GENER8ION and Yung Lean Debut on Billboard Hot 100 with “Storm II” Following VMA Performance
GENER8ION and Yung Lean’s collaborative track “Storm II” debuted at No. 93 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated Oct. 17, driven by a surge in streaming numbers after their viral live performance at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 27. Released in April via Iconoclast Music, the song secured 3.1 million chart-eligible U.S. streams during the Oct. 2-8 tracking week, marking a 30% increase from the previous week as reported by Luminate data.
The single’s chart entry follows an immediate post-VMA streaming spike. The track surged 369% from 508,000 streams between Sept. 18-24 to 2.4 million streams between Sept. 25-Oct. 1, Yahoo reported. Weekly tracking figures supplied by Billboard show steady growth leading up to the awards appearance, rising from 173,000 streams in late August to 373,000 streams by mid-September before the dramatic broadcast-fueled acceleration.
During the Sept. 27 ceremony broadcast live on CBS and Paramount+, Yung Lean and a large troupe of dancers recreated the music video for “Storm II” at the front of the stage, according to Rolling Stone and The Brief. At the opening of the live performance, Yung Lean picked up a silver Moon Person trophy, walked to the main stage, and smashed the statuette on the ground as reported by Rolling Stone. The performance concluded with the rapper spitting a blue ice cream cone directly into the camera lens, causing the broadcast frame to turn blue, as detailed by The Brief.
The staging mirrored the official music video directed by Romain Gavras, which is set at a British boarding school in 2034 and features Yung Lean acting as a bully among classmates executing synchronized choreography by Damien Jalet. The visual received four VMA nominations: Video of the Year, Best Choreography for Jalet, Best Direction for Gavras, and Best Long-Form Video, placing it in a competitive category against major artists including Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Sabrina Carpenter, and Madonna, as noted by Rolling Stone.
The track marks multiple career milestones for its creators. For French producer GENER8ION, who also records as Surkin, “Storm II” delivers his first career Hot 100 entry. For Yung Lean, the single represents his second Hot 100 appearance and his first in a lead role, following his feature alongside Dave Chappelle on Travis Scott’s “Parasail,” which peaked at No. 53 in 2023.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Chart Debut of “Storm II”
What were the exact streaming numbers for “Storm II” before and after the VMAs?
According to data from Luminate cited by Yahoo, the track garnered 173,000 streams between Aug. 28 and Sept. 3, 215,000 streams from Sept. 4 to 10, and 373,000 streams from Sept. 11 to 17. Following the build-up, streams jumped to 508,000 between Sept. 18 and 24, spiked to 2.4 million between Sept. 25 and Oct. 1 following the VMAs, and reached 3.1 million streams during the Oct. 2-8 tracking week.
Which specific awards was the “Storm” visual nominated for at the MTV Video Music Awards?
Rolling Stone reported that the project received four nominations at the ceremony: Video of the Year, Best Direction for Romain Gavras, Best Choreography for Damien Jalet, and Best Long-Form Video.
What previous remix credits does producer GENER8ION hold on the Billboard charts?
Yahoo noted that GENER8ION, who also records under the moniker Surkin, previously created official remixes for Hot 100 hits including Usher’s 2012 single “Scream” and Charli XCX’s 2014 single “Boom Clap,” in addition to working on tracks for M.I.A., Justice, and Klaxons.
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