Justin Bieber's 'Yummy' Launches at Radio, Ahead of Billboard Hot 100 Debut

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The song has drawn airplay on multiple formats since its Friday release.

Justin Bieber's "Yummy" launches on multiple Billboard radio airplay charts (dated Jan. 11), following its Jan. 3 release.

After its first three days of availability (from its release, on SchoolBoy/Raymond Braun/Def Jam, at midnight ET on Jan. 3 through Jan. 5), the track, Bieber's first solo material since his album Purpose in 2015, starts at No. 38 on the all-format Radio Songs chart with 26.7 million audience impressions, according to Nielsen Music.

"Yummy" also charges onto the Pop Songs (No. 22), Rhythmic Songs (No. 28) and Adult Pop Songs (No. 29) format-specific airplay charts. Boosting the song's profile, participating iHeartMedia-owned stations played it hourly in its first day of release.

The track is additionally scoring early support on a sampling of R&B/hip-hop stations. Notes Doc Wynter, iHeartMedia executive vp urban/hip-hop programming strategy and program director of mainstream R&B/hip-hop-formatted KRRL Los Angeles, "This is the first Bieber record we've ever played on Real 92.3."

"Pop radio needs superstars, and Justin certainly, and capably, fits the bill," says Erik Bradley, assistant pd/music director at Pop Songs reporter WBBM-FM (B96) Chicago, which played "Yummy" 49 times in its first three days. "It's what I expected sonically, especially with his teasing of 'R&Bieber' on socials last year. I love the vibe."

"Yummy" also enters the streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Billboard Hot 100's Bubbling Under chart at No. 13, solely from its first three days of airplay (Jan. 3-5). Following its first week of streaming and sales tracking (Jan. 3-9) and its first full week of radio airplay measurement (Jan. 6-12, as the airplay tracking week encompasses a Monday-Sunday period while streaming and sales cover Friday-Thursday), the song, whose official video dropped Jan. 4, should debut in the upper reaches of next week's Hot 100 (dated Jan. 11).

By Gary Trust  --billboard.com