Drake just hit 91 Hot 100 top tens, and the song that got him there borrows from country music's biggest hit of the year
'Solar Eclipse,' his slow-burn collab with Don Toliver that flips Ella Langley's record-breaking 'Choosin' Texas,' debuted at No. 5 this week, and the chart math behind it is genuinely staggering.
In brief
Drake just hit 91 Hot 100 top tens, and the song that got him there borrows from country music's biggest hit of the year
The number is almost hard to say out loud. Ninety-one. That's how many Billboard Hot 100 top-ten hits Drake now has to his name, a record that keeps moving further from everyone else every time he drops something new. The latest entry is "Solar Eclipse," a collaboration with Don Toliver that landed at No. 5 on the chart dated October 17, and the way it got there is one of the more interesting crossover moves of the year.
"Solar Eclipse" debuted at No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, marking Drake's record-extending 33rd leader on that chart and Toliver's first. On the Hot 100, it opened at No. 5 with 15.1 million streams, 712,000 in airplay audience and 1,000 sold in its first week. Drake pushed his Hot 100 record to 91 with the track, Billboard reported. For context on what that number means: Toliver notches his second Hot 100 top ten and his first as a lead artist; Internet Money and Gunna's "Lemonade," featuring Toliver and NAV, hit No. 6 back in November 2020.
The song's DNA is the bigger conversation. Drake's "Solar Eclipse," featuring Don Toliver, interpolates "Choosin' Texas" rather than functioning as an actual remix of the original. Langley is not a featured performer on the track, she isn't credited as a featured artist, but she does appear as a songwriter on the composition. The track pulls from Ella Langley's country song "Choosin' Texas" and flips it into a trap-soul recording stuffed with Texas shout-outs.
"Choosin' Texas" spent 24 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it one of the year's biggest songs, Billboard reports. It's sitting at No. 2 right now, directly below Taylor Swift's "Patient Zero." Drake is not borrowing from a hit that has already had its moment; he released "Solar Eclipse" while Langley's song remains in charge of the Billboard Hot 100. That timing matters. Releasing an interpolation of a song still at the top of the chart is either extremely confident or extremely risky, and in this case it turned into both the No. 1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and a top-five Hot 100 debut simultaneously.
The backstory between Drake and Langley had been building for months. Drake's connection to "Choosin' Texas" unfolded over several months, starting with his onscreen appearance at Langley's Arkansas concert where he sang the track, then him premiering "Solar Eclipse" during a DJ set in Toronto one week later. He had praised her songwriting in the comments of one of her Instagram posts, writing "Goated Pen," according to Billboard. The song has its own publishing wrinkle, too. According to DJ Akademiks, Drake forfeited his publishing share on the track to help clear it for release, given the high-profile song it samples. Drake's decision to forfeit the publishing rights gives "Solar Eclipse" the feel of an homage, rather than a means of jumping on the country music bandwagon, as Holler country music publication put it.
The album behind it is surging too. The resurgence comes after the October 2 release of HABIBTI (FOMO), which added four tracks and generated 71,000 equivalent album units in the United States during the tracking week ending October 8, according to Luminate, a 506% increase from the previous week. The success of "Solar Eclipse" accompanies a significant resurgence for Drake's HABIBTI album, which climbed 114 positions, from No. 116 to No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Streaming accounted for nearly all of the album's performance, contributing almost 70,000 streaming equivalent album units, a 497% jump during the tracking period.
Most of the new material on the deluxe edition isn't exactly new to diehards, since it first surfaced in FOMO, a short film Drake funded himself and premiered during a YouTube livestream on September 15. Beyond "Solar Eclipse," Don Toliver also appears on "Cold Shoulder," which brings in Yebba, while Drake handles the solo cut "Quebec" and stretches an original album track into "Classic PT2." Of those four additions, "Solar Eclipse" is the one that ran away from the pack.
The country angle has pulled in listeners who wouldn't typically orbit a Drake release. Saving Country Music, not exactly a Drake-friendly publication, noted that the interpolation route at least kept Langley's name from being formally attached: it's a good thing Ella Langley's name isn't associated with it aside from in the writing credits, the outlet wrote, adding that maybe there's a chance it will entice some folks from the world of hip-hop to give the original "Choosin' Texas" a spin.
Meanwhile, in a separate but connected thread of music news, Doechii is back with new music and an update on her anticipated debut studio album. On Monday, October 12, the Grammy Award-winning rapper released her new song "BOMBS" as part of her "Swamp Sessions" series. The high-octane track, produced by Adele Drive, has Doechii rapping at record speed. It's her first solo track of 2026. Doechii is working toward her debut album following the success of Alligator Bites Never Heal, the project that won her the Best Rap Album Grammy and propelled her into superstardom. In a handwritten letter shared alongside the drop, the artist emphasized her commitment to centering Black womanhood in music, writing that "a mission is brewing inside of me (a responsibility really) to see Black womanhood exist at the center of Hip-Hop AND Pop." Doechii originally launched her "Swamp Sessions" in 2024 to preview music from Alligator Bites Never Heal. Now that the series has returned, fans can expect to hear more new music from her soon.
Back to "Solar Eclipse": the chart dated October 17 also confirmed, per Billboard, that "Solar Eclipse" started at No. 5 on the Hot 100 as Drake's record-extending 91st top ten and Toliver's second, and "Solar Eclipse" also starts atop Hot R&B Songs, while Drake's "Quebec" opens atop Hot Rap Songs. Three songs from the same deluxe release charting simultaneously on genre-specific charts in the same week. The "Quebec" debut at No. 1 on Hot Rap Songs is a detail that almost got lost in the "Solar Eclipse" noise.
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CAN I KICK IT? screens New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument, on Aug. 22. (Courtesy SHAOLIN JAZZ)
The live-cinema series CAN I KICK IT? returns to the National Mall this month with what its producers are calling the "Gangsters on the Mall" chapter of their free outdoor summer run. On Saturday, August 22, the SHAOLIN JAZZ production brings the 1991 crime classic New Jack City to the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument for a night of film, music, and community under the DC summer sky.
What sets the event apart is the sound. As the film plays, DJ 2-Tone Jones builds an original score in real time, reimagining one of the most iconic crime movies of the ’90s through hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. It is less a movie screening than a live performance built around the film.
The details:
Film: New Jack City (1991), with a live soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone Jones
When: Saturday, August 22 — seating opens at 7:30 p.m. (bring lawn chairs and blankets); film begins at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument, Independence Ave SW & 15th St NW
A parking note from the organizers: expect road closures and restricted parking east of 14th Street NW due to a separate race event in the District. Roads west of 14th Street NW will be accessible and available for parking.
New Jack City is the second of three screenings in this year’s free CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series, which opened with Black Panther at Skyland Town Center and concludes with Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial on September 5. Produced by the Washington, DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, the series has presented more than 150 live cinematic experiences at venues across the country, from Lincoln Center to SXSW.
"I wanted to be able to tell good stories with substance and remove the ‘ego’ out of the art," said Andrew Huang during a recent interview. Now, he’s building his career at the intersection of discipline, creativity and innovation.
Andrew Huang, founder of New Place Studios. (Courtesy photo)
As a Chinese American, Huang was reared with a deep respect for hard work, consistency and excellence. He describes his childhood as "not so affluent" and later attended college to hone his passion for videography. "In college I tried to do something I loved, which was video, but along the way I knew that I had to find a job. And so I thought, ‘what was the low hanging fruit to get to that stable 9 to 5 job?,’" he stated.
Later in life, Huang found himself working for corporations where his creativity was often limited, eventually leading to burnout. "I worked in a corporation for a long time and there were a lot of missing pieces. I wanted to fill in gaps missing in corporate video production," said Huang.
He later described how his upbringing and a mindset of "survival" led him toward a corporate career. However, his desire for balance and authentic storytelling ultimately pushed him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
"I founded a new place where you can create video and film with ‘substance and style,’" said Huang. His desire for work-life balance and passion for storytelling naturally evolved into a small business based in Virginia. With the launch of New Place Studios, the entrepreneur quickly found himself reconnecting with the values that would become the foundation of everything he creates behind the camera.
Huang said being a business owner has allowed him to first embrace himself. While others may see video as simply capturing moments, he sees it as a way to preserve stories that inspire, connect and leave a lasting imprint.
By combining cinematic visuals with cutting-edge production techniques and a keen understanding of branding, Huang helps organizations and individuals communicate their vision with purpose. He said understanding a client’s "why" serves as the compass for delivering the services they need.
One benefit of working with a small business, he said, is that clients get to see the production process unfold through a micro lens while working with the same faces throughout the entire project. "The work feels personal," said Huang.
Huang does not regret leaving behind the flash-over-substance mentality and corporate hustle culture. That does not mean the Asian American entrepreneur has been without challenges in the industry. "It’s relatively hard to find other Asian American creatives or people who would want to work with me in the DMV," said Huang.
He identifies the industry culture in which everyone is trying to blend in, creatives may fear displaying their Asian identity and some feel pressure to adopt an American corporate persona. He also points to what he describes as a level of gatekeeping within the industry. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 statistics, Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs own more than 3 million businesses and employ 5.2 million people in the United States.
After tapping into organizations such as SCORE, which offers free small business mentorship, New Place Studios has become a trusted creative partner throughout the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia). The company produces a range of creative services, including commercials, corporate branding, documentaries, film, 2D animation, motion graphics and photography.
For Huang, entrepreneurship has become more than a departure from corporate life. It has given him the freedom to create with intention, build meaningful connections and tell stories that go beyond the surface.
The 2026 CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
For three Saturdays this summer, some of Washington’s most familiar public spaces will do something they rarely do after dark: fill up with blankets, lawn chairs, and the sound of a movie being scored live, in real time. CAN I KICK IT?, the traveling “live cinema” series produced by the DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, is bringing a free outdoor run to the city — pairing three era-defining films with an original soundtrack performed on the spot by DJ 2-Tone Jones.
The premise is what sets it apart from a normal screening in the park. Rather than simply pressing play, 2-Tone Jones builds a score as the film unfolds, pulling from hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and sounds from around the world. The result, the organizers say, is less a movie night than a one-time performance — the same film you know, wired to a soundtrack you have never heard and will not hear again. Guest DJs warm up the crowd starting at 7:30 PM before each 8:30 PM screening.
The 2026 outdoor schedule
All three events are free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 8 — Black Panther at Skyland Town Center. A pop-up marketplace and community activities kick off the evening; guest DJs at 7:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM. Marvel’s superhero epic gets a one-night-only live score in Southeast DC.
Saturday, August 22 — New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument. Seating begins at 7:30 PM; the film starts at 8:30 PM. The 1991 crime drama plays out at the foot of one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.
Saturday, September 5 — Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial. Seating at 7:30 PM; film at 8:30 PM. The series closes with Brian De Palma’s crime saga against the backdrop of the Memorial, scored live from start to finish.
First up: Black Panther at Skyland Town Center on August 8. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
A DC company with a national footprint
SHAOLIN JAZZ describes itself as a Washington-based arts company working at the intersection of music, film, art, and culture, and CAN I KICK IT? is its signature production. According to the organizers, the series has staged more than 150 live cinematic experiences around the country — at performing arts centers, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions including Lincoln Center in New York, SXSW, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Republic Square in Austin, the Tacoma Armory, and The Cary Theater.
“CAN I KICK IT? has always been about creating a shared experience,” said Gerald Watson, co-founder of SHAOLIN JAZZ. “When you combine iconic films with live music in public spaces, something special happens. People aren’t just watching a movie — they’re experiencing it together. That’s what makes these nights so memorable.”
Cinema as a community event
The DC run lands as cities across the country look for new ways to activate public space through arts and culture — and this series is a straightforward pitch for how to do it: take a landmark everyone already knows, add a film everyone has an opinion about, and let a live soundtrack turn the evening into something neighbors experience shoulder to shoulder. Families, film buffs, and music fans are all invited, and admission won’t cost a thing.
The CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series runs August 8, August 22, and September 5. All events are free; check SHAOLIN JAZZ (shaolinjazz.com) for the latest details and any weather updates before heading out.
