Genius Presents: The Month In Lyrics (April 2021)

Every day, millions of music fans come to Genius to find the deeper meaning behind the lyrics of their favorite artists, from rappers to pop singers to country stars. Our Top Songs Chart reflects what the world is listening to all day, every day. In 2021, we’re continuing to crunch numbers and compile the Month in Lyrics to show what music is catching fans' eyes and ears the most.

The data is broken down into the following categories each month: Top Artists, Top Songs, Top Lyrics, and Top Albums.

With the first of her re-recorded albums, Fearless (Taylor’s Version) dropping in early April with new songs from her vault, Taylor Swift easily won the month against light competition. In fact, the No. 2 artist (Eminem) didn’t even release new music. However, new albums from Demi Lovato and BROCKHAMPTON landed both acts in the Top 5.

Two rappers who made a major mark last year unleashed the first single from their upcoming albums this month, helping each make a mark on the lower reaches of the Top Artists chart. Chicago’s Polo G hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with his latest single, “RAPSTAR,” giving his stock a major boost on Genius. Meanwhile, Doja Cat recruited SZA for “Kiss Me More” and racked up an impressive 450,000 pageviews in the process, more than half of her 717,000 monthly total

Italian rapper Gue Pequeno was able to stand out in a quiet month with the release of his new project, Fast Life 4, while ​twenty one pilots also landed in the Top 20 after releasing their first new material of 2021.

Although Polo G topped the Hot 100 chart, “RAPSTAR” couldn’t quite muster up enough pageviews to surpass Lil Nas X’s juggernaut “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” on this month’s Top Songs chart. Instead, it tied Olivia Rodrigo’s single, “deja vu,” with both songs earning 671,000 pageviews. Taylor Swift turned heads with a belated take on her onetime relationship with Joe Jonas on “Mr. Perfectly Fine,” which landed at No. 4, while Silk Sonic’s slow-burning hit, “Leave the Door Open,” hit No. 5

Although it was released on April 29, Billie Eilish’s latest single, “Your Power,” managed an impressive 499,000 pageviews in less than two days, anticipation is high for her upcoming sophomore album, Happier Than Ever. New albums from Demi Lovato and Young Thug’s Young Stoner Life Records earned both acts a pair of Top 20 berths, while BROCKHAMPTON’s latest album produced a single charting entry—“COUNT ON ME.”

One of the month’s standout hip-hop tracks was “Who I Smoke,” a raucous posse cut from rising Florida rappers Spinabenz, Yungeen Ace, FastMoney Goon, and Whoppa Wit Da Choppa. The song heavily samples Vanessa Carlton’s piano-driven 2002 hit, “A Thousand Miles,” and achieved viral success on social media.

BROCKHAMPTON may have seen lower album sales for their latest project, ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE, but interest on Genius was strong enough to propel them to No. 1 for the month. They outpaced Demi Lovato’s confessional post-overdose album, Dancing With the Devil… The Art of Starting Over, as well as the re-recorded version of Taylor Swift’s 2008 album, Fearless.

At No. 6 is DMX: The Ruffy Ryder, a compilation of songs from the late DMX. The New York rapper passed away on April 9, and fans flocked to Genius to revisit his catalog of hits from the late ‘90s and early 2000s.

Lower down the chart is Khaled Khaled, the latest high-profile collaboration project from DJ Khaled. Released on the last day of the month, the album is likely to make a bigger impact on Genius in May.

Billie Eilish’s “Your Power” addresses hot-button topics like grooming and sexual abuse, and fans came to Genius for more information about the meaning behind the song’s dark lyrics.

Fans also sought to decode Taylor Swift’s “Mr. Perfectly Fine,” a song she first recorded for her 2008 album, Fearless, but never released. Many believe she wrote the song about her then-boyfriend, Joe Jonas.

Although the “Who I Smoke” posse cut is set over a rollicking Vanessa Carlton sample, the four Florida rappers on the track have no shortage of tough-talking bars. The song’s chorus is a middle finger to their deceased enemies, something many fans wanted to learn more about.