No one showed up for the so-called Beyoncé protest in NYC this week, and the Queen is really showing her power now. While Bey’s brand new single “Formation” is not even available for purchase yet, she has made an impressive debut at radio.
According to Billboard, the song arrives as Beyoncé’s highest career debut on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart (dated Feb. 27), entering at No. 11 with 16.3 million in audience (from 88 stations that played the song). The single has yet to be officially promoted to radio stations by its label, Columbia.
Beyoncé previously started at a high of No. 14 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay as featured (with Lil Wayne) on Usher’s “Love in This Club Part II” in 2008. As a lead artist, she tops her prior best beginning of No. 20 with “Singles Ladies (Put a Ring on It”), also in 2008. “Ladies” would become her longest-leading (12 weeks) of seven No. 1s on the chart.
On the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop chart (which, with Adult R&B Songs, combines to form the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay panel), “Formation” launches at No. 17. Genre airplay also pushes the track to a No. 18 debut on the Hot R&B Songs tally.
In tour news, Bey has already sold nearly one million tickets to her “Formation World Tour.” Over the weekend, many venues across the globe sold out and now she’s added new tour dates due to high demand.
So far, “Formation” shows overseas are sold out in London, Sunderland, Manchester, Amsterdam, and Stockholm. The same can be said for dates in the States. Miami, Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, and Baltimore are also sold out according to a press release.
However, there are still plenty of tickets available here.
