Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Nonsense’ Scores Hot 100 Debut, Soars in Streams
Written by djfrosty on January 25, 2023
Six months after releasing her Island Records debut Emails I Can’t Send, Sabrina Carpenter has her biggest hit from the pop project. “Nonsense” debuts at No. 75 on this week’s Hot 100 after making a pronounced impact on streaming charts since the beginning of 2023, and its weekly streaming totals are quickly rising.
“Nonsense,” on which Carpenter sings about feeling so flustered around a significant other that she gets tongue-tied, started going viral on TikTok over the past month. Credit goes to a combination of a sped-up version of the rhythmic pop-rock track and a cheeky dance routine set to its second verse (“I’m talkin’ all around the clock / I’m talkin’ hope nobody knocks / I’m talkin’ opposite of soft / I’m talkin’ wild, wild thoughts,” Carpenter sings). The song’s momentum was also helped by a well-choreographed live performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that was widely shared by pop fans around social media.
“Nonsense” earned 5.82 million U.S. on-demand streams during the week ending Jan. 19, according to Luminate — a 66% spike from the previous week’s streaming total. As a result, the track has become the first Hot 100 hit off of Emails I Can’t Send, and Carpenter’s second career entry on the chart, following the 2021 single “Skin” (No. 48 peak).
“The success of ‘Nonsense,’ and the album Emails I Can’t Send as a whole, exemplifies Sabrina’s innate ability to write and perform bold pop songs, capturing large audiences alongside viral growth,” says Jackie Winkler, VP of A&R at Island, in a statement to Billboard. “It’s been hugely rewarding to witness this song come to life from the earliest demo form, to the live show, to the mainstream charts, all while solidifying her mark in pop musical culture.”
Emails I Can’t Send became Carpenter’s highest-charting entry on the Billboard 200 album chart in July, as the former Disney Channel star’s first LP in three years debuted at No. 23 on the tally. A North American headline tour in support of the album kicks off on Mar. 16.
Click here to read why Emails I Can’t Send was one of the Billboard staff’s favorite albums of 2022.