Since the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. rankings began in September 2020, Billboard has a reported on an increasingly long list of international artists, territories and languages that have achieved chart success.
On the July 10-dated Global 200, an English-language song by an American artist debuts, and yet, it is a first: Bo Burnham‘s “All Eyes on Me,” at No. 178, is the first comedy title to hit Billboard‘s global charts. In the week ending July 1, the song drew 8 million streams and sold 2,500 downloads worldwide, according to MRC Data.
“Eyes” is from Burnham’s latest special Inside, which premiered May 30 on Netflix, followed by its accompanying album, Inside (The Songs), June 10. After the project’s initial release, three songs got special treatment, each receiving an official music video. First was “Welcome to the Internet” on June 4, followed by “White Woman’s Instagram” a week later and then “Eyes” on June 16.
Since then, “Eyes” has grown, rising 72% in streams and 39% in sales in the latest tracking week. The song’s streams split 81% from audio services and 19% video services this week, which may be surprising considering its original state was as part of a visual comedy special on Netflix. Still, that slant toward audio streaming is in line with most titles from Inside (Songs), a strong showing for Burnham’s songwriting to stand on its own.
The album’s first focus track, “Internet,” remains the set’s most-streamed track worldwide in the week ending July 1, at 8.7 million, but falls behind “Eyes” in sales, with 800 sold. However, with the latter title’s robust gains and the former’s steadier activity, it wouldn’t be surprising for “Eyes” to overtake “Internet,” especially with the July 2 release of its “song only” edit, removing a spoken-word section from the middle of the song.
The chart action for “Eyes” could also be, in part, a result of the song’s production. “Internet” is pure satire, a commentary on the digital age and the technological rabbit hole down which we’ve gone, backed by music that could soundtrack a circus performance. “Eyes” is closer to a rap/sung hybrid by Drake or Post Malone, a meditation on one’s own anxiety and relating to the world. With Burnham’s voice pitched down, nearly anonymous, it strays from the rest of Inside (The Songs)‘s intentional parody to something more sincere, and a track that could easily play on the radio or blend in on a mainstream streaming playlist.
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