200 albums ranking, which track the most popular songs and albums of the week, respectively, up-and-coming talents typically start off on genre-specific lists.

Here’s a look at 10 acts who appear on surveys for the first time on the Sept. 2-dated charts.

Alana Springsteen

The Nashville-based singer-songwriter is officially a Billboard-charting artist thanks to her debut LP, Twenty Something. Released Aug. 18 on Columbia Records, the 18-track set debuts at No. 17 on the Heatseekers Albums chart with 4,000 equivalent album units earned in its opening week, according to Luminate. The collection, which is broken up into three segments (“Messing It Up,” “Figuring It Out” and “Getting It Right”), follows a trio of EPs: her self-titled project in 2019 and the two-part History of Breaking Up in 2021 and 2022, respectively. The album also features collaborations with Chris Stapleton (“Ghost in My Guitar”) and Mitchell Tenpenny (“Goodbye Looks Good on You”; he also co-wrote other tracks on the album).

Earlier this year, Billboard named Springsteen (no relation to labelmate Bruce Springsteen) its January country rookie of the month. “There are songs on here that call out my struggles, areas that I’ve messed it up, which a lot for me has been in the areas of love and relationships. It’s pretty vulnerable,” she said of Twenty Something. “But then there are moments where, if you’re lucky, you start living your purpose and start figuring things out. I think your 20s are a mixture of all of that. I hope that people can just find a little bit of themselves in this record one way or another.”

Springsteen has opened for Tenpenny, Filmore, LANY and Josh Turner, among others. Her first headlining trek, the Twenty Something Tour, is set to kick off this October and run through December.

Paul Russell

Russell, from Texas and now based in Los Angeles, makes his first Billboard chart appearance thanks to his viral hit “Lil Boo Thang.” The feel-good song, which interpolates “Best of My Love” by the Emotions, debuts at No. 1 on Rap Digital Song Sales and No. 5 on the all-genre Digital Song Sales chart with 9,000 downloads sold, following its official release. It also starts at No. 9 on the Hot 100’s Bubbling Under ranking, while Russell begins at No. 4 on Emerging Artists and No. 89 on the Billboard Artist 100.

Russell first teased a snippet of the song June 28 in a TikTok post that has garnered more than 5 million views and launched over 55,000 creations from new fans who’ve paired it with other clips. He later repurposed the post on Instagram Reels, where it has generated another 10 million views. The virality helped Russell land a deal with Arista Records. “First and foremost, ‘Lil Boo Thang’ is meant to be a good time,” he told Billboard ahead of the full track’s release. “When I wrote it, I was stressed out on a Thursday afternoon, so I just turned on some of the music that makes me happy and imagined that I was celebrating something. I think what makes the song special is the fact that so many of us are ready to just forget about whatever is happening around us and enjoy the good things in life – not just thinking back to good times in the past but creating new ones in the present day.”

“Best of My Love,” written by Maurice White and Al McKay of Earth, Wind & Fire, spent five weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1977. It finished as Billboard’s No. 3 year-end Hot 100 song that year. White and McKay are both credited as co-songwriters on Russell’s song.

Outside of “Lil Boo Thang,” Russell has released two solo LPs: Via Text, with Ruslan, in 2018, and Once in a Dry Season, in 2019.

Duendita

The New York City-based singer-songwriter from Queens arrives on Billboard’s charts thanks to her featured appearance on Jamila Woods’ “Tiny Garden.” The song, released July 11 on Jagjaguwar/Secretly Group, debuts at No. 37 on Adult Alternative Airplay (up 20% in plays Aug. 18-24). Duendita, aka Candace Camacho, has released one solo LP so far: 2019’s Direct Line to My Creator. In an interview with Pitchfork that year, she said that the project was her college senior thesis for New York University’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music.

Juiicy 2xs

The rapper reaches Billboard’s charts for the first time with her song “Yeah Yeah” featuring Lola Brooke. Released June 23 on Quiet Giants Ent./Zone 4, the track debuts at No. 39 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (up 18% in plays). The song has been boosted by sped-up and slowed-down versions. Juiicy 2xs, from Cincinnati, has released two solo LPs: Hate. Sex. Love in 2020, and Juiice in 2022.

The Kolors

The Italian band from Milan notches its first Billboard chart appearance thanks to its song “ITALODISCO.” The cut, released May 5 on Warner Music Italy, debuts at No. 181 on the Global Excl. U.S. chart with 9.3 million streams outside the U.S. Aug. 18-24. It also spends an eighth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Italy Hot 100. The group has forged a successful career in Italy, having charted three albums on the Italy Albums chart, including the 12-week No. 1 Out in 2015. The Kolors have released two additional studio albums: I Want (2014) and You (2017). The group comprises Stash Fiordispino (vocals, guitar, synths), his cousin Alex Fiordispino (drums, percussion) and Dario Iaculli (bass, synths)

Taylor Goyette

The Nashville-based artist notches his first Billboard chart entry with his viral hit “The Show Goes On.” The song, which he self-released Aug. 18, debuts at No. 39 on the Digital Song Sales chart with 2,000 downloads sold in its opening week. He also starts at No. 49 on Emerging Artists. Goyette boasts more than 75,000 followers on TikTok and had been teasing the song through snippets leading up to its release.

J. Lock

The rapper logs his first chart appearance thanks to “Money” featuring Finesse2Tymes. The song, released July 7 via Block/Stoner Road Music Empire, opens at No. 40 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (up 8% in plays). J. Lock, based in Atlanta, has released four additional songs so far: “Graduation Freestyle” in 2021, “On Deck” with Madmarcc, “Vengeance” (both 2022) and “Selfish” with RL (this February).

East Nash Grass

The Tennessee-based bluegrass troupe arrives on Billboard’s charts for the first time with its new 11-track sophomore album, Last Chance To Win. The set, released Aug. 18 on Mountain Fever Records, debuts at No. 4 on the Bluegrass Albums chart. The group dropped its first album, East Nash Grass, in 2021. The band is comprised of Maddie Denton (fiddle), James Kee (guitar), Gaven Largent (Dobro), Jeff Picker (bass) and Cory Walker (banjo). East Nash Grass performs at bluegrass night (on Mondays) at Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge in East Nashville.

Shubh

The Punjabi rapper based in Brampton, Canada reaches Billboard’s charts with “Cheques.” The song, released in May on his debut seven-track album Still Rollin, enters at No. 197 on the Global Excl. U.S. chart (18.2 million streams, up 34%, outside the U.S. Aug. 18-24). It also rises to No. 3 on the India Songs chart.

ISEGYE IDOL

The six-member South Korean VTuber (“virtual YouTuber”) group lands on Billboard’s charts for the first time with its song “Kidding.” The track, released Aug. 19, debuts at No. 167 on the Global Excl. U.S. chart (7 million streams outside the U.S.) ISEGYE IDOL is a project owned by Korean Twitch streamer Woowakgood. The group is comprised of members Gosegu, Ine, Jinburger, Jururu, Lilpa and Viichan.

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