Chart Beat
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Lil Durk clinches a milestone 10th top 10 project on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart as Deep Thoughts opens at No. 2 on the list dated April 12. The set, released March 28 through Alamo Records, starts with 64,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. for the week ending April 3, according to Luminate.
Streaming activity fuels almost all of Deep Thoughts’ first week, with 63,000 units deriving from the sector, equaling 85.9 million official on-demand U.S. audio and video streams of the album’s songs. 1,000 units are from traditional album sales, with a negligible amount of track-equivalent unit (TEA) activity. (One unit equals the following levels of consumption: one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.)
Lil Durk, who is currently incarcerated amid federal murder-for-hire charges, lands his 10th top 10 effort two months short of his 10th anniversary on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. He arrived on the list dated June 20, 2015, when Remember My Name began at No. 2.
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Here’s a full review of the rapper’s top 10s on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart:
Album Name, Artist (if other than Lil Durk), Peak Position, Peak DateRemember My Name, No. 2, June 20, 2015Lil Durk 2X, No. 5, Aug. 13, 2016Signed to the Streets 3, No. 8, Nov. 24, 2018Love Songs 4 the Streets 2, No. 2, Aug. 17, 2019Just Cause Y’all Waited 2, No. 2, July 11, 2020The Voice, No. 1 (two weeks), Jan. 16, 2021The Voice of the Heroes, with Lil Baby, No. 1 (one week), June 19, 20217220, No. 1 (five weeks), March 26, 2022Almost Healed, No. 1 (two weeks), June 10, 2023Deep Thoughts, No. 2 (to date), April 12, 2025
Elsewhere, Deep Thoughts launches at No. 2 on the Top Rap Albums chart and at No. 3 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
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Alongside Deep Thoughts’ debut, 14 of its tracks flood the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. “Vanish Mode” leads the pack with a No. 16 start and was the album’s most-streamed track for the week, at 7.9 million clicks. Of the 14 cuts, 11 make their debut, while “Turn Up the Notch” (No. 30) and “Monitoring Me” (No. 32) return for their second weeks on the list – after each charted for one week last October – and achieve new peaks. Lastly, “Can’t Hide It,” featuring Jhene Aiko, rallies 34-24 in its second week.
Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip.
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This week: The biggest HBO drama gets big streaming numbers following its season finale, and a pair of new artists experience their first big TikTok breakouts.
‘White Lotus’ Finale, and Composer Controversy, Spur Streaming Gains
In a convergence of fictional and real-life drama, season 3 of the smash HBO series The White Lotus concluded on Sunday night (Apr. 6), during the same week in which creator Mike White engaged in a war of words with the series’ music composer Cristóbal Tapia de Veer, who announced last week that he would not returning for season 4. One conflict involved a shootout, the other included the phrase “b—h move” — and both produced significant streaming spikes for music related to the show.
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Without spoiling the end of season 3, Billy Preston’s “Nothing From Nothing” and Cathedral Singers’ “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” are both featured prominently in the finale — and while “Nothing” earned 64,000 official on-demand U.S. streams on the day after the finale premiered (Apr. 7), up 353% from the previous Monday, “Lo” scored an even greater percentage bump, up 867% to 6,600 streams following the finale, according to Luminate. Meanwhile, Tapia de Veer’s “Enlightenment (Main Title Theme),” which introduced each of the eight episodes of the Thailand-set third season, doubled in daily streams following the finale, from 27,000 streams on Mar. 31 to 55,000 streams on Apr. 7. (“Renaissance (Main Title Theme),” the season 2 theme, was also up 74% week over week.)
This will likely be the final week in which a Tapia de Veer composition introduces a new episode of The White Lotus, but who knows? Maybe White and Tapia de Veer can pull a Jacqueline and Laurie, and hug it out on a day bed. – JASON LIPSHUTZ
Lululemon Gets Hip-Hop Approval With Viral TikTok Hit “Whim Whamiee”
Atlanta-based rappers Pluto and YK Niece have completely taken over TikTok – and the rest of social media – with their infectious, viral hit “Whim Whamiee.”
Released on Feb. 3, the song features a line nodding to Lululemon, the popular athleisure fashion brand that signifies relatively high status in certain social circles. On Feb. 19, TikTok user @lifeofjordan_ shared a clip dancing to “Whim Whamiee,” specifically the lines, “He want me bad, heard he a duck, can’t get no c–chie out the queen, put some Lulu on this butt” and the “Lululemoooon” ad-lib. His clip has since earned nearly 250,000 views, helping the song take off across the app. In the weeks that followed, those lines have continued to be the song’s most popular part, but Pluto’s “I’m talkin’ ’bout in it” ad-lib during YK Niece’s verse has also gained ample traction. Just five days after he posted his TikTok (Feb. 24), the Red Mic District dropped the official live performance video for “Whim Whamiee,” further boosting the song’s profile.
During the period of Feb. 28-Mar. 6 – a little over a week following @lifeofjordan_’s post — “Whim Whamiee” earned just over 247,000 official on-demand U.S. streams, according to Luminate. Streaming activity continued to rapidly increase, with the song earning over one million official on-demand U.S. streams during the week of March 14-20, according to Luminate. By the following week (March 21-27), that figure leapt 32% to 1.38 million streams, thanks, in part, to the release of the song’s official music video. The next week (March 28-April 3), “Whim Whamiee” streams exploded 84% to over 2.5 million streams. Over the past four weeks, streaming activity for “Whim Whamiee” has risen a gobsmacking 929%.
With everyone from Latto and Alabama Barker to JT and Flo Milli co-signing the “Whim Whamiee,” the song very well could become Gen Z’s very own Lululemon theme song. Just don’t tell its founder. — KYLE DENIS
Malcolm Todd Spins “Chest Pain” Into a Certified Hit
It’s been a journey for Malcolm Todd’s latest hit — nearly half a year, to be exact.
Todd first started teasing “Chest Pain (I Love)” in his live shows last winter, with a fan account sharing one of those clips (overlayed with a seemingly studio-quality snippet of the song) in a Nov. 15 TikTok that has since been viewed over 405,000 times on the app. Four days later, Todd used that fan’s sound to share a TikTok post of him in the recording studio. This particular sound showcases the second half of the chorus — in which he repeatedly sings “I love” — gifting TikTok it’s latest viral trend.
As he did with past singles like “Comfort Me,” Todd quickly inundated his TikTok following with posts soundtracked by “Chest Pain,” specifically the part of the chorus he teased in his initial snippet. The official “Chest Pain” TikTok sound currently boasts just under 400,000 posts, while the sound attached to his initial snippet currently plays in over 1.5 million clips. Users have since used the song to pay tribute to everything that they love – from pets and home-baked cookies to relationship green flags and volleyball.
“Chest Pain” finally landed on DSPs on Dec. 4, 2024, and found a home on Todd’s eponymous debut album, which dropped April 4. Building on the success of his previous single and TikTok’s eternal penchant for heartfelt ballads, “Chest Pain” earned over 1.23 million official on-demand U.S. streams during the week of March 14-20, according to Luminate. The following week (March 21-27), streams jumped 70% to 2.1 million. The week preceding his album release (March 28-April 3), streaming activity for “Chest Pain” leapt a jaw-dropping 153% to over 5.32 million streams.
Already having peaked at No. 2 on the now-defunct TikTok Billboard Top 50, “Chest Pain” now has its sights set on even grander (and active) Billboard charts. — KD
Leon Thomas’ “Mutt” is the top dog on Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs chart (dated April 12) as it leads the list with a 3-1 jump.
On the multimetric chart, which combines streaming, radio airplay and sales data, the single improves in the former two divisions, a week after reaching new milestones thanks partly to a remix with Chris Brown.
In the tracking week of March 28-April 3, “Mutt,” released on EZMNY/Motown/ICLG, registered 13.1 million official U.S. streams, according to Luminate, a 4% gain from the prior’s week total of 12.6 million. The increase keeps the track at No. 1 on the R&B Streaming Songs chart, for a second week at the summit, while it pushes 22-16 on the all-genre Streaming Songs list. It likewise wins a second term at No. 1 on the R&B Digital Song Sales chart despite a 19% loss in digital downloads to 1,500 for the week.
Turning to the radio market, “Mutt” captured 14.7 million impressions in all-format airplay audience, up 18% from the previous week. (All radio airplay, regardless of format, contributes to a track’s rank on the Hot R&B Songs chart.) Three formats provide most of the single’s radio reach: “Mutt” steps 7-6 on Adult R&B Airplay with a 7% boost in plays for the latest tracking week compared with the week prior, climbs 15-13 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (up 16%) and rises 38-36 on Rhythmic Airplay (up 30%). Led by those improvements, the track debuts at No. 47 on the all-genre Radio Songs chart.
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While “Mutt” is Thomas’ first entry as an artist on Hot R&B Songs, the multi-talent has appeared has co-written six previous hits on the chart, including Ella Mai’s “Not Another Love Song” (No. 9 in 2020), Bryson Tiller’s “Ciao” (No. 9, 2024) and SZA’s “Snooze,” which spent 32 weeks at No. 1 in 2023-24 and won Thomas his first Grammy Award, for best R&B song.
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Now with his own material, Thomas, who wrote “Mutt” in 2022, is making inroads across several charts. In addition to conquering the Hot R&B Songs chart, his breakthrough single leaps 10-5 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and springs 28-21 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. Worldwide activity is up, too, with a 47-40 hop on the Billboard Global 200 and a 191-137 jump on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart.
The song’s parent album of the same name, meanwhile, earns a fourth week on the Top R&B Albums chart, sliding 10-12 with 12,000 equivalent album units for the week (down less than 1%).
Mumford & Sons return to the top 10 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart, as the band’s first album in over six years, Rushmere, debuts at No. 3 on the April 12-dated list. It’s the sixth top 10-charting effort for the group overall.
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The album also takes a bow in the top 10 on Top Alternative Albums (No. 2), Top Rock Albums (No. 2), Americana/Folk Albums (No. 2), Independent Albums (No. 2), Top Rock & Alternative Albums (No. 3), Vinyl Albums (No. 3) and Indie Store Album Sales (No. 5).
Elsewhere in the top 10 on the Top Album Sales chart, Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine reenters atop the list following its Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead expanded reissue, while the latest efforts from Lucy Dacus, Alison Krauss + Union Station and NAV all arrive in the region.
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Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album (TEA) units and streaming equivalent album (SEA) units.
Rushmere launches with 20,500 copies sold in the U.S. in the week ending April 3, according to Luminate. Vinyl accounts for nearly half of that sum. The set’s first-week sales were bolstered by its availability across six vinyl variants (including a signed version), four CD variants (including two signed versions), a cassette tape and a standard digital download.
Atop the chart, Ariana Grande’s 2024 album Eternal Sunshine reenters at No. 1 with 61,000 sold (up 5,338%). Its sales surge was caused by the release of its Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead expanded reissue with six previously unreleased songs. (All versions of the album, old and new, are combined for tracking and charting purposes under the title Eternal Sunshine.)
Sales of Eternal Sunshine were aided by its availability in a variety of permutations released for the Brighter Days Ahead launch. The original Eternal Sunshine album had 13 tracks, and the core Brighter Days Ahead album added six cuts: one extended version of the album-opening “Inro (End of the World)” and five new songs.
Grande’s webstore sold three exclusive variants of the download edition of the album: the 19-track edition, a version with the 19 tracks plus instrumentals of the same cuts, and another version with the 19 tracks and a cappella renditions of each cut (all with alternative cover artwork). Grande also released two vinyl variants and six CD editions of the reissue (some signed by the artist), containing the 19 tracks plus the three bonus tracks originally found on the album’s “slightly deluxe” reissues last year. Vinyl accounted for 26,000 of the set’s sales for the week – it reenters at No. 1 on the Vinyl Albums chart.
Lucy Dacus nabs her first top 10 on Top Album Sales, and with her largest sales week yet, as Forever Is a Feeling bows at No. 2 with 24,000 sold. Sales of the project were helped by its availability across nine vinyl variants (some signed), three CD variants (including a signed edition), a cassette tape and a standard download album. (Vinyl accounted for 17,500 of the album’s first-week sales. It debuts at No. 2 on the Vinyl Albums chart.)
Lady Gaga’s former leader MAYHEM falls 2-4 on Top Album Sales (nearly 10,500; down 22%), Kendrick Lamar’s chart-topping GNX dips 4-5 (almost 9,500; down 18%) and Sabrina Carpenter’s former No. 1 Short n’ Sweet rises 7-6 (just over 9,000; down 4%).
Alison Krauss and Union Station’s Arcadia – the first album from Krauss and Union Station in 14 years – debuts at No. 7 with nearly 9,000 sold. Krauss and Union Station last released a new studio project with Paper Airplane in 2011. The new set was issued across three vinyl variants, three CD variants (including a signed edition) and a standard download album.
NAV’s OMW2 Rexdale rounds out the debuts in the top 10 on Top Album Sales, as it enters at No. 8 with nearly 7,500 sold. It was available to purchase on vinyl, two CD variants (including a signed edition), four deluxe boxed sets (containing a copy of the standard CD and branded clothing), a standard download album, and eight artist webstore-exclusive variants of the download album (each with bonus tracks and alternative cover artwork).
Closing out the top 10: Selena Gomez and benny blanco’s I Said I Love You First falls 1-9 in its second week (7,000; down 90%) and Chappell Roan’s chart-topping The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess is a non-mover at No. 10 (nearly 7,000; down 4%).
Los Alegres Del Barranco’s “El Del Palenque” debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s LyricFind Global chart dated April 12 following interest in the 2021 song amid the Mexican band’s controversy over a concert during which it showed images of a cartel leader while performing the tune. The LyricFind Global and LyricFind U.S. charts rank the […]
The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week, for the upcoming Billboard Hot 100 dated April 19, we look at a number of albums threatening to end the seven-week reign of Kendrick Lamar & SZA’s “Luther” — led by a recent rival’s own runaway hit.
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Drake, “Nokia” (Santa Anna/OVO/Republic): Well at this point, it’s official: Drake has another smash on his hands. Aided by the debut last Monday (March 31) of the song’s long-awaited, IMAX-filmed music video, “Nokia” jumps from No. 7 to a new peak of No. 3 on the Hot 100 this week – now making it the biggest hit from his and PartyNextDoor’s new collaborative album $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, passing the No. 6 peak of “Gimme a Hug,” and rating as his highest-peaking hit since 2013.
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Now, it’s a question of whether it could climb those last two spots to No. 1. It’s certainly trending in the right direction, as its streaming numbers continue to climb, with the song currently sitting atop both the Apple Music real-time chart and the Spotify Daily Top Songs USA listing. It’s also been lingering near the top of the iTunes realtime chart, after rebounding to No. 2 on the Digital Song Sales chart last week. And most crucially, it’s been growing on radio, debuting at No. 44 on Radio Songs this week and trending towards the top 40 for next week (up 32% in audience from March 4-7, according to Luminate).
That last part is where it has the most ground to make up if it’s going to have any shot at unseating the current longtime frontrunner – which just happens to be from Drake’s recent opponent on the mic, Kendrick Lamar, with SZA on the seven-week No. 1 “Luther.” That song tops Radio Songs for the first time this week, and should be widening its lead on the listing next week, while also still reigning on Streaming Songs. Drake’s got the momentum, but he’s going to probably have to keep riding it for a little while to replicate his Billboard 200 unseating of Lamar a couple months ago on the Hot 100.
Alex Warren, “Ordinary” (Atlantic): One of the surprise breakout hits of 2025 has come from YouTuber-turned-performing artist Alex Warren. The California singer-songwriter has been climbing the Hot 100 in recent weeks with his ballad “Ordinary” — which first took off on TikTok, and then exploded after he performed it on a reunion episode for season eight of Netflix’s hit reality show Love Is Blind. Last week, the song became Warren’s first top 20 hit on the Hot 100, and this week, it jumps another six spots to No. 14 on the chart.
Next week, the song might have the top 10 in its sights. It continues to build on streaming, now residing in the top 10 on both the Apple Music real-time and Spotify daily charts, and has taken over the top spot on the iTunes real-time chart as well. Most crucially, radio is beginning to embrace “Ordinary,” with the song up 81% to more than four million in airplay audience March 4-7, according to Luminate, as it debuts at No. 31 on the Pop Airplay chart this week. The U.S. is just catching up to the rest of the world at this point, as “Ordinary” has already reached No. 3 on both Billboard Global charts, as well as topping the Official UK Singles chart for three weeks and counting.
BigXthaPlug feat. Bailey Zimmerman, “All the Way” (UnitedMasters): BigXthaPlug and Bailey Zimmerman have both been frequent presences on the Hot 100 the past couple years, and now both look to potentially be headed for their biggest hit yet with their new collab. “All the Way,” expected to be the lead single from an upcoming country-themed set from rapper BigX, is off to an awesome start on streaming — rating in the top five on Spotify’s daily chart and behind only “Nokia” at No. 2 on Apple Music, while its domestic drama-and-monster-trucks-themed music video leads even “Nokia” on YouTube’s trending page for Music. The song hasn’t found its radio footing yet, but if it ever does, it looks like it could easily become one of the biggest hits of spring and summer.
Morgan Wallen, “Just in Case” (Big Loud/Republic/Mercury): Morgan Wallen currently has five songs rating in the top 40 of the Hot 100 – including last year’s “Love Somebody” and Post Malone-led “I Had Some Help,” as well as newer cuts “I’m the Problem” and “I’m a Little Crazy.” But the one with the most momentum currently is probably “Just in Case,” which notches a second week in the top 10 at No. 8. this week, after debuting at No. 4. The song is still performing very well on DSPs, and has already started making inroads at radio, where it is likely to jump into the Country Airplay top 40 next week – meaning it could be peaking right around the time Wallen releases his highly anticipated fourth album I’m the Problem next month.
Lucy Dacus reaches No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums and Americana/Folk Albums charts for the first time as a soloist, debuting atop the April 12-dated surveys with Forever Is a Feeling. Dacus’ fourth solo LP bows with 30,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending April 3, according to Luminate. […]
Nashville based singer-songwriter Jamie MacDonald scores her first chart-topper on Billboard’s Christian AC Airplay survey as “Desperate” ascends three places to No. 1 on the list dated April 12.
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The single increased by 3% in plays March 28-April 3, according to Luminate. MacDonald co-authored it with Jonathan Gamble and Jordan Sapp, the latter of whom produced it.
“It’s been life changing to carry a song that’s not only bringing healing to others, but deeply healing for me, as well,” MacDonald tells Billboard. “That was a promise God gave me for my music, and it’s been incredible to finally see it happening. In my weakness, He is showing Himself to be so strong, and that verse is what I’m clinging to and rejoicing in right now.”
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Meanwhile, as “Desperate” hits the summit in its 12th week, it completes the quickest trip to No. 1 by a female artist (not counting holiday songs) since September 2018, when Lauren Daigle’s crossover smash “You Say” needed just 10 weeks to sprint to the penthouse. It went on to rule for 15 weeks.
Plus, “Desperate” is MacDonald’s first Christian AC Airplay chart entry. It’s the first rookie single to reign since last April, when Seph Schlueter’s “Counting My Blessings” led for four frames. It’s the first freshman No. 1 by a woman since Jordin Sparks’ collaboration with for King & Country, “Love Me Like I Am,” dominated for five frames beginning in February 2023.
On the Christian Airplay chart, “Desperate” pushes 6-5 for a new best (3.4 million in audience, up 1%).
Hammond, Station & Cole Command Gospel Airplay
Three veteran gospel artists – Fred Hammond, Keith Staten and Marcus Cole, joining forces as FKC – ascend to No. 1 on Gospel Airplay with “Change Your Mind.” The single increased by 8% in plays.
The three artists co-wrote the song from their album Time Capsule-The Trilogy, released last August. The LP is the first of a three-part release, with the second expected this summer.
“Change Your Mind” is Hammond’s fifth No. 1 and first since “Hallelujah” led for two weeks in July 2022. He first led with “They That Wait,” with John P. Kee, for 15 frames beginning in December 2009.
As for Staten and Cole, “Change Your Mind” marks their first appearance as solo artists, but all three were part of iconic gospel act Commissioned. The group scored 11 top 10s on Top Gospel Albums, from I’m Going On (No. 5 peak, 1985) through The Commissioned Reunion “Live” (No. 3, 2002).
For the third time — and in the second different calendar year — Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine tops the Billboard 200 this week.
The album, which originally debuted atop the chart dated Mar. 23, 2024 and spent two weeks at No. 1, returns to the apex with 137,000 units moved, according to Luminate. The album’s resurgence comes following the release of its Brighter Days Ahead deluxe edition, which boasts six bonus tracks — all of which appear on this week’s Billboard Hot 100, led by “Twilight Zone” at No. 18 — and comes with a short sci-fi film of the same name, starring Grande and her father, Edward Butera.
Do we think the commercial response validates the relatively lengthy wait for the deluxe edition? And what do we make of this mini-movie? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.
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1. Eternal Sunshine returns to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this week — a year after topping it the first time — with 137,000 units moved, following the release of the set’s Brighter Days Ahead edition. Is that performance better than, worse than, or about what you would have expected?
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Hannah Dailey: Overall, I would say that it’s even better than I expected for a deluxe edition released a full year after the original – but I did anticipate the deluxe doing well in general. I think a lot of people really underestimate just how loved this album is. I’m certainly not surprised that there’s still so much interest in it all this time later!
Kyle Denis: Much better. I assumed the album would return to the bottom half of the top 10 – especially because there’s no current radio single from the standard version and “Twilight Zone” didn’t exactly explode upon release – but to pull a six-figure total and return to No. 1 over a behemoth of a Playboi Carti album and Lil Durk’s latest set is amazing.
Lyndsey Havens: What I would expect. Ariana is a consistent chart-topper at this point, and the only thing I wouldn’t see coming is if Brighter Days Ahead fell short of the tally’s top spot. And the thing I love about this particular feat is that it wasn’t a curiosity rebound, meaning I don’t get the sense people listened only out of curiosity and then moved on. The songs on this deluxe are that good — and if Eternal Sunshine didn’t tell such a tightly knit story, they could have easily arrived then. But that’s what I love most about this deluxe; it arrived when the stories in these songs needed to be told, and when Ari was ready to tell them.
Jason Lipshutz: Better. Deluxe editions of major albums typically don’t arrive one year after the original album’s release, and considering how much of Ariana Grande’s focus has been on Wicked (and the upcoming Wicked: For Good), it’d be easy to surmise that she and her fans had moved on from Eternal Sunshine. So the fact that these deluxe tracks arrived less like a belated thank-you and more like the completion of a beloved project, with a six-figure equivalent album units total and a return to the top of the Billboard 200, represents a major win for Grande, on an occasion that she could have dismissed as minor.
Andrew Unterberger: Definitely better. This deluxe came a long time after the original album, and it feels it — since so much else happened in the interim, both in Grande’s career and pop music in general. To still have enough in interest in you and your most recent project to chart a half-dozen new songs on the Hot 100 (and none that low), while moving six digits’ worth of album units, should all feel pretty validating for Grande.
2. A year is a long time in 2025 to wait to release a proper deluxe edition of a hit album. Do you think it has proven a smart strategy for Grande, or should she have come with it a little sooner?
Hannah Dailey: I’d usually say a year is an egregiously long time to wait between an album and deluxe, but in this specific case, I think the distance was to Grande’s benefit. First of all, a lot of the big pop releases that came after Eternal Sunshine in 2024 kind of overshadowed the album and pushed it out of the general public’s consciousness a bit; waiting this long to drop the deluxe gave it more than enough space from those other releases to totally stand out and have a second chance at being a quintessential pop moment of 2025, if not 2024. Second, it was nice to have a breather from all the Wicked craziness before Eternal Sunshine Part 2. It gave us a bit of time to miss Grande before she did anything else and re-orient our brains back to thinking of her as in pop star mode, not Glinda mode.
Kyle Denis: I think it’s absolutely proven correct. She was risking serious overexposure if she launched a deluxe edition with six new songs and a movie while she was still knee-deep in Wicked press. The standard version got ample time to shine, and the deluxe now has several months – before Wicked: For Good press ramps up – to itself. It also helps that Grande put out a “slightly deluxe” version of the album in between its initial release and Brighter Days Ahead, so her Eternal Sunshine rollout has been meticulously plotted to avoid having too much Ari at one time.
Lyndsey Havens: I’m genuinely curious how much of it was strategic and how much of it was basic logistics and/or intuition. Since Eternal Sunshine has arrived, Ariana has mostly been in Wicked promo mode. For the deluxe to arrive after awards season makes perfect sense on paper. But what could make even more sense is that Ariana could have still been living in or stuck on the stories behind these songs, and all they needed was a bit more time and space. Either way, I would love if this practice is adopted more. Take SZA’s Lana, for example: Was it a stretch to call it a deluxe? Sure. But was it nice to have some space in between projects? I think so. And at the end of the day, I think the best strategy is releasing something when the artist feels it’s ready — because that’s when it will likely hit the hardest.
Jason Lipshutz: Six months ago, I would have said the latter… but as it turns out, Grande was smart to roll out these songs following Wicked campaign. A months-long awards tour made it impossible for Grande to focus on Brighter Days Ahead promotion, so if these songs had arrived in late 2024 or early 2025, there likely would have landed as more of an afterthought during a hectic time. And instead of serving them up a month or two after Eternal Sunshine’s release, Grande let the standard edition stand on its own — and “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love)” grow into one of her most enduring hits — before giving these deluxe tracks their own moment. A unique strategy for unique circumstances, but she pulled it off expertly.
Andrew Unterberger: I think it’s proving pretty smart. Intuitively I would’ve said it was a little late, but most deluxe projects come so early these days — sometimes just days, if not mere hours — after their originals that Grande actually giving some real breathing room between the two is something I’m more grateful for than I would have expected. (The songs being good also certainly helps!)
3. “Twilight Zone” is the clear leader of the new tracks from the reissue on the Hot 100 this week, debuting at No. 18. Does it feel like a long-lasting hit to you, or will it fall once the reissue’s early momentum wears off?
Hannah Dailey: It definitely sounds like a hit to me, and I love how it adds to the narrative of the rest of the album. I predict that it’ll be a slow grower – it’s not the splashiest-sounding pop song, but it’s one that’s been getting randomly stuck in my head repeatedly ever since it came out, and I’m guessing I’m not the only one. I think that people will continue to keep coming back to it more and more over the next few weeks.
Kyle Denis: I think it depends on how much Grande is willing to do for the song. If it gets a standalone video and some kind of live performance, I can see “Twilight Zone” sticking around the charts as a cute springtime hit. If she lets these songs sit and shifts her focus back to Wicked, I anticipate “Twilight Zone” falling a bit faster than the average Grande single.
Lyndsey Havens: What’s crazy to me is while all five of the new tracks compete for the title of my favorite, “Twilight Zone” doesn’t often lead the list. It’s almost like each new song is better than the last, as I loved “Warm” but then “Dandelion” (the horn!) into “Past Life” into “Hampstead” is just an incredible run. But I do think “Twilight Zone” is the most sonically linked to Eternal Sunshine, which is why it was the perfect track to open the deluxe — and maybe why it’s connecting the most right now.
Jason Lipshutz: I think “Twilight Zone” is actually in for a pretty lengthy run, based on three things: the quality of the song, Grande’s established presence at top 40, and the fact that no new non-Wicked music is on the horizon. “Twilight Zone” travels down the same cozy synth-n-B path as “We Can’t Be Friends,” and streaming playlist curators and radio programmers should embrace it pretty quickly; the Wicked For Good campaign will dominate Grande’s focus during the second half of the year, so even if Eternal Sunshine tumbles back down the Billboard 200, this song will stand as her traditional pop bid in the months leading up to the film.
Andrew Unterberger: It does feel like a hit to me, but I’m not sure that it actually will be. Top 40 is just embracing so few new songs from anyone these days — even from proven hitmakers like Grande — and I’m not sure if the format will cut into its Benson Boone or Gracie Abrams spins for this deluxe edition song, especially if Grande isn’t really gonna push it herself. I hope it does, though — or that it finds footing enough on streaming to be a long-lasting hit there — because it certainly does deserve to have that kind of endurance.
4. In addition to the new songs, Brighter Days Ahead comes with an accompanying short film of the same name, featuring many of the album’s tracks. Does the mini-film add much to the album era/experience to you?
Hannah Dailey: Honestly, the short film didn’t do much for me by way of enhancing the album. I more just love to see Grande marrying her loves for music and acting in a way that clearly makes her feel really fulfilled creatively, and in general it was nice to have something extra to end the Eternal Sunshine era on a grander note.
Kyle Denis: In some ways, yes. Longtime Grande fans are very aware of how rocky her relationship with her father has been throughout her career, so to see him make a cameo in the film as the doctor who uses music to put her back together after the press tore her to shreds… that was an unbelievably beautiful full-circle moment. Brighter Days Ahead is also easily the strongest distillation of Grande’s creative pysche that she’s offered so far; her beloved horror elements are on full display, and the film’s throughlines help emphasize the message of Eternal Sunshine and flaunt her dramatic acting skills. While the pacing was a bit clunky, the short film only leaves me more excited to see where Grande (and Christian Breslauer, or perhaps a different collaborator?) goes next visually.
Lyndsey Havens: Only in the sense that it’s a great metric for fans to understand that in this case, similar to what I said above, this deluxe isn’t necessarily a strategic play. Creating and delivering a short film to accompany these new tracks only proves how much of a story is baked into them, and how moved Ariana felt to not only tell that story, but bring her fans into it, in more ways than one.
Jason Lipshutz: The short film adds a compelling visual element to the Eternal Sunshine deluxe edition, but ultimately, “Twilight Zone” transcends the greater context around it, just like prior Hot 100 chart-toppers “Yes And” and “We Can’t Be Friends.” Grande has spent time over the past eight years re-positioning herself as a traditional albums artist after breaking through with a string of hit singles beginning in 2013… but full-length statements like Thank U, Next, Positions and Eternal Sunshine still contain those hits, and her latest album is defined by those radio-ready standout moments. If the short film better exemplifies the tone of Eternal Sunshine, Grande’s latest chart hit prolongs the era with more powerful commercial intent.
Andrew Unterberger: I can’t be mad at any music video with real ambition (and a real budget!) in 2025.
5. Has your relationship with or view of Eternal Sunshine changed any over the past year from when it was released?
Hannah Dailey: I loved Eternal Sunshine on my very first play-through, and I have loved it (and listened to it on, at minimum, a weekly basis) ever since. To me, it still represents Grande in a place of full creative liberation – you can hear that she made these songs, both original and deluxe, not because she had to, but simply because she had music and words inside of her that desperately needed to come out in the studio. If anything, I’ve come to accept more since its release that this could very likely be the last album we get from her in a long time as she shifts her focus to acting, which makes listening to it a little more bittersweet.
Kyle Denis: I already loved it upon release, and I’ve only grown to appreciate it more. Eternal Sunshine is now officially my favorite Ari album. She’s really settled into post-Imogen Heap/Brandy lane that suits her damn-near perfectly.
Lyndsey Havens: Hm, not really. I think another benefit of releasing a deluxe so long after the album itself is that it can reignite interest. While I listened to Eternal Sunshine on loop for months after it came out, naturally that fades with time and with more and more new music always incoming. So, while my love for the album never waned, this deluxe has only helped strengthen my relationship with it once again. And now, perhaps unfortunately for me, it’s only left me wanting even more.
Jason Lipshutz: Definitely — after previously considering Eternal Sunshine a mid-tier Grande project, the album’s emotional maturity has resonated with me in a clear way in the months following its release. The Brighter Days Ahead songs have underlined the overall project’s tone and purpose — so, chart performance aside, the deluxe edition has been an unequivocal success.
Andrew Unterberger: Not really, but I do have more of a belief now that it will go down as a classic album and a major part of her legacy.
Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs sub-genre charts (dated April 12, 2025) have arrived, spotlighting a variety of format stars across the four new rankings.
The surveys — Hot Regional Mexican Songs, Hot Latin Pop Songs, Hot Latin Rhythm Songs and Hot Tropical Songs — celebrate the accomplishments of Latin artists based on the same multimetric methodology (official U.S. audio and video streaming, radio airplay and sales) used for the pan-genre Hot Latin Songs chart and the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, with data provided by Luminate.
Bad Bunny doubles up, dominating Hot Latin Rhythm Songs with “DTMF” and Hot Tropical Songs with “Baile Inolvidable.” Selena Gomez, Benny Blanco and The Marías join forces to rule Hot Latin Pop Songs with “Ojos Tristes,” and Fuerza Regida and Grupo Frontera claim the top spot on Hot Regional Mexican Songs with “Me Jalo.”
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Here’s a deeper look at the four charts’ first leaders, which, notably, take the top four spots on Hot Latin Songs.
Bad Bunny Best on Latin Rhythm, Tropical
Bad Bunny’s “DTMF” is No. 1 on the Hot Latin Rhythm Songs chart with 9.6 million official U.S. streams from March 28 to April 3. On the radio front, the song drew 5.4 million audience impressions — up 18% week-over-week.
“DTMF” also tops the Hot Latin Songs chart for a 12th week, having become the superstar’s sweet 16th No. 1. It’s his sixth song to reign for at least a dozen weeks.
Benito’s “Baile Inolvidable,” meanwhile, tops the first Hot Tropical Songs chart, with 8.3 million streams and 6.1 million in radio reach. The track ranks at No. 4 on Hot Latin Songs, after previously reaching No. 2 on the chart.
Gomez, Blanco & Marías Top Latin Pop
Selena Gomez, Benny Blanco and The Marías’ “Ojos Tristes” crowns Hot Latin Pop Songs fueled by strong streaming and airplay gains. The track, a modern reinterpretation of Jeanette’s British-Spanish classic “El Muchacho De Los Ojos Tristes,” drew 8.7 million U.S. official streams, up 5%. It’s also beginning on radio, with 506,000 in audience.
“Ojos Tristes” ascends from No. 4 to No. 3 in its second week on Hot Latin Songs.
Fuerza Regida, Grupo Frontera Rule Regional Mexican
Fuerza Regida and Grupo Frontera’s “Me Jalo” starts atop the Hot Regional Mexican Songs chart, just one week after simultaneously leading both the Latin Airplay and Regional Mexican Airplay charts. The collab collected 8.1 million streams and 7.5 million in radio audience over the last week. It rises 3-2 for a new high on Hot Latin Songs.