Having seemingly survived a mid-week scare, Justin Bieber’s “What Do You Mean?” is on the verge of claiming #1 on Mediabase’s pop radio airplay chart.
Upon doing so, it would become Bieber’s first such chart-topper.
After leapfrogging The Weeknd’s “The Hills” and R. City’s “Locked Away (featuring Adam Levine)” at the beginning of the October 11-17 tracking week, “What Do You Mean?” seemed on a clear path to #1.
A new threat, however, emerged in the form of Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams.” After the fourth day of the tracking week, “Wildest Dreams” was within 90 spins of “What Do You Mean” (and the #1 spot). And insofar as it was gaining airplay at a faster rate, it appeared very capable of closing the gap before the week’s conclusion.
“Wildest Dreams” has since decelerated, allowing “What Do You Mean?” to establish more separation. Its total after the tracking week’s first six days is 15,868; “Wildest Dreams” received 15,475 spins within that window.
While anything is possible, it seems highly unlikely that Swift’s song will be able to account for that much ground on Saturday. Bieber, therefore, is on track to claim #1 on Mediabase’s official pop airplay chart.
“What Do You Mean?” is already #1 on the corresponding Billboard Pop Songs listing.