Drake Makes Historic Hot 100 Start at Nos. 1, 2 & 3, Led by 'What's Next'
By Gary Trust
3/15/2021
Click to copy
www.billboard.com/articles/news/9541075/drake-top-three-hot-100-debuts-whats-next-number-one/t"
Drake is the first artist ever to debut three songs in the top three simultaneously.
The lyrics of Drake's new song "What's Next" have proven prophetic, as the track debuts at numero uno on the Billboard Hot 100 (aka, the "Hot one hundo"). He also becomes the first artist to enter the chart at Nos. 1, 2 and 3 simultaneously, as the song is joined by his "Wants and Needs," featuring Lil Baby, new at No. 2, and "Lemon Pepper Freestyle," featuring Rick Ross, new at No. 3.
The tracks were released March 5 on OVO Sound/Republic Records (packaged under the title "Scary Hours 2").
With "What's Next," Drake adds his eighth Hot 100 No. 1, while the three songs up his total to a record-extending 45 top 10s. Drake also joins The Beatles and Ariana Grande as the only acts ever to rank at Nos. 1, 2 and 3 on the Hot 100 simultaneously.
Meanwhile, the week's top four songs on the Hot 100 are all debuts for the first time in the chart's six-decade history -- as, below Drake's three-song launch, Silk Sonic's "Leave the Door Open" enters at No. 4. The duo comprises Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak.
Plus, as it cedes the Hot 100's summit after eight weeks at No. 1, Olivia Rodrigo's "Drivers License" takes over atop the Radio Songs chart.
The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data. All charts (dated March 20) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (March 16). For all chart news, you can follow
billboard and
billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
Here's a look at Drake's unprecedented week with "What's Next," the 1,117th No. 1 in the Hot 100's archives, and his two other new entries. The song is the 49th single to debut at No. 1 (and the second in a row, following Rodrigo's "License").
Streams, Airplay & Sales: "What's Next" opens with 49.1 million U.S. streams and 19,000 downloads sold in the week ending March 11, according to MRC Data. It also drew 11.9 million radio airplay audience impressions in the week ending March 14.
"Wants and Needs" arrives with 41.5 million streams, 17,000 sold and 2.1 million in airplay audience, while "Lemon Pepper Freestyle" starts with 32.1 million streams, 15,000 sold and 869,000 in radio reach.
As on the Hot 100, the tracks start at Nos. 1, 2 and 3, respectively, on the Streaming Songs chart, where Drake widens his lead for the most No. 1s (10) and top 10s (51). On Digital Song Sales, they debut at Nos. 3, 4 and 5, respectively.
Drake's record arrival at Nos. 1, 2 & 3 / Top four all debuts: Drake is the first artist to debut at Nos. 1, 2 and 3 on the Hot 100 in the same week, while the arrival of Silk Sonic's "Leave the Door Open" makes this week's chart the first ever with four simultaneous debuts in the top four.
Previously, songs debuted at Nos. 1 and 2 simultaneously on the Hot 100 three times, and never by the same artist. Most recently, Ariana Grande's "Positions" and Luke Combs' "Forever After All" launched at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, on the chart dated Nov. 7, 2020. Before that, Adele's "Hello" debuted at No. 1 and Bieber's "Sorry" started at No. 2 on Nov. 14, 2015, while Clay Aiken's "This Is the Night" and Ruben Studdard's "Flying Without Wings" entered at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively (reversing their finishes that season on American Idol), on June 28, 2003.
Beatles, Ariana & Drake: Drake, meanwhile, joins The Beatles and Ariana Grande as the only acts ever to rank at Nos. 1, 2 and 3 on the Hot 100 simultaneously. He's thus the first solo male to earn the honor.
Grande achieved the feat with "7 Rings," "Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" and "Thank U, Next" on the Hot 100 dated Feb. 23, 2019. No such triple had occurred in 55 years to that point, since The Beatles did so for five weeks in 1964, that March 14, 21 and 28 and April 4 and 25, with "Can't Buy Me Love," "Twist and Shout" and "Do You Want to Know a Secret," respectively, on the last of those dates; on April 4, 1964, the group claimed the entire top five.
Drake's 8th No. 1: Drake notches his eighth Hot 100 No. 1 with "What's Next."
Here's a recap of all his leaders:
"What's My Name?," Rihanna feat. Drake (one week at No. 1, beginning Nov. 20, 2010)
"Work," Rihanna feat. Drake (nine weeks, beginning March 5, 2016)
"One Dance," Drake feat. WizKid & Kyla (10 weeks, beginning May 21, 2016)
"God's Plan," Drake (11 weeks, beginning Feb. 3, 2018)
"Nice for What," Drake (eight weeks, beginning April 21, 2018)
"In My Feelings," Drake (10 weeks, beginning July 21, 2018)
"Toosie Slide," Drake (one week, April 18, 2020)
"What's Next," Drake (one week to-date, March 20, 2021)
"Next" is Drake's fourth song to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100, the most among male artists, following "God's Plan," "Nice for What" and "Toosie Slide." Overall, only Ariana Grande boasts more No. 1 beginnings, with five.
With his three latest entrances, Drake also swells his record total to 30 career debuts in the Hot 100's top 10.
Most weeks at No. 1 among solo males: Drake extends his mark for the most total weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 among solo males to 51. Usher ranks second with 47.
Here's an updated leaderboard among all acts:
84, Mariah Carey
60, Rihanna
59, The Beatles
51, Drake
50, Boyz II Men
Drake ups record to 45 top 10s: Drake pads his record total to 45 Hot 100 top 10s, thanks to "What's Next," "Wants and Needs" and "Lemon Pepper Freestyle." Madonna ranks second with 38 top 10s, followed by The Beatles with 34.
Drake further extends his records to 119 top 40 Hot 100 hits and 231 entries overall.
Lil Baby, Ross reach top 10: With "Wants and Needs," Lil Baby adds his sixth Hot 100 top 10.
Thanks to "Lemon Pepper Freestyle," Rick Ross lands his second Hot 100 top 10, and highest placement, following his fellow featured turn on Drake's "Money in the Grave" (No. 7, 2019). Ross earns his 50th total Hot 100 entry, dating to his first in 2006.
Drake extends R&B/hip-hop No. 1 record: "What's Next" concurrently launches at No. 1 on on the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where Drake achieves his record-extending 22nd leader. Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder share the second-most No. 1s in the chart's history (20 each).
The track likewise debuts atop the multi-metric Hot Rap Songs chart, where it's also Drake's record-furthering 22nd No. 1.
Rounding out the record run of four simultaneous Hot 100 debuts, Silk Sonic's "Leave the Door Open" starts at No. 4. The song by the duo of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak begins with 23.5 million airplay audience impressions, 23.2 million streams and 27,000 sold, as it debuts at No. 2 on Digital Song Sales, No. 4 on Streaming Songs and No. 31 on Radio Songs.
The collab, billed on the Hot 100 as by Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak), contributes to the chart histories of both artists, becoming Mars' 17th top 10 and Anderson .Paak's first (after he charted one prior entry, reaching No. 89 in February 2020 as featured on Eminem's "Lock It Up").
"Door" debuts at No. 1 on the multi-metric Hot R&B Songs chart, where it's Mars' third leader and Anderson .Paak's first.
Olivia Rodrigo's "Drivers License" falls to No. 5 after spending its first eight weeks on the Hot 100 at No. 1. Still, it rises 2-1 on Radio Songs (74.3 million, up 1%). It dips 4-9 on Streaming Songs (17.3 million, down 12%) and 5-11 on Digital Song Sales (7,000, down 23%).
"License," Rodrigo's first Radio Songs entry, hits No. 1 in its eighth week on the chart. It completes the quickest coronation in nearly two years, since Jonas Brothers' "Sucker" took over on top in its seventh week in April 2019. Among acts' first Radio Songs entries (in lead roles), "License" wraps the fastest run to No. 1 since Meghan Trainor's "All About That Bass" (seven weeks, 2014).
Cardi B's "Up" drops to No. 6 from its No. 2 Hot 100 high, as it wins the chart's top Airplay Gainer award (32.4 million, up 17%), and The Weeknd's "Save Your Tears" slips 6-7, after reaching No. 4, and his "Blinding Lights" falls 3-8, after spending four weeks at No. 1 last April-May. "Lights" adds a record-extending 53rd week in the top 10, a week after becoming the first song in the chart's history to total a year in the region.
Ariana Grande's "34+35" slides 4-9 on the Hot 100, after it reached No. 2, and 24kGoldn's "Mood," featuring Iann Dior, backtracks 7-10, after eight nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 in October through mid-January. The latter leads the multi-metric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Alternative Songs charts for a 28th week each.
Again, for all chart news, you can follow
billboard and
billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram and all charts (dated March 20), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (March 16).
