In a historic week for The Weeknd on the U.S.-based Billboard Hot 100, the Canadian superstar’s new single “Take My Breath” is the highest debut on the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts, at Nos. 5 and 7, respectively. It’s the only arrival in the top 40 of either tally, and one of only two songs to debut simultaneously on both rankings dated Aug. 21.
The other double debut is a cross-country collaboration, as “Lose” by English YouTuber KSI and New Orleans-raised rap legend Lil Wayne enters the charts at Nos. 74 and 119, respectively.
Collaboration in hip-hop isn’t just prevalent, it’s ubiquitous. Recent releases by Tyler, the Creator, Migos, and Polo G, among others, continue the tradition of acts in the genre spotlighting fellow rap stars. The same goes for British rappers such as Dave, Skepta and Stormzy.
But it’s rarer for hip-hop acts from different sides of the pond to mingle, as drill and grime lead the U.K. scene and trap and pop-infused rap dominates the U.S. The arrival of “Lose” blends the two countries’ styles and pays off with not only debuts on both global rankings, but KSI’s first entry on the domestic Hot 100, at No. 86.
Released Aug. 6, “Lose” starts with global counts of 12.4 million streams and 12,600 downloads sold in the week ending Aug. 12, according to MRC Data.
Elsewhere on the Global Excl. U.S. chart, “Vamos a Marte” by Germany’s Helene Fischer debuts at No. 165, with help from Puerto Rico’s Luis Fonsi in a featured role. The German/Spanish-language song is the first of its kind since the global surveys began last September, as most charted multi-lingual duets have included English (although not Aya Nakamura and Maluma’s “Djadja,” performed in French and Spanish).
Meanwhile, Sefo’s “Bilmem Mi?” becomes the highest-peaking song by an artist from Turkey with a No. 121 debut on the Global Excl. U.S. chart; South Korea’s SOMI enters at No. 130 with “Dumb Dumb”; and Sahdev Dirdo, Badshah, Aastha Gill and Rico, all from India, debut at No. 184 with “Bachpan Ka Pyaar.”
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