10 First-Timers on Billboard’s Charts This Week: Byron Messia, Gia Margaret, Kassa Overall, Sexyy Red & More

Billboard has more than 200 different weekly charts in its menu, encompassing numerous genres and formats.

While established artists often compete for a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart and Billboard 200 albums ranking, which track the most popular songs and albums of the week, respectively, up-and-coming talents typically start off on genre-specific lists.

Here’s a look at 10 acts who appear on surveys for the first time on the June 10-dated charts.

Byron Messia

The Jamaica-born artist, based in Saint Kitts and Nevis, reaches Billboard’s charts for the first time with his latest LP No Love. The set, released Jan. 20 through Ztekk Records, debuts at No. 8 on the Reggae Albums chart with 1,000 equivalent album units earned in the latest May 26-June 1 tracking week, according to Luminate. The project debuts on the strength of its breakout Dancehall-centric trap hit “Talibans,” which tallied 1.5 million U.S. streams (up 64%) in the latest tracking week. Messia, who recently signed to Interscope Records, has previously released five additional albums: Different Perspectives, Top 10 (2017), Byron Messia (Top 2018), S.I.G.H. Remastered, HitsTape and Pills Nd Pain.

Gia Margaret

The Chicago-based singer-songwriter/producer/composer arrives on Billboard’s charts for the first time thanks to her new third LP, Romantic Piano. The 12-track set, released May 26 through Jagjaguwar, debuts at No. 2 on Classical Crossover Albums. Save for the sixth track, “City Song,” the album is entirely instrumental, flush with ambient sounds and the occasional electric guitar. Margaret, who has described her sound as “sleep rock,” has released two other albums: 2019’s There’s Always Glimmer and 2020’s Mia Gargaret (both on Orindal Records). She also released a pair of songs with Welsh folk singer-songwriter Novo Amor, “No Fun” and “Lucky for You,” in 2019.

Kassa Overall

The Seattle-based jazz drummer, rapper and producer scores his first chart appearance, thanks to his third studio album, Animals. The set, released May 26 on Warp Records, debuts at No. 11 on the Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. Overall recruited a host of artists to perform on the set, including Danny Brown, Theo Croker, Francis and the Lights, Lil B and Shabazz Palaces, among others. Previously, Overall released two LPs: Go Get Ice Cream and Listen to Jazz in 2019 (self-released) and I Think I’m Good in 2020 (via Brownswood Recordings). In 2021, he scored a Grammy Award nomination for best jazz instrumental album, for his contributions to Terri Lyne Carrington and Social Science’s Waiting Game. He has also collaborated with Jon Batiste and Yoko Ono. Currently, he’s on the road supporting Digable Planets on their latest tour.

Imase

The Japanese pop singer-songwriter hits Billboard’s charts for the first time with his track “Night Dancer.” The song, released in August 2022 through Universal Music Japan, debuts at No. 83 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, with 15.2 million streams worldwide, and No. 165 on the Billboard Global 200. TikTok has been a significant factor in the song’s growing profile, as a portion of the track has been used in over 200,000 clips on the platform to date. One such video is a recent clip of BTS’ Jungkook singing the song’s chorus. Also contributing to the track’s recent push is a May 15 remix by South Korean rapper BIG Naughty. Imase is slated to kick off his first tour this fall.

Sexyy Red & Tay Keith

Sexyy Red and Tay Keith both make impressive arrivals on Billboard‘s charts as recording artists, as their new collaboration “Pound Town 2,” with Nicki Minaj, debuts at No. 14 on Hot Rap Songs, No. 21 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and No. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100, plus at No. 34 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and No. 41 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. The song, whose remix adding Minaj was released May 26 via Heavy On It/Open Shift/Gamma Records, arrives with 6.7 million official streams (up 127%), 2.8 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 104%) and 5,000 downloads sold (up from a nominal sum) May 26-June 1. While Sexyy Red (real name: Janae Wherry) is brand new to Billboard’s charts, Tay Keith (real name: Brytavious Lakeith Chambers) has already made an impactful mark as a producer (though “Pound Town 2” is his first credit under an artist billing). He’s produced 37 Hot 100-charting songs in his career, including six top 10s and two No. 1s: Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode” (co-produced with Hit-Boy, OZ, Cubeatz and Roget Chahayed) and Drake’s “Jimmy Cooks,” featuring 21 Savage (co-produced with Vinylz). Click here for more on the debut.

Chief Wuk

Chief Wuk notches his first Billboard chart entry, thanks to his featured appearance on Lil Durk’s “Big Dawg.” The song — released May 26 on Lil Durk’s new LP, Almost Healed, on Alamo Records — debuts at No. 67 on the Hot 100 with 7.4 million official streams in the tracking week. It also debuts at No. 15 on Hot Rap Songs and No. 22 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Chief Wuk (real name: Vontrell Voker), from Chicago, is a long-time collaborator of Lil Durk. Click here for more on Chief Wuk’s chart debut.

Natalie & Brittany Haas

The siblings both score their first-ever solo Billboard chart visits with their new collaborative album HAAS. The set, released May 26 via Padiddle Records, debuts at No. 7 on Classical Crossover Albums. The Haas sisters, from Menlo Park, Calif., are both seasoned musicians. Natalie, a cellist who is also an associate professor in the Strings department at Berklee College of Music, has recorded with Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser and served as a guest artist on over 100 albums as a studio musician. Brittany, a fiddler and banjoist, is also a member of the chamber-grass band Crooked Still, which has released five studio LPs (one of which, Some Strange Country, reached No. 15 on the Americana/Folk Albums chart in 2010). She has also performed with Béla Fleck, Tony Trischka, Abigail Washburn and Steve Martin’s bluegrass band. On June 2, she was named the new fiddler of the Punch Brothers, taking over for longtime member Gabe Witcher. The Haas sisters have a string of tour dates together later this month on the west coast in support of HAAS.

Alvin Garrett

The Birmingham, Ala., native arrives on Billboard’s charts with “’Til I Get Back to You.” The track, released May 5 via HILL Entertainment, debuts at No. 29 on Adult R&B Airplay (up 15% in plays). Garrett is also an accomplished songwriter, having written songs for Fantasia, Johnny Gill, Joe, Kelly Rowland and Ruben Studdard, among others. One of those tracks, Joe’s “I’d Rather Have a Love,” reached No. 18 on Hot R&B Songs in 2013. Garrett has also written two No. 1s on the Gospel Airplay chart: Fred Jerkins’ “Patiently Praising,” featuring Lowell Pye (2021), and Lamont Sanders’ “He Kept Me” (2022). Garrett has also released three solo studio albums: Expose Yourself in 2012, This HILL in 2019, and The Lightness of Love in 2021.

Lola Audreys

The South African dance-pop artist hits Billboard’s charts with her track “Miami,” featuring Nile Rodgers. The song, which she self-released in November, debuts at No. 39 on the Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart (up 30% in plays). Contributing to the song’s gains are multiple remixes: three each by Majestic, three by Paul Woolford, two by LP Giobbi and one each by Öwnboss and Tropic Thrust. Audreys has also released the songs “Diamonds” (including remixes with Redondo and MESZCA), “Meck’s M.I.A. Megafix,” with Rodgers and Meck, and “Tension” (plus a remix with MK).

D.O.D

The British DJ and producer (full name: Dan O’Donnell) scores his first chart appearance thanks to his track “So Much in Love.” The song, released April 21 via Armada Music, debuts at No. 40 on the Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart (up 36% in plays). D.O.D has been active in the dance community for over a decade. He’s previously collaborated with fellow genre staples Afrojack, Calum Scott, Deorro, Laidback Luke and others.