Tyga, Jhene Aiko & Pop Smoke Bring ‘Sunshine’ to No. 1 on Rhythmic Airplay Chart

The combined might of Tyga, Jhene Aiko and the late Pop Smoke yields a new No. 1 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart with their collaboration, “Sunshine.” The song jumps from No. 4 to lead the list dated Dec. 17 after a 7% jump in weekly plays that made it the most-played song on U.S. monitored rhythmic radio stations in the week ending Dec. 11, according to Luminate.

“Sunshine” gives Tyga his fifth Rhythmic Airplay No. 1, and first time with multiple champs in the same calendar year. The rapper first led through a featured spot on Chris Brown’s “Loyal” (two weeks, 2014), his own “Taste,” featuring Offset (four, 2018), “Chosen,” with Blxst and featuring Ty Dolla $ign (three, 2021) and “Freaky Deaky,” with Doja Cat (one, 2022).

Jhene Aiko collects her fourth career champ. All three of her previous chart-toppers, a guest turn alongside Chris Brown on Omarion’s “Post to Be” in 2015, her own “B.S.” featuring H.E.R. and another supporting spot on Saweetie’s “Back to the Streets” in 2021, all ruled for one week.

The late Pop Smoke, meanwhile, extends his Rhythmic Airplay history to a third No. 1 and third consecutive year with a leading title. He first reigned with “For the Night,” featuring Lil Baby and DaBaby, for five weeks in 2020-21, and returned to the summit with the four-week champ “What You Know Bout Love” in 2021. The latter wrapped 2021 as the Rhythmic Airplay’s top title on the year-end ranking.

“Sunshine” also brings a former 18-year-old champ back into the fray through its sample. The Tyga, Aiko and Pop Smoke track samples the Lil Flip and Lea collaboration of the same name, which topped the Rhythmic Airplay list for one week and reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2004.

As “Sunshine” lights up Rhythmic Airplay, it continues a parade of new No. 1s on the chart. The song is the fifth new leader in the last five weeks, following the one-week reigns, in order, of Doja Cat’s “Vegas,” YG’s “Toxic,” Chris Brown’s “Under the Influence,” and Beyoncé’s “Cuff It.” The last multi-week champ was Nicki Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl,” which strung together a three-week nonconsecutive run on top in October-November. Between Minaj’s second and third weeks in charge, two more songs managed single-week stays at No. 1: DJ Khaled’s “Staying Alive,” featuring Drake and Lil Baby, and Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit.”

The current turnover is the most since a run of six straight new No. 1s in five weeks in June – July 2019. Then, Khalid’s “Talk” started a procession that included City Girls’ “Act Up,” Travis Scott’s “Wake Up,” Lil Baby’s “Close Friends,” Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” and Chris Brown’s “No Guidance,” featuring Drake. The lattermost title broke the streak with a second consecutive week on top. (“Truth Hurts” later also returned to the summit for an additional two weeks.)

Elsewhere, “Sunshine” pushes 8-5 on the Rap Airplay chart with a 3% increase in weekly audience and repeats at No. 22 on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay list through a 3% boost in weekly plays at the format. Thanks to those placements and its rhythmic success, the song debuts at No. 45 on the all-genre Radio Songs chart. There, it climbed 11% to 18.9 million in overall audience.