We’re not oblivious enough to claim that we’re above patting ourselves on the back. Given this segment so frequently focuses on the heroes of the now and how they can influence the airwaves of the future, you’ll have to forgive us for relishing our successful shot calls. However, marking that Bad Bunny would be a long-term factor after his nearly unprecedented across-the-board sweeps of the past few weeks didn’t take a savant. Benito remains the top-line takeaway, but we’re highlighting some of his fellow marathon runners in this edition of MD Tracks; Noah Kahan, SIENNA SPIRO, and Waka Flocka Flame chief among them.
The Great Divide And Noah Kahan Look To A Strong Mid-Year
Noah Kahan, particularly for his 2023 record Stick Season, should ring familiar to our readership, one of a few folk faces that bubbled to the surface (or achieved notoriety once again) in the early goings of the decade. To his credit, the Strafford native has been a mainstay essentially ever since his breakthrough single, and after wringing a few versions out of that third record, it’s reload time. The Great Divide, both forthcoming album and single, have been on the tip of our tongue for a while, the track’s performance already boding well for Kahan to add to his hat trick.
Since first hitting our chart towards the start of February, it’s hovered around the #20, reaching a peak of #11 last week. Moreover, it’s been both streaming and traditional metrics that bring it to that spot, an indication of what’s undeniably a mainstream pocket and continuing fan devotion.
SIENNA SPIRO: The Next Breakout Star?
Switching to an artist at a far different point in their development, we have to take a second for SIENNA SPIRO. Her “Die On This Hill,” now widely regarded as a breakout hit, wasn’t an instant success, at least from our perspective. Though dropped back in October, it took until the defrosting in January of 2026 for it to track on our end, making its debut at #21. Social, Billboard, and digital indications all in the upper half indicated that the foothold the song achieved was incredibly sturdy.
About two months later, the English singer-songwriter remains in a similar position to Mr. Kahan, ping-ponging between a high of #9 and its current spot at #19. With Olivia Dean having her own moment last year, touching down in the upper crust and flirting with household name status, could SPIRO match the same and join a long tradition of late-stage British takeovers?
Lastly, to touch on a final facet of these below-the-line winners, Waka Flocka Flame has unexpectedly been a sizzling presence since the start of this year’s charts. We can comfortably chalk this up to TikTok and other bite-sized video platforms, where the 2011 song has already given way to multiple “challenges” of its name. Another resurgence in that regard shockingly doesn’t show up as a “trending” audio, but continues to influence top 50 numbers on all major streamers. Though some of the material that shoots up the rankings in this manner is a bit more inexplicable — come on. It’s been a classic since the moment the posse cut hit the mixtape and club circuit, so in our view, it’s never too far outside of the consciousness, regardless of what the numbers say.
As always, you can catch the music featured throughout this piece wherever you get your music.
