Drake Is Billboard's Top Dance/Electronic Artist Of 2022

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LA Premiere Of HBO's "Euphoria" - Arrivals
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 04: Drake attends the LA Premiere Of HBO's "Euphoria" at The Cinerama Dome on June 04, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Drake's foray into dance and electronic music helped him secure the #1 spot on Billboard's Top Dance/Electonic artists of 2022.

Drake is undoubtedly the biggest rapper in the world but in 2022, he's also America's biggest electronic artist.

Drake's latest solo album, Honestly, Nevermind was an unexpected turn for the Canadian rapper. After years of blessing fans with pop-adjacent rap hits, he turned to the world of dance music for inspiration. And the outcome was Honestly, Nevermind.

The follow-up to Certified Lover Boy divided fans upon its release. Those who prefer Drake's bars were immediately put off, safe for "Sticky" and "Jimmy Cooks." Meanwhile, there was still a legion of people who appreciated the creative leap.

LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 30: Drake attends Drake's Till Death Do Us Part rap battle on October 30, 2021 in Long Beach, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

The album secured the top spot on the Billboard 200, as you'd expect. But, compared to previous efforts, it didn't necessarily maintain a spot in the top 10. Still, the album's success can't be denied, especially as Billboard revealed its list of top dance/electronic music artists of 2022.

Drizzy officially outdid some of the biggest names in the genre for the #1 spot. Right behind him is Lady Gaga at #2, followed by The Chainsmokers (#3), Calvin Harris (#4), and Daft Punk (#5).

In addition to his newfound position at the top of the dance/electronic lists, Drizzy still secured #1 Top Rap Artists and Top Male Rap Artists categories. Additionally, Certified Lover Boy is the Top Rap Album of the year, despite dropping in September 2021.

Drake is fresh off of the release of his latest #1 album, Her Loss with 21 Savage. The project soared to the top of the Billboard 200 with over 400K copies, marking the biggest debut week in hip-hop of the year. Meanwhile, Drake is also preparing for his upcoming concerts in Harlem. OVO and Sirius XM scheduled Drake's performance at the Apollo Theater on December 6th and 7th but due to production delays, the dates were moved to January 2023.

How do you feel about Drake's position at the top of Billboard's dance/electronic artists list? Let us know in the comments.

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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