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Chart Beat

Karan Aujla & DIVINE Debut in Top 25 on Billboard Canadian Albums Chart

B.C.-based Punjabi artist Karan Aujla and Indian rapper DIVINE land the No. 22 spot on this week's Canadian Albums chart with their new collaborative release, 'Street Dreams.' On the Canadian Hot 100, Beyoncé's "Texas Hold 'Em" ascends to No. 1, while Canadian pop artist Preston Pablo makes a debut.

DIVINE (L) and Karan Aujla

DIVINE (L) and Karan Aujla

@anmollium / Anmol Raina

B.C.-based Punjabi artist Karan Aujla and Indian rapper DIVINE are making moves together on Billboard's Canadian Albums chart this week, with their collaborative project, Street Dreams, debuting in the No. 22 spot.

The seven-track album, released Feb. 16, blends harder hip-hop and smooth R&B pop, the latter shining through especially on the Jonita Gandhi-assisted "Yaad." It's not Aujla's highest spot on the Albums chart — he reached No. 5 in 2023 with Making Memories, his collaboration with Canadian Punjabi artist Ikky — but it gives him some momentum going into his upcoming performance at the Juno Awards on Mar. 24, where he's nominated for TikTok Juno fan choice and breakthrough artist.


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Also on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100, Canadians are making a strong showing this week. Several songs are re-entering the chart: Josh Ross' "Ain't Doin Jack" returns at No. 85, Alexander Stewart's "I Wish You Cheated" is back at No. 92, and rising country artist Owen Riegling's "Old Dirt Roads" re-enters at No. 99.

Pop artist Preston Pablo's single "Dance Alone" is already making a splash on Canadian radio, and now it's gathered enough steam to debut on the Hot 100 two months after its release.

And Beyoncé's "Texas Hold 'Em," last week's No. 11, has ascended to No. 1 this week. Billboard Canada spoke to Nathan Ferraro, co-writer and producer of the single, about how his Canadian songwriting team (including artists bülow and Lowell) came together to work with artists like Charli XCX and Queen Bey herself.

Check out the full Canadian Hot 100 here and the Canadian Albums chart here.

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Drake speaks onstage during his Til Death Do Us Part rap battle on Oct. 30, 2021, in Long Beach, Calif.
Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Drake speaks onstage during his Til Death Do Us Part rap battle on Oct. 30, 2021, in Long Beach, Calif.

Rb Hip Hop

A Course Focusing On Drake Is Coming to Montreal's Concordia University This Fall

"Drake: Media, Myth and Manhood" is taught by Yassin "Narcy" Alsalman and will use Drake's catalogue, career, OVO brand and more as a lens for exploring art, power relations, celebrity and culture.

Class is in session, and Drake is the subject.

This fall, Montreal's Concordia University will be offering a special edition of its FFAR 256 "Hip-Hop: Past/Present/Future" course titled "Drake: Media, Myth and Manhood," focusing on the Toronto rapper's career and global impact. Drake is the latest hip-hop or comedy star to become a case study for the fine arts elective, which has previously been centred around the careers of Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Dave Chappelle and more.

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