Chart Beat
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Streams and sales of Sinead O’Connor’s catalog vaulted following the Irish singer’s death on July 26, with many of her songs returning to the Billboard charts dated Aug. 5.
O’Connor’s catalog earned 7.9 million official on-demand U.S. streams in the July 21-27 tracking week, up 774% from 901,000 July 14-20, according to Luminate.
As for July 26-27 vs. July 24-25, O’Connor’s official on-demand U.S. song streams grew from 243,000 to 7.3 million, up 2,885%.
Additionally, downloads of her songs totaled 17,000 July 21-27, a 5,348% surge from a negligible amount July 14-20.
In terms of albums, O’Connor’s music earned 11,000 equivalent album units July 21-27, up 1,346% from 1,000 the week before. Of those 11,000 units, 4,000 were via album sales.
With consumption gains come multiple appearances on the Billboard charts for O’Connor, paced by her cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” which returns to the Rock Digital Song Sales and Alternative Digital Song Sales surveys at No. 1 with 10,000 downloads sold.
The song also accrued 3.2 million streams, which, combined with its sales, drive it onto the multi-metric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs tally at No. 10 (where older songs are eligible to appear if in the top half and with a meaningful reason for their resurgences).
It’s the song’s second time on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (which began in 2009); it ranked at No. 16 on the May 14, 2016, chart with streaming and sales gains following Prince’s death.
“Nothing Compares 2 U” was O’Connor’s lone Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, reigning for four weeks in 1990.
O’Connor’s songs “Mandinka” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes” also reach Alternative Digital Song Sales, at Nos. 16 and 17, respectively, and Rock Digital Song Sales (Nos. 24 and 25), with approximately 1,000 downloads sold apiece. “The Emperor’s New Clothes” was O’Connor’s lone other entry on the Hot 100, as the follow-up to “Nothing Compares 2 U” reached No. 60 in 1990.
Further placements for O’Connor’s music are possible on the Aug. 12-dated Billboard charts following a full week of sales, streaming and airplay tracking (July 28-Aug. 3).
O’Connor died in London at age 56. A cause of death has not been announced.
“‘Morning after’ … oh, I can’t take this. Give me a Strauss waltz anytime.”
“I rather fancy it …”
Early in the 1972 movie The Poseidon Adventure, two crew members on the cruise ship Poseidon are working as the band aboard rehearses a hopeful pop ballad. One, a grizzled veteran, clearly isn’t interested, but the other, younger, hand on deck is intrigued.
By the time the movie, an eventual cornerstone in the disaster film canon, had become a box office hit, audiences decidedly agreed with the latter listener.
Serving as the theme to the movie and released as a single, Maureen McGovern’s “The Morning After” began a two-week reign on the Billboard Hot 100 dated Aug. 4, 1973. (The song hit No. 1 on the chart’s 15th anniversary, as the list launched with the edition dated Aug. 4, 1958.)
Prior to its Hot 100 coronation, “The Morning After” won best original song at the Academy Awards, for its writers, Joel Hirschhorn and Al Kasha. It’s one of an elite 17 Oscar winners to have topped the Hot 100. (In The Poseidon Adventure, McGovern doesn’t sing the song; the character of Nonnie, played by Carol Lynley, is shown performing it, twice, although it was actually sung in the film by Renee Armand.)
The song sparked McGovern’s nomination for best new artist at the Grammy Awards in 1974 (the first of two Grammy nods in her career) and became her signature hit, one which, she tells Billboard, has sparked a legacy of healing.
Upon the 50th anniversary of the single beginning its Hot 100 command, McGovern, who in August 2022 shared her diagnosis of posterior cortical atrophy (a disease with symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s and/or Dementia), discusses the impact of the song, her varied career as an entertainer and how music, beyond “The Morning After,” can be therapeutic.
Billboard: Maureen, how did you come to record “The Morning After,” and what did you think of the song initially?
McGovern: During the late 1960s and early ‘70s I traveled throughout the Midwest as the lead singer for a folk band called Sweet Rain. Carl Maduri was a producer in Cleveland. In early 1972, I was performing at a club in Cleveland when a friend of Carl’s attended my show. I’ve been told that this friend informed Carl that he had to hear me sing. Carl then came to see me perform and called my manager at the time. Meetings ensued …
A call was placed to Russ Regan, then president of 20th Century Fox Records, and apparently, he was told that I was quite a talented singer.
Russ Regan knew that Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn, the writers of “The Morning After,” were looking for a singer to record the song. I was asked to record a demo, and my manager and the record label loved it. Russ Regan signed me to 20th Century Fox Records and, in late 1972, “The Morning After” and The Poseidon Adventure were released.
Recording that song opened the door to my career. I have always been extremely grateful for that opportunity and for the enduring legacy of that song. To this day, for all of 50 years, I have had people write letters to me, talk with me at concerts, even stop me on the street to share how the song helped get them through something in their life that they were not sure they could survive.
It has been a part of almost every one of my live performances over the past five decades. Whenever I start to sing “The Morning After,” the audience breaks into spontaneous applause, and I feel the love in the room. The song’s message is a gift to us all.
Do you remember finding out that the song had won at the Academy Awards, and what your reaction was?
Stunned … thrilled … I could not believe it!
I was a girl from Youngstown, Ohio, aspiring to have a career as a singer. I was performing on the East Coast the evening that “The Morning After” won. The Oscars were being presented in LA. During my performance, the venue owners ran in, interrupted my show and announced that the song had won the Oscar! The entire crowd erupted in grand applause. Their recognition and applause at that moment was the biggest thing that had ever happened to me. It was breathtaking.
I had recorded the song in the fall of 1972 to only minimal fanfare. But that Oscar win ultimately created a lot of attention for the song. By August of 1973, “The Morning After” was at the top of the Hot 100. It was a dream come true.
Having also recorded “We May Never Love Like This Again,” a Hot 100 hit in 1975 from The Towering Inferno – and another best original song Oscar winner for Hirschhorn and Kasha that year – you became somewhat of a go-to for songs from disaster movies … which you played up in your cameo, as a nun, in that iconic scene in Airplane. How did that casting happen, and what was the experience like filming it? (Shirley, it couldn’t have been too serious on the set.)
The casting for Airplane happened extremely quickly. Apparently, the actress that had originally been selected to play the role had become unavailable. My agent received a call from the film’s production team on a Thursday afternoon and by the next day, I had my script in hand and was to report to the set the following Monday ready to go!
It was incredibly interesting to see how different actors interact. The cast that I worked with was delightful. It really was great fun.
You also recorded a song that, like a track tied to a movie, had built-in exposure: “Different Worlds,” the theme from the ABC TV show Angie. Any special memories of that song, which became another Billboard No. 1 for you, on the Adult Contemporary chart?
It was a lighthearted song that resonated with the adult contemporary audience. Meeting the cast of the show was special. I really enjoyed this opportunity.
From music to movie placements to Broadway, you have forged such a rich career. You must take pride in that versatility.
Success in this craft not only requires some God-given talent, but also a great amount of effort and a good bit of luck. I have been blessed to be able to create a fulfilling life and a wonderful career, doing what I know I was always meant to do: singing.
I do take pride in the fact that my work has spanned genres and venues from small supper clubs in the tiniest of towns to grand performance centers like Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl, from private concerts and benefits to performing for global dignitaries and U.S. presidents, and from summer stock to Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute and even Broadway. I have recorded and performed myriad genres starting with folk and moving to pop, jazz, musical theatre and music written by such greats as George and Ira Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Rodgers and Hart and Hammerstein and so many more.
My career has taken me to recording studios, movie sets, television stations, theaters, concert halls and symphony centers literally all over the world.
It’s inspiring that you value music therapy, among other philanthropic pursuits of yours. Can you talk about how you got into that, how you’ve helped people in that manner, and how you think music can help heal people in different ways?
From the very beginning of my career, as I traveled to different cities to perform, I would make it a priority to visit hospices, hospitals and prisons. This was my effort to bring hope and healing through music to people in need. That’s always been a part of my heart. This work has given me so many remarkably memorable experiences. I recall one evening, following a concert performance, I was asked to visit a children’s hospital the next morning, on Christmas Day. There were babies in cribs and children in beds. The babies didn’t know anything about me or my music, but the parents needed to hear a hopeful message. After I sang, they came and hugged me. Something as small as a song changed how they were feeling, even if just for that moment.
Another special memory happened when I was visiting a hospice with my friend, Dr. Deforia Lane, a music therapist. We had the opportunity to meet a family gathered around their grandmother who was in her last moments of life. I thought, “Oh, my God, what can I do to help this woman and her family at this time?” You could feel the sadness in the room. Her family said that she liked country music, so we sang a familiar country song for her, “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” by John Denver. I got to a certain point in the song, and we heard a soft “whoo, whoo, whoo” sound. She was “singing” along with us. There was such beauty in that. Her children and grandchildren began crying tears of joy. Sharing a simple gift like that is wonderful. Music is healing.
When people are feeling low, music lifts their souls. It brings me great joy to help others find hope in music.
The all-star team comprising LIT Killah, Tiago Pzk, Duki, Emilia, Rusherking, Big One and FMK return to No. 1 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart as “Los Del Espacio” rebounds 2-1 on the July 29-dated ranking. The song enters into a tie with another Emilia song for the most weeks atop in 2023: “En […]
After gaining six new top 10 showings across Billboard charts, including two No. 1s, with “Where She Goes,” Bad Bunny extends his winning streak as the song rises to No. 2 on the Latin Airplay chart (dated Aug. 5). It concurrently lands at No. 1 on Latin Rhythm Airplay.
On Latin Airplay, “Where She Goes” surges 20-2 as the Greatest Gainer of the week with 9 million in audience impressions, that’s a 70% gain from the week prior. Bad Bunny unseats one of his own from the runner-up slot as “Un X100to,” with Grupo Frontera dips 2-6 with a 6% decline in audience impressions (to 8.2 million).
The song’s biggest supporters for the week includes SBS’s KXOL (Los Angeles), Univision’s WVIV (Chicago) and KQMR (Phoenix), and Grupo Radio Centro KAMA (Houston).
With “Where She Goes,” Benito banks his 26th top 10 on Latin Airplay, tying with Maluma for the seventh-most among Latin rhythm acts since the chart launched in 1994. Here’s the top 10 recap:
48, Daddy Yankee40, J Balvin37, Ozuna28, Wisin & Yandel27, Wisin26, Bad Bunny26, Maluma
Further, the new Latin Airplay top 10 follows two chart commands: “Where She Goes” gifted Bad Bunny a third ruler on the Billboard Global 200 and his 14th champ on Latin Digital Song Sales, both on the June 3-dated rankings. On the latter, Benito extends his second-most record, trailing only Shakira’s 15 No. 1s.Plus, as mentioned, “She Goes” now dominates Latin Airplay in its 10th week. Let’s look at the song’s achievements across the charts:
Peak Date, Chart, Peak PositionJune 3, Billboard Global 200, No. 1June 3, Billboard Global Excl. U.S., No. 3June 3, Latin Digital Song Sales, No. 1June 3, Hot Latin Songs, No. 2June 3, Latin Streaming Songs, No. 2June 3, Streaming Songs, No. 3Aug. 5, Latin Airplay, No. 2Aug. 5, Latin Rhythm Airplay, No. 1
Beyond its top 10 on Latin Airplay, “She Goes” takes over Latin Rhythm Airplay, which gives Benito his 21st ruler there. He breaks from a tie with Wisin & Yandel for the fourth-most among all acts, trailing Daddy Yankee (35 No. 1s), J Balvin (34), and Ozuna (29).
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Matchbox Twenty’s classic hit “Push” revisits multiple Billboard charts dated Aug. 5, sparked by its synch – via its original version and Ryan Gosling‘s cover – in the new movie Barbie. Released in 1996, “Push” reaches the multi-metric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs tally at No. 17. (Older songs are eligible to rank on the […]
Artists such as The Rolling Stones and Madonna seem to thrive on pushing the envelope.
The final results of the year’s closest race for No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart were announced on Wednesday (August 2) — with K-pop quintet NewJeans securing the top spot for their 2nd EP ‘Get Up’, with 126,500 units in its debut week (on the chart dated August 5).
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That was just 500 more units than the soundtrack to the blockbuster film Barbie, which posted 126,000 units — the best single-week tally for a soundtrack since Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born set in 2019. Both top-two finishers this week also have a major Billboard Hot 100 presence: NewJeans claims three songs on the Hot 100 (led by advance single “Super Shy” at No. 48) while the Barbie soundtrack accounts for five entries (led by Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s Aqua-featuring “Barbie World” at No. 7).
How did NewJeans land such a stellar first-week performance with a six-song EP? And why has the Barbie soundtrack proven such an instant success? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.
1. NewJeans just squeaked out the victory this week over the blockbuster Barbie soundtrack with their 2nd EP, with 126,500 units in its debut week. What do you think the biggest reason is that NewJeans has achieved such success so quickly on the Billboard charts?
Rania Aniftos: They’re so cool. Simple as that. I’m (half) kidding, but I think with so many boy bands in the K-pop space breaking through into the global mainstream, we’ve been really craving some girl power. NewJeans do such a good job at reaching a global audience because their songs are not only catchy, but also appealing to fans of all ages. I’ve seen TikToks of kids dancing around to “Super Shy” and loving it just as much as their parents do, which is pretty unique when it comes to music.
Kyle Denis: I think NewJeans has arrived at precisely the right time. From the Stateside breakthroughs of BTS and BLACKPINK a few years back to the recent Billboard 200 triumphs of STRAY KIDS and TWICE, the U.S. market is very receptive to K-Pop across the board right now. Sonically, their new EP drips with the sounds that have been dominating America’s mainstream: U.K. garage and Jersey club. Couple that with their flourishes of Y2K aesthetics, sleek melodies and irresistible hooks, and you’re left with an EP that is very in tune with where American music and culture are at in 2023 while still feeling fresh.
Lyndsey Havens: I think the biggest reason is the pacing of its releases — while NewJeans didn’t overwhelm the market, the act released just enough at just consistent enough of a rate that they always stayed sort of top of mind, without ever becoming oversaturated. Its first two EPs arrived just about one year apart, and the time between was filled with one-offs like “Ditto” “OMG” and “Zero” — plus collaborations and remixes with Jon Batiste and J.I.D. And not only have they been consistent with timing, but with quality as well, which is arguably even more important.
Jason Lipshutz: NewJeans’ rapid ascent — first with songs like “OMG” and “Ditto,” and now with this chart-topping EP — is due to their combination of their K-pop fan appeal and their smart, natural deviation from traditional K-pop production. The group has been able to tap into a massive listenership while offering them something new, and reaching non-K-pop fans in the process: the video for “Super Shy,” for instance, contains the group choreography and individual personality showcases typically affiliated with a K-pop visual, but the song’s rhythmic base and shuffling hooks are just as likely to beguile R&B and hyperpop fans. NewJeans offer a new, broadly enjoyable flavor of popular music, and it’s connecting.
Andrew Unterberger: NewJeans are clearly on pop’s cutting edge for 2023 — their sound plays in any language, for any audience — and they have the songwriting, hooks and personality to back up the production. It’s a recipe for success — which, unlike with many of their peers, can already be seen in streaming hit singles as well as in robust album sales.
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2. While several K-pop outfits have topped the Billboard 200 already this year, NewJeans has separated itself from the pack of rising stars by scoring a trio of Hot 100 entries already — led by Get Up’s “Super Shy,” at No. 48 this week in its third week on the listing. Do you think it will grow into an even bigger pop hit, or is this the best showing it will likely have?
Rania Aniftos: It’s probably just the beginning. Now that the album has topped the Billboard 200, even more potential fans will get introduced to the group and check out their music. “Super Shy” is such a fun song, so I can’t imagine that NewJeans fans won’t continue to boost its success.
Kyle Denis: I think “Super Shy” can definitely grow into a bigger pop hit. Obviously, with TikTok anything is possible, and we just saw FIFTY FIFTY make history on pop radio for South Korean all-female groups with “Cupid.” Given the heavy Jersey club influence of “Super Shy,” the song wouldn’t sound out of place next to PinkPantheress and Ice Spice’s “Boy’s A Liar, Pt. 2” or Bad Bunny’s “Where She Goes,” so the potential for growth is certainly there.
Lyndsey Havens: I think it’s both — and that’s sort of the genius of it all. The soundtrack was so perfectly tailor-made for the film — and yet, it also stands strong on its own as original songs by Dua Lipa and Billie Eilish would sound just as at home on projects of their own. (The real test will be if Eilish live debuts “What Was I Made For” during her headlining set at Lollapalooza this weekend). Plus, having physical formats available on release date allowed people to buy in right then and there, and helped the soundtrack to exist as a separate, tangible entity.
Jason Lipshutz: I’m not sure exactly how high it will climb, but “Super Shy” is one of the most immediately enchanting pop singles of the year — catchy, bubbly, carrying a sense of space and a feeling of intimacy. The recent success of FIFTY FIFTY’s “Cupid” makes me feel even more bullish that K-pop singles can cross over to U.S. top 40 radio — a platform that has generally shrugged off tracks by non-stadium headliners — and I think “Super Shy” will make some inroads at pop stations in order to enter the top 40 of the Hot 100.
Andrew Unterberger: They’ll get one soon enough. “Super Shy” seems like a good bet to be that official crossover breakthrough, but if it’s not this one it’ll probably be another within a year’s time.
3. Meanwhile, Barbie posts the best single-week number for a soundtrack since 2019. Is that mostly just a function of how big the accompanying movie has already become, or do you think the soundtrack establishes a character of its own as a full listen?
Rania Aniftos: Both! In my experience, I listened to the soundtrack because I was so excited about living the Barbie fantasy, but then realized that there are some really good songs on there that stand perfectly on their own without the movie’s context. I find myself listening to some of the soundtrack’s hits on repeat even though the Barbie hype is starting to subside, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels that way.
Kyle Denis: As a complete package, I’m not crazy about the Barbie soundtrack. Nonetheless, there are enough songs on the album that double as memorable and pivotal moments in the film for the soundtrack to stick. Obviously, the record-breaking success of the film helped these first-week numbers, but with four tracks — “Barbie World,” “Dance the Night,” “Speed Drive” and “What Was I Made For?” — growing into legitimate streaming and radio hits, I anticipate some impressive stability for the soundtrack’s consumption numbers in the weeks to come.
Lyndsey Havens: I think it will continue to grow, especially following the EPs impressive debut week. And while NewJeans has already explored the remix format, “Super Shy” seems like an ideal follow-up — and I would imagine the list of artists willing to hop on is quite long by now.
Jason Lipshutz: My wife and I were driving around the other day, listening to the Today’s Top Hits playlist on Spotify, and “Barbie World” played back-to-back with “Dance the Night” — a pretty good sign for a big-budget soundtrack! The success of the Barbie film, which has practically become a cultural phenomenon, obviously boosted the debut sales week of its accompanying album, but the main reason why the soundtrack has done so well is because it has hits that can stand on their own. Some function within the context of the Barbie film more than others, but when you have big artists delivering their A-games and scoring real chart achievements, your soundtrack is going to do big numbers.
Andrew Unterberger: The soundtrack is a very fun and fairly coherent listen front to back — not every song is a gem, but every song keeps the momentum up, and a handful of tracks do feel like real hits. As someone who still hasn’t seen the Barbie movie (I know, I know, I’ll get to it soon enough), if I was at a party or in a car ride and someone threw on the soundtrack, I’d still be able to enjoy myself pretty thoroughly — a rarity for OSTs in 2023, to be sure.
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4. Barbie also claims six songs on the Hot 100 this week: Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s Aqua-featuring “Barbie World” (No. 8), Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” (No. 12), Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” (No. 18), Charli XCX’s “Speed Drive” (No. 73) and Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” (No. 87). Which of the bunch, if any, do you think makes for the best listening when removed from the larger Barbie context?
Rania Aniftos: I’m torn between “Dance the Night” and “What Was I Made For.” As we’ve seen with “Levitating,” Dua knows how to keep a disco-pop track on the charts, on the radio, in the clubs and basically anywhere you can listen to music. “Dance the Night” is very similar to me, so I’m guessing it will have a similar impact. Meanwhile, I’ve already been seeing “What Was I Made For” striking a chord with listeners on TikTok, as this new generation of music listeners seem to be more existential. They’re connecting the songs with their own experiences of feeling used or unseen for who they truly are, and I think the song is going to stick around for a while.
Kyle Denis: “Barbie World” is such a fun flip of the Aqua sample that you can’t help but bop along, but, for me, the real star of the soundtrack is Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” It’s an absolutely devastating ballad that boasts the best placement in the film, but the lyrics and production of the song are just as effective when removed from the context of Barbie. Sure, it’s a bit of a heavy song for the summertime, but you can’t deny its greatness. Then again, if you’ve truly tapped into the Kenergy within you, Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” is always a great listen.
Lyndsey Havens: Personally, I have not been able to stop listening to “I’m Just Ken” — like really, it’s becoming an issue. But that song is arguably the most tied to the film… as is “Barbie World.” Which is why, I think, “Dance the Night” and “Made For” have been the most affecting for me; Both sound like they could have been left on the cutting room floor of Future Nostalgia and Happier Than Ever, respectively. But in the context of the film, they also sound like they were only made with Barbie in mind. That kind of duality — to resonate with something so specific and so universal all at once — is why I think those two songs will keep climbing.
Jason Lipshutz: “Dance the Night,” for sure. Maybe the Barbie single isn’t Dua Lipa’s strongest glittery disco-pop single to date, but I’ll be damned if we weren’t starving for a new glittery disco-pop Dua Lipa single, now nearly three and a half years removed from the release of Future Nostalgia. The song has grown on me, sounds great on pop radio, possesses one of the best bridges of any hit single this year, and will keep performing well whenever the Barbie hype starts to dissipate.
Andrew Unterberger: It’s almost comical to me how good “What Was I Made For?” is — Billie and Finneas could’ve very easily phoned in their Barbie ballad, but instead reached so deep inside with this one that it sounds like a particularly emotionally wrought therapy session. Given how relatively uncommercial the song is and how much listeners are still responding to it, you can tell that it’s resonating far beyond the Barbieverse.
5. It hasn’t always been the most exciting year for new pop blood on the charts, but the combo of NewJeans and the Barbie hits is one of the better infusions we’ve had in a bit. What other pop artist, currently scheduled (strictly or loosely) for an upcoming 2023 release, are you most excited to hear a new album from this year?
Rania Aniftos: Olivia Rodrigo, of course. She’s coming to save 2023 pop. Trust me.
Kyle Denis: I’m very excited for the upcoming records from Reneé Rapp (Snow Angel) and Holly Humberstone (Paint My Bedroom Black).
Lyndsey Havens: Well, we already got a new album from Posty, so even if we call it here and now I’m ending the year on a high. That said, I’ve been listening to a lot of Selena Gomez lately and would be excited about a new album from her… And then, of course, there’s Ariana. Perhaps with production paused for Wicked she’ll venture back into the studio… There’s certainly a lot of inspiration for another hit (or several) these days.
Jason Lipshutz: “Rush” has me buzzing with anticipation for the new Troye Sivan album, which is due out in October. Could he finally cross over as a hitmaker? How many songs will approach the sky-high quality of that lead single? I’m amped to see what Sivan has in store, and what he can accomplish commercially.
Andrew Unterberger: It’s been a long road to Chappell Roan’s debut album, and you just hope that it gets the attention it’s sure to deserve as one of the year’s most fun and funniest pop sets.
After a tight race to No. 1, NewJeans‘ second EP, Get Up, edged out Barbie: The Album for the top spot on the Billboard 200, dated Aug. 5. Following the news of the release going No. 1, the group’s Hanni took to NewJeans’ fan app, Phoning, on Thursday (Aug. 3) to share her excitement about […]
He’s just Ken … but with a Billboard Hot 100 hit. Ryan Gosling is officially a Hot 100-charting artist, as he scores his first appearance on the latest ranking (dated Aug. 5) as “I’m Just Ken” debuts at No. 87.
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The song, released July 21 alongside the new Barbie film, begins with 5.2 million U.S. streams and 2,000 downloads sold in its opening week, according to Luminate. It also debuts at No. 4 on Hot Rock Songs and No. 5 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, as well as No. 39 on Digital Song Sales.
The track debuts along with the Barbie: The Album soundtrack, also released July 21 via Mattel/WaterTower/Atlantic Records. The album opens at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 126,000 units, as well as No. 1 on the Soundtracks chart and No. 2 on Top Album Sales. It’s the highest charting soundtrack on the Billboard 200 since Encanto led the list for nine nonconsecutive weeks (January-March 2022). Barbie is also the highest debut for a full-length theatrical film soundtrack since the Beyoncé-led The Lion King: The Gift also opened at No. 2 four years ago (Aug. 3, 2019, chart).
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While “I’m Just Ken” is Gosling’s first entry on the Hot 100, it’s not his first overall chart appearance. He’s charted once before, with “City of Stars” from his 2016 film La La Land. His solo version spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Jazz Digital Song Sales chart, while a version with co-star Emma Stone reached No. 8 on the Hot 100’s Bubbling Under ranking and No. 45 on Digital Song Sales.
Gosling’s musical endeavors predate La La Land. The actor broke through at age 13 as a member of the Disney Channel’s The Mickey Mouse Club (from 1993 to 1995). He performed song and dance numbers alongside future Billboard hitmakers Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, among others.
In between Mickey Mouse Club and Barbie, Gosling has forged a hugely successful career in Hollywood, starring in box-office hits including The Big Short; Blue Valentine; Crazy, Stupid, Love; Drive and The Notebook. He has two Academy Award nominations for best actor under his belt, for Half Nelson in 2007 and La La Land in 2017.
Taylor Swift spends a record-extending 75th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart (dated Aug. 5), thanks to the continued success of her latest album Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), plus 10 additional albums on the Billboard 200.
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The set drops to No. 4 on the Billboard 200 with 79,000 equivalent album units earned July 21-27, according to Luminate, after spending its first two weeks at No. 1. It became Swift’s first re-recorded album to notch its first two weeks at the summit.
Also boosting Swift’s Artist 100 standing are 10 additional albums on the Billboard 200. This is the third week (all consecutive) that Swift has landed 11 titles on the chart. Two weeks ago, she became just the third act — and first woman — to chart at least 11 in a single week, following The Beatles and Prince.
Here’s a recap of Swift’s current Billboard 200-charting titles.
Rank, Title:
No. 4, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)
No. 6, Midnights
No. 10, Lover
No. 12, Folklore
No. 20, 1989
No. 21, Reputation
No. 23, Red (Taylor’s Version)
No. 34, Evermore
No. 35, Fearless (Taylor’s Version)
No. 178, Taylor Swift
No. 194, Speak Now
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On the Billboard Hot 100, Swift charts five songs: “Cruel Summer” (up 8-6, a new peak), “Karma” featuring Ice Spice (down 11-15), “Anti-Hero” (19-22), “I Can See You (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)” (33-45) and “Enchanted (Taylor’s Version)” (65-89).
Among other Artist 100 chart moves, NewJeans jump 64-2, reaching a new high thanks to the K-pop group’s new set 2nd EP ‘Get Up’. The collection launches at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking the act’s first leader, with 126,000 units.
Plus, Greta Van Fleet re-enters the Artist 100 at No. 6 on the strength of its third LP, Starcatcher. The album debuts at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 (46,000 units), becoming the band’s third top 10.
The Artist 100 measures artist activity across key metrics of music consumption, blending album and track sales, radio airplay and streaming to provide a weekly multi-dimensional ranking of artist popularity.