(Billboard) “Happy” continues its Hot 100 command, claiming top Airplay Gainer honours for an eighth consecutive week. The streak is the second-best dating to the award’s 1985 inception, with Williams also on-board the record-holder: Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” featuring Williams and TI, linked a 10 weeks (in a row and total) last year. “Happy” tops the Radio Songs chart for a third week with a 12 per cent surge to 210 million all-format audience impressions, according to Nielsen BDS. In the Radio Songs chart’s 23-year history, only two other titles have cracked the 200-million audience barrier: “Lines,” which logged a record 229 million on the July 20, 2013, tally, and Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together,” which peaked with 212 million (May 28, 2005).
“Happy” leads the Digital Songs chart for a fifth week, despite a 26 percent drop to 364,000 downloads sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. (It swelled to 490,000 on last week’s chart after he performed it on ABC’s broadcast of the Academy Awards on March 2.) On Streaming Songs, “Happy” dips from its No 2 peak to No 5 with 5 million US streams (down 37 per cent), according to BDS. Still, it leads the subscription services-based On-Demand Songs chart (2.8 million US streams, down 13 per cent, according to BDS) for a second week.
The cut spends a sixth week at No 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and, as previously reported, takes over atop Pop Songs, Rhythmic Songs and R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts.
Bookending the Hot 100’s top 10, two songs enter the region, led by Soko, whose “We Might Be Dead by Tomorrow” debuts at No 9. The moody alt ballad opens at No 1 on Streaming Songs with 11.5 million US streams. Of the sum, 99 per cent are from YouTube, the majority of which stem from users who viewed the viral video “First Kiss,” which hit the Internet on March 10. Shot entirely in black-and-white, the 3-minute, 28-second “Kiss” clip captures 20 strangers sharing an intimate moment for the first time, along with their ensuing bashful, yet heartwarming, reactions. Throughout, Soko’s song accompanies the sparks. Originally thought to be a purely viral creation, “Kiss” was revealed as a collaboration between Soko and Wren, a women’s wear brand.
“Tomorrow” bows on the Hot 100 with 96 per cent of its points from streaming. It also sold 10,000 downloads in the week ending March 16, up from a negligible amount the prior week.
Soko nets the year’s first top 10 Hot 100 debut and the first top 10 launch for an act’s first entry since Ariana Grande began at No 10 with “The Way” (April 13, 2013). It’s the highest arrival for a new act since Baauer’s “Harlem Shake” bowed at No 1 to begin its five-week command. Like “Tomorrow,” “Shake” surged to its success via viral means, as fans famously created a firestorm of clips featuring the song and its frenetic dance.
Aloe Blacc likewise enters the Hot 100’s top 10 with “The Man” (12-10). After not receiving credit as the vocalist on Avicii’s No 4-peaking “Wake Me Up!” (at No 25 this week), Blacc scores his first top 10. “The Man” benefits from its 20-19 push on Radio Songs (52 million, up 2 percent), as it concurrently enters the Pop Songs top 10 (12-8). It holds at No. 8 on Digital Songs (97,000, down 10 percent), while slipping 33-37 on Streaming Songs (2 million, down 3 percent).
Also notably, with “The Man” interpolating Elton John’s classic “Your Song,” which reached No 8 on the Hot 100 in 1971 (becoming John’s first top 10), John and Bernie Taupin earn their first Hot 100 top 10 as writers since John’s “Candle in the Wind 1997”/”Something About the Way You Look Tonight” reigned for 14 weeks in 1997-98.
Back to the Hot 100’s upper reaches, Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse,” featuring Juicy J, spends a fourth week at No 2 after it ruled for four weeks. The track also holds the No 2 spots on Radio Songs (155 million, up 1 percent), which it dominated for two weeks, and Streaming Songs (1-2; 9.4 million, up 6 percent), which it led for four frames, while rebounding 5-4 on Digital Songs (165,000, down 9 percent), which it topped for five weeks.
John Legend’s first Hot 100 top 10, “All of Me,” keeps at its No 3 highpoint for a second week. The piano ballad holds at No 2 on Digital Songs (215,000, up 2 percent) and No 4 on Streaming Songs (6.5 million, up 14 percent), while rising 6-4 on Radio Songs (128 million, up 20 percent).
The Nos 4-6 titles remain in place from last week on the Hot 100: Jason Derulo’s “Talk Dirty,” featuring 2 Chainz, at No 4 for a second week after four weeks at its No 3 best rank; Bastille’s “Pompeii,” at its No 5 peak so far (and atop Hot Rock Songs for a fifth week); and Lorde’s “Team,” at its No 6 peak.
Above Soko and Aloe Blacc at Nos 9 and 10 on the Hot 100, OneRepublic’s No 2 hit “Counting Stars” rebounds 8-7, swapping spots with Beyonce’s fellow No 2-peaking “Drunk in Love,” featuring Jay Z (7-8).
