In another win for TikTok’s ability to revive older songs and bring them to renewed prominence, JID’s “Surround Sound,” featuring 21 Savage and Baby Tate, powers to No. 1 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart. The song, released in January 2022, became popular on TikTok in late 2023 through the “ceiling challenge,” in which creators tie their phones to ceilings to produce a birds-eye view effect as they dance. Thanks to the corresponding rise in streams, “Surround Sound” was re-promoted to radio and has outperformed its original run.
“Surround Sound,” released on Dreamville/Interscope Records, jumps from No. 3 to rule Rhythmic Airplay. Despite the song remaining virtually even in its play count during the latest tracking week, Feb. 23 – 29, according to Luminate, it advances after last week’s champ, Nicki Minaj’s “Everybody,” featuring Lil Uzi Vert, slides to No. 4 from a 13% decline in plays and the runner-up, Jack Harlow’s “Lovin on Me,” fell 6% in plays.
With “Surround Sound,” Atlanta natives JID and Baby Tate each capture a first Rhythmic Airplay leader with a first visit to the chart. 21 Savage, meanwhile, adds a sixth leader to his ledger. Of his five prior No. 1s, three came via lead or co-lead billings: “A Lot” (two weeks at No. 1 in 2019), “Rich Flex,” with Drake (two, 2023) and “Creepin’,” with Metro Boomin and The Weeknd (three, 2023). The remaining two were through featured appearances – assisting Post Malone on “Rockstar” (six, 2017-18) and helping Drake on “Jimmy Cooks” (one, 2022).
When it debuted in 2022, “Surround Sound” was a minor hit, reaching No. 90 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January of that year and climbing to a No. 29 best on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. The song picked up viral steam in late 2023 on TikTok, however, when users adopted it as the main choice for the ceiling challenge. Thanks to the virality, “Surround Sound” ruled the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart for two weeks in December, while it returned to the Hot 100 and improved upon its original performance, reaching No. 40 in January in its second run.
Elsewhere, “Surround Sound” keeps at No. 6 on Rap Airplay for a third straight week, though it added 5% more in audience for the tracking week. Similarly, it repeats at No. 40 on the all-genre Radio Songs chart in its fourth week on the list, where it likewise added 5% in audience, to reach 18.3 million for the tracking period.
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