10 First-Timers on Billboard’s Charts This Week: Mitch Rowland, Dogstar, Yeule & 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 artists who appear on surveys for the first time on the Oct. 21-dated charts.

Mitch Rowland

Rowland has already forged a successful musical career, largely behind the scenes, but he’s now officially a Billboard-charting artist with his own solo work thanks to his new album, Come June. Released Oct. 6 on Erskine Records/Giant Music, the set debuts at No. 46 on Top Current Album Sales and No. 81 on Top Album Sales with 2,000 copies sold in its opening week, according to Luminate. The set also helps Rowland debut at No. 20 on the Emerging Artists chart.

Rowland — from Dublin, Ohio — has worked on all three of Harry Styles’ solo LPs, and has served as the touring lead guitarist in Styles’ band on both of his tours: Harry Styles: Live on Tour (2017-18) and Love on Tour (2021-23). Rowland is also credited as a co-songwriter on six Hot 100-charting songs by Styles, including the No. 1 “Watermelon Sugar” and top 10s “Sign of the Times” (No. 4) and “Music for a Sushi Restaurant” (No. 8). “Watermelon Sugar” took home the Grammy for best solo pop performance in 2021, earning Rowland his first-ever trophy. Rowland is gearing up for his solo North American Tour, which kicks off in February.

Dogstar

The alt-rock trio released its first two full-lengths, Our Little Visionary and Happy Ending, in 1996 and 2000, respectively, but the group scores its first Billboard chart appearance this week with its new comeback third LP, Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees. The set, released Oct. 6 via Dillon Street Records, debuts at No. 6 on both Heatseekers Albums and Vinyl Albums, No. 17 on Top Current Album Sales and No. 19 on Top Album Sales with 6,000 copies sold. It also sends the band to No. 5 on Emerging Artists.

The Los Angeles-based group is comprised of Bret Domrose (lead guitar, lead vocals), Robert Mailhouse (drums, vocals) and Keanu Reeves – yes, that one (bass and vocals). In a recent interview with Billboard, Reeves shared that he had been hoping for some time that the band would reunite. “I missed playing together, I missed writing together, I missed doing shows together. It’s something I’ve always missed,” he said. “We came to a spot where we weren’t playing anymore, and I missed it. Once we started to play, and it felt good, and really positive and creative, that’s when it was like, ‘OK, let’s make this happen.’”

In May, the band made its first public performance in 20 years when it played the BottleRock Napa Valley music festival. Since going on hiatus, Reeves starred in numerous box-office hit films, including the John Wick and The Matrix franchises. Before that, he starred in the Bill & Ted trilogy, Point Break and Speed, among many other movies.

Dogstar is currently on its Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees Tour, which kicked off in August and runs through December.

Yeule

The Singaporean artist (real name Nat Ćmiel) arrives on Billboard‘s charts with their third studio album, Softscars. The set, released digitally Sept. 22 (and physically Oct. 6) on Bayonet Records/Ninja Tune, debuts at No. 49 on Top Current Album Sales and No. 88 on Top Album Sales with 2,000 copies sold. The album also drives yeule to a No. 25 debut on the Emerging Artists chart.

Before Softscars, Yeule released their first two LPs, Serotonin II and Glitch Princess, in 2019 and 2022, respectively. They had appeared on one Billboard chart before this week: Serotonin II reached at No. 7 on the Dance/Electronic Album Sales chart (which has since been discontinued) in 2019.

Yeule, whose name is derived from the character Paddra Nsu-Yeul in the Final Fantasy franchise, has a string of tour dates scheduled through the end of the year.

Bryan Fowler

Fowler has already forged a successful career on Billboard’s charts as a producer and songwriter, but he notches his first chart appearance under an artist billing thanks to his solo single “What I Really Need.” The song, released in February on Harmony Group, debuts at No. 50 on Christian Airplay (up 396% in airplay audience). A version of the song appears on his debut four-track EP Bryan Fowler Song Sessions, released in March. A remix of the song with Essential Worship and a radio edit are also contributing to the track’s airplay ascent.

Fowler has produced 49 Hot Christian Songs-charting hits, including 16 top 10s and three No. 1s: Ryan Stevenson’s “Eye of the Storm,” featuring Gabereal (2016), and TobyMac’s “I Just Need U” (2018) and “The Goodness” (featuring Blessing Offor, 2022). Thanks to his production work, he spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Christian Producers chart in 2020. As a songwriter, he is credited on 52 titles that have charted on Hot Christian Songs, including all three No. 1s that he produced.

Bloody Civilian

The Nigerian singer-songwriter (real name Emoseh Khamofu) achieves her first Billboard chart hit thanks to her new collaboration with ODUMODUBLVCK and Wale, “Blood on the Dance Floor.” The song, released Oct. 5 on NATIVE Records/Def Jam Recordings, debuts at No. 37 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart.

Bloody Civilian has released six other original solo songs, all of which are on her EP Anger Management, released June 8. She also landed a track on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack: “Wake Up” (featuring Rema), which she also co-produced with Ludwig Göransson.

Kenya Vaun

The Philadelphia-based R&B singer is a Billboard-charting artist thanks to her breakthrough single “Summer.” The song, released in May on 300 Entertainment/3EE, debuts at No. 29 on Adult R&B Airplay (up 87% in spins). Vaun has released four additional songs: “Movie Night” (in 2018), “Certified” (2019), “Bout’ Me” (2022) and “Overrated” (February).

Dani Flow

The Mexican artist hits Billboard’s charts for the first time with his new collaboration with Bellakath, “Perreo Champagne.” The song debuts at No. 133 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart with 11.4 million streams earned outside the U.S. in the latest tracking week. The song appears on Dani Flow’s new LP Kittyponeo, released Oct. 5. TikTok has been a key factor in the song’s growing profile, as a portion of its audio has been used in over 300,000 clips on the platform to date. (Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard’s charts except for the newly launched TikTok Billboard Top 50.)

Aaantonio

The Miami-based singer-songwriter arrives on Billboard’s rankings with his debut single “El Hotel.” The song, which he self-released Sept. 29, debuts at No. 23 on Latin Rhythm Airplay (up 21% in plays). The track is Aaantonio’s only one released on streaming services so far.

Lavaud & Kanis

Both artists make their first Billboard chart visits, thanks to their team-up with Tiwa Savage, Patoranking and Reekado Banks, “Roll on Me.” The track, released Oct. 6 on Saint & Citizen Music, debuts at No. 4 on World Digital Song Sales and No. 28 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart.

Lavaud, from Hackney, London, released her debut four-track EP King Vaud in 2021. She previously worked with Reekado Banks on a remix of his song “Rora” in 2019. Haitian-American rapper and singer-songwriter Kanis has released two studio albums: Eneji (2017) and REFLEXION (2021). Earlier this year, she released the songs “Follow Follow” with Nailah Blackman, “Marrakech” (plus two remixes, with Tafia, and Eyo-E and Zama) and “New Bag” with Young Grey, Fetty Wap and PKOLO.

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