Lent- Day 13: Broken record records.
Drake (Billboard); cover art for his latest smash album (Time)
This week, Canadian rapper Drake has fourteen tracks in the Hot 100, the Billboard chart that measures the one hundred most popular songs in the country across all genres, using an algorithm that combines radio play, sales, and some streaming outlets. That number ties a record for the most songs in the top one hundred at one time (in a single one week frame) that was set by The Beatles back in 1964.
The accomplishment is thanks mostly to the surprise album he dropped last week, but not all fourteen songs are his. Drake has lead billing on ten of the charting hits are his, as on four he’s a featured artist, so we could say that this is all thanks to his never-stop work ethic.
That album, If You’re Reading This It’s Already Too Late, was expected to be a free mixtape, and thus an entity that wouldn’t qualify for charts. Instead, Drake uploaded the collection onto iTunes and attached a price tag to it, which made it eligible for the Billboard 200, according to chart rules. It easily took the top spot, beating the 50 Shades of Grey soundtrack, which had been the frontrunner until then.
Tying The Beatles with fourteen tracks on Billboard’s Top 100- a record that has stood for five decades and that even superstars like Michael Jackson, Madonna or Mariah Carey never smashed- is musically epic.
Speaking of The Beatles, former member Paul McCartney has been introduced to a new generation by way of his recent callobo with Rihanna and Kanye West, “FourFiveSeconds” (and in January, Kanye’s “Only One”). I wasn’t surprised that he teamed up with the Bajan Beauty or Yeezus (twice), but by the fact that so many of the youngin’ had no clue who he is.
One generation’s superstar becomes another’s “who?”. And in the realm of pop culture, celebs don’t need half century- just ask Missy Elliott.
In the first chapter of Ecclessiastes it says:
That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which it may be said, “See, this is new”? It has already been in ancient times before us. There is no remembrance of former things, Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come By those who will come after.
Reflection for the day: Records will be broken, and most people are forgotten in a generation or two- even stars.