Summer Walker’s ‘Heart’ Skips to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart

Summer Walker’s “Heart of a Woman” beats the competition on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart this week as the single rules the list dated May 23. The new leader, released and promoted through LVRN/Interscope/ICLG, climbs from No. 2 and was the most-played song on U.S. panel-contributing adult R&B radio stations in the tracking week of May 9-15, according to Luminate.

As “Heart of a Woman” rises, it ejects Leon Thomas’ “Mutt” from the chart’s prime spot after a two-week lead. “Mutt” retreats to No. 3 after a 12% slide in plays for the week. (Between the current and former leader, 803Fresh’s “Boots on the Ground” pushes 4-2; the track, best known for soundtracking a viral line dance, enjoys an 9% gain in weekly play count.)

With “Heart of a Woman,” Walker captures her fourth Adult R&B Airplay No. 1. She first reigned through a featured role on Trey Songz’s “Back Home,” a three-week champ in November-December 2020, followed with her own “Unloyal,” featuring Ari Lennox, for one week in September 2022 and logged six weeks in charge thanks to “Good Good,” a collaboration with Usher and 21 Savage, in November-December 2023.

Improvements in the adult R&B sector help “Heart of a Woman” maintain its top-five status on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which ranks songs by combined audience totals from adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop radio stations. There, the single spends a fourth consecutive week at No. 5 – after having previously reached a No. 3 best – but falls to 12.7 million in total audience, a 6% drop from the prior week’s total.

Elsewhere, “Heart of a Woman” slides 8-12 on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart (down 14%).

Beyond “Heart of a Woman,” Walker enjoys a second current chart single, new track “Spend It.” The song, released May 2, opened at No. 12 on the Hot R&B Songs chart (dated May 17) and at No. 30 on the corresponding Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ranking.

“Heart of a Woman” and “Spend It” preview Walker’s forthcoming studio album, Finally Over It. The set, which was announced last October, is the third installment of the singer’s album series, following Over It (2019) and Still Over It (2022).

All Billboard charts dated May 24 will update on Tuesday, May 20, on Billboard.com.