Chart Beat
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Welcome to The Contenders, 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 March 11), a number of new releases challenge SZA’s ongoing Billboard 200 supremacy — led by the latest from a Latin pop star looking to accomplish the unprecedented.
Karol G, Mañana Será Bonito (Universal Latino): Karol G might not be a household name among mainstream U.S. audiences, but that could change with the debut of her fourth album. The Latin pop star reached a higher peak on the Billboard 200 with each of her first three albums — 2017’s Unstoppable (No. 192), 2019’s Ocean (No. 54) and 2021’s KG0516 (No. 20) — and last year scored her first two top 25 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, with “Provenza” and her Becky G collaboration “Mamiii.” Now, with last Friday’s (Feb. 24) Mañana Será Bonito, she should be in the mix for the chart’s top spot.
Mañana is currently available on CD and as a digital album — it topped the iTunes albums chart on its day of release — and is helped by the inclusion of streaming smash “Provenza,” as well as Hot 100 hits “Gatúbela’ (with Maldy) and “X Si Volvemos” (with Romeo Santos). But the album’s biggest hit might be brand new: the much-hyped Shakira collaboration “TDQ,” which has been in the top 10 of the daily charts on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and iTunes since its release.
If the album does debut at No. 1, it would make history as the first all-Spanish-language album by a female artist to reach the top spot — joining only Bad Bunny (who’s done it twice, with 2020’s El Último Tour del Mundo and 2022’s Un Verano Sin Ti) among all artists. She’d also be only the third woman with a mostly non-English language No. 1 album, following Selena (Dreaming of You, 1995) and The Singing Nun (The Singing Nun, 1963). Dreaming of You blended Spanish and English, while The Singing Nun was recorded entirely in French.
Gorillaz, Cracker Island (Parlaphone/Warner): Gorillaz fans have been waiting to take the trip to Cracker Island since the album’s title track came out last June — followed by a steady stream of singles, including the top 20 Hot Rock & Alternative Songs hit “New Gold,” featuring Tame Impala and Bootie Brown. Now, the full 10-track album is finally out, available for sale in over a dozen vinyl variants, box sets, as well as four cassette options. Speaking of Bad Bunny: He graces the album’s “Tormenta,” which should provide a nice boon to the album’s streaming numbers.
Yeat, AfterLyfë (Geffen/Field Trip/Twizzy Rich): One of the most-hyped rappers of the last few years, enigmatic hip-hop sensation Yeat released his third album in three years last week with AfterLyfë. Yeat’s streaming prowess sent 2022’s 2 Alive to No. 6 on the Billboard 200, and the 21-track AfterLyfë seems likely to join it in the chart’s top 10. The album’s lone high-profile guest is the YoungBoy Never Broke Again guest spot on “Shmunk,” however, and it has no physical release currently available for sale.
IN THE MIX
Don Toliver, Love Sick (Cactus Jack/Atlantic): Rapper-singer Don Toliver has been a ubiquitous supporting actor in hip-hop over the past year, showing up on Hot 100 hits from Billboard 200-topping albums by Pusha T (“Scrape It Off” from It’s Almost Dry), Metro Boomin (“Too Many Nights” from Heroes and Villains) and SZA (“Used” from SOS). Now he gets his own shot with Love Sick, which follows 2021’s No. 2-peaking Life of a Don and boasts guest appearances from Justin Bieber, Future, Lil Durk, Brent Faiyaz and other big names.
Godsmack, Lighting Up the Sky (BMG): It’s been two decades since the Massachusetts hard rock band was at its commercial peak, but Godsmack remains a reliable performer on the Billboard 200, sending each of its past six albums to the chart’s top 10. Lighting Up the Sky is the group’s first release since 2018’s No. 8-peaking When Legends Rise – the longest gap between albums in Godsmack’s career — and contains their 12th No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart with lead single “I Surrender.”
Gracie Abrams, Good Riddance (Interscope): Gracie Abrams has long cultivated a reputation as your favorite singer-songwriter’s favorite singer-songwriter, and this February she finally put out her debut album, Good Riddance. The album does not yet have any major chart hits to its credit, but it comes with chart-topping pedigree in its primary artistic partner, writer-producer Aaron Dessner – whose frequent collaborator Taylor Swift is taking Abrams out on her impossibly anticipated The Eras Tour this spring.
Ozuna captures his 32nd No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart as “Hey Mor,” with Feid, advances from No. 3 to lead the March 4-dated ranking. Thanks to the new leader, Ozuna ties with Enrique Iglesias for the second-most No. 1s on the list. Feid, meanwhile, scores his second.
“Hey Mor” takes over Latin Airplay in its ninth week, supported by a 12% increase in audience impressions, to 11.5 million, earned in the U.S. during the Feb 17-23 tracking week, according to Luminate.
“Hey Mor” is the second song from Ozuna’s fifth studio album, OzuTochi, to hit No. 1 on the all-genre Latin Airplay. It follows “Somos Iguales,” with Tokischa, featuring Louchie Lou & Michi One, which topped the tally for one week last October.
As mentioned, with the new No. 1, Ozuna moves ahead and enters a tie with Enrique Iglesias for the second-most No. 1s on Latin Airplay since its inception in 1994. They only trail J Balvin, who continues to dominate with 35 No. 1s: Here’s an update of the scoreboard:
35, J Balvin
32, Enrique Iglesias
32, Ozuna
27, Daddy Yankee
22, Maluma
22, Wisin
22, Romeo Santos
Feid, meanwhile, picks up his second No. 1 after a year and a half. He secured his first victory with “Porfa,” with the all-star team comprising J Balvin, Maluma, Nicky Jam, Sech and Justin Quiles. The song earned the Colombian his first No. 1 on any Billboard chart as it ascended to a dual domination on Latin Airplay and Latin Rhythm Airplay for one week in August 2020.
Further, Feid crosses off a new career achievement as “Hey Mor” rises 12-10 on Hot Latin Songs, which blends airplay, streams, and digital sales. It becomes his first top 10 on the multi-metric tally. Ozuna collects his 29th top 10.
Grupo Quintanna Arrives
Elsewhere on the Latin charts, Tlaxcala, Mexico, band Grupo Quintanna scores its first top 10 on any Billboard chart as “El Final de Nuestra Historia” rallies 15-7 on Regional Mexican Airplay. The song’s surge comes via a remix with Raymix, which arrived six months after the original version was released on May 10, 2022.
The new leader gives Grupo Quintanna its first top 10 through its first chart appearance. Raymix clocks his sixth.
“Final” secures a spot in the top 10 with 4.8 million in audience impressions, a 23% gain in the tracking week ending Feb. 23.
SZA collects her third No. 1 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart in three years as “Kill Bill” jumps from No. 3 to lead the list dated March 4. The new champ ascends after a 12% boost in weekly plays that made it the most played song on U.S. monitored rhythmic radio stations in the week ending Feb. 23, according to Luminate.
As “Kill Bill” conquers Rhythmic Airplay, it evicts Metro Boomin, The Weeknd and 21 Savage’s “Creepin” after its three-week streak.
“Kill Bill” puts SZA atop Rhythmic Airplay for the third time in her career. She first led through a featured spot on Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More,” a two-week champ in 2021, and returned to the summit with her track “I Hate U,” which reigned for one week in 2022. Of the three leaders, “Kill Bill” has enjoyed the fastest trip to the top, with seven weeks needed to achieve the coronation. “Kiss Me More” required 10 weeks to reach No. 1, while “I Hate U” arrived in its 12th frame.
“Kill Bill” appears on SZA’s SOS album, which was released in December 2022. The set has captured 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart – a feat only six other albums have achieved in the past 10 years. Alongside its parent album, “Kill Bill” is itself an across-the-board-hit, with seven weeks at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Elsewhere, “Kill Bill” scales the Pop Airplay chart with a 7-6 increase after an 11% gain in weekly plays, and, despite a 23-24 retreat on Adult Pop Airplay, improved 26% in weekly plays. In the R&B/hip-hop realm, the single dips 12-13 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (down 1% in plays), climbs 20-16 on Adult R&B Airplay (up 14% in plays) and holds at No. 12 on the overall R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart for a third straight week.
The movement at rhythmic, pop and R&B/hip-hop radio helps “Kill Bill” maintain its steady progress on the all-genre Radio Songs chart. On the new ranking, the song rises 6-4 and added 11% in weekly audience to reach 71.5 million impressions for the week.
Jordan Davis achieves his highest rank to date on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, as Bluebird Days swoops in at No. 3 on the list dated March 4.
Released Feb. 17, the LP opens with a weekly career-best 19,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Feb. 23, according to Luminate. Concurrently, it debuts at No. 19 on the all-genre Billboard 200, also a career-best placement.
Bluebird Days sports 17 songs, 15 of which Davis co-wrote. It follows Buy Dirt, which arrived at its No. 11 Top Country Albums best in June 2021; his self-named EP (No. 16, June 2018); and his first full-length, Home State (No. 6, April 2018).
Davis’ single “Buy Dirt” (featuring Luke Bryan), which ruled the streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Country Songs survey for four frames and Country Airplay for two beginning in January 2022, is included on both Bluebird Days and its namesake set.
Bluebird Days has also yielded “What My World Spins Around,” which paced Country Airplay for two frames this January, giving Davis his fourth No. 1, after reaching No. 8 on Hot Country Songs in December, marking his sixth top 10.
Davis’ latest single, “Next Thing You Know,” hops 26-19 on Hot Country Songs, up 37% to 7.3 million streams, and leaps 59-51 on Country Airplay (1.3 million, up 95%).
Olivia & Dolly’s Duet Debuts
“Jolene,” the Dolly Parton classic originally a No. 1 hit on Hot Country Songs in 1974, is one of 17 tracks on Olivia Newton-John’s duets album Just the Two of Us: The Duets Collection, Volume One (due May 5). The remake arrives on Country Digital Songs at No. 13 with 2,000 sold.
The beloved Newton-John passed away Aug. 8 at age 73 after a long battle with breast cancer.
Newton-John originally recorded “Jolene” for her Come on Over set, which hit No. 2 on Top Country Albums in May 1976.
In addition to Parton, Newton-John’s other duet partners for the upcoming LP include Paul Anka, Jim Brickman, Mariah Carey, Barry Gibb, Richard Marx, Michael McDonald, Jon Secada and others.
It’s proven a successful formula before: The Weeknd scores a top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit, and just when it looks to have climbed about as far as it’s likely to get, it receives a new remix starring his “Love Me Harder” co-star Ariana Grande to give it another blast of momentum.
In the case of The Weeknd‘s After Hours single “Save Your Tears,” that blast took it all the way to No. 1 on the Hot 100 in spring 2021. Now, he and Grande look to repeat their trick with “Die for You,” the artist born Abel Tesfaye’s old Starboy cut that was revitalized on TikTok and streaming and eventually radio, becoming a Hot 100 hit in late 2022. Early this year, the song climbed as high as No. 6 on the chart — where it returns to this week — and it’s likely to get a considerable boost in consumption from the new remix.
Will it be enough to get the song to No. 1? And what other pop co-stars might look to follow Grande and Tesfaye’s lead? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.
1. Despite being over six years old, “Die for You” has stood for two months now as one of the biggest hits of the new year, climbing back to its No. 6 peak this week. Why do you think the song has the song been able to maintain its popularity — not just several months into its current chart run, but over a half-decade since its original release?
Rania Aniftos: As always with a song that’s getting a second life, we can thank TikTok. The Weeknd’s unearthed songs usually take off, because Abel really never misses. As a fan myself, I love being reminded of and revisiting some of his older songs, so I’m always happy when a track makes its way back to TikTok.
Stephen Daw: I’ve said it before, and I will say it again — never underestimate TikTok. Beyond just saying a song “is big on TikTok right now,” it’s clear that the app has become a place where even a decades-old gem can become a huge hit. “Die for You” has always had a reputation amongst The Weeknd fans as one of the best deeper cuts off Starboy — now that they have a place to focus that love and attention for their underrated fave, everyone suddenly gets to be in on it together.
Jason Lipshutz: At some point over the past few weeks, “Die for You” fully transitioned from “fan favorite album track that has garnered a surprising amount of TikTok commotion” to “one of The Weeknd’s biggest choruses to date that somehow didn’t explode upon its original release.” Hearing “Die for You” on a major streaming playlist or on top 40 radio today, it sounds just as immediate and undeniable as “Blinding Lights” and “Save Your Tears” did two years ago — especially impressive considering how dated a lot of pop songs can sound a few years after they’re unveiled. Fans might have gotten the ball rolling here, but the timeless feel of “Die for You” helped sustain it.
Heran Mamo: There’s a couple of factors here: 1) TikTok’s superpower of reviving years-old deep cuts and transforming them into today’s hits, especially for new listeners; 2) The Weeknd’s performance of “Die for You” during his After Hours Til Dawn Stadium Tour refreshing his die-hard fans’ memories of one of his best songs to date; and 3) top 40 programmers’ strategy of satisfying his fans (after coming up short on a “Blinding Lights”-sized hit from latest album Dawn FM) and capitalizing on the recent “Die” revival. I also feel like The Weeknd’s really struck listeners’ nostalgic nerve right now, with his contribution to Metro Boomin’s “Creepin” (which partially covers Mario Winans’ 2004 track “I Don’t Wanna Know”) also remaining in the top 10 of the Hot 100 for the last two months. Dusting off not just one but two old songs and turning them into modern day smashes is very impressive, and I don’t know how many other artists would be able to pull that off.
Andrew Unterberger: It’s just kinda what The Weeknd does. “Die for You” proved a better fit for streaming and radio than anything off Dawn FM — and historically speaking, once one of his singles reaches a certain level of popularity, it’s tougher to get rid off than bedbugs. That probably would’ve been true of “Die” even without any high-profile remixes.
2. On Friday, the song’s Ariana Grande-featuring remix was released to much fanfare, marking the fourth time the two pop superstars have collaborated on a song. Why do you think their artistic partnership continues seems to make such an impact each time out?
Rania Aniftos: Their relationship is so authentic, and fans see that. They’re genuinely friends, and because of that, it doesn’t just feel like some cash-grab collaboration between two huge celebrities. You can tell from how incredible every single one of their collabs are that they actually want to make the best music possible together, and it works. Of course, their combined mega-star power doesn’t hurt.
Stephen Daw: Ari and Abel share one thing that makes them both stand out from many of their other peers: unique, singular voices. When you put them together, it feels like two perfectly fitted puzzle pieces that complete a greater picture. There’s simply no denying that they both sound phenomenal bouncing off of one another, so it makes sense that every time they collaborate, fans eat it up and ask them when they’re going to get more.
Jason Lipshutz: Abel and Ariana have a shared rhythmic-pop sensibility that allows them to approach tracks in a similar way and sound great together on the finished product. Over the past decade, both artists have enveloped themselves in R&B textures while placing high value on radio-friendly pop hooks; they often sing about love with a tinge of darkness, as if even the most romantic of scenarios contain jabs of pain mixed in with the shots of pleasure. A song like “Die for You” makes for the perfect vehicle for both talents — pillowy in parts and epic in others, the track conveys devotion through ultimate sacrifice, and meets a complicated relationship with nuanced, spectacular vocal runs.
Heran Mamo: It goes without saying that they’re two of the biggest pop stars in the world, so putting them together on one song is bound to make noise. But specifically, The Weeknd’s awe-inspiring falsetto and Ariana’s incredible upper register and piercing whistle tones always come together for the most heavenly songs that literally make you feel like you’re in the clouds. Talk about pop perfection!
Andrew Unterberger: It’s a great fit of pop voices and personas: two pop&B superstars who excel at illustrating dizzying highs and terrifying lows, who are very purposeful in the evolution of their artistry, and who always come with skyscraping and unmistakable vocals.
3. The last time Grande and Tesfaye teamed up was in a similar spot in spring 2021 — with The Weeknd’s “Save Your Tears” still hanging around the top 10, but likely without the commercial momentum to continue climbing much higher on its own. That collab helped “Tears” immediately shoot to No. 1, and helped it become a big- and long-lasting-enough hit to still be going in 2022. Do you see the “Die for You” having a similar-sized effect, in either the short or long terms?
Rania Aniftos: Yes, but only because Ariana Grande hasn’t put out music in a while, as she’s been busy with other endeavors like her beauty line and her role in the Wicked film. We know that her fans are dying to hear from her and support her in any musical capacity – which is more than enough to blast “Die for You” into a long-lasting hit.
Stephen Daw: Simply put, yes. I try not to make Big Predictions™ that often, but with “Die for You” already climbing back to No. 6 after just the anticipation of a new Ariana collab, it feels like there is very little that could stop it from taking the No. 1 spot in next week’s chart. Sure, they’re pulling the same play that they did with “Save Your Tears” — but if it ain’t broke, why fix it?
Jason Lipshutz: Yeah, I think this gets to No. 1. The top of the Hot 100 has become a crowded spot lately, with mega-hits by Miley Cyrus and SZA joined by songs by PinkPantheress & Ice Spice and Morgan Wallen quickly becoming ubiquitous… but The Weeknd and Ariana Grande are A-list artists with sprawling fan bases, tons of radio buy-in and indisputable chemistry. Sure, the “Die for You” remix is a canny attempt to get a top 10 song into pole position on the Hot 100, but that doesn’t mean that the collaboration doesn’t work. As a pop product, the “Die for You” remix fires on all cylinders, and should become huge in the coming weeks.
Heran Mamo: Absolutely. If the six-year-old, solo version can launch to and then stay in the top 10 of the Hot 100 for two months, then the Ariana Grande remix can definitely help maintain that momentum and eventually reach the chart’s top spot. Let’s not forget that this is Ariana’s first major musical release in two years, so her fans will be eating this up. And depending on when she’ll release music again, given her busy film schedule with Wicked, the “Die for You” remix might have to tide the Arianators over for a while. The Abel-Ariana link-up is a tried-and-true formula for a smash that’s sure to work its magic once more.
Andrew Unterberger: Definitely in the short term — based on the remix’s excellent early showing on DSPs and on iTunes, it should help the song score a big chart jump this week, possibly all the way to No. 1. For the long-term, we’ll have to wait and see which version listeners continue to gravitate towards — but with the “Tears” precedent and with the remix still in the daily top 10 on Spotify and Apple Music halfway through the week, I’d probably put my money on it being the enduring version of the song as well.
4. Do you see the addition of Grande’s contributions to “Die for You” as either a major improvement or expansion of the song, or is interest in the new remix mostly just fan excitement about the two pop greats being together again?
Rania Aniftos: I thought the song was great on its own, but I’ve always loved how Ari’s voice sounds with Abel’s because it just amplifies their ethereal, atmospheric musical tastes. So even though the remix might not make the biggest difference or improvement, everything they make together is a fun listen and so, so catchy that nobody’s ever mad at it. I’m certainly not.
Stephen Daw: I think the remix is a great song that was already great before Ariana hopped on it. Her addition is certainly welcome, especially when you see the clip of her comping her own vocal takes to make sure all of her stacked harmonies were perfect. All of that being said, no, this is not a major revitalization of the song — it’s a fun remix with two artists who work well together that gets people listening to the song even more than they already were.
Jason Lipshutz: Ariana Grande joining “Die for You” turns the song into a conversation: after The Weeknd sings, “You know what I’m thinkin’, see it in your eyes/ You hate that you want me, hate it when you cry,” Grande sings the words right back at him in the next verse, as if both parties in the relationship are guilty of being addicted to an unhappy union. Hearing Grande’s voice throughout the remix applies another familiar voice to a major hook, but the real power is in the emotional layers that she adds to the track.
Heran Mamo: I’d say the latter, considering the original “Die for You” is so strong on its own – with a gut-wrenching chorus, scintillating production and The Weeknd’s swoon-worthy, signature falsetto – that it didn’t need a remix. The undeniable vocal chemistry between Abel and Ariana certainly strengthens “Die for You,” but the buzz behind its remix, which started in November when SZA confirmed a rumor she had already recorded one before The Weeknd eventually announced Ariana as his collaborator, has kept fans on their toes for a while.
Andrew Unterberger: The fan excitement was guaranteed to give it a strong push out of the gate, but I think the listeners will stick around in large part because the remix simply works — it just feels a little fuller, a little higher-stakes than the original. It’s not an enormous difference, but it might be enough to take the song from a fun surprise breakout for The Weeknd to a true signature hit.
5. What other A-list collaborators who’ve only worked together once or twice would you like to see growing into a Weeknd/Ariana Grande type relationship, where they come together for a new song or remix every couple years and see blockbuster results seemingly each time out?
Rania Aniftos: I apologize in advance, because this isn’t exactly what’s being asked here, but it must be said: Harry Styles and Taylor Swift need to have this type of collaborative relationship. Their romance-turned-friendship is so sweet and everywhere in the news when they see each other at events. Could you imagine the frenzy if Harry did a remix of Taylor’s “Style”?
Stephen Daw: Doja Cat & SZA, all day, every day. “Kiss Me More” was such a phenomenal outing for both of them because it felt like when they came together, they were bringing out different sides of each other — SZA had permission to be sillier, while Doja had an excuse to show off more of her vocal chops. Provided that Doja doesn’t actually quit the music industry, I would love to see these two get together for another track.
Jason Lipshutz: After “No Body No Crime” and the “Gasoline” remix, sign me up for like, 15 more Taylor Swift-Haim collaborations. Give me a whole album and tour together! Give me Taylor on a retroactive remix of “The Wire”! A guy can dream, right?
Heran Mamo: SZA and Travis Scott. “Love Galore” is truly such a beautiful ballad because of SZA’s emotive vocals and raw storytelling blending with Travis’ euphoric, Auto-Tuned bars and amusing ad-libs. He tapped back into his melodic pocket again on “Open Arms” from the now 10-weeks-and-counting Billboard 200 No. 1 album SOS (where he made another low-key appearance on “Low”). While “Love Galore” peaked at No. 32 on the Hot 100, I think SZA and Travis’ future collabs can build off their chemistry and previous track record (which actually dates back to 2015 with her cameo on his 2015 Rodeo cut “Ok Alright”) and take both artists to even greater heights.
Andrew Unterberger: Halsey and Post Malone seem like they should be strong candidates to have this kind of relationship — though considering Halsey recently cut an entirely solo version of her lone Posty collab to date, their partnership currently might be moving in the wrong direction for it.
Multiple songs from Gracie Abrams’ newly released debut album, Good Riddance, reach Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs chart dated March 4, led by “I Know It Won’t Work” at No. 1.
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Billboard’s Hot Trending charts, powered by Twitter, track global music-related trends and conversations in real-time across Twitter, viewable over either the last 24 hours or past seven days. A weekly, 20-position version of the chart, covering activity from Friday through Thursday of each week, posts alongside Billboard’s other weekly charts on Billboard.com each Tuesday, with the latest tracking period running Feb. 17-23.
Abrams’ “Work” gets a bump that exceeds the rest of Good Riddance’s 12-song tracklist thanks to her announcement of its music video, which was initially teased with a clip on Feb. 22.
The Aaron Dessner-produced album also boasts an entry on the latest chart via “Fault Line,” which bows at No. 15. More appearances for Good Riddance are possible on the March 11-dated chart, which will cover the LP’s first week of release.
Speaking of Dessner, his band The National appears on the March 4 survey at No. 11 with “New Order T-Shirt,” the latest taste of the group’s upcoming album, First Two Pages of Frankenstein (April 28).
Abrams is followed at No. 1 by Halsey, whose “Die 4 Me” bows at No. 2. Released Feb. 24, it’s an expanded solo version of the 2019 song she recorded with Post Malone, “Die for Me” (also featuring Future), from the five-week Billboard 200 No. 1 album Hollywood’s Bleeding.
Music from Sebastian Yatra, The Boyz and Jonas Brothers round out the top five.
Keep visiting Billboard.com for the constantly evolving Hot Trending Songs rankings, and check in each Tuesday for the latest weekly chart.
Congolese-Canadian singer-songwriter LU KALA scores her first career entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (dated March 4), thanks to her featured role on Latto’s “Lottery,” which debuts at No. 83.
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The pop-rap collab, released Feb. 17 via StreamCut/RCA Records, debuts with 7.9 million radio airplay audience impressions, 4.2 million official streams and 1,200 downloads sold in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 23, according to Luminate. It concurrently starts at No. 25 on Rap Airplay, No. 28 on Pop Airplay and No. 30 on Rhythmic Airplay.
“Lottery” marks LU KALA’s first-ever appearance on a U.S.-based Billboard ranking. Before this week, she sent one title onto multiple Canadian charts, as “Pretty Girl Era” hit highs of No. 11 on Canadian Emerging Artists, No. 20 on Canada CHR/Top 40 and No. 36 on Canada Hot AC (all dated Feb. 25).
LU KALA (full name Lusamba Kalala) has released one album so far, 2020’s eight-track collection Worthy.
As for Latto, “Lottery” marks her fourth Hot 100 hit, following “Bitch From Da Souf” (No. 95 peak in 2020), her smash “Big Energy” (No. 3, 2022) and “Budget” with Megan Thee Stallion (No. 87, 2022).
Latto will be honored as Billboard’s 2023 Women in Music Powerhouse on March 1. “My No. 1 thing has been being a girl’s girl. I utilize my power in uplifting others on my way up,” she recently told Billboard. “The content I’m about to roll out is a whole fresh new leaf. I genuinely love to see the new wave of female rap, and I’m honored to be a part of it.”
Lizzy McAlpine achieves her first career entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (dated March 4) as her breakthrough single, “Ceilings,” debuts at No. 75.
The song, released on Harbour/AWAL, debuts largely from 6 million U.S. streams (up 34%) in the Feb. 17-23 tracking week, according to Luminate. It concurrently rises 6-5 on Hot Alternative Songs, 8-7 on Hot Rock Songs and 9-8 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (all of which use the same multimetric methodology as the Hot 100).
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“Ceilings” also becomes McAlpine’s first top 10 on the Official UK Singles chart, where it soars 21-9.
TikTok has been a major factor in the song’s growing profile, as a sped-up version has been used in more than 115,000 clips on the platform to date. (TikTok does not contribute to Billboard’s charts.)
The Philadelphia native, 23, is a newcomer to Billboard’s charts. “Ceilings” is McAlpine’s first title to appear on a songs ranking, while parent set Five Seconds Flat sparked her first overall chart appearance, when it debuted and peaked at No. 5 on Heatseekers Albums in April 2022. It later reached No. 10 on Vinyl Albums and No. 33 on Top Album Sales. This week, it debuts at No. 6 on Americana/Folk Albums. The LP features notable guest appearances from Jacob Collier and Finneas.
McAlpine’s 2022 collaboration with Collier and John Mayer, “Never Gonna Be Alone,” garnered the folk-pop singer her first Grammy nomination, for best arrangement, instruments and vocals.
McAlpine recently told Billboard that she’s already at work on her next album, without explicitly revealing its sonic direction.
“I feel like [2020’s Give Me a Minute] was close to what I think that I actually sound like. And then [Five Seconds Flat], I was trying to go as far away from that as possible, just to differentiate myself and not get stuck in the genre. This [next] album won’t sound like the first album, but it’s definitely closer to what I think I actually sound like as an artist. It feels like the most authentic music I’ve ever written.”
Taylor Swift extends her record run at No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart (dated March 4) as she scores her 64th week as the top musical act in the United States.
Swift returns to No. 1 thanks to two tracks on the Billboard Hot 100 from her latest album, Midnights. Her former eight-week No. 1 “Anti-Hero,” which became her longest-leading hit, ranks at No. 8, while “Lavender Haze” rises 24-22 (after debuting at No. 2 in November).
Midnights holds at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with 54,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. Feb. 17-23, according to Luminate, after spending five weeks at No. 1. Also contributing to Swift’s haul is her new live album, Lover: Live From Paris. The set debuts at No. 1 on Vinyl Albums, No. 5 on Top Album Sales and No. 58 on the Billboard 200, with its consumption entirely from 13,000 copies sold on vinyl, according to Luminate. It was recorded at Olympia in Paris on Sept. 9, 2019, in support of her studio album Lover, released that year.
In total, Swift boasts 10 albums on the Billboard 200: Midnights, Folklore (No. 28), Lover (No. 41), 1989 (No. 50), Red (Taylor’s Version) (No. 56), Lover: Live From Paris, Reputation (No. 100), Evermore (No. 103), Fearless (Taylor’s Version) (No. 172) and Speak Now (No. 192). Swift is the first artist to place at least 10 albums on the chart simultaneously since Prince, following his death in 2016. Swift is the first living soloist to claim at least 10 titles on the chart in a single week dating to August 1963, when the chart switched from reflecting albums’ stereo and mono popularity separately.
Here’s a look at every week that an act has tallied at least 10 albums on the Billboard 200 in that nearly 60-year span:
Chart Week, Artist, Titles on Billboard 200:
March 4, 2023, Taylor Swift, 10
May 28, 2016, Prince, 13
May 21, 2016, Prince, 10
May 14, 2016, Prince, 19
Jan. 30, 2016, David Bowie, 10
March 1, 2014, The Beatles, 13
March 10, 2012, Whitney Houston, 10
Dec. 4, 2010, The Beatles, 14
Jan. 9, 2010, The Beatles, 11
Directly below Swift on the Artist 100, P!nk vaults 61-2 thanks to her new album, Trustfall. The set opens at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 (75,000 units), becoming her ninth top 10. It also starts at No. 1 on Top Album Sales, with 59,000 copies sold. She has spent three weeks atop the Artist 100 since the list launched in 2014, most recently in May 2019.
The Artist 100 measures artist activity across key metrics of music consumption, blending album and track sales, radio airplay and streaming to provide a weekly multi-dimensional ranking of artist popularity.
“I decided that the only thing that could culminate this film was something that [brings together] all the emotions,” Titanic composer James Horner told then-Billboard radio editor Chuck Taylor in 1998.
“I wanted to write a song that would allow a contemporary legitimacy, so that it wouldn’t be just a period piece,” Horner mused.
On the Billboard Hot 100 dated Feb. 28, 1998, Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On,” which Horner completed writing with Will Jennings to close the 1912 (and 1997)-set Titanic, crowned the Hot 100. It debuted at No. 1 as it spent its fifth week atop the Radio Songs chart and arrived as the week’s best-selling song, newly released as a limited-edition stand-alone single.
On the Billboard 200, the Titanic soundtrack, featuring the ballad, scored its sixth week at No. 1, of 16 total weeks on top.
Notably, James Cameron, who solely wrote and directed Titanic, had originally forbidden that the film’s end-credits song include vocals. Horner, however, ultimately decided that he wanted a song to contrast the movie’s orchestral arrangements. As for the vocalist, “I needed an opera singer more than pop singer to bring all the emotional qualities I wanted,” Horner told Billboard. “For me, the only person that could do that was Celine. It was casting more than it was trying to find a superstar to sing it.”
Taylor’s story (which ran the week that “Heart” hit No. 1 on the Hot 100) continued tracing the steps that the song took to its lasting legacy: Horner surreptitiously met with Dion and her husband René Angélil, as he had long known the couple, and played a demo. Impressed, Dion likewise fell for Titanic following a private screening, taken by the film’s love story.
Five weeks later, she recorded it. “It was just electrifying,” Horner recalled. “She was singing like her life depended on it.”
Horner finally took the song to Cameron. “I was waiting for an especially good mood,” Horner said. “On one occasion, he was really excited about a special effect that had just been completed. I was sweating, but I played it.” Cameron’s reaction? “He couldn’t believe it. He said, ‘Aren’t those your themes?’ This is Celine Dion. How did you do this?’ He did love it.”
How did the rest of the Hot 100’s top 10 stack up the week that Dion hit No. 1 on the Feb. 28, 1998, chart? Count down the tally’s top tier that week below, along with a look at more honors that “Heart” has since achieved.
“Been Around the World,” Puff Daddy & The Family (feat. The Notorious B.I.G. & Mase)
Image Credit: Marvin Joseph/The The Washington Post via GI
The all-star song spent its 12th and last week in the Hot 100’s top 10 on the Feb. 28, 1998-dated chart, down 5-10 after peaking at No. 2 for three weeks. From Puff Daddy & The Family’s introductory album No Way Out, it also brought two prior hits back to the chart’s upper reaches, as it samples David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” and interpolates Lisa Stansfield’s “All Around the World.” The former led for a week in 1983 and the latter hit No. 3 in 1990.
“No, No, No,” Destiny’s Child
Image Credit: Vinnie Zuffante/Michael Ochs Archives/GI
The first Hot 100 hit for Destiny’s Child – then comprising Beyoncé, LeToya Luckett, LaTavia Roberson and Kelly Rowland – retreated 8-9 on the Feb. 28-dated list but rebounded to reach No. 3 a month later. The song marked the act’s first of 10 top 10s and helped set Beyoncé on the path to solo superstardom: She has since scored 21 solo top 10s, becoming the first woman with at least 20 solo top 10s and 10 as a member of a group. Overall, only Paul McCartney/The Beatles and Michael Jackson/the Jacksons are also in the exclusive club.
“A Song for Mama,” Boyz II Men
Image Credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage
Boyz II Men boasted the most Hot 100 top 10s among groups, or any male act, during the ’90s, with 10. This song marked their 10th, and most recent, descending to No. 8 from its No. 7 best on the Feb. 28 chart. Half of their top 10s hit No. 1, from “End of the Road” in 1992 through “4 Seasons of Loneliness” in 1997, and their 50 total weeks on top are fifth-best all-time, after only Mariah Carey (91), Rihanna (60), The Beatles (59) and Drake (54).
“I Don’t Ever Want To See You Again,” Uncle Sam