New Around the World: Jesy Nelson Breaks Free on Global Charts With ‘Boyz’

While the world devours the newest release from a certain divorced British torch singer, another U.K. export enters the global charts. Jesy Nelson arrives at No. 86 on the Billboard Global 200 and at No. 96 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. tally with her debut solo single, “Boyz,” featuring Nicki Minaj.

Following its Oct. 8 release, the duet from “the U.K. baddie and the Barbie” scored 7.6 million streams and sold 13,700 downloads around the world in the week ending Oct. 14, according to MRC Data. It’s the first solo chart entry for Nelson, whose former group Little Mix has logged four hits on the global charts, including “Heartbreak Anthem” with Galantis and David Guetta (No. 52 on the Global 200 in July); Nelson departed the act in late 2020.

Minaj adds her 10th hit on the Global 200, although her third on the Global Excl. U.S. survey. The common thread among her three non-U.S. hits? Non-U.S. collaborators (even if the international presence on “Seeing Green” [No. 18 Global 200; No. 117 Global Excl. U.S.] is global superstar, and Toronto native, Drake). Her biggest Excl. U.S. hit, dating to the charts’ September 2020 inceptions, is “Tusa” with Karol G (from Colombia), a No. 75 hit just after the list launched.

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Elsewhere, Latin music is spotlighted by two debuting collaborations between Spanish and Argentine artists. At No. 73 on the Global Excl. U.S. chart and No. 140 on the Global 200, C. Tangana (Spain) and Nathy Peluso (Argentina) arrive with “Ateo.” The debut was driven by 14 million streams worldwide, skewing 97% from outside the U.S.

At No. 154 on Global Excl. U.S., Bizarrap (Argentina) teams with Ptazeta (Spain) on “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 45.” It’s the sixth edition of Bizarrap’s Music Sessions franchise to hit the chart, following volumes with Nicky Jam, Eladio Carrion, Snow Tha Product, L-Gante, and, to bring us full circle, Nathy Peluso.

And finally, the Global Excl. U.S. chart welcomes A.R. Rahman and Shreya Ghoshal’s “Param Sundari” at No. 184. It’s the first global chart hit for both acts, the newest in a growing roster of Indian artists to impact the global lists. Notably, and long before the global surveys’ starts, Rahman hit No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2009 with “Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny),” with The Pussycat Dolls featuring Nicole Scherzinger. The song, from the box office hit Slumdog Millionaire, also won the Academy Award for best original song and a Grammy Award for best song written for a motion picture, television or other visual media.