The race to the top of the music charts is more serious to musicians than it seems on the surface. Winning the #1 spot on the Billboard charts is not just a great accolade to decorate one's Wikipedia page, but it is also a card to play in the boardroom while trying to grab more ownership and creative control in an artist’s career. More often than not, therefore, this race leads to clashes and rivalries in the industry. And that is precisely what has been happening with Travis Scott and Sabrina Carpenter. 

As their chart-topping results have come out, Billboard’s credibility and methods for ranking artists have been called into question.

Travis Scott and Sabrina Carpenter recently found themselves going head-to-head with their new music, which they both dropped around the same time. When the results got out, Carpenter, with her first album since becoming TikTok’s favorite popstar, 'Short n’ Sweet,' got the #1 spot on the Billboard charts by just about 1,000 units, while Scott’s mixtape 'DAYS BEFORE RODEO' landed in second. This prompted Scott’s label, Cactus Jack, to call Billboard’s methods “unreliable and incomplete,” according to a Vulture report.

An anonymous representative allegedly sent a letter to Vulture, questioning Billboard’s data tracking process and claiming they had missed “an extremely high volume of orders” in their count. The label also alleged a similar issue happened with 'UTOPIA', but they managed to iron things out back then. The strangest accusation, though, was that the Luminate employee they tried to sort this issue with used to work for Carpenter’s label, Island Records, and hence, was biased. 

Ye Officially Enters the Travis Scott vs. Sabrina Carpenter Charts War, Picks Sides With the ‘Days Before Rodeo’ Artist

While this could all just be sour grapes from an upset artist’s label trying to explain a loss, there have indeed been some strange happenings before the chart results.

Right in the heat of the competition between Sabrina Carpenter and Travis Scott, Billboard decided to put the results of the chart showdown on hold. This unusual delay had fans thinking something fishy was going on with the results. They worried that the rapper might once again end up being deprived of his glory, like has been the case with his Grammy chase. 

Many were even convinced the delayed results would bring nothing good for Scott, and there are chances that the rules might be bent overnight just because the rapper is involved. A few, however, held on to hope that they would catch any funny business pulled by Billboard or Luminate in this race. Scott’s fanbase vowed not to accept the results if it did not have the rapper on the top, claiming that any other outcome would mean there had been a foul play. And it seems, they have stuck to that notion. 

Sabrina Carpenter Humbles Travis Scott to Match This Insane The Beatles Record on Billboard Hot 100

What do you think about Travis Scott's label's accusations? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!