Stokley earns his first solo No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Songs airplay chart as “She…” skips 3-1 on the list dated April 25. The single ascends through a 12% lift in plays in the week ending April 19, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data — the biggest percent increase of any of the chart’s 30 songs this week.
With his first No. 1, Stokley (born Stokley Williams) surpasses his previous best showing as a soloist, when he topped out at No. 3 with “Level” in 2017. In addition, he’d reached the top 10 on two other occasions: as a featured act on Kelly Price’s “Not My Daddy” (No. 6) in 2011 and his own “Organic” (No. 5) in 2018.
R&B group Mint Condition, with Williams as lead singer, posted five top 10 Adult R&B Songs hits, including two No. 1s. “U Send Me Swingin’” led for three weeks in 1994, while “What Kind of Man Would I Be” ruled for two in 1996.
“She…” obtains the No. 1 spot in its 29th week on the chart, dating to its Oct. 12 debut, and the more than six-month journey from arrival to ascendancy resonates with the singer-songwriter. “It feels like a friend that I met many years ago, but only over the phone. We are just now getting a chance to embrace,” Stokley tells Billboard. “It’s OK that this coveted position feels a little overdue and also right on time. There are so many exceptional artists out here that are noteworthy. I know I’m one of them, and it always feels great to be acknowledged.”
The 29-week trek to the Adult R&B Songs summit is one of the 12 longest trips since the chart began in 1993. Here’s an updated look now that “She…” joins the pack:
Weeks to No. 1, Song, Artist, Date Reached No. 1
41, “I Want You Around,” Snoh Aalegra, March 14, 2020
34, “Step in The Name of Love,” R. Kelly, Nov. 1, 2003
33, “Love Calls,” Kem, Sept. 13, 2003
32, “Permission,” Ro James, Sept. 10, 2016
31, “For The Rest of My Life,” Robin Thicke, Jan. 11, 2014
31, “Please Don’t Go,” Tank, May 19, 2007
30, “Anything,” Jaheim featuring Next, June 22, 2002
30, “Never Would Have Made It,” Marvin Sapp, July 26, 2008
29, “Tears,” The Isley Brothers, Feb. 22, 1997
29, “Woman,” Raheem DeVaughn, April 26, 2008
29, Guordan Banks, “Keep You in Mind,” June 11, 2016
29, Stokley, “She…,” April 25, 2020
In addition to the impact on Adult R&B Songs, the airplay gains help “She…” progress on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. There, the single pushes 24-20 to a new peak and registered 10.2 million in audience in the week, its first time cracking the eight-digit mark.