R&B/Soul, short intros, retro influences and solo male lead vocals were among the most popular characteristics that defined June’s top 10 hits. 18 diverse sub-genres and influences shaped their sound, and love/relationships was the dominant lyrical theme. What was missing? Solo female lead vocals.
[Header 1 header=”Genres”]
R&B/Soul held tight as the top primary genre category during the month, accounting for 30% of songs. Representative hits include: Earned It, Want To Want Me and the mega-successful Uptown Funk. Hip Hop/Rap shared the top spot during the first two weeks, but dropped to #2 during week three due to the departure of Nasty Freestyle. In its place, Pop joined R&B/Soul at the top thanks to the arrival of Taylor Swift’s Bad Blood. Dance/Club and Rock remained constant at just 10% of songs, represented by Hey Mama and Shut Up And Dance, respectively.
[Header 1 header=”Sub-Genres & Influencers”]
Electropop, Hip Hop/Rap, R&B/Soul and Retro were the top sub-genres and influencers of the month, each playing a role within 40% – 60% of songs. Country got a boost thanks to the arrival of Andy Grammer’s Honey I’m Good, and Reggae entered into the chart for the first time in over 30 weeks thanks to the arrival of OMI’s Cheerleader.
[Header 1 header=”Lead Vocal”]
The Solo Male Lead Vocal category continued on its hot streak, holding onto the top spot for the 28th straight week at 70% of songs. The Duet/Group category followed far behind at 30%, but was represented by two chart-toppers – Bad Blood and See You Again. As for the Solo Female category, it was a no-show during the entire month. The last time that solo female led songs were absent from the top 10 was way back in August 2014.
[Header 1 header=”Lyrical Themes”]
June was all about Love/Relationships. 80% – 90% of songs featured the theme as a standalone or in conjunction with other themes throughout the month. The only two songs that didn’t feature the theme are Uptown Funk (Boasting and Partying/Living It Up) and Nasty Freestyle (Rap Freestyle). Hooking Up followed at the #2 spot, playing a role in 40% – 50% of songs.
[Header 1 header=”Intros”]
The Moderately Short (0:10 – 0:19) and Short (0:01 – 0:09) Intro Length categories were once again the most popular. Combined, they accounted for 70% – 80% of songs throughout the month. Bad Blood, Hey Mama and Honey I’m Good were the three songs that didn’t include an intro within their framework, instead immediately hitting the listener with the primary payoff.
[Header 1 header=”First Chorus”]
The Moderately Late (0:40 – 0:59) First Chorus Occurrence category held steady at the top spot throughout the month, accounting for 30% of songs each week. Representatives include Cheerleader, Uptown Funk and Trap Queen. On the flip side, there are two songs that have their first chorus occurring in the Early (0:01 – 0:19) category – See You Again and Shut Up And Dance. Both follow a brief intro.
[Header 1 header=”Song Titles”]
Two-Word Titles were most popular, accounting for 50% – 60% of songs throughout the month. Among the category’s representatives are Bad Blood, Trap Queen, Uptown Funk, Earned It and Nasty Freestyle. Cheerleader and Sugar were the only songs that contain a Single Word Title. The 11 – 15 song title appearance category was consistently the most popular, accounting for 50% – 60% of songs.
[Header 1 header=”Instrumentation”]
The Synth and Prominent Bass (electric and synth based) were the top Instrumentation categories. Each played a key role in shaping the sound of 80% – 90% of songs during the month. Electric Guitar, Acoustic Piano and Claps/Snaps were also popular, each playing a role within 30% – 40% of songs.
[Header 2 header=”New Arrivals”]
- June 6: Bad Blood
- June 6: Hey Mama
- June 20: Honey I’m Good
- June 27: Cheerleader
[Header 2 header=”Decharted”]
- June 6: Love Me Like You Do
- June 6: Thinking Out Loud
- June 20: Nasty Freestyle
- June 27: Sugar