Wizkid & Tems’ ‘Essence’ Hits No. 1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart

Wizkid & Tems’ ‘Essence’ Hits No. 1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart.

Wizkid‘s “Essence,” featuring Tems, reaches No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart (dated Sept. 4) in a milestone achievement for the Afrobeats genre. The track by the two Nigerian artists jumps from No. 3 with an 11% improvement to 18 million in audience in the week ending Aug. 29, according to MRC Data, making it the most-heard song at the radio format.

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Wizkid grabs his second No. 1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and first as a lead act. He previously reigned through a supporting role on Drake’s nine-week champ “One Dance,” also featuring singer Kyla, in 2016. As a lead act, Wizkid’s only other showing is “Come Closer,” featuring Drake (No. 29 peak, 2017).

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Tems, meanwhile, achieves her first No. 1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, with “Essence” marking her first entry on the list.

“Essence” crowns R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay in its ninth week, notably one of the fastest times in recent years for a lead act without much history on the chart. Although other songs in the past year — such as Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open” and Drake’s “Laugh Now Cry Later,” featuring Lil Durk — have topped the chart in as many or fewer weeks, those acts tend to generate near-automatic acceptance at radio based on a strong track record of successful singles and wide superstar appeal with U.S. audiences. Wizkid, though, becomes the first act to rule R&osition in its eighth frame in June 2019.

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In addition to its coronation on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, which measures audience on mainstream and adult R&B/hip-hop stations, “Essence” ascends 4-2 on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. It climbs with a 14% boost in plays in the week ending Aug. 29, achieving the largest percentage gain at the format for the second consecutive week.

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Beyond its mainstream R&B/hip-hop base, “Essence” gains traction on three other radio charts. It debuts on Adult R&B Airplay at No. 25; knocks on the door of the Rhythmic Airplay top 10, advancing 15-11; and continues its early progress on Pop Airplay (40-36, up 76% week-over-week in plays). “Essence” traces part of its emergence on the latter two formats to its remix with Justin Bieber, released Aug. 13.