Chart Beat
Page: 162
It’s a long, sweet southern summer for Taylor Swift, as the U.S. pop superstar dominates the Australian albums chart and her sleeper hit “Cruel Summer” climbs to No. 1 for the first time. The newly-crowned IFPI Global Recording Artist, earning plaudits for a record fourth time, Swift now sweeps the ARIA Charts like no artist has before her.For the third time in her career, Swift occupies the entire top 5 on the ARIA Albums charts, a feat no other artist has achieved even once (Michael Jackson came closest, when he posthumously nabbed the top 3 spots in 2009).On the latest tally, published Friday, Feb. 23, Swift rules with Midnights, 1989 (Taylor’s Version), Lover, folklore (all via Universal), and reputation (Big Machine/Universal), respectively. Midnights becomes her longest-reigning No. 1 on the ARIA Chart, at 15 non-consecutive weeks.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
All told, TayTay bags seven of the top 10, breaking the record for most titles by one artist in the top 10, beating her old mark of six.When Swift was confirmed by the IFPI Wednesday (Feb. 21) as the biggest-selling global recording artist of the 2023, the trade body pointed to the “phenomenon” by which her record-busting The Eras Tour increases engagement with her entire catalog on streaming platforms around the world.Lover track “Cruel Summer” is the IFPI’s case study, a song “initially released in 2019 but which topped charts around the world four years later.”It’s a good point, well made. Last week, Swift completing a three-night stand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and tonight enters the final straight of her The Eras Tour of Australia, produced by Frontier Touring, with the first of her four consecutive concerts at Sydney’s Accord Stadium. Those dates at the MCG, totaled over 288,000 — the most tickets sold by one artist at the towering venue, according to Universal Music Australia. Too much Taylor Swift isn’t enough for her Swifties, as “Cruel Summer” lifts 4-1 for its first stint at the top of the ARIA Singles Chart, her 11th leader. That places her in a tie with Madonna as the artist with the third most No. 1 singles in Australia, behind the Beatles (26) and Elvis Presley (14), respectively.
Trending on Billboard
It’s the seventh time Swift has notched the ARIA Chart double, extending her own record.
Also noteworthy on the latest ARIA Singles Chart is the trajectory of Beyonce’s country-leaning “Texas Hold ‘Em” (Columbia/Sony). A record-setter in the U.S., Bey’s new hit flies 38-3 for her 16th top 10 solo or duet appearance in Australia.Also, Dua Lipa bows at No. 12 on the ARIA Chart with “Training Season” (Warner Records), lifted from the British pop artist’s forthcoming third album.The top debut on the ARIA Albums Chart belongs Sydney indie duo Royel Otis, with Pratts & Pain (Ourness), new at No. 10. That’s a new career best for the pair, Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic, following the No. 43 peak for their 2023 EP Sofa Kings. Nominated for the Michael Gudinski breakthrough artist award at the 2023 ARIAs, Royel Otis are currently touring Australia in support of the new LP.
Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up column, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip. This week: Beyoncé’s country crossover drives extra attention (and streams) to other Black female country artists, a Stranger Things star is on the verge of a major pop hit and a smash biopic results in a booming Bob Marley catalog.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Beyoncé’s New Country Era Is Already Lifting Up Other Black Women in the Genre
[embedded content]
When Queen Bey bet that she could break the internet (again) in her hilarious Verizon commercial during the 2024 Super Bowl on Feb. 11, that was a promise. Although Beyoncé has been in her country era for barely a week and a half, she’s already making history – and uplifting other Black women in the genre along the way.
Trending on Billboard
The music icons two new songs — “Texas Hold ‘Em” (No. 1) and “16 Carriages” (No. 9) — concurrently debuted in the top 10 on Hot Country Songs, making Beyoncé the first Black woman in history to top that chart. While those two songs continue to rack in streams and sales, they’re also serving as gateways for audiences to explore the catalogs of other Black women in country.
According to Luminate, Tanner Adell – who has scored a few minor hits such as “Buckle Bunny” and “Love You a Little Bit” — experienced a 188% increase in streaming activity from the period of Feb. 9-12 (230,000 official on-demand streams) to Feb. 16-19 (670,000 streams). On TikTok, Adell has seamlessly incorporated her love for Beyoncé and anticipation for her forthcoming LP into promotion of her own music. “If you’re waiting on Bey’s country album, you might like me,” she wrote in a Feb. 14 TikTok; the strategy has clearly paid off, as a Feb. 20 TikTok finds the young singer-songwriter celebrating “Buckle Bunny” (also released via Beyoncé’s home label Columbia) flying up the Shazam charts.
Reyna Roberts, perhaps best known for 2020’s “Stompin’ Grounds,” collected around 200,000 official on-demand streams during the period of Feb. 16-19, marking a whopping 250% increase from 57,000 streams during Feb. 9-12. There’s also Billboard chart-topping R&B artist K. Michelle, who is currently prepping a long-awaited debut country album. The Memphis-bred star has released some standalone country songs, including “Tennesse” from last year’s I’m the Problem. That track garnered around 32,000 official on-demand streams during the period of Feb. 9-15, a massive 185% increase from the week prior (11,000 streams, Feb. 2-8).
Of course, any discussion about “Texas Hold ‘Em” is incomplete without mentioning Rhiannon Giddens, the Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist who plays banjo on the track. During the period of Feb. 16-19, Giddens’ catalog collected over 108,000 official on-demand streams, up nearly 50% from 73,000 streams during Feb. 9-12. In the visualizer for “Texas Hold ‘Em,” Beyoncé has her hair in a cross between a beehive and low ponytail, a style often sported by country music legend Linda Martell, the first Black woman to play the Grand Ole Opry. During the period of Feb. 16-19, Martell’s catalog received just over 12,000 official on-demand streams, marking a 275% increase from 3,000 streams during Feb. 9-12. And notably, Martell’s debut album, Color Me Country, provided the name of Rissi Palmer’s Apple Music Country radio show. Palmer – whose “Country Girl” (2007) made her the first Black woman to hit Hot Country Songs since Dona Mason in 1987 – earned over 5,000 official on-demand streams across her discography during the period of Feb. 16-19, a 110% increase from those she amassed Feb. 9-12.
As Beyoncé’s new country era continues to unfold, expect to continue to see gains for Black women across country music. Looks like the Renaissance really isn’t over. — KYLE DENIS
‘Stranger Things’ Have Happened: Joe Keery’s Music Project Has a Burgeoning Smash
[embedded content]
Over the course of his run on the Netflix global hit Stranger Things as the well-coiffed heartthrob Steve Harrington, Joe Keery has simultaneously dabbled in the music space, first as a member of the psych-rock band Post Animal and more recently with the synth-pop solo project Djo. Decide, Keery’s second full-length under the Djo alias, was released independently in September 2022 and featured his strongest writing and song construction to date, albeit with little commercial footprint.
Yet that last part has changed over the past few weeks: “End of Beginning,” a blissed-out mid-tempo anthem from Decide that was never released as a single and hasn’t received any promotional push, has gone viral in early 2024 — and will likely become a breakthrough hit for Djo.
The uptick was started by a TikTok trend, in which users have taken the chorus lyric, “And when I’m back in Chicago, I feel it/ Another version of me, I was in it/ I wave goodbye to the end of beginning” to soundtrack travel clips, either of Chicago or whatever their version of hometown wistfulness might be. “End of Beginning” has fully crossed over from TikTok at this point, though: on Spotify, Djo’s track has entered the top 10 of the U.S. Daily Top 200 and U.S. viral 50, as well as creeping up to No. 16 on Billboard‘s Hot Alternative Songs.
“End of Beginning” was earning hundreds of thousands of weekly streams by mid-January, but the song is skyrocketing in February: from Feb. 16-19, the track earned 5.27 million official on-demand U.S. streams, up more than 200% from the previous four-day tracking period (1.66 million streams from Feb. 9-12), according to Luminate. Keery, who was a scene-stealer in the latest season of Fargo last fall, re-joined the Stranger Things crew in January as production on season 5 began; by the time filming wraps, Keery will likely have the first Hot 100 hit of his career. – JASON LIPSHUTZ
So Much Things to Stream: Bob Marley’s Catalog Explodes With Biopic Debut
[embedded content]
Following Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman, this month’s Bob Marley: One Love becomes the latest biopic of a legendary artist to electrify audiences (even as it divides critics). The movie has already brought in more than $50 million at the box office, setting Valentine’s Day records and exceeding even the most optimistic pre-release projections. And as it brings Marley’s music to a new audience — and reminds older audiences of its greatness — it has also resulted in a massive increase in the reggae icon’s music consumption, particularly on streaming.
Marley’s catalog has actually been on the rise across streaming services for all of 2024, with anticipation for One Love perhaps helping to gradually boost his weekly official on-demand U.S. streaming numbers from around 15 million for the week ending Jan. 11 to nearly 27 million for the week ending Feb. 8, according to Luminate. But Marley’s numbers have of course exploded following the movie’s Feb. 14 release — the movie racked up over 30 million official on-demand U.S. streams in the five-day period following the movie’s release (Feb. 15-19), up 62% from the 19 million it amassed over the five days prior. (The catalog was also up 112% in digital song sales over the same time span, from over 4,000 to nearly 9,000.)
The songs currently doing the best in Marley’s catalog over that period are some of his most famous, including “Three Little Birds” (2.5 million streams, 1,500 sales), “Jamming” (1.9 million streams, 600 sales) and of course, “One Love / People Get Ready” (1.7 million streams, 1,300 sales). Legend, Marley’s RIAA Diamond-certified canonical hits collection, has even re-entered the top 30 of the Billboard 200 as a result of the increase in activity. But another song that continues to benefit from the bump in Marley exposure is from one of Bob’s descendants: “Praise Jah in the Moonlight,” breakout hit from grandson YG Marley, which falls at No. 63 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week. “Praise” garnered 6.5 million streams over that period, up 12% from 5.8 million the previous five-day period. — ANDREW UNTERBERGER
It was already understood that the songs of Sanremo 2024 were a success in streaming — in Italy and globally. In the days following its release, the “Sanremo 2024” Spotify playlist was the most listened-to playlist in the world, and seven of the top 10 tracks on the platform’s Debut Global chart came from the song contest.
Now that Billboard has updated its Global 200 and the Global Excl. US charts, the picture is even more complete. In the charts dated Feb. 24, four and seven songs from Sanremo 2024 appear, respectively.
The Global 200 includes Mahmood’s “Tuta Gold” (No. 52), Geolier’s “I p’ me, tu p’ te” (No. 91), Annalisa’s “Sinceramente” (No. 95) and winner Angelina Mango’s “La Noia” (No. 110).
Trending on Billboard
In the Global Excl. US chart, these same songs appear higher up (at Nos. 19, 33, 36 and 51, respectively), followed by three other songs of Sanremo 2024: Ghali’s “Casa Mia” (No. 87), Irama’s “Tu No” (No. 100) and The Kolors’ “Un ragazzo una ragazza” (No. 179).
Data provided by Luminate allows a more analytical look. The company traced the global streaming trends (audio and video) of Sanremo songs during the festival in the 50 most relevant markets worldwide (Italy and the United States included).
From Feb. 7-10 (the festival started Feb. 6 and crowned a winner Feb. 10), the first three positions were constantly dominated — in various orders — by Geolier, Mahmood and Annalisa. Only on Feb. 11 does winner Angelina Mango make her appearance.
Below are the top three positions day by day.
Feb. 7: “I p’ me, tu p’ te” by Geolier (3.4 million global audio and video streams), “Sinceramente” by Annalisa (3 million), “Tuta Gold” by Mahmood (2.6 million)
Feb. 8: “I p’ me, tu p’ te” by Geolier (3.4 million), “Tuta Gold” by Mahmood (3.2 million), “Sinceramente” by Annalisa (2.9 million)
Feb. 9: “Tuta Gold” by Mahmood (3.7 million), “I p’ me, tu p’ te” by Geolier (3.5 million), “Sinceramente” by Annalisa (3.1 million)
Feb. 10: “I p’ me, tu p’ te” by Geolier (3.85 million), “Tuta Gold” by Mahmood (3.78 million), “Sinceramente” by Annalisa (3.3 million)
Feb. 11: “Tuta Gold” by Mahmood (4.1 million), “I p’ me, tu p’ te” by Geolier (4.07 million), “La Noia” by Angelina Mango (3.9 million). These are also the highest figures on a daily basis
Since Billboard launched the two global charts in 2020, the most successful songs of Sanremo have regularly appeared. It has been a constant phenomenon since the 2021 edition, the first in which the Global 200 and Global Excl. US charts were active.
Last year, Lazza’s “Cenere” (No. 68), winner Marco Mengoni’s “Due Vite” (No. 80) and Mr.Rain’s “Supereroi” (No. 97) entered the Global 200. In the Global Excl. US, these songs appeared at Nos. 29, 32 and 42, followed by Madame’s “Il Bene nel Male” (No. 104) and Tananai’s “Tango” (No. 195).
In 2022, “Brividi” by Mahmood and Blanco (who won that edition) came close to the top 10, in 15th position. It was followed at a distance by Irama’s “Ovunque Sarai” (No. 118) and La Rappresentante di Lista’s “Ciao Ciao” (No. 158). On the Global Excl. US chart, those songs reached Nos. 7, 56, and 112, followed by Sangiovanni’s “Farfalle” (n. 112), Dargen D’Amico’s “Dove Si Balla” (n. 126) and Rkomi’s “Insuperabile” (n. 149).
While the top 10 of this week’s Hot 100 chart includes new entries from Beyoncé and Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign — along with Noah Kahan collecting his first top 10 hit — one years-old smash is still going strong amidst the shakeups: “Cruel Summer” dips two spots to No. 6 this week in its 41st week on the chart.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The viral resurgence of the synth-pop gem from Swift’s Lover, which was not released as a single during the 2019 album run, began in 2023 to coincide with the launch of her Eras Tour, eventually brought the song to the top of the Hot 100 last October, and has continued through the start of 2024 with no end in sight.
As the song spends another week in the upper reaches of the Hot 100, its unlikely run has prompted another improbable question: Could “Cruel Summer” become the biggest chart hit of Swift’s career?
Trending on Billboard
At this moment, “Summer” has climbed to No. 3 on the list of Swift’s biggest Billboard Hot 100 hits, behind her 2014 smash “Shake It Off” and “Anti-Hero,” the longest-running No. 1 of her career. See here the top 10 of Swift’s biggest Billboard Hot 100 hits, which is based on weekly performance on the Hot 100 (through Feb. 24, 2024), with further analysis below — and click here for the full top 50:
“Shake It Off”
“Anti-Hero”
“Cruel Summer”
“You Belong With Me”
“Blank Space”
“Love Story”
“I Knew You Were Trouble.”
“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
“Bad Blood”
“I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker)”
Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower spots earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates during various periods.
[embedded content]
Part of the reason why “Shake It Off” and “Anti-Hero” still outrank “Summer” is longevity: “Anti-Hero” spent 53 weeks on the Hot 100 and “Shake It Off” hung around for 50 weeks, while, as of now, “Summer” hasn’t cracked Swift’s top 5 longest-running Hot 100 hits. Here are Swift’s top 10 songs by weeks on the Hot 100:
“Anti-Hero” (53 weeks)
“Shake It Off” (50 weeks)
“You Belong With Me” (50 weeks)
“Love Story” (49 weeks)
“Teardrops On My Guitar” (48 weeks)
“Cruel Summer” (41 weeks)
“Blank Space” (38 weeks)
“I Knew You Were Trouble.” (36 weeks)
“Our Song” (36 weeks)
“Delicate” (35 weeks)
Meanwhile, “Summer” has logged four nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 — the same number of weeks at “Shake It Off.” “Anti-Hero” became Swift’s longest-running No. 1 hit last year when it notched eight weeks atop the chart, while “Blank Space” had Swift’s second-longest run in the top spot, with seven weeks.
So how has “Summer” become Swift’s third-biggest chart hit, if other songs have spent more weeks at No. 1 or more time on the chart itself? By remaining a top 10 stalwart for months on end.
This week marks “Summer’s” 30th week in the top 10 of the Hot 100 — the most of any Swift song. “Anti-Hero” ranks second in frames spent in the top 10, at 28 weeks. “Summer” first reached the top 10 way back on the Hot 100 chart dated July 15, 2023, and became her longest-running top 10 hit earlier this month.
It’s impossible to say whether or not “Summer” will keep climbing up her personal list and become Swift’s biggest (or second-biggest) chart hit, or precisely the number of weeks and/or chart placements it will take to get there. And while the song dips two spots in the top 10 of the Hot 100, “Summer” still remains in the top 5 of Adult Pop Airplay, top 10 of Pop Airplay and top 20 of Streaming Songs, as well as No. 1 at Adult Contemporary for a fourth week.
“Summer” is still going strong as it climbs Swift’s all-time list of hits, adding another layer to the unlikely chart success of a song that was never supposed to be a chart hit. Who knows? Maybe “Summer” earns the top spot just as actual summer approaches.
Los Dos Carnales achieved its fourth No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart as “Gracias a Ti” climbs from No. 6 to rule the list dated Feb. 24. “Gracias A Ti” advances with a 47% gain in audience impressions, to 7.9 million, earned in the U.S. during the Feb. 9-15 tracking week, according to […]
It feels like Miley Cyrus has lived a thousand lives since she first found global fame as a pre-teen. Undoubtedly one of the Disney Channel machine’s most successful alums, she’s consistently written off the world’s expectations for her life and career, reinventing herself again and again while remaining the fierce, ever-hilarious star her fans have […]
Mesita, Nicki Nicole, Emilia and Tiago PZK‘s “Una Foto” adds a sixth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart as the song leads the Feb. 24-dated list. Luck Ra and Khea’s “Hola Perdida” holds strong at No. 2 for a fifth week. Trap singer Luck Ra also places two other songs […]
HARDY notches a second No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Hard Rock Songs chart thanks to the appropriately named “Rockstar,” which bows atop the Feb. 24-dated survey. “Rockstar” accumulated 2.5 million official U.S. streams, 209,000 radio audience impressions and 2,000 sold from its Feb. 9 release through Feb. 15, according to Luminate. The download count launches […]
With a year packed with jaw-dropping collaborations (Taylor Swift! Nicki Minaj!) and countless viral moments, it’s not a stretch to say Ice Spice owned 2023. Thus, it’s only right that the Bronx emcee be honored with the Hitmaker Award at the upcoming 2024 Billboard Women In Music Awards.
After going viral with her drill-rooted “Munch” back in August 2022, the fast-rising rap star conquered 2023 with a bevy of Billboard Hot 100 smashes and culture-shifting tracks. From “Barbie World” to “Actin a Smoochie,” Ice Spice’s knack for hits garnered her four Grammy nominations, including best new artist, and a slot as an opener on Doja Cat‘s Scarlet Tour.
Ice Spice has earned eight Hot 100 entries, almost all of them hitting the chart in 2023. Four of those hits reached the chart’s top 10, including “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” (No. 3, with PinkPantheress), “Princess Diana” (No. 4, with Nicki Minaj), “Barbie World” (No. 7, with Nicki Minaj and AQUA) and the remix of Taylor Swift’s “Karma” (No. 2). Most recently, Ice’s latest single — the new jazz-inflected “Think U the Shit (Fart)” — debuted at No. 37 on the Hot 100. The “Gangsta Boo” rapper has also proved to be a force at radio, with “Princess Diana,” “Barbie World” and “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” all reaching No. 1 on Rhythmic Airplay.
Trending on Billboard
Perhaps most impressively, Ice Spice has achieved all of these milestones without an official studio album. As fans await her forthcoming debut LP — titled Y2K — they can continue to spin Like..?, Ice’s debut EP. That project reached No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and included notable hits such as “Bikini Bottom” and “In Ha Mood.”
After the video, catch up on more Billboard Explains videos and learn about how Beyoncé arrived at Renaissance, the evolution of girl groups, BBMAs, NFTs, SXSW, the magic of boy bands, American Music Awards, the Billboard Latin Music Awards, the Hot 100 chart, how R&B/hip-hop became the biggest genre in the U.S., how festivals book their lineups, Billie Eilish’s formula for success, the history of rap battles, nonbinary awareness in music, the Billboard Music Awards, the Free Britney movement, rise of K-pop in the U.S., why Taylor Swift is re-recording her first six albums, the boom of hit all-female collaborations, how Grammy nominees and winners are chosen, why songwriters are selling their publishing catalogs, how the Super Bowl halftime show is booked and why Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” was able to shoot to No. 1 on the Hot 100.
Billboard has more than 200 different weekly charts, 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 titles by artists who appear on surveys for the first time on the Feb. 24-dated charts.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The Castellows
[embedded content]
The siblings are officially Billboard-charting artists for the first time, thanks to their debut seven-track EP, A Little Goes a Long Way. The set, released Feb. 9 via Henry-Dixon Line/Warner Records/Warner Music Nashville/WMN, debuts at No. 48 on the Top Current Album Sales chart with 2,000 copies sold in the U.S. in its opening week (through Feb. 15), according to Luminate. The group also enters at No. 28 on the Emerging Artists chart.
The Castellows are comprised of sisters Ellie (lead guitar), Lily (vocals), and Powell Balkcom (banjo), who hail from Georgetown, Ga., and are now based in Nashville. The group signed with Warner Music Nashville and Warner Records in October, along with Make Wake Artists for management and WME for global representation. “From the moment we met The Castellows, we knew they were the real deal,” Warner Records’ co-chairman/CEO, Aaron Bay-Schuck said in a press release. “Not only was their talent and star power immediately apparent, but they were also unapologetically themselves. The personality that Ellie, Lily and Powell display with their social posts and the stories they tell with their music are consistent with who they are in real life, and it’s this authenticity along with their determination and drive to be truly great that will make them an unstoppable force.”
Trending on Billboard
The trio is currently on the road on a string of tour dates that runs through June. The act is also slated to perform at several upcoming festivals, including Tortuga Music Festival, Boston Calling, Under the Big Sky and Bourbon & Beyond. Last month, CMT featured the group in its 11th annual Next Women of Country franchise.
Jordana
[embedded content]
The singer-songwriter (full name Jordana Nye) debuts on Billboard’s charts thanks to her nearly three-year-old album with TV Girl, Summer’s Over. Released in October 2021 on Grand Jury Music, the seven-track set debuts at No. 2 on the Tastemakers Albums chart (which ranks the week’s top-selling albums at independent and small chain record stores). The album’s latest gains can be attributed to a new vinyl variants released, one being a Rough Trade exclusive vinyl pressing of the album, released Feb. 9. The set’s standard black vinyl pressing will also be released April 5.
In addition to releasing Summer’s Over with the group, the bedroom-pop musician has also served as a touring act with the band, performing bass and backing vocals. Separately, Jordana has released three solo LPs in her career: Classical Notions of Happiness (which she self-recorded and self-released in 2019), Something to Say to You (2020) and Face the Wall (2022). Her most recent release is a collaboration with Yot Club, “Safe House,” released in September.
HOL!
[embedded content]
The French DJ nets his first career Billboard chart hit thanks to his team-up with Marshmello, “Movement.” The song, released Feb. 9 on Joytime Collective, debuts at No. 30 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart with 719,000 U.S. streams earned in its opening week.
HOL! has been releasing music on streaming services since 2020. While he’s already a familiar face in France, he broke through in the U.S. with his viral 2022 dubstep track “Country Riddim,” which Fred Again.., Four Tet and Skrillex played during their set at Coachella last year. The song combines riddim elements with classic country sounds — a genre rarely seen in the dance/dubstep community. HOL! released his debut full-length album, Black Hole Final Chapter, in 2021.
TWS: 24/7:WITH:US
[embedded content]
The South Korean boy band arrived on Billboard’s charts for the first time last week (charts dated Feb. 17), thanks to its debut EP TWS: Sparkling Blue. Released Jan. 22 on Pledis Entertainment/Geffen/IGA, the five-track project debuted at No. 6 on World Albums and No. 8 on Heatseekers Albums (5,000 units) and No. 10 on Top Current Album Sales and No. 16 on Top Album Sales (4,000 albums sold). The set ranks on all four charts for a second consecutive week at, respectively, Nos. 11, 17, 24 and 36.
The act also debuted at No. 2 on the Feb. 17-dated Emerging Artists chart and ranks at No. 9 on the latest list. TWS: 24/7:WITH:US comprises members Dohoon, Hanjin, Jihoon, Kyungmin, Shinyu and Youngjae.
Wyatt Ellis
[embedded content]
The 14-year-old bluegrass artist scored his first career Billboard chart entry thanks to his debut album Happy Valley. The 12-track set, released Feb. 2 on Knee High Records, debuted at No. 5 on the Feb. 17-dated Bluegrass Albums chart, and ranks at No. 6 on the latest list.
Ellis, from Maryville, Tenn., is a self-taught mandolin player who has already cemented himself as one of bluegrass’ biggest up-and-comers. He’s shared the stage with Dierks Bentley, Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle, among others, and made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry in November. On the new album, Ellis collaborated with several bluegrass mainstays, including Mike Compton, Sierra Hull, Bobby Osborne and Marty Stuart.
Maleek Berry
[embedded content]
The Nigerian singer-songwriter/producer reaches Billboard’s lists for the first time as a recording artist thanks to his solo track “Kontrol.” The song, released in May 2016, debuts at No. 49 on the latest Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart, powered by AfroNation. TikTok has been a contributing factor to the song’s growing profile. A portion of the song’s audio has soundtracked over 160,000 clips on the platform to date.
Berry (full name Okunola Abdul Maleek Anu-Oluwapo Shoyebi) has been releasing music for more than a decade. In 2016, he dropped his debut EP Last Daze of Summer (which includes a version of “Kontrol”) and followed it up with his First Daze of Winter EP in 2018. In 2020, he released his debut full-length Isolation Room, which includes a collaboration with the prominent Afrobeats singer-songwriter Tiwa Savage (“Balance”). He has also collaborated with Adekunle Gold, GoldLink, Raye, Rudimental, Wizkid and Ycee. Outside of his work as a recording artist, he’s also an in-demand producer in the Afrobeats space, having produced songs for many artists, including Wande Coal, Davido and Wizkid.
Daniel Allan & Lyrah
[embedded content]
Both artists arrive on Billboard’s charts for the first time with their collaboration “I Just Need.” Released in August 2023 on Family Affair, the song debuted at No. 37 on the Feb. 17-dated Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart and rises to No. 34 on the latest list (up 8% in plays).
Allan has been releasing music since 2019, with three studio LPs to his name since then: Glass House (released in 2022), Criteria with Reo Cragun (May 2023) and Duality (November 2023). Allan was one of the first breakout musical talents in the Web3 space in 2022. He sold a collection of 1,000 music NFTs, named Glass House, in less than 24 hours. “It was one of the most emotional moments I’ve had,” he told Billboard at the time. “It was the last thing I saw coming, genuinely.” He has three headlining shows on the calendar, all within the next month, in Denver, Los Angeles and New York City’s Brooklyn.
As for Lyrah, the L.A.-based singer-songwriter also reaches Billboard’s charts for the first time. She has released more than a dozen songs on streaming services, all since 2018, including two EPs: Chemicals in 2019 and Drain My Bank Account in June 2023. In December 2022, her song “Taken (Autograf Remix)” was featured in the HBO series The Sex Lives of College Girls.
Z3ELLA
[embedded content]
The DJ duo lands its first career Billboard chart hit as “Why Should I?” debuts at No. 31 on Dance/Mix Show Airplay (up 80% in spins). Before that, the duo released six other songs on streaming services, including collaborations with Glass Petals, Koastle, Klo, Lash, Mondry and Piques. Z3ELLA comprises Julia Seeley and Kiana Tebyani.
Angelina Mango
[embedded content]
The Italian singer-songwriter, from Maratea, Basilicata, achieves her first Billboard chart hit with “La Noia.” Released Feb. 7 on Warner Music Italy, the song (which translates to “The Boredom” in English) debuts at No. 51 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart and No. 110 on the Billboard Global 200 with 18.3 million streams.
The song was Mango’s winning entry in the 74th annual Sanremo Music Festival, which concluded Feb. 10. As Mango won, she’s now set to represent Italy in the Eurovison Song Contest in Malmö, Sweden. Since Italy is a member of the “Big Five” (along with France, Germany, Spain and the U.K.), Mango is automatically qualified to compete in the finals. Mango is the first female artist to win Sanremo in 10 years. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect anything of what happened,” Mango said in a press conference on Feb. 11, after the finals. “I was able to live every moment without too much pressure. I received a lot of strength from people and I had the best week of my life.”
Outside of “La Noia,” Mango has released two solo EPs: Monolocale in 2020 and Voglia di vivere in May 2023.
Geolier
[embedded content]
The Italian rapper, from Naples, reaches Billboard’s charts for the first time with his international hit “I P’ Me, Tu P’ Te.” The title translates to “Me for Myself, You for Yourself.” Released Feb. 7 on Warner Music Italy, the song debuts at No. 33 on the Global Excl. U.S. chart and No. 91 on the Global 200 with 23.1 million streams worldwide.
Geolier competed in the 2024 Sanremo Music Festival, performing “I P’ Me, Tu P’ Te,” and ultimately placed second behind Angelina Mango.
Geolier has released numerous songs on streaming services, all since 2018, along with two full-length albums: Emanuele in 2019 and Il coraggio dei bambini in January 2023. He has also collaborated with many other Italian rappers, including Sfera Ebbasta, Guè, Lazza and Marracash.