DJ Khaled’s “I’m The One” Debuts At #1, Giving Chance The Rapper His First Top 40 Hit
[DJ Khaled voice]”A number one.”[/Khaled]
Billboard reports that Khaled’s latest all-star single, “I’m The One” has debuted atop Hot 100 singles chart, knocking Bruno Mars’ “That’s What I Like” out of the top spot after one week. Surprisingly, it’s Khaled’s first #1 single. Not surprisingly, it’s also the first #1 single for Chance The Rapper, who guests on the track alongside Justin Bieber, Lil Wayne, and Quavo from Migos. Perhaps most eyebrow-raising of all: “I’m The One” is not just Chance’s first #1 single, it’s his first song to even hit the top 40. (Despite going to #1 at rap radio last year, “No Problem” topped out at #43 on the Hot 100 chart.)
Quavo also enjoys his first #1 hit as a solo artist, though of course his group Migos topped the chart earlier this year with the brain-conquering “Bad And Boujee.”
As for Bieber and Weezy, it’s their fourth and third #1 hit respectively. Bieber previously topped the chart with “What Do You Mean,” “Sorry,” and “Love Yourself,” while Lil Wayne did it with “Lollipop” and his appearance on Jay Sean’s “Down.” With his Luis Fonsi/Daddy Yankee collab “Despacito” up to #3 this week, he becomes the first artist to have two songs in the top 3 since the last time he himself did it, with “Love Yourself” and “Sorry” in Feb. 2016. Bieber also becomes only the third artist in Hot 100 history to debut on top multiple times; “What Do You Mean” also started at #1 in 2015. Explains Billboard:
[Mariah] Carey leads with three #1 entrances (“Fantasy,” “One Sweet Day,” both in 1995, and “Honey,” 1997), while Britney Spears, like Bieber now, has made two such starts (“3,” in 2009, and “Hold It Against Me,” 2011).
Intriguingly, “I’m The One” is also the first song to hit #1 by five separately credited artists:
Twice before, a high of four acts had shared a leader on the list, via “Give Me Everything,” by Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer (2011), and “Lady Marmalade,” by Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya and P!nk (2001).
We all have our own opinions about Khaled’s frequent claim that “we the best music,” but this week there’s no doubt he and his associates are the most popular music. Congrats!