The latest weekly Spotify chart has a new leader as “Black Beatles” by hip-hop group Rae Sremmurd hits the top spot on the strength of the viral “Mannequin Challenge” video craze, for which the song serves as the unofficial theme. Former chart toppers The Weeknd and The Chainsmokers both drop down a spot with their latest hits as does Drake’s newest release “Fake Love.”
‘Mannequin Challenge’: Viral Video Craze
The latest viral video craze known as the “Mannequin Challenge” has taken the country by storm. The clips of various groups of people standing still, frozen like mannequins as music plays in the background, then eventually breaking out into sudden dance moves, swept the nation as numerous professional and collegiate sports teams made their own versions of the videos, along with celebrities such as Adele, Ellen DeGeneres, and Beyonce and the other two members of Destiny’s Child.
The challenge perhaps had its ultimate moment earlier this week when presidential candidate Hillary Clinton along with husband Bill, rocker Jon Bon Jovi who had just performed at a political rally for the Democrat, and many of her staff participated in the challenge while aboard her private jet.
‘Black Beatles’ Hits The Top
The unofficial theme song which plays in the background of many of the “Mannequin Challenge” clips is the hip-hop/hybrid trap track “Black Beatles” by the duo known as Rae Sremmurd. On the strength of the video craze, the song has shot up to the pinnacle of the Spotify U.S. streaming charts this week, registering almost 12 million streams, handily beating out songs by A-list artists like Drake and The Weeknd, along with new EDM pop sensations The Chainsmokers.
The Weeknd’s Starboy, which had topped the chart for two weeks running, gets bumped down to the No. 2 spot, while The Chainsmokers’ “Closer,” which topped the chart for months before being recently toppled, drops to No. 3. Drake’s latest release “Fake Love,” which was expected to challenge for the top spot this week, only managed a No. 4 showing, indicating that his brand-new song may not have the legs of former smash “One Dance,” which earlier this year topped the chart for months.
Global Results Differ
The Spotify Global charts tell a different story, as The Chainsmokers continue to dominate at No. 1, with The Weeknd right behind at No. 2 just as last week. “Black Beatles” comes in at only No. 9 globally, mainly on the strength of its U.S. stream count. How long it will continue to hold the top spot on the U.S. chart likely depends on how long the viral “Mannequin Challenge” craze continues.
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