As “Bed Chem” hits No. 1, Sabrina Carpenter joins the ranks of Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Justin ... More
Sabrina Carpenter has spent more than a decade working her way toward mainstream pop superstardom. While she started as a Disney Channel darling and found a niche audience with earlier albums, it wasn’t until the Short N’ Sweet era began that everything truly came together. Now, she’s a bona fide chart-topper, and this week, she makes history on one of the most important tallies in the pop music world.
“Bed Chem” Is Carpenter’s New No. 1
This week, Carpenter scores a brand new champion on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart. Her single “Bed Chem” climbs from No. 3 to No. 1, replacing Gracie Abrams’s “That’s So True” in the top spot. As it reaches the summit, the cut becomes the latest in a string of massive radio wins for the newly crowned Grammy winner.
Only Five Albums in History Have Done This
According to Billboard, Short N’ Sweet is just the fifth album in the chart’s history to generate at least four No. 1s on the Pop Airplay ranking. Carpenter has sent every single from the full-length to the top of the list, which is otherwise known as a clean sweep.
“Espresso” led the charge, and it was followed by “Please Please Please” and “Taste.” Now, with “Bed Chem” ruling pop radio, Carpenter has officially joined one of the most elite groups in top 40 history.
Sabrina Carpenter Matches Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake
Only four other albums have ever achieved what Short N’ Sweet has now accomplished — and each one helped solidify its creator’s place in pop royalty.
Justin Timberlake was the first to accomplish the feat with FutureSex/LoveSounds. That album pushed “SexyBack,” “My Love” with T.I., “What Goes Around… Comes Around,” and “Summer Love” to the peak of the Pop Airplay chart.
Lady Gaga matched that accomplishment with her debut album The Fame. Her breakout collection lifted “Just Dance” featuring Colby O’Donis, “Poker Face,” “LoveGame,” and “Paparazzi” all the way to No. 1.
Teenage Dream Still Owns the Record
While Carpenter now stands alongside Timberlake, Gaga, and others, there’s still one album that reigns supreme when it comes to the most No. 1s on the Pop Airplay tally.
Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream remains the most successful title in the ranking’s history. That blockbuster pushed six tracks to the top of the chart: “California Gurls” with Snoop Dogg, “Teenage Dream,” “Firework,” “E.T.” with Kanye West, “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.),” and “The One That Got Away.”
Sabrina Carpenter Follows Taylor Swift
Not only does Carpenter become one of only five artists to achieve this rare milestone, she also ends a lengthy drought. Short N’ Sweet is the first album in nearly a decade to see four (or more) of its tracks climb to the peak of the Pop Airplay chart.
The last time this happened was between 2014 and 2015, when Taylor Swift’s 1989 delivered five chart-toppers. “Shake It Off,” “Blank Space,” “Style,” “Bad Blood” with Kendrick Lamar, and “Wildest Dreams” all made it to No. 1.