Jelly Roll Breaks Record for Most Weeks Spent at No. 1 on Emerging Artists Chart

Jelly Roll makes history on Billboard’s latest Emerging Artists chart (dated Feb. 11) as he scores a record-breaking 25th week at No. 1.

He surpasses the 24-week reign of NLE Choppa in 2019-20 to set a new mark for the most time spent at No. 1 in the chart’s seven-year history.

Jelly Roll (aka Jason DeFord) continues his command as his latest chart hit, “Need a Favor,” ranks at No. 33 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (after reaching No. 25) and No. 42 on Hot Country Songs (its peak). It also rises 46-43 on Country Airplay.

Jelly Roll’s No. 1 run has also been powered by his songs “Son of a Sinner,” “Dead Man Walking,” “She” and “Son of the Dirty South.” The first two are from his LP Ballads of the Broken, which in September became his third entry on the Billboard 200.

“Son of a Sinner” topped the Country Airplay chart dated Jan. 14. “There is no greater reward for a singer and songwriter in Nashville, Tenn., than to have the No. 1 song on country radio,” Jelly Roll, 38, said of the coronation of the song, which he co-penned. “Now imagine that happening to a guy that grew up in this town … a guy that at every turn for the first 25 years of his life made the wrong decision. Imagine everyone telling that guy he had no chance at country radio. If you can imagine that, then you can understand why I’m so filled with gratitude. Thank you to … every single person that helped make this dream come true.”

“Son of a Sinner” reached No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October. It became his first entry on the chart. (Artists “graduate” from Emerging Artists after reaching the top 25 of either the Hot 100 or Billboard 200, among other qualifiers; see below.)

Rounding out the top five of the Emerging Artists chart, Coi Leray climbs 5-2, NewJeans hold at No. 3, Nate Smith keeps at No. 4 and d4vd rises 6-5.

The Backseat Lovers re-enter Emerging Artists at No. 8, a new high, as the group’s reissued 2019 LP When We Were Friends arrives at No. 23 on Alternative Albums, and No. 199 on the Billboard 200, with 7,000 equivalent album units earned, according to Luminate. It also opens at No. 5 on Vinyl Albums and No. 17 on Top Album Sales.

Plus, The Arcs, which include The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, debut at No. 9 on Emerging Artists, thanks to sophomore project Electrophonic Chronic. The set opens at No. 8 on Vinyl Albums and No. 12 on Top Album Sales, while its single “Eyez” rises 26-22 on Adult Alternative Airplay.

The Emerging Artists chart ranks the most popular developing artists of the week, using the same formula as the all-encompassing Billboard Artist 100, which measures artist activity across multiple Billboard charts, including the Hot 100, Billboard 200 and the Social 50. (The Artist 100 lists the most popular acts, overall, each week.) However, the Emerging Artists chart excludes acts that have notched a top 25 entry on either the Hot 100 or Billboard 200, as well as artists that have achieved two or more top 10s on Billboard’s “Hot” song genre charts and/or consumption-based “Top” album genre rankings.

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