It’s true what they say, artists will do anything to make it into the coveted Billboard Hot 100 chart and this week, controversy surrounded Ariana Grande as she sailed past Tekashi 6ix9ine and his antics to reach the top spot with her Justin Beiber-assisted Stick With U single.
Billboard Hot 100: Ariana Grande bakes 6ix9ine humble pie
This week’s chart release was less celebrated than when, for the first time in history, we saw four black women claim the top two spots.
This time, it was the rainbow-haired troll 6ix9ine, up against the angelic Ariana Grande who teamed up with Justin Beiber in her latest single.
If we know anything about the latter’s fanbases, it is that they will do whatever they can to see their opponents decimated, and unfortunately for 6ix9ine, no amount of trolling can prosper against the Grande hive and Beliebers.
Resisting the urge to be downright disrespectful, Grande celebrated her accomplishment but taught 6ix9ine a lesson on being humble and gratuitous in victory and loss.
6ix9ine responds: ‘You were born rich, Ariana’
Any advice Grande may have offered flew right over 6ix9ine’s braided colour spectrum. The rapper dug deep into his “I’m the victim” bag and reminded Grande that unlike her, he comes from humble beginnings and has worked his way to the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 with adversity mounted against him from day one.
How Billboard calculates its Hot 100 chart
Aware of accusations spurred by the likes of Jay Z, Nicki Minaj and now 6ix9ine that people can buy their positions on the chart, Billboard set the record straight with an explainer on how the chart is calculated.
“The Hot 100 has a locked-in methodology, updated at least once a year, with each metric divided by a certain number, which results in an average chart ratio whereby streams are the most heavily weighted factor, followed next by radio airplay and then sales. Each song has its own ratio breakdown based on its specific activity, which contributes to the overall chart average each week .”
Billboard
The publication issued a blow-by-blow account of every accusation made by 6ix9ine and you can read it in full right here. In essence, Billboard denied all claims of a coup d’etat and explained that Grande’s rise to the top is owed to her ingenious marketing schemes in the final days leading up to the chart deadline.
“Overall, “Stuck With U” drew 28.1 million U.S. streams, 26.3 million in radio airplay audience and 108,000 sold in the tracking week. “Gooba” had 55.3 million U.S. streams, 172,000 in radio airplay audience and 24,000 sold,” Billboard wrote.
