The most exciting action on next week's Hot 100 might belong to a song not yet on the chart: Swift's "Shake It Off." The song barely misses this week's list, fueled by its first two days of airplay; still, it enters Radio Songs at No. 45 with 29 million in all-format audience. Because the Hot 100's sales and streaming tracking weeks run Monday through Sunday, while airplay covers a Wednesday-Tuesday schedule, only the song's airplay counts toward this week's Hot 100; next week, once sales and streaming join the mix, "Shake" should battle for No. 1. With industry sources suggesting that the high-energy lead single from 1989 (due Oct. 27) could debut with 425,000-450,000 downloads sold, Swift could shake all the way to No. 1 next week.
She might actually get that #1debut. Sweet Jesus!
