The track was streamed over 37.2 million times for the week in the United States. The most substantial gain came from the digital sales department, as "SICKO" shot up to No. 2 on the Digital Sales Songs chart, raking in 24,000 downloads, which was a 35 percent increase from the previous week. A small 5 percent growth in radio play (65.1 million in all-format airplay audience) also contributed to the rise. "'Sicko Mode' is a career-high for Travis, as well as a watershed moment for the creative community," Epic Records president Sylvia Rhone says in a statement to Billboard. "The song challenged the conventional notion that you need a ‘catchy hook’ in order to be successful at radio. 'Sicko Mode' was that breakthrough song of 2018!"
Of course, the Drake Effect has also worked like a cheat code in 2018. "SICKO MODE" unofficially notched Drizzy his fourth Hot 100 No. 1 of the year, in what's been an outright epic commercial run for the 6 God. Assists from the OVO rapper have helped grant Blocboy JB's "Look Alive," Bad Bunny's "MIA," Lil Baby's "Yes Indeed," Meek Mill's "Going Bad," and the Migos' "Walk It, Talk It" trips to the chart's top 10.
"I've never seen anything like [the Drake effect] in my life," says Envy. "Whatever [he] touches goes right to radio and can be a No. 1 record. He knows he can do a pop, street or female record. He plays chess, while a lot of other artists play checkers."
Let's not forget Kylie Jenner's inherent role in the Rodeo artist's meteoric rise, either. In today's celebrity-hungry society, the impact of being one half of a power couple on Travis' career has been immeasurable. Millions of Jenner loyalists have discovered and supported Scott's music because of his alignment with Kylie, pushing his burgeoning brand further into the mainstream. La Flame still makes sure to stay focused on the task at-hand when it comes to his music career, though. "It's how you live your life. You just got to stay focused," Scott previously explained to Billboard, of maintaining his relentless work ethic even as his star power brightens. "Can't let motherfuckers throw you off. I got too much shit to do, too much ground to cover."
The last message Cactus Jack leaves listeners with on "SICKO MODE" even spotlights Jenner and her August Forbes cover, who projects Kylie to be the youngest future billionaire at just 21-years-old, courtesy of her booming cosmetics line. "Baby mama cover Forbes, got these other bitches shook," he raps of the lip kit mogul. Indeed, if you believe Scott to be the breadwinner of the family, think again -- Jenner reportedly raked in a reported $900 million in 2018, tying her for the fifth wealthiest celebrity with Jay-Z.
The emergence of "SICKO MODE" as one of the defining hits of 2018 only tells part of the story to Scott's banner campaign, squeezing everything he could out of the jampacked year. Between the hit record and Astroworld being well-represented at the 2019 Grammys (three nominations) -- while also giving him his second-straight No. 1 album, as well as some of the year's best first-week numbers -- the 26-year-old Scott seems to be finally getting his due from critics and fans alike. From this point on, when anyone mentions the biggest rap stars of today -- Drake, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Cardi B -- Travis Scott needs to be a name that comes up in that conversation.