Over the past two weeks, the Pop gods answered the prayers of many-a-faithful music lover as two of the genre’s most beloved divas – Taylor Swift and Rihanna – dropped the season’s most highly anticipated efforts.
For Tay, her beloved fans – affectionately called #Swifties – had ample forewarning about the dawning of her new era, ‘Midnights.’ Finally unleashed October 21, the history-making set not only entered the Billboard 200 at #1 with the year’s biggest first-week sales but also saw half of its tracks occupy the Hot 100’s entire top 10.
Elsewhere, Rih’s devoted fan base – affectionately called #Navy – helped ‘Lift Me Up,’ her first new single in six years, break records at radio after its October 28 unveiling.
The proximity of their release dates made a Billboard battle between them inevitable, but – if industry analysts are to be believed – the updated print of the Pop chart will reveal it’s Swift who will have the upper edge.
Thanks to first-week streams of nearly 60 million, sales of more than 13,000, and radio impressions of over 32 million, Swift’s ‘Anti-Hero’ flew into the #1 spot of the current Hot 100 – marking the ninth visit of her career to the Pop pole position (as we reported here).
And while it’s typical for most tunes that debut atop the tally to experience a steep fall, Taylor – despite stiff competition from Rih and others – isn’t loosening its grip. In fact, reports have it the tune enjoyed an additional 15,000 sold its second week alongside streams of nearly 35 million and radio impressions of approximately 36 million. Its commercial performance is aided by multiple versions available for purchase and stream.
The potent combo proved just enough to keep the Bajan beauty at bay.
Early Billboard reports indicated Rih’s ‘Black Panther’ soundtrack tune racked up impressive streaming and sales figures in its first two days of availability – action that reportedly led to a performance sum of over 35,000 in sales, over 27 million in streams, and more than 45 million radio impressions by the week’s end.
If the figures reported above tally with Billboard’s news on Monday (November 7), Rih is assured a #2 opening on the Hot 100.
Keep it locked to That Grape Juice for when the official final call is made.
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Mmmm hmmm go Taylor! White gurls are always win💅🏾❤️
The Rihanna song is trash and PAYOLA.
LOL U MEAN LIKE PAYOLA MY SOUL? LMAOOO 🤣🤣🤣
Break my sould literally was pulled from radio by beyonce yet still stayed top 10 for a time, so obviously not payola especially when the song sold more than other songs in the top 10 when it went number 1 and had huge streams, stop lying to yourself, It isn’t healthy.
But didn’t billboard just change the rules for radio impressions to weigh more than streams last week? In fact they did!! This is Rihanna’s 15 number one!!! If not then there is some cheating going on…
Yall so pressed
Yes, you go Taylor Swift!
So, you comparing a movie sound track to an album? Thats funny TGJ tryna get stans going. My b**** is still Queen, her beauty & charm is beyond words. A billionaire mom with a lovely baby. Shes booked and busy. No time for fake drama
If the song was smashing you’d be singing a different tune. Her chart position is gonna be embarrassing next week. No ones streaming and payola will be over!
LOL!
The OFF BRAND Version of me.
Everyone knows I’m TEAM Rihanna.
Study me…if we wanna be me.
And Trust…that would be ur hardest course ever.
I have no words for that
Shayla Queen™ 👑
October 29, 2022
I love seeing a Queen doing Queen s**** and breaking records without payola – Taylor Swift. Rihanna will never come close.
Shayla Queen™ 👑
October 29, 2022
A radio deal is payola.
https://thatgrapejuice.net/2022/11/rihannas-lift-breaks-radio-add-record/#comments
Payola obsessed and a verified troll 🤔
@Tongue’Fcukk, you have no word because you are a dumb, illiterate 𝓬𝓾𝓷𝓽.
*words
Tell your mum to hit me up b*tch
Do you even know who your mom is? I see you are from the UK, that explains a lot. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
LMAOOO THEY BOTH BODIED THAT FLOPPED ROACH AND HER FLOPAISSANCE ERA SO I’M HERE FOR ALL OF IT, BTW HOWS CUFF IT DOING LMAOOOO 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Cuff it with no music video or performance is predicted to rise over 10 spots for this week’s new charts with no radio deals like riri or 20 versions of a single discounted plus bot streams like Taylor.
Rihanna needs to end Toylet Swiffer. You got it gurl dont even need to try Queen of Barbados 💅🏾
Rihanna is so f****** useless, you had a 5 year hype, marvel studios backing you and a huge radio deal and even got billboard to change the rules and you still didn’t go number 1, tf??? I hope none of her r9 songs go number 1 🙄, but how though? She literally had more sales and radio play than Taylor, how did streams over power that? when Taylor is known to buy views and released like 20 versions for streams to be bundled, was her desperate trick THAT powerful? This is ridiculous. Never understand why that bland singer who has little maturity and has stupid delusional fans is so successful in the USA.