If January can trend a bit slow on the newswire, the music industry has a way of shocking the system as we move into February. Indeed, the Grammys and the Super Bowl halftime show have each transpired in the past week and change, two of the more seminal annual moments that we can chronicle. In kind, those two shows lead to significant shakeups and movements on our rankings; of course, Bad Bunny deserves mention in that regard, but Clipse, Justin Bieber, and J. Cole are all worth discussing this week.
The payoff after Bad Bunny taking over Santa Clara has been palpable and genuinely overwhelming; the Puerto Rican multi-hyphenate’s highest placement last week was “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” at #37. This week, Benito rockets up to #1 for (what else?) “DtMF,” bolstered by “BAILE” at #3, “NUEVAYoL” at #6, and “EoO” at #12. In sum, he nabs an eye-popping 17 songs in our top 100 and 26 on our chart as a whole. While those named here are obvious inclusions as members of the setlist, the telecast buoyed plenty of other songs with a runoff effect; on top of Bad Bunny’s own unaffiliated work like “Moscow Mule,” J. Balvin and his “LA CANCION,” Rauw Alejandro and his “Que Pasaria…” and Cardi B’s “I Like It” each ride the tailwinds into re-entries.
Beyond Album Of The Year, The Grammy’s Pay Dividends
Though no individual spotlight gets much bigger than the Super Bowl halftime show, the Grammys are always reliable for spreading the love to many of the industry’s biggest faces. As always, this is something visible on our charts even as we near the two-week point after this year’s awards. To wit, “YUKON” by Justin Bieber, his choice for the acoustic performance / SKYLRK brand showcase, makes a major ascension. The song lands at #27 with well-rounded, all-around numbers, having last checked in at #117 just days after.
A #69 placement may not immediately mean “stop the presses,” but Clipse deserve recognition for reaching that with “So Far Ahead,” one of several spotlight moments for Pharrell Williams and the Rap Album of the Year nominees. Almost all of that comes from massive social numbers, a true development for a record frequently discussed as a winner with older, “real hip-hop” devotees.
J Cole’s “Final Album” Gives Bad Bunny A Run
All of those televised events somehow relegate the “release radar” to third billing in this week’s breakdown. On that front, J. Cole is the immediate standout, mirroring mentor JAY-Z by delivering what he’s described as a “final” album with the long-teased The Fall Off. As anyone who’s been around the block could tell you (including those who remember Hov’s go-around), retirement rarely sticks in music, so we’ll reserve judgment for the moment.
Something that needs no further digestion, however, is the instant commercial effect, with the Fayetteville native cutting through both Grammy and Super Bowl waves, solid undercurrents. “Two Six,” “SAFETY,” and “Poor Thang” creep into the #30 – #45 range in The Fall Off‘s first week of charting (re: pre-Billboard). Peek below the #100 mark to see that the album as a whole got major mileage across the world; a total of 26 Cole cuts are on our list overall, including every single song from the double album, with many “top-streamed” achievements for those contributing that status.
As always, you can catch the music featured here wherever you stream your music.
