What does 'ascend' mean in this sentence? Does "ascend" mean that the fans help their star get into the charts, say, Billboard Top 100, or that the fans help their star get a higher ranking in Billboard? - Fandom also entails spending. Nearly 15% of fans born since 2000 lavish at least 5,000 yuan ($707) on their favourite stars each month—about 40% more than the average urban disposable income. Sometimes they crowdfund shows of affection, such as adulatory billboards in New York’s Times Square. ***More often they help celebrities ascend online charts.*** Take Mr Xiao’s latest single—he is also a singer— “Spot of Light”.