As if there was any real doubt, the summer of 2014 definitely belongs to Iggy Azalea and Ariana Grande. Thanks to the music videos for their new singles "Black Widow" and "Break Free," the female pop stars each of three singles in the Billboard Hot 100's top 10... a first in the chart's history.
According to Billboard, Grande's "Break Free" vaulted from No. 18 to No. 4 this week thanks to 7.9 million online streams (mostly of the spacey and sexy music video), 116,000 digital downloads and 58 million radio audience impressions.
Combined with her collaborative single with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj "Bang Bang" at No. 10 and her lead My Everything single "Problem" (feat. Iggy Azalea) at No. 6, Grande notches three songs in the top 10 of the Hot 100 this week.
But she's not the only one.
Speaking of "Problem," Azalea has three hits at the top of the chart as well. Along with "Problem," Azalea's The New Classic singles "Fancy" and "Black Widow" sit at Nos. 5 and 8, respectively.
Though "Fancy" has been a Hot 100 mainstay for months now, Azalea's Rita Ora assisted track launched from No. 15 to No. 8 thanks to the Quentin Tarrantino-inspired music video. The track received 6.1 million streams this week in addition to 125,000 digital downloads and 50 million audience impressions on radio.
Grande and Azalea join an elite group of performers with three concurrent singles in the top 10. Only Ashanti, Adele, The Beatles, 50 Cent, T-Pain, Akon, Chris Brown, The Bee Gees, Lil Wayne and Usher have previously achieved such heights. And the two ladies are the first to have three singles in the top 10 at the same time as another artist.
Though they make up over half the chart, Azalea and Grande aren't the only artists in the Hot 100's top 10. For the sixth week in a row, Canadian reggae band MAGIC! lead the Hot 100 with its single "Rude."
Underneath the Northern pop-rock group, newcomer Meghan Trainor jumps up two spots on the chart with her body-positive single "All About That Bass." The single was the most-streamed in the country this week, with 8.1 million plays online. Trainor is also dominating single sales, by moving 239,000 digiral downloads. The only thing seemingly keeping her from the top of the charts is paltry airplay, with only 47 million radio audience impressions this week (and a No. 24 spot on the Radio Songs chart).
Other singles on the Hot 100 have far less exciting movements. Though he previously seemed destined for the No. 1 spot, Sam Smith's single "Stay With Me" moved down one slot this week to No. 3. Meanwhile, Nico & Vinz's "Am I Wrong" similarly fell one spot to No. 7 and Sia's "Chandelier" also moved down back to No. 9.
With the arrival of Azalea and Grande's new singles, Charli XCX's "Boom Clap" and Maroon 5's "Maps" fell out of the top 10.
But everyone needs to watch out, because Taylor Swift is coming for everybody with her new 1989 single "Shake It Off..."
