State Champ Radio Chart Beat
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Let’s open the latest mailbag.
That’s What Friends Are For
Hi Gary,
“He slimed me” is what Bill Murray’s character concedes in the original Ghostbusters. Ray Parker, Jr.’s classic title theme song from the 1984 movie hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 that August, and while it doesn’t mention slime, it’s an honorary predecessor to “Slime You Out,” Drake’s new No. 1, featuring SZA.
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Speaking of stars, like Murray, now with 14 Hot 100 No. 1s between Drake, up to 12, and SZA, at two, “Slime You Out” has notable star power, with the two acts having made so many visits to No. 1 combined. (Or, put another way, they’re rarely ghosting the chart.)
Thanks,
Pablo NelsonOakland, Calif.
Hi Pablo,
Regarding Drake and SZA, you and Billboard deputy editor Andrew Unterberger are on the same page (great minds think alike). Andrew Slacked on Tuesday: “new Stones + Gaga + Stevie collab = 23 combined Hot 100 No. 1s.”
The new Rolling Stones album, Hackney Diamonds, due Oct. 20, includes the collaboration “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” with Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder. Wonder boasts 10 career Hot 100 No. 1s, the Stones, eight, and Gaga, five.
If the song, released today (Sept. 28), were to top the Hot 100, it would up the legends’ totals to 26 combined No. 1s – which would mark the most for any No. 1 team-up over the chart’s history.
What songs would it overtake?
Here’s a look at the Hot 100 No. 1 collaborations by acts with the most combined leaders at the time of their coronations. Essentially, they’re the Hot 100 No. 1s with the most star power, as measured by the billed artists’ career No. 1 counts to that point.
As noted, for example, “Slime You Out” represents 14 total Hot 100 No. 1s per the list below, as it’s Drake’s 12th and SZA’s second. (A potential leading duet between Taylor Swift and, say … Travis Kelce would equal 11 No. 1s, given 10 for Swift and one for Kelce, should they together become chart chiefs.)
Artists’ Combined No. 1s Upon Each Song Hitting No. 1, Title, Artists (Individual No. 1s), Date Reached No. 1:
21, “That’s What Friends Are For,” Dionne & Friends, Elton John, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder (2, 7, 2, 10), Jan. 18, 1986
18, “The Monster,” Eminem feat. Rihanna (5, 13), Dec. 21, 2013
18, “Get Back,” The Beatles with Billy Preston (17, 1), May 24, 1969
17, “Thank God I Found You,” Mariah Carey feat. Joe & 98 Degrees (15, 1, 1), Feb. 19, 2000
16, “Work,” Rihanna feat. Drake (14, 2), March 5, 2016
16, “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” George Michael/Elton John (8, 8), Feb. 1, 1992
15, “Heartbreaker,” Mariah Carey feat. Jay-Z (14, 1), Oct. 9, 1999
15, “Say Say Say,” Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson (9, 6), Dec. 10, 1983
15, “Ebony and Ivory,” Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder (8, 7), May 15, 1982
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14, “Slime You Out,” Drake feat. SZA (12, 2), Sept. 30, 2023
14, “S&M,” Rihanna feat. Britney Spears (10, 4), April 30, 2011
14, “One Sweet Day,” Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men (10, 4), Dec. 2, 1995
13, “Die for You,” The Weeknd & Ariana Grande (7, 6), March 11, 2023
13, “Jimmy Cooks,” Drake feat. 21 Savage (11, 2), July 2, 2022
13, “Wait for U,” Future feat. Drake & Tems (2, 10, 1), May 14, 2022
13, “Way 2 Sexy,” Drake feat. Future & Young Thug (9, 1, 3), Sept. 18, 2021
12, “We Found Love,” Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris (11, 1), Nov. 12, 2011
By the metrics above, “Slime You Out” shines with the 10th-brightest star power for a collaborative Hot 100 No. 1, tied with Rihanna’s “S&M,” featuring Britney Spears, and Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day.” “S&M” is the only song above solely by women, while “One Sweet Day” reigned for a then-record 16 weeks.
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The aptly titled “That’s What Friends Are For” leads the list above, marking the only Hot 100 No. 1 whose credited artists total over 20 leaders at the point of its ascent to the summit. Meanwhile, if Stevie Wonder and Lady Gaga’s collaboration with the Rolling Stones hits No. 1, he would be a winner either way, as their combined leaders would surpass his, Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight and Elton John’s sum of No. 1s when their ballad ruled.
(Further reflecting the everlasting reach of iconic artists, Warwick is heard on the Hot 100’s current runner-up song, and former No. 1, thanks to Doja Cat’s sample of Warwick’s 1964 classic “Walk on By” on “Paint the Town Red.”)
Other takeaways from scanning the stars above:
Among these elite Hot 100 No. 1s, Drake shows with five collaborations; Rihanna, with four; Mariah Carey, with three; and Future, Elton John, Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder with two each.
George Michael and John’s “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” is the only Hot 100 No. 1 above between two artists each with at least eight leaders when it reigned.
On only three Hot 100 No. 1s above, featured acts have more No. 1s than lead acts: “That’s What Friends Are For” (John and Wonder); “The Monster” (Rihanna); and “Wait for U” (Drake).
“Get Back” reflects the greatest disparity between acts’ No. 1 totals on the Hot 100 among the songs above, given The Beatles’ 17 and Billy Preston’s one when it led. Still, Preston went on to earn two more leaders on his own: “Will It Go Round in Circles” in 1973 and “Nothing From Nothing” in 1974. (The Beatles added three more No. 1s, lifting them to a record 20 total.)
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Meanwhile, if we included groups’ totals of Hot 100 No. 1s with solo leaders, McCartney and Michael Jackson’s “Say Say Say” would take the top spot above. Along with their respective nine and six leaders to that point, McCartney would add another 20 No. 1s via The Beatles, and Jackson, another four from the Jackson 5, making for an overall total of 39 visits to No. 1 by the pair at the time.
This summer, Disturbed launched a North American amphitheater tour in support of Divisive, the band’s eighth studio album over a three-decade career. For a group that deep into their journey as live performers, another summer tour can feel like a bit of plug-and-play. But this time around, the band’s Boxscore results were bigger than ever before. According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, the Take Back Your Life Tour earned $17.4 million and sold 336,000 tickets.
That makes 2023 the biggest year of the band’s touring career, surpassing the $14.6 million earned in 2019.
On a per-show basis, Disturbed averaged $601,000 per night, beating previous career-bests of $473,000 in 2011 and $405,000 in 2019. But as proven by an endless list of post-pandemic examples, inflation and platinum ticketing and dynamic pricing and primary-market re-sale make bulking up tour grosses more possible, if not easier, than ever. But in Disturbed’s case, this peak revenue cannot be explained by exploiting 2023’s chaotic ticketing market.
The average ticket price for the Take Back Your Life Tour was $51.07. That’s actually down by 11% from 2019’s $58.66, and only 7% above the average from 2016 ($48.72). That means that the band’s soaring earnings can be explained by increased attendance.
The Take Back Your Life Tour averaged 11,573 tickets per show, up from 6,901 in 2019 and 4,404 in 2016. Over the last two album cycles, Disturbed has multiplied its ticket-buying fanbase by more than two and a half. Sorted by attendance, the band’s 10 biggest concerts ever all happened this summer, led by the Sept. 2 show at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center in Noblesville, Ind., marking its first headline show with more than 20,000 fans.
This year’s tour was in key Live Nation amphitheaters, after mostly playing in scaled down arenas. Located just outside of primary touring markets, these outdoor venues have the space to accommodate thousands of fans, often more than the indoor arenas situated in the center of major cities.
Not only did Disturbed have the literal space to sell more tickets, taking advantage of the venues’ large lawns (all dates had a baseline price of $29.50), but the infrastructure around amphitheaters also allows for modest pricing, even up to the first row. Parking, merchandise and concessions are major parts of the experience, especially with bulked-up lineups on long summer days. Breaking Benjamin and Jinjer supported Disturbed on the road this summer.
The decision to level up to amphitheaters did a lot of the heavy lifting for Disturbed’s new career peak, but the release of last year’s Divisive certainly helped as well. Before the tour began, the album had already made “Hey You” the band’s 11th No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, with “Bad Man” reaching No. 2 in March. Throughout the tour, “Unstoppable” climbed the ranks, ultimately becoming the band’s 12th chart-topper in mid-August. “Don’t Tell Me” featuring Ann Wilson is next, set for release in November.
Dating back to the band’s first show in the reported archives, when Disturbed earned $10,000 and sold 682 tickets at Saratoga Winners in upstate New York on Sept. 26, 2000, the metal superstars have grossed $71.2 million and sold 1.8 million tickets across 365 shows.
He’s country, he’s rock, he’s a superstar. Zach Bryan wrapped the Burn Burn Burn Tour at the end of August after touring the continent all summer. According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, the trek grossed $43.9 million and sold 475,000 tickets across 32 dates.
The Burn Burn Burn Tour took Bryan around the U.S. and Canada in a mix of amphitheaters and arenas, promoted by AEG Presents. The routing mixed primary markets such as New York and Los Angeles with secondary markets including Wilkes-Barre, Penn., and Grand Rapids, Mich., just as his music fuses genres and eschews traditional demographic lines.
With that, the biggest shows on the tour were not major pop stops such as Chicago or San Francisco, nor country hot spots Nashville or Dallas (he didn’t play anywhere in Tennessee). Instead, with roots in each city, double-headers at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center (May 30-31) and Tulsa’s BOK Center (Aug. 10-11) shone the brightest, with earnings of $3.7 million and $3.2 million, respectively.
The Burn Burn Burn Tour was Bryan’s second live outing in two years. Just last year, he mounted the American Run Tour. Each tour was almost identical in length (32 shows in 2023 vs. 31 in 2022) but the results were dramatically different. The average attendance scaled from 5,735 tickets on last year’s run to 14,841 this summer, jumping by 158%. While his reach grew, so did demand. All while endeavoring to control a ballooning ticketing market, the average price jumped from $51 in 2022 to $92.52 in 2023.
Those are stellar improvements for any artist, but even more stark considering the six-month break between tours. And while the Burn Burn Burn Tour ended last month, Bryan has already plotted his next live venture. The Quittin’ Time Tour kicks off in Chicago on March 6, scheduled to run through mid-December with two final hometown shows at the BOK Center.
Even at his current pace, Bryan is already situated to do bigger business in 2024 than 2023. The initial Quittin’ Time announcement included 53 shows, more ambitious than this year’s 32. Just by adding 20-plus dates, next year’s run is on track to land in the $70 million to $75 million range. But he’s unlikely to top out there, as his ’24 routing is bulked up not just in length, but in size.
Bryan will return to some of the arenas from this summer’s tour, coming back to Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena and the Desert Diamond Casino in Glendale, Ariz., playing two shows at each venue rather than one. In other markets, there are clever extensions, like playing two shows at the Prudential Center, N.J., and two at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, compared to this year’s double header at Forest Hills Stadium in New York City’s Queens. Despite its name, the latter venue functions more like a scaled amphitheater, smaller than either of next year’s New York-area arenas.
Elsewhere, it’ll be a whole different ball game. Two 2023 arena dates in Philadelphia will translate to a night at the city’s football stadium (Lincoln Financial Field) in 2024. More stadiums fill out his routing in Atlanta; Foxborough, Mass.; Minneapolis; and Tampa, some of which will be new concert markets for Bryan altogether.
It’s easy to plot Bryan’s transformation from theaters to arenas to stadiums over such a short window. This year’s Burn Burn Burn Tour was plotted, announced and went on-sale amidst the lingering success of American Heartbreak, which debuted and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and then stayed in the top 20 for all but one of the 70 weeks since.
Next year’s Quittin’ Time Tour was announced at the tail end of this year’s run, upon the release of his self-titled album. That one debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and spawned a No. 1 arrival on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart with “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves. Just last week, he followed it with Boys of Faith, an EP that is currently posting major streaming numbers that are atypical for a seemingly casual release.
Following post-pandemic stadium transformations for Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen, Bryan will likely mount one of the biggest country tours in Boxscore history. The expanded and fortified routing could lead the Quittin’ Time Tour toward $100 million and one million tickets in 2024.
In July, Beyoncé set the record for the highest one-month gross in the history of Billboard Boxscore (dating back to 1985) with $127.6 million. That haul narrowly edged out Bad Bunny’s $123.7 million from September of last year. But immediately after breaking ground, Queen Bey re-asserts herself, and the Renaissance World Tour, as an all-time dominant Boxscore force. According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, Beyoncé’s 14 shows in August earned $179.3 million.
Improving upon her existing record by 40%, Beyoncé distances herself from the pack, notching two of just four $100 million months since the charts launched in February 2019. Bad Bunny and Harry Styles achieved the other two.
After leading Top Tours in May and July, Beyoncé scores a third month at No. 1. That puts her in four-way tie with Ed Sheeran, the Rolling Stones and Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Bad Bunny spent four months at No. 1, and Elton John leads with seven.
With her freshly extended earnings record, Beyoncé claims the month’s highest attendance total for the first time, after falling short of Coldplay in May and The Weeknd in July. Her 14 shows sold 697,000 tickets.
After crowning Top Boxscores in July with two shows at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, Beyoncé ups the ante with three shows at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The triple-header grossed $39.8 million and sold 156,000 tickets on Aug. 11-12 and 14. That puts it among the top 10 grossing headline engagements ever, and the third highest in North America. The only two bigger reports are courtesy of Harry Styles, with 15-show runs at Madison Square Garden and the Kia Forum, making for an apples-to-oranges comparison to Beyoncé’s three-night stadium sweep.
Elsewhere, Beyoncé brought in $29.4 million on Aug. 6-7 at FedEx Field in Landover, Md. (Washington, D.C. area) and $25.8 million on Aug. 26-27 at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium. Those three engagements alone would be enough for No. 1 on Top Tours, before adding the other seven shows she played between Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. (Boston area) on Aug. 1 and Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. (San Francisco area) on Aug. 30.
This gigantic monthly haul adds to an already record-breaking summer for Beyoncé. Previously, Billboard reported that the Renaissance World Tour is the highest-grossing tour of all time by an R&B artist, replacing her own Formation World Tour from 2016. Now, at $461.3 million, it passes Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet Tour (2008-09) to become the highest-grossing tour by a woman in the Boxscore archives.
The Renaissance World Tour will come to a close on Sunday (Oct. 1). With 10 shows left to be reported, its global haul will blow past the $500 million mark, likely closer to $560 million. That will be enough to situate it among Boxscore’s 10 highest grossing tours ever. As of now, it’d make her the only woman, only Black artist, and only American solo act on the all-time leaderboard.
These records, and all Boxscore data, are based on figures reported to Billboard by various industry sources, such as venues, concert promoters and artist management.
In terms of attendance, the Renaissance World Tour is up to 2.247 million tickets, narrowly eclipsing the Formation World Tour’s 2.242 million to become her best-selling tour yet.
When Beyoncé crowned the May report, she became the first woman in almost four years to lead the list, since P!nk was No. 1 in July 2019. Three months later, with Beyoncé still at No. 1, the stars align with P!nk at No. 2. That marks the first time since the charts premiered four years ago that two women top the chart side-by-side.
P!nk claims the runner-up spot by a razor thin margin. Her 10 shows in August earned $68.59 million, just 0.025% ahead of Metallica’s $68.57 million, themselves barely separated from Morgan Wallen’s $68.36 million.
All three acts launched nine-figure tours earlier this year. P!nk began the Summer Canival Tour in Europe in June before traveling stateside. Metallica hit the road on the M72 World Tour in April with a brief European leg. Now 10 shows deep in North America, the tour has grossed $123.7 million and sold 1.2 million tickets worldwide, becoming the band’s sixth million-ticket tour.
For Wallen, the One Night at a Time Tour started in March, days after the release of its namesake One Thing at a Time album. The LP has gone on to top the Billboard 200 for 15 non-consecutive weeks, never leaving the top five in its 29-weeks-and-counting run on the chart. Between Australia and North America, the tour has earned $218 million so far, becoming the highest grossing tour by a country artist ever. Good year for Morgan Wallen!
While Beyoncé posted all-time high numbers for North American stadiums, her three Atlanta shows are No. 2 on Top Boxscores. She’s blocked by Another Planet’s Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival. The annual San Francisco event grossed $40.1 million and sold out all three days at 225,000 tickets. That’s the festival’s biggest gross and attendance ever, surpassing last year’s $33.9 million by 18%.
It’s the fourth time that Outside Lands has been No. 1 on Top Boxscores, following its triumphs in August 2022, October 2021 and August 2019. Across 13 reports (2008; 2011-19; 2021-23), the festival has welcomed just under 2.5 million customers (2,497,832 to be exact), amounting to $318.6 million in ticket sales.
The August Boxscore report is home to a particularly diverse set of artists. The artists among the month’s top 10 tours have charted on key Billboard charts across country, dance/electronic, Latin, pop, R&B, rap and rock, just in the last year.
FamousSally and YB are the first acts to lead the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart for more than one week, as “Wassup Gwayy” remains at No. 1 on the Sept. 30-dated tally.
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The TikTok Billboard Top 50, which began two weeks ago, is a weekly ranking of the most popular songs on TikTok in the United States based on creations, video views and user engagement. The latest chart reflects activity Sept. 18-24. Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard charts except for the TikTok Billboard Top 50.
“Wassup Gwayy” debuted at No. 1 on the Sept. 23 TikTok Billboard Top 50. In the Sept. 15-21 tracking week, the song earned 495,000 official U.S. streams, according to Luminate.
The song reigns over Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red,” which returns to the No. 2 peak it originally attained on the inaugural Sept. 16 survey before it fell to No. 3. Concurrently, the track drops to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, a week after spending its first week at No. 1.
Earth, Wind & Fire’s seminal “September” makes the week’s big move on the TikTok Billboard Top 50, roaring onto the list at No. 3. A No. 8 hit on the Hot 100 in February 1979, the song makes moves each year around Sept. 21, owing to its opening verse namechecking the date. TikTok is no exception, with many users incorporating the track into their routines and videos. “September” jumps by 31% to 5.5 million streams Sept. 15-21.
Odetari and 9lives’ “I Love You Hoe” continues its steady rise on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 at No. 4; it debuted at No. 7 on the inaugural list, followed by a move to No. 5 the following week. At No. 5, in the top five for the first time, is BashfortheWorld’s “Darkest Before Dawn.” While the former has scored further Billboard chart success, including a No. 3 high on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, the latter has yet to make an additional ranking. The rap track was originally released in 2020, but has exploded in recent weeks, snagging 704,000 streams Sept. 15-21, up 75%.
Check out the full TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart here to see additional debuts from Tate McRae, Dominic Fike, Kenya Grace and more.
SZA’s SOS adds another record to its ever-growing list of achievements on Billboard’s charts, as the blockbuster album collects an unprecedented 41st week at No. 1 on the Top R&B Albums chart, the most by any project since the list launched in 2013. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts […]
Luck Ra and BM’s “La Morocha” adds a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart (dated Sept. 30). The song bests Luck Ra’s previous one-week champ, “Ya No Vuelvas,” featuring La K’onga and Ke Personajes, in February. LIT Killah, Tiago Pzk, Maria Becerra, Duki, Emilia, Rusherking, Big One and Fmk’s […]
Chencho Corleone earns his first solo No. 1 (without any other acts) on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart as “Un Cigarrillo” rises 3-1 to lead the chart dated Sept. 30. The Puerto Rican singer-songwriter and producer adds a fourth champ to his Latin Airplay chart career.
“Un Cigarrillo” puffs its way to No. 1 after 18 weeks on the list with a 10% gain in audience impressions, to 8.9 million, earned in the U.S. during the tracking week ending Sept. 21, according to Luminate.
The song was released May 4 via Cerco/Sony Music Latin. It’s Corleone’s first official release after he signed a global record deal with the major label earlier in the year. As for the Cerco label, “Un Cigarrillo” is its first No. 1 on any Billboard chart.
“Un Cigarrillo” gives Corleone his fourth leader on the overall Latin Airplay ranking. He claimed his first No. 1 in July 2022 through his co-billed Rauw Alejandro collaboration “Desesperados.” Corleone returned to the penthouse with another co-billed collab, “Me Porto Bonito,” with Bad Bunny, in August 2022, which also gifted him his only No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs (20 weeks in charge). His Don Omar collab “Podemos Repetirlo” followed (one week, Sept. 16-dated list).
Elsewhere, “Un Cigarrillo” jumps 2-1 on Latin Rhythm Airplay, his fifth champ there. Over on the multimetric Hot Latin Songs, which blends airplay, digital sales and streaming activity, the song rebounds from No. 49 to its No. 47 high.
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Usher Returns to the Top 10 After Over a Decade: Elsewhere on the Latin charts, Usher is back on the top 10 on Latin Rhythm Airplay after a decade, thanks to “Dientes,” his co-billed collab with J Balvin and DJ Khaled, as the song starts at No. 8 with 5.32 million audience impressions earned during its first tracking week ending Sept. 30.
With “Dientes,” Usher returns to the upper region after “DJ Got Us Falling In Love,” featuring Pitbull, took him to a No. 3 high in November 2010. Among his seven chart appearances, “Dientes” becomes his second collab with a Latin artist and the only bilingual team-up.
DJ Khaled, meanwhile, captures his second top 10, after “Borracho,” with Sech, peaked at No. 8 in 2022.
Further, as “Dientes” debuts at No. 8, J Balvin collects a 47th top 10 hit. He continues to have the second-most top 10s on Latin Rhythm Airplay, trailing only Daddy Yankee’s 67.
Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip. This week: Fans rush to Usher’s back catalog following his Super Bowl announcement, Swifties find clues seemingly foreshadowing her high-profile new relationship, a late Afrobeats artist has a surge of posthumous streams and more.
Usher’s “Good Good” Showing in Streams and Sales Post-Super Bowl Announcement
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To the surprise and/or delight of many, pop and R&B superstar Usher was announced on Sunday (Sept. 24) as the headline performer for the halftime show of Super Bowl LVIII in February. Though he might not have been the most obvious choice for a 2023 halftime headliner, the veteran hitmaker’s catalog speaks for itself – and fans were quick to remind each other and themselves of that fact following the announcement, heading to streaming services to refamiliarize themselves with Usher jams old and new.
For the days of Sunday and Monday (Sept. 24-25), Usher’s catalog was up to over 7.8 million in total official on-demand U.S. streams, from under 6.8 million the previous Sunday-Monday (Sept. 17-18), according to Luminate – a gain of 16%. The most-streamed song was his current Billboard Hot 100 hit alongside Summer Walker and 21 Savage, “Good Good” (1.1 million streams, up 5%), while classics like “Yeah!” (962,000 streams, up 13%), “My Boo” (527,000 streams, up 18%) and “DJ Got Us Fallin in Love” (525,000 streams, up 18%) were also up significantly. Usher’s digital song sales also more than doubled in the period, up 128% to over 1,500.
Does an even bigger bump await Usher following the February 11th gig? You’d have to think so – and a new album, Coming Home, scheduled for release the same day will certainly help with that. – ANDREW UNTERBERGER
87 + 89 = 2 Older Taylor Swift Songs Benefiting From Travis Kelce Relationship
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When Taylor Swift showed up in Kansas City on Sunday afternoon to cheer on her apparent new romantic partner, Chiefs star Travis Kelce, fans responded by gobbling up Kelce’s merch, with a nearly 400% spike in jersey sales the following day. As for Swift, two songs in particular have enjoyed streaming increases in the wake of the new relationship, thanks to perceived lyrical links between Swift and her new beau.
On “Mary’s Song (Oh My My My),” a track from Swift’s 2006 self-titled debut, she sings, “I’ll be 87, you’ll be 89 / I’ll still look at you like the stars that shine / In the sky, oh my my my.” While Swift was born in 1989 – and is about to release the Taylor’s Version re-record of her blockbuster album 1989 next month – Kelce’s jersey number is, of course, 87. Thirteen (!) years later, Swift released the song “Cornelia Street” on Lover, with the line, “Filling in the blanks as we go / As if the streetlights pointed in an arrowhead / Leading us home.” Where do the Chiefs play? Arrowhead Stadium, of course.
As a result, “Mary’s Song” earned an 88% increase in daily U.S. on-demand streams to 53,000 streams from Saturday to Sunday, according to Luminate, while “Cornelia Street” bumped up 12.7% to 211,000 daily streams. Of course, both songs were written years (if not decades) before Swift and Kelce became an apparent item – but what if she told you that none of it was accidental? – JASON LIPSHUTZ
Doja Cat Eyes Next ‘Scarlet’ Hit With ‘Agora Hills’
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Last week (Sept. 22), Doja Cat unleashed her Scarlet album — and while she’s already topped the Billboard Hot 100 with “Paint the Town Red,” she could be gearing up for her next smash from the somewhat divisive new record.
“Agora Hills,” a sensual R&B-rap hybrid that features a verse rapped entirely in Valley Girl vocal fry, has emerged as one of Scarlet’s most promising future singles. According to Luminate, “Agora Hills” has collected over 8.4 million official on-demand U.S. streams since its Sept. 22 release. The song scored its biggest daily streams total (2.43 million) on release day, and it never dipped below 1.91 million daily streams during the period of Sept. 22-25.
The official Hannah Lux Davis-directed music video, which arrived alongside the LP’s full release, has already garnered over 5.7 million views on YouTube, and over on TikTok, the official “Agora Hills” sound has earned over 14,400 posts. Outside of “Paint the Town Red,” “Agora Hills” has consistently been the most streamed Scarlet track on both US Apple Music and US Spotify since the album’s release.
Although “Paint the Town Red” is still going strong, “Agora Hills” is already making a strong case to become the next hit from Scarlet. With endless meme potential, a true earworm of a hook and a sound that recalls her Grammy-nominated Hot 100 top 10 hit “Need to Know,” “Agora Hills” could very well become one of the main anthems for cuffing season ’23. – KYLE DENIS
MohBad’s Tragic Passing Spurs Massive Streaming Gains
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MohBad’s Tragic Passing Spurs Massive Streaming Gains
Earlier this month (Sept. 12), the Afrobeats world lost of one of its brightest rising stars; MohBad, the rapper behind hits such as “Peace” and “Feel Good,” tragically passed at the age of 27. The investigation into his death remains ongoing, led by Lagos Police Command. MohBad and his wife welcomed a son just a few months before his untimely death. In the wake of his passing, MohBad’s catalog has seen a massive boom in streaming.
According to Luminate, streams for MohBad’s catalog exploded by over 1,755% over the past two weeks. From Sept. 15-21, the Headies Award nominee’s discography collected a whopping 6.89 million official on-demand U.S. streams, a 208% increase from the period prior (Sept. 8-14), during which his catalog earned over 2.2 million streams.
Less than three months before his death, Mohbad released Blessed, his sophomore EP. Two songs in particular from that project have posted sizable gains in recent weeks: “Sabi” and “Beast & Peace.” The former pulled over 680,000 official on-demand U.S. streams during the period of Sept. 15-21, a 2,164% increase from the 30,200 streams it earned during Sept. 1-7. Similarly, the latter garnered over 888,000 official on-demand U.S. streams during the tracking week ending Sept. 21, a 1,755% increase from the 48,000 streams it earned during two weeks earlier.
As the investigation continues to unfold, #Justice4MohBad keeps gaining steam across Africa and the rest of the world. A social movement that has already sparked critical conversations regarding the regulation of the Nigerian music industry, #Justice4MohBad is far from over – and MohBad’s music should continue to soundtrack its evolution. – KD
Q&A: Lizzy Szabo, Senior Editor of Indie & Developing at Spotify, on What’s Trending Up in Her World
How has Lorem, Spotify’s flagship alt-pop playlist, evolved as a platform since its launch four years ago?
Oof. Where do I even begin? The list is never personalized with algorithms. Each track is intentionally chosen by a human, through a mix of data and instinct. We consider not only what we feel the audience would respond to, but also consider how the artist would like to be represented. In many ways, Lorem has evolved as the community around it has grown, but I think the overarching beauty of Lorem is that it has stayed the same in concept.
The sounds, artists, and culture around “indie music” are constantly evolving. Bedroom pop went from a bubbling subgenre to influencing the top charts, and this year we’ve seen a similar trend with “indie twang” (shoegaze, as a broader term). That’s a listening trend we love to see from the indie audience – they push new sounds and movements to the forefront where Spotify can step in and support momentum and context, like we aim to do with Lorem. The visual identity is meant to feel like a magazine – at this point, our design team has crafted 75 distinct L’O’rem ‘O’s, which makes every cover feel uniquely personal to the artist or project.
Considering that Lorem is primarily focused on emerging artists, why do you think the playlist has become so effective as an artist discovery tool compared to other platforms (within and/or outside of Spotify)?
Since 2019, we’ve featured over 2000 artists, 900 of which in 2023 alone. Upon realizing that Lorem had evolved into a prominent hub for artist discovery, particularly among young audiences seeking more opportunities for exploration, we made the strategic decision to refresh the playlist with more new artists on a more regular basis. In that sense, Lorem is consistent. We listen to artists, to fans, and just want to shine a light on good music – no matter who is making it or how it’s made. There’s a point of view, but we love to take risks.
I think four years ago I wouldn’t have believed you if you told me there would be country music in Lorem. But last summer, as Zach Bryan grew in popularity, I remember Max Motley and Dev Lemons talking on Lorem Life about how their friends couldn’t stop talking about this song. So not surprisingly, “Something in the Orange” crushed in the list. A year later, from day one, “I Remember Everything” shared a similar trajectory. Zach is also a huge indie fan (just look at what he posts on IG) so that creates a natural synergy that particularly resonates with an audience that reads into all those contextual cues. Helping the community and the industry piece together the puzzle – what works well together, who works together, a nice reminder of an iconic track, uncovering a new sound to a wider audience – makes the list more of a dialogue. An artist of any size could be added to the list – it’s attainable. In the past year, nearly 100 artists were added to the list with less than 10k monthly listeners. You’re always going to find something new, and because it’s hyper-curated, you’re probably going to find something you love.
What are some of the recent stylistic trends that you’ve noticed, as alt-pop and its subgenres continue to change?
We’ve loved seeing the ‘folkification’ and country twang influence this year. Everyone is making folk albums or adding a folk song to their project. I can’t tell you why, perhaps the artists and producers can demystify it, but I like to think it’s the return to a classic, stripped-back, heartfelt sound in a wild time of political/technological/environmental crisis.
We’ve also seen a huge rise in shoegaze – both in younger audiences discovering icons of the space (especially as bands like Slowdive have released new projects), and new artists like Wisp or flyingfish have emerged as artists to watch in the space. According to Google Trends, the term has never been searched more in history than it has this year!
Fill in the blank: my favorite artist that started on Lorem, and has since become a household name, is _______.
Remi Wolf. She’s on the cover this week and co-hosting our very first Lorem & Friends event with us tomorrow – couldn’t be more thrilled to do it together. – JL
Season’s Gainings: Listeners Still Remember the 21st Night of September
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It’s been two years now since Demi Adejuyigbe – the comedian whose elaborately staged and filmed yearly videos, set to Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September,” helped turn Sept. 21 into something of a pop national holiday – announced his retirement from the annual celebration. But it appears folks no longer need his viral reminders to commemorate the occasion: “September” racked up nearly 1.8 million official on-demand U.S. streams on its signature date last Thursday, up 280% from the day before (462,000). That’s also up from 1.4 million such streams two “September” Days earlier, meaning the ‘70s classic continues to inch ever closer to becoming the “All I Want for Christmas Is You” of the autumn equinox season. – ANDREW UNTERBERGER
Billboard has more than 200 different weekly charts in its menu, encompassing numerous genres and formats.
While established artists often compete for a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart and Billboard 200 albums ranking, which track the most popular songs and albums of the week, respectively, up-and-coming talents typically start off on genre-specific lists.
Here’s a look at 10 artists who appear on surveys for the first time on the Sept. 20-dated charts.
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Meghan Patrick
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Already a hitmaker in her home country, the Canadian singer-songwriter makes her first U.S. chart appearance thanks to her featured turn on Michael Ray’s “Spirits and Demons.” The song, released in June on Ray’s EP Dive Bars & Broken Hearts (via Warner Music Nashville/WMN), debuts at No. 57 on Country Airplay, up 24% to 725,000 in airplay audience, according to Luminate.
Patrick has charted 14 songs on the Canada Country radio chart, including five top 10s and one No. 1: “Walls Come Down” in 2018. She has also logged 12 songs on the Canadian Hot 100 Airplay chart. Patrick has released three LPs: Grace & Grit (which hit No. 26 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart in 2016), Country Music Made Me Do It (No. 31, 2018) and Heart on My Glass.
Nation of Language
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The Brooklyn-based synth band debuts on Billboard’s charts for the first time with its third studio album, Strange Disciple. The set, released Sept. 15 on [PIAS] Recordings, starts at No. 66 on Top Current Album Sales and No. 99 on Top Album Sales with 1,000 copies sold in its opening week, according to Luminate. Previously, the trio — which is comprised of Ian Devaney, Alex MacKay and Aiden Noell — released Introduction, Presence in 2020 and A Way Forward in 2021. On Sept. 7, the act embarked on a nearly 50-date tour in Europe and North America.
In a recent interview with Billboard, the band recalled having released its second LP as COVID-19 lockdowns were ending. “We were essentially touring the first and second albums at the same time,” Devaney said. “[This new tour is] the first time in quite a while where we are performing songs that people haven’t heard before.”
Tish Melton
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Tish Melton is a Billboard-charting artist thanks to her debut single “Michelle.” The song, which was produced by Brandi Carlile and self-released Sept. 15, debuts at No. 13 on the Alternative Digital Song Sales chart with 1,000 downloads sold in its opening week.
The 17-year-old singer-songwriter is the daughter of author and activist Glennon Doyle, and is featured in Doyle’s 2020 memoir and New York Times best-seller, Untamed. Melton is slated to perform at Carlile’s Girls Just Wanna Weekend festival in January, alongside headliners Carlile, Sarah McLachlan and Janelle Monae. “’Michelle’ is simple, universal and one of my favorite songs I’ve written,” Melton mused in press release. “You care for someone so much while knowing it’s not their job to reciprocate it. I wrote ‘Michelle’ in my bedroom, but it didn’t really come to life until Brandi and I got into the studio together. Learning from Brandi has changed the way I think about my music. She’s a mentor and a friend.”
KenTheMan
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The Houston rapper (real name Kentavia Miller) scores her first appearance on Billboard’s charts thanks to her breakout single “Not My N—a.” The song, released in 2022 on Roc Nation, debuts at No. 36 on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart (up 16% in plays). The song’s profile has also been boosted by an extended mix released in June.
TikTok has also been a contributing factor in the track’s growth, as a portion of it has been used in nearly 70,000 clips on the platform to date. (Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard’s charts except for the newly launched TikTok & Billboard Top 50.) The song appears on KenTheMan’s album Back to the 304’n, which she released in July. She previously released 4 da 304’s in 2020 and What’s My Name in 2021, and has collaborated with 03 Greedo, 2 Chainz, Chase B and Kaliii.
Morgan Harper-Jones
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The singer-songwriter lands on Billboard’s charts for the first time with her somber cover of Whitney Houston’s classic “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me).” Harper-Jones’ version, which she self-released in 2020 on her EP Breathe, debuts at No. 14 on the Alternative Digital Song Sales chart with 1,000 sold. The song’s new surge in attention can be attributed to the Netflix film Love at First Sight, which premiered Sept. 15 and features Harper-Jones’ cover. The movie also includes two original songs by the singer: “Lonely” and “Ships Passing.” Harper-Jones, from Manchester, England, has also released one EP, 2022’s six-track While You Lay Sound Asleep.
The late Houston’s original “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1987. Three additional covers of the song have also charted: These Kids Wear Crowns’ cover reached No. 30 on the Canadian Hot 100 in 2011; the Glee cast’s version reached No. 43 on the Digital Song Sales chart in 2012; and a recent remix by Houston and the producer P2J, from the 2022 film Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody, reached No. 190 on the Global 200 in January.
Austin Williams
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The newcomer from Pleasant View, Tenn., arrives on Billboard’s charts with his breakout song “Wanna Be Saved.” The single, released Sept. 15 on Truth or Dare Records, debuts at No. 20 on Country Digital Song Sales and No. 45 on the all-genre Digital Song Sales chart with 1,000 downloads sold. Williams began generating buzz for the song’s official release by posting teasers on TikTok, where he boasts more than 300,000 followers. One video on Williams’ page has garnered over 750,000 views. He has released eight other songs on streaming services.
Sunami
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The hardcore punk band, from San Jose, Calif., charts for the first time with its self-titled album. The set, released in June on Triple B Records, debuts at No. 97 on Top Current Album Sales with 1,000 copies sold. That figure also sparks the group’s debut at No. 50 on the Emerging Artists chart. Sunami comprises Josef Alfonso (vocals), Mike Durrett (guitar), Theo Dominguez (bass) and Benny Eissmann (drums).
Cleo Sol
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The singer-songwriter from London earns her first solo Billboard chart appearance with her new studio album, Heaven. The set, released Sept. 15 on Forever Living Originals, debuts at No. 18 on Heatseekers Albums with 3,000 equivalent album units earned in its opening week. She has released two additional albums: 2020’s Rose in the Dark and 2021’s Mother. Outside her solo work, Cleo Sol (real name Cleopatra Nikolic) is a member of the British R&B collective SAULT, which has released 11 studio set, all since 2019. One of them, Air, reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Classical Crossover Albums chart in August 2022.
Walker & Royce
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The DJ duo enters Billboard’s charts thanks to its new collaboration with Diplo, “Diamond Therapy” featuring Channel Tres. The song, released Sept. 15 on Higher Ground, debuts at No. 47 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart with 514,000 U.S. streams earned in its first week. The act, from New York City, is comprised of Gavin Royce and Sam Walker. They released their debut LP Self Help in 2017 and have a string of tour dates lined up through February 2024.
Lumi Athens
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She makes Billboard’s charts for the first time with her breakout song “Let Me See Ya Move!” with Cade Clair. The track, released on 25/7 in July, debuts at No. 26 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs with 1.7 million U.S. streams. The song was boosted by additional sped-up, slowed and reverb versions. TikTok has also been a big factor in the single’s growing profile, as a portion of it has been used in over 30,000 clips on the platform. (Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard’s charts except for the newly launched TikTok & Billboard Top 50.)
