By Laily UPN 
The music industry is a dynamic ecosystem, constantly influenced by cultural moments, digital trends, and the enduring power of artists. This week, Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter delves into three distinct phenomena that have captured significant attention: an unprecedented surge in streams for the late, legendary Dolly Parton, the unexpected resurgence of Dua Lipa’s “Training Season” fueled by a viral social media trend, and the rapid rise of emerging artist Noodah05, capitalizing on the renewed popularity of Tove Lo’s “Talking Body.” These stories highlight the multifaceted ways music connects with audiences, from profound emotional responses to the algorithmic currents of online platforms.
Dolly Parton’s Catalog Experiences Astronomical Streaming Spike Following Her Death
The world of music and entertainment is still grappling with the profound loss of country music icon and cultural titan Dolly Parton, who passed away on Tuesday, August 25th, at the age of 80. Her departure has triggered an outpouring of tributes and homages from across the entertainment spectrum, including heartfelt messages from countless peers and admirers. This collective grief has translated into a monumental surge in appreciation for her extensive catalog, both in spoken tributes that articulate her immense musical impact and, more concretely, in the sheer volume of streams from listeners seeking to relive her timeless melodies or discover them for the first time.
In the immediate aftermath of the news of her passing, Dolly Parton’s catalog experienced an astonishing spike in consumption. According to preliminary data provided by Luminate, her official on-demand U.S. streams soared to 26.3 million on Tuesday, August 25th. This represents a staggering increase of 2,056% compared to the previous Tuesday, August 18th, when her streams totaled just over 1.2 million. This dramatic upswing underscores the deep emotional connection audiences have with Parton’s music, a testament to her enduring legacy.
Leading this wave of renewed listening were some of her most iconic and beloved classics. "Jolene," a song frequently cited for its raw emotional power and storytelling, garnered 2.7 million streams. "9 to 5," the anthemic ode to the working class, followed closely with 2.3 million streams. The timeless duet with Kenny Rogers, "Islands in the Stream," also saw significant engagement, accumulating 1.8 million streams. Notably, all three of these songs have been recognized by Billboard staff as among the 100 Best Country Songs of All Time, with "Jolene" topping that prestigious list, further validating their cultural significance.
The scale of Parton’s streaming performance on August 25th is particularly remarkable when contextualized within the broader music landscape. Her 26.3 million streams placed her as the second-highest streamed artist in the U.S. for that day, according to Luminate’s tracking. This figure surpassed even contemporary streaming giants such as Morgan Wallen (24.2 million streams), Taylor Swift (22.9 million streams), and Bad Bunny (14.5 million streams). The only artist to outpace Parton on August 25th was Drake, whose extensive catalog, bolstered by multiple recent album releases, garnered 36.6 million streams. However, even Drake’s most-streamed song that day, the former Billboard Hot 100 number one "Janice STFU," with 1.3 million streams, would have ranked only as Parton’s fifth-most popular track.
Adding another layer of significance to these figures is the fact that the news of Parton’s death broke more than halfway through the tracking day. This suggests that the full impact of her passing on streaming numbers may not yet be reflected, and that Wednesday’s data could reveal an even more substantial listenership. It is highly plausible that Dolly Parton could posthumously achieve the status of the most-listened-to artist in America for the week, a testament to the profound and lasting impact of her music on generations of fans. This phenomenon highlights the unique ability of music to serve as a conduit for remembrance, comfort, and celebration, even in the face of profound loss. The sheer volume of streams serves not just as a metric of popularity, but as a powerful indicator of a beloved artist’s indelible mark on popular culture and the collective consciousness.
Dua Lipa’s "Training Season" Finds New Life Through a Viral Marriage Manifestation Trend
In the often-fierce landscape of online pop music discourse, Dua Lipa’s 2024 album Radical Optimism, which peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, has sometimes been met with criticism for lacking the ubiquitous hit singles that defined her Grammy-winning, pandemic-era defining album Future Nostalgia. However, it appears the pop superstar may be poised to prove her doubters wrong, as one of its singles, "Training Season," is experiencing a significant and unexpected resurgence in streaming numbers.
Data from Luminate reveals a remarkable upward trend for "Training Season," a track that initially charted at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. Over the past two weeks, the song has seen its streams increase by nearly 50%. During the week of August 5-11, "Training Season" accumulated 1.87 million official on-demand U.S. streams, a 9.7% increase from the previous period, reaching over 2.05 million streams in the subsequent seven days (August 12-18). The momentum continued, with streams jumping a further 35% to over 2.79 million official streams for the week of August 19-25.
This renewed popularity can be directly attributed to a widespread manifestation trend that has taken hold on social media platforms, particularly TikTok. The trend draws from an interview Dua Lipa gave on The Drew Barrymore Show in 2024, where she discussed the creative process behind "Training Season." Lipa stated, "Then we have ‘Training Season,’ which was almost like a manifestation because I believe that… I have to be careful [with] what I write, because sometimes I feel like they can come true, because they become a mantra, then I say them over and over."
The narrative gained further traction due to a serendipitous connection: "Training Season" was released on February 15th, which coincidentally is the birthday of actor Callum Turner, whom Lipa reportedly married on May 31st of this year. The couple is believed to have met around the time the song was released, adding significant weight to the manifestation narrative. Edits featuring a live rendition of "Training Season" from London’s Royal Albert Hall began appearing on TikTok in June, quickly amassing millions of views and hundreds of thousands of likes.
A pivotal moment in the trend’s amplification came on July 3rd when TikTok user @zoevlachou shared a video of herself posing with prayer hands, captioned, "How you’ll find me every night cause Dua Lipa said she manifested Callum with this song." This clip alone has garnered over 6.9 million views and 1.3 million likes, sparking a wave of similar posts. User @mia.perezzzzzzz shared a comparable video on July 27th, which attracted over 7.7 million views and 1.7 million likes. The trend’s reach expanded even further when Dua Lipa herself participated, sharing a post via her official @teamdua.hq TikTok account on August 16th, which garnered 430,000 views.
The impact of this trend is quantifiable through the platform’s audio usage statistics. The official TikTok sound for the live version of "Training Season" is currently featured in over 1.3 million posts, while the studio version’s sound is utilized in over 766,000 posts. On Instagram Reels, the live version appears in 123,000 clips, and the studio version in an additional 246,000. This viral phenomenon demonstrates the potent synergy between an artist’s personal narrative, a catchy song, and the collaborative, trend-driven nature of social media, effectively giving "Training Season" a powerful second life long after its initial release. For Dua Lipa, the "training season" of her song may be winding down, but its journey in the public consciousness is clearly just beginning.
Noodah05 Capitalizes on "Talking Body" Resurgence with Viral Hit "Around Me"
The enduring power of viral moments on platforms like TikTok continues to reshape the music industry, creating unexpected pathways to success for artists. A prime example is the recent surge of Noodah05’s single "Around Me," which has tapped into the renewed popularity of Tove Lo’s 2015 hit, "Talking Body." This phenomenon builds upon a trend previously highlighted by Billboard, where a TikTok remix of Tove Lo’s track led to a significant increase in streams for both the original and remix versions.
Noodah05’s track, "Around Me," is built over KJtheProducer’s remix of "Talking Body," a creative approach also employed by artist 22Jay with his track "Talking Bodiez." Hailing from Atlanta, Noodah05 began teasing "Around Me" in late July and early August through TikTok clips, showcasing snippets of the song that quickly captured attention. Although an initial teasing clip was later muted, subsequent posts allowed fans to engage with the developing track.
A critical turning point for "Around Me" occurred on July 28th when TikTok user @ocho_mixes paired Noodah05’s snippet with a fan-made video of Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. This combination proved highly effective, garnering over 1.4 million views and 88,000 likes. The accompanying TikTok sound for this mashup has since been used in over one million posts, demonstrating its widespread appeal. The official "Around Me" sound has seen even greater traction, appearing in over 7.2 million posts. Further solidifying the song’s growing momentum, Noodah05 performed "Around Me" for the popular YouTube series "From the Block" on August 17th, with the video already amassing over 58,000 views.
The impact of this viral attention is reflected in streaming data. During the period of August 14th to 17th, "Around Me" collected over 1.6 million official on-demand U.S. streams, according to Luminate. By the following week, August 21st to 25th, this figure saw a significant increase of 42%, reaching over 2.29 million official streams. This upward trajectory has been substantial enough for "Around Me" to debut at number 32 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart dated August 29th. Noodah05’s success with "Around Me" signifies a new addition to the expanding "Talking Body" family tree, showcasing how a foundational hit can provide a fertile ground for emerging artists to cultivate their own success in the digital age. This trend highlights the evolving nature of music discovery and promotion, where a compelling sonic hook, combined with strategic social media engagement, can propel an artist from obscurity to chart presence.
