Usher & H.E.R.’s ‘Risk It All’ Runs to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart

Trevor Anderson
·3 min read

Usher and H.E.R. combine forces to rule Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart as the pair’s “Risk It All” collaboration rises from the runner-up rank to reach No. 1 on the list dated April 27. The new champ adds to both artists’ already-stacked ledger on the chart, where they have each accumulated several No. 1s in recent years.

“Risk It All” appears on the soundtrack to the 2023 musical film adaptation of The Color Purple. The duet tops Adult R&B Airplay after a 7% increase in plays that made it the most played song on U.S. monitored adult R&B radio stations in the tracking week of April 12-18, according to Luminate.

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The new leader is also the first soundtrack single to top Adult R&B Airplay since Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up,” which accompanied Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, reigned for four weeks from December 2022 – January 2023.

With “Risk It All,” Usher achieves his ninth No. 1 Adult R&B Airplay and ties Charlie Wilson for the most among male artists since the chart launched in 1993. The two R&B superstars share third place on the overall leaderboard: Alicia Keys ranks first, with 14 champs, while Toni Braxton is second, with 11.

Here’s a review of Usher’s chart-toppers on Adult R&B Airplay:

Song Title, Artist (if other than Usher), Weeks at No. 1, Date Reached No. 1

  • “Here I Stand,” seven, Dec. 6, 2008

  • “Papers,” three, Jan. 2, 2010

  • “There Goes My Baby,” one, July 31, 2010

  • “Climax,” one, July 7, 2012

  • “Don’t Waste My Time,” featuring Ella Mai, two, June 13, 2020

  • “Bad Habits,” one, Dec. 5, 2020

  • “Glu,” two, June 24, 2023

  • “Good Good,” with Summer Walker & 21 Savage, six, Nov. 18, 2023

  • “Risk It All,” with H.E.R., one (to date), April 27, 2024

For H.E.R., “Risk It All” becomes the hitmaker’s eighth No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay. To recap her collection:

Song Title, Artist (if other than H.E.R.), Weeks at No. 1, Date Reached No. 1

  • “Focus,” one, Oct. 6, 2018

  • “Best Part,” Daniel Caesar featuring H.E.R., four, Oct. 20, 2018

  • “Slow Down,” with Skip Marley, three, May 23, 2020

  • “Make the Most,” Lonr. featuring H.E.R., one, Oct. 24, 2020

  • “Gotta Move On,” Toni Braxton featuring H.E.R., Feb. 20, 2021

  • “Damage,” eight, June 26, 2021

  • “Come Through,” featuring Chris Brown, one, Jan. 1, 2022

  • “Risk It All,” with Usher, one (to date), April 27, 2024

In addition to performing on the single, H.E.R., whose real name is Gabrielle Wilson, produced the track and co-wrote it with Jimmy Napes.

Elsewhere, “Risk It All” rises 23-22, after having reached No. 15, on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which ranks songs by combined audience totals from adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop radio stations. There, the duet improved 12% to 6.2 million audience impressions in the April 12-18 period. While momentum is gaining on the adult R&B side, “Risk It All” has wrapped its stay on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. It peaked at No. 22 on the list in February, and last appeared on the chart dated March 9.

Radio gains help “Risk It All” return to the multimetric Hot R&B Songs chart, which blends airplay results with streaming and sales data for its ranks. The single re-enters at No. 23 for its 17th week on the list, after having claimed a No. 17 high in February.

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