Just Listen HipHop | Underground And Mainstream Hip-Hop Releases

Doja Cat has had a unique career path. She broke through with a viral song and exploded into pop stardom in the span of just a few years. She’s one of the most consistent hitmakers of the last half decade, and yet, she had never topped the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Charts. For all her success on the Billboard Hot 100, Doja has struggled to crossover with genre audiences. Until now, that is. Doja Cat bodied the Coachella stage with her recent performance, and it gave her latest single an unexpected boost.

The performance in question took place on April 14, and the single in question is “Agora Hills.” Doja’s eccentric slow jam performed well on the Hot 100, peaking at number seven, but it was R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay that proved tougher. It peaked higher than any of Doja Cat’s previous entries, at number three, but it wasn’t until her Coachella performance that it finally claimed the number one spot. According to Billboard, “Agora Hills” increased in weekly plays by a staggering 19%. It’s fitting that “Agora Hills” be Doja’s first R&B/Hip-Hop chart topper, given that it samples the classic R&B song “All I Do Is Think of You” by Troop.

“Agora Hills” Is Doja Cat’s First R&B/Hip-Hop Number One

It’s also appropriate that Doja’s R&B/Hip-Hop breakthrough came on the album Scarlet. The artist made it very clear that she wanted to ditch her radio-friendly aesthetic for a darker hip-hop sound. The singles “Attention” and “Paint the Town Red” reflect this darker sound, while “Agora Hills” and “Go Off” split the difference between pop and R&B. Finding the right balance was the trick, according to an interview Doja gave to Harper’s Bazaar.

The artist told the outlet that her goal with Scarlet was to mix stories and bops. “It’s a nice mixture of both,” she explained. “I think this project is a really fun canvas for me to play with my rap skills and talk about what’s going on in my life. But I’m not abandoning who I was and what I know about pop and singing and that aspect of music.” Doja’s creative shift proved fruitful, as Scarlet has already been certified platinum and spawned number one singles on multiple charts.

[Via]