Beyoncé isn’t the only member of her family breaking Billboard chart records this week. Thanks to her guest appearance on her mom’s “Protector,” Rumi Carter is officially the youngest-charting female artist in Billboard Hot 100 history, at 6 years and 9 months old.
The song, from Beyoncé’s album Cowboy Carter, debuts at No. 42 on the streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot 100 (dated April 13) with 11.3 million official U.S. streams earned in its opening week (March 29-April 4), according to Luminate.
The LP launches at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, as well as the Top Country Albums and Americana/Folk Albums charts, with 407,000 equivalent album units earned, marking the biggest week of 2024. Making her own unprecedented mark, Beyoncé becomes the first Black woman ever to rule the Top Country Albums chart.
Rumi surpasses her older sister, Blue Ivy Carter, as the youngest-charting female artist to reach the Hot 100. Blue Ivy debuted at 7 years old in 2019, thanks to her featured appearance on Beyoncé, SAINt JHN and Wizkid’s No. 76-peaking “Brown Skin Girl,” from The Lion King-inspired album The Lion King: The Gift.
Still stoking any sibling rivalry, Blue Ivy remains the youngest artist ever to appear on any Billboard chart, thanks to her featured appearance (under the billing “B.I.C.”) on dad Jay-Z’s “Glory” in 2012. The song reached No. 63 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and No. 23 on Hot Rap Songs. The song includes Blue Ivy’s breaths and coos recorded just after she was born.
While Rumi is now the youngest-charting female artist in Hot 100 history, dating to its 1958 start, she’s not the youngest-charting artist overall. That records belongs to Jordy, who debuted just 5 years old in 1993 with “Dur Dur D’être Bébé!” (translation: “It’s Hard to Be a Baby”).
Rumi and Blue Ivy’s parents, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, are of course longstanding hitmakers on Billboard’s charts. Beyoncé has charted 106 total songs on the Hot 100 (the third-most among women), this week surpassing Jay-Z’s 105.
Meanwhile, Rumi and Blue Ivy Carter join a long history of siblings who have charted on the Hot 100, a club that includes Miley, Noah and Trace Cyrus (plus their dad, Billy Ray Cyrus); Barry and Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees (which included fellow brother Maurice); Janet, Jermaine, La Toya, Michael and Rebbie Jackson (along with the Jackson 5); Jaden and Willow Smith (and dad Will Smith); and Carnie and Wendy Wilson, via Wilson Phillips (daughters of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys).
