Kevin Ross Says ‘Love in the Middle’ Going No. 1 Is ‘A Win for the Ecosystem of Indie R&B’
The song is his latest Adult R&B Airplay chart topper.
Eight years since he first reached No. 1, Kevin Ross reclaims the summit of Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart with “Love in the Middle.” The single, released on Art Society Music Group (AMG)/EMPIRE, jumps from No. 4 after a 12% gain in plays that made it the most-played song on panel-contributing adult R&B stations in the United States for the tracking week of June 27-July 3, according to Luminate.
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Thanks to the 12% week-over-week increase, “Love in the Middle” wins the Greatest Gainer honor, awarded to the song with the week’s biggest gain in plays. The new No. 1 replaces Chris Brown’s “Residuals,” which departs the top spot after its third, nonconsecutive week, following a two-week command in April.
Before “Love in the Middle,” Ross ruled the Adult R&B Airplay chart with “Long Song Away,” a two-week leader in April 2017. As the prior hit occurred during his tenure with Motown/Capitol Records, the singer-songwriter enjoys his first No. 1 on an independent label, a fact he relishes. “This is my first [No.] 1 as an independent artist,” Ross tells Billboard.” This one means so much more. It’s bigger than me, this is a win for the ecosystem of indie R&B.”
“Love in the Middle” completes a string of improved results for Ross on Adult R&B Airplay. After the chart-topping “Long Song Away,” his next two appearances both landed in the top 20, but his last three entries have all cracked the top 10: “Looking for Love” reached No. 9 in November 2021, while “Sweet Release” and “Look My Way” both peaked at No. 8 in February and July of 2023, respectively.
Elsewhere, “Love in the Middle” climbs 20-19 to a new peak on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which ranks songs by combined audience totals from adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop stations. There, the track registered 4.5 million in audience, up 16% from its previous week.
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