Billboard Hot 100: 02/23/2019

[Gary]

Christian Airplay


This Week Last Week Two Weeks Ago Weeks Title, Artist Peak
1 1 1 26 #1 3 wks Only Jesus , Casting Crowns 1
2 4 6 20 Best News Ever , MercyMe 2
3 3 3 36 Even Then , Micah Tyler 3
4 2 2 35 Known , Tauren Wells 1
5 6 5 27 Stand In Your Love , Josh Baldwin 5
6 5 4 38 Who You Say I Am , Hillsong Worship 1
7 7 7 15 Maybe It's Ok , We Are Messengers 7
8 8 9 23 Survivor , Zach Williams 8
9 9 8 32 You Say , Lauren Daigle 1
10 11 11 6 God Only Knows , for KING & COUNTRY 10
11 12 14 8 Build My Life , Pat Barrett 11
12 13 13 21 Red Letters , Crowder 12
13 14 12 22 Nobody Loves Me Like You , Chris Tomlin 12
14 15 15 24 Changed , Jordan Feliz 12
15 16 16 14 Look Up Child , Lauren Daigle 15
16 19 23 4 GG Haven't Seen It Yet , Danny Gokey 16
17 17 19 22 Well Done , The Afters 17
18 21 22 7 Resurrecting , Elevation Worship 18
19 20 20 26 Born Again , Austin French 19
20 23 25 7 Church (Take Me Back) , Cochren & Co 20
21 22 26 7 Scars , I AM THEY 21
22 25 28 12 Mercy Is A Song , Matthew West 22
23 24 27 16 Never Let You Down , Hawk Nelson Featuring Hunter & Tara 23
24 26 33 4 Prize Worth Fighting For , Jamie Kimmett 24
25 27 31 7 Freedom , Jesus Culture Featuring Kim Walker-Smith 25
26 28 29 8 Love Lifting Me , Tasha Layton 26
27 30 – 23 What If , Blanca 26
28 37 – 2 With Lifted Hands , Ryan Stevenson 28
29 29 30 20 Rebuilder , Carrollton 29
30 38 40 3 Symphony , Switch Featuring Dillon Chase 30
31 44 – 2 Native Tongue , Switchfoot 31
32 33 34 4 Cover The Earth , Kari Jobe & Cody Carnes 32
33 34 39 6 Borrow (One Day At A Time) , Josh Wilson 33
34 41 – 2 Greatness Of Our God , newsboys 34
35 36 37 4 Split The Sea , Hannah Kerr 35
36 35 36 7 Crazy About You , Plumb 34
37 32 32 17 Mistakes , Melody Noel & Influence Music 30
38 39 41 10 Hallelujah For The Cross , Chris McClarney 37
39 31 35 15 Love Song , one sonic society Featuring Elle Limebear 31
40 46 – 2 The 99 , 7eventh Time Down 40
41 43 44 5 While I Wait , Lincoln Brewster 41
42 0 Re-Entry 2 Greater Things , Mack Brock 42
43 45 38 14 You Found Me , Switchfoot 36
44 49 49 3 Yes I Will , Vertical Worship 44
45 0 Hot Shot Debut 1 Heart Of God , Hillsong Young & Free 45
46 40 43 9 Right Where You Want Me , Sarah Reeves 39
47 42 42 5 Do It Again , Elevation Worship 40
48 48 46 3 Parachute , Hawk Nelson 46
49 0 New 1 Alive , Big Daddy Weave 49
50 0 New 1 Heaven On Earth , planetshakers 50

[Gary]

Christian Streaming

This Week Last Week Two Weeks Ago Weeks Title, Artist Peak
1 1 1 31 #1 26 wks GG You Say , Lauren Daigle 1
2 2 2 20 Monster , Skillet 1
3 4 4 101 What A Beautiful Name , Hillsong Worship 2
4 3 3 55 Reckless Love , Cory Asbury 1
5 5 5 211 Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) , Hillsong UNITED 1
6 6 6 46 Who You Say I Am , Hillsong Worship 5
7 7 7 79 10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord) , Matt Redman 2
8 8 8 94 O Come To The Altar , Elevation Worship 3
9 9 9 38 I Can Only Imagine , MercyMe 2
10 13 20 4 God Only Knows , for KING & COUNTRY 10
11 10 11 72 So Will I (100 Billion X) , Hillsong UNITED 5
12 11 12 77 Trust In You , Lauren Daigle 5
13 12 13 40 Hero , Skillet 2
14 15 10 21 Head Above Water , Avril Lavigne 2
15 16 15 70 Even If , MercyMe 7
16 17 17 55 Feel Invincible , Skillet 3
17 19 18 19 Known , Tauren Wells 17
18 21 22 15 Look Up Child , Lauren Daigle 10
19 18 16 58 Good Good Father , Chris Tomlin 5
20 14 14 37 joy. , for KING & COUNTRY 10
21 20 21 43 No Longer Slaves , Bethel Music 13
22 22 – 5 Everything , tobyMac 20
23 23 23 8 Only Jesus , Casting Crowns 18
24 24 24 45 Hills And Valleys , Tauren Wells 8
25 0 Re-Entry 35 How Can It Be , Lauren Daigle 11

[Gary]

Hot Christian Songs

This Week Last Week Two Weeks Ago Weeks Title, Artist Peak
1 1 1 32 #1 30 wks You Say , Lauren Daigle 1
2 2 2 50 Who You Say I Am , Hillsong Worship 2
3 6 7 25 God Only Knows , for KING & COUNTRY 3
4 5 3 68 Reckless Love , Cory Asbury 1
5 4 5 27 Only Jesus , Casting Crowns 4
6 3 4 35 Known , Tauren Wells 3
7 8 10 18 Best News Ever , MercyMe 7
8 7 6 34 Even Then , Micah Tyler 6
9 10 9 27 Stand In Your Love , Josh Baldwin 9
10 9 8 31 Everything , tobyMac 6
11 11 12 14 Maybe It's Ok , We Are Messengers 11
12 12 13 25 Look Up Child , Lauren Daigle 12
13 14 11 22 Head Above Water , Avril Lavigne 2
14 16 16 21 Red Letters , Crowder 12
15 15 15 22 Survivor , Zach Williams 15
16 20 24 5 Haven't Seen It Yet , Danny Gokey 16
17 19 19 28 Resurrecting , Elevation Worship 17
18 17 17 26 Nobody Loves Me Like You , Chris Tomlin 15
19 18 20 7 Build My Life , Pat Barrett 18
20 21 23 19 Changed , Jordan Feliz 18
21 22 18 6 Raise A Hallelujah (Live) , Bethel Music, Jonathan David Helser & Melissa Helser 18
22 23 21 25 Never Alone , Tori Kelly Featuring Kirk Franklin 14
23 25 25 17 Well Done , The Afters 23
24 26 26 23 Born Again , Austin French 24
25 24 22 5 Whole Heart (Hold Me Now) , Hillsong UNITED 22
26 0 Hot Shot Debut 1 As You Find Me , Hillsong UNITED 26
27 28 29 10 Good Grace , Hillsong UNITED 11
28 27 30 5 Scars , I AM THEY 27
29 30 28 6 Goodness Of God (Live) , Bethel Music & Jenn Johnson 28
30 29 27 6 Ain't No Grave (Live) , Bethel Music & Molly Skaggs 27
31 39 41 3 Church (Take Me Back) , Cochren & Co 31
32 34 38 8 Mercy Is A Song , Matthew West 32
33 33 37 19 Echo , Elevation Worship Featuring Tauren Wells 32
34 43 45 6 Nothing Else , Cody Carnes 34
35 31 39 4 Freedom , Jesus Culture Featuring Kim Walker-Smith 31
36 35 – 14 Yes I Will , Vertical Worship 35
37 0 Re-Entry 2 Symphony , Switch Featuring Dillon Chase 37
38 32 31 12 Gold , Apollo LTD 31
39 41 32 3 Greatness Of Our God , newsboys 32
40 36 40 3 Stand In Your Love (Recorded Live) , Bethel Music 36
41 46 46 4 Cover The Earth , Kari Jobe & Cody Carnes 29
42 47 42 5 Native Tongue , Switchfoot 25
43 49 – 2 Prize Worth Fighting For , Jamie Kimmett 43
44 45 43 4 Spirit Lead Me , Influence Music & Michael Ketterer 43
45 40 35 15 My Defender , Jeremy Camp 33
46 42 34 7 So Will I (100 Billion X) , Cross Worship Featuring Osby Berry 34
47 48 – 3 Never Let You Down , Hawk Nelson Featuring Hunter & Tara 47
48 0 New 1 Surrounded (Fight My Battles) , UPPERROOM 48
49 50 48 16 Burn The Ships , for KING & COUNTRY 23
50 0 Re-Entry 17 Rebel Heart , Lauren Daigle 36

[Gary]

Gospel Airplay

This Week Last Week Two Weeks Ago Weeks Title, Artist Peak
1 1 1 28 #1 3 wks It's Yours , Jekalyn Carr 1
2 2 3 38 Mention , Fresh Start Worship 2
3 3 4 47 Nobody Like You Lord , Maranda Curtis 3
4 4 2 20 Victory , Fred Jerkins Featuring Last Call 2
5 5 6 52 No Ordinary Worship , Kelontae Gavin 5
6 9 11 33 Pour Your Oil , Joshua Rogers 6
7 8 7 23 Potter , Tamela Mann 7
8 6 8 36 Can't Turn Back , Charles Jenkins & Fellowship Chicago 6
9 16 18 3 Love Theory , Kirk Franklin 9
10 7 5 51 Oh How I Love You , Zacardi Cortez 1
11 12 12 21 Open The Floodgates , Demetrius West & Jesus Promoters Featuring Karen Hoskins 11
12 13 13 25 Open Your Mouth And Say Something , Brent Jones 11
13 14 14 21 All Of My Life , Erica Campbell X Warryn Campbell 12
14 11 15 22 Promises , Jason McGee + The Choir Featuring Lena Byrd Miles 11
15 15 16 15 My God , Nashville Life Music Featuring Mr. Talkbox 15
16 17 17 19 Laughter (Just Like A Medicine) , BeBe Winans 16
17 18 20 28 I'm Ready , G.I. 17
18 21 21 17 Try , Keyondra Lockett 18
19 20 22 16 Everything Will Be Alright , Isaiah Templeton 19
20 19 19 12 Waiting , Jermaine Dolly 19
21 22 23 18 Never Alone , Tori Kelly Featuring Kirk Franklin 20
22 23 24 8 Tell Me Where It Hurts , Fred Hammond 22
23 28 26 5 Unstoppable , Koryn Hawthorne 23
24 24 25 18 If God / Nothing But The Blood , Casey J 23
25 0 New 1 GG You Know My Name (Live) , Tasha Cobbs Leonard 25
26 25 29 10 You're Doing It All Again , Todd Dulaney Featuring Nicole Harris 25
27 27 27 5 He Worked It Out , The Tommies Reunion 26
28 29 28 3 Deliver Me (This Is My Exodus) , Donald Lawrence Presents The Tri-City Singers Featuring Le'Andria Johnson 28
29 0 New 1 Be Alright , Damon Little 29
30 26 – 2 Make Room , Jonathan McReynolds 26

[Gary]

Gospel Streaming

This Week Last Week Two Weeks Ago Weeks Title, Artist Peak
1 1 12 3 #1 2 wks You Know My Name (Live) , Tasha Cobbs Leonard 1
2 2 2 127 Take Me To The King , Tamela Mann 1
3 3 3 49 Won't He Do It , Koryn Hawthorne 1
4 4 4 66 Your Spirit , Tasha Cobbs Leonard Featuring Kierra Sheard 1
5 5 5 132 Break Every Chain , Tasha Cobbs 1
6 7 6 108 You Deserve It , J.J. Hairston & Youthful Praise 1
7 6 1 3 Love Theory , Kirk Franklin 1
8 9 7 50 Overflow , Tasha Cobbs 7
9 11 – 2 This Is A Move , Tasha Cobbs Leonard 9
10 10 8 125 The Best In Me , Marvin Sapp 3
11 13 10 116 God Favored Me , Hezekiah Walker & LFC Featuring Marvin Sapp & DJ Rogers 6
12 18 17 118 Worth , Anthony Brown & group therAPy 3
13 14 14 162 Every Praise , Hezekiah Walker 1
14 12 9 87 Change Me , Tamela Mann 1
15 22 22 23 GG Never Alone , Tori Kelly Featuring Kirk Franklin 3
16 19 20 43 Grateful (The Reprise) , Hezekiah Walker & LFC 11
17 15 16 138 For Your Glory , Tasha Cobbs 2
18 17 15 65 No Weapon , Fred Hammond & Radical For Christ 4
19 16 13 9 War Cry , Queen Naija 2
20 21 21 27 Gracefully Broken , Tasha Cobbs Leonard 15
21 20 18 34 My Life Is In Your Hands , God's Property From Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation 2
22 24 23 90 I'm Blessed , Charlie Wilson Featuring T.I. 3
23 25 24 111 Intentional , Travis Greene 5
24 0 Re-Entry 111 Nobody Greater , VaShawn Mitchell 9
25 0 Re-Entry 26 We're Blessed , Fred Hammond 22

[Gary]

Hot Gospel Songs

This Week Last Week Two Weeks Ago Weeks Title, Artist Peak
1 1 1 3 #1 3 wks Love Theory , Kirk Franklin 1
2 3 11 9 You Know My Name (Live) , Tasha Cobbs Leonard 2
3 2 2 25 Never Alone , Tori Kelly Featuring Kirk Franklin 1
4 4 3 75 Won't He Do It , Koryn Hawthorne 1
5 8 5 29 Forever , Jason Nelson 2
6 9 8 22 It's Yours , Jekalyn Carr 6
7 6 6 44 Nobody Like You Lord , Maranda Curtis 5
8 7 7 43 No Ordinary Worship , Kelontae Gavin 7
9 5 4 3 This Is A Move , Tasha Cobbs Leonard 4
10 11 12 16 Victory , Fred Jerkins Featuring Last Call 9
11 13 13 21 All Of My Life , Erica Campbell X Warryn Campbell 3
12 15 15 18 Pour Your Oil , Joshua Rogers 12
13 12 19 5 Unstoppable , Koryn Hawthorne 12
14 14 14 9 War Cry , Queen Naija 1
15 18 16 13 Potter , Tamela Mann 14
16 0 Re-Entry 12 Good Love , David & Tamela Mann 14
17 20 18 6 Laughter (Just Like A Medicine) , BeBe Winans 17
18 17 17 7 My God , Nashville Life Music Featuring Mr. Talkbox 12
19 16 23 6 Deliver Me (This Is My Exodus) , Donald Lawrence Presents The Tri-City Singers Featuring Le'Andria Johnson 16
20 19 20 12 Open The Floodgates , Demetrius West & Jesus Promoters Featuring Karen Hoskins 15
21 22 22 8 Promises , Jason McGee + The Choir Featuring Lena Byrd Miles 18
22 21 21 10 Open Your Mouth And Say Something , Brent Jones 15
23 0 Re-Entry 2 Everything Will Be Alright , Isaiah Templeton 23
24 24 24 15 I Agree , Jonathan Nelson 18
25 25 25 10 I'm Ready , G.I. 23

[Gary]

Ariana Grande's Huge Chart Week: Billboard Staffers Discuss Five Burning Questions

2/20/2019 by Billboard Staff



Any Tuesday where you can be mentioned in a sentence that also includes the phrase "first since The Beatles," chances are you're off to a pretty good week.

That's the company Ariana Grande found herself in with this week's Billboard Hot 100, in which her "7 Rings," "Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" and "Thank U, Next" notched slots Nos. 1, 2 and 3 on the chart, respectively -- making her the first artist since the Fab Four in '64 to hold the top three simultaneously. And that's just the tip of the iceberg for Grande's record-setting week, which also saw her secure the biggest week of 2019 (and a personal career best) with the 360,000 in total units moved by fifth album Thank U, Next, which also debuts all 12 of its tracks on the Hot 100.


With such stats representing yet another leveling-up for an artist who seems like she should have no ceilings left to break through by now, we at Billboard decided to dive in a little deeper on some of the biggest questions surrounding her historic week -- to try to put it in proper context, and maybe to anticipate what happens (for both Ariana and all of pop music) next. Here are five staffers' thoughts.

Question 1: What's the biggest factor behind Ariana's huge first-week numbers?

Nolan Feeney: Grande got here because, right now, she’s the pop star who operates most like a rapper. With Thank U, Next, she holds the record for the biggest streaming week for a pop album, and of the 20 biggest streaming weeks ever for an album, she’s the only non-hip-hop title. In other words, she’s a pop anomaly in a hip-hop economy -- but right now, I don’t think you get to that point if you’re not at least somewhat fluent in hip-hop anyway. There’s a strong trap influence all over Thank U, Next. Her steady stream of music is inspired by the free-flowing release model that rappers enjoy. Even the way her every lyric seems to launch a thousand memes and Instagram captions -- You like my hair? Gee, thanks, just bought it! -- seems more in line with the spirit of hip-hop wordplay than pop stardom. Sure, it doesn’t always go smoothly when she dips her toe into that world -- see: the controversies around “7 Rings” -- but it could also be, well, so much worse. (Lady Gaga’s “Jewels N’ Drugs” has not aged well.)

Bianca Gracie: She’s always been a darling at radio, but the rise of streaming truly shows that -- in the wise words of Nicki Minaj -- young Ariana really does run pop. The genre’s pool seems pretty vacant at the moment, and dropping this album in such a timely fashion definitely worked in her favor. Also, rap’s takeover of the Hot 100 has slowed down a just a bit, so with songs like Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower” and Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode” taking a back seat in lower slots, the timing was perfect for the tunes on Thank U, Next to creep into the chart's top tier. And we can’t forget her first Grammy win (Sweetener took home best pop vocal album), which surely piqued more interest in the singer’s music.

Lyndsey Havens: The immediacy of this album’s arrival. (Not to mention, her ruthlessly dedicated fans -- you know, the ones who opted to boycott “7 Rings” so that “Break Up With Your Boyfriend, I’m Bored” had a shot at hitting No. 1). But what's so fascinating about Ariana right now is her ability to keep her momentum going; in a way, she’s “thank u, nexting” the pivotal moments in her life and career as quickly as they come -- with love, of course. In return, what we have is a case of more is more -- Ariana has really gone through hell and back in the past year, give or take, and she is pouring it all into her music. Because of that, she’s become the authoritative, go-to source on herself.

Jason Lipshutz: It's partially due to fortuitous timing: "7 Rings" is a smash, the title track is still going strong, and the album's streaming total was always going to benefit from its two concurrent hits. But Ariana's other song in the top three of the Hot 100 -- "Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored," which starts at No. 2 this week -- points to the real reason behind the big number: General interest in Ariana Grande and her music has never been higher. The pop superstar has always been skilled at playing the social media game and making canny marketing moves (see the record-breaking "Thank U, Next" video), but the candor with which she explores her personal tragedies and professional triumphs in her current music has engaged new listeners while still resonating with longtime believers. Even if the tunes were lackluster, Ariana's narrative and no-damns-given attitude would be enough to convince casual fans to press play... and fortunately, the new songs also happen to rule.

Andrew Unterberger: It really is all about momentum. While Ariana's career has followed along the upwards trajectory it's started on since her return with "No Tears Left to Cry" a short ten months ago, she's barely paused to take a breath -- and between two albums, five top ten hit singles, a handful of iconic music videos and live performances, and plenty of chart history, neither have we. She's riding the hot hand like few artists in recent pop memory, and as long as her songs keep connecting as they have been, there's no reason for anyone to stop her from running up the score as much as possible.

Question 2: What should be the fourth official single from Thank U, Next?

Nolan Feeney: “Ghostin” strikes me as too sad and weird to be single, and “Bloodline” has too much in common with the lurching rhythms of “Side to Side” and “God Is a Woman” to be a viable option, so I’m going with “Fake Smile.” Built around a sample of Wendy Rene’s 1964 song “After Laughter” -- a lift first popularized by the Wu-Tang Clan a quarter-century earlier -- the Justin Tranter co-write offers a refreshing warmth among the sparse, chillier tracks that are dominating streaming playlists right now. Its lyrics, about the emotional toll of being caught in the headlines and the ways society polices expressions of pain and sadness, will probably both stoke tabloid intrigue and (hopefully) inspire gawkers to give the girl a break. The track also feels like a fitting book-end to “No Tears Left to Cry,” and a hard-earned reminder that even sheer positive willpower can’t always overcome the curveballs life throws, and that’s all right in its own way.

Bianca Gracie: “Bloodline” definitely has “fourth single” written all over it -- and I’m not just saying that because it’s my favorite song on the album! The temperatures are about to rise, and the cheeky dancehall-inspired production (shout-out to the legendary Max Martin) gives the perfect backdrop for the upcoming sunny weather. I can already see the flirtatious hook “Don't want you in my bloodline / Just wanna have a good time” flooding the Instagram captions of women currently fed up with commitment. Add musical BFF Nicki Minaj to the remix (or even Jamaica’s own Shenseea for extra authenticity) and Grande would undoubtedly rule the spring/summer season.

Lyndsey Havens: I seriously could see any of the remaining songs becoming the fourth official single, because to Ariana, what is even standard anymore? Personally, though, I think “Bad Idea” could be the fourth single. It has the driving, rap-rock backbeat and drill-like production that softer standouts like “Imagine” or “Ghostin,” beautiful as they are, lack. Lyrically as well, it’s on par with the overall theme of this album -- Ariana doing Ariana, for better or worse. The honesty in the line “You should know I'm temporary” cuts like a knife, and would likely cut through radio airwaves just as well.

Jason Lipshutz: Give me "Bloodline" horns blaring on every Top 40 radio station ASAP; let that message of having a good time without overthinking things ring out as the snow thaws and we gear up for beach season. Maybe we get something weightier like "Ghostin'" or "Fake Smile" as a single when this album campaign barrels into fall, but "Bloodline" has an outside shot of being this summer's "I Like It."

Andrew Unterberger: Sign me up for that spiky guitar hook to "Bad Idea" piercing pop radio all summer -- the worthy FM successor to 5 Seconds of Summer's "Youngblood," but even more Ghost in the Machine-ish. Combined with a two-stepping electro-pop beat and backing vocal echoes that sound like Ariana still stuck in Bring It On mode? May sound like a bad idea in theory, but anything but in practice.

Question 3: What current pop artist is up next for a big breakthrough week like this?

Nolan Feeney: Given the way a one-off single not connected to any particular album -- and one with its own share of celebrity-relationship rubbernecking -- has become the biggest hit of her career, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Halsey enjoy this kind of success with whatever project follows “Without Me.” She certainly has experience holding consecutive spots atop a Billboard chart.

Bianca Gracie: I really think it can be Halsey. She’s enjoyed steady chart success since the release of 2015’s Badlands, and got a taste of what dominating the Hot 100 feels like with her ubiquitous “Closer” collaboration with The Chainsmokers. But the singer kicked off 2019 in a major way: by finally achieving her first No. 1 as a lead artist thanks to her aching smash “Without Me." This could very well lead to a faster stream of chart-ruling singles for Halsey in the near future.

Lyndsey Havens: I can envision Billie Eilish having a big breakthrough week, though maybe not quite like this: There’s a reason Ariana was the first artist to match a feat only The Beatles have conquered. But Eilish alreay broke one billion streams last year, and still without a proper album. She’s had seven Hot 100 hits in under a calendar year, with "Bury a Friend," the lead single off her upcoming debut, recently hitting No. 14. Considering the steady trajectory she’s had, a jump for Billie ffrom rising star to superstar in the very near future seems a distinct possibility.

Jason Lipshutz: The smart money's on Camila Cabello: a supremely talented pop artist with a seemingly unending supply of charisma, a dedicated fan base and new music in the works. Camila has already notched a handful of hit singles, and if her songwriting opens up on her next album while maintaining her radio appeal, the sky's the limit.

Andrew Unterberger: Since the beginning of 2017, Khalid has almost served as a superstar hiding in plain sight, scoring major hits alongside wide-ranging artists like Logic, Normani, Halsey and Marshmello -- slowly making his sweetly strained croon voice one of the truly unavoidable sounds of late-'10s pop, even as he remains a slightly mysterious solo presence. That last part could change as soon as his next album, which he recently revealed on Twitter to be coming in April, and whose rumored lead single "Talk" debuts on the Hot 100 amidst the Ariana flurry this week at No. 44.

Question 4: Is Thank U, Next Ariana Grande's best album?

Nolan Feeney: It’s at least better than Sweetener — and I know I’m in the minority at Billboard for not being totally in love with Pharrell’s circa-2008 beats. (Seriously, half of those tracks could have been right at home on Madonna’s Hard Candy!) And while I miss some of the diversity of an album like Dangerous Woman -- an album that jumped from dance-pop to soul to disco to hip-hop and R&B and back again without ever feeling like it didn’t all spring from the same mood board -- I do hope Thank U, Next’s tight focus is a more successful approach than an album that tries to be (my) everything.

Still, what sets Thank U, Next ahead of the pack is the that it did the thing all great albums long to do: It had Something to Say™. We can quibble over beats and tracklist lengths, but years from, now we’ll remember this record for the way it made us feel like we logged right into Grande’s iMessage account as she grappled with big questions about love, life and loss with enviable grace.

Bianca Gracie: It’s still too early to call Thank U, Next her best to date, as we have to wait for the novelty to wear off to see if these songs truly stick. For me, I'm not sure anything can top 2016’s Dangerous Woman anyway, but Thank U, Next is surely her most consistent-sounding album, and hones in on her newly embraced vulnerability -- sometimes more effectively than Sweetner. And while she’s recently been panned for it, this is the album where her love for R&B really shines. If anything, Thank U, Next is Grande’s version of Justin Bieber’s Journals -- a reflection of a long-praised pop star wanting to shatter their pristine mold and venture into new sonic waters.

Lyndsey Havens: Statistically speaking, Thank U, Next may be the mightier of the two, but Sweetener as a whole stands taller to me -- even though I’m forever grateful to have a hauntingly emotive song like “ghostin” in my life. What’s most interesting, though, is that Thank U, Next couldn’t exist without Sweetener: More so than any other pair of consecutive (but separately released) albums in recent memory, TUN followed its predecessor out of necessity, as if Ariana needed both to hold each hand as she gets through some of the most trying moments of her young-adult life.

Jason Lipshutz: Time for a cop-out answer: maybe! Thank U, Next is certainly Ariana's most emotionally charged and cohesive, but I'm still catching my breath from last year's Sweetener, the most beguiling and well-rounded pop project of 2018. To me it's a matter of personal preference, and maybe even mood: the devastation at the center of Thank U, Next lands with a dazzling force, while Sweetener's 15 tracks arrive like a flurry of presents to unwrap, some imperfect but almost all sumptuous. Thank U, Next may very well be viewed as Ariana's crowning achievement when all is said and done, but the lighter moments of the six-months-older Sweetener are still difficult for me to overlook. I guess some days I feel like listening to "Pete Davidson," and others I feel like listening to Ariana post-Pete Davidson.

Andrew Unterberger: Absolutely. As impressive as Grande's chart-related achievements for Thank U, Next are, to me they're still overshadowed by what a success the album is artistically: a cohesive 12-song set populated by both undeniable singles and wrenching deep cuts, with lyrical and sonic intimacy beyond rare at this level of pop, and even a light overarching beginning-to-end lyrical narrative if you want to read it as such. It's the album her entire career has been leading up to, and the pop album to beat for 2019.

Question 5: Where do you think Ariana Grande currently ranks among the greatest pop stars of the '10s?

Nolan Feeney: Certainly behind Adele, whose mind-boggling album sales are so phenomenal it’s hard to rank anyone above her -- even though I probably haven’t listened to half the songs on 25 since it came out. And while dropping two albums in the span of six months is deeply impressive, Grande’s prolific output so far doesn’t feel like such a revolutionary move that her name has become its own verb in the way “pulling a Beyoncé” (releasing a surprise album) or “pulling a Taylor Swift” (successfully crossing over from country to pop) have. Those two artists also play stadiums, which feels like its own status marker, though with two No. 1 singles and a No. 2 single that could very well join them, Thank U, Next seems to be closing in on the kind of run 1989 had.

Lady Gaga plays stadiums, but her imperial phase came at the tail end of the previous decade, and her 2010s output has taken some weird turns compared to Grande’s more steady rise, so I’d say Grande beats her out with this record. And then there’s Rihanna, whom Grande is roughly on par with when it comes to chart starts in the 2010s -- but Rihanna has sustained that over a longer period of time this decade, which I think is harder to do and therefore gives her the edge. All of which is to say, according to this not-so-scientific criteria, Grande is probably lower end of top 5 greatest pop stars of the ‘10s? But I’m also defining pop star rather narrowly here, and I’m sure one of you is reading this wondering, “What about Drake?"

Bianca Gracie: So we should all make it clear that Rihanna and Beyoncé are untouchable queens of pop and are in a league of their own! But I’d say that after Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift -- even though they may have fumbled the bag with Joanne and Reputation, respectively -- Ariana rounds out the decade's top five. Her growing connection with fans, the success of the Dangerous Woman Tour (which proved she can also dominate on the road), creating her own identity within the pop culture sphere and her ever-rising presence on the charts places her above counterparts like Katy Perry, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Dua Lipa and Halsey.


Lyndsey Havens: In my year-end write-up about Sweetener, Billboard’s No. 1 pick for album of the year, I made a joke about how although Ariana’s life has been turned upside down, she’s always been on top. That has only become more true. Without a doubt, Ariana ranks at the top of her class of ‘10s pop stars, not only because she’s resuscitating the genre (cue “breathin’”) but also because she’s igniting its revival.

Jason Lipshutz: As we near the end of the decade, Ariana Grande has positioned herself as one of the pop artists that we have to mention when summarizing the 2010s. Her current commercial run includes numbers that are literally unparalleled, and only a handful of musicians -- Beyonce, Taylor, Drake, Adele, Rihanna, Gaga, Kanye -- have had a bigger cultural impact than Ariana this decade. Has she checked every single box that an era-defining artist typically fills? Not yet, but that doesn't mean a Super Bowl performance or Grammys coup aren't awaiting. What the success of Thank U, Next accomplishes is demonstrate that Ariana is more than just a household name at this point, but an indispensable voice in modern popular music that will enter the next decade at the top of the game.

Andrew Unterberger: After Thank U Next, I think she's jumped into the decade's top five, and probably just behind Beyoncé, Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Drake. There's an argument to be made between her and a couple other stars who started the '10s stronger, like Adele or Justin Bieber, but there's no real argument against her being the pace-setter for all popular music at decade's end.

[wavey.]

Fuck Nolan Feeny lmao. Those are not circa 2008 beats. And if so, they sounded fresh for Ari.

[Gary]

Six Key Numbers From Ariana Grande's Record-Breaking Week

2/20/2019 by Glenn Rowley

She want it, she got it! With the release of her fifth LP Thank U, Next on Feb. 8, Ariana Grande has catapulted herself into yet another level of the pop cultural stratosphere, a rarified space of shattered records and chart successes that even the brightest stars rarely attain.

Capitalizing on a perfect storm of musical inspiration and optimal timing, Grande seized the moment following the release of Sweetener in September to write, record and release her full-length follow-up in the space of less than six months.

Ariana Grande attends the 13th annual Billboard Women in Music event at Pier 36 on Dec. 6, 2018 in New York.
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By crafting 12 empowering, vulnerable and swaggering pop bangers filled with emotional healing, Grande spun personal trauma, heartbreak and a never-ending stream of tabloid headlines into pure gold. She learned from the pain, turned out an amazing album and in doing so solidified her legacy as Ariana Grande, Pop Superstar.

Below, Billboard breaks down the numbers behind Grande's monumental week.

360,000: Number of first-week units earned for Thank U, Next

Thank U, Next barrelled to the top of the Billboard 200 (dated Feb. 23) with 360,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 14, according to Nielsen Music, marking the biggest debut of the year thus far -- and the biggest week for an album by a female artist since Taylor Swift's reputation earned 1.24 million units in its first frame in November 2017. Grande's latest first-week number is nearly 130,000 units higher than Sweetener's 231,000-unit tally during its opening frame in September.

307 million: Number of on-demand audio streams for Thank U, Next

Grande set a new high-water mark for pop success in the era of streaming with Thank U, Next, which bows with the largest streaming week ever for a pop album -- and for any album by a female artist: 307 million on-demand audio streams earned for its songs in the U.S. in its first week. With Thank U, Next, Grande surpassed the previous most-streamed pop album in any week (Ed Sheeran's ÷ [Divide], which started with 126.7 million U.S. on-demand audio streams for its songs; March 25, 2017) by more than double. The success of Thank U, Next in streaming is especially notable in a landscape so routinely dominated by hip-hop -- in fact, Thank U, Next is the only non-hip-hop album in the top 20 largest-streaming weeks ever for an album, clocking in at number nine.

Ariana Grande photographed Nov. 10 at Smashbox Studios in Los Angeles.
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11: Total weeks at No. 1 for Thank U, Next singles on the Billboard Hot 100

Thanks to the success of her No. 1 hits "Thank, U Next" and "7 Rings," Grande is leading the recent resurgence of pop at the top of the Hot 100. The title track debuted at No. 1 on Nov. 17–becoming the first song by a female artist to open in the top spot since Adele's "Hello" back in 2015 -- and held the top spot for seven nonconsecutive weeks. Earlier this month, the braggadocious "7 Rings" also debuted at the top of the Hot 100 and is currently spending its fourth consecutive week at No. 1.

The accomplishment is even more momentous for the 25-year-old, considering that she had never had a Hot 100-topping hit prior to "Thank U, Next," five albums and 10 top 10 hits into her career. It's also worth noting that Grande is now blocking herself from getting to No. 1 for a third time with her most recent single from Thank, U Next -- the flirty, *NSYNC-interpolating "Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" -- which debuts this week at No. 2 behind "7 Rings."

12: Number of songs from Thank U, Next on the Hot 100… the entire set

All 12 songs on Thank U, Next chart this week on the Hot 100, with all but one landing in the top 40. This feat earns Grande the record for most simultaneous top 40 hits by a female artist, besting Cardi B's previous tally of nine in the week Invasion of Privacy made its chart debut in April 2018. Other than her simultaneous trifecta of top three hits (discussed below), a few highlights include the doo-wop-inspired "Needy" debuting at No. 14, certified bop "NASA" rocketing in at No. 17 and the dancehall-tinged "Bloodline" entering at No. 22.


4: Total No. 1 Albums for Ariana Grande on the Billboard 200 albums chart

With its considerable first-week bow, Thank U, Next becomes Grande's fourth LP (of five total) to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. (Only 2016's Dangerous Woman was held off from reaching the top spot, peaking at No. 2 behind Drake's behemoth Views.) This week's chart also marks her second No. 1 album in under six months, following Sweetener's bow at No. 1 on the chart dated Sept. 1.

Grande's reliability at the top of the Billboard 200 is well-documented: upon the release of her 2013 debut album, Yours Truly, she became the 15th female artist to ever have her debut album open at the top of the chart, joining the illustrious ranks of stars like Britney Spears, Beyoncé and Kelly Clarkson. And to put her four Billboard 200 No. 1s in context among some of her pop star peers, Katy Perry has only scored three No. 1 albums in her career, while a No. 1 album eluded Rihanna until her seventh full-length effort, 2012's Unapologetic -- her first of two total to date.


2: Number of artists in Hot 100 history to occupy the top three spots simultaneously

In perhaps her most impressive chart accomplishment to date, Grande becomes just the second artist in the chart's 60-year history to occupy the top three spots on the Hot 100 simultaneously. "7 Rings" is in its fourth week at No. 1, "Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" debuts at No. 2 and "Thank U, Next" rebounds from No. 7 to take the third spot. The only other act to pull off such a massive feat? The Beatles, who dominated Nos. 1, 2 and 3 for five weeks (and even owned the entire top five for a week) back at the height of Beatlemania in 1964.

Upon hearing the news, Grande expressed her shock and heartfelt appreciation, tweeting, "i laughed when i saw this bc i thought y'all edited it. thank u from the bottom of my heart. for so many reasons. first time since the beatles huh. that's wild. i thought this was a joke when i saw it i'm not kidding. i love u. so much. always have n will. thank u for everything."

[Gary]

Luis Fonsi & Ozuna Hit No. 1 On the Latin Airplay Chart With 'Imposible'

2/20/2019 by Pamela Bustios

Luis Fonsi and Ozuna, "Imposible"
Their first collaboration tops the survey after a 17-week journey.

Luis Fonsi and Ozuna snag new Latin Airplay chart leaders as their first collaboration, “Imposible,” glides 4-1 on the Feb. 23-dated ranking, in the track’s 17th week on the list.

The song is the fourth single off Luis Fonsi’s tenth studio album Vida, which launched at No. 1 on the Top Latin Albums chart (dated Feb. 16), and follows former leader, “Calypso” with Stefflon Don or Karol G.

“Imposible” rises to 13.46 million in audience impressions (up 16 percent) in the week ending Feb. 17, according to Nielsen Music.

Luis Fonsi snags his 10th chart topper and links four consecutive No. 1s, all of which are found on Vida: “Despacito” with Daddy Yankee, featuring Justin Bieber (19 weeks, 2017), “Echame La Culpa,” featuring Demi Lovato (one week, Jan. 2018), “Calypso” with Stefflon Don or Karol G (one week, Sept. 2018), and now “Imposible” with Ozuna, a No. 1 on the current tracking week

Ozuna, meanwhile, logs his ninth No. 1, following his featured role on DJ Snake’s “Taki Taki,” also featuring Selena Gomez and Cardi B.

“Imposible” also reaches a new high on the Latin Rhythm Airplay chart, moving with an equal 4-1 climb.

Also, in the top 10 of the Latin Airplay chart, Daddy Yankee’s “Con Calma,” featuring Snow, rises 14-8 thanks to a 16 percent boost in audience (to 9.4 million). Yankee now ties with Ricky Martin for the third-most top 10s on the list, with 27. They only trail Shakira with 30, and Enrique Iglesias who continues to lead with 39.

While “Con Calma” earns Yankee his second consecutive top 10 of the year (“Adictiva” with Aniuel AA rose to No. 7 on the Feb. 16-dated list), Snow scores his first top 10 with his first chart entry.

J Balvin Claims New Top 10 With "Reggaeton": Elsewhere on the Latin charts, J Balvin clocks his 17th top 10 on the Latin Pop Songs airplay chart as his new single, “Reggaeton” leaps 11-8 in its ninth week thanks to a 7 percent increase in plays.

It’s Balvin’s first top 10 entry as a lead act in over seven months. “Ambiente,” fourth single off Vibras, his fifth studio album, reached a No. 3 peak on the July 7, 2018-dated tally. In between, he’s notched two other top 10s, one a former leader: “Mi Cama” with Karol G, featuring Nicky Jam, which landed at No. 2 in Aug. 2018 and “No Es Justo” with Zion & Lennox which remained at the summit for two weeks (Nov. 24- Dec. 1, 2018).

[badrobot]

"Close to Me" is top 10 on airplay but not even top 40 on the Hot 100 -- has that sort of disparity been happening lately, or is this unusual?

[fhas]

Feb 19, 2019 10:12:46 GMT -5 jenglisbe said:

How were people so off on "TUN" being #3?

I'll talk about me because I'm very intrigued (kinda disappointed).

I think my biggest mistake was overestimating Without Me.

Happier is hard af to predict (Fortnite video), so it's no surprise that TUN is above.

Sunflower was within the margin of error.

WM I still have no idea about what went wrong this week. I had it at 39k points and even after adjusting TUN's numbers with the official data it's still 3k points below WM.

[Choco]

Feb 20, 2019 14:46:45 GMT -5 badrobot said:

"Close to Me" is top 10 on airplay but not even top 40 on the Hot 100 -- has that sort of disparity been happening lately, or is this unusual?

I think Adele's Water Under The Bridge was also below #40 when it finally reached #10 on radio songs.

There's a clear disconnect between streaming and radio, but this is one of the more extreme cases (and the Ari album bomb probably made it worse).

[Gary]

As with other releases of this type should stabilize next week

[Gary]

Feb 19, 2019 10:19:23 GMT -5 Gary said:

Streaming #1 7 Rings 63.5 (Break up... is #2 at 59.2)
Radio #1 High Hopes 110.4 (week 13)

So Shallow is #1 digital, anyone have a total?

[fhas]

Feb 20, 2019 21:46:54 GMT -5 Gary said:

Feb 19, 2019 10:19:23 GMT -5 Gary said:

Streaming #1 7 Rings 63.5 (Break up... is #2 at 59.2)
Radio #1 High Hopes 110.4 (week 13)

So Shallow is #1 digital, anyone have a total?

44,700

hitsdailydouble.com/song_revenue_chart

It's possible that 7 rings is the most downloaded song of the week (Kworb had it at 45k), but due to the CMA rule it ranks only at #18 with 12,700.