Billboard Hot 100: 03/30/2019

[Gary]

Scotty McCreery on Why Going No. 1 With 'This Is It' Validated His Career: 'We're Really Here to Stay'

3/26/2019 by Taylor Weatherby



Last year was monumenal for Scotty McCreery. In a matter of months, the 25-year-old Garner, N.C., native scored his first No. 1 on the Country Airplay chart; dropped his Triple Tigers debut LP Seasons Change; married his longtime love Gabi Dugal; and released his heartfelt second single "This Is It." This year is proving to be just as special for McCreery, as "This Is It" -- a love letter to his now-wife -- topped Country Airplay in February, earning the singer his first two-week No. 1.

In turn, "This Is It" became McCreery's highest-charting Billboard Hot 100 hit since 2011, when he hit No. 11 with his American Idol-winning tune "I Love You This Big." But even though "This Is It" didn't peak as high on the Hot 100 (the song hit No. 42 in February), this one is much more special for a multiude of reasons.

"'I Love You This Big' was a song that was kind of handed to me, a TV kind of song," McCreery explains. "This one, I wrote it, it’s from the heart, it’s about my wife, and it’s eight years down the road with a lot of hard work, blood, sweat and tears put into this thing to make things happen. ... To still have songs that folks are identifying with eight years [later], that means a lot."

McCreery chatted with Billboard about the romantic story behind his latest single and why the success is so validating.

What inspired you to write “This Is It” to propose to Gabi?

I knew I was going to pop the question, so I wanted to write a song around what I was envisioning for the day. It happened exactly like I wrote it, up in the mountains of North Carolina. The first time she heard it was the night we got engaged. There were definitely some tears shed.

Did writing "This Is It" make you even more nervous to pop the question, because the song sets up such a perfect proposal?

A little bit. I was nervous just in general for popping the question. But the place that we got engaged is kind of our secret spot where we go hiking, so I planned on going there -- it was just making sure everything happened on time. I had her family flying in, so there were a lot of logistics that had to fall in place. But it all worked out. She said yes -- that’s all that matters.

Though the whole song is super personal, do you have a favorite lyric?

“I know that you been waitin’ and I’ve been waiting too," because I had the ring in the closet for probably four or five months. I was waiting for the right time, but I was scared she might open the closet and do some clothes hunting. I had it in a shoebox, in a shoebox, in another shoebox, so she would’ve had to been really looking for it. [Laughs]

What went into the rollout strategy for this song and getting it to No. 1 this year when it was released last May?

I wrote this song for Gabi. But when I played it for my label, Triple Tigers, they wanted it on the radio. At the time, Triple Tigers was just me and Russell [Dickerson], which gave us time to work out a strategy. That’s been one of the nicest things about Triple Tigers: It’s laser-focused, and that’s something I didn’t feel before. The head of the label on down, I’m getting texts and calls, we’re working together -- it’s a pretty fun way to do business.

The song tested really well [at radio], which showed that the listeners were enjoying it and weren’t turning the radio dial when they heard it. But there’s also strategy in which markets you go to and seeing the folks. In country music, there’s such a bond between the artist and country radio. It feels like family, so for me, it’s cool to go to these stations and thank them for playing it. It’s definitely relationship-based, and it feels like they’re very much a part of our team.

How did the two-week No. 1 with "This Is It" feel different than topping Country Airplay with "Five More Minutes" last year?

“Five More Minutes” was just huge because I had waited seven years for that to happen and worked so hard. This one was more validating for me. To have two [No. 1s] feels like we’re really here to stay, the songs are really resonating with folks, and radio’s really accepting me for who I am and my music for what it is. Especially for it to be two weeks; that’s huge.

I was following it all week [when it had the potential for a second week at No. 1]. We were on the road, and as soon as it hit midnight, we had a huge celebration, popped champagne. I got home and did the same thing with friends and family. We had a big round of golf with all of my buddies, had champagne in all of our carts. We definitely celebrated for two weeks. The week after, I had to go on a cleanse. We went hard. [Laughs]

You still drive the truck you won on American Idol. Have you heard “This Is It” on the radio in the truck?

The truck is my baby; her name is Loretta [after Loretta Lynn]. I’ll drive that thing till the wheels fall off. When [Gabi and I] got our first puppy, right when we got back in the car, “This Is It” was playing. There’s been a lot of things that have happened like that with this song -- it feels like it was meant to be. Every time we hear it, we look at each other and smile.

A version of this article was published in the March 23 issue of Billboard.

[Gary]

Luke Combs Leads All Five Country Charts Again, Scores His Longest Country Airplay Reign

3/26/2019 by Jim Asker


Jason Kempin/Getty Images for St. Jude
Luke Combs performs at the Ryman Auditorium on Jan. 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tenn.

Luke Combs makes history as the first artist to lead all five of Billboard's country charts simultaneously for multiple weeks: Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay, Country Streaming Songs, Country Digital Song Sales and Top Country Albums (all dated March 30). Combs first staged the quintuple chart achievement on the lists dated March 9.

One other artist previously led all five charts simultaneously for one week: Kane Brown, on Oct. 28, 2017.

Combs' "Beautiful Crazy" tops all four country song charts – and makes for a personal best for the singer-songwriter on Country Airplay. The ballad, written by Combs, Wyatt Durrette and Robert Williford, leads Country Airplay for a fifth frame, down 3 percent to 39.4 million audience impressions in the week ending March 24, according to Nielsen Music. Combs passes his prior longest stay atop the tally, as "She's Got the Best of Me" reigned for four weeks starting in October 2018.

"Crazy" initially topped the Country Airplay chart dated March 2, becoming Combs' unprecedented fifth consecutive career-opening entry on the survey to hit No. 1. Before "Crazy" and "Best," his debut hit "Hurricane" led for two weeks beginning May 27, 2017, followed by "When It Rains It Pours," which also dominated for two frames, beginning Nov. 4, 2017, and "One Number Away" (June 9, 2018).

[readmore8499758]:

"Crazy" is the longest-ruling Country Airplay No. 1 by any act since Thomas Rhett's "Die a Happy Man," which crowned the chart for six weeks starting Jan. 2, 2016. What makes "Crazy" such a rare lengthy leader? "It's a special song," says KKBQ Houston program director Johnny Chiang. "It's pretty amazing to see that in a matter of just a few songs, Luke Combs has become a core artist on most country stations. Yup, a new artist whose songs are now pretty much must-adds out-of-the-box. It's really incredible."

"Crazy" likewise paces the airplay-, streaming- and sales-fueled Hot Country Songs chart for a fifth week, as well as Country Streaming Songs for a fifth frame, essentially even week-over-week with 12.1 million U.S. streams in the week ending March 21. On Country Digital Song Sales, it rebounds 2-1 for a sixth total week at the summit (12,000 sold, up 15 percent in the week ending March 21).

Meanwhile, Combs' debut LP This One's for You returns to the Top Country Albums attic for a 29th cumulative week at No. 1, up less than 1 percent to 24,000 equivalent album units in the week ending March 21.

BROWN LOOKS 'GOOD' IN TOP 10 Kane Brown nets his fourth Hot Country Songs top 10 as "Good as You" hops 11-10. It increases by 9 percent to 18.7 million audience impressions and climbs 14-11 on Country Airplay.

Brown boasts two Hot Country Songs No. 1s: "What Ifs," featuring Lauren Alaina (five weeks, beginning Oct. 21, 2017), and "Lose It" (Nov. 24, 2018). His other top 10, "Heaven," hit No. 2 in March 2018.

REBA RETURNS Superstar Reba McEntire extends her record for the most Country Airplay appearances among women, as "Freedom" enters as the chart's top debut at No. 52 with 1.7 million impressions. McEntire makes her 69th visit to the chart and first since December 2017.

McEntire pads her lead among women over runner-up Martina McBride, with 56 Country Airplay appearances. Among all acts, McEntire, who has notched 11 No. 1s among 36 top 10s, ranks seventh for the most entries. George Strait leads all artists with 99; his latest, "Every Little Honky Tonk Bar" (MCA Nashville), lifts 22-21 (10.9 million in audience, up 7 percent).

[Gary]

Women Are Running 'Rings' Around Men on the Hot 100 in 2019, Thanks to Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga & Halsey

3/26/2019 by Gary Trust


Women have spent 11 weeks at No. 1 so far, already equaling last year's total.

Just three months into 2019, solo women in lead roles have already matched the time they spent at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in all of 2018.

So far this year, solo women have totaled 11 weeks at No. 1, out of 13 total calendar frames.

Leading the resurgence, Ariana Grande's "7 Rings" rules the Hot 100 (dated March 30) for, aptly, a seventh week, matching the reign of her first No. 1, "Thank U, Next," for her personal best. Both songs contribute to women's chart supremacy in 2019, joined by Halsey's "Without Me" and Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's "Shallow."

Women's 2018 and 2019 sums outpace that of 2017: eight weeks, this decade's low for women with lead billings atop the Hot 100. Still, those 11-week tallies pale in comparison to women's highpoint in the '10s: 37 weeks at No. 1 in 2011, when Gaga, Adele, Katy Perry, Rihanna and Britney Spears took turns at the top.

Meanwhile, solo men in lead roles have topped the Hot 100 for two weeks in 2019, thanks to a No. 1 frame each for Bradley Cooper on "Shallow" and Post Malone and Swae Lee for "Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)." That's after logging 37 weeks in charge in 2018 and a decade-best 43 frames at the summit in 2017; unsurprisingly, those years coincided with an explosion of male-dominated hip-hop.

(One group has led the Hot 100 in the first quarter of 2019: Jonas Brothers' "Sucker," the brother trio's first No. 1, which debuted atop the March 16-dated chart.)

So far this decade, lead solo women have totaled more weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 than lead solo men in four years (2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014), while the latter have claimed five titles (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018). As for notable swings, tracing from when pop gave way to hip-hop, women outperformed men by 37 weeks to 6 atop the chart in 2011, while men won 2017 by a 43-to-8 landslide in 2017.

With all numbers crunched, the yearly averages of lead solo men vs. women in lead roles atop the Hot 100 from 2010 through 2018 stand at 24.4 vs. 19.8 weeks. (Duos/groups account for 8.2 annual weeks at No. 1 in that span.)

Still, if women maintain their torrid pace that has so far defined 2019 – and with new music being teased by the likes of Rihanna, Swift, Halsey and Gaga – that average disparity could dissipate by year's end.

[Gary]

Five Burning Questions: Billboard Staffers Discuss Lil Nas X's Top 40 Breakout Hit 'Old Town Road'

News

By Billboard Staff | March 26, 2019 1:53 PM EDT


In just three weeks on the chart, Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" has bound all the way to No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the young breakout rapper's first top 40 hit on the listing.

The song's success, spurred on by a series of TikTok videos and other viral memes, resulted in a bidding war that culminated in the artist (real name: Montero Lamar Hill) signing to Columbia Records -- and recently saw a co-sign from Justin Bieber, who commented on his Instagram story, "This shit bangs."

The breakthrough of "Old Town Road" is already one of the most fun and exciting stories of early 2019. But what's at the heart of Lil Nas X's crossover breakthrough? How repeatable is it? And will the song ultiamtely be able to escape its own virality? Below, five Billboard staffers debate these questions and more.

1. What part of the extremely 2019 success of “Old Town Road” do you find the most interesting and/or fun?

Tatiana Cirisano: The country-tinged song is coasting the wave of the, ahem, Yee Haw Agenda that’s taking over the internet. For the unacquainted, cowboy memes are suddenly unavoidable on Twitter, while artists from Solange to Cardi B and Lizzo have reclaimed the cowboy narrative by incorporating Western imagery in their performances. What we’ve got here is the perfect storm of music meme-ability and cultural relevance: “Old Town Road” was released just before the Yeehaw Agenda reached a peak, got swept up in the pop culture moment, and became a separate meme on TikTok itself. Serve that success up with a side of yee-yee juice.

Bianca Gracie: The first thing that drew me to the song was its unexpected country inspirations, coming from a rising young black rapper from Atlanta. We’re currently experiencing another wave of the Yee Haw renaissance in urban music (shout-out to Young Thug, Solange and Megan Thee Stallion!) -- the last one that comes to mind was in the mid-’00s with Nelly and Bubba Sparxxx. So “Old Town Road” came at the right time! But aside from that, I love that Lil Nas X managed to integrate the genre’s classic banjo-swinging sound into something that you can actually turn up to in the club!

Carl Lamarre: I think the memes are priceless. The video was released last December, and had a resurgence earlier this year due to a viral explosion on the video-sharing social media app TikTok. There, everyone morphed into a country figure, trying out their best Magnificent Seven impression. Somewhere, Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt are gleefully clicking their cowboy boots.

Jason Lipshutz: "Old Town Road” is a particularly weird case of a viral song impacting the mainstream. A large part of that has to do with the composition of the song, an under-two-minutes combination of an exaggerated Southern drawl and Nine Inch Nails sample from a rapper with a knowingly derivative moniker and other songs that sound nothing like this one. Yet it also has to do with how quickly all of this -- “Old Town Road” blowing up on TikTok, Lil Nas X signing a deal with Columbia, and now the song hitting the Top 40 -- has taken place. “Old Town Road” doesn’t even have its own Wikipedia entry yet! Maybe the instantaneous hit is something we just have to get used to.

Ross Scarano: Hip-hop’s ability to absorb virtually anything, process it, and serve it back to the world, even more successful. That never fails to impress me, even in the case of a song as winkingly silly as “Old Town Road.” I also appreciate the line you can draw from Young Thug’s proto-Yee Haw Agenda Beautiful Thugger Girls to now.

2. How much bigger do you see the song getting from here, if any?

Tatiana Cirisano: At the rate “Old Town Road” is charging up the Hot 100, I don’t see it slowing down yet. But how much bigger the song can get? It depends. Are listeners playing the song to understand the meme, or are the memes helping fans discover a song that has legs on its own? I reckon the answer is a mixture of both -- if it were solely the former, I doubt we’d see such an impressive spike (leaping from No. 51 to No. 32) on the Hot 100 this week. Recent endorsements from the likes of Justin Bieber, Florida Georgia Line and Rico Nasty should keep the momentum going, as should Nas’ new record deal with Columbia (and prior bidding war). Plus, a soon-to-come music video for the track is sure to lend it another surge in streams down the line.

Bianca Gracie: The song just cracked the Hot 100 a few weeks ago, and it's definitely going to keep rising. Its co-signs should likely boost streams even more as other artists discover it. I wouldn't be surprised if it cracks the top 20 before summer begins. Meanwhile, I’m not sure if Lil Nas X is booked for the upcoming festival season just yet, but bringing this song to the live stage will no doubt take it higher: Can you just imagine the madness if a huge crowd filled with young teens broke into “I GOT HORSES IN THE BACK!” shouts while whipping around imaginary lassos at Made In America or Firefly?

Carl Lamarre: Since the meme compilation gave the record its second wind, "Old Town Road" continues to flourish. Not only has the song galloped its way into top 40 territory, but now has the chance of being in rarified airspace of dare I say, the top 20? With X inking a deal with Columbia last week, the record is going to get a massive push from the marketing and promotions side. Once radio gets their hands on this song, it's only going to be the beginning for the ATLien. In case you don't believe me, look what happened last summer with Sheck Wes' "Mo Bamba" and Flipp Dinero's "Leave Me Alone" after their own respective artists signed to majors.

Jason Lipshutz: I could see it going top 10, at least. “Old Town Road” appears to be blowing up during a seam in the release calendar, in which most of the winter smashes have begun to melt away from public consciousness but the summer song heavy hitters have yet to fully drop. That fortuitous timing is helping Lil Nas X not only dominate streams but the attention of chart watchers. Let’s face it: “Old Town Road” is a fascinating fluke hit, but probably wouldn’t be the topic of this conversation if it had begun rising during the competitive summer months.

Ross Scarano: The top ten of the Hot 100 is vulnerable right now, and the velocity of “Old Town Road” -- which already leapt from No. 83 to No. 51 in a week -- is impressive. It’s already outpacing the climb of Blueface's “Thotiana,” which has peaked at No. 9 so far. I’d put money on Lil Nas X hitting the top 10.

3. Is this the start of a long and successful career on the charts for Lil Nas X, or will it likely prove an unrepeatable fluke?

Tatiana Cirisano: It’ll be tough for Lil Nas X to replicate the success of “Old Town Road” for sure. But I don’t think we’ve heard the last of him. His self-released 2018 project Nasarati shows promise -- try the dance-influenced “In The Bank” or Bobby Caldwell-sampling “Carry On” -- and his recent string of singles showcase his versatility beyond the country-inspired experiment of “Old Town Road.” Plus, it only takes a scroll through his must-follow Twitter and Instagram accounts to see that the kid’s got charisma. But it’s “BANZUP,’” an acoustic guitar-backed premonition about making money released just before “Old Town Road,” that stands out to me as his next potential hit. “18 set me up for 19/ It’s gonna be a killer year,” he raps, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s right.

Bianca Gracie: Honestly this seems more like a flash in the pan, and not so much a reflection of a long-term career. When a song becomes an instant viral hit like this, it comes with a challenge for artists as they try to figure out how the heck they’ll top it. And more often that not, they never seem to do so. In Lil Nas X’s case, I think he caught lightning in a bottle with “Old Town Road,” and is at risk of getting lost in the next wave of rappers who are ready to enjoy a quick hit. As much as the song is fun, it’s still a bit gimmicky. But it’ll be interesting to see if he can showcase some versatility with his new music, especially following his recent signing to Columbia -- now he has something to prove.

Carl Lamarre: I don't think Lil Nas X is going to be a flash-in-the-pan kind of artist. For one, Nasarati is oozing with potential. "Carry On" is quite the contrast from the country-tinged "OTR," and exudes a more serious tone from X. On that song, he ruminates about his grandma's death, his personal woes and more. Another unique gem from his catalog is "No Love," where he somberly speaks about a broken relationship he once endured. A healthy balance of mainstream hits and deep records bodes well for any artist, and I think X is mindful of that.

Jason Lipshutz: It’s too early to tell whether Lil Nas X will be able to avoid one-hit wonder status, although the machinations of the modern music industry certainly make it easier to avoid instant obscurity after a single takes off. Even if the success of “Old Town Road” is never repeated, its creator is now on a major label, which is no doubt already strategizing how to keep him in the spotlight past its expiration date. More singles, new collaborations and a debut album could all already be in the works. Even if Lil Nas X never hits another home run, he’ll certainly receive several more swings of the bat beyond his debut hit.

Ross Scarano: Deploying country signifiers in a song that has a music video made up of Red Dead Redemption footage, with lyrics that have spawned a meme on TikTok just as the app is starting to reach its tipping point, amidst lots of good online joking and thinkpiecing about the Yee Haw Agenda? “Old Town Road” is the definition of unrepeatable. However, Lil Nas X’s other music indicates that he’s a canny listener, interested in playing with other sounds and styles (check his bounce-inspired single “Grab That”). He’s funny and seems curious. Solid recipe for continued success.

4. What other hit song from recent years does “Old Town Road” most remind you of?

Tatiana Cirisano: Juice WRLD’s “Lucid Dreams.” Both are career-launching, somber rap songs that borrow a rock sample (Sting for Juice, Nine Inch Nails for Nas) and interpolate genres we might not expect to find in a hip-hop song. Both songs were the artist’s first commercial hit, too, and sprung seemingly out of thin air, benefitting from a younger swath of listeners who aren't afraid to embrace a sound that’s a little off-center. That said, “Lucid Dreams” stands to be the more impactful of the two -- I don’t see “Old Town Road” vying for No. 1 on the Hot 100 as “Dreams” did.

Bianca Gracie: This is quite recent, but Pinkfong's "Baby Shark" immediately comes to mind. It was (and still remains) a viral dance movement with kids that somehow ended up biting into the Hot 100. Much like “Baby Shark,” “Old Town Road” is quickly becoming its own phenomenon. These memes aren’t going to stop any time soon!

Carl Lamarre: Lil Tracy's "Like a Farmer" comes to mind. From the ad-libs to the accent, to the actual lyrics ("He want beef, I'ma have to get him slaughtered"), "Like a Farmer" was the perfect gumbo of country and trap. What's even better is Tracy's "Like a Farmer (Remix)" with Lil Uzi Vert, whose ode to the everyday farmer spiced up the record: "Yes, I have a tractor; you don't like to fly/ Took her on a trip to Texas, treat it like Dubai."

Jason Lipshutz: This is going back a decade, but I’m going with The Lonely Island’s “I’m On a Boat,” featuring T-Pain. That was an example of three goofballs attempting to satirize hip-hop excess and stumbling into a legitimately good hip-hop song; it even received a Grammy nomination in a rap category. While The Lonely Island paid homage to a genre and then inadvertently scored a hit within it, Lil Nas X has inverted their game, honored country tropes as a rap outsider looking in, and been able to ride those tropes to achieve unexpected success. Just think of “Ridin' on a horse, ha, you can whip your Porsche” as a spiritual sequel to “You can't stop me, motherfucker, 'cause I'm on a boat.”

Ross Scarano: On a conceptual level, “Old Town Road” is a sort of photo negative of Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy.” Skip to the oft-quoted “horses in the back” line and you have a black artist affecting a twangy “white”-sounding voice, with lyrics deploying country music and Western movie stereotypes crossed with hip-hop references. It’s humorous and ironic. Just like Iggy Azalea explaining how real she is.

5. Ignoring everything about its viral takeoff and fascinating cultural crossover: On a scale of 1-10, how do you rate “Old Town Road” as a song?

Tatiana Cirisano: I give it a 5. “Old Town Road” strikes me as one of those unavoidable hits you try to roll your eyes at, but sooner or later, it just gets you. The chorus is an undeniable earworm, and Nas’ delivery of those first few lines (“I got the horses in the back…”) slaps. There’s something weirdly charming in this sad tale about a lonesome cowboy. Still, the rapper seems to be running out of country references by the second verse (“bull ridin’ and boobies”?), at which point the track loses its steam. And Nas’ quasi-country accent sounds just an inflection too forced (Kurt Vile called, he wants his shtick back).

Bianca Gracie: I’ll give it an 8, only because I wish it played longer. “Old Town Road” is bloody catchy and so humorous. I can’t remember the last time a rap song, or any song for that matter, made me physically laugh out loud with actual joy and not awkward cringe. Young rappers are currently weighing the genre down with somber melodies with lyrics to match, so I commend Lil Nas X for breaking the mold a bit with something this fun and refreshing.

Carl Lamarre: "Cowboy hat from Gucci/ Wrangler on my booty"?! That's makes the song an automatic 10 for me. I'm sure Wrangler is currently seeing an excellent sales boost from that name drop alone.

Jason Lipshutz: A 4. The overly affected drawl, anonymous trap beat and cliched cowboy lyrics in the main section of the song all read as novelty to me; as soon as Lil Nas X spits, “I got the horses in the back/ Horse tack is attached,” I’m out. Which is a shame, because the intro and outro, in which the titular phrase is exalted over a gentle mix of strumming and finger-picking, is pretty beguiling on its own. That repeated snippet could, in fact, stand on its own as a great country-adjacent tune if it had been filled out the right way, and not with what sounds like parody rap. There aren’t many songs that possess the structure and sound of “Old Town Road,” which should be acknowledged… but it also doesn’t mean that I’ll be saddling up to it anytime soon.

Ross Scarano: Let's say 6. The song is cleverer than it needs to be, the porch line in particular, and doesn’t out-stay its welcome. But of the Lil Nas X songs I’ve heard, it’s not the one I’m most interested in.

[Au$tin]

Mar 26, 2019 1:30:40 GMT -5 85la said:

Mar 25, 2019 19:07:10 GMT -5 tanooki said:

Full runs for all songs in the top 10:

7 rings 1-1-1-1-1-2-2-1-1
Without Me 18-23-12-9-6-4-4-4-3-2-2-2-1-2-1-2-2-3-4-2-3-5-3-2
Sunflower 9-24-23-22-16-17-17-7-4-5-3-1-2-3-3-4-5-3-4-4-2-3
Wow 47-13-11-9-8-9-9-9-10-8-7-5-4
Please Me 5-14-3-4-5
Happier 63-59-46-35-31-15-13-8-6-4-3-4-3-3-3-4-4-5-7-6-6-6-7-8-2-6-6-6-8-7-6
Shallow 28-5-10-14-21-22-24-23-28-38-39-44-52-29-23-24-24-16-24-18-21-1-6-9-7
Sucker 1-6-8
Middle Child 26-4-8-11-11-5-9-8-9
Going Bad 6-17-22-36-21-18-17-14-15-15-13-15-16-16-14-10

Thank you so much tanooki, it's always great to see these! It's very difficult to look up or obtain these runs at all, especially if you don't have a Billboard subscription.

acharts.us has every Hot 100 run since 2003.

[Enigma.]

That OTR article is interesting, however if you browse through Lil Nas X's Spotify page, you'll see that none on his other songs has been getting any traction. I'm totally getting the one hit wonder vibe from him.

[Naos]

Mar 27, 2019 1:39:13 GMT -5 Enigma. said:

That OTR article is interesting, however if you browse through Lil Nas X's Spotify page, you'll see that none on his other songs has been getting any traction. I'm totally getting the one hit wonder vibe from him.

He has other songs on Spotify? I checked iTunes too, I can't find anything.

[aussie1]

Perfect is stil #1 on the recurrent list despite being released what 18-24 months ago as a single? Crazy!

[Enigma.]

Mar 27, 2019 3:06:19 GMT -5 Naos said:

Mar 27, 2019 1:39:13 GMT -5 Enigma. said:

That OTR article is interesting, however if you browse through Lil Nas X's Spotify page, you'll see that none on his other songs has been getting any traction. I'm totally getting the one hit wonder vibe from him.

He has other songs on Spotify? I checked iTunes too, I can't find anything.

Oh, there's nothing any more. Maybe Sony took them down, I checked on Monday and there was at least one mixtape.

Here's some info about his previous material en.everybodywiki.com/Lil_Nas_X

[Gary]

CHART BEAT
Joji Scores First Billboard Hot 100 Hit With 'Slow Dancing in the Dark'


3/27/2019 by Xander Zellner


The track also holds in the Hot R&B Songs top 10.

R&B trip-hop singer Joji (full name: George Miller) scores his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (dated March 30), as his single "Slow Dancing in the Dark" debuts at No. 96.

The track appears on his debut LP Ballads 1, which launched at No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 3 on the all-genre Billboard 200 dated Nov. 10, 2018.

"Dancing" has been building since it debuted on the Hot R&B Songs and Hot R&B R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts on Sept. 29; this week, it matches its No. 7 peak on the former and reaches a new No. 39 high on the latter.

The single, which Joji produced with Chairlift's Patrick Wimberly, debuts on the Hot 100 with 10 million U.S. streams (up 7 percent) and 1,000 downloads sold (up 12 percent) in the tracking week, according to Nielsen Music.

The song's official video has logged over 52 million global views on YouTube since its Sept. 12 premiere.

Joji previously reached Hot R&B Songs with "Yeah Right," the first single from Ballads 1 (No. 21, November). His debut EP In Tongues hit No. 28 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and No. 58 on the Billboard 200 in November 2017.

Plus, his comedy album Pink Season, under the moniker Pink Guy, reached No. 70 on the Billboard 200 in January 2017. Notably, his comedy videos on YouTube interpolated Baauer's "Harlem Shake," which helped popularize the track in 2013 and helped it spend five weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100.

[Gary]

Meek Mill's 'Going Bad' Hits No. 1 On Rhythmic Songs and Rap Airplay Charts

3/27/2019 by Trevor Anderson


Meek Mill ft. Drake "Going Bad"

Meek Mill earns his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Songs airplay chart as “Going Bad” climbs 2-1 on the ranking dated March 30. The song, which features Drake, rises 4 percent in plays in the week ending March 24, according to Nielsen Music.

Before "Going Bad," the Philadelphia native previously reached as high as No. 11, which he achieved with “All Eyes on You,” featuring Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj in 2015. In total, Meek Mill has logged 10 songs on the list, dating to his first, “Ima Boss,” featuring T.I., Birdman, Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled, Rick Ross and Swizz Beatz. The stacked collaboration peaked at No. 40 in 2011.

"Bad" also seals Drake’s record-extending 24th leader since the chart began in 1992. The superstar claimed his 23rd on his last visit to Rhythmic Songs through a guest spot on Bad Bunny’s “MIA,” which led for the final chart week of 2018 and the first ranking of 2019. Thanks to “MIA” and “Bad,” Drake sports a pair of consecutive No. 1 chart entries for the fourth time in his career, after the following pairs, all in 2016:

“Jumpman,” with Future (one week at No. 1) and Rihanna’s “Work,” featuring Drake (six)
“One Dance,” featuring WizKid & Kyla (six) and “Controlla” (two)
DJ Khaled’s “For Free,” featuring Drake (three) and “Too Good,” featuring Rihanna (six)

In addition to its Rhythmic Songs coronation, “Bad” steps 2-1 on the Rap Airplay chart to lead for the first time despite a 3 percent drop in plays in the week. The single becomes Meek Mill’s first leader there, too, on his 17th try. His previous best peak showing was at No. 3, achieved by Wale’s “Bag of Money,” on which Meek Mill featured alongside Rick Ross and T-Pain (2012), “All Eyes on You” (2012) and “Dangerous,” featuring Jeremih and PnB Rock last November.

Drake extends his No. 1 record on Rap Airplay to 32 leaders, more than twice as many as second-place act Lil Wayne, with 13.

“Bad” sustains its strong showings on other radio formats: It holds atop Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop for a third straight week and keeps at No. 2 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay for a second frame.

Steady airplay helps the collaboration return to the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10 after a 14-week absence. The track, which debuted at No. 6 in December, lifts 14-10 on the latest ranking.

[Gary]

CHART BEAT
Pinkfong Hits No. 1 on Emerging Artists Chart, Ally Brooke Debuts

3/27/2019 by Xander Zellner


Plus, 42 Dugg makes his Billboard chart debut.

Pinkfong tops Billboard's Emerging Artists chart (dated March 30), becoming the top emerging act in the U.S. for the first time.

Pinkfong's rise is driven largely by its viral single "Baby Shark," which ranks at No. 12 on the Streaming Songs chart with 21.7 million U.S. streams, according to Nielsen Music.

On the Billboard Hot 100, the song spends an 11th week in the top 40, at No. 37. Plus, Pinkfong Presents: The Best of Baby Shark tallies a second week atop the Kid Albums chart with 4,000 copies sold.

The Emerging Artists chart ranks the most popular developing artists of the week, using the same formula as the all-encompassing Billboard Artist 100, which measures artist activity across multiple Billboard charts, including the Hot 100, Billboard 200 and the Social 50. (The Artist 100 lists the most popular acts, overall, each week.) However, the Emerging Artists chart excludes acts that have notched a top 25 entry on either the Hot 100 or Billboard 200, as well as artists that have achieved two or more top 10s on Billboard's "Hot" song genre charts and/or consumption-based "Top" album genre rankings.

Rounding out the Emerging Artists chart's top five, Lil Nas X rises 5-2, reaching a new peak thanks to his viral hit "Old Town Road," which gallops into the Hot 100's top 40 (51-32); City Girls hold at No. 3; Lauv repeats at No. 4; and Morgan Wallen climbs 7-5.

Rapper 42 Dugg makes his Billboard chart debut, entering Emerging Artists at No. 43 as his debut LP Young and Turnt enters Heatseekers Albums at No. 4 with 1,000 copies sold. 42 Dugg is signed to Yo Gotti's Collective Music Group label.

Plus, former Fifth Harmony member Ally Brooke arrives at No. 47 on Emerging Artists as her new single "Low Key," featuring Tyga, bullets at No. 26 on the Pop Songs airplay chart and jumps 33-27 on Rhythmic Songs.

[85la]

Mar 26, 2019 22:36:44 GMT -5 Au$tin said:

Mar 26, 2019 1:30:40 GMT -5 85la said:

Thank you so much tanooki, it's always great to see these! It's very difficult to look up or obtain these runs at all, especially if you don't have a Billboard subscription.

acharts.us has every Hot 100 run since 2003.

Thanks, good to know!

[Baby Yoda Hot100Fan]

Mar 27, 2019 15:23:32 GMT -5 85la said:

Mar 26, 2019 22:36:44 GMT -5 Au$tin said:

acharts.us has every Hot 100 run since 2003.

Thanks, good to know!

One that has it from the beginning of the Hot 100 is umdmusic.com

[Au$tin]

Mar 27, 2019 15:37:55 GMT -5 Baby Yoda Hot100Fan said:

Mar 27, 2019 15:23:32 GMT -5 85la said:

Thanks, good to know!

One that has it from the beginning of the Hot 100 is umdmusic.com

Unless I'm completely missing it, that site only lists the peaks and weeks on the chart. acharts.us has the entire run available.

[Choco]

Mar 25, 2019 15:18:21 GMT -5 kimberly said:

Mar 25, 2019 15:05:15 GMT -5 Choco said:

Iggy is certainly trying and working her ass off... not sure if it will be enough to beat the backlash she rightfully received a few years ago, but I would love to see her make a comeback to top 40.

There's certainly room for more female rappers on the charts.

Was it "rightful" really? I feel like people were looking for a reason to cancel her, the same way they have been treating Nicki since Cardi came around... She has been releasing BOPS lately, not a lot of substance in her lyrics but that's never been the case for her anyway. Kream deserved better & Sally Walker would be top five if it was Cardi is all I'm saying

It was deserved. Her twitter feed turned into a toxic mess at least twice a week back then. She also handled the controversy around white rappers in the worst way possible.