The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data. All charts (dated March 6) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (March 2). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
“License” was released Jan. 8 on Geffen/Interscope Records and debuted at No. 1 on the Jan. 23-dated Hot 100, marking Rodrigo’s first leader. The song from the singer-songwriter and actress, who broke through with roles on Disney Channel’s Bizaardvark and Disney+’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, totaled 21.5 million U.S. streams (down 4%) and 13,000 downloads sold (up 38%) in the week ending Feb. 25, according to MRC Data. It also drew 67.3 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 13%) in the week ending Feb. 28.
Enhancing the song’s profile in the tracking week, NBC’s Saturday Night Live aired a skit Feb. 20 in tribute to its popularity. (Rodrigo, who celebrated her birthday that day, approved of the gift.)
The track rebounds 8-2 on the Digital Song Sales chart (after three weeks at No. 1), as it wins the Hot 100’s top Sales Gainer award; pushes 5-2 on Radio Songs; and slips 2-3 on Streaming Songs (after four weeks at No. 1).
“License” also claims top Airplay Gainer honors on the Hot 100 for a sixth consecutive week, becoming the first song to link such a streak since Sia’s “Cheap Thrills,” featuring Sean Paul, in June-July 2016.
Helping power its radio surge, “License” shifts 2-1 on the Pop Airplay chart (which reflects plays on a panel of over 160 mainstream top 40 stations). The song reaches the summit in its seventh week, completing the fastest trip to the top since Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” (also seven weeks, in 2017).
As “License” is Rodrigo’s first Pop Airplay entry, it’s the first initial hit by an artist in a lead role to rule the chart so quickly since fun.’s “We Are Young,” featuring Janelle Monae (seven, 2012), and the first maiden entry by a soloist in a lead role in almost 18 years — since 50 Cent’s “In Da Club” (seven, 2003). No woman with lead billing had sent a first Pop Airplay entry to No. 1 as fast as Rodrigo has in nearly 20 years — since Blu Cantrell’s “Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!)” (seven, 2001).
Additionally, “License” is just the seventh single to have debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and spent at least its first seven weeks on top. It’s the first to earn the distinction for an artist’s first No. 1 as the sole billed act.
Singles to Spend First Seven Weeks or More on Hot 100 at No. 1
16 weeks, “One Sweet Day,” Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men, 1995-96
14 weeks, “Candle in the Wind 1997″https://www.billboard.com/”Something About the Way You Look Tonight,” Elton John, 1997-98
11 weeks, “God’s Plan,” Drake, 2018
11 weeks, “I’ll Be Missing You,” Puff Daddy & Faith Evans feat. 112, 1997
10 weeks, “Hello,” Adele, 2015-16
8 weeks, “Fantasy,” Mariah Carey, 1995
7 weeks, “Drivers License,” Olivia Rodrigo, 2021
Cardi B’s “Up” jumps 5-2 on the Hot 100, returning to its highpoint where it debuted two weeks ago. It rises 3-2 on Streaming Songs (24.3 million, up 8%), 5-4 on Digital Song Sales (9,000, down 17%) and 41-33 on Radio Songs (22.8 million, up 20%).
“Up” rebounds for a second week at No. 1 on both the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts, which employ the same methodology as the Hot 100.
Chris Brown and Young Thug’s “Go Crazy” soars 8-3 for a new Hot 100 high, besting its prior No. 5 peak, following the Feb. 19 release of its remix featuring Future, Lil Durk and Mulatto. The track adds a seventh week atop Radio Songs (77.6 million in audience, down 2%); blasts 50-12 on Streaming Songs (13.2 million, up 74%); and re-enters Digital Song Sales at No. 35 (3,000 sold, up 76%). (Future, Lil Durk and Mulatto are not credited on the song on the Hot 100, as the remix did not draw the majority of its activity in the tracking week.)
Brown posts his highest Hot 100 rank in over a dozen years, since “Forever” peaked at No. 2 for two weeks in summer 2008.
“Go Crazy” concurrently scores a third week atop the multi-metric Hot R&B Songs chart.
Ariana Grande’s “34+35” drops to No. 4 on the Hot 100, a week after it revisited its No. 2 high (when it was sparked the Feb. 12 premiere of its official video starring Grande, Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion).
The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” dips 4-5 on the Hot 100. The song spent four weeks at No. 1 last April-May (eventually finishing as the Hot 100’s top hit of all of 2020) and posts its 64th total week on the chart. It adds a record-extending 51st week in the top 10 and record-padding 42nd week in the top five.
The Weeknd boasts back-to-back hits in the Hot 100’s top 10, as “Save Your Tears” holds at No. 6, two weeks after reaching its No. 4 high.
24kGoldn’s “Mood,” featuring Iann Dior, keeps at No. 7 on the Hot 100, after eight nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 in October through mid-January. It rules the multi-metric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Alternative Songs charts for a 26th week each.
Lil Tjay’s “Calling My Phone,” featuring 6LACK, falls to No. 8 on the Hot 100, a week after it launched at No. 3. It adds a second week atop Streaming Songs (25.4 million, down 25%).
Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Grande’s “Positions” rises 10-9, after spending its first week on the chart at No. 1 in November, and Dua Lipa’s “Levitating,” featuring DaBaby, backtracks 9-10, after reaching No. 5.
Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram and all charts (dated March 6), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (March 2).
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