Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage’s ‘Creepin’’ Hits No. 1 on Rhythmic Airplay

The new No. 1 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart, “Creepin’,” yields rewards for all three of its billed acts: Metro Boomin, The Weeknd and 21 Savage. As the single tops the list dated Feb. 11, it gives Metro Boomin his first champ on the list, while The Weeknd ties for the third-most leaders in the chart’s history. Plus, 21 Savage replaces himself atop the list as “Creepin’” ousts his “Rich Flex” collaboration with Drake.

“Creepin,” from Metro Boomin’s Heroes and Villains album, advances from the runner-up spot to reach No. 1 on Rhythmic Airplay in its ninth chart week. The track seals its coronation with a 14% weekly bump in plays that made it the most-played song on U.S. monitored rhythmic radio stations in the week ending Feb. 2, according to Luminate.

For Metro Boomin, the new champ gives the producer his first No. 1 on Rhythmic Airplay from his sixth appearance on the list. His previous best was a No. 6 result for “Mr. Right Now,” a collaboration with 21 Savage that also features Drake.

The Weeknd, meanwhile, collects his 13th No. 1 on the radio chart and enters a four-way race for the third-most leaders among all acts. The Canadian superstar ties Bruno Mars, Chris Brown and Usher for the bronze medal. Here’s an updated look at the leaderboard for the most No. 1s since the chart began in 1992:

37, Drake
17, Rihanna
13, Bruno Mars
13, Chris Brown
13, The Weeknd
13, Usher
12, Beyoncé
12, Lil Wayne
10, Post Malone

Like his collaborators, 21 Savage also accomplishes a milestone through the current No. 1 as he replaces himself atop the chart. “Creepin’” captures the summit from “Rich Flex,” by Drake & 21 Savage, which falls to No. 2 after a two-week reign. The switch makes 21 Savage is the first artist to self-replace at No. 1 since Drake in 2021, when Yung Bleu’s “You’re Mines Still,” on which he features, ceded to “What’s Next.”

Plus, as his songs occupy the top two spots for a second week, 21 Savage is the first act to have a share of both the Nos. 1 and 2 ranks for consecutive weeks since DaBaby did so for three frames in 2020. Then, the North Carolina native’s “Rockstar,” featuring Roddy Ricch ruled for two weeks with Jack Harlow’s “What’s Poppin’” featuring DaBaby, Tory Lanez and Lil Wayne, in the runner-up spot before the pair swapped in the third week.

If being No. 1 now wasn’t enough, each of this week’s three leading acts also has another Rhythmic Airplay hit bubbling. 21 Savage’s “Rich Flex,” as mentioned, is at No. 2, while The Weeknd’s “Die for You,” a sleeper hit from his 2016 Starboy album, is at No. 3. The track was a Rhythmic Airplay hit in its initial release era and reached No. 16 in 2017, but thanks to attention, first on TikTok before it spread widely to streaming services and radio, reignited a radio campaign for the track that has clearly succeeded with listeners and radio programmers.

Metro Boomin’s new single, “Superheroes and Villains,” with Chris Brown and Future, is also progressing on Rhythmic Airplay. It jumps 37-26 in its second week on the chart, fueled by a 155% improvement in weekly plays.

Trevor Anderson

Billboard