After browsing over the Rhythmic Top 40 today, I thought it might be an appropriate time to make some predictions for which new hip-hop songs will become big hits going into the holiday season. Here they are:
Ludacris Ft T-Pain - One More Drink
Possibly the most fitting and entertaining Ludacris single since "Number One Spot", "One More Drink" is rocketing up the Rhythmic charts moving 23-14 this week, up 792 spins. I can see this one sticking around for a while once it enters the top 10. TrackMasters are back!!!
Kanye West - Heartless
"Heartless" debuted @ #4 on the Billboard Hot100 this week, while its up 34-25 at Rhythmic with 644 added spins over the week. Guaranteed to become a hit leading into Christmas. I predict a top 10 position next week.
Plies Ft Chris J - Put It On Ya
"Bust It Baby Pt 2" part three. I love this song, I have no doubt it will dominate Rhythmic radio over the next two-three months. Up from 42-30 with a gain of 482 spins. Plies looks like he can actually have two successful album campaigns in one year. The new DMX. Yes we can.
Honorable mention goes out to the inexcusable "Pop Champagne" which somehow, is doing quite well at radio. SMH.
I've had a few 'WTF' moments this morning so I'm gonna change the format here slightly, although thats implying that I have some kind of format with this ... yeah, ok I'll just get on with it.
So it appears we've got the next wave of comedic snap songs coming out (Yeah I thought it was over too). Block Ent have their newly signed group Hot Stylz from Chicago, who look to have a "Laffy Taffy" like hit on their hands with Lookin' Boy. The video is actually quite funny and I think its cool that they're parodying the current trends, not sure if Yung Joc fits in tho. "Lookin Boy" is currently #21 at Urban Radio and is moving quite well. I'd say we'll be seeing it on Rhythmic and Mainstream playlists in June/July.
Warner Bro's new ATL artist V.I.C is sure to be a one-hit wonder with his Soulja Boy produced "Get Silly". Radio, do we really need to hear this? To me Soulja Boy was fun; (a) because he's a kid, (b), because he didn't take himself seriously. V.I.C on the other hand looks like he's pretty serious about it. It's quite awful if you ask me.
Moving along to proper music, Lil' Wayne now has three singles at different radio formats. "Lollipop" #1 Rhythmic / #7 Top40, "A Milli" #24 Urban, and just this week his T-Pain assisted "Got Money" has impacted the Rhythmic Charts jumping from #57 up to #36. As generic as "Got Money" is, I can pretty much assure you its going straight to the top. Great for Weezy as Tha Carter III is apparently in stores June 10th. Click here for the album snippets
Plies & NeYo's "Bust It Baby Pt 2" is headed straight for #1 the next week or two @ Rhythmic and has just broken into the Mainstream Top40. This record has alot of life left in it.
Other notable records moving quite well are The Dream's "I Luv Your Girl" and Kardi & Akon's "Dangerous" which looks like its headed for top 10 territory. Despite its success, I hope it's the last song I ever hear called "Dangerous".
G-Unit have been trying to put out singles for the past 6 months and nothing is catching on? Their new joint "I Like The Way She Do It" just scrapes in at #40 Urban Radio .. but it'll be gone next week. Interscope have got it rough right now. If it weren't for Akon's artists, Game & Keyshia Cole they'd probably be ready to scrap their entire urban department.
Finally, I'm not a big fan of Jordin Sparks but I'm not gonna lie to you, I like "No Air". If I hear it on the radio or tv I'll listen, unlike almost everything else they play on Fox or Nova.
My apologies to those of you who check the blog regularly and follow my "Sales In / Radios On" posts, I have been slacking as of late. Aside from nothing major going down, I've just been generally busy.. But I'm back now, yay.
Random stuff first:
I want to talk about Madonna's dope yet critically bashed album and but I'll leave that for its own post. Did anyone see Lil Mama's debut album Voice of the Young People dropped last week, debuting at #25 with around 19k sales? This is particularly awful considering Lil Mama has had two relatively big singles ("Lip Gloss" & "Shawty Get Loose") and has been promoted fairly well. I guess ain't no one want to hear 12 + songs of Lil Mama. Its not a great album.
Also, before I jump into billboard & radio talk I just wanna congratulate Bliss N Eso on their #10 debut on the ARIA Album Chart. Its been a long time coming. Their album Flying Colours is currently sitting at #33 this week.
There really isn't much to talk about in the way of sales this week so I'll skip that shit and move onto Rhythmic Radio where Plies/NeYo's "Bust It Baby Pt 2" is clearly on its way to #1. Up this week to #7 with a +672 in spins. I like Plies, he has a very descriptive and incorrect way of speaking about his relations with girls in his music, its always hilarious and intriguing, especially knowing its being played on commercial radio.
Rick Ross' "Boss" is also making its move up towards the top spot this week moving to the #5 position up 366 spins. I'm guessing it'll burn out within the next 2 weeks and peak at around #3 but its a dope song and I'm glad a song with some balls is in the top 10.
As Mariah Carey's god-awful "Touch My Body" finishes its run, her new single "Bye Bye" (Johnta Austin/Stargate) looks like it has a clear path to the top. This week at #14, up 505 spins. I'm curious to know if Mariah and JD purposefully aimed at making an album that made no musical progression from her last. "Bye Bye" just sounds like an amalgamation of everything from Emancipation of Mimi. In fact everything on E=MC2 sounds like it was made 'safe' in the hope to stretch the album out across the year with 5-6 singles. I call that A&R music.
Usher's "Love In This Club Pt 2" is making strides to the top, this week @ #18 up 625 spins. It'll be interesting if this and the original both share a position in the top 10. Ne-Yo's finally found a single to launch his upcoming album off. "Closer" sits at #17 this week and looks like it'll slowly make its way up and start flying once the video hits all media outlets.
Dream's "I Luv Your Girl" is doing its damn thing. (#23, +445) I hope it sticks around for a while. Dope joint. Still waiting for "Fast Car" or "Nikki" to come out as singles. Even tho dudes album sold poorly, I guarantee he'll have singles that stretch out to the end of this year .. pity that doesn't really translate to album sales any more.
To finish things off, Nelly & Fergie's awful "Party People" is performing ok at radio but seems to have already dropped off on the Billboard 100 and is struggling to do anything. Will Universal continue to poor money into this project and release Nelly's album off the back of this? or will he get pushed back indefinitely like Nicole S? I get the feeling Universal thought Nelly would be one of their bread winners this year, going by his success in the past. I've been saying the only way for Nelly to succeed this time around is to change up the format, go back to the melodic sing/song 'almost r&b' fun-party records, add some Antares Auto-Tune to keep it current, possibly have T-Pain or Akon pen the track and he's got a winner. This bullshit he's putting out ain't cutting it.
Iight thats it for me, I'm ghost. oh BTW, whoever is responsible for leaking the records I've done for the Terrell King album (Alive, Last Chance), y'all are killing me. The feedback has been crazy but that shit is UNMIXED/UNMASTERED! Chill out on that shit. I'll also make a seperate post addressing this soon.
No surprises here, Mariah Carey’s new Island/IDJ album, E=MC2, is this weeks number 1.
E=MC2 comes in with first-week sales of 475k, apparently her highest first week numbers ever. I was pretty on point with my predictions. I'd be pissed if I were one of the 475k that bought this album expecting something great or new from Mariah. Lets just say I was thoroughly disappointed.
J Records’ Leona Lewis did 90k, after last week’s #1 debut.
Next week we have Ashlee Simpson's Timbo (Royal Court/KingLogan/Jim Beanz)/Chad Hugo creation Bittersweet World. I'm kinda looking forward to this based on its production/songwriting credits.
At Rhythmic Radio this week"Lollipop" (#3) is just about to push Usher'sGarageband Song & Ray J's doo-doo sandwhich out of the top spot. "Lollipop" is also #2 @ Billboard Hot 100. Once it moves up into the top 10-15 @ Mainstream 40 Radio, Weezy will most likely experience his first ever #1 single. Meanwhile Leona Lewis holds the #1.
Danity Kane's "Damaged" is within the top 20 @ Mainstream Radio & Hot 100. I'm gonna leak the FUEGO remix on y'all soon. 2step?!?
Note to radio programmers: Please stop playing C-Side/Keyshia Cole - BF/GF. Is it not apparent that this is quite possibly the worst song ever made? Keyshia, I love you but seriously, You've made two pretty good albums with some excellent songs, I'm positive you know the difference between good songwriting and this display of cliche followed by cliche .. This song is what happens when you read How To Make A Hit Rap/R&B Song 101.
Not a whole lot to report this week as far as the Billboard Albums Charts goes. I think me and Weez will have to have some kind of wager on the first week Mariah numbers. Her album E=MC2is out April 15th. I'm predicting in the neighbourhood of 500-550.. but I guess it could go alil higher depending on her TV appearances and TV personality endorsements over the next week. I'm not crazy about the album or the first single at all but that's just me.
Looks like Weezy is going to have a nice lil #1 at Rhythmic Radio next week. "Lollipop" moved up 5 places from #9 to #4 last week with a gainer of 1311. Usher remains at #1 with around 6900 spins a week.. Ray J/Yung Berg's shit sandwhich may have one week at #1 before "Lollipop" steals their thunder. "Lollipop" has also just entered the Mainstream 40 charts with a pretty strong gainer of 500, so it looks like Wayne is going to have a strong lead up to his album release if the song doesn't get over exposed before then, or if the album doesn't get pushed back again. hmm. He better have a dope 2nd single choice. Finally, Pittsburg artist Wiz Khalifa seems to have a blog/internets powered hit on his hands with "Say Yeah" which looks to be moving slowly but surely with 177 plus spins sitting at #36. I can see this joint sticking around for a minute.
Onto the Billboard Hot 100; I'm still completely enamoured by Leona Lewis' success stateside. "Bleeding Love" is #2 .. Speaking of that, can someone tell me if Jesse McCartney really did co-write it with Ryan Tedder? or is that a media thing his team created to put him in a Justin Timberlake/Dream/Ne-Yo realm? Eitherway Tedders upcoming royalty statement should have alot of zero's. "Lollipop" is #4 with a sales gainer, will probably see it at #1 once it starts moving up Mainstream 40 Radio and Leona & Mariah drop off.
Thats all for today .. Oh, back home I've got two top 40 chart positions this week with Cristian Alexanda's single "Too Fine" currently sitting at #38 and Mr G's "Naughty Girl" at #17. Sweet.
