Chart Beat
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Let’s open the latest mailbag.
Hot Fun in the ‘Summer’-time, and Other Times:
Hi Gary,
To add to the many times that the season called “summer” (and “verano” in Spanish) has appeared in the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10, Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” happens to reach the tier during summertime (in the Northern Hemisphere).
It made me wonder: How often are songs with the word “summer” in their titles hits at that most fitting time of year?
Thanks,
Pablo NelsonSummering in Oakland, Calif.
Hi Pablo,
Fun question. (And per your mention of “verano,” Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti topped the Billboard 200 albums chart during spring, summer and fall last year. A man for all seasons, he has charted the set in the top 20 each week since it debuted at No. 1 in May 2022.)
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Swift’s “Cruel Summer” was released in summer 2019 and is now a Hot 100 top 10 (and an officially promoted single) in summer 2023.
But a look at all the songs with “summer” in their titles that have hit the Hot 100’s top 10 reveals not such seasonal synchronization.
Here’s a rundown, first, of every Hot 100 top 10 with “summer” in its title that peaked outside of summer, from the first to the most recent:
Peak Date, Peak Position, Title, Artist
Sept. 29, 1958, No. 8, “Summertime Blues,” Eddie Cochran
Feb. 22, 1960, No. 1 (9 weeks), “The Theme From A Summer Place,” Percy Faith and His Orchestra
Oct. 17, 1964, No. 7, “A Summer Song,” Chad & Jeremy
Oct. 18, 1969, No. 2, “Hot Fun in the Summertime,” Sly & The Family Stone
Nov. 25, 1972, No. 6, “Summer Breeze,” Seals & Crofts
Sept. 25, 1976, No. 7, “Summer,” War
Sept. 30, 1978, No. 5, “Summer Nights,” John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John & Grease Cast
Nov. 19, 1983, No. 9, “Suddenly Last Summer,” The Motels
Sept. 29, 1984, No. 9, “Cruel Summer,” Bananarama
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Feb. 9, 1985, No. 5, “The Boys of Summer,” Don Henley
March 26, 1988, No. 2, “Endless Summer Nights,” Richard Marx
June 9, 2007, No. 6, “Summer Love,” Justin Timberlake
Feb. 20, 2016, No. 6, “Summer Sixteen,” Drake
That makes for 13 songs with “summer” in their names that have peaked in the Hot 100’s top 10 outside of summer.
Now, the Hot 100 top 10s with “summer” in their titles that have peaked in the region during summertime:
Peak Date, Peak Position, Title, Artist
June 29, 1963, No. 6, “Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer,” Nat King Cole
Aug. 13, 1966, No. 1 (3 weeks), “Summer in the City,” The Lovin’ Spoonful
Aug. 27, 1966, No. 10, “Summertime,” Billy Stewart
Sept. 12, 1970, No. 3, “In the Summertime,” Mungo Jerry
Aug. 31, 1985, No. 5, “Summer of ‘69,” Bryan Adams
Aug. 3, 1991, No. 4, “Summertime,” D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
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Aug. 19, 1995, No. 3, “Boombastic”/”In the Summertime,” Shaggy
Aug. 22, 1998, No. 10, “Cruel Summer,” Ace of Base
Aug. 28, 1999, No. 3, “Summer Girls,” LFO
Sept. 21, 2013, No. 6, “Summertime Sadness,” Lana Del Rey vs. Cedric Gervais
July 19, 2014, No. 7, “Summer,” Calvin Harris
Aug. 29, 2020, No. 6, “7 Summers,” Morgan Wallen
July 15, 2023, No. 7 (to date), “Cruel Summer,” Taylor Swift
That amounts to … also 13! (The number is, of course, synonymous with Swift.)
So, perhaps surprisingly, songs with “summer” in their titles have peaked in the Hot 100’s top 10 during summer exactly half the time. Expanding the scope, and seemingly more expectedly, 17 of the 26 songs above have spent time in the top 10 during the summer.
That nine such songs peaked outside the Hot 100’s top 10 during cooler months also isn’t that shocking, considering that many sport lyrics reminiscing about summer, such as “Suddenly Last Summer,” “The Boys of Summer” and “Endless Summer Nights.”
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Meanwhile, Swift scores another Hot 100 record: She now has the highest charting hit called “Cruel Summer.” With its 13-7 jump, it surpasses the No. 9-peaking classic by Bananarama, as well as Ace of Base’s No. 10-peaking cover.
Olivia Rodrigo scores her third No. 1 on Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart thanks to “Vampire,” which debuts atop the July 15-dated tally.
“Vampire” bows with 35.5 million official U.S. streams in its first week, according to Luminate.
It follows similar No. 1 debuts by “Drivers License,” a four-week leader beginning in January 2021, and “Good 4 U,” which crowned the list for eight weeks starting in May 2021.
Between “Good 4 U” and “Vampire,” Rodrigo accumulated eight Streaming Songs appearances, all from 2021 debut album Sour. The top-ranking of those, “Traitor,” debuted and peaked at No. 3 on the June 5, 2021, ranking.
The 35.5 million stream count of “Vampire” is the largest for any song in the U.S. since Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” earned 36.6 million toward the April 22 survey.
It’s the second-best first-week count for any song in 2023, behind only Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers,” which debuted with 52.6 million streams toward the Jan. 28 list.
Concurrently, as previously reported, “Vampire” debuts at No. 1 on the multimetric Billboard Hot 100, also her third No. 1 and third debut atop the chart, following “Drivers License” and “Good 4 U.” In addition to its streams, the song earned 26.3 million radio audience impressions and 26,000 sales.
It launches at No. 2 on Digital Song Sales and No. 22 on Radio Songs, and it bows at Nos. 17 and 22 on Pop Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay, respectively.
“Vampire” is the lead single from Guts, Rodrigo’s second studio album, due Sept. 8.
Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” climbs to No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Pop Airplay chart (dated May 13).
The song, released on Jonzing World/Mavin/SMG Music/Virgin/Interscope Records, marks Rema’s first leader on the list.
Gomez also rules Adult Pop Airplay for the first time, following five top 10s: “Lose You to Love Me” (No. 3, 2020); “Back to You” (No. 5, 2018); “It Ain’t Me” with Kygo (No. 6, 2017); as featured on Charlie Puth’s “We Don’t Talk Anymore” (No. 9, 2016); and “Same Old Love” (No. 7, 2016).
“Calm Down” concurrently claims a third week atop the all-format Radio Songs chart, with 92 million audience impressions, up 2%, June 30-July 6, according to Luminate. It likewise became Rema and Gomez’s first No. 1 each on the survey.
Plus, the song rebounds for a fourth week atop Pop Airplay, having become Rema’s first No. 1 and Gomez’s fourth; it now stands as Gomez’s longest-leading No. 1 of her four chart-topping titles, after “Good for You” featuring A$AP Rocky and “Same Old Love” each ruled for two weeks, while “Hands to Myself” spent a week at the summit. (The three songs led in 2015-16.)
“Calm Down” also topped the Rhythmic Airplay chart for four weeks in May-June. It’s the first song to have achieved enough crossover appeal to lead Pop Airplay, Adult Pop Airplay and Rhythmic Airplay since Lizzo’s “About Damn Time,” which dominated Pop Airplay for seven weeks, Adult Pop Airplay (two) and Rhythmic Airplay (one) last July-August. Before that, 24kGoldn’s “Mood” featuring Iann Dior paced all three charts in 2020-21, after Camila Cabello’s “Havana” featuring Young Thug tripled up in 2017-18.
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Rema, from Nigeria, released the original version of “Calm Down” in February 2022 as a single from his debut solo LP, Rave & Roses. Its remix with Gomez arrived last August, and that version’s official video premiered in September.
“Calm Down” has topped the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart for 45 weeks running, the longest command since the ranking began just over a year ago, in partnership with music festival and global brand Afro Nation.
On the all-genre, multimetric Billboard Hot 100, “Calm Down” has hit No. 3, becoming Rema’s first entry and Gomez’s ninth top 10, and second-highest-charting, after “Lose You to Love Me” led for a week in November 2019.
Manuel Turizo rewrites his career-best debut on Billboard’s Latin Pop Airplay chart as “Copa Vacía,” his collaboration with Shakira, bows at No. 4 on the chart dated July 15, his first top 10 launch, among 12 top 10s. According to Luminate, “Copa Vacía” traces its start in the upper region on Latin Pop Airplay to […]
Yng Lvcas picks up his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart as “La Bebe,” with Peso Pluma, ascends 2-1 to lead the list dated July 15. The collab checks into the penthouse on the overall Latin chart in its fourth week at No. 1 on Latin Rhythm Airplay.
“La Bebe” takes over Latin Airplay with 10 million audience impressions, up 1% from the week prior, earned in the U.S. in the week ending July 6, according to Luminate.
The song replaces Grupo Frontera and Bad Bunny’s “X100to” from its six-week domination, dipping 2-1 with a 14% decline in impressions, to 9.3 million.
“La Bebe” grants Lvcas his first Latin Airplay champ, who joins four other acts who have also taken over the tally in 2023 with their first leaders: Fuerza Regida and Grupo Frontera through “Bebe Dame” (one week, March 25), Marshmello with the Manuel Turizo-assisted “El Merengue” (one week, June 10), and his contemporary Peso Pluma, as “Ella Baila Sola,” with Eslabon Armado, placed the Mexican at the lead for one week (June 17). Thus, the latter collects his second ruler.
Further, “La Bebe” is the only collaborative charting effort by Lvcas on any Billboard chart. He captured his maiden entry on any Billboard tally when the original version of the song, sans Pluma, debuted on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart at No. 152, reaching a No. 2 high in April, after the remix with Pluma dropped.
Since then, the successful partnership has experienced a rewarding performance across charts. Here’s the recap:
Peak Position, Chart, Peak Date
No. 2, Latin Streaming Songs, April 8No. 2, Hot Latin Songs, April 15No. 1, Latin Digital Song Sales, April 15No. 2, Global Excl. U.S, April 22No. 5, Streaming Songs, April 29No. 2, Global 22, June 10No. 1, Latin Rhythm Airplay, June 24 (four weeks atop)No. 1, Latin Airplay, July 15
Beyond its Latin Airplay coronation, “La Bebe” holds steady at its No. 2 high for a seventh week on the multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart, despite a 5% decline in streaming activity: it logged 13.2 million clicks in the U.S. during the same period. Plus, it also sees a fall in sales: 12% from the previous week to 1,000 downloads.
Jelly Roll’s “Need a Favor” spends its first week at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Rock Songs charts, rising 2-1 on both July 15-dated tallies. The track earned 32.4 million airplay audience impressions and 11.5 million official U.S. streams and sold 5,000 downloads June 30-July 6, according to Luminate. […]
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 July 22), Taylor Swift once again leaves the rest of the pop world in the dust with perhaps her best-performing Taylor’s Version full-album recreation yet.
Taylor Swift, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (Republic): When it was released in 2010 as her third album, Speak Now became Taylor Swift’s first set to sell over a million copies in its first week. Her Taylor’s Version re-recording of the fan-favorite album might not post a seven-digit debut, but it’s already come closer than any other album in 2023. Billboard reported on Tuesday (July 11) that this Speak Now had passed 575,000 equivalent album units in just its first four days — already blowing past the 501,000 moved by previous mark-setter, Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time, in its first frame.
Those would be incredible numbers for any new release in 2023, let alone one where 16 of the 22 tracks included are near-soundalike re-dos of 13-year-old songs. Making the 400,000 in direct sales that the album has already accrued even more impressive is that the album is only available in a handful of physical editions – three vinyl variants (including an exclusive color for Target), a CD, a cassette, and a digital release – compared to many 2020s best-sellers (including Swift’s own 2022 blockbuster Midnights), which are released in dozens of physical editions to maximize fan purchases.
Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) has already put Swift’s peers in its rearview, but how will it compare to her own recently set standards? It’s unlikely to get close to the first-week numbers of Midnights, which scored an unthinkable-for-2022 1.578 million units. But it has a very good chance of passing 2021’s Red (Taylor’s Version), which debuted with 605,000 units, to become the biggest first week for any of her three re-recordings to date.
To pass Red (Taylor’s Version) would also be pretty staggering for this Speak Now, considering it has fewer tracks (22 to Red (TV)’s 30) and lacks a song driving as much pre-release excitement as that set’s “All Too Well (10-Minute Version),” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 the same week the new Red topped the Billboard 200. (“I Can See You,” one of the set’s six first-time recordings, did receive a music video co-starring Speak Now-era Taylorverse fixtures Joey King, Taylor Lautner and Presley Cash, and looks to be due for a major Hot 100 debut next week.)
In the Mix
Lucki, S*x M*ney Dr*gs (EMPIRE): One of the most acclaimed rappers from the current rising wave of Chicago MCs, Lucki reached a career-best No. 12 on the Billboard 200 with 2012’s Flawless Like Me set. He may do even better with this month’s S*x M*ney Dr*gs mixtape, which only features one guest (fellow cult favorite Veeze) on its 15 tracks, but is already posting career-best streaming numbers that most rappers would be, well, lucky to have in 2023.
Dominic Fike, Sunburn (Columbia): If you listened to Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist last week, you might have noticed that the lead track was not from Taylor Swift’s latest, but rather from the long-awaited second album for singer-songwriter Dominic Fike. Columbia executives still have big hopes for Fike, who greatly increased his profile last year with a big role on HBO phenomenon Euphoria, and he may have something of a breakout hit with the album’s “Mona Lisa” — written for and briefly included on the deluxe edition of Metro Boomin’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse soundtrack — which climbs to No. 36 on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart this week.
Lana Del Rey, Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd (Polydor/Interscope): Lana Del Rey’s ninth album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 in April — and while it’s remained on the chart for the past 15 weeks, it’s dropped all the way to No. 184. It should rebound significantly next week, though. thanks to a recent vinyl reissue with a cover featuring a partially nude photo of Del Rey. (She had previously considered the image for the album’s original cover, before deciding to “let the songs do the talking for now.”)
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 acts who appear on surveys for the first time on the July 15-dated charts.
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Grian Chatten
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The Irish singer-songwriter and frontman of the post-punk group Fontaines D.C. makes his first solo visit to Billboard’s charts thanks to his new solo LP, Chaos for the Fly. The set, released June 30 on Partisan Records/Knitting Factory, debuts at No. 88 on Top Current Album Sales with 1,000 copies sold in its opening week, according to Luminate. Fontaines D.C. have charted two entries on the Top Album Sales tally: A Hero’s Death (No. 16 in 2020) and Skinty Fia (No. 38, 2022). A Hero’s Death also reached No. 25 on the Top Alternative Albums chart. The group has also sent two songs onto Adult Alternative Airplay, both in 2022: “Jackie Down the Line” (No. 40 peak) and “Roman Holiday” (No. 35).
Yellow House
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The Cape Town, South Africa-based artist (real name Emile van Dango) reaches Billboard’s charts for the first time with his new collaboration with ODESZA, “Heavier.” The song, released June 27 via Foreign Family Collective/Ninja Tune, debuts at No. 29 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs with 798,000 official U.S. streams earned. The song is set to appear on the new EP from ODESZA and Yellow House, Flaws in Our Design, due out July 21. “In 2018, I received an email from ODESZA reaching out to explore some ideas together,” Yellow House said in a recent Instagram post. “I followed a link which led to a page of dreamy, synth-laden works in progress. The idea was to pick one I resonated with, add my touch to it and see how it turned out. In 2019, I secretly travelled to Seattle to work in studio with the guys. Five years on from that first demo, we have completed an EP of material that has morphed and grown every step of the way, just as we have in our own personal lives.”
DaBoii
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The rapper (real name Wayman Barrow) and former member of the hip-hop group SOB X RBE achieves his first solo chart entry thanks to his new song with E-40, Lil Jon and P Lo, “What We On.” The song, released April 21 through Lil Jon’s self-titled imprint/EMPIRE, debuts at No. 39 on Rhythmic Airplay (up 9% in plays). As a member of SOB X RBE, which disbanded in 2019, the Vallejo, Calif., native reached Billboard’s charts in 2018. The group’s breakthrough hit “Paramedic!” was featured on the Black Panther soundtrack and includes uncredited vocals from Kendrick Lamar and Zacari; it reached No. 29 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100. Their albums Gangin and Gangin 2 also hit No. 74 and 191 on the Billboard 200, respectively.
6YNTHMANE & RXDXVIL
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Both artists notch their first Billboard chart appearances thanks to their collaboration “BRAZILIAN DANÇA PHONK.” The song, released May 12 on Black 17 Media, debuts at No. 50 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart with 497,000 U.S. streams. The track was boosted by two remixes: a slowed and reverb version, and a sped-up mix. TikTok has also been a big factor in the song’s growing profile, as the track has been used in over 30,000 clips on the platform. 6YNTHMANE (real name Oleksandr Liubchenko) and RXDXVIL (real name Fysun Serhii Volodimirovich) have each released several other phonk tracks, and are both based in Ukraine.
Mo Louis
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The jazz musician and saxophonist arrives on Billboard’s charts with his song “Static.” The track, which he self-released May 1, debuts at No. 30 on the Smooth Jazz Airplay chart (up 17% in plays). Louis has been recording music since childhood, but “Static” is just his fifth solo song released streaming services. He previously released his four-track EP Perfect Timing in September. The EP’s lead single “Turn It Up” arrived in April 2022.
Emir Can İğrek
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The Turkish alt-rock singer-songwriter hits Billboard’s charts with his breakthrough hit “Ali Cabbar.” The song, released June 2 on his sophomore LP Parti İptal, debuts at No. 62 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart and No. 145 on the Billboard Global 200 with 17 million official streams worldwide. The song also hits No. 1 on this week’s Turkey Songs chart. TikTok has been instrumental in the song’s growing buzz, as the track has been used in more than 20,000 clips on the platform. İğrek, who hails from Çerkezköy, Turkey, released his debut studio album, Ağır Roman, in 2018.
Mc Livinho
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The Brazilian singer (real name Oliver Santos) reaches Billboard’s charts with his new collaboration with DJ Matt D, “Novidade na Área.” The song, released June 23 on MBB Diamond, debuts at No. 141 on the Global Excl. U.S. chart (10.5 million streams outside the U.S.), and also rises 9-3 on the Portugal Songs chart and debuts at No. 4 on Brazil Songs. Mc Livinho has been releasing music since 2014 and has dropped three studio albums: Vagabundo Romântico in 2016, Mágico dos Flows in 2021 and PÁGINAS in 2022.
Joseph James
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The New York-based singer-songwriter and producer (real name Joe Vulpis) earns his first Billboard chart entry with his song “For All You Know.” The song, released May 19 on his own AP Music Group (which he founded), debuts at No. 30 on Adult Contemporary (up 2% in plays). James has released one additional song on streaming platforms — “Valentine,” in January.
Dezko
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The Colombian dance artist makes his arrival on Billboard’s charts with his song “Ascend.” Released June 21 on Too Future/Alt:Vision, it debuts at No. 41 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart with 440,000 U.S. streams. Save for an alternative version of the song, titled “Ascend (My Mind Edit),” the track is Dezko’s only release so far.
Josi Cuen
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The Mexican singer-songwriter reaches Billboard’s charts for the first time with his new collaboration with Luis Angel “El Flaco,” “Prefiero Estar Muerto.” Cuen released the original version of the song (without Angel) in September on his debut studio album Ya Estuvo Suave. Sparked by the new collaborative mix, the song opens at No. 36 on Regional Mexican Airplay (up 76% in airplay audience).
Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up column, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip. This week: Sexyy Red follows her breakout hit with two more viral singles, Taylor Swift’s new-old smash sends listeners to an even older warm-weather perennial and Myke Towers launches a mid-summer bid for global ubiquity.
Summer 2023 Is Sexyy Red Season
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Sexyy Red is officially one of the biggest breakout artists of summer 2023. The St. Louis rapper has been a social media fixture for years thanks to her vulgar raps and round-the-way personality, but she has now reached a new level of mainstream prominence and commercial success thanks to the virality of several tracks from her latest mixtape, Hood Hottest Princess.
Back in January, Sexyy Red released “Pound Town,” a delightfully ratchet ode to the crudest edges of the sexual experience, which eventually received an equally ratchet remix from rap icon Nicki Minaj, titled “Pound Town 2” in May – helping the song debut at No. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100. Minaj’s remix also kickstarted a new phase of the song’s multi-platform appeal: According to Luminate, “Pound Town” collected 5.4 million official on-demand U.S. streams in the week ending July 6 – up 4% from the previous week – while on radio, “Pound Town” currently ranks at No. 14 on Rap Airplay and No. 21 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay for the charts dated July 15. After driving the culture for so many months — the love for her breakout song is so strong that Sexyy Red gave an impromptu performance of the track from her seat in the audience at the 2023 BET Awards — “Pound Town” now has legitimate commercial success to add to its accolades.
“Pound Town” functioned as the de facto lead single for Hood Hottest Princess. Released on June 9, the mixtape did not debut on the Billboard 200 until this week’s chart (dated July 15), entering at No. 193 — a testament to the consistent growth of the tape’s streams. Two songs from the 11-track tape have emerged as the follow-ups to “Pound Town:” “Skee Yee,” a burgeoning summer anthem that garnered love on TikTok pre-release, collected 2.5 million official on-demand U.S. streams in the week ending July 6, a 22% increase from the week prior. Aided by a trend in which users aggressively whip their hair as Sexyy Red yells out her “skee yee” ad-lib, the most popular “Skee Yee” sound has over 237,000 clips on TikTok. Recently, Grammy-nominated rap star Travis Scott invited Sexyy Red to perform the song (along with “Pound Town”) during his headlining set at Wireless Festival in London — further proof that the rapper’s TikTok virality is translating into streams and support.
Another song from her mixtape, “Looking for the H–s (Ain’t My Fault),” is currently going viral on TikTok. Users put their own voice over Sexyy Red’s as she raps, “You like my voice? It turn you on? / This ain’t nothin’, wait ’til you see it in a thong.” “H–s” earned 1.6 million official on-demand U.S. streams in the week ending July 6, a whopping 292% increase from the period prior. The official TikTok sound for the song soundtracks over 305,000 clips on the app.
All in all, from the period of June 30-July 6, Sexyy Red’s catalog has received 11.1 million official on-demand U.S. streams, a 24.5% increase from the week prior. Between her audacious one-liners and knack for natural hooks, Sexyy Red has become one of the defining artists of the summer, one outrageously obscene song at a time. – KYLE DENIS
A Summer Twice as Cruel: Taylor Swift’s Smash Boosts Bananarama Streams
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On this week’s Hot 100 chart, Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” completes its long-overdue climb into the top 10, as the former deep cut from her 2019 album Lover jumps from No. 13 to No. 7 after recently becoming promoted as an official single. “Summer” has benefited from prime placement in Swift’s Eras tour set list, renewed fan support on TikTok and social media as the summer heats up, and prime placement on playlists like Spotify’s Today’s Top Hits and top 40 radio blocks (it’s up to No. 20 on this week’s Radio Songs chart).
Benefiting, in turn, from Swift’s “Cruel Summer”: Bananarama’s classic hit of the same name. The British trio’s “Cruel Summer” became a new wave crossover hit upon its 1983 release, climbing as high as No. 9 on the U.S. Hot 100. And while Swift’s song becomes the highest-peaking “Cruel Summer” in Hot 100 history this week, Bananarama’s track is riding the “Summer” wave to increased plays, four decades after its release.
Weekly streams for Bananarama’s hit have increased for seven straight weeks: after earning 519,000 U.S. on-demand streams during the week ending May 25, according to Luminate, the original “Cruel Summer” is up to nearly 724,000 streams for the most recent tracking week (ending July 6), making for a 39% cumulative spike in weekly listens. Of course, streams for Swift’s “Cruel Summer” dwarf those numbers – the song enters the Streaming Songs top 10 with 14.4 million weekly streams for this week. But who knows? Maybe if there’s another hit “Cruel Summer” in the year 2063, Swift’s version will see an uptick then, too. – JASON LIPSHUTZ
Myke Towers Turns TikTok Into ‘Lala’ Land
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Puerto Rican rapper-singer Myke Towers has been a fixture on Billboard’s Latin charts for most of the past half-decade, but he’s yet to score a major crossover onto the Billboard Hot 100. That may be coming soon with the sweet reggaetón jam “Lala,” which is the penultimate cut on his 23-track March album La Vida Es Una. The song has taken over TikTok in the past month with its addictive title hook, a super-sticky backing vocal that plays throughout most of the song.
The song has come to soundtrack both a dance challenge and a series of CapCut videos, with over 1.4 million videos being made to the official sound. Consequently, the song has absolutely exploded on streaming, jumping from 206,000 U.S. official on-demand audio streams for the chart week ending June 22 to over 2.6 million for the week ending July 6 – a gain of 1,172% over the two-week span, according to Luminate.
With the song’s upward trajectory continuing this week – debuting at No. 26 on this week’s Billboard Global 200, and even rising to No. 1 on Spotify’s Daily Top Songs Global chart – “Lala” may be on pace to announce itself as a very late song of the summer contender. – ANDREW UNTERBERGER
YOASOBI’s “Idol” adds another week to its record stay atop the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated July 12, dominating the chart for its 13th consecutive week.
While overall points for the Oshi no Ko opener is on the wane, it continues to rule streaming, video views and karaoke for the seventh straight week and still boasts nearly double the points of the track at No. 2, “Candy Kiss” by Travis Japan.
YOASOBI Shares New English Version of Hit Single ‘Idol’: Watch the Video
07/12/2023
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“Idol” is now tied with “Subtitle” by Official HIGE DANdism for most weeks at No. 1 on the Japan Hot 100, and could be on its way to breaking the all-time record next week.
Travis Japan’s 3rd digital single “Candy Kiss” debuts at No. 2 on the Japan Hot 100. The single went on sale July 3 and launched at No. 1 for downloads with 46,077 units thanks to download campaigns on various platforms, and also racked up 3,985,321 streams (No. 18). The track also comes in at No. 19 for radio airplay and No. 55 for video.
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SKE48’s “Suki ni nacchatta” bows at No. 3 with a difference of only 52 points between “Candy Kiss.” The track rules sales with 436,514 copies sold and also hits No. 3 for radio.
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Another debut on the Japan Hot 100 top 10 this week is “Ao no Sumika” by Tatsuya Kitani, the opener of the TV anime Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 that began airing July 6. The track debuts at No. 8, coming in at No. 2 for downloads with 23,205 units and No. 23 for streaming with 3,789,286 streams, off to a good start before its physical release on July 19.
The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.
See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from July 3 to 9, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.