Justin Bieber, The Weeknd & Halsey Heat Up Billboard Artist 100
Reversing their ranks on the Billboard Hot 100, The Weeknd crowns the Artist 100, followed by Bieber. Meanwhile, alt-pop newcomer Halsey debuts at No. 4.
The Weeknd is the top musical act in the U.S. again, logging a fifth cumulative week at No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart (dated Sept. 19).
The Artist 100 measures artist activity across Billboard‘s most influential charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, Top Album Sales and the Social 50. The Artist 100 blends data measuring album and track sales, radio airplay, streaming and social media fan interaction to provide a weekly multi-dimensional ranking of artist popularity.
The Weeknd Doubles Up in Hot 100’s Top Three
The Weeknd remains atop the Artist 100 with a whopping 274 increase in overall activity. Album sales account for his greatest points contributor (58 percent), as his new release, Beauty Behind the Madness, blasts in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Top Album Sales (326,000 in traditional album sales, according to Nielsen Music). He also boasts the Nos. 2 and 3 songs on the Hot 100, with former leader “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills,” respectively.
A week after reaching the Artist 100’s top 10 for the first time, Justin Bieber blasts 8-2. As his new single “What Do You Mean?” makes an historic No. 1 entrance on the Hot 100 (making him the youngest solo male ever to launch at the summit, among a host of other impressive feats), Bieber makes a 95 percent Artist 100 gain, with digital song sales claiming the greatest slice (44 percent) of his points total on the chart.
As Taylor Swift holds at No. 3 and Drake dips 4-5, Halsey enters the Artist 100 at No. 4. The alt-pop singer/songwriter, who’ll tour with The Weeknd later this year, opens at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and Top Album Sales (97,000 in traditional sales) with her first full-length album, Badlands. The set also bows at No. 1 on the Alternative Albums chart.
As previously reported, Badlands secures the second-biggest debut of 2015 for a female artist’s first full-length, both in units and pure album sales. It trails only Meghan Trainor‘s Title, which began with 238,000 equivalent album units and 195,000 in pure sales. (With Badlands‘ No. 2 Billboard 200 arrival, the set additionally marks label Astralwerks’ highest-ever hit on the chart.)
Meanwhile, two acts reach the Artist 100’s top 10 for the first time. Demi Lovato leaps 21-9 (up 18 percent), as her digital song sales surge by 43 percent after she performed current hit “Cool for the Summer” on the Aug. 30 MTV Video Music Awards (on which The Weeknd and Bieber also performed).
Rapper Silento also reaches the Artist 100’s top tier, bumping 14-10 (after previously reaching No. 11). As his breakthrough hit “Watch Me” bullets at No. 4 on the Hot 100, streaming marks his greatest Artist 100 points contributor (56 percent), as he gains by 18 percent in domestic streams.
Also notably, Kanye West re-enters the Artist 100 at No. 78 (up by 27 in activity), marking his highest rank in nearly three months, following his much-buzzed-about speech after being honored with the Video Vanguard Award at the VMAs (presented by new friend Swift).
Check out the entire Artist 100 here.
Additional reporting by Keith Caulfield