Melissa B. Is Keeping Her Own Billboard Receipts

Quick answer: Melissa B. is an independent R&B and pop singer, songwriter and producer with two verifiable Billboard chart marks: a No. 1 on the Hot Singles Sales chart in 2017 as the featured vocalist on Juan Cristiani’s “Dancing in the Rain,” and a No. 13 debut on R&B Digital Song Sales in 2022 with her own single, “Physical.” Some of the charts behind those wins have since been discontinued, so she has published a sourced timeline of her chart history to keep the record easy to check.

At a glance

• Artist: Melissa B. (Melissa Bailey), independent R&B/pop singer, songwriter and producer
• Roots: Born in South Carolina, raised around the world; describes herself as Afro-Rican
• 2017: “Dancing in the Rain” (Juan Cristiani featuring Melissa B.), No. 1 on Billboard Hot Singles Sales, chart dated Oct. 28, 2017
• 2022: “Physical,” No. 13 debut on Billboard R&B Digital Song Sales, chart dated April 2, 2022
• Label: Amada Records
• Latest releases: “Higher” (July 2026), “Velvet Crime” with Syreeta Thompson Trumpetlady (August 2026) and “ICE Out” (August 2026)

Why is Melissa B. documenting her own Billboard history?

Billboard retires chart products over time, and the pages for older charts don’t always load the way current charts do. For an independent artist, that creates a real problem: a milestone that was public and easy to find in 2017 can be hard to point to in 2026.

Melissa B.’s answer was to publish her own Billboard chart history page. It lists each placement under the chart name that existed at the time, gives the chart date, and links to the archived Billboard page or contemporary press coverage. It also keeps those historical marks separate from her current streaming numbers, so the two aren’t blended into one inflated figure.

It is a small move that more independent artists could copy. Labels have staff and archives to keep a paper trail. Artists who release on their own usually don’t, unless they build it themselves.

What did “Dancing in the Rain” do on the Billboard charts?

“Dancing in the Rain” was released by Uruguayan-born, New York-based musician Juan Cristiani with Melissa B. as the featured vocalist. The song climbed from No. 2 to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Singles Sales chart dated Oct. 28, 2017, according to an archived copy of that week’s chart. The chart lists it as “Juan Cristiani Featuring Melissa B.” on MajorHitRecords.

Uruguay’s El País covered the song’s run in an Oct. 13, 2017 story, while it sat at No. 2. Cristiani told the paper he wrote the song in Uruguay, that the vocals took just three hours to record, and that Melissa called him screaming with the news of the chart placement.

How did “Physical” perform?

“Physical,” released Feb. 22, 2022, is Melissa B.’s own single. It was written by B. Howard, produced by B. Howard and Kyle Beatz, and engineered by Michael Ashby, her engineer and music partner. It came out through Amada Records.

The song debuted at No. 13 on Billboard’s R&B Digital Song Sales chart dated April 2, 2022. That week it sat between Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy” at No. 12 and Doja Cat and The Weeknd’s “You Right” at No. 14.

Her archive also lists a third credit: a contribution connected to Griot B’s “Set Up,” which reached No. 36 on the Mainstream Top 40 Indicator chart dated May 1, 2021. Melissa has a Billboard plaque presented to her for that project.

Who is Melissa B.?

According to her official biography, Melissa B. was born in South Carolina and grew up in several countries. Her 2015 debut EP, Exclusively, started a catalog that now moves between R&B, pop, dance, electronic and alternative music. Her bio also lists a 2015 Hollywood Music in Media Awards win in the pop category and a Josie Music Awards nomination for Female Artist of the Year. Earlier this year, her single “ONE UP” won in the R&B category for the USA at the 2026 InterContinental Music Awards.

Outside music, she founded Girl Geek Dinners NYC, a nonprofit community that encourages young women to explore computer science and technology. Her website calls her a “Singer. Songwriter. Tech Activist.”

What do her streaming numbers look like in 2026?

Melissa B.’s Songstats profile, as cited on her site on Sept. 30, 2026, lists 92 tracks, 4.39 million Spotify streams, 7.9 million SoundCloud streams and more than 48,000 Shazams. The same snapshot counts 17 Apple Music chart appearances across 16 countries and 18 iTunes chart appearances across 12 countries.

Her dance catalog does well with DJs. Songstats records 173 Traxsource DJ chart appearances and 13 on Beatport. This month the DJ Spen and Gary Hudgins Flying Colors Mix of “Be Free” returned to Traxsource’s Overall Top 100 Albums chart. These are platform-specific counts that change as the services update, so treat them as a dated snapshot.

Where to listen and follow

• Official site: melissab.com
• Spotify: Melissa B
• Billboard: Melissa B artist page

Frequently asked questions

Who is Melissa B.?

Melissa B. is an independent R&B and pop singer, songwriter and producer on Amada Records. She was born in South Carolina, has Billboard chart history dating back to 2017 and founded Girl Geek Dinners NYC.

Did Melissa B. have a No. 1 on Billboard?

Yes. “Dancing in the Rain,” credited to Juan Cristiani featuring Melissa B., reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Singles Sales chart dated Oct. 28, 2017.

What chart did “Physical” by Melissa B. reach?

“Physical” debuted at No. 13 on Billboard’s R&B Digital Song Sales chart dated April 2, 2022.

Who produced “Physical”?

B. Howard wrote the song and produced it with Kyle Beatz. Michael Ashby engineered it.

What are Melissa B.’s newest songs?

Her 2026 releases include “Higher” (July 10), “Velvet Crime” with Syreeta Thompson Trumpetlady (Aug. 14) and “ICE Out” (Aug. 18).

Sources

• Billboard Hot Singles Sales, Oct. 28, 2017 (Internet Archive)
• Billboard R&B Digital Song Sales, April 2, 2022
• El País (Uruguay): “Un uruguayo en la cima de Billboard”
• Melissa B.: Billboard Chart History
• Melissa B.: Official biography