Plus, Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage,” featuring Beyoncé, rises to No. 2 and Drake ties Madonna for the most Hot 100 top 10s all-time.

Doja Cat’s “Say So,” featuring Nicki Minaj, leaps from No. 6 to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, marking each artist’s first leader on the list. The song surges to the top following the arrival of its remix with Minaj.

Notably, Minaj shatters the record for the longest wait for a first Hot 100 No. 1, by total career entries, as “Say So” is her 109th charted title on the tally.

Plus, Megan Thee Stallion‘s “Savage,” featuring Beyoncé, rises from No. 4 to No. 2 on the Hot 100, similarly sparked by Beyoncé having joined on a remix. (Both Minaj and Beyoncé now show on each respective title on the Hot 100 for the first time, following the first full tracking week for the remixes, which drove the majority of overall activity for both songs.)

Additionally, Drake debuts at No. 7 on the Hot 100 with “Pain 1993,” featuring Playboi Carti. Drake notches his milestone 38th top 10, tying Madonna for the most in the Hot 100’s 61-year history.

Let’s run down the top 10 of the newest Hot 100, which blends all-genre U.S. streaming, radio airplay and sales data. All charts (dated May 16) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (May 12).

“Say So,” released on Kemosabe/RCA Records, becomes the 1,100th No. 1 in the Hot 100’s history. Here’s a deeper look at its coronation.

No. 1 in sales, top 3 in airplay & sales: “Say So” vaults from No. 16 to No. 1 on the Digital Song Sales chart, up 966% to 66,000 downloads sold (a lower number than originally projected) in the week ending May 7, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.

Sparking its ascent, the Minaj remix was released at midnight ET May 1. Additionally, an official dance video for the song and a live clip premiered May 2 and 4, respectively.

Meanwhile, the song was on sale in a physical/digital combination offering during the tracking week. Consumers could purchase a vinyl single with a digital download; the download would be sent to consumers upon purchase, with the vinyl version due to arrive at a later date.

“Say So” rises 3-2 on the Radio Songs chart, up 6% to 96.2 million audience impressions in the week ending May 10, and bounds 10-4 on Streaming Songs, up 87% to 30.3 million U.S. streams in the week ending May 7. (The Hot 100’s sales and streaming tracking week runs Friday through Thursday, while the airplay tracking week covers Monday-Sunday.)

(Unlike on the Hot 100, where streaming and sales for the Minaj remix of “Say So” contributed to a majority of the title’s chart points in the tracking week, leading to Minaj being credited for the first time, approximately 90% of the song’s radio airplay was for the original version, so Minaj is not credited as an artist on any airplay rankings.)

Minaj’s record run to No. 1: While Doja Cat rules the Hot 100 with her third Hot 100 entry, Minaj leads with her 109th. That’s the longest that a Hot 100-topping artist has had to wait for a first No. 1, blasting past Justin Bieber, who notched his first with his 47th entry, “What Do You Mean?,” in 2015. (Of course, both Minaj and Bieber have tallied titles in an era in which album cuts, not just properly promoted singles, are eligible to hit the Hot 100, a rule not invoked until 1998, or 40 years after the chart originated. And, this stat covers only artists that have led the Hot 100; the cast of Fox’s Glee, with 207 appearances, for instance, has not earned any No. 1s.)

Minaj first appeared on the Hot 100 dated Feb. 20, 2010, as featured on Lil Wayne’s “Knockout.” Her 10-year and three-month journey to her first No. 1 marks the longest since … just last week, when Kid Cudi made his first trip to the top with “The Scotts” (billed as by The Scotts, Travis Scott and Kid Cudi), wrapping an odyssey of 11 years, three months and a week dating to his first appearance. (This week, “The Scotts” slides to No. 12 in its second frame.)

Minaj also adds her 18th Hot 100 top 10. She previously hit a No. 2 high with “Anaconda” in 2014. Her 109 entries are the most among women in the chart’s history, with “Say So” lifting her into a tie with Elvis Presley for the fourth-most among all acts (with the start of Presley’s career having predated the Hot 100’s inception).

Women rule: Doja Cat (born Amalaratna Zandile Dlamini in Los Angeles) and Minaj combine for the first Hot 100 No. 1 credited to two women in nearly six years, since Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy,” featuring Charli XCX, for seven weeks in June-July 2014.

Only six songs by solo women teaming up have topped the Hot 100. Here’s an updated list:

Title, Artists, Weeks at No. 1, Date Reached No. 1
“Say So,” Doja Cat feat. Nicki Minaj, one (to date), May 16, 2020
“Fancy,” Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX, seven, June 7, 2014
“S&M,” Rihanna feat. Britney Spears, one week, April 30, 2011
“Lady Marmalade,” Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya & P!nk, five, June 2, 2001
“The Boy Is Mine,” Brandy & Monica, 13, June 6, 1998
“No More Tears (Enough Is Enough),” Barbra Streisand & Donna Summer, two, Nov. 24, 1979

No. 1 hip-hop, R&B: “Say So” currently hits No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and on Hot R&B Songs charts. Both rankings employ the same multi-metric formula as the Hot 100. Doja Cat collects her first No. 1 on each chart and Minaj earns her fifth and first, respectively.

On top at pop: “Say So” also reaches No. 1 on the Pop Songs radio airplay chart, which ranks the most-played songs each week on a panel of 167 mainstream top 40 stations. Doja Cat achieves her first Pop Songs No. 1, in her second chart visit. (Again, as noted above, Minaj is not credited as an artist on “Say So” on Pop Songs.)

Purr-fection: Fur-ther, thanks to Doja Cat, a cat-monikered artist leads the Hot 100 at last. Previously, The Pussycat Dolls hit a No. 2 best with “Don’t Cha” (featuring Busta Rhymes) in 2005. (Three artists with “dog” in their names have reigned: Nate Dogg, Snoop Dogg and Three Dog Night.)

As for titles, Harry Chapin’s “Cat’s in the Cradle” topped the Hot 100 in 1974 and Janet Jackson’s “Black Cat” leapt to No. 1 in 1990. (Not to be catty, but no songs with “dog” in their titles have led.)

Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage,” featuring Beyoncé, climbs 4-2 on the Hot 100. Already the former’s first top 10 on the chart, Beyoncé, now listed as featured on the song, achieves her 19th.

Just as Doja Cat’s “Say So” leaps following the addition of Minaj, “Savage” gains thanks in large part to Beyoncé’s remix. While the Minaj remix of “Say So” was released May 1 and its first full week of availability contributed to the May 1-7 streaming and sales tracking weeks feeding the new, May 16-dated Hot 100, the Beyoncé version of “Savage” arrived April 29, in time for its first two days of streaming and sales activity to impact the May 9-dated Hot 100, on which the song soared 14-4. (A second “Savage” remix, with Major Lazer, was released May 7.)

“Savage” jumps 3-1 on Streaming Songs, up 53% to 42.1 million U.S. streams, becoming Megan Thee Stallion’s first No. 1 on the chart and Beyoncé’s third.

On Digital Song Sales, “Savage” holds at No. 2, gaining by 90% to 50,000 sold. Similar to “Say So,” “Savage” was on sale in physical/digital combination offerings during the tracking week, whereby consumers could purchase any of three vinyl singles with a download; again, the download would go to consumers upon purchase, with vinyl versions set to arrive at a future date.

“Savage” pushes 18-14 on Radio Songs, up 27% to 51.3 million in reach, and hits No. 1 on the multi-metric Hot Rap Songs chart, where Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé each earn their first leader.

The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” descends to No. 3 on the Hot 100, after four nonconsecutive weeks on top. It rules Radio Songs for a fifth frame, up 4% to 114.5 million audience impressions.

Drake’s “Toosie Slide” drops 3-4 on the Hot 100, following its debut at No. 1; Roddy Ricch’s “The Box” holds at No. 5, after it dominated for 11 weeks; and Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now” lifts 7-6, after reaching No. 2.

As for more Drake, he debuts at No. 7 on the Hot 100 with “Pain 1993,” featuring Playboi Carti. It opens at No. 3 on Streaming Songs with 31 million first-week streams and No. 46 on Digital Song Sales with 3,000 sold. The track is from Drake’s surprise release Dark Lane Demo Tapes, which he announced via an Instagram post a few hours before it dropped May 1; the set debuts at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.

Drake achieves his 38th Hot 100 top 10, matching Madonna for the most in the chart’s history. Madonna held the mark all to herself since November 2002, when “Die Another Day” became her 35th top 10, outpacing The Beatles’ 34. Notably, all 38 of Madonna’s top 10s have been in lead roles; due partly to the collaborative nature of hip-hop, Drake has posted 25 top 10s as a lead and 13 as a featured artist.

After Drake and Madonna, The Beatles rank third with 34 Hot 100 top 10s, followed by Rihanna (31) and Michael Jackson (30).

Meanwhile, Drake makes his record-extending 23rd debut in the Hot 100’s top 10.

Playboi Carti tallies his first Hot 100 top 10, after previously reaching a No. 29 best with “Magnolia” in 2017.

Post Malone’s “Circles” is steady at No. 8 on the Hot 100, following its three-week command, as it logs a record-extending 36th week in the top 10.

DaBaby’s “Rockstar,” featuring Roddy Ricch, rebounds from No. 14 to No. 9 on the Hot 100, equaling its peak first set upon its debut two weeks ago. The collab keeps at No. 5 on Streaming Songs (28.3 million, up 17%) and hikes 13-7 on Digital Song Sales (9,000, up 36%), while gaining by 136% to 5.7 million in airplay audience.

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Bieber’s “Intentions,” featuring Quavo, descends 9-10, after reaching No. 8.

Find out more Hot 100 news on Billboard.com this week, and, for all chart news, you can listen (and subscribe) to Billboard‘s Pop Shop Podcast and This Week in Billboard News podcast and follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram. And again, be sure to visit Billboard.com tomorrow (May 12), when all charts, including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh.

Source: billboard.com

Scott follows his virtual Fortnite concert last week.

Travis Scott and Kid Cudi‘s new collaborative single “The Scotts” blasts in at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. The song marks Scott’s third Hot 100 leader and Cudi’s first.

Plus, Megan Thee Stallion achieves her first top 10 Hot 100 hit, as “Savage” surges from No. 14 to No. 4 following the arrival of its remix with Beyoncé.

Let’s run down the top 10 of the newest Hot 100, which blends all-genre U.S. streaming, radio airplay and sales data. All charts (dated May 9) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (May 5).

“The Scotts,” billed as by The Scotts, Travis Scott & Kid Cudi (both artists have Scott in their names, as Kid Cudi’s real name is Scott Mescudi), was released to digital service providers for streaming and purchase on Wicked Awesome/Cactus Jack/Epic Records at midnight ET Friday, April 24.

The song arrives as the 1,099th No. 1 in the Hot 100’s 61-year history, and the 37th to debut at the summit.

No. 1 in streaming & sales: “The Scotts” likewise launches at No. 1 on the Streaming Songs chart, with 42.2 million U.S. streams in the week ending April 30, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.

It also bows at No. 1 on Digital Song Sales, with 67,000 downloads sold in the same span (helped by 15 physical configurations available during the tracking week in Scott’s official webstore, where consumers could purchase it on CD, cassette or vinyl along with a digital download; the download would be sent to consumers upon purchase, with physical versions due to arrive in six or more weeks).

The sales sum marks the third-highest for any song so far in 2020, following the debut weeks of BTS’ “On” (86,000; March 7) and Justin Bieber’s “Yummy” (71,000; Jan. 18) (with both songs also having included digital/physical offers in those frames).

“The Scotts” additionally drew 5.5 million in all-format radio airplay audience in the week ending May 3.

Scott tallies his third No. 1 on Streaming Songs and first on Digital Song Sales, while Cudi collects his first leader on each list.

Fueled by Fortnite: Boosting its profile, “The Scotts” served as one of the highlights of Scott’s three-day Astronomical event during Fortnite‘s largest in-game gathering to-date, which began last Thursday night (April 23). Scott teamed with Epic Games for the in-game experience, which featured a virtual version of the rapper and a performance of the track, among other hits of his.

Scott’s third No. 1, Cudi’s first: Scott earns his third Hot 100 No. 1, and second to arrive at the apex, following “Sicko Mode,” which led the list dated Dec. 8, 2018, and “Highest in the Room,” which reigned upon its Oct. 19, 2019, debut.

Kid Cudi achieves his long-awaited first Hot 100 No. 1, after hitting a prior No. 3 high with his first entry, “Day ‘N’ Nite,” in 2009. He most recently reached the chart as a soloist in 2013 and subsequently charted seven titles in June 2018 from his collaborative album with Kanye West, Kids See Ghosts. (All seven tracks were likewise billed as by Kids See Ghosts.)

As Cudi first appeared on the Hot 100 dated May 9, 2009, he ends a wait of exactly 11 years for his first leader, the longest such span since Daddy Yankee took 12 years and nine months from his first charted title in August 2004 to his first leader, “Despacito,” with Luis Fonsi and featuring Bieber, in May 2017.

Start of a new streak: Scott and Kid Cudi end a 35-week stretch of Hot 100 No. 1s by only singularly-billed acts, the longest such streak in over two decades (and one that encompasses Scott’s “Highest in the Room”). The run began after Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello’s “Señorita” led the Aug. 31, 2019-dated survey.

What’s in a name (in a title)? As “The Scotts,” credited to, again, The Scotts, Travis Scott & Kid Cudi, tops the Hot 100, the song is the latest in a select group of leaders whose titles share the names of acts that recorded them. The club now comprises:

“The Scotts,” The Scotts, Travis Scott & Kid Cudi, 2020
“Crank That (Soulja Boy),” Soulja Boy Tell’em, 2007
“Ice Ice Baby,” Vanilla Ice, 1990
“Human,” Human League, 1986
“Love’s Theme,” Love Unlimited Orchestra, 1974
“Hey Paula,” Paul and Paula, 1963
“The Chipmunk Song,” The Chipmunks with David Seville, 1958-59

No. 1 hip-hop, rap: “The Scotts” currently begins at No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts. (Both rankings employ the same multi-metric formula as the Hot 100.) Scott adds his fourth No. 1 on each chart and Kid Cudi earns his first.

The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” descends to No. 2 on the Hot 100 after four nonconsecutive weeks on top. Still, it rules the Radio Songs chart for a fourth frame, with 109.7 million audience impressions, down 1%. The track spends a 10th week at No. 1 on Hot R&B Songs.

Drake’s “Toosie Slide” slips 2-3 on the Hot 100 following its debut at No. 1 three weeks ago, while reaching the Radio Songs top 10 (12-10; 67.9 million, up 16%). Drake notches his 23rd Radio Songs top 10, tying Mariah Carey for the second-most since the chart began in December 1990. Rihanna leads with 29 top 10s (four of which she shares with Drake: “What’s My Name?,” “Take Care,” “Work” and “Too Good”).

Megan Thee Stallion achieves her first Hot 100 top 10, as “Savage” surges 14-4 following the midday, April 29 release of its remix with Beyoncé (a day before the streaming and sales chart tracking week ended). It roars 8-2 on Digital Song Sales (26,000, up 160%), 8-3 on Streaming Songs (26.9 million, up 48%) and 36-18 on Radio Songs (40.5 million, up 52%), sweeping the Hot 100’s top Sales, Streaming and Airplay Gainer awards.

Megan Thee Stallion previously hit a No. 11 Hot 100 high with “Hot Girl Summer,” featuring Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla $ign, last August.

(Beyoncé is not credited on the Hot 100 as a featured artist on “Savage” as the total chart points for its remix did not outweigh those of the original in the tracking week; artist credit will be reevaluated next week following a first full tracking week for the remix.)

Roddy Ricch’s “The Box” drops 3-5 on the Hot 100, after it reigned for 11 weeks.

Doja Cat’s “Say So” descends to No. 6 from its No. 5 Hot 100 high, although, like “Savage,” it should show gains on next week’s charts following the Friday, May 1, arrival of its remix featuring Minaj.

Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now” falls 4-7 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 2, and Post Malone’s “Circles” slides 6-8, after notching three weeks at No. 1, as it logs a record-extending 35th week in the top 10.

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Bieber’s “Intentions,” featuring Quavo, dips to No. 9 from its No. 8 high and Harry Styles’ “Adore You” retreats to No. 10 from its No. 7 peak.

Find out more Hot 100 news on Billboard.com this week, and, for all chart news, you can listen (and subscribe) to Billboard‘s Pop Shop Podcast and This Week in Billboard News podcast and follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram. And again, be sure to visit Billboard.com tomorrow (May 5), when all charts, including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh.

Source: billboard.com

Hard to believe it’s barely been a year since DaBaby first graced the Billboard Hot 100 with breakout hit “Suge,” eventually peaking at No. 9 on the chart. Since then, he’s become a commercial juggernaut, topping the Billboard 200 albums chart for the first time in October 2019 with sophomore album Kirk — charting all 13 tracks on the Hot 100 in the process.

Half a year later, he returns this week to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with third album Blame It on Baby — again blanketing the Hot 100 with 12 of its 13 tracks. Though the numbers remain impressive, the album’s 124k in first-week equivalent album units is a bit of a downturn from the 145k moved by Kirk, and critical enthusiasm for the set has also been a little more muted.

Where does DaBaby’s momentum seem to be currently trending? Is his unusually prolific release schedule sustainable? Billboard staffers debate these questions and more below.

1. Blame it on Baby arrives with 124k in first-week equivalent album units — more than enough for an easy No. 1, but short of initial projections, and about 20k under his first-week number for last year’s Kirk. How would you describe DaBaby’s current heat level: Jacuzzi, heated indoor pool, moonlit creek or ice bath?

Josh Glicksman: Heated indoor pool, but that’s only because it’s very unsafe to be sitting in the jacuzzi for such a long period. Elapsed time in the music industry is somewhat analogous to the human years vs. dog years scale at this point — Kirk’s release last September, while only seven months ago in reality, practically feels years ago. It’s unrealistic to expect him to retain bubbling jet status for such a duration. He can crank up the temperature at a moment’s notice, too, and to say he hasn’t done so already this year is simply wrong. Besides, given more than a few recent legal troubles, it’s not the worst idea to take a minor step out of the spotlight.

Carl Lamarre: Heated indoor pool. It’s still an incredible feat to pull anything over 100,000 units in this climate. Despite selling 20K less than Kirk, Baby still had 10-plus records land on the Hot 100 its opening week, with his Roddy Ricch-assisted “ROCKSTAR” leading the pack, debuting at No. 9. Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t, even if the Baby hate-train is loading up on passengers.

Jason Lipshutz: Give him a heated indoor pool with one eye on the adjacent jacuzzi: even if Blame It on Baby’s debut is a slight step down from that of Kirk, it’s still a six-figure No. 1 bow, and that’s never something to sneeze at. Kirk arrived when DaBaby demand (DaMand?) was at a fever pitch, coming off of the recent top 10 hit “Suge” and the explosive “Intro”; given that, and the fact that Blame It on Baby is arriving barely six months later, it’s not surprising at all that there were slightly diminishing commercial returns this time.

Andrew Unterberger: If you just listen to Twitter, it’d be moonlit creek at the warmest. In reality, it’s probably still heated indoor pool: the numbers are still fairly undeniable, and the album is stronger than many give it credit for. But for a guy who spent all of 2019 trending up, up and away, the new decade may be bringing a gradual downturn for DaBaby if he’s not careful.

Christine Werthman: Heated indoor pool. I know lots of people aren’t too stoked about DaBaby’s stylistic repetition on his third album in just over a year, and it’s definitely the weakest of the trio, but we’re still listening. Hate listens count! In my own little echo chamber of the internet, Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters was making people lose their minds, and that debuted at No. 4. If the Billboard 200 strictly measured fan enthusiasm — or only physical album sales, for that matter — Fetch would’ve whooped Blame it on Baby. But again, the numbers don’t lie. People still care about DaBaby right now, and a No. 1 is a No. 1 is a No. 1. Now hand me my floaties.

2. The album’s “ROCKSTAR,” featuring Roddy Ricch, is the highest of DaBaby’s 14 Hot 100 entries this week, debuting at No. 9. Does it feel more like an enduring hit to you, or a piling up of first-week stats from two of streaming’s most popular newer artists? 

Josh Glicksman: I don’t know that it’ll have an extended stay in the top 10, but to chalk up its high debut to little other than both artists’ streaming prowess doesn’t seem like a fair assessment, either. I’d be pretty surprised if the song doesn’t at least hang around the middle of the chart for a bit. DaBaby knows how to plant a chorus in his listeners’ heads and “ROCKSTAR” is no exception — here’s to hoping this kicks off a wave of harp (I think?) rap. And if I recall correctly, previous songs titled “Rockstar” have fared pretty well on the Hot 100.

Carl Lamarre: It’s tough to say. For me, “ROCKSTAR” along with “DROP” ranks as the top two records on the album. You get a healthy mixture of swagger, star-power, and edge on the former. Plus, Roddy is only a couple weeks removed from his huge 11-week run as the King of the Hot 100 charts after holding down the fort with “The Box.” The song is insanely good, and I’m curious to see if it can stiff-arm the opposition to land Baby his first top-five record.

Jason Lipshutz: For a rapper best known for endlessly piling up bars with little deviation or fatigue, “Rockstar” finds DaBaby expanding his range a bit by adding some melody into the chorus — he does this on “Find My Way” too, but the Roddy Ricch team-up is the stronger overall track. There’s also a ton of commercial interest in Ricch post-“The Box,” so consider “Rockstar” a layup for heavy hip-hop radio rotation and high placement on playlists.

Andrew Unterberger: I’m not super-sold on “ROCKSTAR” yet beyond its star power, though the latter alone is certainly going to get it every opportunity it could ask for in 2020. Still, the outline for a smash is so obvious here that maybe it doesn’t really matter that the definition within the lines isn’t as sharp as it could be — I certainly wouldn’t feel secure betting the under here. I do wish folks would stop spelling “rock star” like it’s actually a single compound word, though.

Christine Werthman: SethInTheKitchen produced this one, and as we saw on Kirk track “iPHONE,” he’s good at laying those thumping, moody R&B foundations. He brings those to “ROCKSTAR” but adds a memorable, daintily picked guitar loop that almost sounds like a harp, giving it some real “Lucid Dreams” vibes. Similarly, DaBaby acts as the subdued foundation here, while Roddy Ricch is the more animated, higher-pitched, Young Thug-ish addition you’ll remember. This is one of the strongest songs on the album, but without a massive hook, a takeaway line or any one-two-punch rhymes, all signs point to the collaboration itself driving those early streams.

3. The most frequently posed question of DaBaby — sometimes on his own hits — is when he’s going to start expanding his flows a little. Is it time for him to make a concerted move away from his signature flow, or is there no need to fix something that isn’t broken?  

Josh Glicksman: If it’s his signature flow, why would he move away from it? Given the constant claims of rappers biting one another’s styles, I don’t see any reason why he’d look to pivot. Clearly, it’s been a winning formula for DaBaby over the past year-plus, so I’d honestly push back on the idea that the flow isn’t even a little bit broken, let alone demonstrably broken. And just because he’s sticking to the familiar style, that doesn’t mean that Blame It on Baby fails to branch out sonically: outside of the title track’s frequent beat switches, throughout the album, he’s playing with different sounds in the chorus more than ever before.

Carl Lamarre: Well, after speaking to Baby last week, his philosophy leans on the latter part of your question: “if ain’t broke, why fix it?” I think Baby can easily change the flow up, as proven on “FIND MY WAY.” It was a smooth attempt to soften his haters’ stance, but at times on the album, he swerves back to his comfort zone. Judging off the criticism, what’s plaguing Baby right now is the case of “listener’s fatigue.” Not only is he pushing out his own releases, but he’s also on every feature imaginable. As searing as his voice and flow are, the key to longevity will be his willingness to one day evolve and take the next step to rap immortality.

Jason Lipshutz: What songs like “Rockstar” and “Find My Way” demonstrate is a willingness from DaBaby to add some pop know-how to his songwriting, as if he’s graduated from just being the guy who can rap circles around the competition and now wants to collect crossover hits (see also: his guest spot on the Camila Cabello hit “My Oh My”). The early returns are positive, and I’d expect DaBaby to persist as a mainstream artist thanks to this subtle flexibility.

Andrew Unterberger: Yeah, I don’t think it’s so much that the flow needs switching up as just… three albums in barely a year’s time is a lot of DaBaby. He actually branches out impressively on a handful of BIOB’s tracks, and we saw on Kirk‘s “INTRO” that there’s depths still to be plumbed with the rapper’s lyrics and performance. His material feels more repetitious than it actually is, just because we’re getting so much of it at once. Not a huge problem, but one that could lead to diminishing returns.

Christine Werthman: In the name of artistic growth, sure, give us something new. But is it a requirement? Of course not. He’s got a No. 1 album, and in this time of pandemic, aren’t people gravitating toward the familiar anyway? That said, if he puts out a fourth album and doesn’t switch it up, the jig may be up. Or it will do exactly what this album did and go to No. 1.

2. The album’s “ROCKSTAR,” featuring Roddy Ricch, is the highest of DaBaby’s 14 Hot 100 entries this week, debuting at No. 9. Does it feel more like an enduring hit to you, or a piling up of first-week stats from two of streaming’s most popular newer artists? 

Josh Glicksman: I don’t know that it’ll have an extended stay in the top 10, but to chalk up its high debut to little other than both artists’ streaming prowess doesn’t seem like a fair assessment, either. I’d be pretty surprised if the song doesn’t at least hang around the middle of the chart for a bit. DaBaby knows how to plant a chorus in his listeners’ heads and “ROCKSTAR” is no exception — here’s to hoping this kicks off a wave of harp (I think?) rap. And if I recall correctly, previous songs titled “Rockstar” have fared pretty well on the Hot 100.

Carl Lamarre: It’s tough to say. For me, “ROCKSTAR” along with “DROP” ranks as the top two records on the album. You get a healthy mixture of swagger, star-power, and edge on the former. Plus, Roddy is only a couple weeks removed from his huge 11-week run as the King of the Hot 100 charts after holding down the fort with “The Box.” The song is insanely good, and I’m curious to see if it can stiff-arm the opposition to land Baby his first top-five record.

Jason Lipshutz: For a rapper best known for endlessly piling up bars with little deviation or fatigue, “Rockstar” finds DaBaby expanding his range a bit by adding some melody into the chorus — he does this on “Find My Way” too, but the Roddy Ricch team-up is the stronger overall track. There’s also a ton of commercial interest in Ricch post-“The Box,” so consider “Rockstar” a layup for heavy hip-hop radio rotation and high placement on playlists.

Andrew Unterberger: I’m not super-sold on “ROCKSTAR” yet beyond its star power, though the latter alone is certainly going to get it every opportunity it could ask for in 2020. Still, the outline for a smash is so obvious here that maybe it doesn’t really matter that the definition within the lines isn’t as sharp as it could be — I certainly wouldn’t feel secure betting the under here. I do wish folks would stop spelling “rock star” like it’s actually a single compound word, though.

Christine Werthman: SethInTheKitchen produced this one, and as we saw on Kirk track “iPHONE,” he’s good at laying those thumping, moody R&B foundations. He brings those to “ROCKSTAR” but adds a memorable, daintily picked guitar loop that almost sounds like a harp, giving it some real “Lucid Dreams” vibes. Similarly, DaBaby acts as the subdued foundation here, while Roddy Ricch is the more animated, higher-pitched, Young Thug-ish addition you’ll remember. This is one of the strongest songs on the album, but without a massive hook, a takeaway line or any one-two-punch rhymes, all signs point to the collaboration itself driving those early streams.

3. The most frequently posed question of DaBaby — sometimes on his own hits — is when he’s going to start expanding his flows a little. Is it time for him to make a concerted move away from his signature flow, or is there no need to fix something that isn’t broken?  

Josh Glicksman: If it’s his signature flow, why would he move away from it? Given the constant claims of rappers biting one another’s styles, I don’t see any reason why he’d look to pivot. Clearly, it’s been a winning formula for DaBaby over the past year-plus, so I’d honestly push back on the idea that the flow isn’t even a little bit broken, let alone demonstrably broken. And just because he’s sticking to the familiar style, that doesn’t mean that Blame It on Baby fails to branch out sonically: outside of the title track’s frequent beat switches, throughout the album, he’s playing with different sounds in the chorus more than ever before.

Carl Lamarre: Well, after speaking to Baby last week, his philosophy leans on the latter part of your question: “if ain’t broke, why fix it?” I think Baby can easily change the flow up, as proven on “FIND MY WAY.” It was a smooth attempt to soften his haters’ stance, but at times on the album, he swerves back to his comfort zone. Judging off the criticism, what’s plaguing Baby right now is the case of “listener’s fatigue.” Not only is he pushing out his own releases, but he’s also on every feature imaginable. As searing as his voice and flow are, the key to longevity will be his willingness to one day evolve and take the next step to rap immortality.

Jason Lipshutz: What songs like “Rockstar” and “Find My Way” demonstrate is a willingness from DaBaby to add some pop know-how to his songwriting, as if he’s graduated from just being the guy who can rap circles around the competition and now wants to collect crossover hits (see also: his guest spot on the Camila Cabello hit “My Oh My”). The early returns are positive, and I’d expect DaBaby to persist as a mainstream artist thanks to this subtle flexibility.

Andrew Unterberger: Yeah, I don’t think it’s so much that the flow needs switching up as just… three albums in barely a year’s time is a lot of DaBaby. He actually branches out impressively on a handful of BIOB’s tracks, and we saw on Kirk‘s “INTRO” that there’s depths still to be plumbed with the rapper’s lyrics and performance. His material feels more repetitious than it actually is, just because we’re getting so much of it at once. Not a huge problem, but one that could lead to diminishing returns.

Christine Werthman: In the name of artistic growth, sure, give us something new. But is it a requirement? Of course not. He’s got a No. 1 album, and in this time of pandemic, aren’t people gravitating toward the familiar anyway? That said, if he puts out a fourth album and doesn’t switch it up, the jig may be up. Or it will do exactly what this album did and go to No. 1.

4. While DaBaby enjoys his second No. 1 album for his third full-length release in 14 months, YoungBoy Never Broke Again appears poised to succeed him atop the chart with his third project in just over six months. Is it possible for any rapper to sustain momentum consistently over this high-volume a release schedule? 

Josh Glicksman: Only to a certain extent. If he keeps up this output, I wouldn’t expect every effort to go No. 1, but as DaBaby himself has shown, a rapper — or any artist (hi, Ariana Grande!) — can put out multiple hugely successful albums in a short time span. Here’s the thing, though: while Blame It on Baby is a studio album, it feels a lot more like a mixtape to me. And not every mixtape needs to be a massive success for the artist to still be huge! Look at Lil Wayne during his peak Tha Carter phase. Just because every single one of those 2004-2008 mixtapes didn’t explode, that doesn’t mean he didn’t have the massive momentum behind him when he wanted it most.

Carl Lamarre: Ever heard of Future? Let’s revisit the time he dropped two No. 1 albums in back-to-back weeks in 2017 with Future & Hndrxx. Nobody complained because Super provided two completely different projects for people to soak in and appreciate. On Future, we got the bombastic trap lord who thrived on running up the scoreboard with street anthems while Hndrxx highlighted a scorned player trying to decode the meaning of love. We can even journey back to when he released his trio of headbanging mixtapes starting from 2014: That run consisted of Monster, Beast Mode, and 56 Nights in a year. The end result? He revitalized his career and legacy because of his prodigious output. If the music is undeniably good, the fans are going to keep coming back.

Jason Lipshutz: DaBaby and YoungBoy are both hyper-prolific stars who have been able to rack up chart achievements by working quickly during what appears to be their period of greatest commercial success; it’s the same sort of thinking that causes boy bands to release albums in quick succession before their younger fans age out of being die-hard supporters. It’s easier than ever for an artist to collect a worthy group of songs and upload it for mass consumption, and artists like DaBaby are going to rightly take advantage of that supply-and-demand tactic, while others like Drake and Migos will thrive by sticking to a more traditional release timeline.

Andrew Unterberger: Future, already an icon, is certainly the closest thing to an exception here — and an artist like YoungBoy (whose fanbase is so rabid without necessarily crossing over much to the larger pop world) might also be able to sustain such a pace for a while. For DaBaby, though, who seems to have a higher superstar ceiling that he’s still yet to reach, I might advise him to get out of the fast lane for a little bit at this point, and figure out what really makes sense for his next career step.

Christine Werthman: Yes, if the rapper in question keeps things interesting by, perhaps, maybe, hypothetically changing up his flow. Look, it’s fun when your favorite rappers of the moment release a bunch of stuff in a short period of time, creating a battle-like atmosphere to see who will top whom. But it gets old if the artists aren’t giving you anything new and the competition transitions from a spirited battle to a war of attrition. I don’t think DaBaby — or anyone, for that matter — can uphold this rate of releases, and the only way he could be cleared to slow down right now is if he puts out an album that really knocks people out, so that they’ll be more excited (and willing to wait) for his varied flows  than impressed by his frequency.

5. The surgical mask on the Blame It on Baby cover: timely or in poor taste?

Josh Glicksman: Well, it’s certainly timely. I probably wouldn’t have advised him to wear it, but it’s not like he’s going to be the last person trying to get a self-quarantine fit off while stay-at-home orders are in effect. And at the very least, I’d prefer him to wear it around more than required as opposed to not at all.

Carl Lamarre: Ehhh. I get why people would say poor taste because so many lives have been lost in this pandemic, but it’s what makes Baby who he is. It’s not to say he doesn’t care, but I believe his aim was to provide a timestamp. Looking back years from now, his hope is for people to know that this was the album that went No. 1 during a global crisis.

Jason Lipshutz: A little of both. The image of DaBaby sporting a mask on an album cover certainly contains a level of shock value, but it does also anchor Blame It on Baby to the time period in which it was unveiled. If he’s the only artist who does this, I’m very fine with that, though.

Andrew Unterberger: I’ll just say “kinda unnecessary.”

Christine Werthman: I’m going to lean positive and say he’s leading by example. Well done. Wear your masks!

Source: billboard.com

Plus, Post Malone’s “Circles” spends a record-breaking 34th week in the top 10.

The Weeknd‘s “Blinding Lights” banks a fourth week at No. 1 the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart this week.

Plus, Post Malone‘s “Circles,” at No. 6, breaks the record for the most weeks (34) ever spent in the Hot 100’s top 10 and DaBaby’s “Rockstar,” featuring Roddy Ricch, roars onto the chart at No. 9.

Let’s run down the top 10 of the newest Hot 100, which blends all-genre U.S. streaming, radio airplay and sales data. All charts (dated May 2) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (April 28).

“Blinding Lights,” released on XO/Republic Records, rules the Radio Songs chart for a third week, with 110.3 million audience impressions, up 2%, in the week ending April 26, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. It tops Digital Song Sales for a fourth week, despite an 11% drop to 19,000 sold in the week ending April 23, and slips at 3-4 on Streaming Songs, down 2% to 24.9 million U.S. streams in the same span.

The track concurrently rules the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart a fourth week and Hot R&B Songs for a ninth frame. (Both rankings employ the same multi-metric formula as the Hot 100.)

Drake’s “Toosie Slide” keeps at No. 2 on the Hot 100 following its debut at No. 1 two weeks ago. It leads Streaming Songs for a third week (31.5 million streams, down 15%); drops 2-5 on Digital Song Sales (12,000, down 23%); and rises 14-12 on Radio Songs (58.3 million, up 22%), winning the Hot 100’s top Airplay Gainer award for a second week. It leads the multi-metric Hot Rap Songs chart for a third frame.

Roddy Ricch’s “The Box” holds at No. 3 on the Hot 100, which it commanded for 11 weeks; Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now” is stationary at No. 4, after reaching No. 2; and Doja Cat’s “Say So” repeats at its No. 5 high.

Post Malone’s “Circles” rebounds 7-6 on the Hot 100, after notching three weeks at No. 1, and breaks the record for the most weeks spent in the top 10 in the chart’s 61-year history, a mark that the rapper-singer already shared:

Most Weeks in Billboard Hot 100’s Top 10
34, “Circles,” Post Malone, 2019-20
33, “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse),” Post Malone & Swae Lee, 2018-19
33, “Girls Like You,” Maroon 5 feat. Cardi B, 2018-19
33, “Shape of You,” Ed Sheeran, 2017
32, “Sicko Mode,” Travis Scott, 2018-19
32, “Closer,” The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey, 2016-17
32, “How Do I Live,” LeAnn Rimes, 1997-98
31, “Uptown Funk!,” Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, 2014-15
30, “Bad Guy,” Billie Eilish, 2019
30, “Smooth,” Santana feat. Rob Thomas, 1999-2000

Plus, as “Circles” has logged all 34 of its weeks on the Hot 100 in the top 10, dating to its arrival at No. 7 on the Sept. 14, 2019-dated chart, it passes Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” for the most weeks tallied in the region from a song’s debut.

“Circles” additionally becomes the first title to have spent 30 weeks in the top 10 on Billboard‘s mainstream top 40-based Pop Songs radio airplay chart. The song previously led the list for 10 weeks.

Harry Styles’ “Adore You” slips to No. 7 from its No. 6 Hot 100 high.

Justin Bieber’s “Intentions,” featuring Quavo, returns to its best Hot 100 rank (9-8) and rises 12-10 on Radio Songs (68.1 million, up 11%), becoming Bieber’s 15th top 10 on the airplay tally and Quavo’s fourth.

Bieber has charted four songs in the Radio Songs top 10 in 2020, as “Intentions” follows “10,000 Hours,” with Dan + Shay (No. 3); “Yummy” (No. 10); and his Ed Sheeran collab “I Don’t Care,” which led the chart for a week in September. Bieber boasts double the amount of top 10 titles as any other artist this year; Camila Cabello, Lizzo and The Weeknd have notched two each.

DaBaby’s “Rockstar,” featuring Roddy Ricch, bounds onto the Hot 100 at No. 9, led by its No. 2 entrance on Streaming Songs, with 28.1 million first-week U.S. streams, and No. 7 bow on Digital Song Sales (10,000).

DaBaby adds his second Hot 100 top 10, after his debut hit “Suge” (No. 7, last July), as does Roddy Ricch, following “The Box.”

“Rockstar” is from DaBaby’s album Blame It on Baby, which soars in as his second No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

(“Rock” on: The rappers chart the third Hot 100 top 10 titled “Rockstar.” Post Malone’s different composition, featuring 21 Savage, led for eight weeks beginning in October 2017, after Nickelback’s hit No. 6 in September 2007. Shout-out also to Shop Boyz’s “Party Like a Rockstar,” which rose to No. 2 in June 2007.)

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Future’s “Life Is Good,” featuring Drake, descends 8-10, after peaking at No. 2 for eight weeks.

Find out more Hot 100 news on Billboard.com this week, and, for all chart news, you can listen (and subscribe) to Billboard‘s Pop Shop Podcast and This Week in Billboard News podcast and follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram. And again, be sure to visit Billboard.com tomorrow (April 28), when all charts, including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh.

Source: billboard.com

Plus: Fiona Apple’s “Fetch the Bolt Cutters” debuts in the top five.

DaBaby collects his second No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, as Blame It on Baby bows atop the tally. The set, which was released on April 17 via SouthCoast/Interscope Records, earned 124,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending April 23, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.

The rapper previously led the list with his last album, Kirk, which launched at No. 1 with 146,000 units (Oct. 12, 2019-dated chart).

Blame It on Baby bumps The Weeknd’s After Hours out of the No. 1 spot after four straight weeks in charge.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The new May 2-dated chart (where Blame It on Baby debuts at No. 1) will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on April 28.

Blame It on Baby’s start of 124,000 equivalent album units consists of 110,000 SEA units (equaling 158.84 million on-demand streams of the set’s songs during the tracking week), 12,000 in album sales and 3,000 in TEA units.

Blame It on Baby gives the Billboard 200 its eighth week in a row where an R&B/hip-hop title is No. 1 — the longest stretch for the genre in over a year. It follows four weeks of The Weeknd’s After Hours at the top, two weeks at No. 1 for Lil Uzi Vert‘s Eternal Atake, and one week at No. 1 for Lil Baby’s My Turn. After Hours is an R&B effort, while the latter two are rap titles. All three also led the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The last time the Billboard 200 had a longer streak at No. 1 for R&B/hip-hop efforts was a nine-week run between Dec. 2, 2018 and Feb. 2, 2019.

Back on the new Billboard 200, The Weeknd’s After Hours falls to No. 2 after four weeks at No. 1. The set tallied 55,000 equivalent album units in the latest tracking week (down 26 percent). Meanwhile, Lil Uzi Vert’s former No. 1 Eternal Atake is a non-mover at No. 3 with 54,000 units (down 11 percent).

Fiona Apple returns to the Billboard 200 after nearly eight years, as her new album Fetch the Bolt Cutters debuts at No. 4. The new studio album earned 44,000 equivalent album units, with 30,000 of that sum in album sales, 13,000 in SEA units and less than 1,000 in TEA units.

Apple last debuted an album on the chart back in 2012, when The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do debuted and peaked at No. 3 on the July 7, 2012-dated list.

Apple is an infrequent visitor to the Billboard 200, having placed just five albums on the tally. Before The Idler Wheel…, she hit the chart with Extraordinary Machine (No. 7 in 2005), When the Pawn… (No. 13 in 1999) and her debut effort Tidal (No. 15, 1997). (When the Pawn’s actual 90-word album title is abbreviated for this story.)

Interestingly, her last three albums all made the top 10, one each in the last three decades (2020s, ‘10s and ‘00s).

Lil Baby’s My Turn dips from No. 4 to No. 5 on the new Billboard 200 (42,000 equivalent album units earned; down 6 percent), Post Malone’s Hollywood’s Bleeding is steady at No. 6 (37,000 units; up 2 percent) and Bad Bunny’s YHLQMDLG falls from No. 5 to No. 7 (36,000 units; down 7 percent).

Roddy Ricch’s Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial falls 7-8 with 34,000 units (down 5 percent), Rod Wave’s Pray 4 Love is stationary at No. 9 with 32,000 units (down 4 percent) and Tory Lanez’s The New Toronto 3 drops 2-10 in its second week with 28,000 units (down 56 percent).

Source: billboard.com

“Blinding Lights” adds a third week on top.

The Weeknd‘s “Blinding Lights” rebounds from No. 2 to No. 1 the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart to log a third total week in the top spot.

The track dethrones Drake’s “Toosie Slide,” which dips to No. 2 following its debut at No. 1 a week ago.

Plus, Doja Cat notches her first top five Hot 100 hit, as “Say So” jumps 8-5, and Post Malone‘s “Circles,” at No. 7, ties the record for the most weeks (33) ever spent in the chart’s top 10.

Let’s run down the top 10 of the newest Hot 100, which blends all-genre U.S. streaming, radio airplay and sales data. All charts (dated April 25) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (April 21).

With a third week at No. 1 on the Hot 100, “Blinding Lights,” released on XO/Republic Records, ties “Can’t Feel My Face” (in August-September 2015) for The Weeknd’s second-longest reign of his five leaders. He’s led longer only with “The Hills,” for six weeks (in October-November 2015).

“Lights” leads the Radio Songs chart for a second week, with 108.6 million audience impressions, up 4%, in the week ending April 19, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. It returns to No. 1, from No. 4, for a third total week atop Digital Song Sales, despite a 1% drop to 21,000 sold in the week ending April 16, and holds at No. 3 on Streaming Songs, down 6% to 25.4 million U.S. streams in the same span.

The track concurrently rises 2-1 for a third week atop the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and rules Hot R&B Songs for an eighth frame. (Both rankings employ the same multi-metric formula as the Hot 100.)

As previously reported, “Lights” parent album After Hours spends a fourth week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Drake’s “Toosie Slide” slips from No. 1 to No. 2 on the Hot 100, while leading Streaming Songs for a second week, with 37.2 million streams, down 33% from its opening week. It ascends 3-2 on Digital Song Sales, although with a 37% decline to 16,000 sold, and surges 22-14 on Radio Songs (47.8 million, up 38%), winning the Hot 100’s top Airplay Gainer award. It leads the multi-metric Hot Rap Songs chart for a second week.

Roddy Ricch’s “The Box” holds at No. 3 on the Hot 100, which it dominated for 11 weeks, and Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now” is steady at No. 4, after reaching No. 2.

Doja Cat pounces to her first top five Hot 100 hit, as “Say So” bounds 8-5. It likewise lifts 8-5 on Radio Songs (78.6 million, up 14%) and rises 10-8 on Streaming Songs (15.2 million, up 4%) and 25-21 Digital Song Sales (6,000, up 1%).

With “Say So” released on RCA Records, Doja Cat is the first woman on the label to earn a first career top five Hot 100 hit in a lead role since Sia, whose “Cheap Thrills” (featuring Sean Paul) led for four weeks in August 2016. Prior to Sia, Kesha reigned for nine weeks with her debut hit “TiK ToK” in January-February 2010.

Harry Styles’ “Adore You” revisits its No. 6 Hot 100 high, climbing from No. 7.

Post Malone’s “Circles” descends 6-7 on the Hot 100, after notching three weeks at No. 1, and ties the record for the most weeks spent in the top 10 in the chart’s 61-year history, a mark that the rapper-singer already shared:

Most Weeks in Billboard Hot 100’s Top 10
33, “Circles,” Post Malone, 2019-20
33, “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse),” Post Malone & Swae Lee, 2018-19
33, “Girls Like You,” Maroon 5 feat. Cardi B, 2018-19
33, “Shape of You,” Ed Sheeran, 2017
32, “Sicko Mode,” Travis Scott, 2018-19
32, “Closer,” The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey, 2016-17
32, “How Do I Live,” LeAnn Rimes, 1997-98
31, “Uptown Funk!,” Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, 2014-15
30, “Bad Guy,” Billie Eilish, 2019
30, “Smooth,” Santana feat. Rob Thomas, 1999-2000

Plus, as “Circles” has logged all 33 of its weeks on the Hot 100 in the top 10, dating to its arrival at No. 7 on the Sept. 14, 2019-dated chart, it matches Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” for the most weeks tallied in the region from a song’s debut.

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Future’s “Life Is Good,” featuring Drake, falls 5-8, after peaking at No. 2 for eight weeks; Justin Bieber’s “Intentions,” featuring Quavo, keeps at No. 9, after reaching No. 8; and Billie Eilish’s “Everything I Wanted” is stationary at No. 10, also after hitting No. 8.

Just outside the Hot 100’s top 10, Camila Cabello’s “My Oh My,” featuring DaBaby, reaches a new best rank (13-12), as does Lil Mosey’s “Blueberry Faygo” (18-16), along with two country hits: Gabby Barrett’s “I Hope” (20-17) and Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani’s “Nobody but You” (24-18).

Find out more Hot 100 news on Billboard.com this week, and, for all chart news, you can listen (and subscribe) to Billboard‘s Pop Shop Podcast and This Week in Billboard News podcast and follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram. And again, be sure to visit Billboard.com tomorrow (April 21), when all charts, including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh.

Source: billboard.com

Plus: Tory Lanez and The Strokes debut in top 10.

The Weeknd makes it a full month at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, as his After Hours album holds atop the tally for a fourth straight week. It has refused to budge from the top spot since its debut at No. 1 a month ago. It’s the first album to notch four consecutive weeks at No. 1 since Drake’s Scorpion spent its first five weeks at No. 1 in 2018 (July 13-Aug. 11).

After Hours is now one of five albums to spend at least four total weeks at No. 1 since 2018. The last album to land four weeks in total was Roddy Ricch’s Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial, which accumulated four non-consecutive weeks atop the list (Dec. 21, 2019, and then three weeks in 2020: Jan. 18, Feb. 8 and Feb. 22).

After Hours earned 75,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending April 16 (down 18%), according to Nielsen Music/MRC Media.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The new April 25-dated chart (where After Hours is No. 1 for a fourth week) will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on April 21.

Of After Hours’ 75,000 equivalent album units in the most recent tracking week, 52,000 are in SEA units (down 19%, equaling 73.7 million on-demand streams of the set’s songs), 20,000 are in album sales (down 16%) and 3,000 are in TEA units (down 7%).

The album continues to benefit from strong streaming numbers, as well as sales of popular merchandise/album bundles sold via The Weeknd’s website. The artist has dropped more than 100 different bundles on a mostly consistent basis since the album’s release. (Bundles pair an artist- or album-branded piece of merchandise, usually clothing, with a copy of the album. Merchandise in each bundle is also available separately, for a lower price, without the album.)

Tory Lanez captures his fifth consecutive top five-charting album, as The New Toronto 3 jumps in at No. 2. The set earned 64,000 equivalent album units, with 58,000 of that sum in SEA units (equaling 76.1 million on-demand streams of the album’s songs), 5,000 in album sales and 1,000 in TEA units.

The New Toronto 3 matches Lanez’s previous high-water mark on the list, as his last album, Chixtape 5, debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Nov. 30, 2019-dated chart. All of Lanez’s charting albums have reached the top five, as The New Toronto 3 and Chixtape 5 are joined by Love Me Now? (No. 4 in 2018), Memories Don’t Die (No. 3, 2018) and I Told You (No. 4, 2016).

Lil Uzi Vert’s former No. 1 Eternal Atake holds steady at No. 3 on the new Billboard 200, with 61,000 equivalent album units (down 12%), while Lil Baby’s previous chart-topper My Turn is also a non-mover at No. 4 with 44,000 units (down 7%).

Bad Bunny’s YHLQMDLG rises one spot to No. 5 with 39,000 equivalent album units (down 10%), Post Malone’s former No. 1 Hollywood’s Bleeding climbs 9-6 with 36,000 units (down 2%) and Roddy Ricch’s Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial is stationary at No. 7 with just under 36,000 units (down 6%).

The Strokes land their fifth top 10 album, as The New Abnormal opens at No. 8 with 35,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, 23,000 are in album sales, 11,000 are in SEA units and less than 1,000 are in TEA units.

The Strokes previously hit the top 10 with Comedown Machine (No. 10, 2013), Angles (No. 4, 2011), First Impressions of Earth (No. 4, 2006), Room On Fire (No. 4, 2003). The group’s only charting album to miss the top 10 was its debut full-length set, Is This It? (No. 33, 2002).

Rounding out the top 10 on the new Billboard 200 are Rod Wave’s Pray 4 Love, which falls from No. 2 to No. 9 in its second week (34,000 equivalent album units; down 53%) and Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia, dipping 8-10 in its third week (30,000 units; down 20%).

Future Nostalgia, which opened at No. 4, is the first Warner Records album to spend its first three weeks inside the top 10 in nearly five years. The last Warner set to do so was Josh Groban’s Stages, which opened at No. 2 on the May 16, 2015 chart, and then held at No. 2 for its second week, and then fell to No. 8 in its third frame before departing the top 10. The last album by a woman on Warner Records to spend its first three weeks in the top 10 was Jill Scott’s The Light of the Sun in 2011 (it opened at No. 1 on the July 9, 2011 chart, and then went then moved to No. 5 and to No. 7, before falling out of the top 10).

The last Warner Records album to notch its first four weeks in the top 10 was Michael Bublé’s To Be Loved in 2013. It debuted at No. 1 on the May 11, 2013 list, and then moved 2-4-8 in its second, third and fourth weeks, before leaving the top 10. The last Warner Records set by a woman to spend its first four weeks in the top 10 was Madonna’s Hard Candy, which bowed at No. 1 on the May 17, 2008 list, and moved 3-8-9 before departing the top 10.

Source: billboard.com

He becomes the first male act with three No. 1 arrivals, as he scores his seventh total topper.

Drake becomes the first male artist, and second act overall, to have debuted three songs at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, as his new single, “Toosie Slide,” rolls in at the top spot.

Drake matches Mariah Carey, who achieved three No. 1 debuts on the Hot 100 in 1995-97.

Drake scores his seventh total Hot 100 No. 1, as the song dethrones The Weeknd‘s “Blinding Lights,” which spent two weeks on top. Although it departs the summit, “Lights” takes over atop the Radio Songs chart.

Let’s run down the top 10 of the newest Hot 100, which blends all-genre U.S. streaming, radio airplay and sales data. All charts (dated April 18) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (April 14).

“Toosie Slide,” released on OVO Sound/Republic Records, arrives as the 1,098th No. 1 in the Hot 100’s history, which dates to Aug. 4, 1958.

The track launches at No. 1 on the Streaming Songs chart (where it’s Drake’s record-padding eighth leader, double the sum of his closest competitor, Justin Bieber, with four). Following its April 3 release at midnight ET, it bows with 55.5 million U.S. streams in the week ending April 9, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.

The single also starts at No. 3 on Digital Song Sales, with 25,000 sold in the week ending April 9, and bounds from No. 43 to No. 22 on Radio Songs with 34.6 million audience impressions in its first full airplay tracking week, ending April 12.

Here’s a deeper look as “Toosie Slide” soars in atop the Hot 100.

Historic third debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100: Drake adds his third No. 1 entrance on the Hot 100, becoming the first male artist to earn the honor. “Toosie Slide” follows “God’s Plan,” which opened atop the chart dated Feb. 3, 2018, and the song that supplanted it at No. 1, “Nice for What,” on April 21, 2018.

Among all artists, Drake equals Mariah Carey, who first sent three songs onto the Hot 100 at No. 1: “Fantasy” (Sept. 30, 1995); “One Sweet Day,” with Boyz II Men (Dec. 2, 1995); and “Honey” (Sept. 13, 1997).

Britney Spears, Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande have each debuted two songs atop the Hot 100.

Drake’s seventh total Hot 100 No. 1: The 6 God one-ups his moniker with his seventh total Hot 100 No. 1. Here’s a recap:

“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 to-date, April 18, 2020)

Dating to his first week at No. 1, on Nov. 20, 2010, Drake ties Rihanna for the most leaders in that span. Katy Perry follows with six in that stretch.

Drake’s 50th week at No. 1: Drake tallies his 50th cumulative week atop the Hot 100. He’s the fifth artist, and first solo male, to reach the milestone.

Most Weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100
82, Mariah Carey
60, Rihanna
59, The Beatles
50, Boyz II Men
50, Drake

Drake pads his lead for the most weeks at No. 1 among male soloists over Usher, who ranks second in the category (and sixth overall) with 47 frames on top.

Ruler among rappers: Now with seven Hot 100 No. 1s, Drake extends his record for the most among rappers. He pushes further ahead of runners-up Diddy, Eminem and Ludacris, each with five.

Drake’s 37th top 10: “Toosie Slide” is additionally Drake’s 37th Hot 100 top 10, lifting him to within one of Madonna’s record 38. The Beatles rank third with 34 top 10s, followed by Rihanna (31) and Michael Jackson (30).

In addition to their two No. 1s together, as noted above, Drake and Rihanna also share the No. 7-peaking “Take Care,” in 2012 (with Drake in the lead role), while Drake helped the late Jackson land the latter’s 30th top 10, the No. 9 hit “Don’t Matter to Me” (by Drake featuring Jackson), in 2018.

Record-extending 101st top 40 hit & 209th chart entry: “Toosie Slide” begins as Drake’s 101st top 40 Hot 100 hit. He charges further past Lil Wayne, who ranks second with 82, and Elvis Presley, third with 81 (with the King having first hit Billboard charts prior to the Hot 100’s inception).

The song is also Drake’s record-extending 209th Hot 100 entry. On the March 21-dated chart, he passed the Glee Cast for the most appearances when “Oprah’s Bank Account,” with Lil Yachty and DaBaby, debuted.

Drake, Aretha & Stevie: “Toosie Slide” concurrently enters atop the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts, which employ the same multi-metric methodology as the Hot 100.

In another historic feat, Drake collects his 20th Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs No. 1, tying the totals of two icons for the chart’s record: Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder (who had shared the honor between them for over 32 years).

On Hot Rap Songs, Drake earns his record-extending 21st No. 1, surging further past runner-up Lil Wayne, with 11.

The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” drops to No. 2 on the Hot 100 after two weeks at No. 1.

Still, the track reaches No. 1 on Radio Songs, rising from No. 2 with a 7% increase to 104.7 million in audience. The Weeknd notches his fourth Radio Songs leader, following three in a row in 2015: “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)” (four weeks that May); “Can’t Feel My Face” (seven, August-October); and “The Hills” (five, October-November).

“Lights” also becomes The Weeknd’s third No. 1 on the mainstream top 40-based Pop Songs airplay chart, following “Earned It” (one week) and “Can’t Feel My Face” (four weeks) in 2015.

“Lights” dips 2-3 on Streaming Songs (26.9 million, down 7%) and from the Digital Song Sales summit to No. 4 (21,000, down 3%).

On the multi-metric Hot R&B Songs chart, “Lights” leads for a seventh week. As previously reported, parent album After Hours spends a third week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Roddy Ricch’s “The Box” drops 2-3 on the Hot 100, which it ruled for 11 weeks; Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now” descends 3-4, after reaching No. 2, and becomes her first  No. 1 on the Adult Pop Songs radio airplay chart; and Future’s “Life Is Good,” featuring Drake, holds at No. 5 on the Hot 100, after peaking at No. 2 for eight weeks.

Post Malone’s “Circles” slips 4-6 on the Hot 100, after notching three weeks at No. 1, and moves to within a week of the record for the most weeks spent in the top 10, a mark that the rapper-singer already shares:

Most Weeks in Billboard Hot 100’s Top 10
33, “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse),” Post Malone & Swae Lee, 2018-19
33, “Girls Like You,” Maroon 5 feat. Cardi B, 2018-19
33, “Shape of You,” Ed Sheeran, 2017
32, “Circles,” Post Malone, 2019-20
32, “Sicko Mode,” Travis Scott, 2018-19
32, “Closer,” The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey, 2016-17
32, “How Do I Live,” LeAnn Rimes, 1997-98
31, “Uptown Funk!,” Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, 2014-15
30, “Bad Guy,” Billie Eilish, 2019
30, “Smooth,” Santana feat. Rob Thomas, 1999-2000

Harry Styles’ “Adore You” backtracks a notch from its Hot 100 high (6-7), as do Doja Cat’s “Say So” (7-8) and Justin Bieber’s “Intentions,” featuring Quavo (8-9).

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Billie Eilish’s No. 8-peaking “Everything I Wanted” falls 9-10.

Just beyond the Hot 100’s bracket, three songs hit new highs in the top 15: Maren Morris’ “The Bones” (14-12), as it leads Hot Country Songs for a sixth week; Camila Cabello’s “My Oh My,” featuring DaBaby (15-13); and Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” (18-14).

Find out more Hot 100 news on Billboard.com this week, and, for all chart news, you can listen (and subscribe) to Billboard‘s Pop Shop Podcast and This Week in Billboard News podcast and follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram. And again, be sure to visit Billboard.com tomorrow (April 14), when all charts, including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh.

Source: billboard.com

Plus: Rod Wave and Sam Hunt debut in the top 10.

The Weeknd’s After Hours scores a third straight week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming the first album to lead for three consecutive weeks since Post Malone’s Hollywood’s Bleeding also spent its first three weeks atop the tally last year (Sept. 21-Oct. 5, 2019-dated charts), of a total of five non-consecutive frames at No. 1.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The new April 18-dated chart, where After Hours holds at No. 1, will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on April 14.

After Hours earned 90,000 equivalent album units (down 35%) in the U.S. in the week ending April 9, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. Of that sum, 64,000 are in SEA units (down 26%, equaling 89.4 million on-demand streams of the set’s songs), 23,000 are in album sales (down 51%) and 3,000 are in TEA units (down 31%).

The album continues to benefit from sales of merchandise/album bundles the artist has been releasing on a consistent basis since After Hours premiered on March 20.

After Hours’ total unit sum for the week is the smallest total for a No. 1 album in a tracking week in 2020. It’s the lowest for an album at No. 1 since Harry Styles’ Fine Line tallied 89,000 units in its second week at No. 1, on the Jan. 4, 2020-dated chart, which reflected the tracking week ending Dec. 26, 2019.

Beyond consecutive-week reigns, the last album to spend more than three weeks at No. 1 was Roddy Ricch’s Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial, which accumulated four non-consecutive weeks atop the list (Dec. 21, 2019, and then three weeks in 2020: Jan. 18, Feb. 8 and Feb. 22).

Coming in at No. 2 on the new Billboard 200 is singer-rapper Rod Wave with his second album, Pray 4 Love. The set starts with 72,000 equivalent album units. Of that sum, 69,000 are in SEA units (equating to 105.8 million on-demand streams of the sets songs), while just 2,000 are in album sales, and less than 1,000 are TEA units.

With 69,000 SEA units and 105.8 million in on-demand streams for its 14 songs, Pray 4 Love is the most streamed album of the week. It edges out Lil Uzi Vert’s 32-song Eternal Atake (68,000 SEA units, 105.6 million streams).

Pray 4 Love easily marks Rod Wave’s best week ever on the Billboard 200, surpassing his previous peak of No. 10 with his debut set, Ghetto Gospel. The latter debuted and peaked on the Nov. 23, 2019-dated list.

A pair of former No. 1s round out the top four, as Lil Uzi Vert’s Eternal Atake holds at No. 3 (69,000 units; down 19%) and Lil Baby’s My Turn rises 6-4 (48,000 units, down 10%).

Sam Hunt jumps in at No. 5 with Southside, his sophomore studio effort and first studio set in over five years. Southside launches with 46,000 equivalent album units earned (28,000 in SEA units, equaling 36.8 million on-demand streams of its songs; 16,000 in album sales and 3,000 in TEA units).

Southside bows with the third-largest streaming week ever for a country album, and the second-biggest debut frame for a country set.

The biggest streaming week for any country effort is the debut frame of Luke Combs’ What You See Is What You Get, which started with 74 million clicks (Nov. 23, 2019 chart). The second-largest streaming week overall for a country set is owned by Gene Autry’s 2003 holiday hits collection Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Other Christmas Classics. It earned 43.71 million streams for its tracks on the Jan. 5, 2019-dated list thanks to big Christmastime plays of the album’s holiday favorites “Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

Southside is Hunt’s second top 10 album, following his first studio effort, Montevallo, which debuted and peaked at No. 3 (Nov. 15, 2014 chart).

Bad Bunny’s YHLQMDLG rises one rung to No. 6 (43,000 units; down 15%), Roddy Ricch’s Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial ascends 9-7 (38,000 units; down 6%) and Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia slips 4-8 in its second week (nearly 38,000 units; down 43%).

Post Malone’s Hollywood’s Bleeding returns to the top 10, lifting 11-9 (37,000 units; down 2%) and Jhené Aiko’s Chilombo also rebounds to the top 10, bumping 12-10 (27,000 units; down 12%).

Source: billboard.com

The song is his first multi-week leader since “The Hills” in 2015.

The Weeknd‘s “Blinding Lights” logs a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.

A week ago, the song became the star’s fifth leader on the list. With its second week on top, it marks his third No. 1 to reign for multiple weeks, and his first since 2015.

Plus, Post Malone‘s former Hot 100 No. 1 “Circles,” at No. 4, continues to approach the marks for the most weeks spent in the chart’s top five and top 10.

Let’s run down of the top 10 of the newest Hot 100, which blends all-genre U.S. streaming, radio airplay and sales data. All charts (dated April 11) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (April 7).

“Lights,” released on XO/Republic Records, is The Weeknd’s first Hot 100 No. 1 to lead for multiple frames since “The Hills,” his second No. 1, spent six weeks at the summit in October-November 2015. He first ruled for three weeks in August-September 2015 with “Can’t Feel My Face.”

The Weeknd’s next two No. 1s each led for a week: “Starboy,” featuring Daft Punk (January 2017), and “Heartless” (December 2019).

Both “Lights” and “Heartless” are from The Weeknd’s album After Hours, which spends a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

“Lights” rebounds 3-1 for a second week atop Digital Song Sales, with 22,000 sold in the week ending April 2, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. It lifts 3-2 on Radio Songs, gaining by 17% to 97.7 million all-format airplay audience impressions in the week ending April 5, good for the Hot 100’s top Airplay Gainer award. It dips to No. 2 after a week at No. 1 on Streaming Songs, down 10% to 29 million U.S. streams in the week ending April 2.

“Lights” adds a sixth week at No. 1 on the Hot R&B Songs chart and a second frame atop Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (with both rankings employing the same multi-metric methodology as the Hot 100).

Roddy Ricch’s “The Box” holds at No. 2 on the Hot 100 after dominating for 11 weeks. The track rebounds for a 13th week atop Streaming Songs (33.7 million, down 6%) and leads the multi-metric Hot Rap Songs chart for a 14th frame.

Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now” is steady at No. 3 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 2, as it logs a fourth week atop Radio Songs (98.8 million, essentially even week-over-week).

Post Malone’s “Circles” rises 5-4 on the Hot 100, after notching three weeks at No. 1 (Nov. 30, Dec. 7 and Jan. 11), and moves closer to the record for the most weeks spent in both the chart’s top five and top 10, the latter record one that the rapper-singer already shares:

Most Weeks in Billboard Hot 100’s Top Five
27, “Shape of You,” Ed Sheeran, 2017
27, “Closer,” The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey, 2016-17
26, “Circles,” Post Malone, 2019-20
25, “Uptown Funk!,” Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, 2014-15
25, “How Do I Live,” LeAnn Rimes, 1997-98
24, “Girls Like You,” Maroon 5 feat. Cardi B, 2018
24, “That’s What I Like,” Bruno Mars, 2017
23, “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus, 2019
23, “Without Me,” Halsey, 2018-19
23, “Despacito,” Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber, 2017
23, “The Twist,” Chubby Checker, 1960-61-62

Most Weeks in Billboard Hot 100’s Top 10
33, “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse),” Post Malone & Swae Lee, 2018-19
33, “Girls Like You,” Maroon 5 feat. Cardi B, 2018-19
33, “Shape of You,” Ed Sheeran, 2017
32, “Sicko Mode,” Travis Scott, 2018-19
32, “Closer,” The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey, 2016-17
32, “How Do I Live,” LeAnn Rimes, 1997-98
31, “Circles,” Post Malone, 2019-20
31, “Uptown Funk!,” Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, 2014-15
30, “Bad Guy,” Billie Eilish, 2019
30, “Smooth,” Santana feat. Rob Thomas, 1999-2000

Future’s “Life Is Good,” featuring Drake, rebounds 6-5 on the Hot 100, after peaking at No. 2 for eight weeks.

Harry Styles’ “Adore You” ascends to a new Hot 100 high (7-6), as does Doja Cat’s “Say So” (9-7). As previously reported, Styles’ hit becomes his first No. 1 on the Pop Songs radio airplay chart (and makes him the fourth member of One Direction to lead the list).

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Justin Bieber’s “Intentions,” featuring Quavo, keeps at its No. 8 high; Billie Eilish’s No. 8-peaking “Everything I Wanted” rises 12-9; and Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved” lifts 11-10, after tallying three weeks at No. 1.

Just beyond the Hot 100’s top 10, three songs debut in the top 25, led by NAV, Gunna and Travis Scott’s “Turks.” The collab enters at No. 17, powered by 20.1 million first-week U.S. streams, as it starts at No. 4 on Streaming Songs. Notably, NAV notches his highest Hot 100 rank with the track, as well as his first top 40 hit.

Dua Lipa’s “Break My Heart,” her follow-up to “Don’t Start Now,” launches at No. 21 on the Hot 100 (16.2 million in radio reach; 12.1 million streams), as the tracks’ parent album, Future Nostalgia, opens at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, marking her first top 10 on the tally.

Plus, PARTYNEXTDOOR and Rihanna’s ‘”Believe It” bounds onto the Hot 100 at No. 23, fueled by 14.6 million first-week streams, sparking its No. 9 entrance on Streaming Songs.

PARTYNEXTDOOR earns his third top 25 hit and first in a lead role, after two features on Kanye West songs. Rihanna, meanwhile, adds her 62nd Hot 100 entry and ends her longest hiatus from the chart, dating to her 2005 debut with “Pon de Replay”; until this week, she had last appeared on the list with the No. 36-peaking “Lemon,” with N*E*R*D, on the chart dated April 14, 2018.

Find out more Hot 100 news on Billboard.com this week, and, for all chart news, you can listen (and subscribe) to Billboard‘s Pop Shop Podcast and This Week in Billboard News podcast and follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram. And again, be sure to visit Billboard.com tomorrow (April 7), when all charts, including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh.

Source: billboard.com