After showcasing the rise of Denzel Curry and Shordie Shordie, this week Emerging Hip-Hop/R&B takes a look at Joji’s latest feat on the Billboard Hot 100 and the debut of Canada’s newest rising star, Ali Gatie.
Joji Notches His Second Hot 100 Hit With “Sanctuary”
88 Rising’s Joji continues his banner year by landing his second Hot 100 hit this week with his sensual jam “Sanctuary.” Debuting at No. 80, “Sanctuary” has logged over 12 million views on YouTube and finds the lovelorn crooner yearning for a long-lasting romance. Along with achieving Hot 100 success, “Sanctuary” notches the No. 7 spot on Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs chart.
“It feels like a warm jug of honey poured down my back,” Joji tells Billboard via e-mail about “Sanctuary’s” Hot 100 debut. “The warmth made me smile.”
Sanctuary lives on Joji’s debut album Ballads 1 and serves as the follow-up single for his breakthrough tune, “Slow Dancing in the Dark.”
Ali Gatie “It’s You” Makes Its Chart Debut
This week, 21-year-old Ali Gatie springs his way into the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart with his melancholy track “It’s You.” After initially teasing the record on Instagram earlier this month, Gatie released the song last week on YouTube, and it has since tallied 7.4 million views. Debuting at No. 37, “It’s You” finds Gatie somberly pleading for a second chance at love despite his jaded past.
“Everyone heartbroken knows the insecurities and fears that come with a new love,” Gatie tells Billboard. “That’s what my new song ‘It’s You’ is about; being vulnerable and trying not to let the fear of heartbreak overcome the joy of love. We’ve all felt those feelings, and that’s why the song is having a great global response. Because at the end of the day, we are all going through the same things.”