Rihanna Misses The Hot 100 For The First Time In Almost A Decade

Rihanna has a stellar track record when it comes to sending her singles to the Hot 100. She rarely misses Billboard’s list of the most consumed songs in the United States whenever she puts her promotional might behind a tune. That has proved especially true in recent years, as the pop and R&B superstar has delivered only a handful of tracks, and the appetite for music from the Grammy winner remains massive. Sadly, though, her latest release “Friend of Mine” misses out on the chart, though it appears on a number of other tallies.

“Friend of Mine” Misses The Hot 100

“Friend of Mine” debuts on eight Billboard charts this week in the U.S. The Hot 100, however, is not listed among them — though the song came close to reaching that roster. Instead, Rihanna’s latest track opens at No. 1 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100. That tally ranks the most popular songs in the country that haven’t quite made it to the main list, and it still means she claims one of the biggest compositions in the country.

A Tough Week to Land on the Hot 100

Even though there was intense anticipation for her electronic cut, Rihanna chose an especially busy week to try to reach the Hot 100. Morgan Wallen dominates the tally at the moment with tracks from his new No. 1 album, I’m the Problem. He breaks the all-time record for the greatest number of simultaneous placements on the list, racking up 37 smashes at one time.

Rihanna Hasn’t Missed in Nearly a Decade

Rihanna hasn’t missed the Hot 100 with a proper single for almost a decade. The last time she pushed a tune that failed to crack the lofty ranking was in 2016 with the song “Sledgehammer.” That track was written and recorded for the film Star Trek Beyond, and it peaked at No. 2 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100.

Since then, Rihanna has not even failed to appear break into the top 40 with any of her promotional cuts. Tunes like “Love on the Brain,” “Lemon” with N.E.R.D., “Believe It” with PartyNextDoor, and her Black Panther: Wakanda Forever smash “Lift Me Up” all spent time inside that competitive space.

“Friend of Mine” Could Still Climb

“Friend of Mine,” which was created for the upcoming animated Smurfs movie, could potentially reach the Hot 100 in the coming weeks. Although typically, songs launch in what becomes their all-time peak these days, this track is just getting started on a number of other tallies. It manages to enter the top 10 on three lists: Dance Digital Song Sales, Dance Streaming Songs, and Hot Dance/Electronic Songs charts, and lands on several format-specific radio rosters as well.