{"id":2099800,"date":"2026-08-18T21:36:05","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T18:36:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2099800"},"modified":"2026-08-18T21:36:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T18:36:05","slug":"if-you-want-to-know-whats-good-in-pop-look-to-the-bottom-of-the-charts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2099800","title":{"rendered":"If You Want To Know What\u2019s Good In Pop, Look To The Bottom Of The Charts"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Steve Jennings\/Getty Images Entertainment\/Getty Images; Erika Goldring\/WireImage\/Getty Images; Erika Goldring\/WireImage\/Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n

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Music<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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If You Want To Know What\u2019s Good In Pop, Look To The Bottom Of The Charts<\/h1>\n
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That\u2019s where all the real<\/em> hits are.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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by Jillian Giandurco<\/a><\/address>\n
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Tuesdays are a big day in the NYLON household, as it is the day that the Billboard charts are updated. We pride ourselves on being leaders in the song of the summer conversation<\/a>, and to do that, we always keep tabs on what people are streaming. But lately, the dopamine hit that once was scrolling through the charts has started to feel like an emotionally laborious chore.<\/p>\n

The Top 10 used to belong to cultural sensations like Madonna<\/a>, Britney Spears<\/a>, and Michael Jackson. Today, the top of the charts are riddled with fraudulent sales numbers and musicians who most of the general public couldn\u2019t pick out of a crowd: Ella Langley\u2019s \u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas\u201d continues to shatter decades-long chart records once held by Beyonc\u00e9<\/a>, Mariah Carey<\/a>, and Whitney Houston<\/a>; Ariana Grande<\/a> is holding steady at no. 5 with the flattest single of her career; and then there\u2019s the Morgan Wallen of it all. Suffice it to say, it\u2019s a bleak time to be a music writer.<\/p>\n

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At least, that\u2019s how it feels at the top of the charts. The bottom of the charts tell a completely different story.<\/p>\n

Recently, three of the most exciting up-and-comers of the moment earned their first-ever Billboard Hot 100 chart entries: on Aug. 4, Audrey Hobert\u2019s<\/a> \u201cSue Me\u201d came in just under the wire at no. 98, over a year after its release in May 2025. The next week, Hobert climbed to no. 92, leaving room for Slayyyter<\/a> to take over her position at 98 with her new hit \u201cBrand New Chanel$<\/a>.\u201d Pop prot\u00e9g\u00e9 Ad\u00e9la<\/a> also secured a spot that week at no. 85 with her latest single \u201cAin\u2019t In LA<\/a>,\u201d making her the first Slovak artist to appear on the chart.<\/p>\n

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This week\u2019s Hot 100 stats tell a similar story, with Hobert at no. 85 and Ad\u00e9la one spot above. Other song-of-the-summer (and song-of-the-year) contenders circulating at the bottom of the Hot 100 include Olivia Rodrigo<\/a> and Robert Smith\u2019s depressing duet \u201cWhat\u2019s Wrong With Me\u201d (no. 97), Julia Wolf\u2019s Evanescence-core anthem \u201cIn My Room\u201d (no. 94), and Steve Lacy\u2019s<\/a> psychedelic ballad \u201cThe Feeling\u201d (no. 75). Meanwhile in the top half of the chart, you\u2019ll find a lot of Drake, Bruno Mars, and country music (no shade if that\u2019s your jam; different strokes for different folks). <\/p>\n

Of course, the Billboard charts would be nothing without Spotify, so to understand this new trend, we have to look at streaming numbers, too. According to Spotify, Hobert\u2019s \u201cSue Me\u201d entered the Daily Top Songs US 200 chart on July 1 at no. 112. As of Aug. 17, the song has peaked at no. 57 \u2014 not exactly a bottom-of-the-chart position, but it certainly explains its new spot on the Hot 100.<\/p>\n

Phoebe Bridgers<\/a>\u2019 new record Lost Weekend<\/em><\/a> will be in contention for charting next week, and if songs like \u201cBobby,\u201d \u201cNever Going Back!\u201d and \u201cLost Weekend (Reprise)\u201d continue to gain steam on TikTok, there\u2019s a good chance we could see the indie rocker dominating the bottom of the chart as well. And when that happens, she\u2019ll be in good company. It is<\/em> the place to be, after all.<\/p>\n