During the last quarter of 2022, there were 40 songs that charted in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10.  31 of them were Top 10 newcomers and just nine carried over from Q3.

Taylor Swift led the way with a record-setting 10 new arrivals from her 2022 album Midnights and Drake followed with eight, seven in collaboration with 21 Savage from their collaborative album Her Loss. Together they accounted for just over half (58%) of the quarter’s new songs.

Republic held the greatest share of both Q4 new arrivals and Q3 carryovers at nearly two-thirds and one-third of songs, respectively. The former is largely due to the influx of new Taylor Swift and Drake/21 Savage songs.

Among the 20 sub-genres and influences that shaped the sound and vibe of Q4’s new arrivals, pop led the way at 90%, followed by hip hop/rap and R&B/soul at 58% each, and trap rounding out the top 3 at just over half. There was notably more trap among the new arrivals thanks to hits by Drake, 21 Savage, Lil Baby, Cardi B and Doja Cat, among others. Electropop/synthpop and alt/indie also had a greater showing largely thanks to Taylor Swift.

One notable difference between new arrivals and carryovers was in prominent instruments. When compared to carryovers, new arrivals featured notably more synth bass (95% compared to 44%) and primarily electronic drums (71% compared to 22%).

There were also some key differences in terms of song length and tempo. Q4’s new arrivals averaged 18 seconds longer and 37 BPM slower than carryovers.

What other qualities that defined Q4 2022’s new arrivals? Hit Songs Deconstructed subscribers can read the full 2022 Top Performing Hits Report  here.

Spotify playlist of Q3's Hot 100 Top 10