As we debate the song of the summer, Rihanna just showed up with DJ Khaled to end a 12-week run on the Billboard Hot 100 Top 5 that saw no female artists.
DJ Khaled’s single “Wild Thoughts,” which features the “Work” singer, will debut at No. 4 on the July 8 Billboard Hot 100 chart. This feat ends a weekslong drought of female artists on the top of the music chart: the last single with a female singer to reach the Top 5 was Taylor Swift and Zayn’s “I Don’t Want to Live Forever (‘Fifty Shades Darker’).” That song left the charts back in April.
Clearly, it’s been the summer of hits by male singers. The current Top 100 has “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, “I’m the One” by DJ Khaled, and “That’s What I Like” by Bruno Mars in the top three spots. After “Wild Thoughts,” Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” rounds out the Top 5.
As Billboard noted, the 12-week run of an all-male Top 5 was the longest seen on the charts since 1972. See how the outlet categorized the stats:
From charts dated Aug. 19 through Nov. 11, 1972, women ceded the top five to male soloists or all-male groups for 13 weeks in a row. After Roberta Flack’s “Where Is the Love,” with Donny Hathaway, spent its lone week peaking at No. 5 that Aug. 12, the top five was fully a boys club until, appropriately, Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman” roared 8-4 that Nov. 18, on its way to No. 1.
Though men are all over the top songs on the Billboard singles chart, female artists have been faring better on the album charts this summer. Lorde, Halsey and Katy Perry all saw their recent albums debut at No. 1. That three-in-a-row female artist sweep last happened in December 2012 — and, again, both Rihanna and Taylor Swift had a hand in it. Back then, Swift’s album “Red” followed No. 1 debuts by Alicia Keys and Rih.
Women dominating the charts is music to our ears.
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