Coi Leray claims her first No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart as “Players” advances to the summit of the list dated March 25. The song jumps from No. 3 as it simultaneously strengthens its radio airplay reach and maintains its steady hand in the streaming sector.
As “Players” tops Hot Rap Songs, it dislodges Nicki Minaj’s “Red Ruby Da Sleeze,” after the latter’s one week in charge. With the replacement, Nicki Minaj and Coi Leray combine to give two women rappers successive No. 1s on the chart for the first time since 2014, when Minaj’s “Anaconda” yielded to Iggy Azalea’s “Black Widow,” featuring Rita Ora, on Oct. 18, 2014. (Between the eight-year gap, the switch occurred twice involving a featured artist, with the same pair of songs: On the chart dated Oct. 10, 2020, Travis Scott’s “Franchise,” featuring Young Thug and British rapper M.I.A., ousted Cardi B’s “WAP,” featuring Megan Thee Stallion; the latter rebounded the next week.)
“Players” conquers Hot Rap Songs, which blends streaming, radio airplay and sales into its rankings, with 10.2 million official U.S. streams in the week ending March 16, according to Luminate, a 2% slip from the prior week. Still, the song recovers 7-6 on the Rap Streaming Songs chart, where it previously peaked at No. 4 in February. On the Rap Digital Song Sales chart, “Players” climbs 4-3 despite a 9% weekly drop in sales to 4,000 in the latest tracking week. The track has posted seven weeks at No. 1 on Rap Digital Song Sales since its release – one of only five songs since Jan. 1, 2020, to lead for as long.
Radio airplay, however, is where “Players” cements its growth. The single wins a second term at No. 1 on the Rhythmic Airplay chart as the most-played song on U.S. monitored rhythmic radio stations after it gained 7% in plays in the most recent tracking week compared with the previous frame. Leray’s hit also gets a second radio chart crown on Rap Airplay, where it lifts 2-1 for her first career champ there. In addition to those victories, “Players” continues to flex on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, where it repeats at its No. 5 high thus far, but increased 7% in weekly plays at the format and Pop Airplay, with a 16-13 boost thanks to an 11% improvement in weekly plays. Strength at the many formats pushes “Players” 10-8 on the all-genre Radio Songs chart. There, it registered 52.5 million in total audience in the last tracking week.
Elsewhere, “Players” rises 6-4 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and, notably, matches the chart peak of its sampled tune. “Players” borrows from the hip-hop classic “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, which peaked at No. 4 in September 1982. On the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, the track rallies 24-12 for a new high after having reached No. 16 two weeks ago. The yo-yo of its rise, fall and rise again traces to several high debuts from Morgan Wallen’s, One Thing at a Time album, including five tunes in the top 10 for the country superstar.
