B.C. Singer Cameron Whitcomb Debuts Barn-Burning 'Medusa' on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100

B.C. singer Cameron Whitcomb's chart success is set in stone: he notches a second hit on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 this week with "Medusa."

The folk-pop single arrives at No. 80 on the chart dated Jan. 18. It joins Whitcomb's previous chart entry "Quitter," which has climbed in its nine weeks on the chart, hitting a new peak of No. 55 this week.

Whitcomb first rose to attention as a contestant on American Idol in 2022, where he placed in the top 20. He's built a strong following on social media and is tapping into a highly popular anthemic folk sound — which is connecting especially well in Canada. Artists like Max McNown and Alex Warren have also had recent success entering the Canadian charts with a similar style, as have international artists like Noah Kahan and Benson Boone.

"Medusa" is a recent single that followed Whitcomb's 2024 EP Quitter, an angst-driven track that has fun with wordplay riffing off the titular Gorgon from Greek mythology. "My medusa / I could use her / title I crumble and I crack," Whitcomb sings, shifting easily between falsetto and a pained growl.

Also new on the chart this week is the viral single by basketball player LiAngelo Ball, "Tweaker." The song arrives at No. 32, a high debut for a first-timer (it's at No. 29 in the U.S.)

Ball, who played basketball in Lithuania and Mexico, has two brothers in the NBA, LaMelo and Lonzo — and now a hit on the Billboard charts. The song has already scored him a spot at Rolling Loud California music festival and a reported deal with Def Jam. It's a high energy track with an instrumental that channels some 2000s hip-hop energy, fronted by a game Ball who sounds like he could be capable of playing in the big leagues.

At the top of the chart, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars land a second week at No. 1 with "Die With a Smile," and Mars holds the second spot again this week with his feature on Rosé's "APT."

Over on the Canadian Albums chart, the story is more about chart placements that didn't happen. While Lil Baby and Bad Bunny have the top two spots on the Billboard 200 this week with respective new albums, neither cracks the top five in Canada. Lil Baby's Wham is at No. 8 and Bad Bunny's Debi Tirar Mas Fotos is at No. 12, following a trend where American hip-hop and Latin music are gaining traction in Canada and on the live scene but are less dominant on the charts.

Instead, SZA notches another week at No. 1 with SOS, following the release of SOS Deluxe: Lana. Gracie Abrams is behind her at No. 2 with The Secret of Us, and The Weeknd's The Highlights climbs to No. 3, as fans await his promised final release, Hurry Up Tomorrow. That album has been delayed amidst the wildfire crisis in Los Angeles.

Check out the full charts here.