The cinematic landscape is currently abuzz with the success of the science fiction epic Project Hail Mary, a film that has not only captured critical acclaim but also significantly impacted the music industry by driving renewed interest in its carefully curated soundtrack. Concurrently, the music world is witnessing unexpected surges in popularity for tracks by Pooh Shiesty and Fredo Bang, influenced by recent legal entanglements and viral social media trends, respectively. This week’s Trending Up report from Billboard delves into these multifaceted developments, highlighting how film, legal battles, and digital platforms are reshaping song visibility and listener engagement.
Soundtrack Successes Driven by Project Hail Mary
The critical and commercial triumph of Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling as an amnesiac astronaut on a mission to save Earth, has translated into a significant uplift for several songs featured in its narrative. The film, which has already amassed over $420 million globally, owes a portion of its charm to its thoughtfully selected soundtrack, a process that reportedly involved considerable effort in securing licensing clearances. This strategic placement has led to substantial gains for key tracks.
The Beatles’ "Two of Us" experienced a remarkable resurgence, accumulating 461,000 official on-demand streams for the tracking week ending April 2. This figure represents a 234% increase compared to the two weeks prior to the film’s release, underscoring the direct correlation between the movie’s debut and the song’s streaming performance. The track is prominently featured in a poignant late-film scene depicting the bond between Gosling’s character, Ryland Grace, and his alien companion.
Miriam Makeba’s 1967 hit "Pata Pata," a former Billboard Hot 100 chart entry, also saw a significant boost, with streams rising by 197% to 89,000 over the same period. The song’s inclusion in a scene depicting the procurement of supplies for the mission appears to have resonated with audiences. Furthermore, Dennis Wilson’s cult favorite "Rainbows" experienced an astonishing 4,230% surge, reaching 78,000 streams after its own memorable moment in the film.
However, the most striking beneficiary of the Project Hail Mary soundtrack effect has been Harry Styles. While his March album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally., continues to maintain a strong presence in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 albums chart, his solo debut single, "Sign of the Times," has achieved a remarkable revival in streaming numbers. The song’s unexpected performance in a karaoke scene within the film, delivered by Oscar nominee Sandra Hüller as a reserved scientist, has captured widespread attention.
"Sign of the Times" initially garnered 2.8 million streams for the tracking week ending March 19. Two weeks later, this figure escalated by 87% to 5.2 million streams. This streaming volume surpasses that of every track from the Disco album, with the exception of its most recent single, "American Girls." The phenomenon highlights the power of unexpected placement and cultural resonance in re-energizing established catalog material, particularly for artists with a substantial existing fanbase. The clearance process for these songs, as previously reported by Billboard, involved intricate negotiations, underscoring the value placed on music integration within high-profile film projects.
Pooh Shiesty’s "FDO" Gains Momentum Amidst New Legal Challenges
Memphis rapper Pooh Shiesty, born Lontrell Williams Jr., finds his track "FDO" experiencing a significant surge in streams following his arrest on April 1 for robbery and kidnapping charges. The rapper, along with fellow artist BIG30 and his father, Lontrell Williams Sr., was among eight individuals apprehended in connection with a violent dispute allegedly related to his recording contract with Gucci Mane’s 1017 Records.
This legal development is particularly noteworthy given that Shiesty was released from federal prison only last October, following a three-year sentence. He had marked his return to freedom with the aptly titled "FDO" (an acronym for "First Day Out"), a track that initially peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January, representing his highest-charting position on the all-genre ranking. Although the song has since departed the Hot 100, the recent news of his arrest has evidently reignited listener interest.
According to data from Luminate, "FDO" effectively doubled its weekly on-demand U.S. streams in the three-day period immediately following Shiesty’s apprehension. Between March 30 and April 1, the song accumulated 2.02 million official on-demand U.S. streams. Following the Department of Justice’s confirmation of his arrest on April 2, this figure dramatically increased, jumping by 104% to 4.13 million official on-demand U.S. streams collected between April 3 and April 5.
This pattern suggests a common trend in music consumption where significant news events, particularly those involving an artist’s legal troubles, can lead to a renewed focus on their existing catalog. Fans often turn to the music as a form of support or out of curiosity. As Pooh Shiesty prepares to face these new charges, the continued revisiting of "FDO" indicates a persistent engagement with his work, even amidst ongoing legal battles. The circumstances surrounding his release and subsequent re-arrest paint a complex picture of an artist navigating the intersection of his career and the justice system.
TikTok’s "Yearning" Trend Revitalizes Fredo Bang’s "Say Please"
The pervasive influence of TikTok continues to shape music discovery and consumption, with a recent "yearning"-themed trend propelling Baton Rouge MC Fredo Bang’s 2022 track "Say Please" into the spotlight. The trend centers on users expressing intense longing, often through emotional lip-syncing and video content.
The phenomenon gained significant traction on March 11 when user @/mikaylasaccountt shared a viral video of herself crying while lip-syncing the concluding lines of the chorus of "Say Please," a song featured on Fredo Bang’s 2022 album UNLV. This clip quickly amassed nearly one million likes and over six million views, sparking a wave of similar content. Countless users have since replicated the format, using the song to express their own desires for romance-related requests.
The impact on the song’s performance is substantial. Currently, nearly 50,000 posts are attributed to the unofficial "Say Please" TikTok sound, with the official audio appearing in close to 70,000 posts. Fredo Bang himself has actively participated in the trend, sharing multiple TikToks set to "Say Please," including one where he playfully expresses interest in Cardi B. This engagement has further amplified the song’s reach and visibility.
The streaming data reflects this surge. From January 30 to February 5, "Say Please" recorded a modest 198,000 official on-demand U.S. streams. Over the subsequent eight weeks, this figure experienced an exponential increase of 867%, surpassing 1.9 million official streams during the period of March 27 to April 2. This dramatic growth trajectory suggests that "Say Please" is evolving beyond a fleeting TikTok moment into a potential mainstream hit. The song’s resurgence also highlights the enduring appeal of its "Shootin’ Outside" performance, which itself garnered attention a few years prior. As the trend continues to resonate, Fredo Bang appears poised to capitalize on this renewed interest for a significant springtime release. The interplay between viral social media challenges and music streaming continues to be a dominant force in the contemporary music industry, demonstrating how user-generated content can redefine a song’s lifecycle and commercial potential.
