Hot 100 First-Timers: Afrobeats Artists Davido & Lojay Debut With Features on Chris Brown’s ‘Sensational’

Davido and Lojay both make their first appearances on the Billboard Hot 100, thanks to their featured credits on Chris Brown’s “Sensational.”

Released Oct. 20 via CBE/RCA Records, the song debuts at No. 96 on the Hot 100 (dated Feb. 3) with 15.7 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 14%) and 2.6 million official U.S. streams (up 3%) in the Jan. 19-25 tracking week, according to Luminate.

The song is the second single from Brown’s 11th studio album 11:11, released in November. The set debuted and peaked at No. 1 on Top R&B Albums and No. 9 on the Billboard 200.

“Sensational” has been building at multiple radio formats: It rises 11-9 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, 16-10 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and 16-14 on Rhythmic Airplay and debuts at No. 30 on Adult R&B Airplay. On the all-format Radio Songs chart, it pushes 49-44.

Davido, from Osun State, Nigeria, has become one of the most prominent Afrobeats musicians of the past decade. He has released four studio LPs in his career: Omo Baba Olowo in 2012, A Good Time (2019), A Better Time (2020) and Timeless (March 2023). His two most recent albums reached Nos. 170 and 37 on the Billboard 200, respectively, marking his first appearances on the chart.

Davido has also posted 25 songs on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart. That’s the fourth most among all artists, dating to the list’s 2022 launch, after only Burna Boy (44), Asake (34) and Wizkid (27). Of those 25 hits, three hit the top 10: “Stand Strong,” featuring Sunday Service Choir (No. 9 in 2022); “Unavailable,” featuring Musa Keys (No. 3, 2023); and “Over Dem” (No. 10, 2023).

On Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart, Davido has charted 27 songs – 18 of which reached the top 10 – all since 2016. That’s the second most among Afrobeats artists, after Wizkid (29).

“Sensational” isn’t the first collaboration between Davido and Brown. The pair additionally teamed up for “Blow My Mind” and “Lower Body,” both in 2019, “Shopping Spree,” also with Young Thug, in 2021 and “Nobody Has to Know” in 2022. Davido has also recorded with Nicki Minaj, Pop Smoke, Popcaan, Quavo, Rae Sremmurd and Summer Walker, among others.

This April, he’s slated to perform at Madison Square Garden on his extended Timeless Tour. He’s also nominated for three Grammy Awards at the upcoming ceremony: best global music performance (for “Feel”), best African music performance (for “Unavailable”) and best global music album (for Timeless).

As for Lojay, the fellow Nigerian artist tallied his first Billboard chart appearance in 2022 with another Chris Brown collab: “Monalisa,” also with Sarz. The track reached No. 8 on and No. 38 on Rhythmic Airplay.

Lojay has charted two other Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs hits: “Arizona” and “Moto” reached Nos. 44 and 48, respectively, in 2023. Plus, as featured on French Montana and Swae Lee’s “Wish U Well,” also with Jess Glynne, he rose to No. 37 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay in October.

Lojay has released three EPs: Midnight Vibes in 2017, LV N ATTN with Sarz in 2021, and Gangster Romantic in March 2023.

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