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Prince Royce picks up his 16th No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart thanks to “Me EnRD,” which ascends 4-1 on the July 29-dated ranking. With the new champ, Royce matches Carlos Vives for the second-most No. 1s by a tropical act, both with 16. “Wow, happy with another No. 1 on Latin Airplay filled […]
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 August 5), the hottest new K-pop breakout of 2023 takes on the hottest new film soundtrack of 2023 for Billboard 200 supremacy.
NewJeans, New Jeans’ 2nd EP (‘Get Up’) (ADOR/Geffen/Interscope): After breaking through earlier this year with the singles “OMG” and “Ditto,” Korean girl group NewJeans established itself as one of the most exciting new acts in global pop with a massive online following. The quintet looks to build on that rising success with a new EP released Friday (July 21) that’s officially titled New Jeans’ 2nd EP (’Get Up’) and features Powerpuff Girls-esque cover art representing the five members.
As is often the case with major K-pop releases, the set is expected to sell very well, thanks largely to the wide variety of variants available for release. There are three main CD versions of the album, but with 14 total iterations, with different covers and packaging individualized to the different members, and all with a set of branded merchandise inside, including photo books, lyric books and photo cards.
However, NewJeans are exceptional among most 2023 K-pop acts in that they also stream very well in the U.S. On the most recent Spotify Daily Top Songs USA chart, every track from the new EP is still on the top 200 ranking, led by the Billboard Hot 100 hit “Super Shy” (No. 64 for the chart dated July 29). Given that it’s an EP with only six tracks total, that puts it at something of a disadvantage on the Billboard 200. But its combination of sales and streams should still make for a formidable debut on next week’s charts.
Various Artists, Barbie the Album (Atlantic): Hey, did you know there’s a new Barbie movie out? Most likely after years of promo and a $155 million opening weekend, you’ve heard tell of the pop culture phenomenon – which also includes a star-studded soundtrack, executive produced by Mark Ronson and featuring new songs by A-listers like Billie Eilish, Karol G, Sam Smith, Lizzo, Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice, and even film star Ryan Gosling, among many more.
Barbie the Album is in stores now via a half-dozen vinyl LPs (including retailer exclusives), three cassette editions and multiple CD iterations — as well as in a deluxe Best Weekend Ever Edition, which features a Gosling cover of Matchbox Twenty’s “Push” and married couple Brandi and Catherine Carlile’s version of Indigo Girls’ “Closer to Fine.” (Both originals are featured in the film, but not on the soundtrack.) The set has also been steadily growing on streaming since its Friday release – led by Minaj’s and Ice Spice’s “Barbie World,” featuring original “Barbie Girl” hitmakers Aqua, and Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” — as Barbie-mania continues to seep into the few remaining untouched corners of national consciousness.
IN THE MIX
Greta Van Fleet, Starcatcher (Republic): Classic rock revivalists Greta Van Fleet have gone top 10 with both of their first two albums, 2018’s Anthem of the Peaceful Army and 2021’s The Battle at Garden’s Gate, and look to make it three in a row next week with their new Starcatcher. The album is available in five different vinyl variants, and features the lead single “Meet the Master,” a top five hit on Billboard’s Hot Hard Rock Songs chart.
Ice Spice, Like..? EP (10k Projects/Capitol/Dolo): For many older listeners, the phrase “deluxe EP” may feel slightly oxymoronic, but that’s what always-rising rap star Ice Spice released on Friday, with the expanded version of her breakthrough Like..? EP. The six-track January set — which was expanded to seven with the April addition of the Nicki Minaj-co-starring remix to “Princess Diana” — is now at a whopping 11 tracks, including the new “Deli,” which has made a strong debut on streaming.
Nas, Magic 2 (Mass Appeal): The latest in a late-career explosion of productivity for legendary MC Nas – recently ranked as Billboard’s third-greatest rapper of all time – Magic 2 marks the sequel to his 2021 set, and his fifth album in three years. The 11-track album only includes two guests, but both big-name: fellow Queens native 50 Cent on “Office Hours” and Atlanta star 21 Savage on the previously released bonus cut “One Mic, One Gun.”
Gunna’s “Fukumean” leads Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart for the first time, jumping 4-1 on the July 29-dated list.
In the July 14-20 tracking week, “Fukumean” earned 27.4 million official U.S. streams, according to Luminate, up 16%.
The song leads in its fifth week on the chart. It debuted at No. 5 on the July 1-dated survey (15.2 million streams) and has increased in streams each week since.
“Fukumean” is the first song to rise to No. 1 rather than debuting there since Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma’s “Ella Baila Sola,” which spent its first of two weeks atop the list on the May 6 ranking.
Gunna now boasts two Streaming Songs rulers. The rapper first led in 2018 as a co-lead on “Drip Too Hard” with Lil Baby, making “Fukumean” Gunna’s first fully solo No. 1.
Since “Drip Too Hard,” his best had been a pair of No. 2 peaks: “Lemonade,” a co-lead with Internet Money (2020) and “Pushin P,” a co-lead with Future (2022).
“Fukumean” spends its fourth week at No. 1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs and Rap Streaming Songs, now his longest leader on both.
Concurrently, “Fukumean” lifts 7-6, a new peak, on the multimetric Billboard Hot 100. Gunna’s all-time best, “Drip Too Hard,” peaked at No. 4. On Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs, he’s No. 1 for a second week.
The song has begun to receive radio airplay, peaking so far at Nos. 17, 25, 32 and 34 on Rap Airplay, Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Rhythmic Airplay, respectively.
“Fukumean” is from A Gift & a Curse, Gunna’s fourth studio album. It debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 dated July 1 and concurrently ranks at No. 9 on the July 29 tally with 40,000 equivalent album units earned to add to its all-time total of 277,000 units.
Sinead O’Connor, the emotive, iconoclastic Irish singer who topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks in 1990 with a soul-crushing cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” had died at age 56. The singer-songwriter struggled with mental illness throughout her life, including PTSD, depression and suicidal tendencies. In 2022, her 17-year-old son Shane died […]
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: All things Barbie, as the blockbuster film sends several of its soundtrack hits into the streaming stratosphere, while also boosting some 20th century classics it features (and one it doesn’t — at least not in its original form). Also, some less-predictable gains for decade-old non-hits by a pop icon and a dream-rock cult favorite.
It’s A “Barbie World,” We’re All Just Living In It
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The cinematic phenomenon of Barbenheimer has monopolized the cultural zeitgeist for the past few weeks/months/years now, resulting in eye-popping opening weekend box office numbers for both Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Not only did Gerwig’s acclaimed film earn a historic $155 million opening weekend and inspire tens of thousands of fans to dress up in their best Barbie and Ken-inspired outfits, the fantasy-comedy also showcased a soundtrack stacked with A-list star power, in addition to several other memorable music moments.
Helmed by Grammy and Oscar winner Mark Ronson, the Barbie soundtrack features a collection of today’s most prominent pop artists, including Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa and Lizzo. Three of the album’s pre-release singles — Lipa’s “Dance the Night,” Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice & AQUA’s “Barbie World,” and Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” — have seen sizable streaming gains before and after the movie’s July 21 release.
“Dance the Night,” the lead single from the Barbie soundtrack, earned just over 960,000 official on-demand U.S. streams on July 17, the Monday preceding Barbie’s theatrical release, according to Luminate. The following Monday (July 23), Dua Lipa’s nu-disco banger earned 1.82 million streams, a 90.1% increase. “Barbie World,” the second collaboration between New York rappers Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice, earned 1.58 million official on-demand U.S. streams on July 17. By July 23, that number rose by a whopping 94.3% to 3.07 million streams. As for “What Was I Made For,” the gut-wrenching ballad pulled 1.47 million official on-demand U.S. streams on July 17. On July 24, Billie’s latest Oscar contender earned 2.45 million streams, a 66.3% increase.
Outside of the soundtrack’s major singles, a slew of other songs also experienced post-release streaming gains. Charli XCX’s “Speed Drive,” another pre-release single, earned 177,000 official on-demand U.S. streams on July 17, a tally that grew by 379% by July 24 for a total of 852,000. Indigo Girls’ 1989 alt-folk perennial “Closer to Fine,” which appears three times in the film, pulled 32,000 official on-demand U.S. streams on July 17. By July 24, the duo’s biggest Billboard Hot 100 hit collected just under 100,000 streams, marking a 203.5% increase. Matchbox Twenty’s 1997 pop/rock smash “Push,” which earned the band their first Grammy nomination, also has a prominent placement in Barbie. On July 17, the song earned 235,000 official on-demand U.S. streams, and by July 24, the track experienced a 43.3% increase to 337,000. There’s also Lizzo’s “Pink,” — another song that plays in the film — a funky pop track that had a strong streaming debut on July 21 (566,000 streams) and rose another 7% by July 24 (606,000).
Of course, there is no discussing Barbie without mentioning AQUA’s “Barbie Girl.” The seminal pop song, which is sampled on Minaj & Ice’s “Barbie World,” received 307,000 official on-demand U.S. streams. On July 24, the unofficial Barbie anthem earned 619,000 streams, a 101.7% increase. But, what about Ken? Ryan Gosling’s hilarious “I’m Just Ken” pulled 812,000 official on-demand U.S. streams on July 24, a 103.2% increase from the 400,000 it collected on July 21. Barbiemania is clearly taking over both the box office and music streaming platforms. — KYLE DENIS
Superheaven’s on Fire
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Doylestown, PA grunge-gaze quartet Superheaven had been broken up for most of the past half-decade, before reuniting in 2023 for a tour to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their acclaimed 2013 Run for Cover debut album Jar. That album has proven to be the gift that keeps on giving for Superheaven, as highlight “Youngest Daughter” has gone viral, with 19,000 TikTok videos using the sound of its crunching guitars and dreamy vocals — the most popular of which places it as the soundtrack to a user’s first-row Oppenheimer-watching experience.
The song has taken off on streaming as it’s gradually become a social media sensation, with its streams growing steadily over the past seven weeks — from 231,000 on the chart tracking week ending June 1 to over 1.9 million the week ending July 20, a 743% gain, according to Luminate. The song even debuts at No. 22 this week on Billboard‘s Hot Rock Songs chart, and No. 4 on this week’s Hot Hard Rock Songs chart. If the song keeps up this pace, Superheaven might have pretty good reason not to let its upcoming run of Jar anniversary dates this October be the last time it lets fans through its pearly gates. — ANDREW UNTERBEGER
Bieber’s “Billie Jean” Moment Experiences Streaming Resurgence
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11 years ago, Justin Bieber tucked away a little song titled “Maria” at the very end of the deluxe edition of Believe, his Billboard 200-topping sophomore non-holiday studio album. Co-written and produced by Darkchild, “Maria” functioned as Bieber’s very own “Billie Jean”: Just as Michael Jackson retaliated against what he said were outlandish claims from delusional groupies, Bieber used “Maria” to respond to Mariah Yeater’s allegations that he fathered her child.
In typical TikTok fashion, the song has experienced a small resurgence on the app for reasons that have nothing do with the original controversy that birthed it. Bieber’s track has become the latest soundtrack for thirst traps on the social media app. While those make up a healthy chunk of the “Maria” videos — there are two unofficial “Maria” sounds with over 13,5000 TikToks each — there are also myriad clips explaining the song’s lore and reflecting on what it was like to be a Belieber ten years ago and live through the whole ordeal in real time. Between the tracking week ending July 6 and the week ending July 20, streams of “Maria” exploded from just over 73,000 to over 613,000 — a gain of 738.5%, according to Luminate. – KD
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 titles by acts who appear on surveys for the first time on the July 29-dated charts.
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ZEROBASEONE
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The South Korean band lands on Billboard’s charts for the first time with its debut single, “In Bloom.” The track, released July 10 on the group’s debut EP Youth in the Shade, starts at No. 103 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart and No. 182 on the Billboard Global 200 with 11.9 million official streams worldwide in the July 14-20 tracking week, according to Luminate. ZEROBASEONE (which often abbreviates its name to ZB1) formed earlier this year through the South Korean reality show Boys Planet. The nine-member group, which is managed by WAKEONE Entertainment, is comprised of Park Gun-wook, Kim Gyu-vin, Sung Han-bin, Zhang Hao, Kim Ji-woong, Seok Matthew, Ricky, Kim Tae-rae and Han Yu-jin.
Duane Betts
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The guitarist and singer-songwriter scores his first solo appearance on Billboard’s charts, thanks to his debut solo LP, Wild and Precious Life. The set, released July 14 via Royal Potato Family, debuts at No. 68 on Top Current Album Sales with 1,000 copies sold in its opening week. As a founding member of the Allman Betts Band, Betts has charted two titles on Americana/Folk Albums: the group’s debut set Down to the River (No. 24, 2019) and sophomore release Bless Your Heart (No. 15, 2020). Betts, the son of the legendary guitarist Dickey Betts, founded the Allman Betts Band with Devon Allman, the son of the late Gregg Allman. Dickey and Gregg founded the Allman Brothers Band in 1969. Previously, Duane collaborated with Backbone69, Brethren of the Coast, Dawes, Jamtown and Whitestarr and fronted Duane Betts & The Pistoleers. Duane Betts is currently on the road through September, touring as Duane Betts & Palmetto Hotel, in support of his new LP.
Snooper
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The Nashville-based punk/garage rock band reaches Billboard’s charts for the first time with its debut studio album, Super Snooper. Released July 14 on Third Man Records, the project debuts at No. 70 on Top Current Album Sales with 1,000 copies sold in its first week. The LP also sparks a No. 37 debut for the group on the Emerging Artists chart. Snooper comprises Blair Trammel (lead vocals), Connor Cummins (guitar) and Cam Sarrett (drums). The group has opened on tour for Amyl and the Sniffers, Dehd, Sheer Mag and Guerrilla Toss.
Ole Lonesome
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The rock/blues band, from Beaumont, Texas, arrives on Billboard’s charts with its new sophomore studio album, Tejas Motel. The set, released July 14 on Gulf Coast Records, debuts at No. 5 on the Blues Albums chart. The group self-released its debut LP, Turn It On, in 2019. Ole Lonesome comprises Greg Achord, Jimmy Devers, Zachary Feemster, J. Wesley Hardin and Gregory Mosley.
Tim Dugger
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The singer-songwriter and Alabama native hoists his first Billboard chart hit with “Buy a Bar.” The song, released Feb. 3 via Curb Records, debuts at No. 55 on Country Airplay (up 29% in airplay audience). Dugger released his debut EP, Signs of a Good Time, in 2020. He is currently on the road in the U.S. performing a string of shows at Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s. The NASCAR fan also has performances scheduled at various speedways in September-October.
Ryan Human
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The Lincoln, Neb., native makes his debut on Billboard’s charts with his breakthrough single “Be Awesome.” The song, originally introduced in 2018 but recently made available on streaming services, begins at No. 26 on Adult Contemporary.
Mark Steven Doss & Ken Smith
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Both artists land on Billboard’s charts for the first time with their new collaborative album, Welcome to My World. The set, released July 14 on Cedille Records, debuts at No. 2 on Traditional Classical Albums. Doss, from Cleveland, has already forged a successful career in music. The bass-baritone opera singer has performed with numerous opera companies in more than 100 operatic roles around the world. In 1994, he won a Grammy Award for best opera recording for his participation in Handel’s Semele. Smith, who plays piano on the new album, has been a professional pianist for more than 50 years. The Louisiana native has worked with a variety of singers in his career and has been affiliated with the Bel Canto Foundation. He also served on the faculty of the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University in 1992-2014.
Kadu Martins
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The singer-songwriter/producer, from Brazil, makes his first mark on Billboard’s charts with his song “Halls Na Lingua.” The track, released in March on TS Music Oficial, debuts at No. 151 on Global Excl. U.S. with 13.6 million streams outside the U.S. July 14-20. Martins has released two four-track EPs: Start, in 2019, and Swing do KM, in 2022.
Austin Moody
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The country artist, from East Tennessee, reaches Billboard’s charts with “I’m Just Sayin’.” Released May 19 on Dang Right Records, the track debuts at No. 7 on Country Digital Song Sales and No. 11 on the all-genre Digital Song Sales survey with 4,000 downloads sold. The sum also spurs Moody to a No. 33 entrance on the Emerging Artists chart.
The King Will Come
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The Christian music collective hits Billboard’s charts with its debut single “Yet.” The cut, which the act self-released in April, debuts at No. 46 on the Hot Christian Songs chart with 281,000 official streams.
Lauren Daigle’s “Thank God I Do” ascends to No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian Airplay and Christian AC Airplay rankings dated July 29, as she scores a fivefold chart domination not achieved since her own “You Say” over four years ago.
“Thank God I Do” drew 6.2 million audience impressions July 14-20, according to Luminate.
Daigle earns her fifth No. 1 on Christian Airplay and her sixth on Christian AC Airplay.
The song is the lead single from Daigle’s self-titled LP, which arrived at No. 1 on the Top Christian Albums chart in May, giving the Lake Charles, La., native her fourth leader. The 10-song set will expand by 10 tracks later this year.
Daigle wrote “Thank God I Do” with Jason Ingram, with Jeffrey Bhasker, P!nk (Alecia Moore) and Nate Ruess also receiving writing credit, 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.
“Wow, just wow,” Daigle says of her latest chart coronations. “It has been absolutely incredible seeing how people have connected to ‘Thank God I Do,’ and receiving the news that it has reached No. 1 at radio is so special. It means more than words to see the continued support and enthusiasm for this new music, which is so close to my heart.”
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Meanwhile, “Thank God I Do” rules the streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Christian Songs survey for an 11th frame, after becoming her sixth No. 1 in May. The hit retains the penthouse bolstered by 2.6 million official U.S. streams (up 2%) and 2,000 sold. It tops Christian Digital Song Sales for a 17th week and Christian Streaming Songs for an eighth week.
The only other title to rule Hot Christian Songs, Christian Airplay, Christian AC Airplay, Christian Streaming Songs and Christian Digital Song Sales simultaneously in the nearly 10 years that the five lists have coexisted? Daigle’s crossover smash “You Say,” which did so for 11 weeks in 2018-19.
On Christian Airplay, “Thank God I Do” is Daigle’s first chart-topper since “You Say” dominated for 17 weeks beginning in September 2018. She logged four top 10s in between: “Look Up Child” (No. 6 peak, April 2019); “Rescue” (No. 4, November 2019); “Still Rolling Stones” (No. 5, July 2020); and “Hold On to Me” (No. 3, July 2021).
Daigle’s 18 Christian Airplay chart-entries include 14 top 10s. Her first of five leaders was the aptly titled “First,” which reigned for three weeks starting in October 2015.
“You Say” is Daigle’s longest-leading Christian AC Airplay No. 1, with 15 weeks on top.
Among women, Daigle’s five Christian Airplay No. 1s place her second, behind Francesca Battistelli with six. On Christian AC Airplay, Daigle’s six No. 1s are the most among women, with Battistelli and Mandisa tied for second with four each. (Both charts began in June 2003.)
Colter Wall hits No. 1 on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart (dated July 29), thanks to the arrival of his fourth studio album, Little Songs.
The set, released July 14 via La Honda/RCA Records, debuts at No. 4 on Americana/Folk Albums, No. 17 on Top Country Albums and No. 75 on the Billboard 200 with 12,000 equivalent album units earned in its opening week, according to Luminate. It also starts at No. 8 on Vinyl Albums (5,000 sold on vinyl) and No. 9 on Top Album Sales (8,000 in total album sales).
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Little Songs is Wall’s third, and highest-charting, album to hit the Billboard 200, following 2018’s Songs of the Plains (No. 180 peak) and 2020’s Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs (No. 103).
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Wall is the fourth country act to top the Emerging Artists chart this year, following Jelly Roll (who led for nine weeks in 2023, among 28 total weeks on top), Nate Smith (one week in May) and Megan Moroney (four weeks in May-June).
Rounding out the top five on Emerging Artists, NewJeans dip 1-2, C418 jumps 8-3, Kaliii falls 2-4 and Coco Jones rises 7-5.
Just outside the Emerging Artists top five, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real re-enter at No. 9, ranking on the chart for the first time since 2021, thanks to the band’s new album, Sticks and Stones. The set, released July 14 on 6ACE/Thirty Tigers, debuts at No. 37 on Top Album Sales with 3,000 copies sold.
The top debut on the Emerging Artists chart this week belongs to JT, at No. 24. The former City Girls member bows thanks to her new solo single “No Bars,” released via Quality Control/Motown/Capitol Records. The track debuts at No. 38 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
City Girls spent 12 weeks at No. 1 on the Emerging Artists chart in 2019-20. That’s the fourth-longest reign since the list launched in 2017, after Jelly Roll (28 weeks), NLE Choppa (24) and Lauv (14).
The Emerging Artists chart ranks the most popular developing artists of the week, using the same formula as the all-encompassing Billboard Artist 100, which measures artist activity across multiple Billboard charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200. (The Artist 100 lists the most popular acts, overall, each week.) However, the Emerging Artists chart excludes acts that have notched a top 25 entry on either the Hot 100 or Billboard 200, as well as artists that have achieved two or more top 10s on Billboard’s “Hot” song genre charts and/or consumption-based “Top” album genre rankings.
Myke Towers is back in the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart as his latest single “Lala” climbs 14-6 on the July 29-dated list, becoming the Puerto Rican’s first top 10 in over two years.
“Lala” dropped March 23 as one of the 23 tracks on Towers’ third studio album La Vida Es Una. The One World International/Warner Latina-released set debuted and peaked at No. 9 high on Top Latin Albums (April 8).
The song’s popularity swelled in late June due to a TikTok challenge consisting of a dance with hand gestures and a tongue movement. As millions of users are riding the “Lala” wave, the song has generated more than 2.5 million videos on the platform since. (Activity on TikTok does not directly contribute to Billboard’s charts.)
After that, “Lala” earned Towers his first No. 1 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart last chart week (dated July 22).
On Hot Latin Songs, which blends airplay, streams, and digital sales, “Lala” lands in the top 10 in its third week and becomes Towers’ ninth top 10 and first since “Pareja del Año,” with Sebastián Yatra, peaked at No. 10 in May 2021.
“Lala” takes the week’s Greatest Gainer honors on the multimetric tally with 9.7 million official on-demand streams earned during the July 14-20 tracking week, according to Luminate; that’s a 39% gain from the week prior. The streaming surge yields a No. 36 position on the overall Streaming Songs chart, Towers’ first entry there. Plus, it rises 16-8 on Latin Streaming Songs, his ninth top 10 there.
Sales also contributes to “Lala’s” high chart performance on Hot Latin Songs. It sold a bit over 500 units in the U.S. during the same period and rises 11-6 on Latin Digital Song Sales.
Further, “Lala” holds at its No. 3 high on Billboard Global 200 with 85 million streams, a 10% increase, and backtracks 1-2 on Global Excl. U.S. with an 8% dip in streams, to 76 million.
Beyond his new top 10 on Hot Latin Songs, Towers bests his ranking on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, as “Lala” rallies 90-48 in its second week. Prior to “Lala” hitting the top 50, Towers reached a No. 76 high through “Caramelo,” with Ozuna and Karol G, in 2020.
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Karol G’s “S91” Arrives: Towers’ “Lala” is not the only new top 10 on Hot Latin Songs this week as Karol G’s “S91” bows at No. 10. The song logged 8.3 million official on-demand streams after its first full tracking week ending July 20, enough to debut at No. 49 on Streaming Songs and an equal No. 10 start on Latin Streaming Songs.
“S91” also sold a bit over 1,000 downloads in its first week, plenty for a No. 1 start on Latin Digital Song Sales.
With the new top 10 on her Hot Latin Songs career, Karol G adds a 22nd top 10, extending her third-most top 10s sum among women, behind Shakira (34) and Gloria Estefan (23).
Jung Kook’s “Seven,” featuring Latto, and Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” debut at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, on the July 29-dated Billboard Global 200. It’s only the third time in the 150-week history of Billboard’s global charts that the top two songs are debuts by different artists. But while Jung Kook also opens atop the other global chart – the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. survey – Aldean is nowhere to be found on it.
The Global 200 ranks songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world. The Global Excl. U.S. chart does the same but excludes domestic consumption, measuring the biggest hits outside the United States.
Since these two global charts launched in September 2020, there has been plenty of crossover, with No. 1 songs aligning 100 times, or two out of every three weeks on average. This week’s top 10 on the Global 200 shares eight songs with the top 10 of the Global Excl. U.S. chart. The two that miss are Gunna’s “Fukumean,” inching 7-6 on the former and surging 44-22 on the latter, and “Try That in a Small Town.”
But Aldean isn’t just outside the top 10 of Global Excl. U.S. – his hit misses the 200-position chart altogether. That makes it the highest-ranking song on the Global 200 to simultaneously be absent from its sister survey since they started three years ago. Previously, Future held that distinction, when “Puffin on Zootiez” and “712PM” hit Nos. 7 and 11, respectively, on the May 14, 2022-dated worldwide ranking.
“Try That in a Small Town” makes a notable sales-powered bow, with 233,000 downloads sold worldwide in the week ending July 20, according to Luminate. The song was released May 19 but makes its global chart debut after CMT pulled the song’s music video three days after premiering (July 14), resulting in a surge of attention.
That six-digit figure is the third-best sales week since the charts launched, behind only the 269,000 for Jung Kook’s “Seven” this week, and BTS’ “Butter,” which debuted on the June 5, 2021-dated list with 249,000.
While Aldean manages the best non-BTS/BTS-related sales week in the global charts’ archives, his track’s streaming count of 11.1 million ranks 196th among this week’s 200 charting titles.
Those figures skew dramatically toward Stateside consumption, with 98% of the song’s worldwide sales and 96% of its streams stemming from the U.S. That towers over the averages among this week’s charting titles (beyond Aldean’s): 52% and 22%, respectively. Aldean’s domestic totals contrast with just 5,000 downloads and 403,000 streams from outside the U.S. during the tracking week, not enough to crack the Global Excl. U.S. chart – even if it were expanded to 600 positions.
“Try That in a Small Town” is a country song, and country has long struggled to export outside the confines of the U.S. Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night,” with its 14 weeks at No. 1 on the U.S.-based Billboard Hot 100, has managed to climb as high as No. 82 on Global Excl. U.S., far removed from its top 10 peak on the Global 200. Otherwise, besides Taylor Swift and holiday titles, Luke Combs is the only other core country act (in a lead role) to have appeared on the chart, as “Forever After All” spent a week at No. 105 in 2020. But not even his current crossover, a cover of Tracy Chapman’s 1989 classic “Fast Car,” is charting, despite being No. 21 on the Global 200 and No. 4 on the Hot 100.
Still, when Combs hit the global charts in 2020, 16% of the song’s streams and 10% of its sales were from outside the U.S in its debut week, indicating some interest outside his home country. Wallen, on both of this week’s editions, is up to 25% and 15% from international territories.
So while, yes, Aldean’s mere association with country music means he’s likely to spur far more U.S. activity than pop, rock or Latin acts, his international draw of 4% in streams and 2% in sales are unprecedented for such a huge hit on the Global 200.
The song’s messaging (or its controversy – however you choose to look at it) is deeply American. Even the title touches on the iconography of U.S. small towns, and its lyrics point to social hot topics. Its official video, and subsequent removal from CMT, pushed the song into the national spotlight, the clip interspersing news footage with small-town scenes to amplify the song’s references to violence and crime.
The specificity and the inevitable political fallout of “Try That in a Small Town” seemingly limits the song’s international prospects, cutting its non-U.S. sales and streams to a fraction of even those by fellow country singles. Meanwhile, although Aldean doesn’t chart on any of Billboard’s Hits of the World charts outside of North America, it debuts at No. 36 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100, where Wallen and Combs sit at Nos. 1-2.
