The Kid LAROI Celebrates ‘Stay’ Topping Hot 100 & Being ‘COVID Free’
UPDATE: After this story was published, The Kid LAROI tweeted that he no longer has COVID-19. His initial Instagram caption Monday said he was “locked in a room for the past 7 days” because of contracting the coronavirus, but he later tweeted: “Wow that’s so crazy just got the text I’m now COVID free now as well lol. God works in mysterious ways.”
The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber are celebrating a “really big moment” on Monday (Aug. 9): Their collaborative single “Stay” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Australian teen earns his first Hot 100 leader and Bieber his eighth after “Stay” rose 4-1 in its fourth week on the tally. And it’s a big deal around the world too: Not only is the song spending a second week atop the Billboard Global 200 chart, but LAROI is the first Australian-born solo male to top the Hot 100 since Rick Springfield with “Jessie’s Girl” more than 40 years ago.
“WOAH. number f—ing 1!!! first of all, thank you to every single one of you mfs for streaming, buying and supporting the f— out of this record & thank you to my brother @justinbieber for being apart of this and going so hard for me constantly,” he captioned a graphic of the Hot 100 via Instagram on Monday. “This is not only a big moment for me, but a really big moment for Australia. growing up all I ever wanted to do was ‘make it big’ in America and show everyone what we have to offer. it’s been a while since I’ve been back home because of COVID but truuust me I been there in spirit lol.”
The young hitmaker also took the opportunity to spotlight fellow Australian artists, including Sydney rapper Sahxl, Sydney artist/producer BLESSED, Mount Druitt-based drill rap group ONEFOUR and New South Wales-bred hip-hop artist Youngn Lipz. “I LOVE YOU I LOVE I LOVE YOU ALL FAM AND AGAIN THANK YOU SO F—IN MUCH. NONE OF WHAT I DO IS POSSIBLE WITHOUT YOU!!!!” he concluded the post.
Bieber shared his collaborator’s post on his Instagram Story, writing, “Congrats bro thank you for allowing me to be a part of it. ur the one @thekidlaroi.”
LAROI recently told Billboard around the one-year anniversary of his debut mixtape, F*ck Love, which vaulted to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 last week, about how he felt when “Stay” debuted at No. 3 on the Hot 100 last month. “It feels pretty f—ing crazy when I sit here and think about it, but I don’t really like reflecting on career highs because then you get stuck in that [mentality] and you never come out of it,” he said.
See LAROI’s celebratory post below.