Chart Beat
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Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, 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: Noah Kahan sees two of his Stick Season songs take off — one thanks to a new duet, one thanks to a recent cover — while Drake’s For All the Dogs starts barking, his old collaborators Migos have a revived hit, and more.
‘Stick’ The Landing: Noah Kahan Receives New Boosts From Kacey Musgraves & Olivia Rodrigo
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Noah Kahan has become one of the breakout artists of 2023, thanks to quickly increasing interest in a project he released last year: Stick Season, his third studio album which was released one year ago this week, is now a mainstay of the top 20 of the Billboard 200, rising four spots to No. 13 this week. The folk-rock project received a boost last July from a deluxe edition that included the viral hit “Dial Drunk” (which then received a new version featuring Post Malone), and last week, Kacey Musgraves hopped on a new version of “She Calls Me Back,” a standout from the original album track list.
Musgraves — who recently scored her first career Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 with the Zach Bryan duet, “I Remember Everything” — has injected new life into “She Calls Me Back.” Following its release last Friday (Oct. 6), the collaboration earned 3.87 million U.S. on-demand streams in the first four days of its release, according to Luminate; that’s a 341% increase in streams for “She Calls Me Back” from the previous Friday-to-Monday period.
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Meanwhile, another crossover star has given a Kahan song a streaming boost — not with a collaboration, but with a cover version. Last week, Olivia Rodrigo stopped by BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge and performed a soulful take on the Stick Season title track, a major Kahan co-sign that also caused his still-rising “Stick Season” – which was already up enough to debut at No. 80 on the Hot 100 this week – to enjoy another streaming uptick. The song earned 3.89 million streams from Oct. 6-9, a 39% jump from the same tracking period during the previous week. – JASON LIPSHUTZ
Drake’s Streaming Dominance Extends to Samples & Interpolations, Too
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It’s not a shock that Drake‘s new album For All the Dogs is off to a smashing start on streaming platforms: in the first four days of its release (Oct. 6-9), the album earned a whopping 356 million U.S. official on-demand streams, according to Luminate. Some highlights within that enormous number include strong beginnings for the J. Cole team-up “First Person Shooter” (28.26 million streams in its first four days of release), as well as for the Yeat collaboration “IDGAF” (25.31 million streams).
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For All the Dogs has garnered so much streaming attention, in fact, that even some of the songs sampled and interpolated for the new full-length have scored new listeners this week as well. “The Tunnel,” a track from the British jazz trio Azimuth that is sampled on “IDGAF,” rose from a negligible streaming number last week to nearly 10,000 streams between Oct. 6-9. And “West End Girls,” the synth-pop classic from the Pet Shop Boys that Drake sings a bit of at the end of “All the Parties” — and which the British group alleged was an interpolation that never received approval — also experienced a slight uptick in streams, with some Drake listeners undoubtedly curious to hear what he was reviving. “West End Girls” earned 416,000 streams from Oct. 6-9, a 12% increase from the previous Friday-to-Monday period. – JL
Revival of 10-Year-Old Dance Trend Spurs Streaming Resurgence for Migos’ “Handsome & Wealthy”
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Although Offset is currently prepping the release of his forthcoming sophomore solo studio album – Set It Off is due Oct. 13 – music listeners seem to be gravitating towards a seminal decade-old single from Migos, the rap trio comprised of him, Quavo and the late Takeoff.
10 years ago, an Instagram user named Mr. WoopWoop helped popularize a simple dance trend that quickly took over Instagram and Vine alike. Now, the simple arm-flailing body-rocking dance has taken on a new life on TikTok – a social media app that notably did not exist at the time of the dance move’s creation. On TikTok, users have chosen Migos’ “Handsome & Wealthy” to soundtrack their take on the infectious dance. The song selection is a nod to the most widely circulated video of Mr. WoopWoop and his friends hitting the dance.
According to Luminate, Migos’ “Handsome & Wealthy” — a single from their 2014 No Label 2 mixtape , whichpeaked at No. 79 on the Hot 100 – earned just over one million official on-demand U.S. streams during the period of September 29 to October 5. That’s an 85.4% increase in streams compared to the week prior (Sept. 22-28). Several different TikTok sounds have emerged as popular choices for users jumping on this trend; the official “Handsome And Wealthy” sound has nearly 7,400 posts, another untitled sound using audio from the song boasts 21,400 posts, and yet another untitled sound plays in the background of a further 14,700 posts.
We may not get any new Migos music in the foreseeable future, but their catalog of indelible hits and cultural impact will continue to inspire and entertain generations to come. – KYLE DENIS
Suicidal-Idol Earns Big Streaming Gains, Thanks to TikTok’s “Slowed Down” Music Trend
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As more and more mainstream major-label artists continue to release “sped up” and “slowed down” versions of their songs, it’s clear that TikTok’s affinity for altered versions of tracks is having a material impact on the music industry. In the latest major example of such, the mysterious emo-informed musical artist Suicidal-Idol is earning sizable streaming returns for his TikTok smash “Ecstacy.”
After initially going viral in July with a collection of different trending videos, “Ecstacy” has since grown into a TikTok hit that has transcended its original wave of virality. No longer connected to a specific trend or challenge, slowed down versions of “Ecstacy” have been used in hundreds of thousands of TikTok posts to add to the overarching emo aesthetic of the accompanying videos.
According to Luminate, “Ecstacy” posted just under five million official on-demand U.S. streams during Sept. 29-Oct. 5, a 35.6% increase from 3.64 million streams during Sept. 22-28, and a whopping 374.3% increase from five weeks ago during Sept. 1-7. On TikTok, the slowed down version of “Ecstacy” soundtracks over 267,000 posts, while the original boasts over 40,700 videos. An additional sound has over 92,300 posts, and a sped-up version of the song plays in the background of 16,800 videos.
After floating around on the internet for a few months, “Ecstacy” officially hit streaming platforms in February of last year – a testament to the slow-burn route that so many hit songs take in 2023. – KD
Q&A: Andre Stapleton, Global Head of Artist and Label Relations at Amazon Music, on What’s Trending Up in His World
What music trends have stood out to you most clearly over the first three quarters of 2023?
There have been a multitude of really amazing cultural celebrations for the 50th anniversary of hip-hop all across the country. That was especially the case in NYC, where – for obvious reasons – there have been almost constant events honoring hip-hop’s global importance. We are super proud of the celebratory performance series that Amazon Music held to pay homage to the various eras, which included outstanding artists such as Wale, Rick Ross, T.I., Clipse, The Lox, Method Man and Redman, to name just a few.
At the same time, we went an unprecedented half year in which there weren’t any new hip-hop releases atop the charts, until Travis Scott, during which period we saw other genres continue to evolve like Afrobeat (Rema, Davido) and R&B (especially with SZA’s unbelievably great return). One of the biggest upward trends, however, has been in the country/Americana spaces with incredible music and storytelling from the likes of Zach Bryan, Morgan Wallen, Bailey Zimmerman, Jelly Roll, Tyler Childers and Lainey Wilson, who are reaching new (and younger) audiences as they push boundaries genre-wise.
The industry’s country music streams YTD are up by a third on last year, which is more than double that seen across all genres, and we see our label partners paying very close attention to these trends, and prioritizing accordingly – even outside of Nashville. Equally, in the dance and electronic space, we’ve seen outstanding new records from a mix of newer talent like SG Lewis, LP Giobbi, and Yaeji alongside returning legends like Chemical Brothers, Disclosure, Laurent Garnier, Jungle and Sault. One thing is for sure – it’s been a banner year for great music.
What trend do you foresee making noise before the end of this year?
One trend is simply that a bunch of amazing new music is dropping! I’m personally super excited for new records from artists like Sufjan Stevens, Sampha, DJ Shadow, the Stones, Chris Stapleton and Jorja Smith, and that’s only looking at releases filed under ‘S’! And on another ‘S’-themed topic, I think soundtracks are going to trend up, continuing the momentum established by Barbie, given some very compelling titles that will likely be announced soon.
I think we are going to see even more focus on developing connections between artists and fans and on helping artists cut through the digital clutter. At Amazon Music, we’ve developed a lot of tools to help artists engage their audiences, for example, by using their voice to reach fans, or by livestreaming their performances and content. On that note, Amazon Music has been bringing livestream concerts exclusively to fans via the Amazon Music app, Twitch and Prime Video — from Primavera Sound to Stagecoach, and intimate performances with our “City Sessions” and “Breakthrough Live” series. Not to mention our Amazon Music Live program. Millions of fans watched the first season, which is back for a second season, featuring performances from Ed Sheeran, Feid, Lil Durk and more to be announced.
What Amazon Music campaign or partnership do you think exemplifies how listeners are experiencing popular music in 2023?
In particular, I’d really like to shine a light on Amazon Music’s Breakthrough campaigns. Breakthrough is our global developing artists series and is one of the programs I am most proud of. We put an enormous amount of energy and creativity into bringing all our resources to bear, so that we may play a part, in helping to break a number of rising artists each year. So far in 2023 we’ve partnered with Bailey Zimmerman, Chappell Roan, Stephen Sanchez and Lola Brooke, with two more to be announced by the end of the year.
Every artist campaign we develop is bespoke to the artist in which we are ultimately aiming to develop interest. We do that through a combination of powerful music experience levers, such as the creation of stunning branded street art, compelling original video content, interview/non-music audio content, exclusive music projects (such as Amazon Music Originals), livestreams, merch opportunities, experiential activations and so on. It’s incredibly exciting and exemplifies the very best of what we can do, in aid of who we believe could be the megastars of tomorrow. We see this program as a vital tool to help command the attention of music fans to some truly deserving artists, and hopefully play a very meaningful role in breaking these acts.
Fill in the blank: the most exciting development in music that not enough people are discussing is ______.
Stephen Sanchez! This is an incredible debut album and I’m absolutely hooked! If it’s good enough for Elton, it’s good enough for me!
I also remain excited by the constant level of innovation happening at Amazon Music because I truly believe we are doing amazing and industry-leading work, and I want everyone to know about it. Prime members now have access to stream a full catalog of 100 million songs ad-free in shuffle mode, as well as incredible programming and some of the biggest albums on demand – that’s incredible, if you think about it for a moment, relative to the marketplace. We’ve also taken our livestreaming business to new heights from both a creative and audience reach perspective, and are continuing to innovate in the merch category. We continue to evolve both our app and Alexa as a key tool for artists to engage fans, and have built a library of spatial and ultra-high-definition audio spanning genres. We are also introducing industry leading and artist-forward content spaces around the world where artists love to visit and create with us – and we are having a blast! – JL
Season’s Gainings: Listeners Keep Falling in Love With Girl in Red’s “October”
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“That’s why I love fall,” Marie Ulven Ringheim – better known as indie-pop singer-songwriter Girl in Red – declares in “We Fell in Love in October.” She’s had another reason for the last few years: Since 2020, when Billboard first reported on it, her “October” has seen major streaming gains annually around the start of Spooky Season. While in 2020, “October” spiked to 2.5 million official on-demand U.S. streams, this year it’s up from just under three million for the week ending Sept. 28 to over 4.6 million for the first not-quite-full week of the new month. If the song keeps rising every year like this, Ray Parker Jr. and Bobby “Boris” Pickett might soon have some less-Halloween-y competition as far as older songs looking to impact the October Hot 100. — ANDREW UNTERBERGER
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. 21), Drake seems sure to land one of the year’s biggest first weeks with his latest album For All the Dogs, but will have to do so without much in the way of physical sales.
Drake, For All the Dogs (OVO/Republic): After seemingly countless delays and false starts, Drake’s long-anticipated For All the Dogs finally arrived at 6:00 a.m. ET on Friday morning (Oct. 6). The rapper’s eighth official solo studio album – not counting collaborative sets, compilations, mixtapes or “playlists” — came not only as the superstar rapper was winding down his It’s All a Blur tour alongside Her Loss co-lead 21 Savage, but right before he announced that Dogs would be his last work before an extended hiatus, as he tended to health issues.
If it’s the last of Drake that fans will get for a while, Dogs is certainly plenty: 23 tracks and 84 minutes, including guest appearances from fellow stars J. Cole, Bad Bunny, SZA (again) and of course Savage, among other big-name and rising artists. The album has received mostly unflattering reviews, but has still dominated streaming services, with 12 of its tracks still in the top 25 of Spotify’s Daily Top USA chart, and all 23 tracks still in the Apple Music real-time top 25 — both currently led by the set’s “IDGAF” featuring Yeat, the leading early contender to become the set’s major breakout hit.
The album should not have a ton of competition for the Billboard 200’s top spot next week – it’s more of a question of how big his debut atop the chart will be. It will have to come without help from a physical release: Despite other A-list stars of his level putting increasing emphasis on vinyl and CD sets to help bolster their first-week numbers, Drake continues to be digital-only, likely in large part due to his tendency to make last-minute edits to his albums. Nonetheless, lack of physical product didn’t hold Her Loss from posting over 400,000 units in its first week last year, or Certified Lover Boy from over 600,000 in 2021 – with For All the Dogs likely to fall somewhere between those two sets in its debut frame.
IN THE MIX
NCT 127, The 5th Album Fact Check (SM Entertainment): South Korean pop group NCT 127 has been a strong contender on the Billboard 200 with each release this decade, hitting the chart’s top five with each of their last three albums (2020’s Neo Zone, 2021’s Sticker and 2022’s Baddies). The group hopes to make it four albums in four years with their fifth LP, Fact Check. Sales of the set will be bolstered by multiple CD packages, including retailer-exclusive variants for Target and Walmart, while the group’s official webstore is also selling nine different alternative versions of the album digitally (each with a different cover and an additional unique bonus track) and three deluxe boxed sets, containing a branded piece of clothing or accessory, along with a physical copy of the album.
(G)I-dle, Heat (88 Rising/Cube Entertainment): Elsewhere in South Korea, popular girl group (G)I-dle are also back with a new set, the Heat EP. This set is for sale in multiple collectible physical versions (all CD packages), including retailer-exclusive variants for Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Target, with some containing randomized merchandise contents (including photocards and bookmarks). The quintet hit No. 41 on the Billboard 200 earlier this year with their prior EP, I Feel.
Junior H, $ad Boyz 4 Life II (Warner Music Latina/Rancho Humilde): Junior H has long been one of the most exciting and acclaimed young artists in Mexican music, but his status hasn’t always shown on the Billboard 200, where he’s yet to reach above No. 138. That should change next week with the release of his latest corridos tumbados collection $ad Boyz 4 Life II – his first since gaining extra crossover attention alongside superstar Peso Pluma on hits like “Lady Gaga” and “Bipolar,” both of which are still on the Hot 100 this week. None of those are on his own album, however, which does not include any collaborations – or have any physical versions for sale — but is still expected to stream very well.
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. 14-dated charts.
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Del Water Gap
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The Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter scores his first appearance on Billboard’s charts with his new sophomore studio album, I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet. The set, released Sept. 29 via Mom + Pop Records, debuts at No. 97 on the Top Current Album Sales chart with 1,000 copies sold in its opening week, according to Luminate. It follows his debut self-titled full-length, also on Mom + Pop, in 2021.
Del Water Gap (real name Samuel Holden Jaffe – his stage name is inspired by the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area on the borders of New Jersey and Pennsylvania) has been releasing music for nearly a decade. In 2019, he dropped the seven-track live EP Alive From Fresno. He has also collaborated with Maggie Rogers, whom he met at New York University’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, making featured appearances on her “New Song” and “(Does It Feel Slow?)” from her 2020 set Notes from the Archive: Recordings 2011-2016. Del Water Gap also co-wrote and co-produced her songs “Want Want” and “Anywhere With You” from her 2022 LP Surrender. He also teamed with Claud for their song “My Body” in 2020.
Del Water Gap is currently on the road on his headlining I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet Tour, which runs through November. The tour also has several European tour dates set for January and February.
The Beaches
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The Canadian band has already scored hits in its native country, but the quartet lands its first entry on a U.S.-based Billboard survey with “Blame Brett.” The song, released in May on AWAL Recordings, debuts at No. 37 on Alternative Airplay (up 28% in plays). The track appears on the group’s sophomore LP Blame My Ex, released Sept. 15. Before that, the band released its debut full-length, Late Show, in 2017. Its 2022 compilation set Sisters Not Twins (The Professional Lovers Album) won for rock album of the year at the 2022 Juno Awards.
The band has charted 10 songs on the Canada Rock radio chart, including nine top 10s and two No. 1s (“T-Shirt” for nine weeks in 2018 and “Blame Brett” for four weeks beginning this August). On Canada Modern Rock, the band has scored three No. 1s: “Want What You Got” (five weeks in 2020), “Blow Up” (11 weeks in 2021) and “Blame Brett” (14 weeks and counting). On Canada Mainstream Rock, the group has earned six top 10s.
The Beaches is comprised of Jordan Miller (lead vocals, bass), Kylie Miller (guitar, vocals), Leandra Earl (keys, guitar, vocals) and Eliza Enman-McDaniel (drums). They’re currently on their North American Blame My Ex Tour, which runs through March.
Armand Hammer
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The New York City-based hip-hop duo hits Billboard’s charts for the first time, thanks to its sixth studio album, We Buy Diabetic Test Strips. Released Sept. 29 on Fat Possum Records, the project debuts at No. 12 on Heatseekers Albums, No. 28 on Top Current Album Sales and No. 39 on Top Album Sales with 4,000 equivalent album units earned in its opening week (3,000 in album sales). The pair also opens at No. 13 on the Emerging Artists chart. The act previously released the collections Race Music in 2013, Rome (2017), Paraffin (2018), Shrines (2020) and Haram (with The Alchemist; 2021).
Armand Hammer comprises recent Billboard first-timer Billy Woods and Elucid. Both rappers/producers have been releasing music for nearly two decades. Woods, who’s also a member of the underground rap groups Super Chron Flight Brothers and the Reavers, has released over a dozen albums and mixtapes, dating to the early 2000s. Elucid (real name Chaz Hall) has also released over a dozen solo albums and mixtapes, and has worked with hip-hop groups Cult Favorite, Lessondary, Nostrum Grocers and Small Bills.
Cool & Dre
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The Miami-based production/songwriting duo posts its first Billboard chart entry under an artist billing, thanks to “To the Bank,” with Lil Wayne. The song, released Sept. 29 on Young Money/Republic Records on Wayne’s new LP Tha Fix Before The IV, debuts at No. 35 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs with 4.7 million official streams, 94,000 in radio airplay audience and 1,000 downloads sold in the U.S. in its first week. The pair also starts at No. 43 on the Emerging Artists chart.
Cool & Dre consists of Marcello “Cool” Antonio Valenzano and Andre “Dre” Christopher Lyon. As a duo, they’ve produced 24 songs that have charted on the Hot 100, dating to Angie Martinez’s “Take You Home,” featuring Kelis, in 2003 (No. 85 peak). Of those, one has reached the top 10: The Game’s “Hate It or Love It,” featuring 50 Cent (No. 2, 2005). The track also spent two weeks at No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The pair logged its most recent Hot 100 entry in a production role with Wale’s “Poke It Out,” featuring J. Cole 73, 2022). The two have also produced songs for Mary J. Blige, Busta Rhymes, The Carters, Fat Joe and Megan Thee Stallion.
Outside of their work as a duo, Dre has appeared on several Billboard’s charts in a solo capacity. He’s tallied four entries on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs under an artist billing: “Girl I’m A Bad Boy” with Fat Joe and P. Diddy (No. 69 peak in 2003), “Chevy Ridin’ High” featuring Rick Ross (No. 54; 2006), “Ain’t Sayin’ Nothin’” with Fat Joe and Plies (No. 93; 2008) and “Lord Above” with Fat Joe, Eminem and Mary J. Blige (No. 44; 2019). His collaborative album with Fat Joe, Family Ties, also reached No. 81 on the Billboard 200 in 2019.
Koyo
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The emo/melodic hardcore band, from Stony Brook, N.Y., reaches Billboard’s charts for the first time with its debut LP, Would You Miss It? The set, released Sept. 29 on Pure Noise Records, debuts at No. 24 on Heatseekers Albums, No. 39 on Top Current Album Sales and No. 55 on Top Album Sales with 3,000 equivalent album units earned in its opening week (nearly all from album sales). Koyo’s lineup comprises Joey Chiaramonte (lead vocals), Harold Griffin, TJ Rotolico (both on guitars), Stephen Spanos (bass) and Sal Argento (drums). The band has a string of North American and European tour dates lined up through December.
GRAHAM
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GRAHAM is officially a Billboard-charting artist, as his breakout song “HOV” debuts at No. 48 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs. Released in August on 100graham Sounds, it arrives with 513,000 streams Sept. 29-Oct. 5. The song’s latest bump was aided by a new remix with Connor Price and Nic D released Sept. 29.
Courtney Hadwin
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The singer-songwriter, from Hesleden, England, makes her first visit to Billboard’s charts as “Monsters” debuts at No. 19 on Hard Rock Digital Song Sales. She self-released the song, her fourth original single, Sept. 29. Hadwin rose to prominence on NBC’s American’s Got Talent in 2018. Before that, she competed on The Voice Kids UK in 2017, where she performed hits by James Brown, Martha and the Vandellas and Tina Turner.
John Alex Gatsby
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The singer-songwriter, from Brooklyn, debuts on Billboard’s rankings with his new single “Therapy.” The song, released Sept. 22 on Cromer Entertainment Corp., enters Adult R&B Airplay at No. 30. Gatsby has released nine additional songs, including “Bedroom” and “Take You Out,” both in June.
Vikkstar
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The English YouTuber and internet personality arrives on Billboard’s charts for the first time with his new collaboration with Alan Walker and Dash Berlin, “Better Off (Alone, Part III).” The track, released Sept. 28 on MER Musikk/RECORDS/Columbia Records, debuts at No. 41 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs with 656,000 streams. The song samples Alice Deejay’s classic dance staple “Better Off Alone,” which reached No. 27 on the Hot 100 in 2000.
Vikkstar, who posts videos under the name Vikkstar123, has drawn buzz through his gaming channel on YouTube, where he boats over 7.5 million subscribers. His videos have garned over 2.1 billion YouTube views since he began posting in 2010.
Jere Klein
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The Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter, from Chile, achieves his first Billboard chart hit with “Ando.” The Latin urbano song, released Sept. 27, debuts at No. 105 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart with 14.4 million streams outside the U.S. in the latest tracking week.
It’s been more than seven years, but Enrique Iglesias returns to the top 10 on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay chart with his first collab with Maria Becerra, as “Así Es La Vida” debuts at No. 7 on the Oct. 14-dated list. The song marks Iglesias’ first entry and top 10 since 2016 — and highest debut since 2013. Becerra secures her second top 10.
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“Así Es La Vida” debuts in the upper region on Tropical Airplay with 2 million in audience impressions earned in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 5, according to Luminate. The song (and its music video) was released Sept. 28 via Sony Music Latin. It was produced by Carlos Paucar, Iglesias’ longtime collaborator, and arrives as the first single from Iglesias’ forthcoming album, Final Vol. 2.
“Así Es La Vida” is the second top 10 for Argentinian Becerra, who dominated Tropical Airplay for four weeks through another bachata duet, “Te Espero” with Prince Royce, in 2022. The latter held in the top 10 during 25 weeks of its 26-week chart run.
“Vida” gives Iglesias his 28th top 10 on the tropical airplat ranking, following the No. 9-peaking “Duele El Corazón,” featuring Wisin, in 2016. Prior, “El Perdón,” with Nicky Jam, took the Spanish singer-songwriter to No. 5 in 2015.
The new single is not the first time Iglesias has hit the chart with a bachata single. He landed his first foray on the chart within the genre with “El Perdedor,” featuring Marco Antonio Solis, for one week in charge in 2014.
Notably, “Vida” marks the first team-up with a female artist among 13 collabs, 10 that reached the top 10. Here’s the recap of the tenfold:
Peak, Peak Date, Title, Artist, Weeks at No. 1No. 1, Dec. 19, 2009, “Gracias A Ti,” with Wisin & Yandel, oneNo. 1, Sept. 11, 2010, “Cuando Me Enamoro,” featuring Juan Luis Guerra, sixNo. 2, March 19, 2011, “No Me Digas Que No,” featuring Wisin & YandelNo. 8, April 30, 2011, “Tonight (I’m Lovin’ You),” featuring Ludacris & Dj Frank ENo. 2, Nov. 16, 2013, “Loco,” featuring Romeo SantosNo. 1, March 22, 2014, “El Perdedor,” featuring Marco Antonio Solis, oneNo. 1, July 5, 2014, “Bailando,” featuring Descemer Bueno & Gente De Zona, fourNo. 5, May 30, 2015, “El Perdón,” with Nicky JamNo. 9, Aug. 27, 2016, “Duele El Corazón,” featuring WisinNo. 7, Oct. 14, 2023, “Así Es La Vida,” with Maria Becerra
Elsewhere, “Vida” starts at No. 9 on Latin Digital Song Sales, an equal launch for Becerra’s last two top 10s there, and the 17th top 10 for Iglesias, after “Me Pasé,” featuring Farruko, took him to No. 2 in 2021.
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Toby Keith’s 2018 track “Don’t Let the Old Man In” flies from No. 11 to No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart (dated Oct. 14). In the Sept. 29-Oct. 5 tracking week, it sold 13,000 downloads in the United States, up 482%, according to Luminate.
Keith performed the ballad, which was initially released in 2018, on the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards (Sept. 28 on NBC) after receiving the country icon trophy. He boasts 20 No. 1s on the Hot Country Songs chart, among 42 top 10s, dating to his 1993 debut.
The song, which Keith solely authored, becomes his second No. 1, among six top 10s, on Country Digital Song Sales. “Red Solo Cup” dominated for 14 frames starting in November 2011.
On the all-genre Digital Song Sales survey, the track jumps 19-3, giving Keith his highest rank, among three top 10s. “Happy Birthday America” hit No. 5 in 2021 and “Red Solo Cup” reached No. 8 in 2011.
Keith, 62, has been fighting stomach cancer since 2021, a diagnosis that he revealed publicly in June 2022.
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The singer-songwriter told Billboard in 2018 that “Don’t Let the Old Man In” was inspired by Clint Eastwood, director and star of The Mule, the movie in which the song premiered. Struck by Eastwood’s relentless energy when the film legend was then 88 years young, Keith asked how he kept going. “He said, ‘I just get up every morning and go out. And I don’t let the old man in,’ ” Keith recounted. “And I thought, I’m writing that.”
‘Save Me’ Rolls to Top 10
Jelly Roll’s “Save Me” with Lainey Wilson reaches the Hot Country Songs top 10, climbing 13-10.
The collaboration gives Jelly Roll his third top 10 and Wilson her sixth (in as many chart visits). It surged by 30% to 12.2 million audience impressions in the tracking week and pushes 18-16 for a new best on Country Airplay. It also drew 8.6 million official streams and sold 4,000.
Jelly Roll co-penned “Save Me” with David Ray. It follows his “Need a Favor,” which hit No. 3 on Hot Country Songs in July. The latter also led Country Airplay for four weeks beginning in August, becoming his second leader, following “Son of a Sinner,” his first entry which reigned for a week in January.
Wilson adds her sixth Hot Country Songs top 10. “Save Me” follows “Watermelon Moonshine,” which rises 10-7 for a new high. It leads Country Airplay for a second week, up 12% to 30.4 million impressions, having become her third leader a week earlier.
This week, pop fans get to see a once-familiar group of faces on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time in over 20 years: *NSYNC, the chart-topping superstar boy band who were once in the discussion for the biggest act in popular music, have returned with their new single “Better Place.”
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The new single, found on the soundtrack to the upcoming boy band-themed animated sequel Trolls Band Together, bows at No. 25 on the chart this week, with excellent sales and early radio numbers. It’s the group’s first Hot 100 appearance since the Nelly-featuring “Girlfriend” reached No. 5 in 2002.
How should the group be feeling about the song’s entrance? And where will the group likely go from here? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.
1. *NSYNC’s first single in over 20 years, “Better Place,” debuts at No. 25 on the Hot 100 this week. Is that higher, lower or about what you expected for its first week?
Katie Atkinson: Judging by the fervor over the reunion at last month’s MTV VMAs, it’s lower than I expected. I think it could have reasonably had a top 10 or at least top 20 debut had they released it the same week as the VMAs. Instead of the momentum building in the weeks after, it seemed to fizzle a bit, with high-hoped fans realizing that a Trolls song might be the only thing they’re getting from the reunited boy band – no new music outside the movie, and seemingly no tour or concert.
I kept telling my hopeful friends that if the song had a high debut, Justin Timberlake (who seems to be the holdout, since he was the one missing from Ariana Grande’s Coachella performance in 2019) would have to at least consider something beyond the Trolls music. But I don’t know that a No. 25 debut is going to motivate him to do anything further with his bandmates.
Kyle Denis: This is around what I expected, maybe a bit higher than what I was initially predicting. I think a No. 25 debut perfectly encapsulates the tension between the hype for the return of one of the biggest musical acts in pop history and the radically different commercial landscape they’re returning to.
Jason Lipshutz: About what I expected, in context with how the Trolls singles that preceded “Better Place” over the course of the franchise performed: Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” made it to No. 1 on the Hot 100, Timberlake and SZA’s “The Other Side” reached No. 61, and “Better Place” more or less splits the difference. *NSYNC is still a brand name, and their first single in over 20 years was always going to generate interest — so a top 40 debut seemed likely, even as they’ve got a lot of catching up to do in terms of modern streaming fans.
Andrew Unterberger: It’s actually a lot better than I expected based on the early crickets around the song online, and the fact that *NSYNC has been gone so long that a new Justin Timberlake solo song — even one alongside, say, two of his old collaborators — can’t really move the needle anymore. “Better Place” owes its impressive debut to a combination of massive radio support, sales from fans who haven’t completely moved on from the iTunes era and a relatively slow week on the chart, without a big new album release to clutter the top tiers.
Christine Werthman: No. 25 is lower than I expected, considering the hoopla around the group’s VMA appearance, but it’s pretty on point for Timberlake’s Trolls tunes. While “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” debuted at No. 1 in 2016, “The Other Side” with SZA started at No. 61 in 2020 and never went any higher. So, I suppose it makes sense that this one dropped roughly in the middle. I just thought that getting the gang back together would snag it a slightly higher debut.
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2. “Better Place” is off to an excellent start at radio and in sales, but its streams have been fairly minimal. Does it seem like a lasting pop hit to you, or is No. 25 likely as good as it will get for the Trolls sequel single?
Katie Atkinson: I think it could definitely climb higher if the group releases a proper music video – meaning, the actual *NSYNC performing choreography, not animated clips of the Trolls boy band. Of course, with the ongoing actors’ strike, that’s a big ask. Timberlake isn’t going to want to look like he’s not supporting his fellow actors, even though he is likely clear to promote the film in his capacity as a featured musician and not as the voice star. But if actors are able to follow in the footsteps of the Hollywood writers’ strike, which wrapped more than a week ago, there’s a world where we could get a classic *NSYNC music video (can MTV revive TRL for a day?) and the song gets new life.
Kyle Denis: As it happens with soundtrack singles – a lot of this song’s future success depends on how big/well-received the Trolls sequel is, how much money and effort are put into its promotion, and how the song is incorporated into the movie. There’s certainly potential for this to stick around the No. 20-40 range – and potentially sneak a weak or two in the lower reaches of the top 10 – thanks to radio’s support. To grow into a legitimate, lasting smash, however, “Better Place” will have to pick up on streaming, but that’ll be hard to do with a musical act that’s been absent for the entirety of the streaming era.
Jason Lipshutz: It’s hard to say since, while I don’t think “Better Place” will become a huge streaming hit, I could envision radio programmers gravitating towards a new *NSYNC single, considering how many of them undoubtedly remember the group’s turn-of-the-century enormity and would love to incorporate their new song’s sunny pop sound into power blocks. “Better Place” may not rise above No. 25 on the Hot 100, yet the song will likely enjoy a comfortable run on FM dials — especially around the release of the new Trolls movie, when parents and kids are going to be happy to hear how it ties into the story of the film.
Andrew Unterberger: I’m… not optimistic about it sticking around. That said, it was just last year that another whistle-heavy song by an ’00s pop group rode a sequel soundtrack placement to extended chart success, so maybe *NSYNC will be able to follow the formula there. (It would help if Trolls Band Together was at least 1/20th as successful as Top Gun: Maverick, of course.)
Christine Werthman: The movie comes out in November, so by the time we get to the Thanksgiving car rides with the kiddos, it might be in more frequent streaming rotation. It’s also got that breezy, dentist’s-office-appropriate energy that will give it staying power, so I think it’s got a little more gas in the tank and won’t stall at 25. Maybe 20?
3. What would you be looking for regarding the song’s performance if you were on *NSYNC’s team? What, if anything, do you think they stand to gain with a good reception to the new single?
Katie Atkinson: I would be looking at the window from now through the film’s release on Nov. 17 to see if it grows from here, whether that’s through a music video, radio airplay or some sort of belated social virality. If this song peaks at No. 25, I think fans holding out hope for anything else from *NSYNC will be gravely disappointed. But if it has legs, who knows what could happen? I refuse to believe that we’re just going to get a cartoon song and a Hot Ones episode out of this whole thing.
Kyle Denis: If I were on *NSYNC’s team, I’d be paying attention to the song’s longevity above all else. We all know that the first new song from *NSYCNC in over two decades would get an incredibly warm reception across consumption channels upon debut. Now, if “Better Place” can harness that early love and turn it into weeks of stability and substantial growth, that, to me, would be a signal that there’s a place in the contemporary marketplace for *NSYNC outside of nostalgia bait.
Jason Lipshutz: This is a little bit of wishcasting, but if “Better Place” hypothetically turns into an all-out smash, that might somewhat compel *NSYNC to hitting the road together, right? Thus far, there has been no indication that their new single precedes the quintet’s first tour in over two decades, but if anything is going to potentially tip the scales a bit, it would be “Better Place” growing bigger than expected, and bridging the gap to a new generation of *NSYNC fans. Maybe a tour isn’t in the cards regardless of the song’s performance, but here’s hoping, right?
Andrew Unterberger: Honestly, I wouldn’t even be trying to get on radio or even on TikTok in 2023 if I was *NSYNC’s team — I’d just be hitting those pleasure centers for the longtime fans, the ones actually likely to buy tickets for an upcoming tour if and when one happens. There’s no particularly likely path back to contemporary stardom for *NSYNC in an era when, again, even JT solo can’t seem to find his way back in. They’d be much better off not even trying, especially since the Backstreet Boys have proven that ’90s boy bands can still have a very lucrative second life as a legacy act.
Christine Werthman: I’d be crossing my fingers for some TikTok pickup, hoping that Gen Z cared as much as Millennials about this boy band reunion. *NSYNC isn’t going to skyrocket back to No Strings Attached levels of popularity, but if there’s some interest here, it could prompt some more new music, maybe a couple reunion shows.
4. With *NSYNC now (at least temporarily) reunited, who’s another pop group that’s been dormant for at least a decade who you’d like to see give it another go?
Katie Atkinson: Destiny’s Child – whether it’s the trio lineup of Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, or even adding LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett into the mix, since all four of those women attended Queen B’s hometown Renaissance Tour stop in Houston last month. After all, fans already think DC could be involved in “act ii” of Bey’s Renaissance album series. Honestly, a Destiny’s Child reunion seems way more realistic than anything beyond “Better Place” for *NSYNC at this point.
Kyle Denis: Salt-N-Pepa.
Jason Lipshutz: All five Spice Girls haven’t performed together since 2012 — and that was only a few songs for the London Olympics, not a full-fledged tour. Not only do I think a Spice Girls reunion trek would be entertaining as hell, but I’d love to hear their blended perspectives on a new single, EP or album; they accomplished so much in the ’90s, have grown into different people in the years since, and I’d bet whatever they cooked up in the studio would be, at the very least, thematically interesting.
Andrew Unterberger: Anyone else out there who would have major interest in a Junior Senior hyperpop album? Just me perhaps?
Christine Werthman: Savage Garden. Darren Hayes still releases solo music, his latest album, Homosexual, dropping in 2022, but Daniel Jones called it quits and meant it. He hated touring, works in real estate and, like Hayes, says they will never reunite. I honestly salute their commitment to the breakup, but that would be a fun one.
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5. OK, it’s been seven years since Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling!,” from the original Trolls, topped the Hot 100 — how do you feel about the song in 2023?
Katie Atkinson: I have much fonder feelings toward that song now than I did when it was first released. At the time, I wrestled with how uncool it was – but it’s a carefree, fun song from a kids’ movie. Of course it’s uncool! After dancing to it on countless wedding dance floors in the seven years since, I’ve come to peace with the fact that it’s a harmless, happy song whose charms are hard to resist.
Kyle Denis: It’s not a song that I would defend with my life, but I’ve never really understood the distaste for this one. It’s fun and full of my favorite pop song clichés, so I can’t be too mad at it. Doesn’t add much to JT’s discography, but that wasn’t the goal, so I’ll continue to enjoy it for what it is.
Jason Lipshutz: Pretty much the same as I felt about it seven years ago: not my favorite JT song, but it’s undeniably catchy, and I really love the sing-along outro. Really, we should be using this space to cry Justice For “The Other Side,” the Trolls World Tour single that demonstrated some nu-disco chemistry between Timberlake and SZA. Should have been bigger!
Andrew Unterberger: Never really need to hear it outside a wedding context, but would be lying if I said I did not get that feeling in my body when it comes on.
Christine Werthman: It didn’t make my personal top songs list in 2016 (lots of Beyoncé, Solange, Rihanna, Drake and Frank Ocean though — what a year!), but it’s a cute track. Was then, is now. I’m sure at the time I was outraged that No. 1 wasn’t something from The Life of Pablo, but you can’t sleep on those family-friendly hits.
Paul Russell ascends to No. 1 on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart (dated Oct. 14), becoming the top up-and-coming act in the U.S. for the first time, thanks to the continued success of his viral breakthrough song, “Lil Boo Thang.”
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The single, released Aug. 18 on Arista Records, jumps 74-51 in its third week on the Billboard Hot 100 with 17.9 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 31%), 5.1 million official streams (up 16%) and 5,000 downloads sold (up 12%) in the United States in the Sept. 29-Oct. 5 tracking week, according to Luminate.
The track holds at its No. 5 high on Digital Song Sales and climbs 48-39 on the all-format Radio Songs chart. The feel-good song continues rising at multiple radio formats: It’s up 22-18 on Pop Airplay and 25-22 on Adult Pop Airplay, debuts at No. 25 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and holds at its No. 27 high on Rhythmic Airplay.
Emerging Artists is the second chart that Russell has topped, after “Lil Boo Thang” led the Rap Digital Song Sales chart dated Sept. 2.
“Lil Boo Thang” interpolates the Emotions’ classic “Best of My Love,” which was written by Maurice White and Al McKay of Earth, Wind & Fire. The song spent five weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1977 and finished as Billboard’s No. 3 year-end Hot 100 song that year. White and McKay are both credited as writers on Russell’s single.
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Russell, from Texas and now based in Los Angeles, first teased a snippet of “Lil Boo Thang” in a June 28 TikTok that has since garnered over 10 million views and launched over 300,000 creations from fans who’ve paired it with other clips. (Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard charts except for the newly-launched TikTok Billboard Top 50.) He later repurposed the post on Instagram Reels, where it has generated another 10 million views and sparked over a million creations. That virality helped Russell land a deal with Arista.
“First and foremost, ‘Lil Boo Thang’ is meant to be a good time,” Russell told Billboard ahead of the full track’s release. “When I wrote it, I was stressed out on a Thursday afternoon, so I just turned on some of the music that makes me happy and imagined that I was celebrating something. I think what makes the song special is the fact that so many of us are ready to just forget about whatever is happening around us and enjoy the good things in life – not just thinking back to good times in the past but creating new ones in the present day.”
The Emerging Artists chart ranks the most popular developing artists of the week, using the same formula as the all-encompassing Billboard Artist 100, which measures artist activity across multiple Billboard charts, including the Hot 100 and Billboard 200. (The Artist 100 lists the most popular acts, overall, each week.) However, the Emerging Artists chart excludes acts that have notched a top 25 entry on either the Hot 100 or Billboard 200, as well as artists that have achieved two or more top 10s on Billboard’s “Hot” song genre charts and/or consumption-based “Top” album genre rankings.
Tyla scores her first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (dated Oct. 14), as “Water,” the breakthrough single for the South African singer-songwriter, debuts at No. 67. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The song, released July 28 on FAX Records/Epic Records, arrives on the chart […]
Taylor Swift spends a record-extending 81st week at No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart (dated Oct. 14) thanks to nine albums on the Billboard 200 and three songs on the Billboard Hot 100. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Leading Swift’s titles on the Billboard […]
After being denied by Doja Cat on several occasions, Kenya Grace appears ready for her coronation on the U.K. singles chart.
The South Africa-born, U.K.-raised artist leads the midweek chart with “Strangers” (FFRR), her major label debut and first trans-Atlantic hit.
Also contending for the crown is Casso, RAYE, D-Block Europe’s “Prada” (Ministry of Sound) up 4-2 on the Official Chart Update, and Tate McRae’s “Greedy” (Ministry of Sound), up 5-3.
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