Each Friday, Billboard presents “Bubbling Under,” a weekly look at new and noteworthy acts making their way toward Billboard chart success. Up this week: Lorde, Guinevere, Jonathan Thulin and Bonka.
Sixteen-year-old Lorde (nee Ella Yelich-O’Connor) draws her first ink on a domestic Billboard songs chart, as “Royals” (Lava/Republic) bows on Triple A at No. 28. The song spent three weeks at No. 1 in her native New Zealand in March/April, while parent EP The Love Club leapt onto Heatseekers Albums at No. 8 last month. The singer/songwriter signed her deal at 13 and took her stage name, and penned her debut hit, simply because “I was interested in aristocracy at the time,” she has explained.
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It makes sense that, as a confessed “Star Trek” fan and gaming geek, pop singer Guinevere would release a video in which she’s in a romantic relationship with a robot. The clip is for her Cirkut-produced “Fly Away,” which is percolating under the Mainstream Top 40 chart. The Nuke Town/Tommy Boy single rose to No. 9 on Dance Club Songs last month and has leading support from Sirius XM’s 20 on 20 channel (73 plays last week, according to Nielsen BDS).
Swedish singer/songwriter Jonathan Thulin pushes toward his first Christian Songs appearance with “Dead Come to Life” (Dream 012/EMI CMG). Thulin is also a member of pop/rock band Press Play and has released four solo albums, including The White Room (2012). His current single from the set features Chilean-born Australian pop singer Charmaine, while the album also includes appearances by Christian pop veteran Rachael Lampa and folk band Elden.
Having reached Platinum status with its first album, Lo Que Nunca Nos Contamos, in its native Colombia, Tropi-pop duo Bonka makes its way to U.S. airwaves with “A Escondidas,” featuring Jessi Leon (Latin Hits). The track debuts at No. 37 on Latin Pop Airplay, marking the pair’s first Billboard chart appearance. The song logged a 26% increase at the format last week, with WACM Springfield, Mass. leading in spins (33).
Reporting by Keith Caulfield, Wade Jessen, Amaya Mendizabal and Gary Trust of the Billboard charts department.