USA
Billboard Report (excerpt)
'Industry Baby' hits no.1 on Billboard Hot 100
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
by Keith Caulfield & Gary Trust, Los Angeles

Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow's "Industry Baby" ascends to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, from No. 2. The collab is Lil Nas X's third leader on the list and Harlow's first. "Industry

Baby," released July 23 on Columbia Records, is the 1,130th No. 1 in the Hot 100's 63-year history. It drew 64 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 10%) and 23.2 million U.S. streams (down 1%) and sold 34,300 downloads (soaring 564%) in the week ending Oct. 14, according to MRC Data. The track rebounds 2-1 for a second week atop the Streaming Songs chart, vaults 12-1 for its first week atop Digital Song Sales, as it wins top Sales Gainer honors on the Hot 100, and pushes 5-4 on Radio Songs. Sparking its sales surge, along with the original single, two new versions of "Baby" (one with an "alternative digital single cover" and an "extended" mix) were made available for purchase Oct. 9, with all discounted to 69 cents in the tracking week. Lil Nas X achieves his third Hot 100 No. 1. His debut smash "Old Town Road," featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, spent a record 19 weeks at No. 1 in April-August 2019, and "Montero (Call Me by Your Name")

led for a week upon its debut this April. Harlow crowns the Hot 100 for the first time after he hit a prior No. 2 best in July 2020 with his breakthrough hit "Whats Poppin," featuring DaBaby, Tory Lanez, and Lil Wayne. Meanwhile, Kanye West, one of the writers and producers of "Baby," scores his fifth Hot 100 No. 1 in those roles. His new leader follows Ludacris' "Stand Up," featuring Shawnna (one week, December 2003); Twista's "Slow Jamz," featuring West and Jamie Foxx (one week, February 2004); and West's "Gold Digger," featuring Foxx (10 weeks, beginning September 2005), and "Stronger" (one week, September 2007). "Baby" debuted at No. 2 on the Hot 100 dated Aug. 7 and reaches No. 1 in its 12th week on the chart. It's the 15th song to log its first week at the summit in 2021, although just the fifth not to have opened at No. 1, and only The Weeknd and Ariana Grande's "Save Your Tears" has taken a longer trip to the top this year (21 weeks). The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber's "Stay" slips to No. 2 on the Hot 100 after seven weeks on top, with 89.2 million in airplay audience (up 3%), as it leads Radio Songs for a fifth week; 21.6 million U.S. streams (down 7%); and 12,400 sold (up 67%, helped by its placement in the iTunes Store's "69¢ Pop Hits" promotion during the tracking week). Walker Hayes' "Fancy Like" holds at its No. 3 Hot 100 high, as it rules the multi-metric Hot Country Songs chart for the 14th week; Ed Sheeran's "Bad Habits" rises 5-4 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 2; and Drake's "Way 2 Sexy," featuring Future and Young Thug, dips 4-5, following its No. 1 premiere five weeks earlier. Olivia Rodrigo's "Good 4 U" keeps at No. 6 on the Hot 100, after it debuted at No. 1 in May, and Doja Cat's "Kiss Me More," featuring SZA, repeats at No. 7, after reaching No. 3. Dua Lipa's "Levitating" remains at No. 8 on the Hot 100, after hitting No. 2. It spends a 39th week in the top 10, tying Post Malone's "Circles" (2019-20) for the second-longest such run in the chart's archives. The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" leads with 57 top 10 weeks (February 2020-April 2021). Wizkid's "Essence," featuring Justin Bieber and Tems, pushes 10-9 for a new Hot 100 best. Rounding out the Hot 100's top 10, Ed Sheeran's "Shivers" rises 11-10 with 37.3 million in radio audience (up 5%), 12.1 million streams (essentially even week-over-week), and 9,100 sold (down 3%). Drake’s Certified Lover Boy rebounds to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Oct. 23) for a fourth nonconsecutive week in the lead, as the set bumps up from No. 2 with 94,000 equivalent album units earned (down 14%) in the U.S. in the week ending Oct. 14, according to MRC Data. Of Certified Lover Boy’s 94,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Oct. 14, SEA units comprise 92,000 (down 14%, equaling 125.77 million on-demand streams of the album’s songs), album sales comprise 1,000 (down 9%) and TEA units comprise 1,000 (down 10%). Don Toliver lands his highest-charting album yet, as Life of a Don debuts at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 68,000 equivalent album units. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 49,000 (equaling 64.13 million on-demand streams of the album’s songs), album sales comprise 18,000 (all from a digital download, as no physical product is available) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. Life of a Don surpasses the No. 7 debut and peak of his one earlier charting album, Heaven or Hell (March 28, 2020 chart). YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s Sincerely, Kentrell climbs 4-3 with 51,000 equivalent album units earned (down 28%) while Meek Mill’s Expensive Pain falls 3-4 with 46,000 units (down 51%). Life of a Don, Sincerely and Expensive Pain were all released through Atlantic Records, giving the label three of the top four on the Billboard 200 for the first time since the Jan. 20, 2018, chart. That week, Atlantic held the Nos. 1, 2 and 4 slots with the soundtrack to The Greatest Showman, Ed Sheeran’s ÷ (Divide) and Bruno Mars’ 24K Magic, respectively. Back on the new Billboard 200, Olivia Rodrigo’s former No. 1 Sour climbs 6-5 with a little more than 43,000 equivalent album units earned (up less than 1%), Lil Nas X’s Montero dips 5-6 with 43,000 (down 5%) and Doja Cat’s Planet Her is a non-mover at No. 7 with 42,000 units (down 2%). Morgan Wallen’s former No. 1 Dangerous: The Double Album rises 9-8 with 42,000 equivalent album units earned (up 6%). The album debuted atop the chart 40 weeks ago, and has yet to depart the top 10. It has the fifth-most weeks in the top 10 among country albums all-time (with country albums defined as those that are eligible for Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart). Ahead of it are Swift’s Fearless (58 weeks), Shania Twain’s Come On Over (53), Garth Brooks’ Ropin’ the Wind (50) and Billy Ray Cyrus’ Some Gave All (43). Rounding out the new top 10 on the Billboard 200 are a pair of former No. 1s: Kanye West’s Donda rises 10-9 (33,000 equivalent album units earned; down 12%) and The Kid LAROI’s F*ck Love climbs 12-10 (32,000 units; down 4%).

Record Of The Month
Nigeria is gradually becoming a hot spot in our new multicolored music world. Already last year a song from there, 'Jerusalema' by Master KG feat. Nomcebo Zikode, was a big international success and now 'Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah)' by Nigerian singer, songwriter and producer Chukwuka Ekweani, better known as CKay, is on the way to the top. After its dream start at no.8 three weeks ago, the song ranks currently at the runner-up slot for a second week with 313,000 points (up 8%).

United Kingdom
Music Week Report (excerpt)
Elton John & Dua Lipa top the singles chart
Monday, October 18, 2021
by Alan Jones, London
 
The timely release of a batch of autographed CD singles means Cold Heart by Elton John & Dua Lipa enjoys a massive 25.5% boost in sales and finally ejects Ed Sheeran from the summit, rising to No.1 in its ninth week on the chart. The Pnau-created mix of vintage Elton vocal fragments and newly-

recorded material by his female co-star lands a chart sale of 63,298, which includes 50,405 from audio streams but most notably 5,057 physical sales. This is the third No.1 hit to which Dua Lipa has contributed, her first since her turn on Calvin Harris' One Kiss climbed to the top almost exactly three and a half years ago. It is Elton John's eighth chart-topper, his first for 16 years, and quite possibly his most significant one so far. Elton joins the select group of artists to have topped the charts in four separate decades, with No.1 hits to his name in the 70s, 90s, 00s and now 20s. At the age of 74 he is now the second-oldest artist ever to top the singles chart, beaten only by the exploits of the 99-year-old Captain Tom Moore last year. It is exactly 50 years and nine months to the week since Elton’s British chart debut, meaning he is top of the charts deeper into his career than any other artist in history. Signing all those CD sleeves turned out to be very worthwhile.

Commiserations then to Ed Sheeran, denied at the death the chance to equal the record for the longest consecutive No.1 run. For the first time since its release Shivers was the most-streamed track of the week with 6.5m plays but with its sales down 2.4% to 59,865 it is relegated to No.2. Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah) by Ckay holds steady at No.3 in the face of some strong competition with a sale of its own of 37,031. Built around a sample from P Diddy's 2001 No.13 hit Bad Boy For Life, Boyz is the highest new entry of the week for the newly solo Jesy Nelson, this week’s No.4 with 34,693 sales. The track features guest vocals from Nicki Minaj, the scheduling of her contribution reportedly the reason the single was delayed from its originally slated August release. However belatedly it becomes Nicki Minaj's 59th chart hit, her 13th to reach the Top 10 and her first to do so since Woman Like Me in October 2018 – as performed by the original Nelson-inclusive lineup of Little Mix. Heat Waves by Glass Animals remains static in fifth place with 31,620 to complete the Top 5. Most of the rest of the Top 20 are on a downward curve or at best hold steady. The one exception is My Heart Goes (La Di Da) by Becky Hill & Topic which is up to No.13 with 21,513 sales. New to the Top 20 from below are Love Tonight by Shouse which climbs to No.18 (16,379 sales) and after a fortnight trapped at No.24, Meet Me At Our Spot by The Anxiety (the duo of Willow Smith and Tyler Cole) which moves to No.19 (15,636 sales). First released in March 2020 the track owes its belated success, inevitably, to Tik Tok virality. Singles sales rise 2.19% to 22,801,057 and hit their highest level for 12 weeks. Paid-for sales similarly tick up 3.36% to 386,716 but remain below 400,000 for the 13th week in a row. The only show in town in a quiet week for big releases, Sam Fender’s second album Seventeen Going Under duplicates the success of his 2019 debut Hypersonic Missiles and hits No.1 with some considerable ease. The South Shields native commands the fourth-highest weekly sales tally of the year so far of 43,717 including 34,603 from physical formats. With few other sales challengers around Seventeen Going Under obliterates the competition and comes close to outselling the rest of the Top 10 put together. Fender's nearest sales rival then is a mere 36,863 copies behind, Certified Lover Boy by Drake rising as high as No.2 for the first time in three weeks with 6,854 mostly streaming-originated sales. Also back in the Top 3 after a short break is Sour by Olivia Rodrigo, who takes third place with 6,072 sales. The second highest new entry of the week is from a British singer-songwriter of a previous generation. Friends That Break Your Heart is James Blake's fifth studio album, originally due for release a month ago only for production delays to force a reschedule. Arriving at No.4 with 5,727 sales, it becomes his fourth to reach the Top 10, predecessor Assume Form having charted at No.6 in 2019. His only miss to date has been third album The Colour In Anything which could only reach No.13 when released in 2016. With her new single out today (October 15) the spontaneous rediscovery of Adele's back catalogue of albums has continued apace. 25 rockets back to No.6 (4,773 sales) for its first Top 10 appearance since March 2017. 21 isn't too far behind at No.14 (3,697 sales) for its best showing since July 2016, while her debut release 19 is charting for the first time in five years as it arrives at No.54 (1,781 sales). All told, Adele albums increase consumption by over 45% week on week as everyone re-familiarises themselves with her past work. Albums sales ease off just slightly this week, down 0.84% to 1,778,090. Physical sales dip to 308,539 in a 9.11% fall and have a market share of 17.35%.