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Billboard Japan unveiled its year-end charts for 2024, and Mrs. GREEN APPLE is Artist of the Year, based on the Artist 100 ranking compiled from results of both the Japan Hot 100 and Hot Albums charts. Additionally, frontman and principal songwriter Motoki Ohmori (vocals and guitar) dominated the year-end Top Composers and Top Lyricists charts for the second year in a row.
This year, the three-man pop-rock band released a new song every month from April to August. “Lilac,” the opening theme song for the anime series Oblivion Battery, stayed at No. 1 on the Streaming Songs tally for 18 consecutive weeks, becoming popular as the trio’s new signature number. “Ao to Natsu,” the group’s hit from 2018, broke its personal record for most weekly streams on the Streaming Songs chart released Aug. 14 with 6,969,716 weekly streams, coming in at No. 4 for the week. Now in its 11th year as a band, Mrs. GREEN APPLE continues to expand its reach.

Trending on Billboard

The group consisting of Ohmori, Hiloto Wakai (guitar), and Ryoka Fujisawa (keyboards) also kept busy doing live shows, including collaborative concerts at the Yokohama Arena with other acts in May, a domestic stadium tour entitled Zenjin Mito to Weltraum in July that drew about 150,000 people in total, and a ten-show mini-residency at K-Arena Yokohama that ran from October to November. In recent news, the band released a new song called “Bitter Vacances” written as the theme for the upcoming live-action movie Saint Young Men, due in Japanese theaters Dec. 20. And to make the upcoming 10th anniversary of their major debut a magical year, they have just announced numerous plans, including a 100,000-person outdoor live concert over two days, the release of their best album ’10’, and their first solo performance in Korea. What were the band members feeling as they faced their music while racing through a super-busy year? Ohmori, Wakai, and Fujisawa chatted with Billboard Japan, looking back on a fruitful 2024 and sharing some visions for the new year.  

Mrs. GREEN APPLE is No. 1 on Billboard Japan’s year-end Artist 100 chart for 2024. How do you feel about this result?

Fujisawa: I’m very grateful. I was so surprised that I teared up a little.

Wakai: We released a lot of songs this year, so I’m genuinely grateful that they’ve reached so many people in a proper way.

Ohmori: I topped the year-end Top Lyricists and Top Composers charts last year, and those results allowed me to believe in the things I create and the things we think are interesting, and work on them in a positive way for the past year. I’m happy to have received this kind of recognition in what was such a fun year. I hear from people that our songs are being used at sports days in schools ranging from elementary to high school, and that really gives me a sense of how well our songs are known and how they’re being received. I don’t really feel it when I’m going about my daily business, but when I hear that [the songs] are close to someone’s everyday life, it really hits home.

Wakai: They’re also being sung as choral pieces [in schools].

Fujisawa: From the end of last year to this year, we had a lot of opportunities to enjoy ourselves with our fans, like going on our own tour, performing live with other acts, and doing more headlining shows in the summer. It kind of surprised me that so many people knew about us.

There must have been many first-time visitors to your concerts.

Ohmori: Looking out from the stage, I did notice that people of all ages were in the audience. Like grandmothers bringing their grandchildren. It gives us confidence to know that we’re doing shows that families can feel safe and enjoy together.

The band has been busy touring and releasing new music this year. If you were to sum up the year, how would you describe it?

Ohmori: It was fun. Last year, it was like saying hello for the first time [after becoming a three-man band], but this year, I think we were able to reaffirm our unchanging relationship and stance on songwriting as we tried to live up to expectations and adapted to our changing surroundings. I was writing songs for our five-month consecutive release, but it wasn’t like I was pushing myself too hard and I can say that it was a very meaningful and enjoyable year.

Wakai: We really did a lot of things and it was really fruitful.

Fujisawa: Each member had more opportunities to flourish this year, and there were many moments when I saw the other two working hard and was like, “They’re so cool” and “I’m so proud of them.”

Wakai: There are a lot of YouTube videos of people covering “Lilac” on guitar, and personally, it felt like there were more instances where I felt like I was being recognized as a guitarist and that made me happy.

You added some original arrangements at your residency shows (Mrs. GREEN APPLE on “Harmony”) and they were awesome.

Wakai: The crowd seemed to enjoy it, so I was glad.

Fujisawa: While watching Ohmori working hard writing songs at a tremendous pace for the five consecutive releases, we also played those songs at that speed, adding our own arrangements as we went along, and also performed them live again and again. How each member has been able to face things with responsibility shows the growth of our band this year.

Ohmori: Speaking of growth, or something I’ve discovered, is that I’ve come to realize once again that writing songs isn’t something I do for something or someone, but only for myself, even though I’m the type of person who thinks it’s better to enjoy fun things together with everyone. Now that more people are listening to my music, there’s greater responsibility, but in the end I only release things that I feel are good, so I don’t feel any crazy pressure or stress and really enjoy making music naturally. Being able to reconfirm that was a personal growth for me. I’d be lying if I said I don’t feel pressure, but I still feel like I’ve been able to stay natural.

Are there any other motivations that drive the three of you?

Wakai: What we talk about a lot among the members is live performances. I feel that the main source of our energy and motivation is to do something that we can genuinely enjoy ourselves and have the audience also enjoy that, too.

Ohmori: That was notable in our The White Lounge tour.

Fujisawa: Like Wakai said, when we do something we find interesting and new, and see that the people on the receiving end are enjoying it, we want to update ourselves even more. Personally, there are a lot of things I find difficult and set me back, but seeing Ohmori and Wakai working hard gives me power.

So your bandmates are friends you can rely on and also rivals you can compete with.

Ohmori: They’re really important to me. In a good way, I don’t really have the sense that Mrs. GREEN APPLE is being burdened with expectations from the public. The three of us are just having fun making music together. That’s really all there is to it. We’ve been doing this since we were in junior high school, and I think that’s what makes us Mrs. GREEN APPLE.

Lastly, what are your prospects for 2025?

Ohmori: We celebrated our 10th anniversary [since formation] in 2023 and next year will be our 10th since our debut. It’s our anniversary year, so I hope we can be close to our JAMs [Mrs. GREEN APPLE fans]. We hope to keep challenging ourselves individually, and to make the ship that is Mrs. GREEN APPLE even bigger. We also want to do lots of shows.

Fujisawa: It’ll be ten years since our debut, so I want to express our gratitude to everyone next year.

Wakai: It’ll be the last year in our twenties for Ohmori and me, so I want to make the final year one without regrets and enjoyable.

—This interview by Takuto Ueda first appeared on Billboard Japan

Billboard Japan has unveiled its 2024 year-end charts, tallying the weeks from Nov. 27, 2023, to Nov. 24, 2024.
The No. 1 Song of the Year on the Japan Hot 100 is Creepy Nuts’ “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born.” The opening theme song of the anime series MASHLE Season 2 was released Jan. 7 and racked up 547,310,791 streams during the tallying period.

“We still feel like, ‘We’re able to make a living doing music!’” shares rapper R-shitei of Creepy Nuts upon hearing the news of topping the year-end charts, “We never planned to make songs that would be listened to around the world. It’s really just about expressing what we want to get out and releasing the pent-up expressions we’ve been holding in, basically.” DJ Matsunaga adds, “Now that we’ve returned to a lifestyle focusing on music, it feels like the irresponsibleness that I had before is back. Express bad stuff like it is. It feels like we’ve regained the courage to do that.”

Coming in at No. 2 for the year is “Bansanka” by 15-year-old singer-songwriter tuki., and Omoinotake’s “IKUOKU KONEN,” the theme song of the drama series Eye Love You, follows at No. 3.

Snow Man

Courtesy Photo

The No. 1 Album of the Year on Billboard Japan’s Hot Albums chart is Snow Man’s RAYS. The fourth album by the nine-member group sold 1,183,100 copies during the tallying period and topped the CD Sales ranking as well.

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“We’re very happy that our fourth album RAYS has been crowned Billboard Japan Hot Albums of the Year 2024. We’re truly grateful to everyone who received our work and touched our music, and to the encouraging staff who were involved in the production,” says Snow Man member RAUL on behalf of the group. “RAYS has a very special place in our hearts because it can be interpreted as the culmination of the first chapter of Snow Man that sublimates the powers we’ve honed and the support we’ve received over the four years since our debut into music. It was challenging, but we always imagined our fans close by as we worked on it. We’re deeply touched that our precious fans have listened to it and given us so many positive comments.”

“The group will be celebrating the fifth anniversary since its debut in 2025, kicking off with a best-of album set to drop on Jan. 22, the day of our debut,” he adds. “We’re also currently planning to spend more time with our fans, so we hope you’ll look forward to it!”

At No. 2 is Kenshi Yonezu’s LOST CORNER, and at No. 3 is SEVENTEEN’s 17 IS RIGHT HERE.

Mrs. GREEN APPLE

Courtesy Photo

Mrs. GREEN APPLE takes the top spot on the Artist 100 of the Year ranking compiled from the results of the Japan Hot 100 and Hot Albums charts. The three-man band charted 17 songs on the Japan Hot 100, including hits like “Lilac” and “Que Sera Sera.”

“I’m very grateful. I was so surprised that I teared up a little,” says Mrs. GREEN APPLE keyboardist Ryoka Fujisawa. Guitarist Hiloto Wakai adds, “We released a lot of songs this year, so I’m genuinely grateful that they’ve reached so many people in a proper way.” Frontman and principal songwriter Motoki Ohmori notes, “I topped the year-end Top Lyricists and Top Composers charts last year, and those results allowed me to believe in the things I create and the things we think are interesting, and work on them in a positive way for the past year. I’m happy to have received this kind of recognition in what was such a fun year.”

Following at No. 2 on the year-end Artist 100 is back number, rising a notch from its position on the mid-year round-up. The three-man band charted 10 songs on the Japan Hot 100 including “Suiheisen” and “Takaneno Hanakosan.” At No. 3 is YOASOBI, the breakout hitmakers whose performance at Coachella in April made headlines in their home country.

As Japanese artists continue to branch out globally, Creepy Nuts’ music is reaching listeners on a global scale after “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” became a long-running hit both in Japan and overseas. Total global streams for the hip-hop duo has jumped significantly and as a result, “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” achieved 12 No.1s on Billboard Japan’s 2024 year-end charts, including the newly announced year-end Global Japan Songs Excl. Japan chart, which ranks songs from Japan that are being listened to in over 200 countries around the world excluding Japan. 

Billboard JAPAN Hot 100 of the Year 2024

1. “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” / Creepy Nuts

2. “Bansanka” / tuki.

3. “IKUOKUKONEN” / Omoinotake

4. “Idol” / YOASOBI

5. “Lilac” / Mrs. GREEN APPLE

6. “Que Sera Sera” / Mrs. GREEN APPLE

7. “Show” / Ado

8. “Kaiju No Hanauta” / Vaundy

9. “Ao To Natsu” / Mrs. GREEN APPLE

10. “Dance Hall” / Mrs. GREEN APPLE

Billboard JAPAN Hot Albums of the Year 2024

1. RAYS / Snow Man

2. LOST CORNER / Kenshi Yonezu

3. 17 IS RIGHT HERE / SEVENTEEN

4. THE VIBES / SixTONES

5. SPILL THE FEELS / SEVENTEEN

6. No.Ⅰ / Number_i

7. GIANT / Stray Kids

8. No.O -ring- / Number_i

9. SCIENCE FICTION / Hikaru Utada

10. +Alpha / Naniwa Danshi

Billboard JAPAN Artist 100 of the Year 2024

1. Mrs. GREEN APPLE

2. back number

3. YOASOBI

4. Vaundy

5. Official HIGE DANdism

6. Ado

7. Creepy Nuts

8. Kenshi Yonezu

9. King Gnu

10. Aimyon

Billboard JAPAN Global Japan Songs Excl. Japan of the Year 2024

1. “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” / Creepy Nuts

2. “Idol” / YOASOBI

3. “SPECIALZ” / King Gnu

4. “NIGHT DANCER” / imase

5. “Shinunoga E-Wa” / Fujii Kaze

6. “KICK BACK” / Kenshi Yonezu

7. “Where Our Blue Is” / Tatsuya Kitani

8. “Yoru Ni Kakeru” / YOASOBI

9. “TOKYO DRIFT(FAST & FURIOUS)” / TERIYAKI BOYZ

10. “Mayonaka no Door / Stay With Me” / Miki Matsubara

Ella Langley’s “You Look Like You Love Me,” featuring Riley Green, leaps from No. 7 to No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart dated Dec. 14. The song, which the pair penned with Aaron Raitiere, increased by 18% to 26.5 million audience impressions Nov. 29-Dec. 5, according to Luminate. (The six-spot leap ties for the third-greatest to the top in the chart’s nearly 35-year history.)
Langley lands her first Country Airplay No. 1 with her second entry (on SAWGOD/Columbia/Nashville Harbor). “Strangers,” with Kameron Marlowe, spent a week at No. 56 in July. Green nets his second chart-topper, following his featured turn on Thomas Rhett’s “Half of Me,” which led for a week in November 2022.

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Meanwhile, for the first time in 2024, a woman artist rules Country Airplay. Lainey Wilson last led among women, as featured on Jelly Roll’s “Save Me” for two weeks in December. Langley is the first woman to reign in a lead role also since Wilson, who spent three weeks at No. 1 in October 2023 with “Watermelon Moonshine.” Langley ends the longest break – 51 weeks – between women (including groups with prominent female vocals) topping the chart since a record 61-week shutout in 2003-04.

New Top 10s

Morgan Wallen banks his 18th Country Airplay top 10 as “Loves Somebody” lifts 11-9 (20 million, up 10%). The song is the second single from Wallen’s upcoming album, following “Lies Lies Lies,” which topped the Nov. 23-dated chart, becoming his 15th No. 1 – and his fifth of 2024, a new annual high for any artist.

Plus, Tucker Wetmore’s “Wind Up Missin’ You” becomes the singer-songwriter’s first Country Airplay top 10, as it hops 12-10 (18.1 million, up 4%). The 25-year-old previously charted with “Wine Into Whiskey” (No. 56 peak, May). The Kalama, Wash., native, who boasts 1.2 million TikTok followers, sent his debut collection, Waves on a Sunset, to No. 18 on Top Country Albums in October.

All Billboard charts dated Dec. 14 will update on Billboard.com Tuesday, Dec. 10.

Despite stiff competition from a pair of festive classics, Gracie Abrams’ breakout single “That’s So True” has landed a fifth week at No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart. Earlier this week, Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” – which was recently remixed for its 40th anniversary – was on course to take […]

Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department has notched its ninth non-consecutive week at No. 1 on the U.K. Albums Chart (Dec. 6). The achievement comes following the release of Swift’s Anthology edition on Nov. 29, which includes all 31 songs and acoustic versions on physical formats and streaming. The Official Charts Company reports that 79% […]

Taylor Swift has wrapped up an early Christmas gift for fans, reclaiming the No. 1 spot on the ARIA Albums Chart with The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology.

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The festive season begins in earnest as the chart’s Christmas edition sees Swift’s dominance coinciding with the return of holiday classics like Michael Bublé’s Christmas and Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas, adding a seasonal sparkle to the final stretch of 2024.

Swift’s album, buoyed by the release of vinyl and CD versions, jumps from No. 14 to reclaim its throne for a sixth non-consecutive week. This marks Swift’s 16th week at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart this year, thanks to the success of 1989 (Taylor’s Version), Midnights, Lover, and The Tortured Poets Department.

Trending on Billboard

Meanwhile, Michael Bublé’s Christmas makes its annual return, landing at No. 15, continuing its streak as a perennial festive favorite. First released in 2011, the album has spent a total of 15 weeks at No. 1 and remains a yuletide staple.

Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas also re-enters the chart at No. 100, with her holiday anthem “All I Want for Christmas Is You” making its yearly resurgence on the ARIA Singles Chart, re-entering at No. 7.

Rosé and Bruno Mars hold steady at the top of the ARIA Singles Chart with “APT,” which notches its fifth non-consecutive week at No. 1. The track continues its reign as Bruno Mars enjoys a record-breaking run on Spotify, where he became the platform’s most-streamed artist last month with over 126 million monthly listeners, surpassing The Weeknd’s previous record of 120.7 million.

Other holiday hits are also making their move. Wham!’s “Last Christmas” returns at No. 11, with additional classics from Brenda Lee, Ariana Grande, and Kelly Clarkson climbing the charts as the festive season heats up.

Juice WRLD makes a splash on the Albums Chart with The Party Never Ends, debuting at No. 17. The posthumous release features collaborations with The Kid LAROI, Fall Out Boy, Nicki Minaj, and Eminem, marking the rapper’s fourth Top 10 ARIA album since his untimely passing in 2019.

For the full list of chart-toppers, visit ARIA.com.au.

Karol G sets a new record on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 as “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” rules for a 12th consecutive week (chart Dec. 7-dated ranking), the longest-leading No. 1 song in 2024. The song breaks from a tie with Valentino Merlo and The La Planta’s “Hoy” which dominated for 11 consecutive weeks, starting the July 6-dated tally.
Further, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” which added a 20th week atop Billboard‘s overall Latin Airplay chart on the current ranking, also enters a tie with Maluma and The Weeknd’s “Hawai” and Pedo Capo and Farruko’s “Calma (Alicia Remix),” for the fifth-most weeks atop the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 since its inception in 2018. Here is the recap of the songs with the most weeks at No. 1:

Trending on Billboard

Weeks at No. 1, Song, Artists, Peak Date25, “Tusa,” Karol G & Nicki Minaj, Jan. 11, 202016, “Entre Nosotros,” Tiago PZK, Lit Killah, Nicki Nicole & Maria Becerra, July 31, 202115, “La Bachata,” Manuel Turizo, Sept. 10, 202213, “Otro Trago,” Sech, Darell, Nicky Jam, Ozuna & Anuel AA, May 25, 201912, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” Karol G, Sept. 21, 202412, “Hawai,” Maluma & The Weeknd, Aug. 29, 202012, “Calma (Alicia Remix),” Pedro Capo & Farruko, Jan. 12, 2019

Rauw Alejandro adds a second song on the current chart as “Khé?,” with Romeo Santos, arrives as the Hot Shot Debut of the week, at No.55. The Puerto Rican also takes the Greatest Gainer honors with “Qué Pasaría…,” with Bad Bunny, which rallies 28 spots, from No. 56 to No. 28 for a new peak.

Five other songs debut below the top 50, starting with the bilingual “¿Cómo Pasó?” by Ela Taubert and Joe Jonas, at No. 76. It’s the first chart appearance for both the best new artist Latin Grammy winner and the American singer-songwriter.

Maluma adds his 38th entry as “Cosas Pendientes” starts at No. 84. Meanwhile, Argentinians La T y La M secure their 14 career visit with “Un Montón De Estrellas (Gran Rex)” at No. 84.

Lastly, Nicki Nicole breaks from a tie with Emilia for the third-most entries among women with 38 career performances thanks to two new debuts, “Forty” and “Sheite” which open at Nos. 88 and 97, respectively.

Stepz’s “Rock” lifts a spot to No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart dated Dec. 7, becoming the rapper’s first leader on a Billboard ranking.
The TikTok Billboard Top 50 is a weekly ranking of the most popular songs on TikTok in the United States based on creations, video views and user engagement. The latest chart reflects activity from Nov. 25-Dec. 1. Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard charts except for the TikTok Billboard Top 50.

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“Rock” bowed on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 dated Nov. 9 at No. 29 before spiking to No. 2 on the Nov. 30 survey. It lifts to No. 1 on the continued strength of a dance challenge.

Trending on Billboard

Stepz himself has contributed to usages of “Rock,” though his participation extends to other songs within the chart’s top 10; earlier in the week, he also contributed a dance to the trend for Adele’s “Send My Love (To Your New Lover),” which concurrently blasts 22-8 for its first week in the ranking’s top 10. Adele returns to the top 10 of the chart for the first time since January, when “When We Were Young” reached No. 8.

“Rock” concurrently jumps to 1.3 million official Billboard U.S. chart-eligible streams in the week ending Nov. 28, up 18%, according to Luminate. “Send My Love,” which peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2016, rises 17% to 1.8 million streams.

Gia Margaret’s “Hinoki Wood” lifts 3-2 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50, while GloRilla and Sexyy Red’s “Whatchu Kno About Me,” the previous No. 1, drops to No. 3. “Hinoki Wood” is tied to the chill guy meme/trend, with creators using the song to upload content showcasing how much of a chill person they are, either using their own likenesses or the cartoon dog itself.

“Hinoki Wood” sports a 132% leap in streams to 720,000. It’s her second appearance on a Billboard chart, after the album Romantic Piano spent six weeks on the Classical Crossover Albums list in 2023.

“Bound 2” by Ye (formerly Kanye West) re-enters the TikTok Billboard Top 50 at No. 4 – its highest rank yet, following an appearance at No. 10 last December. Its return at the same time as last year (Dec. 2) is no coincidence; yet again, creators highlight the 2013 song’s “We made it to Thanksgiving/ So maybe we can make it to Christmas” lyric” (the chart’s latest tracking week includes the Nov. 28 Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S.).

Ole 60’s “Thoughts of You” soars into the chart’s top 10 for the first time, vaulting 41-6 in its second week. The country band’s recently released tune (it came out in September) surges via a timely lyric “Oh, eyes in line and hands together/ We almost made it through the weather/ Looked up, laughed and said, ‘Where’d November go?’” The trend then features users comparing their November 2023 to their November 2024. Some have begun applying the trend to December as well.

“Thoughts of You” rises to 2 million streams in the week ending Nov. 28, up 40%. The song represents the first country entry in the top 10 of the TikTok Billboard Top 50 since Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” in October.

One other song reaches the top 10 for the first time, and it’s also the week’s top debut: Silento’s “Watch Me,” which bows at No. 9. Released in 2015, the song fits TikTok perfectly, as the track had a corresponding series of dances instructed by the rapper in its lyrics. The latest trend includes the original dance, albeit with some additional flourishes when it features more than one person.

See the full TikTok Billboard Top 50 here. You can also tune in each Friday to SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio (channel 4) to hear the premiere of the chart’s top 10 countdown at 3 p.m. ET, with reruns heard throughout the week.

For the first time in 14 years, Ice Cube has a solo album in the top on Billboard’s Top Rap Albums as Man Down debuts at No. 8 on the chart dated Dec. 7. The set was released Nov. 22 through Lench Mob/Hitmaker Records and earned 20,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the tracking week ending Nov. 28, according to Luminate.
Of the first-week figure, album sales contribute 15,000 units, making Man Down the second-highest-selling rap album of the week, behind only Kendrick Lamar’s GNX (32,000). The project also debuts at No. 9 on the all-genre Top Album Sales chart. Five thousand units derive from the streaming sector, representing 13.9 million official on-demand U.S. audio and video streams of the album’s tracks, with a negligible amount of track-equivalent activity. (One unit equals the following levels of consumption: one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.)

Thanks to Man Down, Ice Cube earns his fourth solo top 10 on the Top Rap Albums chart, which launched in 2004. It joins 2006’s Laugh Now, Cry Later (No. 2), 2008’s one-week No. 1 Raw Footage and 2010’s I Am the West (No. 6). Plus, N.W.A., the legendary West Coast hip-hop group whose best known lineup consists of Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, MC Ren and DJ Yella, had The Best of N.W.A.: The Strength of Street Knowledge peak at No. 25 in 2007.

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Elsewhere, Man Down opens at No. 12 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, Ice Cube’s best start since I Am the West began at No. 7 in 2010. Its arrival gives the rapper his 17th solo appearance on the list, a count that includes five No. 1s. Notably, N.W.A. has charted six titles on the list, with 1991’s Efil4zaggin the highest peaking, at No. 2.

Man Down includes Ice Cube’s current single “It’s My Ego,” which repeats at its No. 28 high on the Rhythmic Airplay chart. Despite no position movement, the song added 39% more plays in the latest tracking week.

Spaniard Quevedo claims his highest-charting album on any Billboard tally, as his second studio album, Buenas Noches, launches at No. 2 on Latin Pop Albums (dated Dec. 7), for his first entry and top 10 there. The 18-track set concurrently opens at Nos. 29 and 11 on Top Latin Albums and Latin Rhythm Albums, respectively.
Buenas Noches, released Nov. 22 via DQE/Rimas, is Quevedo’s most pop-inclined project to date, and first album with Rimas. Exploring Latin pop sounds with Spanish singer-songwriter Aitana and Pitbull, the 22-year-old also paired with Latin rhythmic greats De La Ghetto, Sech and Rels B.

Trending on Billboard

“It’s an eclectic album,” Quevedo told Billboard. “Since I had not released music for a long time, what I most wanted was to flow in the studio and do things that I felt like doing. Make a fun album above all, not so introspective.”

Buenas Noches debuts at No. 2 on Latin Pop Albums with 4,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. during the Nov. 22-28 tracking week, according to Luminate. Streaming contributes most of the debut week activity, which equates to 5.3 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs.

One unit equals to one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.

While Quevedo secures his first entry and top 10 on Latin Pop Albums with Buenas Noches, the 22-year-old Canarian artist previously scored a top 10 on Latin Rhythm Albums through their debut set Donde Quiero Estar, which also peaked at No. 12 on Top Latin Albums in February 2023.

Notably, with the new album launching in the top 10 on Latin Pop Albums, Quevedo becomes the first artist who primarily records Latin rhythmic songs to secure a No. 2 start on Latin Pop Albums in 2024. Here are all the artists who debuted in the list’s top 10 this year:

Debut Pos., Title, Artist, Debut DateNo. 1, Orquídeas, Kali Uchis, Jan. 27No. 1, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, Shakira, April 6No. 6, Final, Vol. 2, Enrique Iglesias, April 13No. 4, Música Buena Para Días Malos, Jay Wheeler, May 11No. 8, García, Kany Garcia, May 11No. 2, Buenas Noches, Quevedo, Dec. 7

Though none of the songs from Buenas Noches preceded the album across the songs charts, Quevedo took the stand-alone single “Columbia” to the stage at the recent Latin Grammy awards. The song earned him his last top 10 the Billboard Excl. U.S. chart, reaching No. 7 high in August 2023.