![]() Heran Mamo: It does surprise me (to an extent). 9? That continues to surprise me more than anything! That said, my caveat is: how did Wizkid and Tems’ “Essence,” one of the most sumptuous singles of the decade thus far, only get to No. The “Calm Down” remix boasts a charismatic performance from Rema, a game superstar in Selena Gomez and an undeniable, summer-ready hook for the two of them to share – I’m not shocked that it’s harnessed the potential of the recent Afrobeats movement in popular music and risen up the Hot 100. Without being anywhere near an expert on the genre, the artists behind those previous crossover hits seem to have greater name recognition in the states - and more “mainstream” hits to boot. 2 on the chart, behind only the behemoth that is “Flowers.” That’s more than enough radio support to sustain a song’s late-chart life, especially during a relatively slow release period for major artists, and when new audiences still appear to be discovering it daily - the song’s been in the top 5 of Shazam’s chart for seemingly all of 2023. Radio was slower to embrace “Calm Down” than streaming audiences - it’s only been on Billboard‘s Radio Songs chart for 20 weeks, half its Hot 100 run - but now it’s No. Bringing a familiar voice into Rema’s fresh Afro-rave sound has ultimately allowed the song to experience sustained success.Īndrew Unterberger: Whenever a song does this well this late into its run, the answer is almost always radio-related, first and foremost. But different formats that Selena’s dominated in the past, like Rhythmic Airplay and Pop Airplay, have now been able to discover and support the song, which has gone on to top both charts. Heran Mamo: Selena Gomez’s remix undoubtedly gave “Calm Down” new legs six months after its initial release, even allowing it to enter the Hot 100 in the first place. The cross-platform transition is the key to understanding a 40-week behemoth like “Calm Down.” 2 ranking is helping it climb up the Hot 100, even though the song only comes in at No. “Calm Down” was a global hit in the months after Selena Gomez hopped on Rema’s song last August, but didn’t reach the top 10 of the Radio Songs chart until early April, where its current No. Jason Lipshutz: The slow rise of “Calm Down” reminds me of Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves” climbing for months to the top of the Hot 100 a year and a half ago: what started out as a TikTok hit crossed over to major streaming platforms around the world, and then really took off on U.S. While it may not be as immediately grabbing as a pop song that scores a high debut, its strength is in the subtle hypnotic draw - the kind that gets stuck deep in the back of a listener’s mind, prompting them to return again and again. It’s a melancholy slow jam - in a rush to go nowhere, not even the top of the charts. Lyndsey Havens: It may sound silly, but I think it has a lot to do with the song itself. Moreover, “Calm Down” has been chugging along for a minute now, so it was also able to benefit from the groundwork Rema laid with “Soundgasm.” Instead, the song grew in tandem with Rema’s rising global profile, and the Selena Gomez remix arrived at the right time to keep some wind in the song’s sails. With “Calm Down,” attention on the song wasn’t concentrated for two or three months. ![]() ![]() While having massive cultural moments can absolutely boost a song’s commercial success, you also risk people moving on once the moment has passed. ![]() Burna Boy’s “Last Last” was tied to Summer 2021, and Wizkid & Tems’ “Essence” to the summer before that. ![]() Kyle Denis: I think what has really benefitted “Calm Down” is that the song isn’t tied to a specific cultural moment. Why do you think the song is still growing this deep into its lifespan? “Calm Down” hits a new peak in its 40th week on the chart, a practically unheard-of slow build for the song. ![]()
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