Doja Cat again pounces to the No. 1 rank on Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart as “Need to Know” leads the list dated Nov. 6. The single advances from No. 3 thanks to a 17% boost in plays in the week ending Oct. 31 to become the week’s most-played song on U.S. monitored rhythmic radio stations, according to MRC Data.
“Need” becomes Doja Cat’s fifth No. 1 on Rhythmic Airplay and fourth of 2021, the year’s highest total among all acts. With the new champ, she passes Drake and his three chart-toppers on the year. Furthermore, Doja Cat is the first woman to land four Rhythmic Airplay No. 1s in a calendar year since Rihanna in 2012. That year, the latter reigned with “We Found Love,” featuring Calvin Harris (which split its nine weeks in charge across 2011 and 2012), a featured role on Drake’s “Take Care” and her own singles “Where Have You Been” and “Diamonds.”
In terms of four new No. 1s in a calendar year, Rihanna, too, owns the last quartet. In 2010, she sent “Rude Boy” to the top slot in May, followed by a featured turn on Eminem’s “Love the Way You Lie” in July and posted back-to-back No. 1s with “Only Girl (in the World)” and “What’s My Name?,” featuring Drake, in December.
Back to the new quartet queen – here’s a full rundown of Doja Cat’s leaders on Rhythmic Airplay:
“Say So,” three weeks at No. 1, beginning April 18, 2020
“Best Friend,” Saweetie featuring Doja Cat, one week, April 10, 2021
“Kiss Me More,” featuring SZA, two weeks, June 26, 2021
“You Right,” with The Weeknd, four weeks, Aug. 28, 2021
“Need to Know,” one (to date), Nov. 6, 2021
Also, as “Need” reaches the top slot in its ninth week on the list, it ties “You Right” as the fastest climber of Doja Cat’s five champs.
“Need,” “Right” and “Kiss Me More” all appear on Doja Cat’s latest album, Planet Her, which debuted and has peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and logged three weeks at No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Elsewhere, “Need” rises to a new peak on Pop Airplay with a 10-8 ascent on the latest published chart through an 11% gain in weekly plays. Strength in the pop and rhythmic sectors helps the track climb 14-12 to a new high on the all-genre Radio Songs chart. There, it added 14% to 44.1 million in audience in the week ending Oct. 31.
Airplay gains likewise push the song into the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, which factors radio airplay, song sales and streaming into its calculations. “Need” advances 11-9 there, giving Doja Cat her fourth career hit in the upper tier.
