Chart Beat
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Ben Fuller achieves his first leader on Billboard’s Christian Airplay survey as “Who I Am” lifts to the top of the chart dated Nov. 12.
In the tracking week ending Nov. 6, the single drew 6.7 million audience impressions, according to Luminate.
The 35-year-old singer-songwriter co-wrote the song with Krystal Polychronis and David Spencer, the latter of whom co-produced it with Bryan Fowler. The track is slated to be on Fuller’s forthcoming debut LP.
Fuller, who hails from southern Vermont, grew up working on his family’s dairy farm and has been public about overcoming his battles with cocaine and alcohol addiction.
“Who I Am” topped Christian AC Airplay for two weeks in October.
“Three years ago this fall marks the time that I accepted Jesus into my heart,” Fuller told Billboard when ‘Who I Am’ first crowned Christian AC Airplay. “There’s nothing God can’t do, because with Him, anything is possible.”
Fuller claims the first No. 1 for an act in its initial visit to Christian Airplay since Katy Nichole’s “In Jesus Name (God of Possible)” began a nine-week rule in April. Fuller is the first male to achieve the feat since Cory Asbury’s “Reckless Love” controlled the survey for 13 frames starting in April 2018.
The Beatles’ Revolver album, first released in 1966, rushes to No. 1 on multiple Billboard charts following its deluxe expanded reissue on Oct. 28. The set re-enters at No. 1 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Catalog Albums (all dated Nov. 12) – its first week at No. 1 on all three lists. Revolver also re-enters Top Album Sales, Vinyl Albums and Tastemaker Albums at No. 2.
On the Billboard 200, the former No. 1 – which spent six weeks atop the list in 1966 – re-enters the list at No. 4.
For Revolver’s special edition, the album was reintroduced and remixed in a variety of expanded formats and editions, including many with previously unreleased tracks. The range included a standard digital album priced at $9.99 in the iTunes Store up through a boxed set boasting four vinyl LPs and two seven-inch singles that sold for $200 or more, depending on the retailer.
All versions of Revolver, old and new, are combined for tracking and charting purposes. In the tracking week ending Nov. 3, Revolver earned 54,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. (up 1,963%). Of that sum, traditional album sales comprise 46,000 (up 6,346%).
Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Catalog Albums rank the week’s most popular rock and alternative albums, rock albums and catalog albums, respectively, by equivalent album units. (Catalog albums are older albums, generally those at least 18-months old.) Tastemaker Albums ranks the week’s best-selling albums at independent and small chain record stores. Vinyl Albums tallies the top-selling vinyl albums of the week.
Of Revolver’s 46,000 in album sales for the week, physical sales comprise 42,000 (18,000 on vinyl and 24,000 on CD) and digital album download sales comprise 4,000.
The rerelease of Revolver is part of the ongoing series of expanded reissues of select studio albums by The Beatles. It follows reissues of Let It Be in 2021 (first released in 1970), Abbey Road in 2019 (first released in 1969), The Beatles in 2018 (often referred to as the White Album, first released in 1968) and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in 2017 (first released in 1967).
Taylor Swift’s Midnights holds at No. 1 on Top Album Sales for a second week, selling 114,000 copies (down 90%). In its debut frame a week ago, the set exploded atop the list with 1.140 million copies sold.
Grateful Dead’s Dave’s Picks, Volume 44: Autzen Stadium, U. of Oregon, Eugene, OR – 6/23/90 debuts at No. 3 on Top Album Sales with 22,000 sold. Dave’s Picks is the act’s continuing live archival release series, named for the group’s archivist, David Lemieux, that has been going strong since its first release in 2012. Releases in the series are issued exclusively on CD and in limited quantities.
On the Billboard 200 chart, Dave’s Picks, Vol. 44 debuts at No. 3 – marking the band’s 54th top 40-charting album on the list. The act continues to have the most top 40 albums among groups since the chart began regularly publishing on a weekly basis in March of 1956. The acts with the most top 40 albums on the Billboard 200 are: Frank Sinatra (58), Elvis Presley (58), Barbra Streisand (54), Grateful Dead (54) and Bob Dylan (51). (Thirty-six of Grateful Dead’s 53 top 40-charting albums are from the Dave’s Picks series.)
A trio of debuts is next up on Top Album Sales as Berner’s From Seed to Sale (14,000), Baby Keem’s The Melodic Blue (11,000) and Polyphia’s Remember That You Will Die (10,000) bow at Nos. 4-6, respectively. It’s the first top 10-charting set for the latter two acts, while Berner notches his second top 10 effort. The Melodic Blue was initially released a little over a year ago as a digital download album, but makes its belated debut on Top Album Sales following its vinyl LP release on Oct. 28; nearly all of its sales for the week were on vinyl. The album has yet to be issued on CD or any other physical format.
LE SSERAFIM’s ANTIFRAGILE falls 3-7 on Top Album Sales in its second week (7,000; down 65%).
Foo Fighters’ new greatest hits compilation The Essential Foo Fighters debuts at No. 8 on Top Album Sales with 7,000 sold. Of that sum, physical sales comprise 6,500 (3,500 on vinyl and 3,000 on CD) and digital album downloads comprise 500. The album also bows in the top 10 across a variety of other charts, including Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums, Top Hard Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums. The set also launches at No. 42 on the Billboard 200.
The 21-track The Essential Foo Fighters includes such hit songs as “All My Life,” “Best of You,” “Learn to Fly,” “Long Road to Ruin,” “Rope,” “The Pretender” and “Walk” – all of which hit No. 1 on the Alternative Airplay chart.
The Essential brand is the long-running compilation series from Sony Music’s catalog division, Legacy, and has charted dozens of charting titles on the Billboard 200 and Top Album Sales since the early 2000s from artists such as Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears and Barbra Streisand.
The Essential Foo Fighters is the first in the Essential series to reach the top 10 on Top Album Sales. Previously, the highest-charting effort in the Essential series on Top Album Sales was The Essential Bruce Springsteen, when it debuted and peaked at No. 14 on the Nov. 29, 2003-dated chart.
The Essential Foo Fighters is the highest charting Essential album on the Billboard 200 since The Essential Michael Jackson rose to No. 31 on the Sept. 8, 2018-dated chart. The Essential Foo Fighters is also the highest debut from the Essential line since The Essential Leonard Cohen debuted and peaked at No. 13 on the Dec. 3, 2016 chart, following his death.
Harry Styles’ former No. 1 Harry’s House climbs 12-9 with a little over 6,000 sold (down 2%), while Demon Hunter clocks its fourth top 10 with the No. 10 arrival of Exile (6,000).
In the week ending Nov. 3, there were 1.618 million albums sold in the U.S. (down 42.1% compared to the previous week). Of that sum, physical albums (CDs, vinyl LPs, cassettes, etc.) comprised 1.237 million (up 46%) and digital albums comprised 381,000 (up 24.4%).
There were 621,000 CD albums sold in the week ending Nov. 3 (down 37.8% week-over-week) and 606,000 vinyl albums sold (down 52.3%). Year-to-date CD album sales stand at 29.021 million (down 7.1% compared to the same time frame a year ago) and year-to-date vinyl album sales total 32.574 million (up 3.7%).
Overall year-to-date album sales total 79.244 million (down 6.5% compared to the same year-to-date time frame a year ago). Year-to-date physical album sales stand at 62.049 million (down 1.6%) and digital album sales total 17.194 million (down 21%).
SZA stitches together her sixth top 10 hit on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart as “Shirt” debuts at No. 4 on the chart dated Nov. 12. The single, released Nov. 4 through Top Dawg / RCA Records, begins in the top 10 of both the genre’s sales and streaming charts as well.
“Shirt” arrives with 20.3 million official U.S. streams registered in the week ending Nov. 3, according to Luminate, enough to prompt a No. 2 start on the R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs chart. In the same period, the track sold 3,000 downloads and enters at No. 9 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales list. In addition, the song drew 990,000 in radio audience in the week. It ranks outside the 50-position R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, though most singles are driven largely by streams and sales in their debut weeks, as airplay is traditionally the slowest-moving metric.
With “Shirt,” SZA nets her sixth top 10 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Here’s a look at her collection:
Song Title, Artist (if other than SZA), Peak Position, Peak Date“All the Stars,” with Kendrick Lamar, No. 5, Feb. 24, 2018“Good Days,” No. 3, Jan. 23, 2021“No Love,” with Summer Walker, No. 5, Nov. 20, 2021“I Hate U,” No. 1 (one week), Dec. 18, 2021“Beautiful,” DJ Khaled featuring Future & SZA, No. 10, Sept. 10, 2022“Shirt,” No. 4 (to date), Nov. 12, 2022
Beyond its impact on SZA’s chart ledger, “Shirt” returns another R&B veteran – Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins – to the top tier thanks to his co-write and co-production credits. The hitmaker, whose resume includes work on defining hits such as Brandy and Monica’s “The Boy Is Mine” and Destiny’s Child “Say My Name,” cracks the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs’ top 10 for the first time since January 2008. Then, he produced and co-wrote Keyshia Cole’s “Shoulda Let You Go,” featuring Amina, which exited the top 10 that month after having reached No. 7 a few weeks earlier.
Elsewhere, “Shirt” debuts at No. 3 on the Hot R&B Songs chart and gives SZA her 16th top 10 there.
For the first time since 2016, Meghan Trainor appears on Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart. “Made You Look,” from Trainor’s new album Takin’ It Back, starts at No. 49 on the Streaming Songs list dated Nov. 12.
In the tracking week ending Nov. 3, “Look” earned 9.3 million official U.S. streams, a 79% boost, according to Luminate.
The slightly unconventional rise – songs from new albums don’t often increase in streams in their second week, and Back bowed Nov. 5 – is thanks in part to virality for “Look” on user-generated content platforms such as TikTok.
Trainor last appeared on Streaming Songs on the tally dated Sept. 24, 2016, when “Me Too” appeared at No. 41.
She boasts eight total entries on the ranking, paced by 10-week No. 1 “All About That Bass” in 2014.
Concurrently, “Look” vaults 95-63 in its second week on the multi-metric Billboard Hot 100, as the chart’s greatest gainer in streaming for the week. It’s Trainor’s highest ranking entry since “No Excuses” debuted and peaked at No. 46 in March 2018. (In between “Excuses” and “Look,” Trainor made the ranking for one week in February 2020 with the Nicki Minaj-featuring “Nice to Meet Ya,” which peaked at No. 89.)
“Look” also debuts at No. 37 on Adult Pop Airplay.
Back debuted at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 dated Nov. 5 and spends its second week on the survey at No. 40 with 15,000 equivalent album units earned.
Official HIGE DANdism’s “Subtitle” sits at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 for the third week in a row on the chart dated Nov. 9.
The “Pretender” hitmakers’ latest hit racked up over 20 million streams again after breaking the record for highest weekly streams of 2022 in Japan last week. The track logged 21,044,966 streams this week, up by 1.3 percent from last week (20,781,069), and is currently still the only song that has recorded over 20 million weekly streams this year. The drama theme also scored 3,098,136 video views, up by 23.7 percent (2,505,102), and keeps at No. 2 for the metric. The song has increased points overall for the fourth week in a row after also adding points in radio and karaoke.
Kenshi Yonezu’s “KICK BACK” follows at No. 2 on the Japan Hot 100 for the third week, also increasing streams from 15,051,990 to 15,337,414 (up 1.9 percent, No. 2). Although Chainsaw Man opener appears to be slowing down in video, it still sits at No. 1 for the metric after racking up 4,060,395 views (down by 1.3 percent). The track also performed well in radio and karaoke.
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SixTONES’ new single “Good Luck!/Futari” launched with 398,252 CDs to bow at No. 3 on the Japan Hot 100. Although this figure is fewer by a little over 80,000 copies compared to the Johnny’s group’s previous single, “Watashi” (479,949 first-week copies), “Good Luck!” comes in at No. 1 for physical sales and look-ups, while also performing well in radio and Twitter (both No. 2). The track comes in at No. 23 for video, so while it fared relatively well in a number of metrics, it still wasn’t enough to overturn the two long-running mega-hits lodged at the top of the Japan Hot 100.
The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, Twitter mentions, YouTube and GYAO! video views, Gracenote look-ups and karaoke data.
See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Oct. 31 to Nov. 6, see here.
Camilo lands his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart as “Alaska,” with Grupo Firme, rises from the No. 4 slot to rule the Nov. 12-dated list.
“Alaska” received its official release through Hecho A Mano/Sony Music Latin on Aug. 18. It’s the sixth single from Camilo’s third studio album, De Adentro Pa’ Fuera, which reached a No. 6 high on Latin Pop Albums (Sept. 24).
“Alaska” reaches the No. 1 slot, after a second week in the top 10 (No. 4 high, Nov. 5-dated ranking) and in its eighth week on the chart boosted by a 25% increase in audience impressions, to 7.1 million, earned in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 6, according to Luminate.
The regional Mexican tune, which was co-written and co-produced by Camilo alongside Edgar Barrera, exists Duelo’s “24 Siete” after it’s one-week command.
With seven No. 1s on its career history, Grupo Firme ties with Christian Nodal and Banda MS for the third-most champs this decade, trailing Calibre 50’s eight leaders. Since the chart launched in 1994, Calibre 50 continues at the helm with 22 No. 1’S in its account.
“Alaska” becomes the first team-up by a regional Mexican group with a core Latin pop act to lead Regional Mexican Airplay since Natalia Lafourcade ruled for three weeks through her featured role in Los Angeles Azules’ “Nunca Es Suficiente” in 2019.
Meanwhile, “Alaska” earns Grupo Firme its fourth No. 1 in 2022, including “Cada Quien,” with Maluma, which topped the chart for two weeks in Feb.
“Alaska” advances 11-7 on the overall Latin Airplay ranking, earning Camilo his 11th top 10 while Grupo Firme adds a sixth top 10 to its scoreboard.
Rihanna’s long-awaited return yields an immediate chart-topper as “Lift Me Up” debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart dated Nov. 12. The single, from the soundtrack to the Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, gives the superstar her eighth champ on the list.
“Lift” traces its arrival on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, which combines streaming, sales and radio airplay, to 22.6 million official U.S. streams in the week ending Nov. 3, according to Luminate. The sum sparks a No. 1 start on R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs to secure Rihanna’s fifth career leader there. In the same period, the track sold 23,000 downloads and opens at No. 2 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales list. On the airplay front, “Lift” registered 42.6 million in radio audience across all formats. (All airplay, regardless of genre format, contributes to a song’s rank on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.)
The new champ gives Rihanna her eighth No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and her first in more than five years. Here’s a recap of her collection:
Song Title, Artist (if other than Rihanna), Weeks at No. 1, Reached at No. 1“Take a Bow,” one, Aug. 30, 2008“Diamonds,” 14, Oct. 20, 2012“The Monster,” Eminem featuring Rihanna, 13, Nov. 16, 2013“FourFiveSeconds,” with Ye & Paul McCartney, seven, Feb. 21, 2015“Work,” featuring Drake, 11, Feb. 13, 2016“Needed Me,” two, Sept. 24, 2016“Wild Thoughts,” DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna & Bryson Tiller, seven, July 29, 2017“Lift Me Up,” one (to date), Nov. 12, 2022
Elsewhere, “Lift Me Up,” likewise debuts at No. 1 on the Hot R&B Songs chart, where the superstar lands her sixth champ. The achievement extends her record as the female artist with the most No. 1s on the list, which began in 2012. Overall, Rihanna ranks third in the count, behind The Weeknd (nine) and Drake (seven).
On the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, “Lift” enters at No. 2.
Echoing its strong out-of-the-gate streaming and sales placements, the song also remains a force on multiple radio genre formats after the first full tracking week, which runs Monday – Sunday, following the song’s Oct. 28 release. It ascends 27-16 on Rhythmic Airplay, 24-18 on Adult Pop Airplay, 25-20 on Pop Airplay and 26-22 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. Plus, it repeats at No. 17 on Adult Contemporary.
As previously reported, Jeff Cook, of cornerstone country group Alabama, died Tuesday (Nov. 8) at age 73 at his home in Destin, Fla., according to Don Murry Grubbs, a representative for the band.
The band became an unprecedented force on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart, amassing 33 No. 1s – the most among duos or groups – among 51 top 10s between 1980 and 2011.
The group – with Cook, on guitar, fiddle, keyboards and backing vocals, and his cousins Randy Owen (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and Teddy Gentry (bass, backing vocals) its longest-running members, dating to its 1969 formation in Fort Payne, Ala. – first topped Hot Country Songs with its first top 10, “Tennessee River,” in August 1980. Starting with the song, the band rattled off a record 21 No. 1s in a row (counting proper, non-seasonal singles) through 1987, highlighting its signature mix of rollicking core-country, pop-rock touches and affecting ballads.
Alabama also scored crossover success, notching five top 10s on the Adult Contemporary chart. On the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, the band tallied three top 20 hits, as well as its No. 29-peaking 1999 collaboration with *NSYNC, an update of the latter’s “God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You.”
Alabama added its 33rd Hot Country Songs leader as featured on Brad Paisley’s 2011 tribute track “Old Alabama.” Among all acts, only George Strait (44), Conway Twitty (40), Merle Haggard (38) and Ronnie Milsap (35) have more No. 1s on the ranking.
On Top Country Albums, Alabama has charted 11 No. 1s among 26 top 10s, most recently reaching the top 10 with the No. 2-peaking Southern Drawl in 2015. Two years earlier, Alabama & Friends reached No. 2, with the set sporting covers of the group’s classics by stars including Kenny Chesney, Florida Georgia Line and Trisha Yearwood.
Just last month, Alabama hit the Country Digital Song Sales chart with its 1983 Hot Country Songs No. 1 “Dixieland Delight,” sparked by the song’s prominent part in the celebration of the University of Tennessee football team’s triumph Oct. 15.
Here is a recap of Alabama’s most successful singles on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart. The group’s 1989 No. 1 “High Cotton” tops the tally. “We were walkin’ in high cotton,” Owen sings in the song, which echoes the band’s musical legacy. “Old times there are not forgotten. Those fertile fields are never far away.”
Alabama’s 40 Biggest Billboard Hits:
1, “High Cotton,” No. 1 (one week), 19892, “Down Home,” No. 1 (three weeks), 19913, “Forever’s as Far as I’ll Go,” No. 1 (one week), 19914, “Jukebox in My Mind,” No. 1 (four weeks), 19905, “Dixieland Delight,” No. 1 (one week), 19836, “Love in the First Degree,” No. 1 (two weeks), 19817, “Feels So Right,” No. 1 (two weeks), 19818, “Fallin’ Again,” No. 1 (one week), 19889, “If You’re Gonna Play in Texas,” No. 1 (one week), 198410, “Can’t Keep a Good Man Down,” No. 1 (one week), 1985
11, “Lady Down on Love,” No. 1 (one week), 198312, “There’s No Way,” No. 1 (one week), 198513, “Song of the South,” No. 1 (one week), 198914, “40 Hour Week (For a Livin’),” No. 1 (one week), 198515, “Old Flame,” No. 1 (one week), 198116, “Face to Face,” No. 1 (one week), 198817, “The Closer You Get,” No. 1 (one week), 198318, “Take Me Down,” No. 1 (one week), 198219, “If I Had You,” No. 1 (one week), 198920, “She and I,” No. 1 (one week), 1986
21, “Reckless,” No. 1 (one week), 199322, “Why Lady Why,” No. 1 (one week), 198023, “I’m in a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why),” No. 1 (two weeks), 199224, “Tennessee River,” No. 1 (one week), 198025, “‘You’ve Got’ The Touch,” No. 1 (one week), 198726, “Mountain Music,” No. 1 (one week), 198227, “Touch Me When We’re Dancing,” No. 1 (one week), 198628, “Close Enough to Perfect,” No. 1 (one week), 198229, “Southern Star,” No. 1 (one week), 199030, ” (There’s A) Fire in the Night,” No. 1 (one week), 1985
31, “Old Alabama” (Brad Paisley feat. Alabama), No. 1 (two weeks), 201132, “Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler),” No. 1 (one week), 198433, “Here We Are,” No. 2, 199134, “When We Make Love,” No. 1 (one week), 198435, “Hometown Honeymoon,” No. 3, 199336, “Pass It On Down,” No. 3, 199037, “Take a Little Trip,” No. 2, 199238, “Born Country,” No. 2, 199239, “Then Again,” No. 4, 199140, “Once Upon a Lifetime,” No. 3, 1993
Alabama’s 40 Biggest Billboard Hits recap is based on actual performance on Billboard‘s weekly Hot Country Songs chart. The ranking is based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 having the greatest value and weeks at lower ranks proportionately less. Due to various changes in chart rules and methodology through the years, songs have had reigns at No. 1 and on the chart of varying average lengths. To ensure equitable representation of the biggest hits from all years, certain time frames were weighted to account for the differences in song turnover rates.
The wait is over: Rihanna is back with a new solo single. We hadn’t heard new music from the global superstar outside of a spare feature here and there since the ANTI era in 2016, but now there’s Rih’s new ballad “Lift Me Up,” from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack, written partly in tribute to the late franchise star Chadwick Boseman.
This week, the song debuts at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, held off from the top spot by Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” (lead single from her juggernaut Midnights album). It’s also the best-starting radio single of Rihanna’s career, debuting at No. 6 on Billboard‘s Radio Songs chart.
How should Rihanna feel about this chart start? And what can fans expect from her from here? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.
1. Rihanna’s first new single in six years just misses becoming her 15th Hot 100 No. 1, debuting at No. 2 behind Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” in the latter’s second week. On a scale of 1-10, how excited do you think she should be with this showing?
Lyndsey Havens: 10. Debuting at No. 2 with a Taylor Swift song — from a record-breaking album — is basically like debuting at No. 1. Especially considering, though beautiful, “Lift Me Up” is a fairly minimal, downtempo ballad it’s even more impressive to know it debuted this high on the strength of Rihanna’s name and voice alone.
Cydney Lee: 9 or 10, only because I feel like any artist should be excited about an accomplishment or win, no matter how big or small or what caliber of artist they are. Clearly, garnering No. 1 hits is a norm for Rihanna, but considering how long it’s been since she dropped music, debuting at No. 2 after all these years shows she still has it. One thing about Rihanna that separates her from the rest is that she’s managed to stay relevant despite not dropping any music, thanks to her other business ventures and showing up her for fans in ways other artists don’t. Not to mention maintaining a very public relationship and becoming a mother. “Lift Me Up” debuting at No. 2 and not No. 1 could be a timing thing, but for this to be so high as a single and as a part of a movie soundtrack, is still very impressive and worth celebrating.
Jason Lipshutz: A 6. While a No. 2 debut is an impressive feat for any artist, particularly one who has been largely away from a solo music career for the past six years, Rihanna has collected enough No. 1 smashes by now to reasonably expect her long-awaited to debut in the top spot. Poor timing is the culprit here — even though Swift’s “Anti-Hero” is in its second week, it’s proven a streaming juggernaut in its first couple of frames — and ultimately, the No. 2 debut of “Lift Me Up” demonstrates how much excitement there is around Rihanna’s studio return, as she approach the Super Bowl halftime show and (hopefully) more music releases.
Neena Rouhani: How excited she should be is a hard call to make. How excited do I think she actually is? Honestly, a 5. Rih-Rih is a mommy. And judging by how the superstar mogul pours herself into everything she does, I imagine she’s most focused on her baby boy right now. Not to mention the long hiatus we all painfully endured–it’s clear she has her head and hands tied up in the other endeavors that made her a billionaire. Between Fenty Beauty, Savage x Fenty, prepping for her Super Bowl headlining debut, and co-parenting alongside A$AP Rocky, I think she has bigger fish to fry than being excited about nearly reaching her 15th Hot 100 No. 1. (No offense, Billboard.) Now, if and when the album comes? That’ll be another story.
Andrew Unterberger: A 7.5. Rihanna is definitely on that always-getting-shorter shortlist of artists who could reasonably expect to debut at No. 1 nearly every time out, but this is the occasion that would get the asterisk here — a relatively low-key ballad, for a movie soundtrack, going against the biggest song from the year’s biggest album. No. 2 is still a very fine showing for “Lift Me Up,” and Rihanna has never seemed like the No. 1 at All Costs sort of pop star anyway.
2. “Lift Me Up” is a one-off single from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack and has not been announced as the beginning of any kind of new album era for Rihanna. Do you think it tells us anything about the sonic or artist direction she may be moving in if and when she does make a full return?
Lyndsey Havens: Absolutely not. I do think she may be more in her lullaby bag due to being a new mom, but in terms of a new era for Rihanna the artist… I don’t see this as being it. And I think that’s the point… there’s a particular genius in returning with a soundtrack song for a universally beloved franchise. It’s an appetizer that satisfies the craving for new Rihanna music without saying much about what the entree will be — or when it will even be served.
Cydney Lee: Maybe, but I’m leaning towards no. This song sounds like it was tailor-made for this movie, considering that it sort of doubles as a tribute to Chadwick Boseman. She may have a few songs similar to this on her eventual new album, but I’m not sure if this sonic choice will the “theme” of it per se. I’d be happy with the vocal runs, but I would also love to hear some spunk when we do hear from her again.
Jason Lipshutz: It’s worth remembering that, before the album drought that fans are currently experiencing, Rihanna made the Navy wait a little over three years between 2012’s Unapologetic and 2016’s Anti — and in that gap, she released a handful of one-off singles (“FourFiveSeconds,” “Bitch Better Have My Money,” “American Oxygen”) that, in retrospect, didn’t really tell us much about the sound and scope of Anti. So, while “Lift Me Up” reaffirms Rihanna as one of the most compelling vocalists in modern popular music, I’d guess that the soundtrack single itself doesn’t tip off too much about her upcoming artistic direction.
Neena Rouhani: No. I don’t think she’d give it away like that. I think this was a nice effort to get the ball rolling and put herself out there again as an artist, but I don’t think we should view this song as indicative of anything. Ask yourself, would Beyonce or Adele use a soundtrack moment to introduce their new personal sound and direction to the world? I think not. And Rihanna wouldn’t, either.
Andrew Unterberger: I wouldn’t necessarily read a ton into it, but… I also wouldn’t be surprised if the self-proclaimed savage of the Anti era does sound a little mellower on the whole next time we hear a full statement from her. “Lift Me Up” sounds like it was recorded deep in the throes of domestic bliss, and from all public indicators, that does seem to be where Rihanna is spending most of her time these days. That’s not to say she’ll always be there, or that she won’t still get out every once in a while to pour it up good and proper, but Rih has always connected with fans through her authenticity, and this may just be the most authentic version of her at the moment.
3. “Lift” has had a dynamite start at radio, becoming just the fourth song since 1998 to hit the chart’s top 10 in its first week. Do you see this as a sign that the song will end up being a long-lasting hit, or do you anticipate enthusiasm for it on the airwaves will fade quickly?
Lyndsey Havens: I could be wrong, but I don’t see this fitting into Rih’s Super Bowl set and I think at that point, her catalog of mega-hits will eclipse the growth of “Lift.” I can see it sticking around on radio perhaps — and certainly sustaining following the premier of Black Panther this weekend — but don’t necessarily see it becoming a long-lasting streaming beast.
Cydney Lee: The radio stats are always interesting to me because I don’t listen to it too much anymore. But I feel like its success on this medium might depend on how long the movie stays in the forefront of peoples’ minds. Black Panther and its soundtrack being spearheaded by Kendrick Lamar was a moment for the Black community especially. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is and will also be a moment — but in a different way, because while the sequel itself is highly anticipated, there’s the added curiosity of how this film was made and how the story will be told without its main figure, Chadwick Boseman. The context is just overall sadder.
Even though its Rihanna’s first drop in forever, I do feel like “Lift Me Up” might fade on the radio in due time, but all depends on how long people will be talking about the movie. Either that OR it will stay around for a while because it is one of the few crumbs she has given fans over the years, and people will latch onto it.
Jason Lipshutz: Not many popular artists can be expected to make a ballad work at top 40 radio, but Rihanna has proven herself in that elite class, considering the success of smashes like “Stay,” “Take a Bow” and “Love on the Brain.” I could see “Lift Me Up” enjoying a prolonged run at the format, which is undoubtedly hungry to reincorporate one of its biggest superstars of the past 15 years and balance out some of the more uptempo songs currently in rotation. Maybe it won’t be a redefining hit at top 40, but don’t be surprised to hear “Lift Me Up” at pop radio long after Black Panther: Wakanda Forever leaves theaters.
Neena Rouhani: This isn’t at all indicative of my opinions on Rihanna’s artistic endurance, but more a commentary on the current musical climate – it’ll fade. Because, what doesn’t fade? There aren’t many songs in the last few years — post-2020 I’ll say — that have had staying power. The cycle is just too fast, the market too saturated. Now, do I think it’ll endure amongst her dedicated fanbase? Absolutely. It’s a great ballad and sits well within her catalog. It also really exemplifies how much she’s grown vocally during her absence. But I don’t know how long it’ll last on radio.
Andrew Unterberger: I think the variety of radio formats that appear to be trying it out bodes pretty well for it. I don’t know if it’ll be particularly enduring on streaming — it already seems to be fading pretty quickly there — but this might be more of an adult-oriented hit anyway, which is fine. We’ll probably be hearing more from it come award season at the very least. (Could we get performances from Rihanna at the Super Bowl and the Oscars in back-to-back months?)
4. Along with OneRepublic’s “I Ain’t Worried” (from Top Gun: Maverick) and Doja Cat’s “Vegas” (from Elvis), we now have three very different songs from three very different movies hitting the Hot 100’s top 10 in the past month. Is this a meaningful trend to you, or is it just a fluke of timing?
Lyndsey Havens: I honestly hadn’t thought about the possibility of this being a trend, but now that’s been mentioned… I guess it could be related to life being open again and people seeing movies and so on. But I don’t think there’s much more to it than that — as mentioned, these three songs are totally different and popular for totally different reasons: The whistling on “I Ain’t Worried,” the grungy revamp on an Elvis hit and the long-awaited return of one of music’s biggest stars. All hits in their own right.
Cydney Lee: This seems meaningful and reflective of how music is consumed. To me, it seems like people are paying more attention to movie soundtracks these days, especially if the soundtrack features a brand-new song by an artist and not just a synch of a song that’s already out. With the way fandom is now, it makes sense that songs like these would be in the top 10 because fans (and stans) seem to jump on any new music their favorite artist releases. Especially, if it’s an artist who hasn’t dropped anything in years, hence Rihanna.
Jason Lipshutz: A fluke — “I Ain’t Worried” represents a traditional soundtrack hit in that its placement in Top Gun: Maverick has fueled its success, but “Vegas” growing into a top 10 hit speaks more to Doja Cat’s current red-hot singles streak than its usage in Elvis, and “Lift Me Up” is being heralded as Rihanna’s return before we even hear how it’s synched in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. With all that said, movie theaters have been back in full swing in 2022, and it will be interesting to see how soundtrack singles are treated in a post-lockdown world. Maybe 2023 and beyond will include more big swings to try and mine the next “I Ain’t Worried,” and, as Stranger Things proved this year, those big synchs don’t need to be heard in theaters (or new songs, for that matter).
Neena Rouhani: I think it’s meaningful, but feels more like a revival than a recent phenomenon. In 2012, Adele’s “Skyfall” was a Hot 100 top ten hit showered with accolades, while later in 2015, The Weeknd’s “Earned It” hit No. 1 on a number of charts and won a Grammy. Then, in 2018 we saw it again with “Shallow” by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper from A Star Is Born. I think we’re maybe seeing it at a more rapid pace, and I don’t see it slowing down anytime soon.
Andrew Unterberger: It’s mostly a fluke, but it’s a good reminder that movie soundtracks can still be fertile ground for artists looking to stay in the mix in between albums (like Doja Cat), to reintroduce themselves to a wider audience after a fade from the mainstream (like OneRepublic) or to do a soft launch after a long period of dormancy (like Rihanna). And it’s good news for us as fans, too; it’s always a positive thing for the health and vibrancy of pop music when soundtracks are impacting the culture like this.
5. Place your prop bets: Will we get more new Rihanna music before her Super Bowl gig in February? (And if so, how much/what form will it take?)
Lyndsey Havens: Hahahaha no.
Cydney Lee: Ha! No. Maybe a single, but even that seems too ambitious.
Jason Lipshutz: Yes. This is just a guess, but my bet would be that we get a splashy uptempo single in the weeks ahead of the Super Bowl, and that “Lift Me Up” represents the poignant place-setter for that main course. Rihanna could easily fill a Super Bowl setlist with her many hits and use “Lift Me Up” as the one tearjerker moment… but come on, we all want a danceable new Rihanna single, and I’d bet that Rihanna knows exactly what we want.
Neena Rouhani: Not only has she already squashed the new album rumors, but I don’t see a world where she releases an album before the performance. Maybe a single. Or she could treat the Super Bowl gig a la Kendrick Lamar for his headlining performance at Day n Vegas, where he used it as a closing of a chapter, highlighting all of his career achievements up until that point. I think it’ll signify the beginning of a new era. And I look forward to seeing how she uses that insanely large platform to make a statement — especially considering her past comments about turning down the 2019 Super Bowl to avoid being a “sellout.”
Andrew Unterberger: I’ll say one more new single. Why not?