Soul Sweep: September 20, 2014...






We're at the "hump" of today's chart sweeps, sampling the songs making the charts in Billboard magazine, and this time up I'm serving the latest R&B songs on the radio...

On the main R&B/Hip Hop Airplay chart, Jeremih and YG spend a third week at #1 with "Don't Tell 'Em"...

The top debut of the week comes from newcomer Teyana Taylor, who had previously appeared on MTV's excrable My Super Sweet Sixteen 'reality' show. Now at the age of 23, she's in at #44 with "Maybe" featuring rappers Yo Gotti and Pusha T. She's got a passable voice, in the Jhene Aiko/Sevyn Streeter vein, but I think more effort was put in her wig selection that the material.  (NSFW)


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Dave Hollister returns at #45 with "Spend The Night". Formerly a member of the new jack swing group Blackstreet, he went solo in the late 90s, and went to #8 in 2000 with "One Woman Man". Here he goes full Zapp-style vocoder and the results are lushly retro, though the gratuitous video doesn't help. Nonetheless, it's my "Soul Pick of the Week"...


Neo-soul/jazz singer Ledisi enters at #48 with "Like This", the second single from The Truth. The first, "I Blame You", made it to #20. This new one also climbs into the top-10 on the Adult R&B chart...


Trey Songz comes in at #49 with "Foreign", from his #1 album Trigga. It's now one of four tracks from the album to be on the chart; he's also in with "What's Best For You" (#29), "Smartphones" (#33), and "Touchin, Lovin" (#34). He went to #9 with the first single, "Na Na". This semi-hard hip-hop/Latin/soul hybrid has some charm, but at this point it feels like they're throwing everything against the wall to see what sticks?


Meanwhile, on the older-skewing Adult R&B radio panel, Kem remains on top for a second week with "It's You"...

Morgan James comes from a successful career on Broadway, where she's appeared in The Addams Family and Godspell, to the soul chart at #22 with "Call My Name". If you're into Alicia Keys or Rumer, you'll possibly be won over by her first hit. I think it's a good fit for adult radio in either pop or soul....


Lastly, on the Rhythmic radio format, which includes more pop and dance music in their playlists, the aforementioned "Don't Tell 'Em" sticks at #1 for a third week.

Rapper Wiz Khalifa is in at #30 with "You and Your Friends" featuring Snoop Dogg and Ty Dolla $ign...


...and on the other end of the spectrum at #38 is Taylor Swift with "Shake It Off"...


I'll return in 90 with the latest on country radio...


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