Last week, Harry Styles’ “Sign Of The Times” debuted at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
This week, it falls to #22.
“Sign Of The Times” received considerably more radio airplay during its second full tracking week, but it suffered declines on the sales and streaming fronts.
Such declines are typical for highly anticipated singles. The most eager fans excitedly consume the song in its first week; activity then falls until the song can gain familiarity — and interest — from the masses.
There are exceptions: some songs, like The Chainsmokers’ “Closer (featuring Halsey)” and Ed Sheeran’s “Shape Of You,” remain comparatively dominant in the weeks following their premieres. Others, like Lorde’s “Green Light” and Lady Gaga’s “Perfect Illusion,” never recover from their post-premiere losses.
Whether “Sign Of The Times” will gain enough activity to return to the Hot 100’s Top 5 remains to be seen. It does, however, have at least one weapon in its back pocket: the official music video.
