KWN Makes History as the First Artist to Hit #1 on the R&B UK Chart

The category is music charts history!

British recording artist KWN made music history earlier this week when she became the first artist to hit Number 1 on the UK’s recently launched Official R&B UK Chart.

KWN took the top spot with her provocative, sultry R&B track “good girl,” featured on her latest album, and all pride aside.

On the NSFW track, KWN seamlessly glides over the guitar-driven R&B production, playfully calling her lover a “good girl.” She pairs her sleek vocal inflections with clever, tongue-in-cheek lyrics as heard in one line where she sings to her lover, “Don’t wanna crash but I’m Hulk-smashing it.”

 

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In celebration of the song reaching the top spot, KWN took to Instagram to share a carousel of photos, including one of her holding an award presented by the Official UK Charts, a screenshot of her song at No. 1 on the charts, and a throwback photo of her as a young girl at the piano.

She left a lengthy, emotion-filled caption to go with the photos, saying, “Wow. My first #1. First ever R&B UK chart and it’s ME! HELLO! TWICE!!!” she wrote, calling the achievement “history. HERstory!!!!”

She continued by reflecting on the challenges she faced two years ago, writing that she was “lowkey on the verge of giving up” on her career while also revealing a brief battle with depression over her career trajectory, but credited her manager @akaceecee and her supporters for helping her persevere.

She also thanked @bennyhenny and @honeywoodsix for their work on the track and paid tribute to the R&B artists who paved the way before her. “They walked so we could run,” she wrote.

The East London-born singer said she remains focused on learning, perfecting her craft, and taking creative risks, adding: “Nothing is impossible, man. I live for this shit. Eat, sleep and breathe this music.”

She concluded by thanking @officialcharts, @djace and her fans, saying: “I would NOT be here without you all.”

The inaugural chart, created in partnership with Everything R&B, aims to champion and grow the UK’s burgeoning R&B scene by spotlighting a new generation of homegrown artists who are building engaged audiences across streaming, social media and live music.

The chart ranks the UK’s top 20 R&B singles by British artists, spanning a diverse range of subgenres, including alternative R&B, neo-soul, R&B-pop, soul-infused rap and the genre’s evolving underground scene.

KWN’s claim to the number one spot comes as little surprise given the impact she has made on the global R&B scene in recent years.

Before her industry success, the 26-year-old spent her youth getting familiar with music through her father, a DJ who introduced her to a wide variety of genres, including R&B, pop, garage, house, and African music.

Her childhood love of music led her to attend East London Arts & Music at 16, where she began taking her musical ambitions more seriously.

Years later in 2022, she inked her first record deal with Black Butter Records in debuting with the single “wn way or another”. While at the label, she also released her debut EP “Episode Wn”

KWN’s rising profile led to an ongoing working relationship with fellow R&B singer Kehlani, where she joined Kehlani as an opening act on the European and UK leg of her Crash World Tour, performing in cities including London, Manchester, Paris and Amsterdam.

That same year, on Valentine’s Day, the duo released a remix of KWN’s “Worst Behavior,” which was praised by fans and critics alike. The remix ultimately outperformed the original, amassing more than 16 million official on-demand streams in the U.S. within its first month of release.

Following the success of “Worst Behavior,” KWN went on to release two studio albums, With All Due Respect and And All Pride Aside, through RCA Records and Wnway Limited.

Her growing list of accolades includes a 2025 BET Awards nomination for Best New International Act, a BBC Radio 1 Sound of 2026 nomination, and multiple 2026 Ivor Novello and BRIT Awards nominations. Her track “Do What I Say” has also earned several MOBO Awards nominations, including Best Newcomer, Best Female Act, Best R&B/Soul and Song of the Year.

Next, KWN is set to hit the road with two headline shows, billed as “KWN: WN Night Only,” at History in Toronto and Coca-Cola Roxy in Atlanta.