CKay’s ‘Love Nwantiti’ tops Billboard US Afrobeats chart

Ckay”s “Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah)” leads the inaugural list of Billboard’s U.S Afrobeats Song Charts dated April 2nd 2022.

Originally released in 2019 the song’s commercial success has more recently been boosted by a string of international remixes that have helped spark a flurry of virality on TikTok.

The Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart debuts Tuesday, ranking the 50 most popular Afrobeats songs in the United States based on a weighted formula that includes official streams from leading audio and video music services on both subscription and ad-supported tiers, as well as download sales from top music retailers.

According to Luminate, previously MRC Data, the track received 4.7 million official U.S. streams during the tracking week of March 18-24.

The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on October 2, 2021, and is now in its 27th frame on the April 2 tally, rising 41-39 after peaking at No. 26 in February.

On the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts, it also charted at No. 2.

Read also: Ckay, Africa’s best global selling artist, rakes over N2.6bn from Love Nwantiti

Completing the top 5 Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs are Fireboy DML and Ed Sheeran’s “Peru,” at No. 2; Wizkid’s “Essence,” featuring Justin Bieber and Tems, at No. 3; Omah Lay and Bieber’s’ “Attention,” at No. 4; and Tems’ “Free Mind,” at No. 5.

Meanwhile, CKay closes out the top 10 with his 2022 release “Emiliana,” which comes in at No. 10. He’s one of seven acts to have two songs in the top ten, and five others have three or more hits. Tems tops the poll with eight responses, highlighted by her guest appearance on Wizkid’s “Essence” and her own “Free Mind.”

Wizkid comes in second with six chart appearances. Davido has three, Rema has four, and Burna Boy has five.

As previously reported, Billboard partnered with music festival and global brand Afro Nation to launch the first-ever United States-based chart for Afrobeats music.