I had a wonderful trip out to the West Coast last week, but am happy to be home! It was filled with showcases, concerts and meetings, in other words a typical week for most in the industry out there. One highlight for me was the Wondaland (Epic) showcase. The label is spearheaded by Janelle Monae, whose vision is eclectic and soulful REAL music. She had four of her artists there, headlined by Jidenna. They each had a turn to captivate the crowd. I look forward to what the future holds for this group of creative artists.

Speaking of Epic, Sujit Kundu is firing on all cylinders as the current Jidenna track, “Classic Man,” moves #19-16 this week, up another 445 spins; it’s quickly closing out the panel. Ciara’s “I Bet” is at #23, and Fifth Harmony f/Kid Ink’s “Worth It” (SYCO) is at #25, increasing 80 spins. Future’s “Commas” sits at #30, and Mariah Carey’s “Infinity” continues to build each week. Tink has a new single out entitled “Million,” and Jidenna teams up with Janelle Monae for “Yoga,” which is starting to garner new airplay and sits at #62.

Republic’s Gary Spangler, Davey Dee and Stef Cole have a one-two punch this week with Taylor Swift f/Kendrick Lamar’s “Bad Blood” (Big Machine) and Sage The Gemini f/Nick Jonas’ “Good Thing.” Both just dropped, but should have enormous reporting weeks. The collaboration with Kendrick will certainly help Taylor. There are a number of more Urban-leaning stations that have yet to play her. It will be interesting to see just how big this can get at the format. Nicki Minaj’s “The Night Is Still Young” (YMCMB) has a huge week, climbing #27-22, while gaining 445 spins. Tove Lo’s “Talking Body” (Island) moves to #29 this week, while Maliibu N Helene’s “Figure 8” (Island) continues to build.

Def Jam’s Rick Sackheim, Noah Sheer and Scott Maness have both Rihanna’s “BBHMM” (Roc Nation) and Kanye West’s “All Day” (G.O.O.D.) inside the Top 10. They also debut Jeremih f/Flo Rida’s “Tonight Belongs to U!” at #35 this week; it was up 75 spins and looks to build on the momentum. They’re impacting Big Sean’s “One Man Can Change the World” (G.O.O.D.) next week.

RCA’s John Strazza, Inca and Lori G continue to fire off the releases. They’re impacting Miguel f/Wale’s “Coffee” this week; it’s a super silky ballad that is unmistakably Miguel. They also have Tinashe’s “All Hands on Deck” at #14, tacking on an additional 190 spins. Kid Ink f/Dej Loaf’s “Be Real” (Alumni/88Classic) slides inside the Top 20 and gains another 425 spins. Pitbull f/Chris Brown’s “Fun” takes a huge jump, going #33-24 this week, adding 365 spins. Britney Spears & Iggy Azalea’s “Pretty Girls” continues to develop each week, and moves to #50. Deorro X Chris Brown’s “Five More Hours” was up 90 spins this week, and also continues to build a solid profile.

Ayelet Schiffman and James White at Columbia are impacting Snoop Dogg f/Stevie Wonder’s “California Roll” this week. They also have the biggest debut this week with Omi’s “Cheerleader”; it was up 3335 spins, and comes in at #32 this week. HOT97 New York and the Cumulus chain came in this week. It continues to Shazam and the sales are still climbing. They also have J. Cole’s “Wet Dreamz” (Roc Nation) at # 21, with an increase of 375 spins this week. It grabs the remaining 6 stations at Cumulus and will have another solid week.

Lee L’Heureux and Warner Bros. take Jason Derulo’s “Want to Want Me” (Beluga Heights) into the Top 5 this week. It was up an additional 250 spins, and the sales are still huge. This is yet another Top 5 hit for Jason.

Largest Increases:
1)   Nicki Minaj “The Night Is Still Young” YMCMB/Republic
2)   Jidenna “Classic Man” Wondaland/Epic
3)   Kid Ink f/Dej Loaf “Be Real” Alumni/88Classic/RCA
4)   J. Cole “Wet Dreamz” Roc Nation/Columbia
5)   Pitbull f/Chris Brown “Fun” RCA

The Pulse:
1)   Taylor Swift f/Kendrick Lamar “Bad Blood” Big Machine/Republic
2)   Sage The Gemini f/Nick Jonas “Good Thing” Empire/Republic
3)   Kid Ink f/Dej Loaf “Be Real” Alumni/88Classic/RCA
4)   Omi “Cheerleader” Ultra/Columbia
5)   Miguel f/Wale “Coffee” RCA