Olivia Rodrigo - SOUR Cover | via @oliviarodrigo on Instagram | Geffen
“brutal,” the opening track on Olivia Rodrigo’s chart-topping album “SOUR,” makes a major splash on this week’s Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.
The song earns #1 on the listing, which ranks genre-specific songs based on combined activity from sales, streams, and radio airplay.
Although “brutal” made its greatest mark on the streaming front, it did post a solid opening week sales number. The song also received some inaugural week airplay at the alternative radio format, with the Audacy network of stations proving particularly supportive.
“brutal” is the first song to debut atop Hot Rock & Alternative Songs since Taylor Swift’s “cardigan.” Rodrigo has openly identified Swift as a major inspiration; the Grammy winner also has a writing credit on Rodrigo’s album (via the “New Year’s Day” interpolation on “1 step forward, 3 steps back”).