Trending Up

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.  This week: Fans rush to Usher’s back catalog following his Super Bowl announcement, Swifties find clues seemingly foreshadowing her high-profile new relationship, a late Afrobeats artist has a surge of posthumous streams and more.

Usher’s “Good Good” Showing in Streams and Sales Post-Super Bowl Announcement

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To the surprise and/or delight of many, pop and R&B superstar Usher was announced on Sunday (Sept. 24) as the headline performer for the halftime show of Super Bowl LVIII in February. Though he might not have been the most obvious choice for a 2023 halftime headliner, the veteran hitmaker’s catalog speaks for itself – and fans were quick to remind each other and themselves of that fact following the announcement, heading to streaming services to refamiliarize themselves with Usher jams old and new.

For the days of Sunday and Monday (Sept. 24-25), Usher’s catalog was up to over 7.8 million in total official on-demand U.S. streams, from under 6.8 million the previous Sunday-Monday (Sept. 17-18), according to Luminate – a gain of 16%. The most-streamed song was his current Billboard Hot 100 hit alongside Summer Walker and 21 Savage, “Good Good” (1.1 million streams, up 5%), while classics like “Yeah!” (962,000 streams, up 13%), “My Boo” (527,000 streams, up 18%) and “DJ Got Us Fallin in Love” (525,000 streams, up 18%) were also up significantly. Usher’s digital song sales also more than doubled in the period, up 128% to over 1,500. 

Does an even bigger bump await Usher following the February 11th gig? You’d have to think so – and a new album, Coming Home, scheduled for release the same day will certainly help with that. – ANDREW UNTERBERGER

87 + 89 = 2 Older Taylor Swift Songs Benefiting From Travis Kelce Relationship 

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When Taylor Swift showed up in Kansas City on Sunday afternoon to cheer on her apparent new romantic partner, Chiefs star Travis Kelce, fans responded by gobbling up Kelce’s merch, with a nearly 400% spike in jersey sales the following day. As for Swift, two songs in particular have enjoyed streaming increases in the wake of the new relationship, thanks to perceived lyrical links between Swift and her new beau. 

On “Mary’s Song (Oh My My My),” a track from Swift’s 2006 self-titled debut, she sings, “I’ll be 87, you’ll be 89 / I’ll still look at you like the stars that shine / In the sky, oh my my my.” While Swift was born in 1989 – and is about to release the Taylor’s Version re-record of her blockbuster album 1989 next month – Kelce’s jersey number is, of course, 87. Thirteen (!) years later, Swift released the song “Cornelia Street” on Lover, with the line, “Filling in the blanks as we go / As if the streetlights pointed in an arrowhead / Leading us home.” Where do the Chiefs play? Arrowhead Stadium, of course.

As a result, “Mary’s Song” earned an 88% increase in daily U.S. on-demand streams to 53,000 streams from Saturday to Sunday, according to Luminate, while “Cornelia Street” bumped up 12.7% to 211,000 daily streams. Of course, both songs were written years (if not decades) before Swift and Kelce became an apparent item – but what if she told you that none of it was accidental? – JASON LIPSHUTZ

Doja Cat Eyes Next ‘Scarlet’ Hit With ‘Agora Hills’

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Last week (Sept. 22), Doja Cat unleashed her Scarlet album — and while she’s already topped the Billboard Hot 100 with “Paint the Town Red,” she could be gearing up for her next smash from the somewhat divisive new record.

“Agora Hills,” a sensual R&B-rap hybrid that features a verse rapped entirely in Valley Girl vocal fry, has emerged as one of Scarlet’s most promising future singles. According to Luminate, “Agora Hills” has collected over 8.4 million official on-demand U.S. streams since its Sept. 22 release. The song scored its biggest daily streams total (2.43 million) on release day, and it never dipped below 1.91 million daily streams during the period of Sept. 22-25.

The official Hannah Lux Davis-directed music video, which arrived alongside the LP’s full release, has already garnered over 5.7 million views on YouTube, and over on TikTok, the official “Agora Hills” sound has earned over 14,400 posts. Outside of “Paint the Town Red,” “Agora Hills” has consistently been the most streamed Scarlet track on both US Apple Music and US Spotify since the album’s release.

Although “Paint the Town Red” is still going strong, “Agora Hills” is already making a strong case to become the next hit from Scarlet. With endless meme potential, a true earworm of a hook and a sound that recalls her Grammy-nominated Hot 100 top 10 hit “Need to Know,” “Agora Hills” could very well become one of the main anthems for cuffing season ’23. – KYLE DENIS

MohBad’s Tragic Passing Spurs Massive Streaming Gains

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MohBad’s Tragic Passing Spurs Massive Streaming Gains

Earlier this month (Sept. 12), the Afrobeats world lost of one of its brightest rising stars; MohBad, the rapper behind hits such as “Peace” and “Feel Good,” tragically passed at the age of 27. The investigation into his death remains ongoing, led by Lagos Police Command. MohBad and his wife welcomed a son just a few months before his untimely death. In the wake of his passing, MohBad’s catalog has seen a massive boom in streaming.

According to Luminate, streams for MohBad’s catalog exploded by over 1,755% over the past two weeks. From Sept. 15-21, the Headies Award nominee’s discography collected a whopping 6.89 million official on-demand U.S. streams, a 208% increase from the period prior (Sept. 8-14), during which his catalog earned over 2.2 million streams.

Less than three months before his death, Mohbad released Blessed, his sophomore EP. Two songs in particular from that project have posted sizable gains in recent weeks: “Sabi” and “Beast & Peace.” The former pulled over 680,000 official on-demand U.S. streams during the period of Sept. 15-21, a 2,164% increase from the 30,200 streams it earned during Sept. 1-7. Similarly, the latter garnered over 888,000 official on-demand U.S. streams during the tracking week ending Sept. 21, a 1,755% increase from the 48,000 streams it earned during two weeks earlier.

As the investigation continues to unfold,  #Justice4MohBad keeps gaining steam across Africa and the rest of the world. A social movement that has already sparked critical conversations regarding the regulation of the Nigerian music industry, #Justice4MohBad is far from over – and MohBad’s music should continue to soundtrack its evolution. – KD

Q&A: Lizzy Szabo, Senior Editor of Indie & Developing at Spotify, on What’s Trending Up in Her World

How has Lorem, Spotify’s flagship alt-pop playlist, evolved as a platform since its launch four years ago?

Oof. Where do I even begin? The list is never personalized with algorithms. Each track is intentionally chosen by a human, through a mix of data and instinct. We consider not only what we feel the audience would respond to, but also consider how the artist would like to be represented. In many ways, Lorem has evolved as the community around it has grown, but I think the overarching beauty of Lorem is that it has stayed the same in concept.

The sounds, artists, and culture around “indie music” are constantly evolving. Bedroom pop went from a bubbling subgenre to influencing the top charts, and this year we’ve seen a similar trend with “indie twang” (shoegaze, as a broader term). That’s a listening trend we love to see from the indie audience – they push new sounds and movements to the forefront where Spotify can step in and support momentum and context, like we aim to do with Lorem. The visual identity is meant to feel like a magazine – at this point, our design team has crafted 75 distinct L’O’rem ‘O’s, which makes every cover feel uniquely personal to the artist or project. 

Considering that Lorem is primarily focused on emerging artists, why do you think the playlist has become so effective as an artist discovery tool compared to other platforms (within and/or outside of Spotify)?

Since 2019, we’ve featured over 2000 artists, 900 of which in 2023 alone. Upon realizing that Lorem had evolved into a prominent hub for artist discovery, particularly among young audiences seeking more opportunities for exploration, we made the strategic decision to refresh the playlist with more new artists on a more regular basis. In that sense, Lorem is consistent. We listen to artists, to fans, and just want to shine a light on good music – no matter who is making it or how it’s made. There’s a point of view, but we love to take risks.

I think four years ago I wouldn’t have believed you if you told me there would be country music in Lorem. But last summer, as Zach Bryan grew in popularity, I remember Max Motley and Dev Lemons talking on Lorem Life about how their friends couldn’t stop talking about this song. So not surprisingly, “Something in the Orange” crushed in the list. A year later, from day one, “I Remember Everything” shared a similar trajectory. Zach is also a huge indie fan (just look at what he posts on IG) so that creates a natural synergy that particularly resonates with an audience that reads into all those contextual cues. Helping the community and the industry piece together the puzzle – what works well together, who works together, a nice reminder of an iconic track, uncovering a new sound to a wider audience – makes the list more of a dialogue. An artist of any size could be added to the list – it’s attainable. In the past year, nearly 100 artists were added to the list with less than 10k monthly listeners. You’re always going to find something new, and because it’s hyper-curated, you’re probably going to find something you love. 

What are some of the recent stylistic trends that you’ve noticed, as alt-pop and its subgenres continue to change?

We’ve loved seeing the ‘folkification’ and country twang influence this year. Everyone is making folk albums or adding a folk song to their project. I can’t tell you why, perhaps the artists and producers can demystify it, but I like to think it’s the return to a classic, stripped-back, heartfelt sound in a wild time of political/technological/environmental crisis.

We’ve also seen a huge rise in shoegaze – both in younger audiences discovering icons of the space (especially as bands like Slowdive have released new projects), and new artists like Wisp or flyingfish have emerged as artists to watch in the space. According to Google Trends, the term has never been searched more in history than it has this year!

Fill in the blank: my favorite artist that started on Lorem, and has since become a household name, is _______.

Remi Wolf. She’s on the cover this week and co-hosting our very first Lorem & Friends event with us tomorrow – couldn’t be more thrilled to do it together. – JL

Season’s Gainings: Listeners Still Remember the 21st Night of September

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It’s been two years now since Demi Adejuyigbe – the comedian whose elaborately staged and filmed yearly videos, set to Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September,” helped turn Sept. 21 into something of a pop national holiday – announced his retirement from the annual celebration. But it appears folks no longer need his viral reminders to commemorate the occasion: “September” racked up nearly 1.8 million official on-demand U.S. streams on its signature date last Thursday, up 280% from the day before (462,000). That’s also up from 1.4 million such streams two “September” Days earlier, meaning the ‘70s classic continues to inch ever closer to becoming the “All I Want for Christmas Is You” of the autumn equinox season. – ANDREW UNTERBERGER

Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up column, 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.  This week: SZA’s second SOS smash benefits from a new acoustic version with a superstar guest, while TikTok helps Mitski and Tate McRae score some of their best numbers in years with their respective new singles.

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Justin Bieber Hitting “Snooze” Could Make for SZA’s Second Top 5 Hit

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It’s been the slowest of burns, but “Snooze,” the swaying mid-album highlight from SZA’s blockbuster SOS, has grown into the album’s second smash hit, following the Billboard Hot 100-topping “Kill Bill.” The song has now spent 13 weeks atop Billboard‘s R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, and hit a new peak of No. 7 on the Hot 100 a few weeks ago (on the chart dated Sept. 9), following the release of its captivating and star-studded music video. And now one of those guest stars — pop superstar Justin Bieber — might help the song rise even higher on next week’s chart, thanks to his appearance on the song’s new acoustic version.

With the debut of “Snooze (Acoustic)” on Friday (Sept. 15), the total official on-demand U.S. streams for “Snooze” (which includes the new acoustic version) has jumped to 12.1 million for the four-day period of Sept. 15-18, up from 7.5 million streams during the same period the week before (Sept. 8-11) — a gain of 61%, according to Luminate. (The song also more than doubled in sales, from 800 to 1,700). The resulting boost should give it a another shot of caffeine on the Hot 100 next week, perhaps resulting in it jumping from its current No. 8 placement to the chart’s top five — becoming just SZA’s second single to do so. – ANDREW UNTERBERGER

Mitski’s ‘Love’ Radiates on Streaming 

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Over the course of her career, Mitski has watched songs belatedly go viral and translate TikTok trends into major streaming numbers; “Washing Machine Heart,” for example, transformed from a back-half highlight of 2018’s Be the Cowboy into one of her most-streamed songs years after its release. Yet the acclaimed indie singer-songwriter has never enjoyed a hit single from a current album, and STILL hasn’t yet hit the Hot 100 chart.  

Both may change if “My Love Mine All Mine,” the heartbreaking, waltzing ballad from Mitski’s new album, The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, continues its upward trajectory on streaming platforms. The lilting hook from the song is already getting some TikTok play, with Laufey (an artist recently familiar with scoring a viral hit) posting, “Nobody talk to me rn mother mitski just dropped and it’s perfect.” 

Mitski released Inhospitable last Friday (Sept. 15), but daily streams of “My Love Mine All Mine” have increased since then – debuting with 466,000 official on-demand U.S. streams on Friday, and earning 659,000 streams on Monday (Sept. 18), according to Luminate. Meanwhile, its eye-popping music video (also released last Friday) has earned 522,000 YouTube views to date, and the song has bumped up to No. 50 on Spotify’s daily Top Songs USA chart. After last year’s Laurel Hell earned Mitski her first top 10 entry on the Billboard 200 albums chart, she’s hoping that the early breakout hit from its follow-up earns some more firsts on the singles charts. – JASON LIPSHUTZ 

TikTok Snippet Campaign Nets Big Streaming Returns for Tate McRae’s “Greedy”

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After several weeks of teasing, Tate McRae’s “Greedy” has debuted to immediately sizable streaming returns. According to Luminate, the breezy, self-assured pop track – which marks McRae’s first solo release in almost a year – collected over 6.3 million official on-demand audio streams during the period of September 15-18, pulling over 1.2 million streams each day. The song enjoyed a total of 1.99 million streams on its first full day of release. 

“Greedy” is a successful example of a concerted TikTok-focused promotional plan. Instead of getting carried to success by a random runaway trend, McRae steadily teased snippets of “Greedy” for weeks on end, dating back to August 4. “Oh s—t, u guys want this one?” she cheekily captioned the post, which has since garnered over one million likes and 8.1 million views on the platform. Between the track’s melodic nod to Nelly Furtado and Timbaland’s “Promiscuous” and lyrics that flaunt tongue-in-cheek self-confidence, “Greedy” quickly went viral on TikTok, spawning tens of thousands of videos of users lip-syncing their favorite lines – particularly the lyric “Obvious that you want me, but I said/ I would want myself/ Baby, please believe me.” McRae encouraged her fans’ use of the snippet by stitching their videos and cheering them on. 

Several different TikTok sounds – all with over 30,000 posts each – went viral on the platform, with a slightly sped-up version gaining the most traction (105,900 posts). The track’s official music video, which features choreography from Sean Bankhead, garnered over 1.8 million views in five days. 

Already having reached the top 10 of both US Apple Music Pop and Spotify Global, “Greedy” is shaping up to be a particularly successful single for McRae. At the very least, the early numbers have proven that McRae, RCA label head Peter Edge and Sony Music CEO Rob Stringer made the right decision in choosing to push “Greedy.” – KYLE DENIS

Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up column, 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.  This week: Guests on Zach Bryan’s latest blockbuster LP see gains in their own streams, while a dance challenge resurrects one of the few “minor” Rihanna hits and a rising South African artist enjoys a breakout moment.

The War and Treaty See Biggest Gains From Zach Bryan Bump

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As you may have heard, Zach Bryan rules the Billboard charts this week (dated Sept. 9), with his self-titled album besting the Billboard 200 while the set’s lead single, “I Remember Everything,” debuts atop the Billboard Hot 100 — his first No. 1 on both charts. That song features Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves, one of four guest artists on the set, all of whom are up in official on-demand U.S. streams the week following the album’s well-received release.

Musgraves and fellow star guest the Lumineers both see modest streaming gains for their catalogues — respectively up 8% to 6.2 million and 5% to 18.4 million, according to Luminate — while Sierra Ferrell’s work is up just 2%. But the biggest beneficiary from Zach Bryan is easily Americana duo The War and Treaty, whose streaming numbers more than double from 138,000 to 278,000 following their appearance on the set’s “Hey Driver” (which is also the album’s second-highest debut on the Hot 100 this week, bowing at No. 14).

Combined with the good news they got this morning about The War and Treaty receiving its first nomination at the CMA awards (for vocal duo of the year), it’s been a very good week for the married couple Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter. – ANDREW UNTERBERGER

If It’s Streaming That You Want: Dance Trend Revives 18-Year-Old Rihanna Single 

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As fans continue to wait for Rihanna’s full-length follow-up to 2016’s Billboard 200-topping Anti, they’re turning to the very beginning of her discography to quench their thirst. Thanks to a viral TikTok dance trend created by professional dancer Brett Sewell, “If It’s Lovin’ That You Want” — the second and final single from Rihanna’s 2005 debut album — has posted sizable streaming gains. 

According to Luminate, “If It’s Lovin’ That You Want,” which peaked at No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100, has earned over 251,000 official on-demand U.S. streams between September 1-5, a whopping 172% increase from just over 92,000 streams between August 25-29. Filled to the brim with hip rolls galore, Sewell’s choreography has quickly dominated TikTok. His original video has garnered over 8.2 million views and 1.1 million likes since it was first uploaded on Aug. 25. The accompanying TikTok sound currently boasts over 141,900 posts. 

After 18 years, “If It’s Lovin’ That You Want” seems to finally be getting its proper due after spending nearly two decades in the shadow of “Pon De Replay.” – KYLE DENIS

TikTok Spurs Tsunami of Streaming Gains for Tyla’s “Water” 

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2023 has seen its fair share of breakout artists across genres, and with the latest eye-popping streaming gains for “Water,” South African singer and dancer Tyla is looking to add her name to that list. 

According to Luminate, “Water,” the follow-up to her Ayra Starr-assisted amapiano summer hit “Girl Next Door,” has earned over 932,000 official on-demand U.S. streams between September 1-5, a staggering 198% increase from just over 312,000 streams between August 25-29. The boost is even more impressive considering “Water” posted 121,000 streams for the whole tracking week of Aug. 11-17.

A booty-centric dance trend spawned from the song’s official live performance choreography has quickly taken over TikTok, resulting in such explosive growth for the track. Tyla herself has actively encouraged and participated in the trend, reposting fans giving their best attempt at her hypnotic choreography — water bottle and all. The official TikTok sound for “Water” currently boasts over 49,300 posts. Tyla’s most viral video featuring the song and its choreography has earned 2 million likes and over 17.4 million views on the platform. 

With an official music video still on the horizon, “Water” is perfectly positioned to continue growing into what could become Tyla’s biggest worldwide hit yet. – KD

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.
This week: Zach Bryan puts up undeniable star numbers with his new album release, Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus square off with their simultaneous single releases, G-Eazy helps fans flash back to a different time in social media and more.

Zach Bryan Scores a Self-Titled Streaming Takeover

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It’s fitting that, on the Billboard charts, the summer will end with a male country artist once again reaching new commercial heights. Capping off a season of such success stories for Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, Jason Aldean and Oliver Anthony, Zach Bryan is poised to debut big with his self-titled new album following its release last Friday (Aug. 25), if early streaming numbers — particularly those for the Kacey Musgraves duet “I Remember Everything” — are any indication.The 16-song Zach Bryan earned a whopping 54.4 million U.S. on-demand streams on its release date, according to Luminate – and while its daily streams dropped a bit over the next few days, the follow-up to last year’s American Heartbreak had cleared nine-digit total streams by the end of Sunday, and had earned nearly 147 million streams by the end of Monday. Meanwhile, “I Remember Everything,” in which Bryan and Musgraves narrate a romance that has slipped away long ago, has been the album’s breakout track on streaming services, earning 18.1 million on-demand plays over its first four days of release.How high can “I Remember Everything” climb? On the Hot 100, Bryan has made it to No. 10 with “Something in the Orange,” and Musgraves has peaked at No. 60 with “Follow Your Arrow,” so both artists could earn new career highs with the same song. And after American Heartbreak peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 last year, Bryan, who announced a slew of stadium and arena dates for 2024 earlier this week, has his sights set on a potential first No. 1 on that chart. – JASON LIPSHUTZ

Miley Leading Selena in Disney Star Single Showdown

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When pop heads noticed that pop stars Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus – once known for their respective starring roles on the ‘00s Disney teen shows Wizards of Waverly Place and Hannah Montana – were both releasing new singles on Friday (Aug. 25), it naturally brought out the spirit of competition between the longtime fans. The artists leaned into themselves on social media, with Cyrus reposting a video shared by one fan of her and Gomez trading barbs in an old episode of Hannah Montana where the latter guest starred, along with the message “@selenagomez and I are both dropping our new SINGLEs SOON…. I SAY WE #USEDTOBEYOUNG.” (“Single Soon” and “Used to Be Young” being the names of Gomez’s and Cyrus’ new releases, respectively.)Well, the early returns are in, and so far it appears that Cyrus’ “Young” has the lead on Gomez’s “Single” in both sales and streams. Through its first four days of release, “Young” has racked up over 10.4 million official on-demand U.S. streams and over 15,000 digital song sales, according to Luminate, while “Single” has amassed over 8.1 million streams and nearly 6,400 in sales – leads of 28% and 144%, respectively. (Both should be due for debuts in the top half of the Hot 100 next week, though they will probably be overshadowed somewhat by Bryan and Musgraves’ even more resounding bow.)And they’re not the only two kids-TV-to-adult-pop crossover stars with likely chart triumphs for next week. Ariana Grande, former Nickelodeon Victorious and Sam & Cat actress, has also seen huge spikes for her 2013 debut album Yours Truly upon its 10th anniversary, which she commemorated with a deluxe reissue and a series of commemorative festivities. The album skyrocketed to nearly 3.4 million official on-demand U.S. streams on Friday, up a resounding 946% from the previous Friday (323,000). – ANDREW UNTERBERGER

G-Eazy’s “Tumblr Girls” Rides the TikTok Nostalgia Wave

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“pov: it’s 2014, ur 8 years old and see all the teenage girls with their Starbucks, PINK and striped crop tops and u wish u were a teenager!” Two weeks ago, a TikTok user posted this caption to a clip of themselves grooving out in their bedroom and earned 770,000 likes and 5,000 comments; the soundtrack to that adolescent memory was G-Eazy’s 2014 track “Tumblr Girls,” featuring Christoph Andersson, which has become a sort of nostalgia anthem in recent weeks as TikTok users look back on their mid-2010s memories.

G-Eazy actually isn’t featured in the trending part of the song; instead, it’s the song’s outro – crooned by the rapper’s frequent studio collaborator Andersson, with the lines “Never knew her name, they’re looking all the same to me/ They only chase the fame, there’s no one left to blame but me” – being highlighted in TikTok clips. As more videos of 2014 flashbacks accumulate, “Tumblr Girls” has shot up in overall listens, with weekly streams basically quadrupling from 552,000 the week ending Aug. 10 to 2.25 million two weeks later, according to Luminate. 

“Tumblr Girls” never charted upon its debut, but it’s become a fan favorite — so much so that two years ago, G-Eazy released a sequel, “Running Wild (Tumblr Girls 2),” although TikTok has yet to scoop that one up in the same way. – JL

Beyoncé’s “XO” Gets Streams ‘Turned’ Up by Teen TV Sensation

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We’ve written plenty on Billboard about the extensive artistic partnership Amazon Prime’s hit coming-of-age drama The Summer I Turned Pretty has developed with Taylor Swift, having featured over a dozen of Swift’s songs across its two seasons. But the show’s second season proved that it can also deploy the music of another pop icon currently on a globe-conquering world tour: Beyoncé, whose 2014 classic “XO” is featured in the finale’s climactic scene, resolving the long-building love triangle between the characters Belly (Lola Tung) and brothers Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) and and Conrad (Christopher Briney). 

The scene had an unsurprising impact on viewers, who then proceeded to stream the Beyoncé self-titled ballad en masse. The song jumped from 388,000 official on-demand streams for the tracking week ending Aug. 17 (the day before the finale was released to streaming) to nearly 990,000 streams for the following week – a jump of 155%, according to Luminate. With Summer  already having been renewed for a third season, you can bet that pop stars of all shapes and sizes will be angling to get a prime sync on the Prime smash. – AU

Q&A: Christine Rogerson, SVP of Business Operations at Vibee, on What’s Trending Up in Her World

A very hectic season in the live industry is coming to a close. What was Vibee’s focus over the summer?

Vibee spent the summer hosting and engaging with our fans at several festival integrations like Lollapalooza in Chicago, Day Trip in Long Beach, TidalWave in Atlantic City, and BeachIt! in Virginia Beach. We were also in the thick of our planning processes for the monumental U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere run of shows in Las Vegas, Lionel Richie’s Dancing on the Sand in the Bahamas, the inaugural EDSea cruise, and Tiesto’s Chasing Sunsets in Cabo San Lucas. 

Can you speak a little bit about the newly announced immersive U2 fan portal and what attendees can expect?

Fans are in for a real treat with the Zoo Station fan portal. The portal was developed by Vibee in collaboration with Gavin Friday, who is U2’s longtime creative director, and with insight and input from the band. Fans will move throughout 12,000 square feet of immersive exhibits over two floors. Key attractions include the incredible Anton Corbijn Gallery featuring photos and videos from the famed photographer as well as the Zoo Station Cinema which is curated by The Edge himself! For those fans who love memorabilia, the U2 Pop-Up Shop will be a must visit with a variety of collectibles, including a capsule collection of limited edition exclusive U2:UV items. It’s truly a special experience for newer or those dedicated fans of U2.

What industry-wide trends did you notice this summer in terms of the evolution of immersive fan experiences?

Right now, fans are still prioritizing entertainment and travel in their personal budgets but, as discretionary dollars become more precious, we have to ensure that we are presenting people with standout experiences that meet or exceed their needs and expectations on multiple levels. People are looking for memory-making opportunities and bucket list moments. As a destination experience company, Vibee is seeking out those ways that we can engage with fans, curate an experience, weave in a story, and connect great music with amazing destinations. The feedback that we received from fans is that they were searching out those unique experiences and shared moments at the events that they were able to attend. We aim to deliver on that. 

Fill in the blank: in the next few years, concertgoers will be surprised by ______.

…the ways in which immersive experiences continue to enhance live music events, which is exactly what Vibee is committed to accomplishing through our artist partnerships, thoughtful curation, destination selection, and bespoke inclusions. – JL

Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up column, 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.  This week: Oliver Anthony is way up in streams — no, not *that* Oliver Anthony — while October London brings the spirit of Marvin back to the airwaves and an ’00s R&B hit spikes due to a highly unexpected TikTok trend.

The Other Oliver Anthony: Viral Country Sensation Gives Bump to Similarly Named Electronic Producer

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Folks who read about the chart-topping phenomenon that was Oliver Anthony last week and went on to buy or stream his 2021 EP Breaking Bread were likely a little disappointed – or at the very least, extremely confused. That’s because Breaking Bread was not released by the Oliver Anthony who connected with country fans (and right-wing signal-boosters) with his breakout hit “Rich Men North of Richmond” – the one whose artist name is officially Oliver Anthony Music, and who has only released singles thus far – but rather, by the producer Oliver Anthony, whose lone release on streaming services is a six-song, seven-minute, independently released set of unassuming lo-fi electronic instrumentals. 

Not much information seems to be publicly available about this other Oliver Anthony – there’s no biographical info on their Spotify page, their YouTube uploads are all automated and it’s not clear if they’re present on social media. But whoever they are, they’re enjoying a massive streaming bump from the Oliver Anthony Music confusion: The original Oliver Anthony netted over 36,000 official on-demand U.S. streams for the week ending Aug. 17, according to Luminate – up 523% from the under 6,000 the week before, and up 144,548% from the negligible amount of streams they posted the week before that. 

They also sold over 500 digital songs last week after a minimal amount the week before – and on iTunes, Breaking Bread has even reached the top 10 on their real-time albums chart. Hopefully those consumers looking for country-folk working-class anthems are also in the market for some low-intensity midtempo beats! – ANDREW UNTERBERGER

Marvin Reborn: October London Brings Gaye’s Classic Sound to Streaming and Radio

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The soul singer October London is unburdened by the anxiety of influence: He titled his February album The Rebirth of Marvin (out on the famed Death Row Records), and it’s nearly heroic in its single-minded commitment to recreating the tone and texture of Marvin Gaye’s 1970s recordings (with one exception: album closer “You Look Better” leans more Barry White). R&B radio programmers have welcomed the homage to Gaye: The single “Back to Your Place” jumped from No. 3 to the top spot on Billboard’s Adult R&B airplay chart this week, dethroning Janelle Monae’s “Lipstick Lover.” 

“Back to Your Place” sounds like a nod to “Distant Lover,” a tower of yearning on the back half of Gaye’s Let’s Get It On album. It’s uncanny at times how closely London pitches his voice to replicate Gaye’s — the wails of “take me” during the chorus, the swelling harmonies that emphasize “your place.” Back in the second week of July, “Back to Your Place” was already piquing interest in core R&B markets, appearing high on the Shazam rankings in Washington D.C. and Atlanta. 

Audience impressions from airplay have more than doubled since then, according to Luminate, and interest in London has spread more widely, with “Back to Your Place” climbing into the Top 20 of the U.S. Shazam chart. Growth at streaming has been slow but steady: The single amassed 556,000 official on-demand U.S. streams in the tracking week ending August 17, up from just over 400,000 a week in early July. – ELIAS LEIGHT

Chrisette Michele’s “Epiphany” Twerks Its Way to Streaming Gains 

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One of the most beautiful things about TikTok is how random catalog songs can experience resurgences due to trends that have absolutely nothing to with the song. Chrisette Michele, the Grammy-winning R&B star who experienced some controversy when she performed at then-President Donald Trump’s Inaugural Ball back in 2017, is the latest artist to benefit from this phenomenon. According to Luminate, “Epiphany (I’m Leaving),” the lead single from her 2009 sophomore studio album of the same name, has earned 329,000 official on-demand U.S. streams between August 11-17, a whopping 215% increase from just over 104,000 streams during the period of August 4-10. 

The song’s sizable streaming gains are due to a TikTok trend where users flaunt how well they can twerk. The primary aim is to throw your backside in as perfect a circle as possible while Michele croons, “I think I’m just about over being your girlfriend.” On TikTok, the most popular “Epiphany” sound boasts over 60,000 videos. “Epiphany” is Michele’s first and only unaccompanied Billboard Hot 100 hit; in 2009, the song peaked at No. 89 on the chart, and also reached the top ten on Adult R&B Airplay (No. 9). – KYLE DENIS

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.
This week: Oliver Anthony Music’s new runaway smash also leads to gains for his older songs, the latest Taylor’s Version already has fans feeling nostalgic, hip-hop’s 50th anniversary gives a streaming bump to some of its greatest practitioners and more.

Oliver Anthony’s Viral Breakout Is More Than Just One Song 

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Not many folks would’ve predicted Oliver Anthony would be likely to crash a Billboard Hot 100 race this week including superstars Taylor Swift and Morgan Wallen. But that’s exactly what the Appalachian country singer/songwriter (who officially records as Oliver Anthony Music) is doing with his breakout hit “Rich Men North of Richmond,” which is riding waves of working-class frustration, social media virality and critical backlash to the top of the charts this week. 

“Richmond,” an acoustic protest song featuring only Anthony’s voice and his guitar – and decrying the rich, the politicians, and (most controversially) the country’s welfare system – first caught national media attention on Friday (Aug. 11) when it zoomed to No. 1 on the iTunes chart. It’s stayed atop of the iTunes chart since – and has also taken off on streaming, with its daily official on-demand U.S. streams growing to over 3 million on Monday (Aug. 15), according to Luminate. 

What really separates Anthony from other conservative-leaning chart successes of the past few years by Aaron Lewis, Bryson Gray and (most recently) Jason Aldean, though, is how interest has also already spread to the rest of his catalog. “Richmond” is just one of seven of his songs currently in the iTunes top 20 as of publishing – and even discounting the plays of his biggest hit, Anthony has racked up streams in the millions each day since its release, with “Ain’t Gotta Dollar” and “Ive Got to Get Sober” each notching hundreds of thousands of daily plays. (As recently as last Tuesday, Aug. 8, his total daily streams were still under 20,000.) 

In other words, while many of those aforementioned hits burned bright and faded out quickly – even Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” fell out of the top 20 just a week after hitting No. 1 – Anthony is the kind of wide-reaching phenomenon who seems likely to continue generating streams, label interest and discussion (both positive and negative) for many weeks to come. – ANDREW UNTERBERGER

Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’ Soars at Streaming Thanks to ‘Taylor’s Version’ Announcement 

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One week ago, during her final performance in a six-night run at SoFi Stadium outside of Los Angeles, Taylor Swift proved widespread fan speculation correct on the dates of 8/9, by officially announcing 1989 (Taylor’s Version) onstage. The fourth album in Swift’s six-part re-recording project will be released on Oct. 27 – but following the announcement, fans simply couldn’t wait that long to hear their favorite songs from the superstar’s landmark 2014 album. 

The news sent “Blank Space,” which previously spent seven weeks at No. 1 during its original chart run in 2014-15, back onto the Hot 100 at No. 49. Yet the biggest hit from 1989 wasn’t the only one to receive a streaming boost: “Style” was also way up in official on-demand U.S. streams, from 955,000 on Aug. 8 (the day before the announcement) to 1.65 million on Aug. 10 (the day after), according to Luminate. Meanwhile, “Welcome to New York” enjoyed an even bigger percentage bump, from 204,000 streams on Aug. 8 to 716,000 on Aug. 10 – a 249% spike. 

Zooming out, the announcement of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) sent overall listenership of 1989 skyrocketing, to the point where its U.S. streams more than doubled between 8/9 and 8/10. Here’s a look at a full week of official on-demand U.S. streams of 1989, with the re-record announcement taking place on the night of Aug. 9: 

Aug. 8: 5.81 million 

Aug. 9: 6.63 million 

Aug. 10: 13.68 million 

Aug. 11: 10.15 million 

Aug. 12: 8.14 million 

Aug. 13: 6.97 million 

Aug. 14: 6.97 million  

Although fans have to wait more than two months to hear 1989 (Taylor’s Version), the excitement could send the original version of the album, which comes in at No. 13 on this week’s Billboard 200, climbing back even higher next week. Swift already has four albums – Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), Midnights, Lover and Folklore – occupying the top 10 of the Billboard 200; perhaps there’s still room for a fifth? – JASON LIPSHUTZ 

Lancey Foux Logs Huge Streaming Gains for Self-Referential “Lancey or Lancey” 

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From Beyoncé to Ariana Grande, musicians and their biggest fans clarifying the pronunciation of their names is nothing new. In the case of Lancey Foux, however, the British rapper (signed to Human Re Sources) took that confusion to the recording booth and crafted a streaming breakout in the process. According to Luminate, “Lancey Or Lancey,” logged 732,000 official on-demand U.S. streams total between this Friday and Monday (August 11-14), a whopping 1,395% increase from just under 50,000 combined streams during the four-day period a week earlier (Aug 4-7). 

Bolstered by a viral trend based on the closing line of the song’s first verse, “Lancey or Lancey” has been used in over 730,000 videos on TikTok. In the trend, users pair two photos that showcase different sides of their persona with the lyrics, “Said she love me, which one, Lancey or Lancey?” The trend originated from a fan edit of a webtoon entitled Operation: True Love. On Tuesday (Aug. 15), Lancey himself hopped on the trend, posting a shirtless clip of himself bopping and lip-syncing along to the TikTok sound.  

The success of “Lancey Or Lancey” comes nearly a full year after the song’s release in September of last year. The song served as the third single from Life in Hell, Lancey’s sixth solo studio album, and currently ranks as his most popular song on Spotify. The Stratford-bred rapper’s recent streaming gains come on the heels of “MMM HMM,” his collaboration with another TikTok-conquering 2023 breakout star, Sexyy Red. – KYLE DENIS

Zeddy Will’s “Freak You” Rides Jersey Club Wave to Streaming Surge 

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After helping Coi Leray’s “Players” become the biggest Billboard Hot 100 hit of her career with his Jersey Club Remix of the single, DJ Smallz 732 looks set to have a similar impact with Zeddy Will’s “Freak You.” According to Luminate, “Freak You” has scored considerable streaming gains over the past few weeks: During the period of July 28 to August 3, “Freak You” earned 360,000 official on-demand U.S. streams, an 86.5% increase from the period of July 21-27. The song then earned over 531,000 streams between August 4-10, rising a further 47.4% in overall streaming activity. 

Multiple parts of the song have gone viral on TikTok. In one section, which Zeddy himself has repeatedly used on the app, users film themselves dancing along to the song as they either generally anticipate imminent events or yearn to be freaked (or freak someone else). “I wanna freak you/ As soon as it can be/ I wanna know/ You leaving with your friends after this/ Or you coming with me?” Zeddy raps in the opening of the song’s first verse. The other section of the song that has gone viral is the opening of the second verse: “You told me that you wasn’t a freak/ And now I don’t believe you/ Cause the way you got me feeling right now/ Every day, girl I wanna see you.” Users generally use both sections of the song for the same thing, although some have adopted Zeddy’s “’memba that?” and “mmm mmm” ad-libs to respond to things that they suspect to be untrue. The three most popular “Freak You” sounds on TikTok boast a combined total of over 481,000 videos. 

Zeddy Will, an unsigned Queens-bred TikTok star who previously had viral success with 2022’s “Confidence Is Key,” first teased “Freak You” on TikTok on May 6. Following a positive response to the snippet, the rapper and TikTok personality continued to promote the song with a series of videos highlighting the beat (along with a Jersey-inspired “Freak Walk” dance and a move called the “Zeddybounce”), the lyrics, and the all-around comedic vulgarity of the song. He officially uploaded the song to streaming and digital download platforms on July 11.  – K.D.

Q&A: J1, Vice President Hip Hop Programming at SiriusXM, on What’s Trending Up in His World 

As hip-hop celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, how do you think we will look back on the year in hip-hop?  

I think we will look back at this year in amazement, reverence and appreciation for how far hip-hop has come, its contributions to society, as well as the impact it’s had on us as individuals. 

What hip-hop trends do you think will define the rest of 2023?  

Bold fashion has always been synonymous with hip-hop, so as the weather hopefully cools down and we transition into fall and winter wardrobes, we’ll see new fashion styles that will be adopted by pop culture. 

Which new artists have been particularly intriguing to you?  

Ice Spice has been so intriguing to me, because of her movement and passionate fan base. She’s tapped into something which is undeniable and has gained a massive, diverse group of followers. I’m also intrigued by Domani, T.I’s son. Even though his father is one of the pioneers of trap music, Domani has found his own lane and style, very different from his pops.  

Fill in the blank: this fall, hip-hop listeners will be obsessed with ________. 

Nostalgic and classic rap music, due to all of the great 50th anniversary tributes and highlights we’ve seen throughout the year.  – J.L. 

Season’s Gainings: Legends Celebrated on Hip-Hop’s Milestone Birthday

The celebrations of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary were everywhere last Friday (Aug. 11), as countless institutions, publications (including this one) and longtime fans took time to pay tribute to the storied genre officially hitting the half-century mark. The impact of Hip-Hop 50 could be felt on streaming, as well. While most music listeners don’t need an extra reason to listen to contemporary superstars like Drake, Cardi B or Kendrick Lamar, daily official on-demand U.S. streams were noticeably up for many acts from the genre’s older legends on Friday – including extra respect paid to LL Cool J (up 13% to 43,000), Public Enemy (up 24% to 162,000) and Hip-Hop 50 Live headliners Run-D.M.C. (up 21% to 380,000). – AU

Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up column, 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.  This week: The second song from Doja Cat’s new era appears off to a stronger start than her first, a new viral hit injects streaming with a particularly youthful energy, and a TV sync helps a music legend “Shine” even brighter than usual.

Doja Cat “Paints the Town Red” With Ample Streams 

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After launching her new musical era with the boom-bap-influenced “Attention” — which debuted and peaked at No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 — Doja Cat has returned with her newest single, “Paint the Town Red.” The Grammy-winner’s latest radio single features a prominent sample of Dionne Warwick’s classic 1964 Hot 100 top ten hit “Walk On By,” accented by subtle brass and finger snaps. 

According to Luminate, “Paint the Town Red” earned just over 8.12 million official on-demand U.S. streams between August 4-7, with its biggest daily total (2.47 million) coinciding with its official release date (Aug. 4). Since its debut, “Paint the Town Red” has remained in the top ten of Spotify’s Daily Top Songs USA chart, maintaining stronger daily numbers than “Attention” did across its debut week.

Unlike some of her past hits such as the Hot 100-topping “Say So” (with Nicki Minaj), Doja’s latest hit is not riding on a wave of TikTok virality: While the official “Paint the Town Red” TikTok sound currently boasts over 11,500 posts, more of the song’s traction appears to be coming from its horror-themed music video. In the official clip for “Paint the Town Red,” Doja dances with both the devil and a Grim Reaper-esque Death figure. The music video has amassed just under 6 million global views on YouTube in under a week. 

Doja’s streaming success comes on the heels of her five nominations at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, including a video of the year nod for “Attention.” – KYLE DENIS

‘Wasted Summers’ Goes Viral Thanks to Little Sister Sing-Along

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Juju

The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week (for the upcoming charts dated August 5), the hottest new K-pop breakout of 2023 takes on the hottest new film soundtrack of 2023 for Billboard 200 supremacy.  
NewJeans, New Jeans’ 2nd EP (‘Get Up’) (ADOR/Geffen/Interscope): After breaking through earlier this year with the singles “OMG” and “Ditto,” Korean girl group NewJeans established itself as one of the most exciting new acts in global pop with a massive online following. The quintet looks to build on that rising success with a new EP released Friday (July 21) that’s officially titled New Jeans’ 2nd EP (’Get Up’) and features Powerpuff Girls-esque cover art representing the five members.  

As is often the case with major K-pop releases, the set is expected to sell very well, thanks largely to the wide variety of variants available for release. There are three main CD versions of the album, but with 14 total iterations, with different covers and packaging individualized to the different members, and all with a set of branded merchandise inside, including photo books, lyric books and photo cards.  

However, NewJeans are exceptional among most 2023 K-pop acts in that they also stream very well in the U.S. On the most recent Spotify Daily Top Songs USA chart, every track from the new EP is still on the top 200 ranking, led by the Billboard Hot 100 hit “Super Shy” (No. 64 for the chart dated July 29). Given that it’s an EP with only six tracks total, that puts it at something of a disadvantage on the Billboard 200. But its combination of sales and streams should still make for a formidable debut on next week’s charts. 

Various Artists, Barbie the Album (Atlantic): Hey, did you know there’s a new Barbie movie out? Most likely after years of promo and a $155 million opening weekend, you’ve heard tell of the pop culture phenomenon – which also includes a star-studded soundtrack, executive produced by Mark Ronson and featuring new songs by A-listers like Billie Eilish, Karol G, Sam Smith, Lizzo, Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice, and even film star Ryan Gosling, among many more.  

Barbie the Album is in stores now via a half-dozen vinyl LPs (including retailer exclusives), three cassette editions and multiple CD iterations — as well as in a deluxe Best Weekend Ever Edition, which features a Gosling cover of Matchbox Twenty’s “Push” and married couple Brandi and Catherine Carlile’s version of Indigo Girls’ “Closer to Fine.” (Both originals are featured in the film, but not on the soundtrack.) The set has also been steadily growing on streaming since its Friday release – led by Minaj’s and Ice Spice’s “Barbie World,” featuring original “Barbie Girl” hitmakers Aqua, and Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” — as Barbie-mania continues to seep into the few remaining untouched corners of national consciousness.  

IN THE MIX 

Greta Van Fleet, Starcatcher (Republic): Classic rock revivalists Greta Van Fleet have gone top 10 with both of their first two albums, 2018’s Anthem of the Peaceful Army and 2021’s The Battle at Garden’s Gate, and look to make it three in a row next week with their new Starcatcher. The album is available in five different vinyl variants, and features the lead single “Meet the Master,” a top five hit on Billboard’s Hot Hard Rock Songs chart.  

Ice Spice, Like..? EP (10k Projects/Capitol/Dolo): For many older listeners, the phrase “deluxe EP” may feel slightly oxymoronic, but that’s what always-rising rap star Ice Spice released on Friday, with the expanded version of her breakthrough Like..? EP. The six-track January set — which was expanded to seven with the April addition of the Nicki Minaj-co-starring remix to “Princess Diana” — is now at a whopping 11 tracks, including the new “Deli,” which has made a strong debut on streaming.  

Nas, Magic 2 (Mass Appeal): The latest in a late-career explosion of productivity for legendary MC Nas – recently ranked as Billboard’s third-greatest rapper of all time – Magic 2 marks the sequel to his 2021 set, and his fifth album in three years. The 11-track album only includes two guests, but both big-name: fellow Queens native 50 Cent on “Office Hours” and Atlanta star 21 Savage on the previously released bonus cut “One Mic, One Gun.”  

Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up column, 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.  This week: All things Barbie, as the blockbuster film sends several of its soundtrack hits into the streaming stratosphere, while also boosting some 20th century classics it features (and one it doesn’t — at least not in its original form). Also, some less-predictable gains for decade-old non-hits by a pop icon and a dream-rock cult favorite.

It’s A “Barbie World,” We’re All Just Living In It 

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The cinematic phenomenon of Barbenheimer has monopolized the cultural zeitgeist for the past few weeks/months/years now, resulting in eye-popping opening weekend box office numbers for both Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Not only did Gerwig’s acclaimed film earn a historic $155 million opening weekend and inspire tens of thousands of fans to dress up in their best Barbie and Ken-inspired outfits, the fantasy-comedy also showcased a soundtrack stacked with A-list star power, in addition to several other memorable music moments. 

Helmed by Grammy and Oscar winner Mark Ronson, the Barbie soundtrack features a collection of today’s most prominent pop artists, including Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa and Lizzo. Three of the album’s pre-release singles — Lipa’s “Dance the Night,” Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice & AQUA’s “Barbie World,” and Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” — have seen sizable streaming gains before and after the movie’s July 21 release. 

“Dance the Night,” the lead single from the Barbie soundtrack, earned just over 960,000 official on-demand U.S. streams on July 17, the Monday preceding Barbie’s theatrical release, according to Luminate. The following Monday (July 23), Dua Lipa’s nu-disco banger earned 1.82 million streams, a 90.1% increase. “Barbie World,” the second collaboration between New York rappers Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice, earned 1.58 million official on-demand U.S. streams on July 17. By July 23, that number rose by a whopping 94.3% to 3.07 million streams. As for “What Was I Made For,” the gut-wrenching ballad pulled 1.47 million official on-demand U.S. streams on July 17. On July 24, Billie’s latest Oscar contender earned 2.45 million streams, a 66.3% increase. 

Outside of the soundtrack’s major singles, a slew of other songs also experienced post-release streaming gains. Charli XCX’s “Speed Drive,” another pre-release single, earned 177,000 official on-demand U.S. streams on July 17, a tally that grew by 379% by July 24 for a total of 852,000. Indigo Girls’ 1989 alt-folk perennial “Closer to Fine,” which appears three times in the film, pulled 32,000 official on-demand U.S. streams on July 17. By July 24, the duo’s biggest Billboard Hot 100 hit collected just under 100,000 streams, marking a 203.5% increase. Matchbox Twenty’s 1997 pop/rock smash “Push,” which earned the band their first Grammy nomination, also has a prominent placement in Barbie. On July 17, the song earned 235,000 official on-demand U.S. streams, and by July 24, the track experienced a 43.3% increase to 337,000. There’s also Lizzo’s “Pink,” — another song that plays in the film — a funky pop track that had a strong streaming debut on July 21 (566,000 streams) and rose another 7% by July 24 (606,000). 

Of course, there is no discussing Barbie without mentioning AQUA’s “Barbie Girl.” The seminal pop song, which is sampled on Minaj & Ice’s “Barbie World,” received 307,000 official on-demand U.S. streams. On July 24, the unofficial Barbie anthem earned 619,000 streams, a 101.7% increase. But, what about Ken? Ryan Gosling’s hilarious “I’m Just Ken” pulled 812,000 official on-demand U.S. streams on July 24, a 103.2% increase from the 400,000 it collected on July 21. Barbiemania is clearly taking over both the box office and music streaming platforms. — KYLE DENIS

Superheaven’s on Fire

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Doylestown, PA grunge-gaze quartet Superheaven had been broken up for most of the past half-decade, before reuniting in 2023 for a tour to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their acclaimed 2013 Run for Cover debut album Jar. That album has proven to be the gift that keeps on giving for Superheaven, as highlight “Youngest Daughter” has gone viral, with 19,000 TikTok videos using the sound of its crunching guitars and dreamy vocals — the most popular of which places it as the soundtrack to a user’s first-row Oppenheimer-watching experience.

The song has taken off on streaming as it’s gradually become a social media sensation, with its streams growing steadily over the past seven weeks — from 231,000 on the chart tracking week ending June 1 to over 1.9 million the week ending July 20, a 743% gain, according to Luminate. The song even debuts at No. 22 this week on Billboard‘s Hot Rock Songs chart, and No. 4 on this week’s Hot Hard Rock Songs chart. If the song keeps up this pace, Superheaven might have pretty good reason not to let its upcoming run of Jar anniversary dates this October be the last time it lets fans through its pearly gates. — ANDREW UNTERBEGER

Bieber’s “Billie Jean” Moment Experiences Streaming Resurgence 

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11 years ago, Justin Bieber tucked away a little song titled “Maria” at the very end of the deluxe edition of Believe, his Billboard 200-topping sophomore non-holiday studio album. Co-written and produced by Darkchild, “Maria” functioned as Bieber’s very own “Billie Jean”: Just as Michael Jackson retaliated against what he said were outlandish claims from delusional groupies, Bieber used “Maria” to respond to Mariah Yeater’s allegations that he fathered her child. 

In typical TikTok fashion, the song has experienced a small resurgence on the app for reasons that have nothing do with the original controversy that birthed it. Bieber’s track has become the latest soundtrack for thirst traps on the social media app. While those make up a healthy chunk of the “Maria” videos — there are two unofficial “Maria” sounds with over 13,5000 TikToks each — there are also myriad clips explaining the song’s lore and reflecting on what it was like to be a Belieber ten years ago and live through the whole ordeal in real time. Between the tracking week ending July 6 and the week ending July 20, streams of “Maria” exploded from just over 73,000 to over 613,000 — a gain of 738.5%, according to Luminate. – KD