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Adam Rodway
Rock
NXNE Spotlight: Adam Rodway Is Billboard Canada’s Highest-Charting Fully Independent Top 40 Airplay Artist
After his single “Runaround” hit multiple Billboard Canada Airplay charts, the Toronto pop singer-songwriter is continuing to build momentum with his new release, “Matter of Fact,” out today.
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NXNE takes place June 10-14, 2026 at venues throughout Toronto. Leading up to this year's festival, we're spotlighting some of the artists playing Billboard Canada LIVE shows this year. Adam Rodway plays June 13 at Dance Cave. Find the full NXNE schedule and buy passes here.
Adam Rodway is building on his Billboard Canada Airplay success.
The Toronto-based singer-songwriter’s pop hit “Runaround” debuted last December on the Canadian Hit Radio/Top 40 chart and has continued to rise. This week (May 30) is his 25th week on the chart, where it has hit a new peak of No. 14 and is climbing.
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“Apparently I'm the highest charting Canadian independent artist [on that chart],” he tells Billboard Canada — and he’s right.
Surrounded by homegrown stars like Justin Bieber and Charlotte Cardin (who is signed to Cult Nation, which is distributed by Sony), Rodway is holding his own without a label. The song is charting on the Hot Adult Contemporary Airplay chart, too, holding down a spot at No. 36.
“It was crazy,” he says of hearing the song on the radio for the first time. “It's always been a dream of mine to be driving or in a store and hear my own song playing. I was driving when I heard it — it was really cool.”
Rodway is happy to be recognized in Canada. Originally from Markham, but now living in Toronto, Rodway says the city has heavily influenced his sound, and the "Runaround" music video is a tribute.
“There are so many different cultures that are blended into Toronto, and it's definitely shaped the way that I write my songs,” he explains.
While Rodway has been releasing music since 2022, “Runaround” has been a major catalyst for his current wave of success. On TikTok — where Rodway shares he’s just hit 10,000 followers — the track’s sound has amassed over 5,000 uses with 47,000 user-generated content clips, bringing in over a million views.
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“To see people using the song for their own videos inspires me to make more music,” he says.
Like other Canadian acts, Sofia Camara, Jade LeMac and Kuzi Cee, Rodway has found success translating viral success into tangible results on radio and on stage.
So what's next for Rodway?
While he could continue making music in the same sonic vein, he's expanding his horizons on “Matter of Fact,” out today. With a driving beat and crashing drums, it’s a more rock-centric tune, but it still has remnants of his pop-focused predecessor.
Rodway shares that he started working on the track last year with his producer and live guitarist, Danny Lopez. While they diverted to pen other songs, he says they kept coming back to what they initially started, because "there was something cool" about it.
Part of that cool factor is powered by U.S. drummer London Hudson from rock band Return to Dust and son of Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash. Rodway was introduced to him through his manager, Jamie Baldini, who sent Hudson the song. He responded right away. The two haven’t actually met in person, but they found an undeniable chemistry collaborating remotely.
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Although fans may be anticipating a full-length project, Rodway says he has a few more singles in his back pocket before an LP arrives. “We're still going the singles route, but I’m definitely thinking about a project in the future, maybe something in 2027,” he says.
In the immediate future, Rodway will be taking the stage at Toronto’s Dance Cave on June 13 as part of a Billboard Canada LIVE event at NXNE. While the singer has performed at small venues around the city, this will be one of his biggest headline shows on the penultimate night of the city-wide festival.
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He says he's been rehearsing with his band and narrowing down his set to make it "the best show we've ever done." Seeing the music resonate, he feels like now is his time to go for it.
“I started writing songs in high school, and I'm about to be 30 years old,” Rodway explains. “It feels reassuring to know that I'm on the right path. It makes me want to keep doing this and go harder.”
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