Chart Beat
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Newcomer Kenya Grace rises to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, dated Oct. 21, with her breakthrough hit, “Strangers.”
Concurrently, “Strangers” tops the Dance/Electronic Streaming Songs and Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales charts for a fifth and third week, respectively. It rose 4% to 8.2 million official U.S. streams in the week ending Oct. 12, according to Luminate.
The track, on Major/Warner Records, debuted on the Sept. 16-dated survey at No. 5 and then ranked at No. 2 the last four weeks. It displaces David Guetta and Bebe Rexha’s “I’m Good (Blue)” after 55 total and consecutive weeks at No. 1. That’s the second-longest reign in the list’s decade-long history, trailing only Marshmello and Bastille’s “Happier” (69 weeks, 2018-20).
Notably, “Strangers” is the first Hot Dance/Electronic Songs No. 1 solely written, produced and sung by a woman. Among all acts, and 50 leaders so far, it joins Calvin Harris’ “Summer,” in 2014, as the only songs written, produced and sung by a single talent.
Not only does “Strangers” crown Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, but Grace builds upon her momentum with a debut, as her “Only in My Mind” enters at No. 35.
“Strangers” also bounds to the Dance/Mix Show Airplay top 10 (15-6), up 48% in plays as the chart’s Greatest Gainer. The song, which has achieved prominence on TikTok, has also become her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100.
Beyond U.S.-only-based charts, “Strangers” has become a worldwide hit for Grace, who was born in South Africa and raised in the U.K. It has reached No. 3 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. tally and No. 5 on the Billboard Global 200. It has also hit the top 10 on 19 of Billboard’s Hits of the World charts, topping lists in the U.K. and Austria. It also rises to the top of the latest Official UK Singles Chart.
The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week (for the upcoming charts dated Oct. 28), Taylor Swift could finally be in line to top the Billboard Hot 100 with her revived “Summer” hit, but may end up neck-and-neck with hits from several other big-name artists, including an old labelmate and chart competitor.
Taylor Swift, “Cruel Summer” (Republic): Have you gotten your ticket for the Eras Tour movie? Plenty of Swifties already have, since the film debuted last weekend (Oct. 13-15) to a $92.8 million opening – already making it fairly easily the biggest concert doc ever after just a few days of release. And although Taylor Swift‘s fans hardly need another reason to consume her catalog in greater numbers, wouldn’t you know it: She has seen a bump in streams and sales since the film’s release, including for her current top song, the resuscitated Lover highlight “Cruel Summer.”
It’s not an enormous streaming bump for “Cruel Summer” (likely not even a double-digit percentage gain week over week), but the song has spiked in sales. “Summer” even returns to the top of the real-time iTunes sales chart this week, as fans are newly inspired by the song’s prominent placement in Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour — or perhaps just sense an opening on the Hot 100 for the longtime fan favorite, originally released in 2019, while it’s a relatively slow week and Swift has an additional boost in momentum. (Also helping: Swift discounting the single to $0.69 on iTunes for the last couple days of the tracking week.)
Will it all be enough to raise the song — which has thus far peaked at No. 3 amid proper single promotion that began in June, and falls to No. 9 this week (on the chart dated Oct. 21) under an avalanche of Drake For All the Dogs debuts – all the way to No. 1? It’s certainly possible, with Drake’s songs naturally receding in their second week, and nothing else in the top 10 poised to make obvious gains. Radio could be key: “Cruel Summer” fell out of the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Radio Songs listing two weeks ago but has been holding strong at No. 2 since; if it can keep from further slippage there, it may have just enough in an all three Hot 100 components for a real run at the chart’s apex.
Drake feat. J. Cole, “First Person Shooter” / Drake feat. Yeat, “IDGAF” (OVO/Republic): Taylor Swift clearly got under labelmate Drake’s skin last November when her newly remix-boosted Hot 100 conquerer “Anti-Hero” blocked his and 21 Savage’s new “Rich Flex” from debuting at No. 1 on the chart: Might it be time for him to return the favor? Drake will have the advantage of incumbency on the chart, as his J. Cole-featuring “First Person Shooter” bows atop the listing this week, making for his 13th Hot 100 No. 1 (and Cole’s long-awaited first). The song is expected to drop significantly in streams this week, however, so it might need a boost from a new video (or fan meme) to have much shot at holding the top spot.
That said, it’s not Drake’s only contender in the chart’s top tier: The Yeat-featuring “IDGAF” has passed it on the daily charts on Spotify and Apple Music for about a week now – currently ranking No. 1 on both listings — and seems likely to take over as his top-charter on the Hot 100, as well. The song’s presence in digital sales and on radio is still fairly minimal however, so it will really have to score big in streaming to have much chance at holding off Swift’s surge for a belated No. 1.
Doja Cat, “Paint the Town Red” (Kemosabe/RCA): Remember this one? “Paint the Town Red” has already spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100, and even amid the Drake surge this week it’s still holding strong at No. 4. Doja‘s smash ranks No. 3 both on Billboard’s Radio Songs and Digital Song Sales charts this week, and though it falls to No. 20 on Streaming Songs, it’s still the second-highest non-Drake entry (behind Zach Bryan’s Kacey Musgraves-featuring “I Remember Everything”). There’s not much about the song that’s still new or growing at this point, but with that kind of consistency across chart components, “Paint” might be every bit as much the single to beat this week as “Summer.”
IN THE MIX
Bad Bunny, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana (Rimas): Let’s not forget that one of the biggest pop artists in the world also released a 22-track new album on Friday (Oct. 13). Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana is almost certainly aiming for a No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200, but a bow for one of its tracks atop the Hot 100 may be tougher, as Bad Bunny’s radio support and song sales have never been particularly robust, and he’s already ceded his spot atop the daily DSP charts back to Drake. That said, “Monaco” is the best-performing of its new songs so far, and may not debut too far away from the top spot – which the global superstar has still yet to capture on an unaccompanied solo single.
SZA, “Snooze” (Top Dawg Entertainment/RCA): Another one for the “so close, yet so far” file: Like “Cruel Summer,” SZA’s sublime ballad “Snooze” has taken a winding path to the Hot 100’s top five, and reached a No. 2 high the two weeks prior to Drake’s current onslaught. The song sits at No. 7 this week – blocked by her own Hot 100-topping Drake collab “Slime You Out,” among others – but holds for a second week atop Radio Songs, and may well at least return to the top five next week after some of the Drake entries fall out. But with the song’s video and Justin Bieber-featuring remix already out, there might not be another card left to play for SZA’s slow-burning hit to get over the top. Maybe she should release her own SOS Tour documentary.
Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” is the full package when it comes to hit songwriting. Every aspect of the song is fully optimized and firing on all cylinders so that it fully connects and resonates with the listener without ever wearing out its welcome.
What follows are a few of the song’s strongest qualities that have contributed to its success.
Notably, the song spends a 10th week at No. 1 on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart (dated Oct. 21), marking Swift’s first double-digit-week leader on the list. It has reached a No. 3 high on the Billboard Hot 100, having become one of her 42 top 10s on the chart, the most among women. It was originally released on Swift’s 2019 album Lover before Republic Records started promoting it as a single this June.
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Strategically Placed Vocal Hooks
At the heart of “Cruel Summer” are its uniquely delivered and strategically placed vocal hooks that make it an irresistible earworm of a song that keeps the listener engaged from start to finish.
The bookending intro and outro and turnaround feature the vocoder-processed “yeah” hook that serves as an instantly recognizable calling card for the song.
Both verses also feature catchy vocoder-processed vocal hooks, presented in a background manner under Swift’s lead. Together, they create a catchy call-and-response flow while cleverly conveying Swift’s conflicted desire for her love interest.
The chorus features the nonsensical “ooh, whoa-oh” hook, which achieves a few key elements: The creative, melismatic and show-don’t-tell manner in which it’s sung communicates the emotion that Swift feels without the need to outright state it; it foreshadows and subsequently reinforces the summative, “it’s a cruel summer,” song title hook that directly follows; and it showcases Swift’s vocal chops.
Meanwhile, the bridge uniquely features two standout shouted vocal hooks that are primely placed at the end each stanza: “I don’t wanna keep secrets just to keep you,” and the even more stark, “‘I love you’ – ain’t that the worst thing you ever heard?” A testament to the bridge’s overall strength is its interpolation in Olivia Rodrigo’s No. 3 Hot 100 hit from 2021, “Deja Vu,” which resulted in the writers of “Cruel Summer” – Swift, Jack Antonoff and St. Vincent – all receiving writing credits on Rodrigo’s song.
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Intriguing Lyricism
While many of today’s hits pepper in a bit of clever, metaphorical lyricism to make a narrative more engaging, “Cruel Summer” is atypically chock full of it. Every section, save for the action scene in the bridge, features an abundance of intriguing show-don’t-tell writing, as noted above, that delivers the story in a highly compelling and engaging manner.
A prime example is the pre-chorus’ “devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes” line. Along with conveying Swift’s likely futile gamble on her bad-boy love interest, the astute Swift fan will notice that it also cleverly alludes to a board game featured in the video for Swift’s 2019 hit “Lover.”
However, as shrewd as the song’s lyricism is, it remains easy to grasp and comprehend, which is a testament to Swift’s masterful lyric-writing skills.
Emotional Connection
One of the most important qualities of a hit song is its ability to emotionally impact the listener so that it connects on a profound level and keeps ears coming back for more. One highly effective way of achieving this is through the vocal performance, instruments and lyrics all working in tandem to create a unified expression, a combination known as prosody.
In “Cruel Summer,” prosody is effectively achieved throughout the entire song. For instance, in the first verse, the synth creates a subtle, dark vibe that underscores the problematic love/relationships-themed story. In the chorus, Swift’s soaring, evocative vocals accentuate the passion she feels for her love interest. As for the bridge, the faster-paced vocals and synth pattern work in concert to bolster the anxiety-ridden, action-based lyrics.
David and Yael Penn co-founded Hit Songs Deconstructed. Earlier in October, Hit Songs Deconstructed and fellow song analysis platform MyPart publicly launched launched ChartCipher, a new AI-powered platform analyzing a deeper scope of hit songs, as defined by Billboard’s charts.
10/18/2023
The King of Pop rewrote the record book, but records are made to be broken.
10/18/2023
Billboard‘s data partner Luminate is improving the way it collects and reflects album sales data from independent music retailers. This week, Luminate revealed to all clients that in week 1 of 2024 (the reporting week that begins Dec. 29, 2023), data on physical sales (vinyl, CDs and cassettes) will reflect a direct representation of those […]
Gospel music icon Kirk Franklin earns his 14th No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart, as Father’s Day debuts atop the Oct. 21-dated list. In the tracking week dated Oct. 6-12, the set earned 9,000 equivalent album units, with 6,000 in album sales, according to Luminate.
Franklin boasts the most No. 1s on the chart since he led for the first time in December 1993, Kirk Franklin and the Family.
“I can’t explain how it feels after 30 years to still have the beautiful opportunity to do music that pushes people to the greatest love story ever told,” Franklin tells Billboard. “Thank you!”
Father’s Day follows Kingdom Book One, Franklin’s collaboration with the Atlanta-based collective Maverick City Music, which started at its No. 2 peak in July 2022. His last solo set before his new LP, Long Live Love, launched at the apex in June 2019.
Dating to Franklin’s first chart-topper, his 14 No. 1s outpace runner-up Fred Hammond, with 10. CeCe Winans follows with seven. Franklin’s 294 weeks at No. 1 in that nearly 30-year span also mark the most for any act.
The 10-song Father’s Day was recorded amid personal struggle for Franklin, as he dealt with his family history. Notably, the man that he grew up thinking was his father passed away and, shortly after, he discovered his actual biological father through a series of DNA tests. He chronicled those events in the documentary Father’s Day: A Kirk Franklin Story.
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The Father’s Day album includes collaborations with Kelontae Gavin and Maranda Curtis; LeAndria Johnson; Tori Kelly; Jonathan McReynolds and Jekalyn Carr; and Chandler Moore.
The LP’s lead single, “All Things,” led Gospel Airplay for two weeks in September, becoming Franklin’s 10th No. 1 and tying him with Tamela Mann for the most in the chart’s history. On the latest streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Gospel Songs chart, it pushes 7-5 for a new best.
Jekalyn Carr nets her seventh No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay list (dated Oct. 21) as “I Believe God” ascends to the summit. The song, which Carr wrote solo, marks her fourth Gospel Airplay leader in succession. It follows “My Portion,” which led for a week in June 2022; “Jehovah Jireh,” which dominated for two […]
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.
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Mitch Rowland
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
Natalie Grant debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Christian Albums survey dated Oct. 21 with Seasons. Released on Oct. 6, the set earned 6,000 equivalent album units, with 5,000 in album sales, in the week ending Oct. 12, according to Luminate.
Seasons marks the ninth chart entry for Grant, who hails from Seattle, and her third No. 1 among seven top 10s.
“You Will Be Found,” with Cory Asbury, was the first single from the new set, presenting the pair’s spin on the song from the musical Dear Evan Hansen. Seasons also contains a new version of “Shackles (Praise You),” with Mary Mary, the gospel duo’s signature song that reached No. 28 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 in 2000.
Among other collaborations on the LP, Dolly Parton duets on an update of Whitney Houston’s “Step by Step” (written by Annie Lennox) and Tasha Cobbs Leonard joins Grant on “Bridge Over Troubled Water”; the original by Simon & Garfunkel ruled the Hot 100 for six frames in 1970.
“I’m just so grateful to continue doing what I love, and that people continue loving what I do,” Grant tells Billboard. “It’s all just such a gift. And to hear how these reimagined versions of classic songs are so deeply affecting people was the purpose behind this record in the first place. So, I feel very fulfilled today.”
Seasons follows Grant’s No Stranger, which debuted at its No. 2 Top Christian Albums high in October 2020 (with 33,000 first-week units, her best one-week total).
Seasons marks Grant’s first No. 1 since Be One opened in the penthouse in December 2015. She first led with Hurricane, which entered on top in November 2013. She posted her first entry in 2003 when Deeper Life started at its No. 25 high. Awaken followed in 2005, debuting at No. 12 before hitting No. 3, awarding Grant her first top 10.
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“You Will Be Found” reached No. 6 on Christian Airplay in August, becoming Grant’s 11th top 10, and Asbury’s fourth. On the streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Christian Songs ranking, it hit No. 10, marking their ninth and fourth trips to the top 10, respectively.
The ballad also holds at its No. 14 high on the secular Adult Contemporary chart, having become Grant’s first entry since 2006.
After a top 10 finish for his prior release, Colombian artist Venesti captures his first No. 1 on any Billboard chart as his latest single “Umaye” climbs 9-1 to lead the Latin Airplay ranking (dated Oct. 21). The new champ follows the No. 10-peaking “Pura Maldad” on Latin Rhythm Airplay, his highest rank on any […]