Signaled by the monstrous early airplay and outright announced by the singer-songwriter himself last week, Nick Jonas’ “Jealous” is indeed the latest iHeartRadio “On the Verge” selection for the pop format.
Responsible for helping songs like Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy,” Clean Bandit’s “Rather Be (featuring Jess Glynne)” and Tove Lo’s “Habits (Stay High)” become radio hits, the “On the Verge” program affords its selections guaranteed airplay from some of the country’s most high-profile radio stations.
Per a Washington Post feature, that airplay guarantee amounts to a minimum of 150 spins from every iHeartMedia station within the specified radio format. A pop “On the Verge” selection, therefore, will command ample attention from powerhouses like Z100 and 102.7 KIIS.
While that airplay guarantee offers no assurance of long-term success–Katy Tiz’ boosted “The Big Bang,” for instance, failed to either establish radio staying power or make noise on the iTunes sales chart–it provides songs with an invaluable opportunity for breaking out.
“One of the interesting things about this next step was embracing another thing I love about singing, which is storytelling,” says Jonas, who is no longer performing as part of The Jonas Brothers with siblings Joe and Kevin, in an interview for the program. “On every song, I have a responsibility to tell the story and connect it to the listener.”
Already in rotation at many of the largest pop stations, “Jealous” was the format’s #27 song between September 15 and 21.