When looking back at Lorde’s breakthrough 2013, music fans and critics will surely reflect on “Royals”‘ lengthy run atop the Billboard Hot 100. As of press time, the song’s reign over that chart had reached an impressive nine weeks.
But before reaching that particular apex, Lorde was harnessing the power of “Royals” for major achievements on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart.
In August, she became the first solo female artist to top the Alt Songs chart since Tracy Bonham did so with 1996’s “Mother Mother.”
No flash in the pan, “Royals” maintained its leadership into September. When it reached its sixth week of leadership over the Alternative Songs chart, it dethroned Alanis Morissette’s 1995 smash “You Oughta Know” as the chart’s longest-reigning song by a solo female.
Thanks to growing interest in Lorde’s follow-up single “Team,” the singer-songwriter gets to celebrate another alternative achievement.
Now at number nine on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart, “Team” marks Lorde’s second Top 10 in as many attempts. Not since Alanis Morissette did so with “You Oughta Know” and follow-up “Hand in My Pocket” has a solo female driven her first two Alternative entries into the Top 10.
With multi-format focus very slowly transitioning from “Royals” to “Team,” the latter is beginning to make climbs on other charts as well. In addition to re-entering the top fifty on iTunes, “Team” jumped eleven places to number 74 on this week’s Hot 100.
