10 First-Timers on Billboard’s Charts This Week: Overmono, Käärijä, Noa Kirel & More

Xander Zellner
·5 min read
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Billboard has more than 200 different weekly charts in its menu, encompassing numerous genres and formats.

While established artists often compete for a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart and Billboard 200 albums ranking, which track the most popular songs and albums of the week, respectively, up-and-coming talents typically start off on genre-specific lists.

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Here’s a look at 10 acts who appear on surveys for the first time on the May 27-dated charts.

Overmono

The Welsh electronic duo arrives on Billboard’s charts with its first full-length album, Good Lies. The set, released May 12 on XL Recordings, debuts at No. 53 on Top Current Album Sales with 1,000 copies sold in the May 12-18 tracking week, according to Luminate. Overmono, which comprises brothers Ed and Tom Russell, released seven EPs between 2016-22 before dropping the new LP. The most recent two EPs, Cash Romantic (2022) and Everything U Need (2020), were also released through XL. The Russell brothers have collaborated with dance/electronic mainstays Four Tet, Joy Orbison and Thom Yorke. In March, they released a remix of Ed Sheeran’s current single “Eyes Closed.” They’re set to embark on their Good Lies World Tour across North America and Europe in September.

Käärijä

The Finnish rapper (real name Jere Pöyhönen) arrives with “Cha Cha Cha.” The song, released Jan. 17 via Warner Music Finland, debuts at No. 13 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart and No. 27 on the Billboard Global 200. Käärijä represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest (May 9-13) and performed “Cha Cha Cha” during the competition. The song by the Helsinki native, who was raised in Vantaa, Finland, has been steadily rising since January, having already hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Finland Songs chart for four weeks beginning in March. It leads Iceland Songs for a second week and debuts atop the latest Poland Songs and Sweden Songs surveys. It also reaches the top 10 in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ireland, Norway and Switzerland.

Noa Kirel

The Israeli singer-songwriter scores her first chart hit with “Unicorn.” The song, released March 8, debuts at No. 153 on the Global Excl. U.S. chart following her performances of the track during the Eurovision Song Contest. Kirel, from Ra’anana, Israel, represented the country in the competition, and the single opens in the top 10 on Iceland Songs (No. 5) and Finland Songs (No. 10).

The California Jet Club

The collective enters Billboard’s charts with its collaboration with Macy Gray and Maino, “Every Night.” The song, released in March 2022 via Moonslice Records, debuts at No. 30 on Adult R&B Airplay. The group comprises Alex Kyhn (bass), Tamir Barzilay (drums) and Billy Wes (keys). Gray, who first appeared on Billboard’s charts in 1999 and reached No. 5 on the Hot 100 with “I Try” in 2000, and the California Jet Club released their first joint album, The Reset (which includes “Every Night”) on Feb. 14. They also released a sped-up version of the set March 21. While the song marks California Jet Club’s first chart appearance, it earns Gray her eighth entry on Adult R&B Airplay, and first since “Sugar Daddy” in 2018.

LA Vision & BIM

Both acts make their first entries on Billboard’s charts with their team-up with Shane Codd, “Same Mistakes” (billed as by Shane Codd & LA Vision featuring BIM). The song, released Jan. 27 on Polydor/Astralwerks/Capitol Records, debuts at No. 34 on the Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart. LA Vision (real name: Marco Sissa) is a Brazilian/Italian dance singer-songwriter/producer, now based in Italy. His breakthrough track, “Hollywood,” featuring Gigi D’Agostino, has garnered 255 million official global streams, according to Luminate. BIM (full name Bim Amoako-Gyampah) is a British singer-songwriter whose music combines pop and gospel sounds. She released her debut solo LP Beauty in Chaos in January 2022 through Trumpets & Timbrels Records.

MC Caverinha & KayBlack

Both Brazilian rappers score their first chart hits with their collaboration “Cartão Black.” The song, released May 11 via Warner Music Brasilia, debuts at No. 168 on the Global Excl. U.S. chart with 12.7 million streams outside the U.S.

Benjamin Alard

The French classical organist, harpsichordist and clavichordist notches his first chart appearance with his LP Johann Sebastian Bach: The Complete Works for Keyboard, Vol. 8: Köthen, 1717-1723 – For Maria Barbara. The collection, released May 12 through Harmonia Mundi, debuts at No. 12 on the Traditional Classical Albums chart. Alard has long been an enthusiast of Bach and has recorded several albums of his works. The new set, notably, is dedicated to Maria Barbara Bach, the composer’s first wife.

Rakesh Chaurasia

The accomplished flautist, from Uttar Pradesh, India, makes his first visit to Billboard’s charts thanks to his collaborative album with Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain and Edgar Meyer, As We Speak. The set, released May 12 on Béla Fleck Productions/Thirty Tigers, debuts at No. 1 on Bluegrass Albums, No. 1 on Classical Crossover Albums, No. 2 on Classical Albums, No. 2 on Contemporary Jazz Albums, No. 5 on Jazz Albums, No. 43 on Top Current Album Sales and No. 72 on Top Album Sales with 2,000 copies sold. The set contains the four artists’ takes on Indian and Western classical music, plus bluegrass and jazz.

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