GAYLE‘s debut hit “abcdefu” takes over as the biggest song in the world, bounding to No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated Jan. 15). Plus, Imagine Dragons and JID‘s “Enemy” jumps 21-9 on the Global Excl. 200, reaching the top 10 for the first time.
Billboard‘s two global charts (which in September marked their first year) rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by MRC Data. The Billboard Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the U.S.
Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.
‘abcdefu’ Spells No. 1 on Global 200
GAYLE’s “abcdefu” charges from No. 5 to No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 with 58.8 million streams (up 2%) and 16,800 sold (down 2%) worldwide in the Dec. 31-Jan. 6 tracking week.
The track by the Dallas-born, Nashville-based singer-songwriter has surged thanks to multiple versions, including “angrier,” “chill” and “nicer” (i.e., no expletives) mixes; a demo; a remix with Royal & the Serpent; and its “The Wild Mix,” released Dec. 31. The song has also gone viral on TikTok, having been featured in two million clips on the platform.
GAYLE further made her late-night TV debut Jan. 5 on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and on Jan. 6 announced headlining shows, set for Nashville, West Hollywood, Calif., and New York in March.
Meanwhile, “abcdefu” joins two other songs positioned as acts’ first properly promoted singles to have topped the Global 200: Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” launched at No. 1, beginning an eight-week reign, on the Jan. 23, 2021, chart, and Rosé’s “On the Ground” opened atop the March 27, 2021, tally; the latter arrived as Rosé’s solo start outside BLACKPINK on her two-track release “R – Single” (with “Gone”).
The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber’s “Stay” advances 8-2 on the Global 200, after a record 11 weeks at No. 1; Elton John and Dua Lipa’s “Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)” rockets 12-3 for a new high; Adele’s “Easy on Me” ascends 7-4, after six weeks at the summit; and Ed Sheeran’s “Shivers” soars 14-5, after reaching No. 3.
Elsewhere in the Global 200’s top 10, Imagine Dragons and JID’s “Enemy” reaches the region (21-9), led by its 3% gain to 45.8 million worldwide streams. The song, each act’s first top 10 on the chart, is showcased at the beginning of each episode of Netflix’s animated series Arcane: League of Legends, which premiered Nov. 6; the track topped Billboard‘s Top TV Songs chart, powered by Tunefind, for November.
GAYLE Also No. 1 on Global Excl. U.S.
GAYLE’s “abcdefu” likewise hits No. 1 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, rising from No. 3, with 44.5 million streams and 6,300 sold (up 1% in each metric) in territories outside the U.S. in the Dec. 31-Jan. 6 tracking week.
As on the Global 200, the song is the third debut or breakthrough No. 1 for an act on the Global Excl. U.S. chart, after Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” (nine weeks) and Rosé’s “On the Ground” (one).
Elton John and Dua Lipa’s “Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)” rises 5-2 for a new Global Excl. U.S. high; The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber’s “Stay” lifts 4-3, following a record-tying nine weeks on top (matching the reign of “Drivers License”); Adele’s “Easy on Me” pushes 7-4, after seven weeks at the apex; and Ed Sheeran’s “Shivers” climbs 11-5, after hitting No. 3.
The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated Jan. 15) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Jan. 11). For both charts, the top 100 titles are available to all readers on Billboard.com, while the complete 200-title rankings are visible on Billboard Pro, Billboard‘s subscription-based service. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
