Nelly & Florida Georgia line have a good thgin going with “Lil Bit” (BMLGR/RECORDS/Columbia). Kailee Spark is rocking strong with her “Sparkle & Shine” (Kukuau Studio) debut. John Michael Ferrari is also on the move with “Be The Smile On Your Face” (Cappy). Gramma Rikki has a new one in “Closer” (OBCD) that is as good as they get. Taken from her new album “Threads” this single is the follow-up to “Our Story” that recently hit #1 for her on our AC40 Indie Chart and this one is set to do the same.

Martin Garrix has joined forces with Bono and The Edge for a super jam moment they call “We Are The People” (STMPD/Sony Int/RCA). Hot AC is taking the lead on this one “out of the box” & the response has been quite off the charts. Expect this gem to cross formats sooner than later as everybody at pop radio should be on this one to be sure. BTS continue their reign on US radio as they take the single “Butter” (Columbia) out for a spin. Our panel of music and program directors are all over this one big time to no surprise.

Doja Cat is taking her new best friend in Sia out for a drive as they take “Kiss Me More” (Kemosabe/RCA) on home. Very reminiscent of her first hit, this one just adds to the build while keeping her sound all intact. Really loving this one big time. Marshmello is taking the Jonas Brothers out for a spin with “Leave Before You Love Me” (Republic). Although a bit of a confusing title, the track itself is rather craft-fully done leaving little to the imagination and after all is said and done, it’s great to have them both at radio together.

Newcomer Sofia Evangelina is setting the music world ablaze. It’s all thanks to her debut single “Endure” (Crescendo) that is out of this world. Just check out the chart activity in this issue so see just what I’m talking about. Rebecca Angel has a good thing going with her stellar rendition of “Just The Two Of Us” (Indie). Heather Youmans is rocking the charts big time with “A Little Closer To Happy” that is oh so good. April Diamond & David Longoria W/Powerhouse Choir are taking their version of “I Got The Music In Me” (Del Oro) to the top of the charts & Christopher Joyner is basking in his recent fortunes as his debut single “Fire Inside” reaches the top of the charts.

Ed Sheeran is back at radio with a real gem and radio is so excited about this event to be sure. “Bad Habits” (Atlantic) is the track that is already setting both the AC & Top40 formats ablaze so it appears that Ed has a big time Summer Hit on his hands and good for him. Olivia Rodrigo is getting a solid bounce back with “good 4 u” (Geffen/Interscope). It’s the latest gem from radio’s top rising star so far in 2021. She is also charting with another gem in “déjà vu” and seems to be getting a swell reception from radio for duel tracks.

One of my all-time favorites in Weezer is back at the format and that makes many of us smile a bit more. “All My Favorite Songs” (Crush Music) is their latest and greatest and it’s so good to have them back at radio. It actually makes radio sound better all over again. Anne-Marie & Niall Horan are really making some fabulous new music together. They take on “Our Song” (Capitol-Warner) & the results are amazingly hit sounding. Glass Animals have also found a home at Hot AC and they wear it well as the single “Heat Waves” (Republic ) pulls in a record number of stations every week since its release.

Tate McCrea has joined up with Khalid and that pairing has been in the works for quite some time. Together they just kill with the single “Working” (RCA). When we first heard the track we knew from the start that this one is extremely on track to becoming a monster hit single. Nic D has finally come out of hiding and he’s taking his new single “Fine Apple” (Republic) out for a spin and so far the response has been quite stellar. We love getting the break on these new singles and it will be fun to see just how far the new Nic D will go. Regardless it’s all about Great music and our charts in this issue are filled with songs that deserve your immediate attention. Just felt an earthquake so I’m taking a break.