Today’s thread is brought to you by 8 Letters and the number 9.
Drake’s “In My Feelings” spends another week at the top of the Hot 100, marking his 28th cumulative week at number one on that chart this year. With this achievement, Drake ties Usher for the most weeks at number one on the Hot 100 within a single calendar year, and he now holds the record for the most total weeks at number one for a male solo artist, with 48 weeks in his career.
Current Hot 100 snapshot:
1 (1) Drake – “In My Feelings” — 28K (+6%), 47.7M streams (-6%), 89.5M air impressions (-4%)
2 (2) Maroon 5 – “Girls Like You” featuring Cardi B — 32K [#1 sales] (+15%), 28.9M streams (-3%), 127.6M air impressions [#1] (+1%)
3 (3) Cardi B, Bad Bunny and J Balvin – “I Like It”
4 (5) 6ix9ine – “FEFE” featuring Nicki Minaj — 48.6M streams
5 (4) Post Malone – “Better Now”
6 (NEW) Eminem – “Lucky You” featuring Joyner Lucas — 26K, 42.2M streams [#1 streaming]
7 (6) Juice WRLD – “Lucid Dreams”
8 (NEW) Eminem – “The Ringer” — 28K, 31.8M streams
9 (7) Travis Scott – “Sicko Mode”
10 (8) Tyga – “Taste” featuring Offset
There is an interesting streaming nuance this week: while “Lucky You” is credited as the streaming chart leader with 42.2 million streams, “In My Feelings” shows higher raw stream counts in some reporting at 47.7 million. The discrepancy comes down to how different types of streams are weighted for chart calculations. Paid subscription streams are assigned full weight, ad-supported on-demand streams are weighted at two-thirds, and programmed (non-interactive) streams are weighted at one-half. In the Billboard methodology, paid subscription audio streams convert to a lower number of streams per equivalent unit (SEA=1,250) compared with ad-supported audio streams (SEA=3,750), which effectively gives greater chart value to paid streams.
Eminem’s momentum extends beyond singles. His surprise release Kamikaze debuts at number one on the albums chart, marking his ninth number one album. The album posted 434,000 equivalent album units, including 252,000 in traditional album sales, along with 14,000 TEA (track equivalent albums) and 168,000 SEA (streaming equivalent albums). These totals underline how a combination of strong sales and weighted streaming can drive a high-charting album debut.
On the albums front, another notable debut comes from the band Why Don’t We. Featuring Daniel Seavey—known from American Idol—their first full-length release, 8 Letters, arrives at number nine on the albums chart with 44,000 equivalent album units, including 37,000 in traditional album sales. That placement highlights the continued importance of physical and full-album sales for certain fan-driven releases.
The current chart landscape reinforces several important trends: paid streaming holds outsized influence on chart position due to weighting rules, traditional album sales remain vital for high-ranking album debuts, and surprise releases or strong promotional moments can rapidly translate into top chart positions. Artists who combine strong sales with a significant paid-streaming audience are most likely to see the biggest benefits under the existing Hot 100 and Billboard 200 formulas.
As the charts continue to reflect changes in consumption—streaming formats, airplay, and sales—watch how artists and labels adapt release strategies to maximize both streaming weight and sales figures. For now, Drake’s sustained run at the top, Eminem’s chart-topping album debut, and Why Don’t We’s top-ten entry are the biggest takeaways from this week’s chart activity.