Music
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Every month, Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors spotlight a group of rising artists whose music we love. Think “diamantes en bruto,” or “diamonds in the rough.” These are newcomers who have yet to impact the mainstream — but whose music excites us, and who we believe our readers should make a point to discover.
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Our latest edition of On the Radar Latin includes a wave of emerging artists, we came across at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week in Miami, which took place Oct. 14-18. See our recommendations this month below:
Artist: Alex Ponce
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Country: Ecuador
Why They Should Be on Your Radar: If you saw an artist wearing large light blue over-ear headphones during Billboard Latin Music Week, you may already be familiar with Alex Ponce. This Ecuadorian singer-songwriter has been making waves on social media with his videos. He used this year’s conference not only to meet new people and forge connections but also to showcase his latest single, “La Sin Sentimientos,” featuring Blanko. His style is impressive, blending elements of regional Mexican music with innovative electronic sounds, fresh vocals, and upbeat pop influences. This combination creates a vibrant sound that could easily become a new party anthem. — INGRID FAJARDO
Song for your playlist: “La Sin Sentimientos”
Artist: Dany Deglein
Country: Bolivia
Why They Should Be On Your Radar: Dany Deglein, a Bolivian artist with a decade of solo career success in his native country, is reinventing his music after a transformative sabbatical into eco-tourism, according to a Mexican publication. His roots in the music of his native surroundings are evident in his pop fusions that feature traditional Bolivian instruments, like the charango. A standout track, “Mala,” celebrates this instrument — a small Andean guitar-like piece that usually has an armadillo shell for its body — in a festive song about empowerment after breakups. Deglein, who Billboard Español connected with during Latin Music week, is actively involved in humanitarian causes, utilizing his music as a force for social change. Deglein’s narrative and sound are both poignant and playful, securing his place as an artist to watch. — ISABELA RAYGOZA
Song For Your Playlist: “Mala”
Artist: Grupo Diez 4tro
Country: Mexico
Why They Should Be on Your Radar: Grupo Diez 4tro, helmed by vocalist Jesus “Moreno,” was founded in 2020 in Sacramento, Calif. With its innovative and distinctive fusion of drill rap and Música Mexicana, Moreno brought to life a subgenre he dubbed “Drilla Corridos.” Some of Grupo Diez 4tro’s earlier and viral hits include “En El Refuego” and “Los Hermanos,” gaining traction in countries such as the United States, Mexico, and Guatemala. After kicking off its music career, Diez 4tro unleashed three albums: Consejos de la Vida (2022), Blanco (2023), and Rojo (2023). In the midst of attending his first-ever Billboard Latin Music Week, “Moreno” dropped his latest single “Dile,” which captures a romantic corrido tune about falling in love with a girl and encouraging her to tell her parents that they will get married. — JESSICA ROIZ
Song For Your Playlist: “Dile”
Artist: L+U
Country: Venezuela / Italy
Why They Should Be on Your Radar: Formed by Italian songstress Luisa Maggioni and Venezuelan artist Claudio Urdaneta (who also has German and Salvadoran roots), L+U is a husband and wife duo that goes beyond just a talented couple. Maggioni—who was a chorist for Phil Collins and participated in “The Voice Italy”—is a survivor of anorexia. Urdaneta—a studied musician who toured the world with Michael Franti & Spearhead—battled with depression when he migrated to the U.S. Today, after meeting in Miami and getting married in 2022, the duo is creating Spanish pop-rock music with purpose. “We channel our life experiences, along with our love for each other, into positive music that explores themes of mental health, resilience, and love,” the duo tells Billboard. “Our hope is that our songs can add something meaningful to the lives of our listeners.” — J.R.
Song For Your Playlist: “Espejo”
Artist: LI-C
Country: Cuba
Why They Should Be on Your Radar: Cuban-born artist LI-C is a studied singer and musician, who after taking vocal classes and learning to play the clarinet, became a music professor herself. In Cuba, she formed part of a musical group, having the opportunity to take her talent to Asia. Now residing in Miami, the artist born Lisandra Rondon officially launched her music career this year with her debut album Mariposa (Butterfly). Sonically, the 12-track set helmed by hitmakers La Companioni and Nando Pro, laces LI-C’s captivating vocals with fusions of reggaeton, afrobeat, salsa, and pop. Lyrically, she honors her album’s name, singing about personal growth, self-love, and happiness. LI-C took full advantage at her first Billboard Latin Music Week, where she attended with her managers, networked with her colleagues, learned from this year’s panelists, and even asked a question during the “Billboard Ask Anything” panel. — J.R.
Song For Your Playlist: “Mi Propiedad”
Artist: Lulita (Alexandra Kirtchuk)
Country: Argentina/U.S.
Why They Should Be on Your Radar: With a privileged lyrical voice, Lulita — a New Yorker of Argentine-Israeli descent — fuses the sounds of her ancestors to create inspiring music. Graduated from the renowned LaGuardia High School, she studied international relations before moving to Buenos Aires to learn tango and folklore. With influences as eclectic as the Gipsy Kings, Buena Vista Social Club, Mercedes Sosa and Gilberto Gil, Lulita presents a truly interesting offering. She will release on Nov. 22 her first EP, Alexandra, with songs of the Argentine folklore and fragments of family interviews in Argentina and Jewish prayers in Israel. Meanwhile, you can listen to her on Spotify performing a song titled “song of simple things.” — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS
Song For Your Playlist: “canción de las simples cosas”
Artist: Milo Campos
Country: México
Why They Should Be on Your Radar: Milo is a Mexican producer and singer-songwriter who is making a name for himself in the music industry. He started his career as a songwriter for various artists, including Banda Los Sebastianes, Edwin Luna, and Luis “Potro” Caballero, among others in Mexico. Known for his unique storytelling through music, he released his solo album Lotería this year. This eight-track concept LP is inspired by the traditional Mexican game of Lotería, with each track corresponding to a specific card name, such as “El Valiente,” “La Sirena,” and “El Borracho.” The album features a blend of regional Mexican music, including huapango, trap, salsa, norteño, and even reggaetón, all written and produced by Milo himself.
Song For Your Playlist: “El Borracho”
Artist: Nathalie Blain
Country: Ecuador
Why They Should Be on Your Radar: Nathalie Blain traveled from her native Ecuador to Miami to introduce her music project to colleagues and industry leaders. The emerging artist and professional dancer kicked off her singing career in 2023 and counts with five singles up to now. She’s also opened shows for Greeicy and Jorge Celedon. From her debut single “Si Te Hubieras Quedado” to her latest collaboration, “Contigo” with Andres Molina, Blain easily navigates different genres such as bolero, R&B, cumbia, and reggaetón. In her lyrics, she opens up about personal experiences that broke her but also shaped her. “I spent a lot of time repressing my emotions until music found me again and resurrected me little by little,” her Spotify profile notes. “Through music I let myself feel, I give myself over to the feeling and the emotion, I don’t resist and that frees me.” — J.R.
Song For Your Playlist: “Si Te Hubieras Quedado”
Artist: Nik Salazar
Country: Colombia
Why They Should Be on Your Radar: I briefly met Nik last year during Billboard Latin Week 2023, and then in Puerto Rico, I had the opportunity to check out more on his music further at an event for Premios Juventud. I’ve been following his recent releases, and we caught up again during this year’s Billboard Latin Music Week. During that time, he met new colleagues and gained more insights into his career while continuously working on his music and projects. Nik started writing at the age of 11 and studied music in Bogotá, Colombia where he has been honing his songwriting skills over the years. One thing I’ve noticed about him, in addition to his incredible talent and charming charisma, is his determination to advocate for his project. His latest work, “Los Santos,” beautifully blends sensual pop with an urban touch, showcasing his sweet voice. — I.F.
Song for your playlist: “Los Santos”
Artist: Pedro El Rapero
Country: Venezuela
Why They Should Be on Your Radar: Without a doubt, Pedro El Rapero left a mark at Billboard Latin Music Week by creating an unforgettable moment during J Balvin’s Superstar Q&A. The 13-year-old took the stage during the panel to show the Colombian artist his rap skills, performing his infectious song “Retro 1.” Hailing from the city of Barquisimeto, the youngster already performed at the Poliedro de Caracas during a concert of El Alfa, a moment that opened doors for other performances in Venezuela, Argentina and Guatemala. A rapper but also a singer, and more than 250,000 followers on Instagram, he has released the five-song EP Alegría (2023) and has a new single titled “Hasta el final.” — S.R.A.
Song For Your Playlist: “Retro 1”
Artist: Steffania Uttaro
Country: Venezuela
Why They Should Be on Your Radar: The 27-year-old singer-songwriter from Venezuela has already made some waves in the music industry, particularly in Argentina, where she currently resides. She was a semi-finalist on the third season of La Voz Argentina in 2021. Now, she’s looking to branch out and expand her reach, which is what led her to travel to the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week. Most recently, she released her debut album, titled Amor del Bueno y Del Otro También, which showcases her light yet wide-ranging vocals, and her versatile musical palette dabbling in ballads, pop and more rhythmic styles. — GRISELDA FLORES
Song For Your Playlist: “Veneno”
Artist: Zandú
Country: Venezuela
Why They Should Be on Your Radar: With a pop-urban sound and a pleasant voice and cadence, Colombian-Venezuelan singer and songwriter Zandú achieved notoriety in 2020 with the song alluding to the pandemic “Qué Cosa Tan Loca,” after his concerts from the balcony for his neighbors lead him to appear on different international news programs (as documented in its music video). But Zandú started much earlier, singing at folkloric music festivals and also in a salsa and merengue band. Born in Pregonero, Táchira, and currently living between Venezuela and Switzerland, he has released singles including “Combinas Conmigo” with Felipe Peláez and the song about mental health “Esta Me La Dedico,” as well as an EP titled Exhala in 2022. His most recent release is Error de Lectura, a six-song set in which he fuses contemporary sounds with music from the 90s.— S.R.A.
Song For Your Playlist: “Vas a Ver”
Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre are back. The West Coast icons announced on Wednesday (Oct. 30) that their Missionary album is slated to arrive on Dec. 13.
Snoop made the release date official with the unveiling of a hilarious trailer for the Doggystyle follow-up LP, which is fully produced by Dre.
“‘Missionary’ album drops 12.13. Produced by @drdre,” Snoop wrote to caption the clip.
In the video, a couple of men are going door-to-door preaching the Book of Mormon, but they’re left with their jaws on the floor when greeted by a woman in lingerie. “What the f–k? Your ad said you were dedicated to ‘missionary’ work,” she shouts before they run away in shock.
Snoop and Dre seem to be going in a different creative direction with their Missionary work. Following a few delays and a previously rumored November arrival, fans are excited the project has a concrete release date in December.
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Missionary is the first time Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg will unite on a full-length project since Snoop’s 1993 Doggystyle debut album. The superstar duo has remained tight-lipped regarding details of the LP, but some special guests expected to appear on the album include Sting and Jelly Roll.
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“We have Sting on the song. Man, it’s an amazing roster of artists that’s on this album. I shouldn’t have revealed that, to be honest,” Dre told Entertainment Tonight in August.
Jelly Roll gushed about the dream collaboration in an interview with Bootleg Kev earlier this month, where he confirmed his cameo.
“I won’t say anything about the record because he didn’t, but man, it’s special. It is really good,” he said. “I’m legitimately on the Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre album. It’s crazy. It’s unreal. Dude, Jimmy [Iovine] hits John [presumably Jelly Roll’s manager John Meneilly] and says, ‘Can we get on a FaceTime with Jelly Roll and Dre?’ I’m like, ‘Dr. Dre?’ I get on a FaceTime from my back porch. I’m like a kid. Jimmy’s there and I’m already like, ‘I cannot believe it’s Jimmy Iovine.’”
Watch the trailer for Missionary below.
On today’s (Oct. 30) episode of the Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century podcast, we reach No. 6 of our list with a pop star who became one of the great icons of the early 21st century — first as the artist behind a string of smash hits and unforgettable pop culture moments, then […]
Elvis Costello is fully in support of Olivia Rodrigo. In a new interview with Vanity Fair, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer shared his thoughts on Rodrigo’s Sour album opener, “Brutal,” which seemingly took inspiration from his angsty 1978 anthem “Pump It Up.” He told the publication that artists “allude to [the song] in […]
Nicky Jam is no longer supporting Donald Trump for president, the reggaetón hitmaker announced on Wednesday (Oct. 30) in a video he uploaded to his Instagram page. The message comes a month after the Massachusetts-born singer-songwriter had endorsed the Republican candidate and even spoke at one of his rallies in Las Vegas back in September. […]
Disney Entertainment co-chairman Dana Walden and The Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. announced today a new 10-year global deal for The Grammys to be exclusively simulcast on ABC, Hulu and Disney+ beginning in 2027 — making The Walt Disney Company the first new home for Music’s Biggest Night in 50 years. The Grammys aired […]
A little over eight months ago, Olivia Rodrigo had only headlined theaters. Flash forward to today, and she has sold out arenas on four continents and staged one of the year’s biggest tours. The pop phenom wrapped the Guts World Tour last week, bringing in $184.6 million from over 1.4 million tickets sold, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore.
The Guts cycle began in June 2023, when Rodrigo unleashed “Vampire,” the Grammy Award-nominated single that topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks. The album followed, debuting atop the Billboard 200, landing its entire track list on the Hot 100, and earning two Grammy nominations of its own. After hedging bets with a theater tour following 2021’s gargantuan debut with Sour, the stage was set for an upgrade to arenas now that the sophomore slump had been avoided.
Rodrigo kicked off the Guts World Tour on Feb. 23 at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif. That show sold 9,998 tickets, marking the smallest attendance for any stop on the tour. Things picked up quickly, ending her first North American leg with four shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden, earning $10 million from 57,900 tickets between April 5-9.
Though the New York run stands as the highest-grossing engagement of the Guts World Tour, that was not the end of Rodrigo’s run. She played 29 shows across 19 cities in Europe before returning to the U.S. and Canada for another 20 dates. To cap things off, she hit six Asian markets, plus four-night runs in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia.
During Rodrigo’s stint in Asia, her Oct. 5 performance at Manila’s Philippine Arena grossed $1.2 million and sold 48,800 tickets. It’s the best-selling single show of the entire tour – and her entire career – eclipsed only by four-night engagements in major markets like New York, London and Los Angeles. But out of 62 stops throughout 2024, it’s her third-lowest earner. That’s because she purposely kept tickets cheap, averaging $25.04 USD, which stands as less than a fifth the tour’s average of $128.81. Rodrigo is Filipino-American, and the show was a special stop – she is one of just seven artists to report concerts in Philippines this year – where all net proceeds went to local charity Jhpiego through the Fund 4 Good.
In terms of venue capacity and global reach, the Guts World Tour was a major step up for Rodrigo. While reporting for the Sour Tour was incomplete, its 16 reported shows averaged $415,000 and sold 5,517 tickets per show. Two years later, her nightly attendance is up 173% to 15,084, and her average gross jumped by 369% to $1.9 million. In 2022, she played 33 shows in North America and 16 in Europe. In 2024, those numbers bloated to 48 and 29, respectively, plus the 18 combined shows in Australia and Asia.
Still, there might be more room to grow. Co-manager Zack Morgenroth told Billboard that, per tour promoter Live Nation, demand indicated that Rodrigo could’ve packed stadiums just as well. Even at a low price, Rodrigo moved nearly 50,000 tickets in Manila, giving proof of concept.
The numbers are huge, but the tour’s greater impact extends beyond the accolades. Rodrigo’s Fund 4 Good led the way, in collaboration with HeadCount, the National Network of Abortion Funds and more. And then, there’s the secondhand buzz that helped guide Chappell Roan from the first leg’s opening act to industry noisemaker, eventually returning as a special guest in August, rousing the crowd with a choreographed sing-along of her own “Hot To Go.”
At 21 years old, Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour is the highest-grossing tour for someone of her young age (or younger) in a decade, dating back to when One Direction ruled the year-end Top Tours chart in 2014 with the Where We Are Tour. But that’s not enough – Rodrigo herself laments “When am I gonna stop being great for my age and just start being good” on Guts deep cut “Teenage Dream.” Her 2024 trek is now one of the 10 biggest pop tours of the decade so far, ranking among treks by peers like Harry Styles and icons like Madonna.
Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip.
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This week: Tyler, the Creator’s new album already appears to be taking him to a new commercial level, Imogen Heap gets an unexpected video game bump and a dance trend helps a new rap single take off.
Chromakopiamania: Tyler, the Creator’s New Album Off to Huge Start, Results in Whole Catalog Gains
Though Tyler, the Creator essentially split his debut week in half for new album Chromakopia — releasing the album on Monday morning (Oct. 28) at 6:00 ET rather than the usually Friday midnight release — it still looks to be going down as one of the biggest first weeks of his career, and perhaps the very biggest. The tracks from Chromakopia blanketed the top 10 on the daily charts of both Spotify and Apple Music for Monday, with each track drawing streams in the millions — led by album opener “St. Chroma,” which racked up nearly 6.2 million official on-demand U.S. streams in its first day, according to Luminate. (By contrast, Morgan Wallen’s “Love Somebody” — the prior week’s No. 1 Streaming Song — notched just over 2 million streams on Monday.)
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What’s more, anticipation for Chromakopia reached such a fever pitch last week that even Tyler’s older songs were beginning to claim in streams. For the three-day period of Monday to Wednesday last week (Oct. 21-23) — with the rapper announcing the new album, along with the new song “Noid,” on Monday morning — his pre-Chromakopia catalog scored a combined 32.1 million streams, up 29% from the 25 million of the previous three-day period (Oct. 18-20). It seems like 15 years into his acclaimed career, Tyler, the Creator is still just climbing in popularity, with true superstardom maybe in reach as soon as this album cycle. — ANDREW UNTERBERGER
Imogen Heap’s ‘Headlock’ Gets the Gamer Bump, Triples in Streams
Speak for Yourself, the sophomore album by Imogen Heap, became a solo breakthrough upon its 2005 release, earning the idiosyncratic British singer-songwriter a Grammy nod for best new artist following her work as part of the group Frou Frou. And since its release, the album has had a funny way of reappearing in popular culture: “Hide and Seek” has soundtracked several dramatic TV sequences (most notably in The O.C.), Kelly Clarkson covered “Just for Now” for her 2013 holiday album, and Ariana Grande reworked “Goodnight and Go” for 2018’s Sweetener.
Now, the opening track on Speak for Yourself, “Headlock,” is the latest song from the album to be hoisted up years after its release — largely thanks to Mouthwashing, a psychological horror video game that was released last month. Over the past few weeks, TikTok users have been editing clips of the game together and utilizing “Headlock” as a soundtrack, and as a result, the song’s official streams have grown exponentially over the past few weeks.
After the Sept. 26 release of Mouthwashing, “Headlock” earned 555,000 U.S. on-demand streams during the week ending Oct. 10, according to Luminate; that weekly streaming total more than tripled to 1.72 million during the week ending Oct. 24. Heap has never charted on the Hot 100 before, so if the exponential growth of “Headlock” continues, we might see a long-overdue chart achievement; if not, we’ll have to wait for the next Speak for Yourself song to be resurrected (our vote is for “The Walk”!). – JASON LIPSHUTZ
OhThatsMizz Dances His Way to a Breakout Hit With ‘Bumbaaa’
Another week means another dance trend on some corner of TikTok is lifting a song to new streaming heights. According to Luminate, “Bumbaa” — a collaboration between rising rappers OhThatsMizz and SturdyYoungin – has grown 120% in streaming activity over the past two weeks. During the period of Oct. 4-10, the track pulled over 287,000 official on-demand U.S. streams. The following week (Oct. 11-17), that figure jumped by 72% to 495,000 streams earned. Streams for “Bumbaaa” then increased a further 28% during the period of Oct. 18-24, which saw the track pulling just under 635,000 streams.
Mizz first shared a snippet of the track to his official TikTok page on Sept. 9 to the tune of 80,000 likes and 460,000 views. By Sept. 12, user @kastackzzz created a dance – which largely mimes the song’s lyrics before morphing into a TikTok-ified take on New Orleans’ “trip out” move – and his post has since garnered over 100,000 views. While that number may seem relatively small, it was more than enough to help the dance blow up before the track’s official release on Oct. 4. The official “Bumbaa” TikTok sound now boasts over 580,000 posts, with the majority of them featuring users doing the viral dance. Some famous participants include Emmy-winning actress Storm Reid, 41’s leading lady Jenn Carter (who teased her own freestyle over the beat) and Milwaukee breakout rap star J.P.
Mizz has already posted about visiting the Capitol Records and 300 Entertainment offices for meetings, so who knows what the future may hold as “Bumbaa” continues to grow. — KYLE DENIS
On Tuesday (Oct. 29), Maluma unveiled his new athletic-wear line Remanence during a fashion show in his native Medellín, Colombia. The hitmaker serves as owner and creative director of the brand — led by designer Ana Villegas — which was designed “100% in Colombia and focuses on responsible practices, using renewable energy and efficient processes […]
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 Billboard Hot 100 dated Nov. 9, we look at Shaboozey’s chances to reclaim the top spot for a historic 16th week, and the many competitors trying to get in his way.
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Shaboozey, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (American Dogwood/EMPIRE/Magnolia Music): Every conversation about the Hot 100 for the past three (nearly four) months has had to lead off with Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” the surprise breakout country hit that has now gone on a near-historic run of chart dominance. After 15 nonconsecutive frames atop the chart, the song ceded pole position last week to Morgan Wallen’s “Love Somebody” — good timing for Wallen, since his “Last Night” is the 16-week No. 1 that “A Bar Song” is now one week away from tying as the longest-running Hot 100-topper of the 2020s.
“A Bar Song” remains an extremely strong performer, sliding to No. 3 on both Streaming Songs and Digital Song Sales (due to the debuts of “Love Somebody” and ROSÉ & Bruno Mars’ “APT.” ahead of it on both charts) but remaining No. 1 on Radio Songs for a 13th week. It looks headed for a 14th week atop that chart, and even with its sales and streams continuing to slip this late into its lifespan, they should be strong enough to keep it as the song to beat on the Hot 100 – though this week, a handful of other songs will be in the running to do so.
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Morgan Wallen, “Love Somebody” (Big Loud/Mercury/Republic): Wallen blocked Shaboozey from tying his 2020s Hot 100 record this week, but next week, he may need some help. “Love Somebody” is expected to recede across the board next week, with streams and sales dipping as is typical of a big new song in its second week – and radio likely also falling back some, as the song received heavily concentrated first-day plays as promotion for the new single by country’s biggest current artist. But its streaming and sales numbers remain sturdy, so as the song likely continues to pick up in airplay from here (with Wallen currently one of the most reliable radio artists in all of popular music), it certainly could contend for the top spot again soon, and possibly for many weeks after.
Bruno Mars & Lady Gaga, “Die With a Smile” (Streamline/Interscope/Atlantic/ICLG): Since debuting at No. 3 on the Hot 100 back in August, “Die With a Smile” has been milling rather innocuously around the middle of the top 10. But if you’d counted it out as a No. 1 contender, you may have done so prematurely – it appears that this is the week the two pop superstars are making their move to potentially claim the top spot. Two new versions of the song have been released, an instrumental and a “Live From Las Vegas” version, the latter also unveiled with an accompanying live video. All three versions have also been discounted to 69 cents on iTunes – and as of posting, they occupied the top three spots on iTunes’ real-time chart.
It’s interesting timing, because Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga both have other songs that are chart contenders to some degree this week. Mars’ “APT.” teamup with ROSÉ debuted at No. 8 on the Hot 100 this week, and continues to do very well on both streaming and iTunes, while Gaga has a brand new single with “Disease” — which she also dropped a new video for on Tuesday night (Oct. 29), along with the live “Smile.” Neither song is a likely contender for the top spot however, with Gaga’s latest currently something of a longshot for the top 10 due to modest streaming returns: “Disease” has fallen out of the top 50 on Spotify’s Daily Top Songs USA chart, and out of the top 100 on Apple Music’s real-time listing.
Tyler, the Creator, “St. Chroma” & “Noid” (Columbia): Always the iconoclast, star rapper Tyler, the Creator decided to release his latest album Chromakopia at 6:00 on a Monday morning (Oct. 28). Yet even with just over half of a tracking week to work with, the album is the likely frontrunner for the top spot on next week’s Billboard 200, with excitement over the album resulting in the tracklist dominating the entire top 10 on both Spotify’s Daily Top Songs USA and the Apple Music real-time listing on its debut day — despite being released six hours into the day.
At least two of those songs could have a major Hot 100 impact next week, as well. “St. Chroma,” the album’s Daniel Caesar-featuring lead track – which previously teased by Tyler with a short two weeks ago – has been in the early lead on streaming services, with some mighty first-day numbers. A few spots behind it has been “Noid,” which despite not being the current best-performing song from the album, does have the advantage of having been released the week before (along with its own music video), thus making it the lone song on the album with a full tracking week’s worth of consumption — although its overall daily numbers were much lower before the album’s release.
Had the full album been released on a Friday, we may very well have been talking about one of these songs as Tyler, the Creator’s first Hot 100 No. 1. Instead, he may end up settling for his first Hot 100 top 10 hit – which is obviously of course still very impressive, especially in a week where all the other songs in the race have such a massive head start.