Harry Styles’ ‘Sign of the Times’ Aiming for Top Five Billboard Hot 100 Debut
The track is set to start as the week's top-selling song.
Harry Styles‘ debut solo single “Sign of the Times” looks set to launch in the top five of next week’s Billboard Hot 100 chart (dated April 29).
Following its first full week of activity, industry forecasters suggest that “Sign,” released at 3 a.m. ET Friday, April 7, could sell more than 135,000 downloads in the tracking week ending April 13. When finalized streaming (likely in the range of 15 million U.S. streams in the week ending April 13) and radio airplay (approximately 20 million in all-format audience in the week ending April 16) are added to the mix, the track should debut in the chart’s top five. (The Hot 100 blends U.S. streaming, airplay and sales data.)
“Sign” should easily arrive as the week’s top-selling song.
“Sign” has already launched at No. 1 on the Billboard + Twitter Top Tracks chart (dated April 22) and No. 29 on the Pop Songs airplay chart, with radio programmers offering praise for its moody production and lyrics.
“Sign” will mark Styles’ first solo appearance on the Hot 100, following 29 entries as part of One Direction. The boy band has scored six Hot 100 top 10s, charting highest with “Best Song Ever,” which reached No. 2 in 2013. In February 2016, following his exit from the group, Zayn became the first 1D member (past or present) to chart solo on the Hot 100, soaring in at No. 1 with “Pillowtalk.” The act’s Louis Tomlinson reached No. 52 in December with his first Hot 100 entry, “Just Hold On” (with Steve Aoki), and Niall Horan rose to No. 20 in January with his solo debut, “This Town.”
“Sign” previews Styles’ self-titled first solo album, due May 12 on Columbia Records. Styles is expected to perform the single and a second song from the set on NBC’s Saturday Night Live this weekend.
Highlights of next week’s Hot 100 will post on Billboard.com Monday (April 17), with all charts updating online Tuesday.
More From Pro