Olivia Rodrigo’s Latest Single Becomes A Hit After A Lackluster Debut

Olivia Rodrigo Scores Another Billboard Hot 100 Hit

“Serena Joy” debuts at No. 63 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week. The single becomes Rodrigo’s forty-fourth placement on the tally. That’s a huge sum, considering the fact that she has only released three albums.

Last frame, “Serena Joy” became Rodrigo’s first proper single to miss the Billboard Hot 100. The fact that she waited until every tune featured on all three of her full-lengths had reached the roster before missing it for the first time was yet another sign that she remains one of the biggest musical stars in America, though the showing was still ever so slightly disappointing.

“Serena Joy” did bring Rodrigo to a new high point on the Bubbling Under Hot 100, which ranks the 25 most popular tracks in the nation that have yet to cross over onto the main Billboard Hot 100. The song opened at No. 3, and now, just one week later, it becomes a proper smash.

“Serena Joy” Debuts on Two Additional Billboard Charts

“Serena Joy” also debuts on another pair of Billboard rankings this week. The single launches at No. 20 on the Alternative Streaming Songs chart and No. 137 on the Billboard Global 200.

Olivia Rodrigo’s Single Reaches New Peaks on Multiple Lists

“Serena Joy” simultaneously gains ground on the two rosters where it debuted last week. The track opened at No. 22 on both the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Alternative Songs rankings only a few days ago. In another bit of coincidence, “Serena Joy” rises to No. 13 on the pair of tallies this frame.

“Serena Joy” Was Shared With the World In An Unusual Way

Rodrigo initially released “Serena Joy” on August 21 as an extremely limited CD single, with only 500 copies sold exclusively through Analog Music Shop in Tustin, California. The singer dropped the tune ahead of her Daisy Chain Fields festival, and all 500 copies reportedly sold out that same day. The single was not released widely to streaming services and digital storefronts until August 24.

That unusual rollout strategy helps explain why “Serena Joy” initially missed the Billboard Hot 100 despite immediately reaching several smaller rankings. Once the song became broadly available for listeners to stream and purchase, it was able to generate enough consumption to become an American hit.

ForbesOlivia Rodrigo Begins A Chart Comeback At The Same Time Her New Single DebutsBy Hugh McIntyre