Babyface has achieved his sixth career No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart this week with “As a Matter of Fact.”
It’s the 11th new song to lead this list in 2023. Babyface joins Kenny Lattimore, Tank, and Usher as one of the few male artists to have held the No. 1 spot as a lead artist this year.
It’s worth noting that Babyface, as a solo artist, has achieved another No. 1 hit after a 26-year wait.
He last topped the chart as a lone act in March 1997 with “Every Time I Close My Eyes.” The song appears on his 1996 album, The Day.
In 2001, Babyface attempted to achieve a solo No. 1 hit on the Adult R&B chart with “What If.”
Although it reached a peak position of No. 3 in November of that year. The song is lifted from his Face 2 Face album, released in 2001.
After achieving a great feat in 1997, Babyface went on to earn two more No. 1 hits through collaborations. These included “Hurt You” with Toni Braxton in 2013 and “No Stoppin’ Us” featuring Charlie Wilson, K-Ci Hailey, and Johnny Gill in 2022.
Here is a list of all six of Babyface’s No. 1s on the Adult R&B chart:
- “Never Keeping Secrets,” one week at No. 1, beginning Dec. 4, 1993
- “When Can I See You,” two weeks at No. 1, beginning Aug. 20, 1994
- “Every Time I Close My Eyes,” two weeks at No. 1, beginning March 29, 1997
- “Hurt You” with Toni Braxton, four weeks at No. 1, beginning Dec. 14, 2013
- “No Stoppin’ Us” with Charlie Wilson, K-Ci Hailey and Johnny Gill, three weeks at No. 1, beginning Aug. 6, 2022
- “As a Matter of Fact,” one week at No. 1 to date, July 15, 2023
Not only is Babyface riding high on Billboard, but also at R&B radio. “As a Matter of Fact” is No. 1 on the format this week, moving Lizzo and SZA’s “Special” collaboration from No. 1 to No. 3.
“As a Matter of Fact” becomes Babyface’s first chart-topper at R&B radio since his Ella Mai-assisted single “Keep On Fallin’.”
The track, inspired by Tevin Campbell and featured on his album Girls Night Out, was even nominated for Best Traditional R&B Performance at the 65th Grammy Awards.
Speaking of albums, it remains unclear where “As a Matter of Fact” will land. His first P Music Group release debuted on Feb. 9, just two days before he took the Super Bowl LVII stage to perform “America The Beautiful.”
Babyface will not be joining Anita Baker’s The Songstress Tour anymore. However, he will be performing at various stages across the country this year. His next performance will be at the Cincinnati Music Festival in Ohio on July 22.
Listen to “As a Matter of Fact” by Babyface below.
