Chart Beat
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Ado’s “Show” logs its sixth week atop the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Nov. 8, tallying the week ending Nov. 5.
The enigmatic singer has hit No. 1 on the Japan Hot 100 with two other songs in the past: first with her breakout smash “Usseewa” (one week) then with “New Genesis” as Uta from One Piece Film Red (six weeks). If “Show” extends its stay at the top of the tally for another week, the “Kura Kura” songstress will break her own personal record for total weeks at No. 1.
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The theme of USJ’s Halloween event currently rules streaming, downloads and video views, while also performing well in radio airplay (No. 3) and karaoke (No. 6). While figures for downloads and streams have increased, the song shows strong growth in radio and karaoke, with the former gaining 28 percent and the latter 24 percent more points than the week before. The spooky dance number holds at No. 1 for the third consecutive week on Billboard Japan’s TikTok Weekly Top 20 and for the fourth straight week on the Top User Generated Songs lists, meaning the song has become this year’s Halloween anthem for many users of social media.
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At No. 2 this week is YOASOBI’s “Idol.” The monster hit is now in its 30th week on the Japan Hot 100 and currently at No. 2 for streaming, No. 13 for downloads, No. 3 for video, No. 2 for karaoke, and No. 36 for radio. The number of downloads rose again from 3,895 units to 4,420 units this week, indicating the lasting popularity of the catchy Oshi no Ko opener and record-holder for most weeks at No. 1 on the Japan Hot 100 (21 weeks).
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YOASOBI also made headlines in September when the duo’s breakout mega-hit “Yoru ni kakeru” (“Into the Night”) became the first song in Japan to surpass one billion cumulative streams. “Idol” is quickly on its way to reach that milestone as well, sailing past 500 million cumulative streams in 30 weeks, the fastest to do so in the country’s history. It took “Yoru ni kakeru” 63 weeks to reach half a billion streams.
And following at No. 3 this week is YOASOBI’s “The Brave.” Weekly downloads for the Frieren opener increased slightly from 9,224 units to 9,964 units, while karaoke, video, and radio increased 30 percent, 1 percent, and 12 percent, respectively, to lift the pair’s latest hit 5-3 on the Japan Hot 100.
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Debuts in the top 10 this week are LE SSERAFIM’s “Perfect Night” at No. 7 and NiziU’s “HEARTRIS” at No. 10. The former is at No. 14 for downloads with 3,682 units and No. 7 for streaming with 5,888,887 streams. The latter, the South Korean debut track for the nine-member girl group, is at No. 6 for downloads (5,882 units) and No. 30 for streaming (2,955,278 streams).
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The act with most songs on the Japan Hot 100 this week is Mrs. GREEN APPLE. The pop-rock band charts 10 songs on the list, led by “Que Sera Sera” at No. 16 and “Magic” at No. 19.
The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.
See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Oct. 30 to Nov. 5, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.
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 Nov. 11-dated charts.
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Dylan Marlowe
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The singer-songwriter from Statesboro, Ga., is now a Billboard-charting artist thanks to his new single “Boys Back Home” featuring Dylan Scott. The collab, released Oct. 27 via Sony Music Nashville, debuts at No. 49 on Hot Country Songs with 2.4 million U.S. streams and 2,000 downloads sold in its opening week, according to Luminate. It also starts at No. 9 on Country Digital Song Sales, while Marlowe debuts at No. 37 on the Emerging Artists chart.
TikTok, where Marlowe boasts nearly 500,000 followers, has been a significant factor in the song’s growing profile. A portion of the track has been used in over 4,000 clips on the platform, where Marlowe had teased the song leading up to its release.
While Marlowe makes his first chart appearance as a recording artist, he logged one previous entry as a songwriter. He co-wrote (along with Jimi Bell and Joe Fox) Jon Pardi’s 2022 hit “Last Night Lonely,” which spent a week at No. 1 on Country Airplay, and reached No. 5 on Hot Country Songs and No. 27 on the Hot 100.
Marlowe, now based in Nashville, has been releasing his own music since 2018 and dropped his debut eight-track EP, Dirt Road When I Die, in July. He’s slated to open for Morgan Wallen on the Atlanta tour stop of his One Night at a Time World Tour on Nov. 10. He also has a supporting slot on HARDY’s The Mockingbird & The Crow Tour in December.
Bby
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The band scores its first appearance on Billboard’s charts with its breakthrough single, “Hotline.” The song, self-released Aug. 3 and now being promoted by Glassnote Entertainment Group, debuts at No. 38 on Alternative Airplay (up 3% in plays). Bby is comprised of Benjy Gibson (whose brother, Fred Again.., has maintained a steady presence on Billboard’s dance/electronic charts), Dragonking, Deon Graham, Tommaso Medica and Tom Parkin.
The group has released two other songs: “Money Body” on Sept. 12, and “Gold Teeth & Fenty” on Oct. 26.
Jaidyn Alexis
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The Los Angeles-based social media influencer and rapper is new to Billboard’s charts with her breakout song, “Barbie.” The track, released Oct. 2 on Milf Music, debuted on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart dated Oct. 21 and rose 13-8 on the Nov. 4 ranking. The song’s success now sparks her No. 30 debut on the Nov. 11-dated Emerging Artists chart.
TikTok has been instrumental in the song’s growing profile, as a portion of the track has been used in over 400,000 clips on the platform.
Outside of “Barbie,” Jaidyn Alexis has released three other songs on streaming services: “Stewie” in June, “Workout” in July and “Post Opp, in September. On Oct. 24, she announced on Instagram, alongside her boyfriend Blueface that she had signed with Columbia Records.
310babii
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The rapper scores his first Billboard chart hit with “Soak City (Do It).” The song, released in June on sa.vo sounds, rose 29-27 on the Nov. 4-dated TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart, after debuting on the Oct. 7 list. This week, 310babii debuts at No. 31 on the latest Emerging Artists chart.
The song appears on the rapper’s debut full-length LP Lottery Pick, released in June. “Soak City (Do It)” has also been boosted by a remix featuring Mustard, OhGeesy, BlueBucksClan, Tyga and Blueface, released Sept. 8. The track has also soundtracked over 300,000 clips on TikTok.
N3WYRKLA
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The Philadelphia-based artist makes her first Billboard chart appearance thanks to her featured spot Brent Faiyaz’s “Outside All Night,” also featuring A$AP Rocky. The track, released Oct. 27 on Faiyaz’s new project Larger Than Life, debuts at No. 10 on Hot R&B Songs and No. 26 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs with 5.2 million U.S. streams.
The set starts at No. 2 on Top R&B Albums and No. 11 on the Billboard 200 with 42,000 equivalent album units in its first week.
N3WYRKLA (“New York LA”; real name Nyla Nasir) has released one project on streaming services so far: her debut six-track EP SELFishly enTITLED, which arrived Aug. 25.
Lil Gray
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The rapper, from Landover, Md., in the Prince George’s County suburb of Washington, D.C., arrives on Billboard’s charts thanks to his featured appearance on Brent Faiyaz’s “Last One Left,” also featuring Missy Elliott. The cut, released Oct. 27 on Faiyaz’s new mixtape Larger Than Life, debuts at No. 11 on Hot R&B Songs and No. 31 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs with 4.8 million U.S. streams. (The set starts at No. 2 on Top R&B Albums and No. 11 on the Billboard 200 with 42,000 equivalent album units in its first week.)
Lil Gray has released seven solo studio albums, dating to 2018’s Tag Program/Talented and Gifted. He released his most recent project, Swipe Renaissance, in February. He has also collaborated with Goonew, Joony and Sparkheem, among others.
Tommy Richman & FELIX!
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Both artists earn their first Billboard chart placements thanks to their featured appearances on Brent Faiyaz’s “Upset.” The song, released Oct. 27 on Faiyaz’s new project Larger Than Life, debuts at No. 12 on Hot R&B Songs and No. 33 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs with 4.6 million U.S. streams. (The set starts at No. 2 on Top R&B Albums and No. 11 on the Billboard 200 with 42,000 equivalent album units in its first week.)
Richman, from Virginia, released his debut solo seven-track set Alligator in October 2022. FELIX! is a member of the Brockton, Mass.-based hip-hop collective Van Buren Records, which has dropped two full-length LPs: Bad for Press in 2021 and DSM in 2022. He released his debut LP, In Bloom, Forever in 2019 (under the moniker Lord Felix).
A$AP Ant & CruddyMurda
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Both artists land on Billboard’s charts for the first time thanks to their featured appearances on Brent Faiyaz’s “On This Side.” The song, released Oct. 27 on Faiyaz’s new mixtape Larger Than Life, debuts at No. 24 on the Hot R&B Songs chart with 2.9 million U.S. streams. (The set starts at No. 2 on Top R&B Albums and No. 11 on the Billboard 200 with 42,000 equivalent album units in its first week.)
A$AP Ant (real name Adam Kirkman), from Baltimore, has been a member of the hip-hop collective A$AP Mob for over a decade. He contributed to both of the act’s full-length studio LPs, Cozy Tapes Vol. 1: Friends in 2016, and Cozy Tapes Vol. 2: Too Cozy in 2017. He has also released nearly a dozen of his own albums, dating to his debut solo project The Prelude in 2018. His most recent album, The Postlude, dropped in March. CruddyMurda has released four solo LPs, most recently #FreeTheCruddy in September.
VaporGod
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VaporGod reaches Billboard’s charts for the first time thanks to “Diamondz n Roses.” The viral hit, released in March, debuts at No. 33 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs with 1.1 million official U.S. streams (up 96%) in the latest tracking week. The song has been bolstered by sped-up, slowed-down and looped versions and a Mr Rizz mix. An EP with all versions of the song was released Oct. 26.
TikTok has been key to the song’s growing profile, as a portion of the original track has been used in over 130,000 clips on the platform.
Quannnic
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The Florida-based artist makes his first appearance on Billboard‘s charts thanks to his viral breakout song “Life Imitates Art.” The song, released in 2022 on his debut LP Kenopsia (released via deadAir Management), debuts at No. 23 on the Hot Hard Rock Songs chart with 525,000 official U.S. streams earned. TikTok has been a major factor in the song’s growing profile, as a portion of the track has been used in over 16,000 clips on the platform to date.
At the height of the pandemic, singer-songwriter Laufey spent her free time outside of classes at the Berklee College of Music taking hours-long meetings with industry executives. With only two self-released singles out at the time, the modern jazz artist was already fielding emails from managers, labels and publishers interested in signing her — but for Laufey (pronounced Lay-vay), the conversations were about understanding the inner workings of the music business.
“I had a second education talking to so many people,” she says. “I would take meetings on my own and say, ‘I’m not signing anything, but tell me everything you know about the music industry.’”
Three years later, Laufey has taken that information and built a team to help bring her pop-infused style of jazz to the top of her genre. In September, her second album, Bewitched, reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Jazz Albums and Traditional Jazz Albums charts, fueled by the success of catchy bossa nova-inspired lead single “From The Start.” Her prior releases have subsequently soared up the rankings, prominently stamping the 24-year-old’s name across charts otherwise filled with legacy acts including Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Miles Davis. Thanks to her confident and dreamy voice and social media savvy, she’s now crossing into the mainstream as one of the biggest jazz stars of the streaming era. And following a year in which fellow jazz artist Samara Joy won best new artist, appetite for the genre seems at its hungriest in decades.
Long before she dedicated herself to learning the industry, Laufey understood life as a musician. Her maternal grandparents were both professors of music in China, and her mother is a classical violinist. (She has appeared on a few of her daughter’s songs, such as the titular track from 2022 debut album, Everything I Know About Love). Born in Reykjavík, Laufey began playing piano at four years old, picked up cello at eight, and started singing jazz a few years after that, all while moving between Iceland and Washington, D.C., and spending her summers at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. “My mom could tell that I had a natural inclination for music,” Laufey says.
While studying as a cello student at Berklee, Laufey knew she wanted to mix her jazz and classical background with her own contemporary voice. As she grew into her own at school in Boston, she gained confidence and began writing her own songs. She recorded her first track, “Street By Street,” on the last day before campus shut down due to COVID-19 restrictions. A few weeks later, she uploaded it on DistroKid. “It got some attention,” she remembers. “I started growing a social media following online and it all snowballed from there.”
Laufey photographed October 29, 2023 at The Wilbur in Boston.
She continued to hone her songwriting skills amid her virtual college experience, challenging herself to pick up her guitar, create catchy hooks and pen “cheeky” lyrics every time a Zoom class ended (“Listening to you harp on ’bout some new soulmate/ ‘She’s so perfect,’ blah, blah, blah,” she sings on “From The Start”). She began posting videos of her singing jazz standards by Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and more on Instagram and TikTok. The clips quickly became a refuge for people seeking levity during the pandemic. “I was freaking out,” she acknowledges. “I was like, ‘OK. I have a duty to fulfill.’ It was such good practice for me.”
Later in 2020, her social media success led to inquiries from top music executives. Following months of meetings, she signed a global recording deal with AWAL and added a manager in Max Gredinger from Foundations Artist Management. “I saw her building this insane online audience on her own and thought, ‘We could build on that,’” says Gredinger. He acknowledges that there wasn’t much precedent for breaking jazz artists into the mainstream today — but if anything, he notes, they used it to their advantage.
“I hear a lot of artists talk about other artists like, ‘What’s the blueprint?’ Laufey doesn’t really do that. Of course, there are artists that are massively inspiring to her. Norah Jones, Adele, Chet Baker, all the jazz greats [and] a lot of classical composers. But she always knew that what she was doing was one of one and something that hadn’t been done before.”
Max Gredinger and Laufey photographed October 29, 2023 at The Wilbur in Boston.
Without a definitive outline to follow, Laufey primarily focused on further developing her social media presence, specifically on Instagram and TikTok. In addition to teasing music and responding to fans’ comments and DMs, she livestreamed weekly sessions of her performing lullabies. “If you gave me all the money in the world, I don’t think I could come up with a better social strategy than Laufey,” Gredinger says.
Following the August 2022 release Everything I Know About Love, she toured 250-to-500 capacity rooms in the U.S. — a crucial component to Laufey’s development, stresses Gredinger, and a way for her to build buzz amid her growing fan base. By the middle of 2023, she was ready to start the rollout of her follow-up album, beginning with her biggest hit to date, “From The Start.” After writing the entirety of the song in half an hour, she released the charmingly upbeat song last May, and it immediately took off on TikTok, though she initially brushed aside the numbers.
“Sometimes you put a song on TikTok and it does well because it’s visually stimulating or it has a hooky lyric, but it won’t go past that,” Laufey says. However, once it eclipsed a million streams in a 24-hour period and tripled her previous record, she knew that she had something special.
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Laufey continued to grow momentum with new singles throughout the summer — and expanded her team as well, signing a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music in August. The following month, Bewitched arrived through AWAL and has since spent eight weeks atop both Jazz Albums and Traditional Jazz Albums. Following its first tracking week, “From The Start” also hit No. 1 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. Through Nov. 2, the song has 3.5 million official on-demand streams, according to Luminate.
Amid her current 30-date sold-out North American tour, Laufey earned her first chart entry on Hot Alternative Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs with her seductive beabadoobee team-up, “A Night To Remember.” On Friday (Nov. 10), she’ll drop two holiday tracks: Her rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and an original titled “Better Than Snow,” both with jazz-pop icon Norah Jones. And as she continues to carve her own path and expand her audience across genres, Laufey is more confident in her future than ever before.
“When I started out, people were always asking me, ‘Who do you want to be like?’” Laufey reflects. “I had no idea what to say. I still have no clue what to say. The difference is, now I don’t need to. I’m just going to keep making the music I want and hope that it reaches as many ears as possible.”
Laufey photographed October 29, 2023 at The Wilbur in Boston.
A version of this story will appear in the Nov. 18, 2023, issue of Billboard.
Maná achieves a new milestone in its Billboard chart career as the band’s cover of its own 2011 hit “Amor Clandestino,” now with Eden Muñoz, soars 19-1 on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart dated Nov. 11. It’s the first champ on the list for the Mexican group (which has notched 15 leaders on the Latin Pop Airplay chart), while Muñoz secures his third. “Amor,” in its original Maná-only version in 2011, spent two weeks atop the Latin Pop Airplay list.
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“It’s the first time that we are at the top of a regional Mexican list, which is one of the most important formats today,” Fher Olvera, lead singer of Maná, tells Billboard. “We feel very proud of the achievement and knowing that our music can transcend times and formats.”
“Talking about Maná is going back to my childhood when I discovered their music,” Muñoz tells Billboard. “There are no words to describe the feeling of not only collaborating as an artist, as a fan of the band, but above all, as a friend. The band as an act has no comparison for all we know they have achieved, but as human beings they are on another level.”
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After three weeks in the top 20, “Amor Clandestino” rallies 19-1 with a 158% gain in audience impressions, to 7 million, earned in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 2, according to Luminate. The 18-rank climb marks the biggest jump to No. 1 in over a decade, since Los Huracanes del Norte’s “Volé Muy Alto” flew 20 positions to the top in November 2007.
During the Oct. 27-Nov. 2 tracking week, “Amor Clandestino’s” biggest supports are comprised of Univision stations KSCA-FM (Los Angeles), KLNO-FM (Dallas), KSOL-FM (San Francisco) and WOJO-FM (Chicago).
“The legendary band Maná joined forces with superstar singer-songwriter Eden Muñoz to bring a unique and updated touch to the classic hit ‘Amor Clandestino’,” Ismar Santa Cruz, Senior VP, Radio Content at Univision, tells Billboard. “This sparked a renewed love affair with the song. As we’re seeing more songs resonate simultaneously across formats, the combination of these artists on such a familiar hit allowed it to impact coast to coast across all our Regional Mexican stations, including our flagship shows El Bueno La Mala y El Feo and El FreeGuey, as well as all our Amor stations, including KLove 107.5 in L.A. and Amor 107.5 in Miami.”
“Amor Clandestino” earns Maná its first No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay upon its eighth appearance. Its previous single, “Te Lloré Un Río” with Christian Nodal, took the Mexicans to No. 3 in June 2022. Maná came up just short on its prior visit, as “Ojalá Pudiera Borrarte” achieved a No. 2 peak in October 2007.
“We currently have a duet project in which we have re-recorded our greatest hits with artists such as Christian Nodal, Alejandro Fernández and Sebastián Yatra, among others,” Olvera adds. “What we want is to reach as many audiences as possible with our music. We felt that this song lent itself to a new, very Mexican arrangement, and with Edén it was perfect.”
The original pop version of “Clandestino” dominated Latin Pop Airplay for two weeks in 2011. The song belongs to the Drama y Luz album, Mana’s longest leading set on Latin Pop Albums, with 12 weeks in charge.
For Muñoz, the new song follows two other champs: three-week champ “Chale!” and his featured role in Banda MS’ “Hay Que Hacer Dinero,” for two weeks atop, both in 2022.
Elsewhere, “Clandestino” flies 30-6 on the overall Latin Airplay, the biggest single-week jump to the top 10 since J Balvin and Ed Sheeran’s “Forever My Love” soared 35 rankings in April 2022.
“Eden is genius,” Olvera continues. “A very good friend of the band. He is an all-around guy. Working with him was a pleasure. Together we gave new life to ‘Amor Clandestino’ and we are very happy.”
On Nov. 8, 2008, Carrie Underwood’s “Just a Dream” began a two-week reign on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. The song — written by Hillary Lindsey, Steve McEwan and Gordie Sampson — was released from Underwood’s sophomore album Carnival Ride, which arrived at No. 1 on Top Country Albums, her second of a record-setting nine straight career-opening leaders […]
Chayanne dances his way back into the top 10 on Billboard’s Latin Pop Albums chart as Bailemos Otra Vez debuts at No. 3 on the Nov. 11-dated list. The set becomes his 15th top 10 and his first since 2014.
“It’s the greatest joy!” Chayanne tells Billboard. “I put heart, soul and all my energy into this project and it has rewarded me in the best way, which is the response from the public.”
Bailemos Otra Vez was released Oct. 27 via Sony Music Latin and launches on Latin Pop Albums with 4,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 2, according to Luminate.
Of the 4,000-unit sum, 3,000 derive from album sales. Streaming activity contributes to 1,000 units, which equals to 1.43 million official on-demand audio and video streams for the album’s songs in its first week, while a negligible amount of activity comes from track-equivalent units. On Latin Pop Albums, one unit equals to one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.
With Bailemos Otra Vez, Chayanne logs his 15th top 10 — and 12th consecutive — dating back to his self-titled 1989 album, the No. 3-peaking Chayanne. In fact, the Puerto Rican tracks a multi-decade streak of albums that reached the top 10 since the ’80s, a feat achieved by only one other artist, Rocio Durcal, who has placed top 10s in the ‘80s, ‘90s, ’00, ‘10s and ‘20s.
Here’s a review of Chayanne’s collection of top 10s on Latin Pop Albums spanning five decades:
Peak Date, Title, Peak Position, Weeks At No. 1Aug. 12, 1989, Chayanne, No. 3June 1, 1991, Tiempo De Vals, No. 2April 17, 1993, Provócame, No. 3March 4, 1995, Influencias, No. 12Nov. 9, 1996, Volver A Nacer, No. 15Jan. 9, 1999, Atado A Tu Amor, No. 3Dec. 16, 2000, Simplemente, No. 3April 13, 2002, Grandes Éxitos, No. 1, 10Sept. 13, 2003, Sincero, No. 1, oneApril 16, 2005, Desde Siempre, No. 2Oct. 15, 2005, Cautivo, No. 1, oneApril 28, 2007, Mi Tiempo, No. 2Nov. 15, 2008, Vivo, No. 5March 13, 2010, No Hay Imposible, No. 1, sevenFeb. 25, 2012, Solas Con Chayanne, No. 2Sept. 13, 2014, En Todo Estaré, No. 1, oneNov. 11, 2023, Bailemos Otra Vez, No. 3
Beyond his Latin Pop Albums top 10 debut, Bailemos opens at No. 35 on Top Latin Albums, his first chart appearance since the No. 1-peaking En Todo Estaré en 2014.
Bailemos was preceded by two songs: “Te Amo y Punto,” which reached No. 6 high on Latin Pop Airplay in 2022, and “Bailando Bachata” which holds strong at No. 1 on Tropical Airplay for a 13th week. The latter ties with Marshmello and Manuel Turizo’s “El Merengue” for the most weeks at the lead there in 2023.
“I’ve always liked to have music and rhythms for all tastes,” Chayanne adds. “From this one, I love bachata. I have the tropical in my DNA, and with this album I wanted to wink at Mexico, a country that has always given me so much love and support, so I have a lot of faith in “Necesito Un Segundo.”
The Year of Taylor just keeps rolling: on this week’s Billboard chart, Taylor Swift reigns with the biggest sales week of her career, as well as a new Hot 100 chart-topper replacing a different Swift song at No. 1. 1989 (Taylor’s Version), the fourth release in the superstar’s six-album re-recording project, earned 1.653 million equivalent album units in its debut week, scoring Swift her 13th No. 1 on the Billboard 200; that’s the biggest equivalent album units total for an album since Adele’s 25 in 2015, and also marks Swift’s largest sales week (1.359 million) to date.
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Meanwhile, “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version),” one of five “From the Vault” tracks from the album, debuts at No. 1 on this week’s Hot 100 chart, giving Swift her 11th career chart-topper. And “Is It Over Now?” replaces her 10th Hot 100 No. 1, “Cruel Summer,” at the top, after the Lover fan favorite spent two weeks at the peak of the chart.
Which of Swift’s latest chart feats is more impressive? And have we just experienced the biggest month of her career? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.
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1. With 1.653 million equivalent album units, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) gives Taylor Swift the largest week for any album, by units earned, since 2015, and easily becomes the biggest debut week for a Taylor’s Version album thus far. What do you think is the biggest reason for the monster debut? Danielle Pascual: If I had to pinpoint the moment Taylor solidified her place as a pop superstar, it would be after she dropped the original 1989 in 2014. During this album cycle, she racked up three Hot 100 No. 1s (“Shake It Off,” “Blank Space,” “Bad Blood”), spent 11 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, embarked on her massive first stadium tour and scored multiple Grammys, including album of the year. This was the era she started most interacting with fans — on social media (especially Tumblr), hosting listening parties for fans in her home pre-album release (the ‘Secret Sessions’), and even sending Christmas gifts to especially active fans (‘Swiftmas’). She also made headlines for a number of other reasons during this time — whether related to her open letter to Apple Music (in which she removed the album from the platform to advocate for artist rights) or her always-speculated dating life. The press cycle for the original project began nearly a decade ago, but it remains the album the general public is most familiar with, while still being regarded as a favorite for Swifties and critics alike.
Hannah Dailey: I think that 1989 was always an album for the people, not just Swifties; in fact, it converted a lot of people into Swift fans back in the day. It’s still her most chart- and radio-friendly album, full of hits that still wouldn’t feel out of place on the radio today (“Blank Space,” “Wildest Dreams,” “Shake it Off”). Plus, the recovered “Vault” song lore (allegedly) about her most high-profile relationship to date (ahem, Mr. Styles) doesn’t hurt, either.
Jason Lipshutz: When 1989 (Taylor’s Version) was announced in August, I outlined the monumental success of the original 1989, with key numbers that explained why the album stands out as a commercial and critical high in a career full of them. That era’s enormity is the main reason why this Taylor’s Version bow dwarfs the others’ debut weeks, its sugary pop exterior and chart-topping hits just too undeniable for longtime fans and casual listeners. Despite coming at a very busy time in the extended Swift universe, the arrival of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) was always going to be too big to fail.
Katie Atkinson: The combination of Taylor’s most commercially successful album, combined with the groundswell of support around her Taylor’s Version re-recording mission, was bound to yield extraordinary results. Basically, the first half of Swift’s career was all leading up to the blockbuster success of 1989, and the second half of her career has all been leading up to her largest-ever sales week. It feels implausible that an artist as huge as Taylor still has higher heights to hit, 17 years in.
Kyle Denis: Obviously, a debut of this size is the result of many compounding reasonings, but I think the majority of the credit should be attributed to Swift’s momentum right now. Despite fairly sparse social media activity and a rest period for her Eras Tour, her new romance with Travis Kelce has made her a virtually inescapable media presence across sports, film and music. That kind of visibility, combined with her already having the No. 1 song in the country, probably helped push 1989 (Taylor’s Version) to its massive debut. I was always certain that 1989 (TV) would debut with over one million units, but I think it’s Swift’s overall career momentum that helped that number inch past Midnights’ 1.57 million debut.
2. While Swift scores the single-largest sales week for any of her albums (not just her Taylor’s Version albums!), “Is It Over Now?,” a “From the Vault” song from 1989 (Taylor’s Version), replace another Swift song, “Cruel Summer,” atop the Hot 100 chart. Which of the two accomplishments is more impressive to you?
Danielle Pascual: Both stats are widely impressive, but scoring the single-largest sales week for any of her albums is huge. Taylor didn’t really change up her physical format strategy for her latest Taylor’s Version — since Folklore, she’s released the album with multiple variations on vinyl and CD (including signed copies), as well as a cassette. Plus, when 1989 debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2014, it scored the single-largest sales week for an album since 2002. The fact that the Taylor’s Version replaced the original album from that top spot speaks to the power of her re-recording journey and fans’ desire for more.
Hannah Dailey: They’re both major, but I’d say her album sales record takes the cake. She’s always been remarkable because of her continued success with LPs, even during periods when public/generational appreciation for the album art form was on the decline. The fact that she’s still outdoing herself in that category is incredible.
Jason Lipshutz: While Swift scoring her largest career sales week at this point in an already storied career is a gargantuan feat, the fact that she was able to replace a song of hers from 2019, with a “From the Vault” song originally conceived for her 2014 album, at the top of the Hot 100 in the year 2023, feels even more mind-boggling as an achievement. Most artists need to release brand new songs to top the charts — not Swift, who has become so dominant in popular music that her songs can travel through time to No. 1.
Katie Atkinson: Ooh, they’re both crazy. But I’m going with the sales week because she’s already replaced herself atop the Hot 100 previously – when “Blank Space” unseated “Shake It Off” back in 2015 from, you guessed it, 1989. In fact, she’s still the only woman to ever replace herself at No. 1 on the chart. Getting these album sales numbers in 2023, let alone her highest-ever album in a career of highs, is next-level.
Kyle Denis: Definitely the album sales accomplishments. Considering that the original 1989 has already sold millions of copies – and keeping in mind the decline in overall albums sales activity over the past decade – the fact that Swift was able to snag this record in a career that already boasts five albums with opening weeks of over 1 million units is simply astounding. She’s technically already sent a “From the Vault” song to No. 1, so while congratulations are certainly in order, it’s not the most remarkable achievement of the past week for Swift.
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3. Do you think “Is it Over Now?” is in for an extended run as a new Swift hit, or do you think another “From the Vault” track has a better shot at ubiquity?
Danielle Pascual: At this point, I think “Is It Over Now?” will continue as the standout. There is plenty of chatter surrounding the song online — it even has a TikTok dance that grows more viral everyday. It’s the type of upbeat pop song we’d expect (and want) from the album that marked Taylor’s departure from country and true foray into pop.
Hannah Dailey: If any of the “Vault” tracks has a shot, it’s “Now That We Don’t Talk.” It’s a classic Swift earworm with relatable lyrics (minus the “mega yacht” part), and a lot of traction on TikTok.
Jason Lipshutz: “Say Don’t Go” is my personal favorite of the 1989 (Taylor’s Version) “From the Vault” songs, but the more I listen to “Is It Over Now?,” the more I appreciate its sonic nuance, lyrical detail (particularly the “three hundred takeout coffees later!,” which plays on my head in a loop) and the emotional rush of the physical movements involved in the chorus. “Is It Over Now?” Is both catchy and understated in a way that sounds durable at radio, and considering how well it’s already doing on streaming platforms, the song appears to be in for a long run at or near the top of the Hot 100. Katie Atkinson: I agree with our own Jason Lipshutz (oh hi, Jason!) that “Say Don’t Go” is the “From the Vault” winner on 1989 (Taylor’s Version). I don’t know that another “Vault” track could top the chart, but I could see it having the longest shelf life of the new batch of songs. I think more than anything, I’ll be curious to see which “From the Vault” tracks Taylor might pull out at her upcoming Eras Tour stops for the acoustic set. I definitely hope to see “Say Don’t Go” performed live.
Kyle Denis: I don’t see “Is It Over Now?” having much longevity at the top of the Hot 100, nor do I think any of the other “From the Vault” tracks will experience that fate. As commercially successful as the Taylor’s Version endeavor continues to be, just one “From the Vault” track has made any kind of lasting commercial impact beyond its first week of availability – and that was 10-minute update of a decade-old fan favorite and cult classic (“All Too Well (10 Minute/Taylor’s Version)”).
4. Within the span of one month, Swift’s Eras Tour concert film bowed big at the box office, “Cruel Summer” finally reached the top of the Hot 100 and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) scored the biggest sales week of her career (while also producing another Hot 100 chart-topper). Have we just witnessed the most dominant 30 days of Swift’s entire career? Danielle Pascual: Yes — and I think that will turn into the most dominant 60 days of her career. Just this week, for instance, Taylor returns for her blockbuster Eras tour after a three-month break, and she’s a front-runner for 2024 Grammy nominations with Midnights (set to be announced on Friday). Plus, Swifties believe a reputation (Taylor’s Version) announcement is imminent by year’s end, which will likely make a slew of new records of its own. What Barbra Walters once said seems to be true now more than ever: “Taylor Swift is the music industry.”
Hannah Dailey: So far? I’d say yes. But knowing her, I’d be hesitant to say that this is the most dominant she’ll ever be, only because she always seems to find a way to top herself. I’m curious whether this will light a fire under her to replicate the success she’s seeing now from her older material with new music down the line.
Jason Lipshutz: Yes. Throughout her career, Swift has enjoyed periods of multiple hits from the same project competing for space near the top of the Hot 100, huge album debuts, major awards and sold-out stadium runs — but this month feels singular, as if her presence in popular music is the same as popular music itself. She’s firing on all cylinders, across multiple mediums and eras, and has zero peers on her level. It’s an unparalleled run, and breathtaking to witness.
Katie Atkinson: Man, I thought that was back in July when Taylor was in the thick of her headline-dominating Eras Tour and had just released Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), only to have three songs from three different albums in the Hot 100 top 10 — “I Can See You (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)” (Speak Now, No. 5), “Cruel Summer” (Lover, No. 9) and the “Karma” remix featuring Ice Spice (Midnights, No. 10) — and of course the re-recorded 2010 album at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. But yeah, somehow, this surpasses even that.
Kyle Denis: Yes. As I said earlier, her current momentum is almost unparalleled.
5. Now that 1989 (Taylor’s Version) has been out for over a week, has your opinion changed on any of the hits (or existing album cuts) from the album?
Danielle Pascual: I don’t think so! As a lifelong Swiftie who saw Taylor live for the first time during the 1989 tour, my favorite songs off the original album are still my favorite songs today: “New Romantics,” “Clean” and “Out of the Woods.” I still think “Shake It Off” gets more hate than it deserves, and “Bad Blood” is her worst single off the album (though I recognize how important it was for her career). I do think this slew of “From the Vault” songs is my favorite out of all her Taylor’s Version re-recordings so far, and am excited to see how they’ll fare over time.
Hannah Dailey: This is the only Taylor’s Version so far to make me wish that the “Vault” songs had made it onto the actual track list, even if it were at the expense of songs on the original listing. I would’ve rather had “Say Don’t Go” over “All You Had to Do Was Stay,” “Now That We Don’t Talk” over “I Wish You Would” and “Is It Over Now?” over “How You Get The Girl” – as much as I love every one of those songs. I think this new light shed on her track list choices serves as further proof that her primary focus with 1989 was to make a super-polished pop album that maybe wasn’t quite as vulnerable as her past work, but more palatable to a wider audience. Granted, this approach obviously worked out well for her career at the time, with 1989 spending 11 weeks atop the Billboard 200, and securing a second album of the year Grammy win.
Jason Lipshutz: “Blank Space” remains the most perfect single from that album, but “Wildest Dreams” has turned into a personal favorite, maybe more than any of the 1989 hits. The sweep of the hook! The urgency of the final chorus! I appreciate it all a little bit more now than I did nine years ago.
Katie Atkinson: The hits? No! 1989 is still perfect. And this might be my favorite batch of “From the Vault” tracks of any Taylor’s Version album so far, just because most of them would feel at home on her new albums, too.
Kyle Denis: Still a massive fan of 1989, but having sat with the re-recording for over a week, I don’t think 1989 (Taylor’s Version) does justice to the original. Nonetheless, I do really enjoy “Slut!”
The Citizens of Halloween are, at last, first-time residents on the Billboard Hot 100 (chart dated Nov. 11), thanks to “This Is Halloween,” from Tim Burton’s classic 1993 stop-motion animated film, The Nightmare Before Christmas.
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The song, on Walt Disney Records, debuts at No. 41 with 12.4 million streams (up 152%), 511,000 radio impressions (up 815%) and 3,000 downloads (up 58%) Oct. 27-Nov. 2, according to Luminate.
The song’s parent album The Nightmare Before Christmas jumps from No. 54 to No. 25 on the Billboard 200 with 25,000 equivalent album units (up 61%). The collection reached No. 22 last year, a new high. On the Soundtracks chart, the set rebounds for a fourth total week at No. 1.
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Although he doesn’t earn an official artist billing on the song, “This Is Halloween” was written, composed and produced by Danny Elfman, also the main composer for The Nightmare Before Christmas.
In 2018, for the film’s 25th anniversary, Elfman began performing a live concert experience of its music, complete with a live orchestra and Elfman embodying the character Jack Skellington; he still performs such shows today. Catherine O’Hara and Ken Page also reprised their roles as Sally and Oogie Boogie, respectively.
In an interview with Billboard that year, Elfman said that despite The Nightmare Before Christmas becoming the first animated movie to earn an Academy Award nomination for best visual effects, he was initially disappointed by the film’s reception. “It came and went pretty quickly and didn’t do very well,” he said. “Nobody understood what it was or how to market it. I put so much into this project, including so much of my own personality, that it really hurt. At the time, I was really depressed after it came out. I put so much into it and it was gone.”
The film’s lasting impact, however, has brightened his outlook. “Of all the things I’ve worked on that I would have wished to find a second life,” he mused, “and I’ve worked on a million movies that died early deaths, it would have been Nightmare.”
Elfman has appeared on the Hot 100 in one additional iteration: as a member of new wave group Oingo Boingo. The band charted two songs on the list in the 1980s: “Weird Science,” the theme from the 1985 fantasy sci-fi film, and John Hughes TV series of the same name, reached No. 45 in 1985, and “Just Another Day” peaked at No. 85 in 1986. He’s credited as the sole songwriter on both tracks, and as a co-producer, alongside Steve Bartek.
Outside of the debut of “This Is Halloween,” three other Halloween hits re-enter the Hot 100: Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” Bobby “Boris” Pick and the Crypt-Kickers’ “Monster Mash” and Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters.”
Chrisean Rock is now a Billboard Hot 100-charting artist thanks to her new collaboration with Lil Mabu, “Mr. Take Ya B-tch.” The song, released Oct. 17, debuts at No. 96 with 7.8 million U.S. streams (up 9%) Oct. 27-Nov. 2, according to Luminate. It also debuts at No. 17 on Hot Rap Songs and rises […]
Halloween hits are back on the latest Billboard Hot 100 chart (dated Nov. 11) thanks to annual gains for spooky songs around the Oct. 31 holiday.
Among such ear candy, Michael Jackson’s classic “Thriller” is the highest Halloween-sparked reentry at No. 21 with 14.5 million U.S. streams (up 163%), 10.9 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 464%) and 5,000 downloads (up 102%) for Oct. 27-Nov. 2, according to Luminate. This is the sixth consecutive year in which “Thriller” has reentered the Hot 100. It peaked at No. 4 during its initial chart run in 1984.
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Bobby “Boris” Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers’ “Monster Mash” follows at No. 38 with 11.9 million streams (up 213%), 4.4 million radio impressions (up 1,923%) and 4,000 sold (up 82%). This is the third consecutive season that the graveyard smash has revisited the chart. It spent two weeks at No. 1 during its original run in 1962. It’s the sixth time that “Monster Mash” has ranked on the Hot 100 overall; it debuted in September 1962 and, zombielike, reappeared in 1970 and 1973, and has now returned in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
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The Citizens of Halloween’s “This Is Halloween” from Tim Burton’s classic 1993 stop-motion animated film, The Nightmare Before Christmas, debuts at No. 41 on the Hot 100. It’s the first Hot 100 appearance for the act and the first song from the soundtrack to reach the Hot 100. The song debuts with 12.4 million streams (up 152%), 511,000 in airplay audience (up 815%) and 3,000 sold (up 58%).
Meanwhile, The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack jumps from No. 54 to No. 25 on the Billboard 200 with 25,000 equivalent album units (up 61%). The collection reached No. 22 last year, a new high. On the Soundtracks chart, the set rebounds for a fourth total week at No. 1.
Finally, Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters” reenters the Hot 100 at No. 45 with 11.1 million streams (up 168%), 5.9 million radio impressions (up 1,484%) and 4,000 sold (up 97%). This is the third consecutive year that the song has returned to the survey, thanks to Halloween gains. The theme to the 1984 blockbuster film of the same name spent three weeks at No. 1 during its original chart run that year.