Drake's 'Make Them Cry' tracking toward No. 1 debut

Drake’s “Make Them Cry” entered the chart conversation within hours of release after early tracking reports pointed to a possible No. 1 debut on the Billboard Hot 100. Ratings Game Music, in a May 16 report, said preliminary streaming and sales activity suggested the song could open atop the U.S. singles chart. Billboard has not published a final ranking for the track, and early forecasts can change as the full tracking week develops. Friday, May 15, brought a broader surge in Drake activity. Billboard reported that Spotify said Drake became the platform’s most-streamed artist in a single day in 2026 and that “Iceman” became its most-streamed album in a single day in 2026. Spotify later corrected an earlier claim tied to the song itself, saying streams from two album tracks had been combined during an initial manual review and that “Make Them Cry” did not set the single-day song record. (billboard.com) ### Why is “Make Them Cry” getting attention so quickly? “Make Them Cry” is the opening track on “Iceman,” one of three Drake albums released on May 15. Billboard said the three-project rollout also included “Maid of Honour” and “Habibti,” giving Drake a large-volume release that immediately drove platform-wide streaming attention. (billboard.com) Billboard also reported that the song drew attention for its lyrics, including Drake’s reference to his father’s cancer diagnosis. Dennis Graham told TMZ, as quoted by Billboard on May 15, that the diagnosis was in the past and that he was now doing well. ### What does “tracking toward No. 1” actually mean here? (billboard.com) Luminate says an industry-standard chart week starts on Friday and ends the following Thursday, with Billboard “Hot” charts posted on Tuesdays. That means any report published on May 16 reflects only an early portion of the tracking window, not a completed chart week. Billboard’s Hot 100 uses U.S. streaming, sales and radio airplay. (billboard.com) A strong first day can put a song into early contention, but the final placement depends on how it performs across the full week and against competing releases. ### What can be verified now, and what cannot? Spotify’s corrected statement can be verified now: Drake held the platform’s 2026 single-day records for artist and album on May 15, while “Make Them Cry” did not hold the single-day song record after the company revised its initial claim. (support.luminatedata.com) Billboard published that correction on May 15. (officialcharts.com) A final Hot 100 position for “Make Them Cry” cannot yet be verified from Billboard’s published chart pages. Billboard’s main charts page currently shows the Hot 100 for the week of May 16, 2026, and not a confirmed debut position for the new song from the current tracking cycle. ### How much of this story rests on one early report? Ratings Game Music appears to be the source for the specific claim that “Make Them Cry” is tracking toward a No. 1 debut. (billboard.com) That makes the report notable but still preliminary until Billboard publishes the chart or a named data provider releases a fuller forecast. Billboard’s own reporting so far has centered on the scale of Drake’s May 15 release day and Spotify’s corrected streaming announcement, rather than a confirmed Hot 100 debut forecast for the song. (billboard.com) ### When will there be a definitive answer? Tuesday is the next key date. Luminate says Billboard “Hot” charts are posted on Tuesdays after the Friday-through-Thursday tracking week, and Billboard said its charts are dated to the Saturday following their online posting. (support.luminatedata.com) The next definitive checkpoint, then, is Billboard’s next Hot 100 publication, where Drake, “Make Them Cry” and the rest of the current field will receive a final U.S. ranking. (billboard.com 1) (billboard.com 2) (support.luminatedata.com)