Welcome to Billboard Pro Uptrend column, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have captured the attention of the music industry. Some came out of nowhere, others took months to figure out, and all could become ubiquitous with the blink of a TikTok clip.
This week: Sam Smith and Kim Petras team up for new success after an extended teaser, a Netflix movie produces a streaming hit, and Katy Perry’s 2011 single gets a makeover in 2022.
Sam Smith and Kim Petras blow off after weeks of teasing
“Unholy,” the sultry, hyperpop-adjacent new collaboration between Sam Smith and Kim Petras, got off to a flying start on streaming after its release last week. The song topped Spotify’s US and Global Top 50 charts, as well as the Apple Music and iTunes charts, for much of the past week, with a total of 10.1 million US on-demand streams between Friday. and Sunday, according to Luminate. And it was heavily promoted on pop radio as well, with 629,000 viewership impressions aired between September 23-26.
Part of the reason “Unholy” worked so well from the get-go: Fans were ready for its arrival after weeks of strategically executed teasing. Pop stars offering snippets of upcoming singles on social media is nothing new, but Smith and Petras, who have a combined 15.3 million Instagram followers and 5.6 million TikTok followers, went above and beyond to make “Unholy” go viral before it even came out. . The hooks were teased, studio footage was released, and Smith and Petras even created choreography for the “Unholy’s” chorus a month before the song’s full release, topping 23 million views.
The success of “Unholy” will likely give Smith her biggest Billboard Hot 100 hit since Team Normani’s 2019 “Dancing With a Stranger,” which peaked at No. 7, and give their upcoming fourth album a solid first single; Meanwhile, Petras could be in store for her first Hot 100 hit. More broadly, expect label execs to dig into the extended “Unholy” rollout campaign in hopes of replicating her exciting formula. – JASON LIPSHUTZ
Mazie does ‘Revenge’, scores a viral hit
The Good Boy Records/Virgin Mazie artist has seen more than 2,100% increase in on-demand streaming in the US over the past week for his song “dumb dumb”, according to Luminate. Originally released in July 2021, the eye-catching bedroom tune took off after being placed in the popular Netflix movie Revenge, with Maya Hawke and Camila Mendes. More gasoline was thrown on the fire once TikTok got their hands on the song right after the release of Revenge: several versions of the track, including a high grip, performed well on the platform. The result is “dumb dumb” becoming this week’s biggest winner on Spotify’s Top Songs USA, up 52 spots this week to No. 112.
The Revenge The soundtrack proved popular with its Gen Z audience, with many viewers taking to social media to express their love for its range of songs. Music Supervisor by Rob Lowry — best known for his work on the Gossip Girl to restart, Rummy and Cha Cha real smooth — is behind the soundtrack, which features works almost entirely by female artists, including Olivia Rodrigo’s “Brutal,” MUNA’s “Silk Chiffon,” and Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever,” Phoebe Bridgers and “Blondes” by Blu DeTiger. –KRISTIN ROBINSON
Katy Perry gets “a” big TikTok boost
Hot 100 obsessives know it, when it comes to Katy Perry trying to make history with her teenage dream album, “The One That Got Away” more than lives up to its title. The first five singles from Perry’s 2010 sophomore album – “California Gurls”, “Teenage Dream”, “Firework”, “ET” and “Last Friday Night (TGIF)” – all reached No. 1 on the Hot 100, tying the record set by Michael Jackson Wrong for the most popular songs on a single album. The sixth single, “The One That Got Away”, nearly broke the tie…but could only climb to number three on the chart in 2011, and a new record could not be set.
Fast forward 11 years, though, and KatyCats can celebrate the return of “The One Who Got Away” into the public consciousness, thanks to a viral boost from a TikTok dance challenge (here’s a hands-on tutorial of the moves) . “The One That Got Away” has been a TikTok staple for years, but a revamped new version of the track, combined with the choreography, has led to a significant surge in streaming: the song is up 32% week over week. to the other. in on-demand streams in the US, gaining nearly 2 million streams in the week ending September 22, according to Luminate. “The One That Got Away” may never top the Hot 100, but more young listeners are discovering the song every day. –JL
Q&A: AJ Ramos, Head of Latin Artist Partnerships, Music & Culture at YouTube Music/Google, on what’s happening in his world
What’s been the most exciting initiative for YouTube Music this Hispanic Heritage Month?
One of YouTube Music’s most exciting initiatives this Hispanic Heritage Month is the launch of our “Representado La Cultura” campaign which celebrates our culture with the artists who elevate our music and set the mood. The campaign highlights artists like Eslabon Armando, Ivan Cornejo, Yahritza y Su Esencia, Kevin Kaarl, Young Miko, Chico Curly Head, J Fab and Paola, Villano Antillano, Foreign Teck, The Marias, Elena Rose, Dowba Montana, Silvana Estrada, Ela Minus and Robi, to name a few. YouTube has always been at the forefront of supporting new artists and that’s exactly what we’re doing with “Representado La Cultura”.
How are different aspects of the business, including original programming, being used this month?
Every day on YouTube and Google, we celebrate our culture. Months like this are special because we work more closely with Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) across the company to organize times that celebrate creativity, identity and diversity, both internally and externally. In my role as a member of our Latin ERGs, it is important for me to advise and connect music and culture within our Google ecosystem through intersectionality. Whether it’s a Google speaker series or conversations about mental health as part of our “Representando La Cultura” Youtube Music campaign, Cultura is always first and it’s amazing to work closely with people who represent us from all parts of the world.
YouTube has been a champion of Latin music for years. What notable stylistic changes have you seen in music videos and short-form content over this period?
Whether it’s a visualizer, premium music video, lyric video, user-generated content, alternative music videos, permanent content, or YouTube shorts, artists have more options than ever to creatively interact with their fans. There’s been a lot of growth and discoverability with artists using YouTube Shorts, which gives artists the ability to curate short content on their channel – from a dance or lifestyle challenge, to sharing a song, by inviting fans to make their own remix of the song or share clips from their premium music video. A good example is the recently launched YouTube Shorts campaign featuring Camilo, who is on the cover of Spanish billboard. It’s nice to see the immense creativity of today’s artists.
As Head of Artist Partnerships, what is the Latin industry trend that artists and their teams have been talking about in recent weeks?
When it comes to songs, I think genre fusions and transitions in a song keep it fresh and engaging, like Rauw Alejandro’s “Lokera.” Regarding the type of songs, it seems that more and more artists talk about faith and spirituality, such as that of DJ Khaled God madeand Farruko with Nazarenzo.
We also love everything that’s happening with Mexican music and Gen Z. You’re seeing more and more fusion genres and artists experimenting with different sounds. Artists like Danny Lux, Eslabón Armado and Yahritza y Su Esencia are setting new rules. Tropical music is having another moment, especially after the release of Romeos Santos’ new album Formula, Vol 3. It’s amazing to see more artists being really genuine and authentic with themselves and owning their identity. Culture wins. –JL