Normani
Jora FrantzisSince going solo in 2018 after Fifth Harmony’s hiatus, Normani has charted several pop hits including “Love Lies” and “Dancing with a Stranger,” her respective duets with Khalid and Sam Smith and “Motivation.” But with her latest single, “Wild Side” featuring Cardi B, Normani is establishing her foothold in a new arena with her first major R&B/hip-hop success as the song scales to the highest ranks of mainstream urban radio airplay.
Released in July through Keep Cool/RCA Records, “Wild Side” cracked the charts on what had been Normani’s home format – pop – with nine weeks on Billboard’s Pop Airplay list. But it peaked at No. 28 in late August, the lowest rank of the singer’s four solo entries to date. Prior to that, Love Lies” reigned at No. 1 for two weeks on Pop Airplay while “Stranger” peaked at No. 2. Her last solo single, 2019’s “Motivation,” reached No. 15.
However, on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, “Wild Side” made a strong initial impact with a No. 28 entrance in early August and has continually pushed upward in the weeks thereafter. It broke into the chart’s top 10 in early October and on the latest published chart (Nov. 6), climbed three spots to a new peak of No. 3. Interest isn’t leveling off – in the latest available tracking week (Oct. 25-31), “Wild Side” improved by more plays on monitored U.S. mainstream R&B/hip-hop radio stations compared to the week of Oct. 18-24 than any other song on the 40-position list.
After having reached No. 20 on the Rhythmic Airplay chart in September, “Wild Side” fell in subsequent weeks. But now the single is reviving on that radio format — a middle ground that mixes pop fare and R&B/hip-hop tracks — with a 31-25 rebound in the latest ranking.
“[‘Wild Side’] is a real moment for Normani to show a different side,” says her manager Brandon Silverstein, founder and CEO of S10 Entertainment. “She wants to show her roots, where she came from and the music that inspired her while she was growing up. We're certainly seeing those results on TikTok, in clubs and now in introducing herself to a radio format we’ve never impacted before.”
Aiding the singer-songwriter’s transition to R&B/hip-hop radio, in part, is the nostalgic vibe of the track itself, reminiscent of the 1996 hit “One in a Million” by Aaliyah — whom Normani has cited as a favorite inspiration growing up. Samantha Selolwane, RCA’s co-head of promotion (R&B, hip-hop, mixshow) also notes that the song’s visual is a nod and ode to Aaliyah, Janet Jackson and Ciara.
But those aren’t the only elements contributing to the song’s airplay success at mainstream urban radio.“’Wild Side’ is in line with what R&B/hip-hop stations are playing,” explains Selolwane. “It has the grimy grittiness of Cardi B. Normani was also in Cardi’s ‘WAP’ video [with Megan Thee Stallion] so there’s a real relationship there — it’s not a label maneuver. Normani has always had Black girl magic. And Black girls want to see her win.”
WGZB in Louisville, Kentucky is one of the mainstream urban radio stations where Normani is winning. The outlet posted the most plays for “Wild Side” in the past week. Additional mainstream urban stations playing the song in high rotation include WJLB in Detroit, WRNB in Philadelphia and WQNC in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“Hearing what Cardi B was going to be doing with Normani on this particular single and how the song was going to pull up on the charts sparked my interest,” says WGZB radio content director Armand “DJ Q” Flowers. “What’s really standing out aside from the vibe is the content of the lyrics. Everything is more direct and upfront. It really reflects this generation and how they deal with relationships.”
Growing radio reach may also be helping the song in other sectors, namely streaming. Though “Wild Side” debuted at No. 1 on the R&B Streaming Songs chart upon release, it slipped from the perch in the ensuing weeks and briefly dipped out of the top 10 in September. As the song has lodged itself in the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay top 10, however, it has likewise secured a consistent run in R&B Streaming Songs’ upper tier.
“We’re breaking Normani into a new format,” says Selolwane, “But her star power is not new. She’s got R&B roots and I think she’s going to continue down this path.”
Between Normani’s show-stopping performance of “Wild Side” with Teyana Taylor on the MTV Video Music Awards in September, her Allure cover that same month and increased R&B/hip-hop airplay momentum, Silverstein says the perfect storm has resulted in “getting exposure for Normani in a world that she hasn't spent a lot of time in. The community is becoming aware of who she is. She's creating her sound right now; not trying to alienate any audiences or genres. She's just going to create Normani — a triple threat able to live on urban, rhythm and pop radio."
Additional reporting by Trevor Anderson.
NEWS
It has been just over seven months since Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce revealed their engagement through an Instagram post that quickly went viral.
Since that announcement, both stars have stayed extremely busy with their careers. Swift dropped her 15th No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, The Life of a Showgirl, in October, selling an impressive 4 million equivalent album units. Around the same time, Kelce confirmed he would return to the Kansas City Chiefs for his 14th NFL season earlier this month.
Even though they have both expressed excitement about organizing their wedding, their current focus remains on their professional commitments.
“I’m just doing the album thing now,” Swift shared during an October interview on The Graham Norton Show after Norton asked whether wedding preparations had started. “And then I think the wedding is after that.”
After Swift and Kelce made their first joint awards show appearance at the iHeartRadio Music Awards on March 26, curiosity about their wedding plans has started building again.
People close to the couple, often referred to as the Tayvis circle, have mostly stayed quiet about any confirmed plans. Kelce’s mother Donna Kelce declined to comment when approached by a photographer at LAX about whether she would help with the planning. “I’m just happy. I’m so happy for them,” she said.
At the same time, Swift’s future sister in law Kylie Kelce, who is married to Travis’ brother Jason, asked listeners on her Not Gonna Lie podcast on April 2 to stop asking for insider information. “Quit asking me and my mother in law [Donna] about upcoming nuptials,” she said directly to viewers. “Nobody’s f—ing telling you anything.” She continued by saying, “I don’t have any details. I have no details. I have none. Look at that. That’s how many details I have. None. None.”
While Donna and Kylie have chosen to stay private, a handful of people within the couple’s inner circle, including Taylor and Travis themselves, have occasionally shared small insights about the wedding.
Here is what has been revealed so far about the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce wedding.
Swift is interested in having the ceremony in another location
During an interview on BBC Radio 1, host Greg James thanked Swift for supposedly inviting him to the celebration, joking that although he usually avoids destination weddings, he would gladly attend hers. When he asked where she might hold the event, Swift kept things mysterious, replying, “I’m going to let you know at a different time.”
The guest list could be very large
If you are hoping to receive an invitation to the Tayvis wedding, there might actually be a chance.
During an October 2025 appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Swift joked that Norton would eventually find out when he asked whether the wedding might take place in 2026. She clarified that she plans to invite him along with practically everyone she has spent time with.
“I know it’s going to be fun to plan because I think the only stressful weddings are the ones where you have a small amount, and people are on the bubble,” Swift said. “And you have to evaluate or assess your relationship with them to see if they should be there. I’m not going to do that.”
She added, “Anyone I’ve ever talked to.”
Watch the full clip below.
A live band will probably provide the music
It appears the couple is leaning toward live performers rather than a DJ.
On a September episode of the Kelce brothers’ New Heights podcast, guest Jimmy Fallon asked Travis whether they had begun thinking about wedding details.
“Are you gonna do DJ or band? Are you thinking about all this stuff?” Fallon asked.
Kelce answered by sharing their preference, saying, “Yeah, I think we’re live music kind of people, you know?”
Although he likely would not be the only performer, Swift hinted in an October interview with Hits Radio that her close friend and collaborator Ed Sheeran could perform during the celebration.
“It’s like, ‘Ed, if there’s a stage, you know that you’ll be on it,” Swift said. “He knows what people want and he wants to give people what they want.”
The wedding could happen before summer ends
Fans hoping for an autumn themed ceremony might be disappointed, as the couple may be considering a summer timeframe.
During a January 2025 episode of New Heights, recorded months before the engagement, Kelce explained why fall weddings can be difficult due to the football season.
“I actually don’t know people who have gotten married in the fall,” he said. “All the weddings I’ve been to, and all my friends do it in the summer.”
If they do move forward with a wedding this year, it may happen before the end of the summer. Kelce recently confirmed he would return to the Chiefs for another season, partly inspired by Swift’s dedication to her work. ESPN reporter Nate Taylor also mentioned that Kelce “plans to marry [Swift] before training camp,” which begins July 22. If they want to avoid conflicts with football, the ceremony would likely need to happen before that date.
Invitations may not have been sent yet
Even with speculation pointing toward a summer ceremony, no confirmed date has been publicly shared, and even people close to them say they are unsure.
In a September interview on SiriusXM’s Small Stage Series, Ed Sheeran said he had not yet received a save the date. He also mentioned that he found out about their engagement through Instagram just like everyone else.
“You didn’t even get a DM in advance?” host Andy Cohen asked.
“No,” Sheeran responded.
More recently, Kylie Kelce said during a January appearance on Today with Savannah Guthrie that she had no idea whether the wedding would happen this year.
“I’m not gonna lie,” Kylie admitted when discussing how little she knows about the plans.
Kylie also repeated that she has no inside information during an appearance on the podcast Conversations With Cam. “I would love to give you all the details. I don’t have them,” she said after host Cam Rogers asked what fans should expect from the wedding.
