Matt's Chart Chat - August 9th, 2023

Welcome to Matt’s Chart Chat, a new weekly breakdown of the Billboard charts! I’m not planning to do anything fancy here, just chat about the top 5 entries in both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard 200. There might be weeks where I have a lot to say, but there might be weeks where the charts are just a joyless void— but that’s part of the fun! I know we mention these on the podcast, but we don’t get to spend much time on it, so this gives me an outlet for all my weird chart feelings. So let’s go!

Hot 100:

1. Last Night - Morgan Wallen

2. Fast Car - Luke Combs

3. Meltdown - Travis Scott feat. Drake

4. Cruel Summer - Taylor Swift

5. FE!N - Travis Scott feat. Playboi Carti

Despite Morgan Wallen continuing to hold his number one position, the Hot 100 is showing signs of life this week. Travis Scott’s Utopia enters the top five this week with two entries, likely due to their guest features. “MELTDOWN,” the Drake feature with all the Pharrell and Pusha T beef, debuts at number three, just shy of ousting Luke Combs’s “Fast Car.” I’m a little surprised to see the other song is “FE!N” and not the Beyonce-assisted “DELRESTO (ECHOES).” Then again, we all saw the impact Renaissance made on the charts— basically zero. When will Bey dominate the critics and the Hot 100?

But of course, the biggest news for yours truly is Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” at last peaking at number four. The journey here has been a long one, especially considering Lover was released back in 2019; as the story goes, Taylor’s camp had planned on putting it out as a single in early 2020, but we all know how those vibes shifted. Instead, we’re blessed with two Swiftian pop bangers in Summer ‘23, “Cruel Summer” and “Karma.” I’m happy to see it finally thrive.

Billboard 200:

1. Utopia - Travis Scott

2. Austin - Post Malone

3. One Thing at a Time - Morgan Wallen

4. Barbie: The Album - Various Artists

5. Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) - Taylor Swift

Proving once again that pure star power can defy any concept of being “canceled,” Travis Scott’s Utopia debuts at number one. Like I mentioned above, a lot of the streaming numbers are likely due to the guests, but there’s no denying that Travis must still command attention. Fellow rapper and pop culture institution Post Malone takes the second spot with his “guitar-driven” album Austin, proving that no amount of weird genre experimentation can alienate his audience.

Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time graciously remains at three, while the Barbie movie soundtrack drops a spot to number four; if TikTok and radio airplay is any indication, I think this one is going to join the ranks of the all-time memorable movie soundtracks, including The Bodyguard and Black Panther. Taylor Swift’s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) rounds out the top five, keeping Taylor’s top five streak alive— for now, at least. With the first leg of the Eras tour ending tonight in Los Angeles, I wouldn’t be surprised if a tour-themed Taylor collection was on its way to really shake things up… but who can say!

A Peek at Next Week: Nothing huge on my radar, but we may see Post Malone get a minor bump from a deluxe version of Austin.