Chart Brief: Tems Tops Adult R&B Airplay, Kayla Brianna Hits No. 1
Tems secures her third No. 1 on the Adult R&B Airplay chart, while Kayla Brianna celebrates her first chart-topping success at R&B radio.
Welcome to Chart Brief, our weekly column tracking the latest movements across R&B charts. Each week, we analyze the artists making waves on the Billboard, radio, and streaming charts. This edition covers the charts dated Aug. 8, 2026.
Billboard Charts
Adult R&B Airplay
Tracks the week’s top adult r&b airplay hits via 24/7 airplay data from Mediabase and Luminate.
No. 1: “What You Need” – Tems (LW: 2)
THE BRIEF: Nigerian R&B singer Tems earns her third No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart with “What You Need.” It follows her chart-toppers “Free Mind,” which spent 9 weeks at No. 1 in 2023, and “Essence” with Wizkid, which spent 14 weeks at No. 1 in 2021.
Debuts
- No. 25: “Nowhere Fast” – Lucky Daye
- No. 26: “Morning Dew (Donk)” – Beyoncé
R&B Streaming Songs
No. 1: “Billie Jean” – Michael Jackson (LW: 1)
THE BRIEF: Michael Jackson’s 1983 hit “Billie Jean” spends a 13th consecutive week at No. 1 on the R&B Streaming Songs chart. It’s the King of Pop’s longest-running No. 1 on this chart.
Mediabase Radio Charts
R&B Radio
No. 1: “Energy” – Kayla Brianna
THE BRIEF: Kayla Brianna earns her first chart-topper at R&B radio with “Energy.” The track appears on her latest project, Lover Girl, which dropped in February via EMPIRE.
Chart rankings are sourced from Billboard’s weekly tallies. Radio airplay metrics, including spin counts and audience impressions, are provided by Mediabase.