Hot 100 First-Timers: Kali Rings in With ‘Area Codes’

Kali scores her first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 (dated May 20) thanks to her single “Area Codes.” The song launches at No. 54, as the chart’s Hot Shot Debut — the week’s highest new entry.

The song, released March 17 via Trump Card/Atlantic Records, arrives on the list with 9.2 million official streams (up 146%) and 1,000 downloads sold (up 426%) in the United States in the May 5-11 tracking week, according to Luminate. It also debuts at No. 8 on Hot Rap Songs and soars 48-16 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The song interpolates Ludacris’ 2001 hit “Area Codes” (featuring Nate Dogg), which reached No. 24 on the Hot 100.

Recent gains for Kali’s track are owed in part to two new remixes: one featuring Lil Kayla, titled the “415 Remix” (released May 4), and another featuring Kenzo B, the “718 Remix” (released April 27). She previously dropped a sped-up version March 31.

TikTok has been a significant factor in the song’s growing profile, as a portion of it has soundtracked over 475,000 clips on the platform to date. (TikTok itself does not contribute directly to Billboard’s charts.)

Kali — from Roswell, Ga. — is relatively new to Billboard’s rankings. She charted one song prior to “Area Codes,” as her breakthrough single “Mmm Mmm” featuring ATL Jacob, became a hit on multiple radio charts. It reached No. 18 on Rap Airplay, No. 21 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and No. 30 on both R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Rhythmic Airplay in late 2021.

She has also self-released two mixtapes: This Why They Mad Now, in 2021, and Toxic Chocolate, in 2022. The latter includes collaborations with BIA, Latto, Moneybagg Yo, Muni Long and Yung Bleu.