Chart Beat
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The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week (for the upcoming charts dated April 22), one of the biggest rock bands of all-time hopes to score their seventh No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 – but it still has to get through today’s top country artist to do so.
Metallica, 72 Seasons (Blackened): Metallica’s first original album in seven years arrives with no shortage of hype or promotion. The band released four songs in advance of the 12-track set’s April 14 release (including the Mainstream Rock Airplay-topping lead single “Lux Eterna”), held a four-night residency on Jimmy Kimmel Live! during its release week, and even launched a Metallica Logo Generator website last Thursday, which allowed fans to make versions of the cover titled after themselves to share on social media.
And of course, as one of the best-selling bands in rock history, Metallica has no shortage of physical options available for 72 Seasons. There are six vinyl variants for purchase, including standard black, an midnight violet-colored indie store exclusive, a red smoke-colored Target exclusive, a yellow and black swirl-colored Walmart exclusive, and both a smoky black-colored yellow and a black splatter-colored fan club exclusive. There are also two cassette options: a widely available transparent yellow variant, and a smoky black-colored Spotify exclusive.
Will it all be enough to unseat Morgan Wallen’s reigning five-week No. 1, One Thing at a Time – which earned 167,000 equivalent album units in its sixth week atop the chart? It may be close: Metallica should have a clear sales advantage, but without a major streaming hit on the set, it will of course be lagging behind Wallen’s juggernaut in that area (which also has 36 tracks to stream, rather than 72 Seasons‘ 12). The metal gods do have history on their side – their last six official studio albums have all topped the Billboard 200, dating back to their 1991 self-titled blockbuster.
IN THE MIX
Yung Bleu, Love Scars II (Moon Boy University / EMPIRE): Yung Bleu broke out at the beginning of the 2020s as one of the most promising rising singer-rappers, thanks to the Drake-assisted hit “You’re Mines Still” from his successful Love Scars: The 5 Stages of Emotions EP. Three years and a couple studio albums later, he’s back with that mini-set’s sequel – this time a 15-track effort with features from Chris Brown, Ty Dolla $ign and Tink, as well as an Acoustic Deluxe edition featuring four unplugged bonus cuts.
Waterparks, Intellectual Property (Fueled by Ramen): They’ve never had conventional hit singles on radio or streaming, but pop/rock trio Waterparks have been one of the more consistently performing rock acts of the past decade, notching three consecutive albums in the Billboard 200’s top half. This month’s Intellectual Property looks to make it four for four, with four different vinyl variants, four different CD releases and even a pair of cassette options looking to help its cause.
Ice Spice, Like..? (10K Projects/Capitol): Rap phenomenon Ice Spice’s debut EP has been a fixture on the Billboard 200 since debuting at No. 7 in early February, ranking at No. 187 on this week’s chart (dated April 22). The six-track set should make a sizable jump this week, however, following the Nicki Minaj-assisted remix to Like..?’s “Princess Diana,” which has been one of the best-selling and best-streaming new songs since its Friday release — metrics that will count towards the EP’s totals.
Drake’s historic dominance on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart adds another chapter to the story this week as his latest song, “Search & Rescue,” extends his record for the most No. 1s in the chart’s history. The track opens atop the list dated April 22 and secures the superstar his unprecedented 27th champ.
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart blends streaming, airplay and sales data to rank the 50 most popular R&B/hip-hop songs of the week in the U.S.
“Search & Rescue,” released April 7, storms in as the genre’s most-streamed song of the week, with 33.8 million official U.S. streams in the week ending April 13, according to Luminate. That translates into Drake’s record-extending 19th leader on the R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs chart, which reaches its 10th anniversary this week. (He nearly bookends the first decade of the R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs chart, having ranked at No. 2 with “Started from the Bottom” on the first published edition, dated April 20, 2013.)
The new track, likewise, is the genre’s top-selling tune for the week, with 4,000 downloads sold in the same period. As “Search & Rescue” begins atop the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales chart, Drake acquires a – yes, record-extending – 24th No. 1.
Drake teased “Search & Rescue” in the days before its release, with an audio snippet making the rounds on social media, while it was also previewed on Sirius XM Canada’s The Fry Yiy Show. The song drew most attention for including audio from an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians of Kim Kardashian discussing her reasons for divorcing Kanye “Ye” West. The song’s cover art, too, generated chatter for featuring a Kim lookalike.
In addition to its strong streaming and sales starts, “Search & Rescue” also finds some activity in the third metric – radio airplay – that factors into the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. In the radio realm, the song registered 70,000 audience impressions across all formats. (All airplay, regardless of radio genre format, contributes to a song’s rank on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs). The rhythmic and R&B/hip-hop formats have adopted the new cut most readily: “Search & Rescue” enters at No. 31 on Rhythmic Airplay and at the anchor slot, No. 40, on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay.
As Drake rewrites the leaderboard again, here’s an updated look at the artists with the most No. 1 hits on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart since it became an all-encompassing genre recap in October 1958:
27, Drake20, Aretha Franklin20, Stevie Wonder17, James Brown16, Janet Jackson15, The Temptations13, Marvin Gaye13, Michael Jackson13, Usher
Notably, “Search & Rescue” marks Drake’s ninth No. 1 without any unaccompanied acts, and his first in two years and one month, since “What’s Next” launched at the summit on the chart dated March 20, 2021. Additionally, the new No. 1 marks Drake’s 11th of his 27 chart-toppers to premiere directly in the top slot. It joins this crew of his other instant champs:
Song Title, Artist (if other than Drake), Date Debuted at No. 1“Work,” Rihanna featuring Drake, Feb. 13, 2016“Summer Sixteen,” Feb. 20, 2016“God’s Plan,” Feb. 3, 2018“Nice for What,” April 21, 2018“Toosie Slide,” April 18, 2020“What’s Next,” March 20, 2021“Way 2 Sexy,” featuring Future & Young Thug, Sept. 18, 2021“Wait for U,” Future featuring Drake & Tems, May 14, 2022“Jimmy Cooks,” featuring 21 Savage, July 2, 2022“Rich Flex,” with 21 Savage, Nov. 19, 2022“Search & Rescue,” April 22, 2023
With his fourth straight career-opening No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart, Pastor Mike Jr. achieves a first. As “Impossible” ascends to the summit of the April 22-dated list, he links the longest career-opening No. 1 streak in the history of the survey, which began in March 2005.
Pastor Mike Jr. (actual name: Mike McClure Jr.) previously ruled Gospel Airplay with “Amazing,” for two frames last May; “I Got It,” for four weeks beginning in March 2021; and his first entry, “Big Rock City,” for 10 weeks beginning in February 2020.
DOE is right behind Pastor Mike Jr., and could still match his career-launching run. The singer has banked three consecutive career-opening Gospel Airplay chart-toppers; her most recent, “When I Pray,” reigned for two weeks last September and October.
Jonathan McReynolds and Todd Dulaney share the record for the most consecutive Gospel Airplay No. 1s overall with five each.
Pastor Mike Jr. has an additional song on Gospel Airplay, as featured on Kierra Sheard’s “Miracles.” The track ranks at No. 14 after reaching No. 11 a week earlier.
Pastor Mike Jr.’s unprecedented chart start follows his haul at the 2022 Stellar Gospel Music Awards, where he was the top winner. At the event, held last July 16 at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, he claimed six awards, including artist of the year and album of the year, the latter for I Got It: Single’s Ministry Vol. 1. As he also captured artist of the year in 2021, he’s the first act to win in that top category for two years running since Donald Lawrence in 2006-07.
Matt Maher notches his fourth No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart with “The Lord’s Prayer (It’s Yours),” on the list dated April 22.
In the tracking week ending April 13, the song logged 6.5 million audience impressions, according to Luminate. Maher co-authored “Prayer” with Bryan Fowler and Jacob Sooter. Fowler and Sooter co-produced it with Brian Elmquist.
“As an artist, there are songs I write that I can’t wait to sing in front of an audience. But there are other songs that I can’t wait to hear other people sing with me,” Maher tells Billboard. “From the moment [Fowler] sent me a voice memo of the idea, I knew it was meant to be sung with people, not at them. So, it’s been a real joy on the road to hear that – people embracing a song based on scripture, with a simple yet profound and everlasting message. I’m so honored to have it achieve such a milestone at Billboard. I’m thankful to my longtime friends at radio and my team for the hard work.”
“Prayer” becomes Maher’s first No. 1 on Christian Airplay since “Alive & Breathing,” featuring Elle Limebear, ruled for four frames beginning in June 2020. Before that, his holiday track “Glory (Let There Be Peace)” led for a week in January 2017 and “Because He Lives (Amen)” reached the chart’s summit in April 2015.
Maher, originally from Newfoundland, Canada, and who now lives in Nashville, has made 26 Christian Airplay appearances, earning 12 top 10s. His debut track, “Your Grace Is Enough,” reached No. 4 in July 2008.
Marca Registrada unlocks its first top 10 achievement on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart thanks to “Di Que Sí,” its first collab with Grupo Frontera, which climbs 12-5 on the ranking dated April 22.
“Di Que Sí” enters the top 10 in its fifth week with 8 million in audience impressions, an 18% gain, earned in the U.S. during the April 7-13 tracking week, according to Luminate.
As mentioned, the Culiacán, Sinaloans crack the top 10 barrier for the first time in 2023 and join five other acts who concurrently scored a first top 10 this year. Here’s the rundown:
Artist, Title, Collaborator, Date Arrived, Position
Baby Rasta, “Punto 40,” with Rauw Alejandro, Jan. 14, No. 9
Leandro Rios, “La Patrona,” with Edwin Luna y La Trakalosa de Monterrey, Jan. 28, No. 9
Fuerza Regida, “Bebe Dame,” with Grupo Frontera, March 25, No. 1
Marshmello, “El Merengue,” with Manuel Turizo, April 1, No. 8
Marca Registrada, “Di Que Si,” with Grupo Frontera, April 22, No. 5
Meanwhile, Mc Allen, Texas-based Grupo Frontera secures its fourth straight top 10 which launched with the No. 10-peaking “No Se Va” last December. The song also granted the five-member ensemble its first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 in October at No. 99, reaching its No. 57 high three weeks later (chart dated Oct. 22). It became then, the fifth regional Mexican song to enter Hot 100 since the list launched in 1958.
Further, “Di Que Sí” nearly misses the top on Regional Mexican Airplay this week, as the song rises to the runner-up slot after two weeks at No. 6.
Elsewhere, “Di” climbs to 19-15 on the multimetric Hot Latin Songs chart. The increase secures the track the week’s Greatest Gainer/Airplay honors, while streaming activity also assists its climb. The song generated 4.4 million U.S. clicks during the same period. The list blends airplay, streaming data, and digital sales.
Billboard has more than 200 different charts on its roster, encompassing numerous genres and formats.
While A-list 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.
Hundreds of artists chart their songs and albums on Billboard’s rankings each week, but these 10 appear on surveys for the first time (on the latest April 22-dated charts).
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Blondshell
The Los Angeles-based indie rock singer-songwriter notches her first chart entry, as her new self-titled set, released April 7, debuts at No. 88 on Top Current Album Sales with 1,000 copies sold in the week ending April 13, according to Luminate. The new set from Blondshell (real name Sabrina Teitelbaum), who formerly released music under the moniker BAUM, is on Partisan Records via Knitting Factory.
Wednesday
The Asheville, N.C.-based group enters Billboard’s charts with its fifth studio album, Rat Saw God. The set, released April 7, debuts at No. 16 on Heatseekers Albums, No. 31 on Top Current Album Sales and No. 50 on Top Album Sales (3,000 sold). The group, which signed to Dead Oceans in September, is comprised of Karly Hartzman (vocals), Jake Lenderman (guitar), Xandy Chelmis (lap steel) and Alan Miller (drums).
PARISI
The sibling duo claims its first chart hit as a recording act as “U Ok?” with Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso debuts at No. 40 on Dance/Mix Show Airplay. The song was released via Major/FFRR/Parlophone/Warner Records. The pair – brothers Marco and Giampaolo Parisi – previously charted as producers/writers, including as producers on Ed Sheeran’s “Afterglow,” which reached No. 29 on the Hot 100 in 2021. On Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, the tandem has notched seven production credits, all since 2022: Swedish House Mafia’s “Calling On” (No. 42 peak), and six by Fred Again.. — “Turn on the Lights Again..,” with Swedish House Mafia and featuring Future (No. 16); “Delilah (Pull Me Out of This)” (No. 23); “Mike (Desert Island Duvet)” (No. 30); “Bleu (Better With Time)” (No. 30); “Kammy (Like I Do)” (No. 45) and “Danielle (Smile on My Face)” (No. 45). The duo has also produced songs for Baauer, the Black Eyed Peas and Elderbrook, among others.
Letdown.
The Chicago-based rocker (real name Blake Coddington) arrives as his breakthrough single “Crying in the Shower” debuts at No. 38 on Alternative Airplay. He signed to Big Loud Rock, an alt rock-focused imprint of Nashville’s Big Loud Records, in January 2022 and is currently on the road with Giovannie and the Hired Guns on their Tejano Punk Boyz Tour through May.
Yari M
The singer-songwriter from Puerto Rico scores her first chart hit, as “Esta Lloviendo,” released via Black Diamond Music, debuts at No. 19 on Tropical Airplay. It drew 506,000 in audience in the tracking week.
ANOTR & Abel Balder
Both acts earn their first chart placement, as their new collaboration, “Relax My Eyes,” opens at No. 46 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs. The song, released in 2022 via No Art Music, debuts with 363,000 U.S. streams. Amsterdam-based Dutch house duo ANOTR comprises Jesse van de Heijden and Oguzhan Guney. ANOTR and Balder previously teamed up on “Vertigo” and “Your Mind,” both released last year.
Scowl
The Bay Area-based hardcore punk band notches its first chart entry thanks to its EP Psychic Dance Routine. Released via Flatspot Records, the LP debuts at No. 53 on Top Current Album Sales (1,000 sold). The band also starts at No. 37 on the Emerging Artists chart. The group consists of Kat Moss (vocals), Malachi Greene (guitar), Mikey Bifolco (guitar), Bailey Lupo (bass) and Cole Gilbert (drums).
Iniko
The Brooklyn-born soul/pop singer arrives on Billboard’s charts, as their song “Jericho” debuts at No. 11 on R&B Digital Song Sales (1,000 downloads sold). Iniko, who originally self-released the song, recently signed to Columbia Records.
Brandee Younger
The Hempstead, N.Y., native bows with her LP Brand New Life. The set, released via Impulse! Records/Verve Label Group, opens at No. 7 on Contemporary Jazz Albums and No. 21 on Jazz Albums with 1,000 copies sold. Younger, a harpist, composer and bandleader, has been recording music for two decades. She has served as a sideman for Pharoah Sanders and Jack DeJohnette and recorded with Common, Drake, Lauryn Hill, John Legend and The Roots, among others. In 2022, she scored a Grammy Award nomination for best instrumental composition for her song “Beautiful Is Black.” Younger is on the faculty at New York University, teaching harp.
Sami Braman
The Seattle-based artist makes her Billboard chart debut thanks to her debut solo album, Riveter. The set, released via Padiddle Records, arrives at No. 9 on the Bluegrass Albums chart. Prior to Riveter, Braman recorded with Pacific Northwest string band The Onlies and served as a member of Willie Watson’s band.
Recently reunited Mexican trio Camila are back in the top 10 on Billboard’s Latin Pop Airplay chart as “Fugitivos” rallies 23-9 on the ranking dated April 22. It’s the group’s first top 10 since 2014, and their first top 10 following the return of Samo Parra, who departed in 2013 to launch his solo career. The trio (Mario Domm, Pablo Hurado and Samo Parra) got back together in January.
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“Going into the studio is a roll of the dice,” lead singer Mario Domm tells Billboard. “We are very surprised to be back on the top 10 on Latin Pop Airplay!”
“Fugitivos” was composed by Domm and Mexican singer/songwriter Ale Zéguer, produced by Domm alongside guitarist Pablo Hurtado, and released March 31 via Sony Music Latin. The 23-9 surge arrives in its second week on the chart thanks to its sizable 934% increase in audience impressions, to 2 million, earned in the U.S. in the week ending March 13, according to Luminate — the biggest percentage gain of the week.
“We were inspired by life and the stories that surround us,” Domm recalled of writing the track. “We wrote ‘Fugitivos’ by the sea, during a creative session with Ale Zéguer. We would like for people to listen to the song and feel it like a ray of sunshine on one of those cloudy days.”
“Fugitivos” marks Camila’s highest-charting hit in more than 13 years, when “Perdón,” released when the act was a duo of Domm and Hurtado, peaked at No. 8 in November 2014. One other top 10 without Samo preceded, the No. 2-peaking “Decidiste Dejarme” in June 2014. The then-two-man band scored four other entries on Latin Pop Airplay, none of which reached the top 10 (“Quédate” earned the group a No. 12 high in February 2015).
As the band is back to its original formation, Camila score their highest entry with all founding members since “De Qué Me Sirve La Vida” reached No. 7 in March 2012.
“Flowing with the music matters a lot to us,” Samo adds. “As is knowing that after 10 years, people are still faithful to that essence of Camila in its original set up.”
In total, Camila have amassed 14 top 10s (three out of those hitting No. 1) among their 19 Latin Pop Airplay career entries, dating back to their first, the No. 8 high “Abrázame” in 2006. In retrospect, however, the Mexicans charted their first No. 1 hit with “Mientes,” which held atop the ranking for 10 consecutive weeks during Feb-May 2010.
“Definitely meeting again has been a great process!” guitarist Hurtado mused. “There were tears from the moment we first sang the chorus, goosebumps and lumps in our throats included. Getting together has been something wonderful. We are already looking forward to performing live and singing with our audience. We are fugitives of the ego, time passed, and we made it.”
After two weeks with Tyler, the Creator at No. 1, Agust D — a.k.a. Suga of BTS — leads Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs chart, powered by Twitter.
Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs charts 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 April 7-April 13.
The April 22-dated chart is led by Agust D, at No. 1 with “Haegeum” and at No. 3 with “AMYGDALA.” Both songs will be included on his full-length solo debut, D-Day, expected to arrive on April 21.
That makes him the fifth member of BTS to reign since the survey launched in October 2021, following Jimin (“With You,” with HA SUNG WOON, for seven weeks; “Vibe,” with TAEYANG, for one), j-hope (“More,” three weeks), Jung Kook (“Dreamers [Music from the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022],” one week), and RM (“No. 2,” with Park Ji Yoon, one week).
In addition, BTS ruled for 24 weeks as a group – 21 with 2021’s “Butter” and three with 2022’s “Yet To Come.” Altogether, that’s 37 weeks atop the tally for BTS and its solo members, or 49% of the chart’s lifetime since the inaugural Oct. 30, 2021-dated chart.
Further, as-yet-unreleased Agust D tracks “Snooze” and “D-Day” debut at Nos. 9 and 16, respectively. All of his chart activity follows his announcement of the album’s track listing last Monday (April 10).
The Agust D entries in the top three form a TAEYON sandwich, with her 2022 single “Toddler” at No. 2.
While most of the chart features new entries, Lauren Spencer-Smith sports the list’s sole re-entry, as “Best Friend Breakup” returns to No. 7 after hitting No. 18 in February.
Keep visiting Billboard.com for the constantly evolving Hot Trending Songs rankings, and check in each Tuesday for the latest weekly chart.
Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” grants the singer-songwriter two firsts in the history of Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, where it leads for a 10th week.
The track joins Wallen’s 19-week Hot Country Songs No. 1 from 2022, “You Proof,” as the second song from his One Thing at a Time album to reign for double-digit weeks — while the set becomes the first with two such leaders since the chart launched as an all-encompassing genre survey in October 1958. (“You Proof” was released eight-and-a-half months ahead of the LP, but is featured on the collection’s 36-song tracklist.)
Wallen is also the first soloist, and second act overall, with as many as three 10-week-plus Hot Country Songs No. 1s. Duo Florida Georgia Line first achieved the feat; Luke Combs and Sam Hunt boast two each.
Here are Wallen’s three Hot Country Songs No. 1s that have dominated for at least 10 weeks:
10 weeks at No. 1, “Last Night,” beginning Feb. 18, 2023
19 weeks, “You Proof,” May 28, 2022
11 weeks, “Wasted on You,” Jan. 23, 2021
And Florida Georgia Line’s:
50 weeks at No. 1 (a chart record), “Meant To Be,” with Bebe Rexha, beginning Dec. 16, 2017
18 weeks, “H.O.L.Y.,” May 21, 2016
24 weeks, “Cruise,” Dec. 22, 2012
Overall, 32 singles have topped Hot Country Songs for 10 or more weeks, out of over 1,500 No. 1s in the list’s history. Of those 32, 21 have led since the chart adopted the Billboard Hot 100’s streaming-, airplay- and sales-based methodology in October 2012.
“Last Night” simultaneously helms the Hot 100 (dated April 22) for a third week. The song, released on Big Loud/Mercury/Republic Records, drew 36.6 million streams (up 4%) and 34.5 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 16%, good for the chart’s top Airplay Gainer award for a second consecutive week) and sold 10,000 downloads (up 6%) in the April 7-13 tracking week, according to Luminate.
Concurrently, One Thing at a Time tops the Billboard 200 for a sixth frame, with 167,000 equivalent album units earned April 7-13, while Wallen also rules the Billboard Artist 100 chart for a fifth week.
Morgan Wallen concurrently crowns the Billboard Artist 100, Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200 charts (dated April 22), ruling as the top musical act with both the No. 1 song and album in the United States for a third time.
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He becomes just the fifth artist to have spent at least three weeks leading the three charts at the same time.
Wallen first tripled up atop the tallies dated March 18, as his LP One Thing at a Time launched atop the Billboard 200 and its single “Last Night” hit No. 1 on the Hot 100. The album scores a sixth week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 167,000 equivalent album units earned (April 7-13), according to Luminate, while “Last Night” scores a third week atop the Hot 100.
Most Weeks Simultaneously Leading the Artist 100, Hot 100 & Billboard 200 Charts:16, Drake15, Taylor Swift9, Adele5, The Weeknd3, Morgan Wallen2, Ariana Grande2, Ed Sheeran2, Harry Styles1, Beyoncé1, Justin Bieber1, BTS1, Camila Cabello1, Future1, Kendrick Lamar
Wallen places 12 songs on the latest Hot 100. He charted a one-week record 36 songs on the survey dated March 18, all from One Thing at a Time.
The Sneedville, TN, native has now spent 12 total weeks at No. 1 on the Artist 100, extending his record for the most among core country acts. Taylor Swift leads all acts for the most weeks spent at No. 1, with 64.
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.