Chart Beat
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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 May 20), new albums from big names in the worlds of pop, hip-hop and country look to impact the Billboard 200’s top tier — along with a reissued dance chart-topper from a decade ago.
Jonas Brothers, The Album (Republic): The brothers band already had one of the century’s most successful comebacks after a decade-long hiatus in 2019, topping both the Billboard 200 and the Billboard Hot 100 with their Happiness Begins album and its single “Sucker.” Now the trio looks to do it again with The Album — a set heavily influenced by ‘70s and ‘80s top 40, as well as by their lives as family men.
The Album lacks a lead single as popular as “Sucker,” but the addictive “Waffle House” has started to scale the Hot 100, climbing to No. 82 this week. The group has also been extremely visible in its promotional lead-up to the album, performing two songs from it on Saturday Night Live in April, and kicking off its Five Albums, One Night Tour at Yankee Stadium, playing all of not only The Album, but also their other four albums before it.
YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Richest Opp (Never Broke Again/Motown): Surprise: Three weeks after his second full-length of 2023, April’s Don’t Try This at Home, YoungBoy is back with the new mixtape Richest Opp. At just 17 tracks, it’s about half the running time of Home, and with none of its big-name features. But it does come with some drama: Opp, announced just days before its release, was set to drop the same day as a (later delayed) new album from fellow star rapper Lil Durk, who YoungBoy has been taking shots at over social media, and who is one of the rappers YoungBoy calls out in the new set’s antagonistic “F–k the Industry Pt. 2.”
Bailey Zimmerman, Religiously. The Album (Warner Nashville/Elektra): As Morgan Wallen continues his still-uninterrupted reign atop the Billboard 200 — now at 10 weeks and counting for his One Thing at a Time — he faces a challenge from a breakout artist whose sound and ascent both mirror his own. Bailey Zimmerman has become one of the most consistently viral artists in country music — with radio success now to match, now that Hot 100 top 10 hit “Rock and a Hard Place” also topped the Country Airplay chart for six weeks — thanks to a delivery that similarly mixes power and vulnerability and lyrics that feel both personal and clever.
Whether the student can depose the master depends on if the rest of his debut album Religiously. The Album streams as well as its advance singles, “Rock” and fellow Hot 100 hits “Fall in Love” and “Fix’n to Break,” all of which are included among the set’s 16 tracks. Zimmerman will also get a boost from several sales variants, including a signed CD (available via his web store), as well as digital and cassette releases.
In the Mix
Daft Punk, Random Access Memories (Columbia): Though the duo of Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo officially went their separate ways two years ago, the robots are back this week with a 10th anniversary edition of their Billboard 200-topping, album of the year Grammy-winning 2013 album Random Access Memories. The set features a new disk of bonus cuts — including demos, alternate versions and even sequels to some of the original’s tracks – and can be purchased digitally, or as a triple-LP vinyl or double-disc CD set.
Lauren Daigle, Lauren Daigle (Centricity/Atlantic): It’s been five years since CCM breakthrough artist Lauren Daigle crashed the charts with her No. 3-peaking Look Up Child LP and its surprise No. 29 Hot 100 hit “You Say,” but the powerhouse artist often referred to as “the Christian Adele” is now back with her self-titled third album. Lauren Daigle has yet to spawn a crossover hit like “You Say,” but lead single “Thank God I Do” topped Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs listing, and is available for sale in three CD versions and a whopping six vinyl variants, as well as digitally.
Tank may have already released his final album, but the R&B veteran has saved his best for last. The singer once again crowns Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart as “See Through Love” featuring Chris Brown ascends to the summit on the list dated May 20. The new leader is the fourth No. 1 from his final album, R&B Money, becoming the first ever by a solo male to generate a quartet of champs.
“See Through Love” advances from the runner-up spot after a 4% increase in plays that made it the most-played song on U.S. monitored adult R&B radio stations in the week ending May 11, according to Luminate. The single ousts Ravyn Lanae’s “Skin Tight” featuring Steve Lacy after the latter’s one-week command.
With “See Through Love,” Tank banks his eighth No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay, and his chart-topping rate has soared in recent years. After capturing two No. 1s in the 16 years from his 2001 chart debut until 2017, he has logged six leaders in the past six years. Consistency, too, has become a standard, with only two of his eight chart entries since 2017 – “I Don’t Think You’re Ready” (No. 3) and a featured turn on J. Brown’s “Don’t Rush” (No. 7) — missing the top spot.
Here’s a recap Tank’s No. 1 titles on Adult R&B Airplay:
“Please Don’t Go,” No. 1 for 10 weeks, beginning May 19, 2007
“Next Breath,” one, June 16, 2012
“When We,” 11, Nov. 18, 2017
“Dirty,” three, April 20, 2019
“Can’t Let It Show,” two, July 3, 2021
“I Deserve,” one, March 19, 2022
“Slow,” featuring J Valentine two, Nov. 5, 2022
“See Through Love,” featuring Chris Brown, one (to date), May 20, 2023
As his last four No. 1 all spring from R&B Money, the album makes history as the first by a solo male artist to produce that at least many No. 1s on Adult R&B Airplay. Overall, it’s the third set to manage the feat, following Toni Braxton’s self-titled debut LP (“Another Sad Love Song,” “Breathe Again,” “Seven Whole Days” and “You Mean the World to Me”) in 1993-94 and Silk Sonic’s An Evening With Silk Sonic (“Leave the Door Open,” “Smokin’ out the Window,” “Love’s Train” and “After Last Night,” featuring Bootsy Collins and Thundercat) in 2021-22.
“I am truly humbled and honored to have reached my [eighth] No. 1 hit,” Tank said in a press release. “This milestone is a testament to my fans’ incredible support and love throughout the years. I couldn’t have achieved this without the amazing collaboration with Chris Brown, whose talent and dedication are unparalleled. I want to thank everyone involved in making ‘See Through Love’ a success, and most importantly, my fans who inspire me daily.”
For featured artist Chris Brown, “See Through Love” secures his fourth No. 1 Adult R&B Airplay hit. The R&B superstar previously reigned with “No Guidance,” featuring Drake (11 weeks in 2020), “Go Crazy,” with Young Thug (seven, 2020-21) and in a supporting role on H.E.R.’s “Come Through” (one, 2022).
PinkPantheress and Ice Spice each score a first No. 1 on a Billboard radio airplay chart as their collaboration, “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2,” tops the Rhythmic Airplay list. The viral-turned-radio hit advances from the runner-up slot to lead the chart dated May 20, despite being slightly down (less than 1%, though), in plays. Still, the track leads the airplay list as the most-played song on U.S. monitored rhythmic radio stations in the week ending May 11, according to Luminate.
“Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” replaces another collaboration, Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” at the summit. The latter recedes 1-2 after two weeks on top, as it declined 6% in weekly plays.
PinkPantheress claims her first Rhythmic Airplay leader through her first appearance. For Ice Spice, it’s her second visit that does the trick. Her breakthrough single, “Munch (Feelin’ U),” peaked at No. 27 last November. Beyond the new champ, the rapper has two more tracks on the current Rhythmic Airplay list: “In Ha Mood,” which slips one rung from its No. 8 best after a 7% loss in weekly plays, and “Princess Diana,” her collaboration with Nicki Minaj, up 29-20 as the week’s Greatest Gainer thanks to a 58% swell in plays.
“Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” was first released as a solo single by PinkPantheress, “Boy’s a Liar,” in November 2022. The 22-year old Brit co-wrote the song with Mura Masa, who himself has a Rhythmic Airplay chart credit as an artist: “Lovesick,” featuring A$AP Rocky, reached No. 40 in 2017. In February, Ice Spice joined the track for a remix, denoted as the “Pt. 2” titular addition. The collaboration sparked a streaming surge, prompting the song’s No. 4 debut on the Streaming Songs chart before it reached the top slot two weeks later. (Both versions of the song are combined for tracking/charting purposes, under the title “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2.”)
Elsewhere, “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” holds at its No. 7 peak thus far on Pop Airplay, though it improved 1% in weekly plays. The song also debuts at the anchor slot, No. 40, on Adult Pop Airplay following a 5% rise in plays.
Lauren Daigle’s “Thank God I Do” rises to No. 1 on Billboard’s streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Christian Songs chart, dated May 20.
The song is the lead single from the Louisiana-born singer-songwriter’s self-titled 10-song album, released May 12. Daigle is set to release another 10 songs for the collection’s bonus edition later this year.
Daigle co-authored “Thank” with Jason Ingram, while Jeff Bhasker, P!nk and Nate Ruess are also credited as writers, as the song contains elements of P!nk’s “Just Give Me a Reason,” featuring Ruess (which the three co-penned), a three-week No. 1 on the all-genre multimetric Billboard Hot 100 in 2013.
“Thank” tops Christian Digital Song Sales for a seventh week (2,000 sold in the United States May 5-11, according to Luminate) and ranks at its highs of No. 3 on Christian Streaming Songs (2.4 million official streams, up 8%) and No. 9 on Christian Airplay (4.4 million audience impressions, up 2%).
The piano ballad also rises to new bests of No. 16 on Adult Contemporary and No. 21 on Adult Pop Airplay.
Now with six Hot Christian Songs leaders, Daigle boasts the most among women since the chart began in 2003. (Carrie Underwood ranks next with three.) Among all artists, Daigle is tied for fourth place with Jeremy Camp, Third Day, Chris Tomlin and Matthew West. MercyMe leads with 13 No. 1s, followed by Casting Crowns (nine) and tobyMac (seven).
Daigle previously topped Hot Christian Songs with “Trust in You,” for 18 weeks beginning in March 2016; “Back to God,” with Reba McEntire (one week, March 2017); “You Say” (a record 132 weeks, beginning in July 2018); “The Christmas Song” (one week, January 2019); and “Hold on to Me” (four weeks, starting in June 2021).
YOASOBI’s “Idol” continues to cruise along at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated May 17, extending its stay atop the chart to five consecutive weeks.
It appears there’s no stopping the breakout duo’s latest single. “Idol” is still gaining momentum, with streaming holding at No. 1 for the fifth consecutive week with 25,860,696 weekly streams, up 1.7 percent from the previous week. The track also dominates downloads and video views though the actual figures have declined slightly — the Oshi no Ko opener logs its second week at No. 1 for the former and fifth for the latter, both consecutively. “Idol” also rises 3-2 for karaoke, up 1.4 percent from the previous week.
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“Idol” also continues to hold at No. 1 for the third week in a row on the Top User Generated Songs ranking, which tracks the increase in views of videos posted by fans who either sing or dance to a particular song. “Idol” racked up 4,055,093 weekly views, rising 10.5 percent from last week.
Spitz’s “Utsukushii Hiré” (“Beautiful Fin”) returns to No. 2 on the Japan Hot 100, this time powered by streaming. The theme of the latest Case Closed (Detective Conan) movie Kurogané no Submarine racked up 9,935,557 streams, up 2.5 percent from the previous week and steadily drawing closer to 10 million weekly streams. The veteran four-man pop-rock band will drop its highly anticipated new album Himitsu Studio this week — its first in three and a half years — so the single is expected to stay near the top of the charts for a while.
Kanjani Eight’s new single “Mikansei” (“Unfinished”) debuts at No. 3 on the Japan Hot 100 this week, launching with 218,459 copies. The theme of the drama series starring member Yu Yokoyama, Kotaro Lives Alone Season 2, is the No. 1 song for sales this week, but couldn’t support the lead with other metrics. Nevertheless, the single sold more copies in its first week than the boy band’s previous release, “Kassai” (153,672 copies), indicating the veteran five-man Johnny’s group’s lasting popularity.
“Mikansei” Music Video
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 May 8 to 14, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.
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 15 acts who appear on surveys for the first time on the May 20-dated charts.
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Wunderhorse
Wunderhorse, the pseudonym of British artist Jacob Slater, debuts “Purple” at No. 36 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart (up 38% in plays), marking his first-ever chart entry. He released the song in October on his debut LP Cub, on Communion Records/Mick Music. Before performing as Wunderhorse, Slater was the frontman of post-punk trio Dead Pretties. Outside of music, Slater stars in the FX mini-series Pistol, a biographical drama centered around the Sex Pistols, in which he portrays the band’s drummer, Paul Cook. Earlier this year, Slater supported the Pixies on tour, and he’ll next open for Fontaines D.C. In between, he’s slated to perform at multiple festivals, including Austin City Limits, Glastonbury and Ohana.
Jim-E Stack
The indie-pop musician, 31, scores his first chart appearance as a recording artist thanks to his new collaboration with Flume, “Chalk 1.3.3 (2017 Export.WAV).” The song, released May 3 on Flume’s mixtape Arrived Anxious, Left Bored through Future Classic Records, debuts at No. 44 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs with 420,000 official streams in the U.S. May 5-11, according to Luminate. Stack has written and produced songs with an array of acts including Gracie Abrams, Bon Iver, Charli XCX, Dominic Fike, Empress Of and Caroline Polachek. Bon Iver’s “PDLIF (Please Don’t Live in Fear),” which Stack co-produced with Justin Vernon and BJ Burton, reached No. 36 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs in 2020. He also co-produced Diplo’s “New Shapes” (featuring Octavian), which hit No. 48 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs in 2019. Stack has self-released two solo LPs: Tell Me I Belong, in 2014, and Ephemera, in 2020.
Lil Mabu
The 18-year-old New York City native (real name Matthew DeLuca) scores his first chart hit with breakthrough track “Mathematical Disrespect.” The song, which he self-released May 4, debuts at No. 90 on the Hot 100, as well as No. 17 on Hot Rap Songs and No. 27 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, with 7.2 million streams. Lil Mabu has released all his music, including his debut 2022 debut mixtape Double M’s, while attending the Collegiate School, a private prep school in Manhattan. He also arrives at No. 19 on the Emerging Artists chart.
Kid Joi
The Detroit-based Nigerian singer-songwriter (real name Julia Igwe), 19, makes her first chart appearance with her new collaboration with Gryffin, “Oceans.” The track, released May 3 through Darkroom/Interscope Records, debuts at No. 29 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs with 577,000 streams in its first full week of tracking.
Pretty Porcelain
The Miami-based rapper tallies her first chart hit with “Stop Playing With Me.” The song, released in December via Supa T Records, debuts at No. 39 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (up 45% in plays). Pretty Porcelain (real name Sheterria Heaven Elliott) has released one additional song on streaming services, “Sushi Sushi,” with Osmani Garcia, on May 11.
Enisa
Enisa arrives on Billboard’s charts thanks to her featured appearance on Galantis and JVKE’s “Fool 4 U.” The song, released May 4 on Big Beat/Atlantic Records, begins at No. 31 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs with 554,000 streams. The Albanian singer-songwriter and Brooklyn native (full name Enisa Nikaj) signed to Atlantic in 2019 before competing on NBC’s American Song Contest, representing New York, in 2022. Also last year, she released her debut EP, Fake Love, via Atlantic.
Billy Woods & Kenny Segal
The two artists each earn their first chart entry with their new collaborative album, Maps. The set, released May 5 via Backwoodz Studios, debuts at No. 8 on Heatseekers Albums, No. 24 on Top Current Album Sales and No. 31 on Top Album Sales (4,000 copies sold). With 3,000 from vinyl sales, it also starts at No. 14 on the Vinyl Albums chart. Woods and Segal are both veteran musicians. Woods, a New York City-based underground rapper, is a member of the hip-hop groups Armand Hammer, Super Chron Flight Brothers and the Reavers. He has released more than a dozen albums and mixtapes in his career, dating to the early 2000s. Segal, a Los Angeles-based producer and DJ, has also released several albums. He’s half of hip-hop duo the Kleenrz and has also collaborated with Hemlocke Ernst and Serengeti. Woods and Segal previously teamed up in 2019 for the album Hiding Places.
Los Vendavales de Adan Melendez
The Mexican group enters Billboard’s charts with its single “El Colesterol.” The song, released in January on the group’s latest LP, Las Aguitas, on Azteca Records, debuts at No. 28 on Regional Mexican Airplay (up 645% in airplay audience). TikTok has been a big contributor in the song’s growing profile, as a portion of it has been used in over 390,000 clips on the platform.
DRAIN
The Santa Cruz, Calif.-based hardcore punk group charts for the first time with its second LP, Living Proof, released May 5 on Epitaph Records. The set debuts on Heatseekers Albums (No. 18), Top Current Album Sales (No. 28) and Top Album Sales (No. 43) with 3,000 copies sold in its opening week. The group, which also debuts at No. 15 on Emerging Artists, comprises Sammy Ciaramitaro (lead vocals), Cody Chavez (guitar) and Tim Flegal (drums). After releasing its debut LP, California Cursed, in 2020 through Revelation Records, the group signed to Epitaph in 2021.
Zafem
The Haitian duo arrives with its debut studio album, Las. Released May 5 via Dener Ceide Productions, the set opens at No. 25 on Heatseekers Albums, No. 50 on Top Current Album Sales and No. 87 on Top Album Sales (1,500 sold). The sum also helps the duo enter at No. 36 on Emerging Artists. Zafem consists of Dener Ceide (vocals, guitar) and Reginald Cange (vocals).
SQÜRL
SQÜRL, the New York City-based avant-garde rock duo comprising Jim Jarmusch and Carter Logan, lands on Billboard’s charts for the first time thanks to its new album, Silver Haze. The set, which the pair released May 5 on Naked Kiss Records/Sacred Bones Records, debuts at No. 100 on Top Current Album Sales chart with 1,000 sold. The album is the act’s first studio LP, following a series of EPs, soundtracks and film scores. Notably, Jarmusch is an influential film director, screenwriter and producer (The Dead Don’t Die, Paterson, Broken Flowers, Dead Man, Only Lovers Left Alive, Stranger Than Paradise), while Logan has produced several of Jarmusch’s films. The act formed in 2009 to create original music for Jarmusch’s The Limits of Control.
Josh Ross
Ross makes his U.S. chart debut, thanks to his single “Trouble.” The song, released in January through The Core Entertainment/Universal Music Canada, debuts at No. 20 on Country Digital Song Sales and No. 39 on Digital Song Sales with 2,000 downloads sold. Ross, from Burlington, Ontario, has already broken through in Canada. His hit “First Taste of Gone” reached No. 5 on the Canada Country airplay chart in July 2022 and “On a Different Night” hit No. 4 this February. After opening for Chase Rice on his Way Down Yonder Tour through May 20, Ross is set to open for Nickelback in June-August.
María Dueñas
The 20-year-old Spanish violinist and composer achieves her first chart appearance with her debut album, Beethoven and Beyond, with the Wiener Symphoniker and Manfred Honeck. The set, released via Deutsche Grammophone/VLG and recorded live at Vienna’s Musikverein, debuts at No. 6 on the Traditional Classical Albums chart.
Blaqbonez
The Nigerian rapper debuts thanks to his featured appearance on CKay’s “Hallelujah.” The song, released May 5 through Warner Music Africa, opens at No. 26 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart. Blaqbonez (real name Emeka Akumefule) has released two studio albums: Sex Over Love in 2021, and Young Preacher in 2022, both on Chocolate City Music.
Dr. Teeth & The Electric Mayhem
Fresh off the premiere of the new Disney+ comedy musical series The Muppets Mayhem on May 10, Dr. Teeth & The Electric Mayhem are now, officially, Billboard-charting artists – nearly a half-century after their on-screen debut. The group enters the Kid Albums chart at No. 13 with the series’ companion soundtrack, The Muppets Mayhem: Music From the Disney+ Original Series, which also arrived May 10, on Disney+/Walt Disney Records. The 22-track set includes 17 songs credited to Dr. Teeth & The Electric Mayhem, plus five scores by Mick Giacchino. While some songs are original compositions for the series, others are covers of classics by The Beach Boys, Cyndi Lauper, Simon & Garfunkel, The Who and more. Dr. Teeth & The Electric Mayhem, which made their first televised appearance in the pilot of The Muppet Show in 1975 (and recently dished to Billboard about “the frog,” Miss Piggy and more), comprises Dr. Teeth (performed, originally, by Jim Henson and now by Bill Barretta), Animal (Frank Oz, now Eric Jacobson), Floyd Pepper (Jerry Nelson, now Matt Vogel), Janice (Richard Hunt, now David Rudman), Zoot (Dave Goelz) and Lips (Steve Whitmire, now Peter Linz).
Rising singer-songwriter Megan Moroney earns a host of honors on Billboard’s charts dated May 20.
The Savannah, Ga., native’s first full-length, Lucky, arrives at No. 10 on Top Country Albums. The 13-song set, released May 5, earned 18,000 equivalent album units through May 11, according to Luminate. The set marks the first top 10 debut for a woman’s first title on the chart since Gabby Barrett’s debut LP, Goldmine, arrived at No. 4 in July 2020. (Moroney previously released the six-song EP Pistol Made of Roses, in July 2022.)
Moroney, a graduate of the University of Georgia, concurrently claims her first top 10 on Billboard’s streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Country Songs chart, as her rookie entry, the new set’s lead single “Tennessee Orange,” bounds 15-10. The song holds at its No. 10 high on Country Airplay, up 5% to 18.5 million audience impressions. It also drew 9.7 million official streams (up 56%) and sold 2,000 downloads (up 11%) in the United States in the May 5-11 tracking week.
“Orange” marks the first freshman entry by a female artist to reach the Hot Country Songs top 10 since Lainey Wilson’s “Things a Man Oughta Know” hit No. 3 in September 2021. The latter also became her first of two Country Airplay leaders to-date.
Additionally, Moroney tops Billboard’s Emerging Artists survey for the first time. (The 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 Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200.)
Moroney is the fifth solo country female artist to rule Emerging Artists, after Barrett, Carly Pearce, Ingrid Andress and Lainey Wilson.
Moroney co-authored “Tennessee Orange” with David Fanning, Paul Jenkins and Ben Williams. She recently told Billboard of songwriters that she idolizes, including John Prine, “I think their songwriting carried their careers. That influence came from my dad.”
Moroney is currently opening shows on Brooks & Dunn’s Reboot Tour 2023, before launching her 22-city headlining The Lucky Tour this fall.
On this week’s Billboard 200 chart, Ed Sheeran’s – (pronounced Subtract) scores the top debut of the week, starting at No. 2 (behind Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time, which spends a 10th week at No. 1) with 112,000 equivalent album units, according to Luminate. The album also launches at No. 1 on the Top Album Sales chart, with Sheeran’s largest sales week since 2017.
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Subtract marks a departure in sound for Sheeran, who worked with producer Aaron Dessner and used the album as an outlet for his grief and pain following a traumatic beginning to his 2022. “Eyes Closed,” the album’s lead single, became a top 40 hit on the Hot 100 upon its March release, and a new version of the song “Life Goes On,” featuring country superstar Luke Combs, was recently released.
What does the No. 2 debut on the Billboard 200 signify for Sheeran? And which song from Subtract could turn into a hit single? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.
1. Like a whole lot of albums this year, Ed Sheeran’s latest is blocked by Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time from the top of the Billboard 200. On a scale of 1-10, from crushed to elated, how are you feeling about a No. 2 debut with 112,000 equivalent album units if you’re Ed?
Andrew Unterberger: Solid 6. Those are about the numbers that Sheeran’s = (Equals) album did two years ago, with a huge pop hit and generally more commercial momentum behind him. Stinks to not get the No. 1, and it doesn’t seem like this album is going to have a ton of commercial impact beyond the first week, but given the lack of advance buzz for the set (and how divided his attention has been in the weeks leading up to its release), I think that number is on the high end of the range I might expect for its first week.
Jason Lipshutz: A 3. This album, an acoustic exploration of personal pain, was always viewed as a sonic detour for Sheeran, so its commercial performance was likely going to differ from that of his more radio-ready projects. And ultimately, the launch of Subtract falls right in line with the bow of 2021’s Equals, which was preceded by the hit “Bad Habits” and debuted at No. 1 with 118,000 equivalent album units. Wallen’s One Thing at a Time is a juggernaut, and debuting right behind it, with a comparable total to Sheeran’s last full-length, should be considered a generally positive development.
Katie Atkinson: A solid 5. While Ed has a proven track record for No. 1 albums at this point – with every studio album since 2014’s X (Multiply) topping the Billboard 200 – I don’t get the impression he made Subtract with the charts or pop radio in mind. Actually, he might not have even cared if anyone beyond his diehard fans heard it. As he expressed in his Disney+ docuseries, Sheeran was working through a lot of “heavy stuff” during this album, which naturally made for a quieter, more understated album. It’s a project worth listening to, but it’s not the kind of bombastic project that skyrockets to No. 1. In fact, I’d say No. 2 is mighty impressive for this personal, weighty album.
Lyndsey Havens: 8.5. Ed seems like a guy who wants to win, so I’m sure he would have hoped for a No. 1 debut. But that said, to enter the tally behind a top-spot-blocking behemoth and with over 100,000 units is commendable. To know just how much an album that’s meant to honor his family and late friend Jamal Edwards is resonating with fans should arguably be more gratifying than securing a No. 1.
Rania Aniftos: A 4. After watching his The Sum of It All documentary, I learned that Sheeran is really, really hard on himself. Given that knowledge, and also how different this album is from his past few, I’d be pretty disappointed. He really put his heart on his sleeve and tried something new, which I do applaud him for, despite maybe a less-than-ideal outcome.
2. While Sheeran’s previous three studio albums were each preceded by top 10 Hot 100 hits, Subtract lead single “Eyes Closed” has thus far peaked at No. 19. Are you surprised that the single hasn’t taken off yet?
Andrew Unterberger: No. The song just doesn’t have a lot of juice to it — it sounds like a less-striking copy of older Sheeran cuts, without any of the left-turn unexpectedness we were led to expect from this album. Radio will probably continue to play it a little while longer, but I wouldn’t be surprised if, in a couple of months, they’re back to playing “Bad Habits” or “Shivers” in heavier rotation.
Jason Lipshutz: Yes! Very! I first heard “Eyes Closed” a couple of months before its release, and thought that the song – with its combination of finger-picked riff, understated production, affecting emotion and post-chorus “ay-yi-yi” hook – would become another smash for Sheeran. “Eyes Closed” hasn’t connected thus far, and it may never, especially if top 40 radio moves on to his version of “Life Goes On” with Luke Combs. I would have bet big on the lead single blowing up here, but as of now, it seems I would have lost that bet.
Katie Atkinson: No, but only because I think this one will be a slower burn. Sonically, it’s one of the more upbeat songs on the project, and its bittersweet lyrics convey the kind of universal feeling of loss that could eventually connect with an adult contemporary or adult pop radio audience – à la Maroon 5’s “Memories” – a 10-week-plus No. 1 at both formats. Sheeran’s own “Bad Habits” and “Shivers” will both be dominant as well, so I think there will (eventually) be an appetite for this song.
Lyndsey Havens: Not really. Compared to previous singles like “Bad Habits” or “Shivers” off Equals, both of which were sinewy pop hits, or “I Don’t Care” with Justin Bieber from No. 6 Collaborations Project, “Eyes Closed” is most similar to 2017’s Divide. But even songs like “Castle On a Hill” and “Shape of You” packed a bit more of a punch. I think “Eyes Closed” is a stunning ode to loss, but perhaps not what everyone is gravitating towards as we enter the summer months.
Rania Aniftos: No, but only because I think we’re in a readjustment period when it comes to Sheeran’s new music. We had a few years where he was giving us some really catchy pop hits like “Shivers,” “Bad Habits” and “Shape of You,” so Sheeran returning to his softer state might take some getting used to, both from fans and from radio.
3. Some of Sheeran’s biggest hits, from “Thinking Out Loud” to “Perfect” to “Shivers,” were not lead singles. Is there a song on the new album that you has a shot at taking off?
Andrew Unterberger: No, though “Curtains” is a real highlight from the set that I think would have made for a much bolder and more attention-grabbing lead single — even if its commercial upside would’ve also been somewhat limited. (As a near-carbon copy of “Thinking Out Loud,” maybe “Life Goes On” could also benefit from the attention the former has received over the course of Sheeran’s much-publicized recent trial.)
Jason Lipshutz: “Life Goes On” is an effective belt-along in the vein of Sheeran’s bigger ballads, and the new version featuring Luke Combs augments the better qualities of the track. Yet the song I’m keeping an eye on is “Curtains,” which sounds primed for an adult-contemporary takeover if the album campaign allows. The soaring chorus has seeped into my brain – I find myself going “Sun… SHINE! SHINE!” multiple times a day – and the guitar-and-strings arrangement has real teeth.
Katie Atkinson: I have to lobby for “Curtains.” I think it’s a perfect midway point between Ed’s ballads and his “Shape of You”-style radio hits – it’s catchy and has rapid-fire clever lyrics, but also has a bit more of a rock groove that really shows off his musical skills beyond his acoustic slow-tempo numbers. Also, its optimistic spirit is right there in the chorus: Let’s pull back the curtains and see the sun shine.
Lyndsey Havens: “Sycamore” is a gorgeous Ed song that I think people will connect with even more over time. It’s a stellar snapshot of what Ed has always done best, which is tell a beautiful love story in the length of a pop song — only now, the one he’s telling is about what happens after you find that love. It’s not always perfect, and he’s not shying away from that.
Rania Aniftos: I’m torn between “Curtains” and “End of Youth.” I think “Curtains” is the more upbeat, digestible track on the album, and has some hopeful lyrics that we can all relate to about coming out of a dark period. Similarly, “End of Youth” has themes of fear and aging that are so universal that it might connect to enough people to make it a hit.
4. The new album is a mostly acoustic offering that focuses on a difficult period in Sheeran’s personal life — a sharp left turn in sound for a stadium headliner. How do you think the album will endure within Sheeran’s discography?
Andrew Unterberger: I don’t think it’s really that much of an outlier in his catalog, to be honest — the only way it obviously differs from past Sheeran LPs to me is the lack of an obvious pop single, and even without those clear radio plays, it’s not like this set is starkly uncommercial by any means. There are some good songs here, and I imagine one or two might endure as fan favorites, but ultimately I just don’t think this is an album many people are going to think of when they think of Ed Sheeran decades from now.
Jason Lipshutz: Regardless of its commercial performance, Subtract was a risk that I’m glad that Sheeran took: instead of downplaying his personal difficulties and tossing out more pop hits, the superstar changed up his formula, challenged himself as a songwriter and presented his situation with unflinching honesty. Not all of Subtract is successful, but the album stays true to Sheeran’s grief, and offers empathy to any listener experiencing something similar. It’s going to age well.
Katie Atkinson: I find it to be a very worthwhile, if at times a challenging, listen. I think a lot of the lyrical themes of drowning in an infinite ocean can make some of the music feel hopeless – but like navigating the stages of grief, there is life beyond hopelessness, as shown in the more positive moments, as Sheeran begins to heal from all the personal trauma that came his way. The acoustic vibe also fits Sheeran’s busking beginnings, but I think in the end, I probably prefer my Ed in a cheekier musical space, so I would likely turn to other albums for repeat listens.
Lyndsey Havens: I think a lot of these songs will find a home in the “deep cut” section of Ed’s future tours, and rightfully so. Because of how personal they are, I don’t think they would naturally fit alongside some of his more danceable pop hits on a setlist, but that doesn’t mean they’ll fall to the wayside, either. I think with time — and as some of his fanbase perhaps hits the place in life where these songs resonate on a deeper level — the songs that make up Subtract will be held close.
Rania Aniftos: I look at Subtract the same way I look at Taylor Swift’s Folklore and Evermore. They’ll hold a vulnerable, acoustic moment during Sheeran’s tours, though I still think fans will still mostly look forward to hearing the hits and the throwback tracks.
5. A new version of “Life Goes On” features Luke Combs, and in a recent chat with Billboard, Sheeran expressed interest in making a country project. Ed Goes To Nashville: yee-haw or yee-naw?
Andrew Unterberger: Yee-haw! Perhaps Sheeran’s most underrated career strength is his impressive adaptability to different sounds and genres, from Afrobeats to reggaetón to EDM. He’d be a particularly natural fit in country. I’d only hope he explores more than the staid balladry of Nashville, since he’s already maybe a little too deep into that pocket at this point in his career.
Jason Lipshutz: Yee-haw! Even if Sheeran doesn’t record a full country album, maybe we get a little more of that flavor on his next Collaborations project? As a fan of Subtract, I’m down to see what other rabbit holes he can successfully leap down.
Katie Atkinson: Yee-haw! Obviously it served his superstar bestie well for many years, and his voice alongside Combs’ was a perfect (sorry) match at the ACM Awards. A full country project from Ed would make all the sense in the world.
Lyndsey Havens: Yee freaking haw.
Rania Aniftos: I mean, given the Billboard 200 this week, I’d say yee-haw! Let’s get Morgan Wallen on the phone.
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As Janet Jackson celebrates her birthday (May 16), Billboard takes a look at the singer’s history on the Billboard Hot 100.
Born as the youngest of 10 children to Joseph and Katherine Jackson, Janet was almost pre-destined to enter the music industry with her brothers and sisters. By her fifth birthday, five of her brothers — as The Jackson 5 — had already scored four Hot 100 No. 1 hits. Following in her family’s musical footsteps, Janet made her Hot 100 debut in 1982 with “Young Love,” at 16 years old. Though that single and her second career entry, 1984’s “Come Give Your Love to Me,” both peaked outside the top 50, Jackson found her hit-making stride with 1986’s Control. Among its many hits, she landed her first of 10 No. 1s on the chart with “When I Think of You,” which reigned for two weeks.
Through the next 15 years, Jackson remained a Hot 100 force: Her next four albums, Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814, janet., The Velvet Rope and All for You, each all generated at least one Hot 100 champ. Thanks to her decades of hits, Jackson is one of the most influential female artists to cross through the pop, R&B and dance genres, with 19 and 15 No. 1s on the Dance Club Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts, respectively. She’s also scored seven No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, between 1986 and 2015.
Jackson (who first broke through with TV roles on sitcoms Good Times and Diff’rent Strokes) has won five Grammy Awards and has been nominated for both an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award. She was honored as the first-ever MTV Icon Award recipient in 2001 and received the MTV Video Vanguard Award in 1990.
Here’s a look at the superstar’s top-performing hits on the Hot 100.
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Janet Jackson’s Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits
1. “Miss You Much,” peak position No. 1 (four weeks), peak date Oct. 7, 19892. “Escapade,” No. 1 (three weeks), March 3, 19903. “That’s the Way Love Goes,” No. 1 (eight weeks), May 15, 19934. “All for You,” No. 1 (seven weeks), April 14, 20015. “Together Again,” No. 1 (two weeks), Jan. 31, 19986. “Love Will Never Do (Without You),” No. 1 (one week), Jan. 19, 19917. “When I Think of You,” No. 1 (two weeks), Oct. 11, 19868. “Again,” No. 1 (two weeks) Dec. 11, 19939. “Runaway,” No. 3, Oct. 21, 199510. “Doesn’t Really Matter,” No. 1 (three weeks), Aug. 26, 200011. “Rhythm Nation,” No. 2, Jan. 6, 199012. “Alright,” No. 4, June 2, 199013. “Control,” No. 5, Jan. 24, 198714. “What Have You Done for Me Lately,” No. 4, May 17, 198615. “Black Cat,” No. 1 (one week), Oct. 27, 199016. “Nasty,” No. 3, July 19, 198617. “Let’s Wait Awhile,” No. 2, March 21, 198718. “Come Back to Me,” No. 2, Aug. 18, 199019. “Any Time, Any Place”/”And On and On,” No. 2, June 25, 199420. “If,” No. 4, Sept. 11, 199321. “What’s It Gonna Be?!,” (Busta Rhymes featuring Janet Jackson) No. 3, April 17, 199922. “Someone to Call My Lover,” No. 3, Sept. 1, 200123. “You Want This”/”70’s Love Groove,” No. 8, Dec. 24, 199424. “I Get Lonely” (Janet featuring BLACKstreet), No. 3, May 23, 199825. “Scream”/”Childhood” (with Michael Jackson), No. 5, June 17, 1995
Janet Jackson‘s Biggest Billboard Hot 100 hits chart is based on actual performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100, through the May 20, 2023, ranking. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted to account for different chart turnover rates over various periods.