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Chart Beat

Montreal Musician Alex Henry Foster's 'Kimiyo' Debuts at No. 12 on Billboard Canadian Albums Chart

The Montreal post-rock songwriter, also of alt-rock band Your Favorite Enemies, places one spot above PartyNextDoor's P4 on this week's albums chart, and Les Cowboys Fringants land a new debut on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100. Shaboozey hits No. 1, while Drake and Kendrick Lamar's feud spills onto the charts.

Alex Henry Foster

Alex Henry Foster

Courtesy Photo

Two Canadian artists had strong debuts on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart this week (May 11).

Montreal's Alex Henry Foster, post-rock artist and member of alt-rock group Your Favorite Enemies, lands at No. 12 on the chart with his new album Kimiyo, a collaboration with vocalist Momoka Tobari. Mississauga R&B singer and Billboard Canada cover star PartyNextDoor grabs the next spot, at No. 13, with his new album P4.


For both artists, it's not their first showing on the chart. Foster previously charted with his debut solo record, Windows in the Skywhich debuted at No. 6 in 2018. On Kimiyo, Foster draws on the stories of people he met in Japan in 2010 to develop a dark, spacious soundscape, with Tobari providing echoing spoken word.

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It's not the kind of music known for chart performances, but Foster has built up a strong profile throughout his career, nominated for ADISQ Awards and a Juno, and reportedly has another album and a film planned for release this year, giving him more opportunities for chart impact.

PartyNextDoor is no surprise on the charts, with five previous entries on the Canadian Albums chart as well as an impressive twenty two entries on the Canadian Hot 100. Though sometimes thought of in relation to his work for others — his collaborations with Drake and his songwriting for stars like Rihanna — the singer and producer put his heart into his new solo record. “This is the hardest I’ve ever worked on an album. This is the proudest I’ve felt,” he told Billboard.

In addition to his No. 13 placement on the Albums chart this week, the sleek, inviting single "For Certain" lands at No. 98 on the Canadian Hot 100.

Beloved Quebec band Les Cowboys Fringants are also having a good week on the charts. After debuting their new albumPub Royal at No. 3 last week, the group moves up to No. 2 on the Albums chart, while single "La Fin Du Show" lands at No. 35 on the Hot 100. The moving song features the voice of late singer Karl Tremblay, as he reflects on arriving at the end of a lifelong performance.

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Elsewhere on the Canadian Hot 100, Virginia artist — and recent Beyoncé collaborator — Shaboozey hits No. 1 with the catchy country track "A Bar Song (Tipsy)." That song is No. 3 on the U.S. Hot 100, but it's No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart. That song replaces Beyoncé's "Texas Hold 'Em," marking the first time in history two Black artists have hit No. 1 on that country chart back to back.

Meanwhile, Kendrick Lamar and Drake's feud is showing up on the charts. Kendrick Lamar's Drake diss track "Euphoria" debuts at No. 13. Drake's first entry into the rap beef, "Push Ups," moves up to No. 10. The beef may have hit its peak this week, but on the charts, these songs are just getting started.

Check out the full Billboard Canadian Hot 100 and Billboard Canadian Albums charts here.

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Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during The Pop Out – Ken & Friends Presented by pgLang and Free Lunch at The Kia Forum on June 19, 2024 in Inglewood, Calif.
Timothy Norris/Getty Images for pgLang, Amazon Music, & Free Lunch

Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during The Pop Out – Ken & Friends Presented by pgLang and Free Lunch at The Kia Forum on June 19, 2024 in Inglewood, Calif.

Rb Hip Hop

Kendrick Is Still Talking to Drake

Lamar's latest song is a lot to unpack, but one thing is for sure -- he's still sending his rival a message.

This past Sunday (Sept. 8), Kendrick dropped news that sent the rap community into a frenzy. Standing at the 50-yard line as he worked a football throwing machine with a huge American flag behind him, the Compton MC announced that he will be headlining next year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show. He also made sure to throw a subtle shot at his 2024 rival: “You know there’s only one opportunity to win a championship,” he said before loading another football into the machine. “No round twos.”

Two weeks ago, Drake took to his finsta account, @plottttwistttttt, and posted an old video clip of NBA All-Star Rasheed Wallace telling reporters that his Detroit Pistons “will win Game Two” after dropping the first game of the 2004 NBA Eastern Conference Finals. Many believed that was Drake’s not-so-subtle way of telling fans that he’s not yet done with the battle. And despite talking heads like DJ Akademiks saying the Toronto rapper has no intention of continuing the back-and-forth, Drake alluded to a continuation on the song “No Face” (probably his best post-battle release) when he rapped lines like, “How you get lit off the n—a you hatin’ on?,” “This is the moment I know they been prayin’ on,” and “I’m just so happy that n—as who envied and held that s–t in got to finally show it/ I’m over the moon, yeah, we’ll see you boys soon.”

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