David Guetta Gets His First No. 1, Zedd Zooms on Dance Charts
Plus, chart action for Major Lazer, DJ Snake, Tony Moran and Martha Wash.
David Guetta delivers his first No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart (dated May 2), as “Hey Mama,” featuring Nicki Minaj and Afrojack (who also remixed the track), rises 3-1. It supplants Zedd‘s “I Want You to Know,” featuring Selena Gomez, after a six-week reign.
Although Guetta has placed 18 titles on the chart, more than any act aside from Skrillex (21) since the chart’s Jan. 26, 2013, premiere, he had never topped the list before. His prior top-charting track was as a featured guest on Rihanna‘s No. 5-peaking “Right Now” in July 2013. Minaj and Afrojack also post their first No. 1s on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs.
“Mama” bounds by 25 percent to 75,000 downloads sold in the tracking week ending April 19, according to Nielsen Music. That sum keeps the track at No. 1 for a fourth week on Dance/Electronic Digital Songs, ahead of the No. 2 track, Skrillex and Diplo‘s “Where Are U Now,” by 30,000. “Mama” also becomes Guetta’s second top 10 (17-10) on Dance/Electronic Streaming Songs with 1.9 million U.S. streams (up 21 percent) and sprints 17 spots up the Billboard Hot 100 (44-27), where it becomes the French DJ’s highest-peaking track since “Titanium” (No. 7 in July 2012).
Zedd Leapfrogs Calvin Harris in Return to No. 1 on Dance Charts
While Zedd loses the lead on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs to Guetta, he does grab the list’s top debut with “Addicted to a Memory” (featuring Bahari) at No. 18. The track is the second release from Zedd’s second full-length album, True Colors, due May 19. Sales of 10,000 place it at No. 10 on Dance/Electronic Digital Songs, becoming Zedd’s sixth top 10 on the chart (all logged consecutively).
UPWARD ‘LEAN’: Major Lazer and DJ Snake wind into the top 10 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs with “Lean On” (11-8). It’s the fourth top 10 for DJ Snake, who spent 12 weeks at No. 1 last year with his Lil Jon collaboration “Turn Down for What.” Only four artists have notched more top 10s: Calvin Harris, Guetta and Zedd (six each) and Avicii (five). “Lean” is the second top 10 for Lazer, who first hit No. 8 with “Bubble Butt” in July 2013.
MORAN, WASH No. 1: Tony Moran and dance music legend Martha Wash top Dance Club Songs for a third time with “Free People” (2-1). It’s Wash’s seventh leader, dating to her first, 1992’s “Carry On.” Wash and Moran had both most recently ruled with another of their collaborations, “Keep Your Body Working” in December 2007. Remixes from Mauro Mozart, Casey Alva and John LePage, among others, helped push “People” to the top.
Moran talked to Billboard exclusively about the themes behind “People.” “Whether as a child or adult, teenager or senior citizen, struggling to understand how to achieve their dreams and goals, how to be accepted in a particular situation or environment, how to be loved by those you only dream of loving you was the inspiration,” he mused.
“All things are possible if you can love yourself. Dance empowers you to travel to places where love is endless, acceptance is ensured and you are ‘Free’ to be anyone you want to be. The message we are trying to send is all in the verse: ‘I don’t care what they think about you, I don’t care what they think about me / If the feeling’s in your soul, then it’s up to you to make it true / When your staring in the mirror, bringing hate upon your face, you should know your heart is gold and they can’t take that away … so be free.'”
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