Tems, Burna Boy Set New Billboard Record For African Artistes

Afrobeats stars Tems and Burna Boy have made history as the African artistes with the highest number of entries on the Billboard Hot 100, following new chart appearances tied to American rapper J. Cole’s latest project.
The milestone came after both artistes featured on songs from J. Cole’s album The Fall-Off. The track Bounce Road Blues, which features Tems alongside Future, debuted at No. 34, while Only You featuring Burna Boy entered at No. 78.
The new entries bring both artistes to eight appearances each on the chart, surpassing South African rock band Seether and setting a new benchmark for African acts on the U.S. ranking.
Tems has also recorded three Billboard Hot 100 entries in 2026 alone, making her the African artiste with the most appearances on the chart this year. She had earlier become the first African female artiste to reach seven entries before the latest achievement.
Burna Boy, on his part, extended his record as the first African artiste to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 for six consecutive years, maintaining a consistent presence on the chart from 2021 through 2026.
The achievement underscores the continued global rise of Afrobeats and the growing influence of African artistes on mainstream international music charts.