Candace Woodson Leads a Changing of the Guard on Muzilog’s Emerging 25

“I’m Here Again” takes the No. 1 position as a new wave of artists enters the chart and several former Emerging 25 entries graduate to Muzilog’s Rising Heat 30.

The Muzilog Emerging 25 is seeing a shift, with new artists and songs starting to gain traction on Muzilog Muzik Radio. Leading the latest chart is Candace Woodson with “I’m Here Again,” which enters at No. 1. Woodson heads a Top 5 that also includes Nao Yoshioka featuring Bilal with “Shadow” at No. 2, Spice with “Soft Girl Era” at No. 3, Lamone’s “Chillz” at No. 4, and Jrome Andre’s “Still” at No. 5. Muzilog’s Rising Heat 30 tracks songs with steady weekday airplay, while the Emerging 25 highlights music that is just starting to get noticed. It spotlights new songs and those beginning to make an impact.

This difference is especially clear right now.

Candace Woodson Arrives at No. 1

Woodson’s “I’m Here Again” tops the chart as a wave of new music arrives. Its early airplay put it ahead of other new songs that are also quickly catching on with listeners and programmers.

Nao Yoshioka and Bilal follow closely with “Shadow,” while Spice’s “Soft Girl Era” enters at No. 3. Lamone takes the fourth position with “Chillz.” Usually, seeing four new songs at the top would mean the old chart leaders dropped off. But this time, many of them actually moved up to the next level.

From Emerging 25 to Rising Heat 30

The latest Rising Heat 30 shows exactly how the Emerging 25 is working as intended.

On the previous Emerging 25, Castella’s “I’m In You” was No. 1 and Dee Lucas’ “Never Go Away” was No. 2. Both records have now graduated from the Emerging chart.

On the latest Rising Heat 30, Dee Lucas has climbed to an impressive No. 4, while Castella enters at No. 12. They aren't alone. Previous Emerging entries, including Ny’a, 704 x Anthony Hamilton, Bonita Jalane, Trizzyy T, Keith D. Robinson, Ali Caldwell, Chrisette Michele, Boss Pee, Ced N’ Juene, and Perrí, have all developed enough weekday airplay to appear on the current Rising Heat 30. This movement shows why Muzilog’s chart system is growing and evolving. The Emerging 25 isn’t meant to be a final stop. For many songs, leaving the chart is actually a sign of progress.

The typical path now looks like this:

New Add → Emerging 25 → Rising Heat 30

Not every song will move through the charts at the same pace. Some may grow in special shows like Jazz Wednesdays, Gospel Hour, Reggae Mondays, or other Muzilog programs. Still, the main goal is to notice real airplay growth as it happens.

Jrome Andre Continues to Build

One artist who remains firmly in the development stage is Jrome Andre.

His single “Still” has dropped from No. 3 to No. 5 this time. Although it has moved down slightly, the song continues to receive steady airplay as new hits climb above it on the chart.

That distinction is important. “Still” continues to be played regularly and hasn't been displaced by older songs. It maintains its position in the top five Emerging records and could soon advance to Rising Heat if it continues to gain momentum. Therefore, being at No. 5 indicates the song is still growing, not losing steam.

Melba Moore Joins a Strong New Class

Veteran vocalist Melba Moore is also among the notable entries this period with “Love Wins Every Time” at No. 8. She joins Keith Eatmon’s “People Gotta Move” at No. 6, Patches Stewart’s “On My Mind” at No. 7, Darnel Alexander’s “If Only For One Night” at No. 9 and Markko Mendes’ “Calient Sun” at No. 10 to complete the latest Top 10.

Lower on the chart, new songs from Shaila Prospere, Joe Taylor, Mimi, Eric Essix, Harold Dawson, L Bernice, Sky Whatley, Kazz Kaliff x Winston Sela, Nicole Henry, and NX500 are also making their mark. At the same time, some artists from earlier Emerging charts are still growing, even if they haven’t moved up to Rising Heat yet. Heshima Moja’s “You Can Win” rises from No. 14 to No. 12, while Dani Devine’s “Who Sent You,” Leo Saffron’s “Thick Girls” and CountryAzzShina’s “Big Girl” remain represented on the chart.

A Chart Built Around Discovery

The Emerging 25 is becoming a bigger part of Muzilog Muzik Radio’s programming strategy.

Internet radio offers a unique chance to discover new music. Instead of just playing a few big releases, independent radio lets new artists, established acts with fresh songs, and music outside the mainstream all share the spotlight. However, just putting a song into rotation doesn’t show its full journey. The Emerging 25 gives an early look at which new songs are starting to get noticed. Rising Heat then tracks what happens as some of these songs gain more steady airplay.

This month’s charts show this more clearly than ever. A month ago, Castella and Dee Lucas were leading Emerging. Today, they are competing on Rising Heat.

Now Candace Woodson, Nao Yoshioka featuring Bilal, Spice, Lamone and Jrome Andre occupy the Emerging Top 5.

The real question isn’t just who will be No. 1 next time.

It’s about who will move up next.

For Muzilog Muzik Radio, that’s what the Emerging 25 is all about, spotting today’s rising songs and watching for tomorrow’s hits.

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