Here is this week's MRC Data Market Watch report which features Canadian music stats for the current week and YTD with comparisons to last year. This chart is published every Tuesday.
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Here is this week's MRC Data Market Watch report which features Canadian music stats for the current week and YTD with comparisons to last year. This chart is published every Tuesday. The abbreviation "TEA" is a term used to describe the sale of music downloads or singles. A track equivalent album is equal to 10 tracks, or 10 songs.
EsDeeKid
The anonymous rapper's red-hot album Rebel hits new heights on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart 5 months after its release while two songs rise on the Canadian Hot 100.
Five months after his album dropped, EsDeeKid is making big moves on the Billboard Canada charts.
The U.K. rapper’s debut album, Rebel, has hit No. 31 in its second week on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart, dated Nov. 29. It jumped 43 spots, which means it could rise to even bigger heights soon.
Rebel heavily draws on EsDeeKid’s cloud rap textures, with hazy synths and reverb-heavy beats that provide a backdrop for his slurred, melodic flows. On his recent project, the underground Liverpool artist raps about drug use, nightlife and relationship woes, often leaning on experimental, internet-influenced sounds.
EsDeeKid’s collaborations with fellow underground U.K. artists such as Fakemink and Rico Ace further root him in a hot scene, pairing vocals with distorted, bass-heavy beats and unconventional song structures. His collab with the latter, “Phantom,” climbs to No. 75 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100. Fakemink has been on the rise, too, joining Drake on stage at his three-day stint at this year's Wireless Festival in June.
This week, EsDeeKid has secured a second entry on the Canadian Hot 100, with “4 Raws” debuting at No. 83. The opening track to Rebel finds EsDeeKid rapping about his past, substance use and hidden persona on a gritty beat.
While Rebel was released five months ago, it’s recently seen a surge on the charts, likely due to a mix of hype
Recently, rumours have been swirling that EsDeeKid is actually actor Timothée Chalamet in disguise, with users on TikTok playing detective about their clothing choices and physical attributes. EsDeeKid anonymously sports a mask or a balaclava in all promotional photos and during performances that covers most of his entire face, excluding a strip of flesh visible at eye level. That intrigue has added to the appeal of his music.
Another hip-hop influenced artist is also seeing a big weeks on the charts.
Michigan rapper and singer NF's EP, Fear has debuted No. 9 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart. The new six-song project from the singer, born Nathan John Feuerstein, features collaborations with MGK and James Arthur and was released on Nov. 14 via NF Real Music LLC / Capitol Music Group. It follows his 2023 EP, Hope, which peaked at No. 2 on Canadian Albums.
Fear is NF’s most intimate work, balancing heartfelt and stripped-down soundscapes with simple instrumentals and raw vocals. It features emotional, often sombre, tracks that incorporate both singing and rap. While it mostly leans on the subdued side, some moments use distorted or unconventional sounds to represent NF’s anxiety as he questions his mental stability.
NF earns a handful of debuts on the Canadian Hot 100, including the Simon & Garfunkel-referencing title track (No. 47), “Who I Was,” featuring MGK (No. 57), “Sorry,” featuring James Arthur (No. 72), “Home” (No. 82) and “Give Me a Reason” (No. 88).
Canadian artists are sitting strong on the charts this week. Justin Bieber’s “Daisies” sits at No. 6, while “Yukon” is at No. 63. Following Tate McRae’s So Close to What Deluxe release, her hit “Tit For Tat” drops from No. 19 to 23, while the Grammy-nominated “Just Keep Watching” drops from 41 to 46. Her collab with country star Morgan Wallen, “What I Want,” stays strong at No. 14.
Country singer Josh Ross climbs 52-51 with “Hate How You Look” while Sofia Camera’s “Girls Like You” drops 60-69. Jamie Fine’s “homesick” moves down one spot to No. 79, and Cameron Whitcomb’s “Options” drops 67-85. Nate Haller and Tenille Townes drop 77-92 with “Backfire.” Daniel Caesar's “Who Knows” is at No. 95.
At the top of the charts, Taylor Swift is dominating the charts as The Life of a Showgirl and single “The Fate of Ophelia” sit at No. 1 for their respective seventh weeks on the Canadian Albums and Canadian Hot 100 charts.
The holiday season is upon us, and the charts are starting to fill with Christmas music again. Canadian artists are seeing the surge. Bieber's original Christmas track “Mistletoe” re-emerges on the chart this week at No. 44, while Michael Bublé's “It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” rises to No. 14 and his “Holly Jolly Christmas” rendition re-enters at No. 36.
Over on the top 10 of Canadian Albums, Bublé’s evergreen Christmas album rises into the top 5 at No. 6. It's also back at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Holiday Albums chart (dated Nov. 22).
