R&B is getting its own Billboard chart ! Following years of songs being tallied with Hip Hop/Rap, Billboard announced today a chart that will focus specifically on distinct R&B music.
According to Billboard, the new chart, aptly dubbed “R&B Songs,” will incorporate “the same airplay/sales/streaming hybrid formula to rank the week’s top R&B-only (non-rap) titles. R&B Songs and Rap Songs will serve as 25-position distillations of the overall Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, highlighting the differences between pure R&B and rap titles in the overall, wide-ranging R&B/hip-hop field.”
Though the new chart is interesting news, the initial chart-topping artist and song by that artist might draw the question “is this R&B” ?
According to Billboard, Rihanna’s new single “Diamonds” is the inaugural chart topping song.
“Rihanna shuffles from No. 66 under the former Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs methodology all the way to No. 1 with “Diamonds,” aided by crossover pop airplay of the track as well as strong digital sales (No. 1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Songs). “Diamonds” also tops the inaugural R&B Songs tally,” reports Billboard.
Nonetheless, this is somewhat palatable for R&B artists with Billboard also factoring in streaming data…
“Digital download sales (tracked by Nielsen SoundScan) and streaming data (tracked by Nielsen BDS from such services as Spotify, Muve, Slacker, Rhapsody, Rdio and Xbox Music, among others) will now be factored into the 50-position rankings,” reports Billboard.
