Chart Brief: Beyoncé’s ‘Morning Dew’ Rules R&B Radio, Prince’s ‘Timeless’ Album Goes Top 5
Beyoncé claims the top spot on R&B radio while Prince’s posthumous album makes a strong debut in this week’s R&B chart analysis.
Chart Brief is Rated R&B’s weekly column tracking the latest trends across R&B charts. Each week, we’ll break down and analyze the R&B artists making moves on the Billboard, radio, and streaming charts. This edition covers the charts dated Sept. 12, 2026.
Billboard Charts
Adult R&B Airplay
Tracks the week’s top Adult R&B hits via 24/7 airplay data from Mediabase and Luminate.
No. 1: “Morning Dew (Donk)” – Beyoncé (LW: 3)
THE BRIEF: Beyoncé’s steamy track “Morning Dew (Donk)” leads the Adult R&B Airplay chart this week. It tallies her fourth No. 1 on this chart.
Debuts
- No. 23: “Reach Out” – Victoria Monét
- No. 27: “Apple Juice” – Rapsody
- No. 28: “Be My Lady” – The-Dream feat. T.I.
- No. 30: “Back Off The Wall” – The Bar-Kays
CHART NOTE: Johnny Gill’s “A Dance, A Kiss” enters the top 10 this week, rising from No. 11 to No. 10. Eric Bellinger’s “Cry In Front of You” and Jill Scott’s “Don’t Play” are both eyeing a top 10 appearance at No. 11 and No. 12, respectively. Meanwhile, Victoria Monét earns her fifth entry with her pulsating groove “Reach Out.” The song is lifted from her upcoming album, Frequency of Love.
R&B Streaming Songs
Calculates the most-streamed R&B songs of the week across digital service providers.
No. 1: “Billie Jean” – Michael Jackson (LW: 2)
THE BRIEF: Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” moves back to the No. 1 spot for a 17th week, knocking PartyNextDoor’s “Some of Your Love” from the pole position.
Debuts
- No. 15: “No Scrubs” – TLC
Re-Entries
- No. 13: “Kiss It Better” – Rihanna (Peak: 8)
- No. 14: “Purple Rain” – Prince And The Revolution (Peak: 2)
Top R&B Albums
Tracks the week’s most popular R&B albums based on sales and streaming activity.
No. 1: Thriller – Michael Jackson (LW: 1)
THE BRIEF: Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking album Thriller leads the Top R&B Albums chart for a 17th week.
Debuts
- No. 5: Timeless – Prince
CHART NOTE: Prince’s posthumous album Timeless opens at No. 5 on the Top R&B Albums chart. It marks the music icon’s 16th top 10 hit on this list.
Mediabase Radio Charts
R&B Radio
Tracks the week’s top R&B hits via 24/7 radio monitoring data from Mediabase, ranked by total weekly spins. (Dates: Aug. 30-Sept. 5)
No. 1: “Morning Dew (Donk)” – Beyoncé (LW: 2; Peak: 1)