Drake Makes History on Billboard Hot 100
The rapper becomes the first ever artist to claim slots 1, 2, and 3 simultaneously.
Drake is no stranger to No. 1 songs; his regular output and hit-making abilities have allowed his industry dominance to continue through the turmoil wrought by streaming, but his recent debut on the Billboard Hot 100 is historic by any standards. Drake claimed spots 1, 2, and 3 at the same time, with the songs “What’s Next,” “Wants and Needs,” and “Lemon Pepper Freestyle,” respectively. The only other artists to occupy the top three spots at once are Ariana Grande and The Beatles, and only Drake has claimed them all in the same instant.
“What’s Next” marks Drake’s eighth Hot 100 No. 1. The track finished its first week out with 49.1 million streams in the U.S. alone and 19,000 downloads sold. Along with “Wants and Needs” and “Lemon Pepper Freestyle,” “What’s Next” was released on March 5 as part of Drake’s Scary Hours 2 EP. The EP is heavy on features, with an appearance from recent Grammy nominee and performer Lil Baby for “Wants and Needs” and hip-hop icon Rick Ross for “Lemon Pepper Freestyle.” The songs explore themes of fame and family, with Drake’s recognizable flow leaving space to hear the complex, shifting beats. He raps as though he’s almost bored with his own success. In an increasingly turbulent music industry, Drake is someone you can count on. His consistent record-shattering success becomes a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. “I’m on the hot one hundo,” he raps on “What’s Next,” and he is.
Stream Scary Hours 2 here to contribute to its unprecedented yet unsurprising success.