Southern California-based singer-songwriter Steve Lacy has been making music since his teens, not only as a solo act and guitarist for alternative R&B band The Internet, but also as a producer who’s worked with such acts as Denzel Curry, Kendrick Lamar, Ravyn Lenae, Solange, Mac Miller and Vampire Weekend. But it’s his monster hit “Bad Habit”, from his second album Gemini Rights, that’s finally catapulted the 24-year old to stardom. Not only is it his first song as a solo artist to chart in the U.S., it’s gone all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, also becoming the first song ever to simultaneously top the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Hot R&B Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs charts. And this week, it also tops my own Top 30 chart.

It’s a sweet song, with lyrics directed to someone he finds attractive, but thinking he wasn’t good enough, never had to courage to make a move: “I bite my tongue, it’s a bad habit. Kinda mad that I didn’t take a stab at it. Thought you were too good for me, my dear. Never gave me time of day, my dear. It’s okay, things happen for reasons that I think are sure, yeah.” But later in the song, he calls her out for toying with his emotions: “You grabbin’ me hard ’cause you know what you found. It’s biscuits, it’s gravy, babe.” It has an irresistible lo-fi funk-pop vibe, and as someone on YouTube put it so perfectly, it’s “one of those songs that feels nostalgic even though it’s new”.

In other chart developments, “Cracker Island” by Gorillaz, featuring Thundercat, finally enters the top 10 at #7, and three songs make their debut at #s 28-30: “Tippa My Tongue” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers (which just reached #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, but took a while to click with me), “Natural Born Killer” by Highly Suspect, and “Tonight” by Phoenix, featuring Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend. I didn’t care for their odd previous single “Alpha Zulu”, but really like “Tonight”, and Ezra Koenig’s pleasing vocals are a nice addition.

1. BAD HABIT – Steve Lacy (3)
2. BOY – The Killers (1)
3. HERE TO FOREVER – Death Cab for Cutie (2)
4. SEX, DRUGS, ETC. – Beach Weather (4)
5. MY BABE – Spoon (5)
6. PLEASE WRITE RESPONSIBLY – Granfalloon (7)
7. CRACKER ISLAND – Gorillaz featuring Thundercat (11)
8. TEK IT – Cafuné (6)
9. SUPERMODEL – Måneskin (8)
10. BONES – Imagine Dragons (9)
11. PART OF THE BAND – The 1975 (10)
12. PARTY4ONE – dwi (16)
13. FREE – Florence + the Machine (13)
14. SOMETHING LOUD – Jimmy Eat World (14)
15. WET DREAM – Wet Leg (19)
16. SISTERS – pMad (18)
17. THESE ARE THE DAYS – Inhaler (21)
18. THE ECHO – A.A. Williams (22)
19. BITTER – Wild Horse (20)
20. BROKEN RECORD – NAVE (12)
21. SPIT OF YOU – Sam Fender (24)
22. WHITE HORSES – Art Block (25)
23. CREST OF THE WAVE – Foals (26)
24. I LIKE YOU (A HAPPIER SONG) – Post Malone & Doja Cat (27)
25. UNTIL I FOUND YOU – Stephen Sanchez (15)
26. GIANTS – WALK THE MOON (17)
27. WEIRD GOODBYES – The National featuring Bon Iver (30)
28. TIPPA MY TONGUE – Red Hot Chili Peppers (N)
29. NATURAL BORN KILLER – Highly Suspect (N)
30. TONIGHT – Phoenix featuring Ezra Koenig (N)