Bebe Rexha is celebrating a new Number One song on the Billboard dance charts, an achievement that’s especially meaningful after going independent earlier this year.
On Instagram Tuesday, May 5, Rexha announced that her single, “New Religion,” had topped the Billboard Dance/Airplay and U.S. Dance Radio charts. “First I wanna say to the fans this isn’t just my win. This is our win,” she wrote.
As Rexha explained, this achievement meant “more to me than any other accolade I’ve ever received because I’m doing this on my own terms.” She continued: “Going independent was so scary, I honestly thought it was over for me. I know that sounds dramatic but the last 7 years were a battle and I was suffering in silence.”
Rexha enjoyed a string of successful pop EDM hits and collaborations in the mid-2010s, but in January she revealed that her longtime label, Warner Music, had decided to part ways with her. Her Instagram post today included a tearful video recorded earlier this year, in which she reacted to the devastating news and expressed uncertainty about what was next.
After parting with Warner, Rexha signed a deal with Empire, an independent distribution company, that also offers some label and publishing services. In March, she released “New Religion,” her first single as an independent artist, while also announcing a new album, Dirty Blonde (out June 12).
Along with now topping those dance charts, “New Religion” has cracked the Top 40 on several other charts, including digital song sales, pop airplay, and hot dance/pop songs.
“[N]ow I’m free and I’m surrounded by people who celebrate and uplift me,” Rexha wrote on Instagram. “Thank you @empire for being my backbone. This feels like a rebirth and the sick thing is, we’re just getting started.”
Steve Cohen*
