Creed is Back, and Being Embraced With Arms Wide Open on Streaming
Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up column, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip.
This week: Creed is getting bigger at streaming following their reunion news; a dance trend has boosted a nearly decade-old Boosie BadAzz track; and 50 Cent is helping TikTok users unpack love languages.
Can You Take Streams Higher? Creed’s Catalog Increases Thanks to Reunion News, Rangers & More
After more than a decade of relative silence, the past few months have been busy for Creed and their fans. In July, the best-selling rock group announced their first shows together since 2012, as the leaders of the Summer of ’99 cruise setting sail in April 2024. A few months later, Creed unveiled a full-fledged reunion tour, where they’ll bring hits like “Higher,” “With Arms Wide Open” and “My Sacrifice” to 40 cities across North America beginning next July.
The reunion news has coincided with a few sports-adjacent viral moments for the band in recent weeks: last month, the Texas Rangers’ World Series run was powered by blasting “Higher” on the team bus and before games, which snowballed into their stadium singing along to the Rangers’ unofficial anthem.
And recently, a 2022 TikTok from the user @MaceAhWindu, featuring an epic sing-along of the “Higher” chorus, has gone viral by being paired with various sports heroics. Here’s the clip being synched up with a touchdown run from Minnesota Vikings QB Josh Dobbs, which Dobbs then re-posted:
Whether due to the reunion tour news, the new memes or a combination of both, Creed’s streaming totals have experienced a considerable bump in recent week. During the week of the tour announcement (Oct. 27-Nov. 2), Creed’s catalog earned 9.03 million U.S. on-demand streams – a nearly 18% gain from the previous week, according to Luminate – and the following week (Nov. 3-9), that total climbed to 10.12 million weekly streams. Check out how much Creed’s streams have spiked over the course of 2023 – especially as the Texas Rangers run and reunion tour news coalesced in October:
We’re still about five months away from Creed’s first reunion shows, so we’ll see if those streams can go even higher – to a place with golden streets, perchance – in early 2024. - Jason Lipshutz
Boosie BadAzz Further Cements Cult Classic King Status With New Gains For Old Song
From “Wipe Me Down” to “Set It Off,” Boosie BadAzz hits have soundtracked multiple generations of college kickbacks and club nights alike. Now, thanks to an accidental dance trend, his nearly 10-year-old “Show da World” (with Kiara, Webbie and Lil’ Trill & Trill Family) is enjoying a major bump in streaming activity.
According to Luminate, “Show da World” collected just over 200,000 on-demand U.S. streams during the period of Nov. 3-9, marking a 27.1% increase in streams compared to the period of Oct. 27-Nov. 2 (over 158,000 streams). For the past three weeks, “Show da World” has posted double-digit percentage point gains. On TikTok – where the trend originated – the song’s official sound plays in over 20,200 posts. User @whytayyy sparked the dance trend with casual choreography inspired by the Mr. WoopWoop-helmed dance move that helped sparked a mini streaming resurgence for Migos’ “Handsome & Wealthy” last month. The original video also featured a quirky blurb detailing a specific friendship dynamic, but the trend has already evolved to simply executing the dance.
It may still be too early to tell if “Show Da World” can enter the Billboard Hot 100, but with streaming gains of this nature, the track could very well be on pace to surpass its original peak of No. 35 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. - Kyle Denis
50 Cent & Benny Benassi Score Surprise Streaming Hit With “Baby By Me"
TikTok users always find new ways of expressing what makes them happy both romantically and sexually, and lately, they’re using Benny Benassi’s 2010 remix of 50 Cent’s Ne-Yo-assisted “Baby By Me” to do so.
According to Luminate, “Baby By Me” earned over 637,000 on-demand U.S. streams during the period of Nov. 3-9. That’s a 16.3% increase from the streaming total for the period of Oct. 27-Nov. 2. Last week marked the second consecutive week “Baby By Me” has pulled in over half a million streams – a particularly impressive feat considering the song was earning just over 100,000 streams during the period of Oct. 13-19.
On TikTok – where creators use the song to soundtrack different ways their partners (or potential partners) speak to their love languages – the most popular “Baby By Me” sound boasts over 76,400 posts. This week, the song debuted at No. 46 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 – the first entry on the ranking for all credited artists. Back in 2009, “Baby By Me” served as the lead single for Before I Self Destruct, Fiddy’s fourth studio album. The song climbed to a peak of No. 28 on the Hot 100 – while reaching the top 10 of both Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs – and eventually received its Benny Benassi remix just in time for New Years (Jan. 1, 2010).
With streaming still on the uptick, “Baby By Me” is well-positioned to scale even greater heights on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 and beyond. - K.D.
Jason Lipshutz
Billboard
