Tyla’s ‘Water’ Cruises to No. 1 on Rhythmic Airplay Chart

The widespread radio success of Tyla’s “Water” spills over to Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart, where the single tops the list dated Dec. 16. “Water” rises from No. 2 to rule the chart after a 15% jump in plays that made it the most played song on U.S. monitored rhythmic radio stations in the week of Dec. 1–7, according to Luminate.

With its advance, “Water,” released on FAX Records/Epic Records, pushes last week’s champ, Drake’s “Rich Baby Daddy” featuring Sexyy Red and SZA, to No. 2 after its one week in charge. The latter’s coronation yielded Drake’s record-extending 39th No. 1 on the radio ranking.

“Water,” the breakthrough single for 21-year-old South African singer Tyla, has evolved into a radio smash in the past few weeks. Beyond its Rhythmic Airplay reign, the track sits at No. 1 for a third week on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, where it added 1% in plays in the last tracking week, and repeats at No. 3 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay for a second term thanks to a 4% boost in weekly audience to 18.3 million in listenership.

Plus, the single is making waves in the pop sector, holding at No. 19 for a second week on Pop Airplay with an 18% swell in weekly plays. Combined strength from rhythmic, R&B/hip-hop and pop radio powers “Water” 8-6 on the all-genre Radio Songs chart, where it added 11% in audience to reach 48.5 million.

“Water,” which is nominated for a Grammy for best African music performance, also leads the streaming and sales-based U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart for a ninth consecutive week. The global hit will appear on Tyla’s forthcoming self-titled debut album, which will be released on March 1, 2024. To preview the project, the singer released three new cuts on Dec. 1: “Butterflies,” “On and On” and “Truth or Dare.”