Doja Cat’s ‘Paint the Town Red’ Becomes Her Second Hot 100 No. 1, First Rap Leader in Over a Year

Gary Trust
·9 min read
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Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” rises from No. 3 to No. 1 in its fifth week on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. It becomes the rapper/singer’s second career leader, following “Say So,” featuring Nicki Minaj, in 2020.

Meanwhile, “Paint the Town Red” marks the first rap Hot 100 No. 1 in over a year, ending the longest break for the genre atop the chart since 2001.

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The Hot 100’s new No. 1 also brings late legendary songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David back to the summit for the first time since 2004, thanks to its sample of Dionne Warwick’s classic “Walk on By.”

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data, the lattermost metric reflecting purchases of physical singles and digital tracks from full-service digital music retailers; digital singles sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites are excluded from chart calculations. All charts (dated Sept. 16, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Sept. 12). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Here’s a look at the Hot 100 coronation of “Paint the Town  Red” (released on Kemosabe/RCA Records), the 1,155th No. 1 in the chart’s 65-year history.

Streams, sales & airplay: “Paint the Town Red” drew 32.1 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 14%) and 27.7 million streams (up 10%) and sold 8,000 downloads (up 32%) in the Sept. 1-7 tracking week, according to Luminate, as it wins the Hot 100’s top Streaming and Sales Gainer awards.

The single holds at its No. 2 high on the Streaming Songs chart and pushes 6-5 on Digital Song Sales and 17-15 on Radio Songs, hitting new bests on the latter two rankings.

Doja Cat’s second Hot 100 No. 1: Doja Cat claims her second Hot 100 leader, following  “Say So,” featuring Nicki Minaj, for a week in May 2020. Two weeks ago, “Paint the Town Red,” which has ridden a wave of virality on TikTok, became her seventh top 10.

The song is from Doja Cat’s fourth studio album, Scarlet, due Sept. 22.

First rap No. 1 in over a year: “Paint the Town Red” marks the first rap track (defined as songs that have hit or are eligible to appear on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart) to lead the Hot 100 since Nicki Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl,” which ruled upon its debut atop the chart dated Aug. 27, 2022. Doja Cat ends a 54-week break between rap No. 1s (during which three rap titles peaked at No. 2: Lil Durk’s “All My Life,” featuring J. Cole; Drake’s “Search & Rescue”; and Drake and 21 Savage’s “Rich Flex”).

Before the 2022-23 break, the last time the Hot 100 went without a rap champ longer was pre- and post-Y2K: after Will Smith’s “Wild Wild West,” featuring Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee, reigned for a week in July 1999, rap was absent from the top spot until Shaggy’s “It Wasn’t Me,” featuring Ricardo “RikRok” Ducent, began a two-week command in February 2001 – ending a drought of 79 weeks, or just over 18 months, and 22 No. 1s without a rap leader.

In the 54 frames between the dominations of “Super Freaky Girl” and “Paint the Town Red,” 15 songs topped the Hot 100, ranging from pop to R&B, country and rock/alternative. Click here for a deeper dive into key factors that contributed to rap’s shutout from No. 1 over the past year-plus until this week.

Country’s command halted: Meanwhile, with the return of rap atop the Hot 100, a streak for country ends, as “Paint the Town Red” stops a record run of four consecutive country No. 1s, over the past six weeks. On the Sept. 9-dated chart, Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves, debuted at No. 1, supplanting Anthony Oliver Music’s “Rich Men North of Richmond” after two weeks on top (Aug. 26 and Sept. 2). Before that, Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” rebounded for its last two of 16 total weeks at No. 1 (Aug. 12 and 19), directly following Jason Aldean’s one-week reign with “Try That in a Small Town” (Aug. 5).

Five-week climb to No. 1: “Paint the Town Red” reaches No. 1 in its fifth week on the Hot 100, competing what’s become a rare multiple-week ascent to the top in 2023; it debuted at No. 15 on the Aug. 19 chart. The previous five new No. 1s (discounting “Last Night,” which logged a record-tying five distinct stays at No. 1 beginning in March) all debuted at the apex: “I Remember Everything”; “Rich Men North of Richmond”; “Try That in a Small Town”; Jung Kook’s “Seven,” featuring Latto (July 29); and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” (July 15).

Before the launch of “Vampire” (and 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 for “Last Night” in May-July), SZA’s “Kill Bill” hit No. 1 in its 19th week on the chart (April 29) – helped in part by a remix released in that survey’s tracking week with Doja Cat (who did not receive billing on SZA’s song, as the remix did not account for a majority of its consumption that week).

Bacharach, David back at No. 1: “Paint the Town Red” samples Dionne Warwick’s standard “Walk on By,” which hit No. 6 on the Hot 100 in 1964. Thanks to its inclusion, legendary late songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David crown the Hot 100 for the first time since Twista’s “Slow Jamz,” featuring Kanye West and Jamie Foxx, ruled for a week in 2004; that song samples Luther Vandross’ cover of Warwick’s fellow 1964 release “A House Is Not a Home.”

Bacharach, who passed away Feb. 8, has now co-written eight Hot 100 No. 1s, which have reigned in five distinct decades – the 1960s, ‘70s, ‘80s, 2000s and ‘20s – and spanned over 55 years.

Burt Bacharach’s No. 1 Hot 100 Songwriting Credits:

Artist billing, Title (Weeks at No. 1, Peak date)

  • Doja Cat, “Paint the Town Red” (one to date, Sept. 16, 2023)

  • Twista feat. Kanye West & Jamie Foxx, “Slow Jamz” (one, Feb. 21, 2004)

  • Dionne & Friends (Elton John, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder), “That’s What Friends Are For” (four, beginning Jan. 18, 1986)

  • Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald, “On My Own” (three, beginning June 14, 1986)

  • Christopher Cross, “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” (three, beginning Oct. 17, 1981)

  • Carpenters, “(They Long To Be) Close to You” (four, beginning July 25, 1970)

  • B.J. Thomas, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” (four, beginning Jan. 3, 1970)

  • Herb Alpert, “This Guy’s in Love With You” (No. 1 for four weeks, beginning June 22, 1968)

David, who died in 2012, has now co-penned five Hot 100 No. 1s (over the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘00s and ‘20s), all with Bacharach. Notably, the Songwriters Hall of Fame annually presents – this year to Post Malone – the Hal David Starlight Award, which, according to the organization, is given to “gifted young songwriters who are making a significant impact in the music industry with their original songs.” Bacharach and David were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972 and received that organization’s highest honor, the Johnny Mercer Award, in 1996.

Hal David’s No. 1 Hot 100 Songwriting Credits:

Artist billing, Title (Weeks at No. 1, Peak date)

  • Doja Cat, “Paint the Town Red” (one to date, Sept. 16, 2023)

  • Twista feat. Kanye West & Jamie Foxx, “Slow Jamz” (one, Feb. 21, 2004)

  • Carpenters, “(They Long To Be) Close to You” (four, beginning July 25, 1970)

  • B.J. Thomas, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” (four, beginning Jan. 3, 1970)

  • Herb Alpert, “This Guy’s in Love With You” (No. 1 for four weeks, beginning June 22, 1968)

Adding to the new Hot 100’s No. 1 star power, Warwick’s voice appears atop the chart for the first time since “That’s What Friends Are For,” as noted above, in 1986. The ballad became her second leader, following her Spinners team-up “Then Came You” for a week in 1974.

‘Paint,’ ‘town’ & ‘red’ reigns: “Paint the Town Red” is the 11th Hot 100 No. 1 with either “paint,” “town” or “red” in its title. Here’s an eclectic recap of the others (with half the No. 1s with “town” in their titles having led since 2015).

  • “Paint It, Black,” The Rolling Stones, 1966

  • “Try That in a Small Town,” Jason Aldean, 2023

  • “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus, 2019

  • “Uptown Funk!,” Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, 2015

  • “Funkytown,” Lipps, Inc., 1980

  • “New Kid in Town,” Eagles, 1977

  • “Poor Side of Town,” Johnny Rivers, 1966

  • “Downtown,” Petula Clark, 1965

  • “Red Red Wine,” UB40, 1988

  • “Roses Are Red (My Love),” Bobby Vinton, 1962

No. 1 on R&B/hip-hop charts: “Paint the Town Red” concurrently tops the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts for a third week each. It became Doja Cat’s second No. 1 on the former, following “Say So,” and her first on the latter list.

Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves, drops to No. 2 on the Hot 100, a week after its premiere. Still, it leads Streaming Songs (31.7 million streams, down 6%) and the multi-metric Hot Country Songs, Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Rock Songs charts for a second week each. Plus, parent LP Zach Bryan tops the Billboard 200 albums chart for a second week.

Luke Combs’ cover of Tracy Chapman’s No. 6-peaking 1988 Hot 100 hit “Fast Car” dips to No. 3 after eight weeks at its No. 2 high. It leads Radio Songs for a second week (77.8 million, down 1%).

Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” rebounds 5-4 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 3; Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” descends 4-5, following 16 weeks at No. 1, the most ever for a non-collaboration; Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” shimmies 9-6 for a new high; and SZA’s “Snooze” repeats at its No. 7 best, as it leads the multi-metric Hot R&B Songs chart for an eighth week.

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Gunna’s “Fukumean” lifts 10-8, after hitting No. 4; Olivia Rodrigo’s former leader “Vampire” climbs 12-9; and Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” rises 11-10, after reaching No. 3, as it rules the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart for a record-extending 54th week.

Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram and all charts (dated Sept. 16), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (Sept. 12).

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

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