Chart Beat
Page: 3
Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department finished 2024 as the most popular album of the year in the U.S., according to music data tracking company Luminate. Meanwhile, the most-streamed song by on-demand audio streams was Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” and the most-heard song on the radio was Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control.”
Total music consumption in the U.S. – as measured in audio equivalent album units – increased by 5.6% in 2024. (View Luminate’s 2024 Year-End Music Report.)
See Luminate’s year-end top 10 albums, along with other year-end rankings and industry volume numbers, below.
But first, the fine print:
Equivalent album units – for album titles and chart rankings cited below (but not industry volume numbers) – comprise traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album, or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. Album titles and album chart rankings by equivalent album units do not include user-generated content (UGC) streams, but UGC streams are included in Luminate’s industry volume numbers. (UGC streams are not factored into any of Billboard’s weekly charts.)
For the sake of clarity, equivalent album units do not include listening to music on broadcast radio or digital radio broadcasts – including programmed streams – operating under Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) regulations. All numbers cited in this story are rounded, and reflect U.S. consumption only.
Luminate’s equivalent album unit totals include SEA and TEA for an album’s songs registered before an album’s release, but during the tracking period of Dec. 29, 2023, through Jan. 2, 2025.
Luminate began tracking music sales in 1991 when the company was known as SoundScan. Luminate’s sales, streaming and airplay data is used to compile Billboard’s weekly charts. Luminate’s 2024 tracking year ran from Dec. 29, 2023, through Jan. 2, 2025.
Luminate’s 2024 tracking year contained 53 weeks, instead of the usual 52 weeks. So, for 2024 volume comparisons to 2023, a corresponding 53-week period was used by Luminate for 2023: Dec. 30, 2022, through Jan. 4, 2024.
Highlights from Luminate’s 2024 U.S. year-end data:
Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department was Luminate’s top album of 2024 in the U.S. It’s the third time Swift has led the year-end list. She was also tops with 1989 (in 2014) and Fearless (in 2009).
Poets earned 6.955 million equivalent album units in 2024 in the U.S., according to Luminate. That’s the biggest yearly total for an album since 2015, when Adele’s third album, 25, earned 8.008 million units.
Swift is the first artist in Luminate history (1991-present) to have three different albums be a year-end No. 1.
Poets was also the top-selling album overall in the U.S. in 2024, by traditional album sales. It was also the top-selling album in each of CD, vinyl and cassette tape formats, as well as among digital download albums.
Total U.S. audio album consumption increased 5.6% in 2024.
U.S. on-demand audio streams increased 6.4% in 2024.
Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” was the most-streamed song in the U.S. in 2024 by on-demand audio streams: 912.7 million.
U.S. vinyl album sales increased by 4.3% in 2024.
Seven of the year’s top 10-selling albums were K-pop projects.
Digital track sales declined for a 12th year in a row in the U.S. in 2024.
Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” was the biggest song at U.S. radio in 2024: 3.250 billion audience impressions.
Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart dated May 4, 2024, and has spent 17 nonconsecutive weeks atop the tally (through its most recent week at No. 1 on the chart dated Dec. 21). The last album by a woman to spend as many weeks at No. 1 was Adele’s 21, which earned 24 nonconsecutive weeks on top in 2011-12.
Poets is the third Swift album to be named Luminate’s year-end No. 1 album, following 1989 (2014) and Fearless (2009). In both 2014 and 2009, the year-end list was based solely on traditional album sales. In 2015, the year-end ranking started being based on equivalent album units.
Since Luminate began electronically tracking music consumption in 1991, Swift is the first artist to have three different albums be Luminate’s year-end No. 1. Adele is the only other act to have the year-end top album in three different years, but Adele did it with two albums: 21 (2011-12) and 25 (2015).
Poets is the first album not by a solo male to be Luminate’s year-end No. 1 since 2015, when Adele’s 25 was tops.
Poets earned 6.955 million equivalent album units in 2024 in the U.S., according to Luminate. That’s the biggest yearly total for an album since 2015, when Adele’s third album, 25, earned 8.008 million units. (Previous to Poets, the last album to clear 6 million units in a single year was 25.)
Half of Poets’ 2024 units was generated by traditional album sales (3.491 million of 6.955 million) – via purchases of physical (CD, cassette and vinyl) and digital download albums. Streaming equivalent album (SEA) units comprise 3.434 million and track equivalent album (TEA) units comprise 30,000. Poets was also the most-streamed album of 2024, by total on-demand official streams generated by its songs, with 4.490 billion streams.
Poets was initially released on April 19 as a standard 16-song digital download album, as well as in an array of 17-song physical configurations. Two hours after the album dropped, Swift issued an expanded 31-song edition of the album, dubbed The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology, which added 15 additional songs. However, the Anthology edition was only available as a digital download and streaming set until Nov. 29, when its CD and vinyl editions became available for purchase exclusively through Target. The Target CD and vinyl additionally boast four bonus acoustic tracks (which were previously released in other alternate versions of the album). All told, more than 40 variants of Poets were released to U.S. customers in 2024, across CD, vinyl, cassette and digital download album versions.
Poets yielded 10 top-10 charting songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including the No. 1 “Fortnight,” featuring Post Malone.
Rounding out Luminate’s year-end top 10 albums are titles by Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter, SZA, Billie Eilish, Noah Kahan, Chappell Roan, Zach Bryan, and Future and Metro Boomin.
TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2024 IN U.S., BY TOTAL EQUIVALENT ALBUM UNITS1. Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department (6.955 million)2. Morgan Wallen, One Thing at a Time (3.183 million)3. Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet (2.491 million)4. SZA, SOS (2.473 million)5. Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard and Soft (2.259 million)6. Noah Kahan, Stick Season (2.213 million)7. Chappell Roan, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (1.946 million)8. Morgan Wallen, Dangerous: The Double Album (1.895 million)9. Zach Bryan, Zach Bryan (1.723 million)10. Future & Metro Boomin, We Don’t Trust You (1.606 million)Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 29, 2023, through Jan. 2, 2025. UGC streams are not included in this chart, but are included in Luminate’s on-demand streaming charts (below).
TOTAL U.S. AUDIO ALBUM CONSUMPTION INCREASES 5.6%: Audio equivalent album units increased by 5.6% in 2024, to 1.1 billion. For this figure, audio equivalent album units comprise traditional album sales (excluding independent retail sales*), track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA, excluding video streams). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported on-demand official audio streams generated by songs from an album, or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio streams generated by songs from an album.
*Note: There was a change in methodology behind Luminate’s independent retail store reporting beginning in January 2024, and, in turn, independent retail physical sales under the new methodology for 2024 are isolated and no trending analysis is provided versus 2023. So, any year-over-year album sales volume excludes independent retail physical sales, including the “total U.S. audio album consumption” figure above. Independent retail sales are included in all figures for individual album titles throughout this story.
TAYLOR SWIFT’S ‘TORTURED POETS’ IS 2024’S TOP-SELLING ALBUM: Poets is also by far the top-selling album of 2024, with 3.491 million copies sold across all configurations (physical and digital purchases combined: CD, vinyl LP, cassette, digital download album). That makes it the highest-selling album of any calendar year in the U.S. since 2015, when Adele’s 25 sold 7.441 million copies. See the top 10-selling albums, below.
Poets’ sales were so big that it outsold the year’s Nos. 2-8 top sellers combined.
TOP 10-SELLING ALBUMS OF 2024 IN U.S. (PHYSICAL & DIGITAL SALES COMBINED)1. Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department (3.491 million)2. Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard and Soft (570,000)3. Travis Scott, Days Before Rodeo (493,000)4. Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet (484,000)5. Chappell Roan, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (472,000)6. Stray Kids, ATE (449,000)7. Taylor Swift, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (414,000)8. ENHYPEN, Romance: Untold (378,000)9. Taylor Swift, Lover (343,000)10. Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter (329,000)Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 29, 2023, through Jan. 2, 2025.
An album by Swift has been the year’s top-seller in seven of the last 11 years: Poets in 2024, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) in 2023, Midnights in 2022, Folklore in 2020, Lover in 2019, Reputation in 2017 and 1989 in 2014. She also had the year’s top seller in 2009 with Fearless. Swift is the only act to have the top-selling album of the year at least eight times since Luminate began tracking sales in 1991.
Poets was also the year’s top-selling album on CD (1.512 million), vinyl (1.489 million), digital download (465,000) and cassette (24,000).
As mentioned earlier in this story, Poets was available across more than 40 different variants in the U.S. in 2024 – helping its sales figures. In total, there have been 15 CD editions, seven vinyl variants, four cassettes, and 19 digital download versions. Most versions contain at least one bonus track (ranging from bonus studio songs to acoustic or live renditions of songs from the album).
Taylor Swift sold the most albums of any act in 2024 in the U.S., as her collected catalog of albums sold 6.003 million copies (across all configurations, physical and digital combined). The second-biggest act, by album sales in 2024, was Stray Kids, with 1.009 million sold. Swift and Stray Kids were also the Nos. 1 and 2-selling acts, by album sales, in 2023.
PHYSICAL & DIGITAL ALBUM SALES DECLINE: Luminate reports that physical album sales – excluding independent retail store sales – declined 1% in 2024 to 55.6 million. (Indie store sales are excluded from this year-over-year album sales volume comparisons due to a methodology change, as noted earlier in this story, behind Luminate’s independent retail store reporting in 2024 versus 2023.) Digital album sales fell 9.5% in 2024 to 16.8 million.
VINYL ALBUM SALES INCREASE 4.3%: Luminate’s year-end report reveals that U.S. vinyl album sales increased 4.3% in 2024 as compared to 2023, when excluding independent retail store sales (due to the methodology change noted above in this story). In 2023, industry-wide, vinyl sales increased for an 18th consecutive year.
TOP 10-SELLING VINYL ALBUMS OF 2024 IN U.S.1. Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department (1.489 million)2. Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard and Soft (340,000)3. Chappell Roan, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (336,000)4. Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet (291,000)5. Taylor Swift, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (200,000)6. Taylor Swift, Folklore (267,000)7. Taylor Swift, Midnights (188,000)8. Taylor Swift, Lover (185,000)9. Fleetwood Mac, Rumours (178,000)10. Olivia Rodrigo, Guts (175,000)Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 29, 2023, through Jan. 2, 2025.
The Tortured Poets Department was the top-selling vinyl LP of 2024, with 1.489 million sold – more than four times the number of copies that the second-biggest vinyl set of the year, Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft, sold: 340,000. Poets is only the second album to sell a million copies on vinyl in a calendar year since Luminate started tracking sales in 1991. Swift’s own 1989 (Taylor’s Version) was the first, in 2023, with 1.014 million copies sold on wax that year.
Poets scored the single-largest sales week for a vinyl album in the modern era (since Luminate began tracking data in 1991) with its opening sales week of 859,000.
Swift finished 2024 with five of the top 10-selling vinyl albums. Further, her catalog of albums sold 2.935 million copies on vinyl in 2024 – the most of any artist. (Billie Eilish was the second-biggest selling act on vinyl in 2024, with 520,000 sold.)
K-POP CONTINUES TO DOMINATE CD TOP SELLERS: Seven of the year’s top 10-selling CD albums are by K-pop acts, while efforts from Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish are the lone non-K-pop projects among the top 10 best sellers. Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department is the top-selling CD album, with 1.512 million copies sold. A year ago, seven of the top 10 sellers were also K-pop titles. All of the titles in the 2024 year-end top 10 ranking below profit from their availability across multiple collectible editions aimed at superfans.
TOP 10-SELLING CD ALBUMS OF 2024 IN U.S.1. Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department (1,512,000)2. Stray Kids, ATE (442,000)3. ENHYPEN, Romance: Untold (363,000)4. ATEEZ, GOLDEN HOUR: Part.1 (250,000)5. Stray Kids, HOP (248,000)6. TOMORROW X TOGETHER, minisode 3: TOMORROW (240,000)7. ATEEZ, GOLDEN HOUR: Part. 2 (225,000)8. Taylor Swift, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (175,000)9. TWICE, With YOU-th (174,000)10. Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard and Soft (165,000)Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 29, 2023, through Jan. 2, 2025.
ON-DEMAND AUDIO STREAMS UP 6.4%: Total U.S. on-demand audio streams (inclusive of UGC streams) grew 6.4% in 2024 to 1.4 trillion. (Note: UGC streams are included in Luminate’s industry streaming on-demand volume numbers and its year-end streaming song charts. UGC streams are not factored into any of Billboard’s weekly charts.)
TOP 10 MOST STREAMED SONGS OF 2024 IN U.S., ON-DEMAND AUDIO1. Shaboozey, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (912.7 million)2. Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us” (823.5 million)3. Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen, “I Had Some Help” (822.9 million)4. Benson Boone, “Beautiful Things” (800.5 million)5. Teddy Swims, “Lose Control” (785.8 million)6. Sabrina Carpenter, “Espresso” (758.9 million)7. Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves, “I Remember Everything” (739.5 million)8. Tommy Richman, “Million Dollar Baby” (731.3 million)9. Billie Eilish, “Birds of a Feather” (660.7 million)10. Hozier, “Too Sweet” (630.9 million)Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 29, 2023, through Jan. 2, 2025. Includes UGC streams.
DIGITAL TRACK SALES DROP FOR 12TH YEAR IN A ROW: Digital track sales declined for a 12th year in a row, falling 12.8% to 118.77 million in 2024 (down from 136.20 million in the comparable 53-week period of 2023). The top-selling digital song of 2024 was Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” with 480,000 sold. It was the third year in a row that no song sold at least a half-million downloads. Prior to 2022, it last happened in the early days of downloading, in 2004 (the first full year of the iTunes Store, which launched in mid-2003).
2024 also marks the third year in a row that no song sold at least 1 million downloads. Before 2022, the industry last had a year without a million-selling download in 2005.
TOP 10-SELLING DIGITAL SONGS OF 2024 IN U.S.1. Shaboozey, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (480,000)2. Teddy Swims, “Lose Control” (311,000)3. Benson Boone, “Beautiful Things” (293,000)4. Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen, “I Had Some Help” (252,000)5. Beyoncé, “Texas Hold ‘Em” (192,000)6. Hozier, “Too Sweet” (162,000)7. Jelly Roll, “I Am Not Okay” (152,000)8. Jimin, “Who” (131,000)9. Sabrina Carpenter, “Espresso” (125,000)10. Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us” (121,000)Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 29, 2023, through Jan. 2, 2025.
TEDDY SWIMS’ ‘LOSE CONTROL’ DOMINATED AIRWAVES: Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” was the most popular song on radio in 2024, with 3.260 billion audience impressions earned across all monitored radio stations in the U.S. Audience impressions are measured by cross-referencing plays with Mediabase, Nielsen Audio and/or Luminate Metro Radio Streaming audience data – i.e., a play of a song on a top-rated New York station at 8 a.m. on a Monday has more listeners (audience) than an overnight weekend play in a smaller city.
TOP 10 RADIO SONGS OF 2024 IN U.S. (BASED ON AUDIENCE IMPRESSIONS)1. Teddy Swims, “Lose Control” (3.250 billion)2. Shaboozey, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (2.767 billion)3. Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen, “I Had Some Help” (2.591 billion)4. Benson Boone, “Beautiful Things” (2.565 billion)5. Hozier, “Too Sweet” (2.436 billion)6. Jack Harlow, “Lovin’ On Me” (2.325 billion)7. Sabrina Carpenter, “Espresso” (2.253 billion)8. Doja Cat, “Agora Hills” (2.098 billion)9. Taylor Swift, “Cruel Summer” (2.054 billion)10. Luke Combs, “Fast Car” (1.993 billion)Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 29, 2023, through Jan. 2, 2025.
It’s four years in a row for Taylor Swift, with the U.S. pop icon dominating Australia’s year-end charts once again, according to data published by ARIA
Swift has once more found her way to the top of the ARIA Top 100 Albums Chart, this time off the back of her massively-successful eleventh album, April’s The Tortured Poets Department. With results undeniably bolstered by her seven local shows as part of the record-setting Eras Tour, Swift is a constant presence in the year-end charts, making up 40% of the top ten.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
While The Tortured Poets Department sits at No. 1, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) appears at No. 5, with Lover at No. 7, and Midnights rounding it out at No. 10. Overall, she makes up 11% of the entire Top 100, with original or re-recorded versions of her entire discography (save for her self-titled debut) placed across the top 68 positions. Her 2014 album 1989 doubles up thanks to its original version placing at No. 68.
Trending on Billboard
It’s not a far cry from the results of last year either, where 1989 (Taylor’s Version) reigned supreme and was joined by the likes of The Weeknd, Morgan Wallen, SZA, and Harry Styles. In 2024, the top ten is rounded out by Billie Eilish‘s Hit Me Hard And Soft, Sabrina Carpenter‘s Short n’ Sweet, The Weeknd’s The Highlights, SZA’s SOS, Wallen’s One Thing At A Time, and Olivia Rodrigo‘s Guts.
The singles chart, however, belongs to U.S. singer-songwriter Benson Boone, whose “Beautiful Things” spent six weeks at No. 1 and has rarely been absent from the top ten since it first debuted. Boone’s success isn’t limited to Australia, with the track having topped numerous charts globally, and peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Shaboozey‘s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” holds the silver medal position, with Carpenter’s “Espresso” closing out the podium finishes. Noah Kahan‘s “Stick Season” and Teddy Swims‘ “Lose Control” round out the top five, with Eilish’s “Birds Of A Feather” following closely behind. Irish musician Hozier‘s “Too Sweet” prevents a clean sweep for American artists, however, with his single hitting No. 8.
Swift’s influence also extends to the Singles Chart, with 2019’s “Cruel Summer” hitting No. 9 off the back of its 2023 viral success and single release. Miley Cyrus‘ “Flowers”, which topped the chart last year, also makes a return appearance, albeit relegated to a respectable No. 39.
Of note, however, is the lack of Australian artists that make up the Albums and Singles Charts. In the latter category, just 5% are home-grown, with Vance Joy’s 2013 single “Riptide” leading the charge at No. 24. Cyril’s reimagining of Suzi Quatro’s “Stumblin’ In” can be found at No. 29, while DJ and producer Dom Dolla‘s “Saving Up” splits the field at No. 50. The Kid LAROI closes out the local representation with “Nights Like This” featuring at No. 84, and his 2021 Justin Bieber collaboration “Stay” in at No. 96.
The Albums Charts, however, boasts only three Australian names – with only one being a studio release. While South Australian veterans Cold Chisel can be found at No. 44 with their 50 Years – The Best Of compilation, so too can INXS‘ Diamond-certified The Very Best be located down at No. 81. The Kid LAROI is once again the only point of difference, with his debut album – 2023’s The First Time – hitting No. 67.
Check out ARIA’s year-end singles and albums charts.
ROSÉ and Bruno Mars’ “APT.” joins the lofty company of BTS’ “Dynamite” as the only songs by acts prominent in K-pop (Korean pop) to have reached the top five on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart. “APT.” ascends two spots to No. 5 on the latest, Jan. 18-dated Pop Airplay chart. “Dynamite” peaked at No. 5 on […]
For the fourth time in four tries this decade, Lil Baby has the No. 1 album in the country.
The rap star’s latest, WHAM (which stands for Who Hard as Me), bows atop the Billboard 200 this week (dated Jan. 18) with 140,000 first-week units. It follows the No. 1 debuts of 2020’s My Turn, 2021’s The Voice of the Heroes (with Lil Durk) and 2022’s It’s Only Me — albeit with the lowest first-week number of the four sets, and only one track debuting in the Billboard Hot 100‘s top 40: the Future and Young Thug collab “Dum, Dumb and Dumber” (No. 16).
What does the album bow mean for Lil Baby’s stardom? And what should he be focusing more on with his future album releases? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
1. WHAM debuts at No. 1 with 140,000 equivalent album units moved. On a scale from 1-10, how happy do you think Lil Baby should be with that first-week performance?
Trending on Billboard
Kyle Denis: A strong 8. Pulling a six-figure opening week is nothing to scoff at, and Lil Baby has done it with his last three studio albums. WHAM’s numbers are even more impressive when you consider that the album doesn’t include any of the three solo standalone singles (“5AM,” “Insecurities” and “Touchdown”) he dropped leading up to the record’s full release. Given the lukewarm reception to WHAM online from casual and devoted fans alike, WHAM’s first-week performance is a triumph for Baby.
Carl Lamarre: 10. I’m beyond elated if I’m Baby, because the internet wasn’t thinking too fondly of my release. Plus, I escaped Bad Bunny by a millisecond after he dropped his album two days after mine. For Baby, he’s no longer the indomitable force he was after his volcanic opus My Turn blitzed the industry in 2020. There’s no reason why LiAngelo Ball, an overnight success, should generate more traction than an established superstar like Baby to start the calendar year. Despite those glaring concerns, Baby ended up on top, and that’s what matters most.
Jason Lipshutz: A 7. Releasing an album in the opening week of the year can be a little dicey, as listeners divert their attentions away from Christmas music and refocus following their holiday breaks. Lil Baby placed a bet on being the biggest game in town once the calendar flipped over to 2025, and sure enough, he snagged another No. 1 debut — with a lower equivalent album units total than 2022’s It’s Only Me, but with a track list roughly half as long as its predecessor hampering streams a bit, so a six-figure bow is pretty impressive.
Michael Saponara: I think he’s gotta be at a 9. To outsell Bad Bunny and debut at No. 1 after Baby’s 2024 singles weren’t generating a ton of buzz is a major W.
Andrew Unterberger: At least an 8. Yes, things might’ve tilted differently if Bad Bunny had a full first week to work with, but the fact that Benito made such a late charge and Baby still ended up on top — while also eclipsing SZA’s revitalized SOS blockbuster — is no small feat, and speaks to the rapper’s continued resonance.
2. The star-studded “Dum, Dumb and Dumber” with Future and Young Thug is the set’s top debut on the Billboard Hot 100, entering in the top 20. Does it feel like a long-lasting hit, or is it mostly bowing so high on the strength of its guest list?
Kyle Denis: This doesn’t feel like a long-lasting hit to me, and it feels particularly tepid for Thugger’s first post-prison verse. I’d be surprised if any of the WHAM songs stick around and become hits on the level of “We Paid” or “Sum 2 Prove.” Maybe the Dominique album will fare better in that arena.
Carl Lamarre: The more I listen to it, the more I like it, but I don’t see it having the endurance of being a long-lasting hit. A torrid Future coming off three No. 1 albums in ’24 alongside Thug’s first post-jail verse should be enough to blow the top off any record, but I don’t think these guys really brought their A-game this time. It felt more like a scrimmage versus a full-throttled performance.
Jason Lipshutz: Although it might never climb higher on the Hot 100 than its current peak, I think it’s going to endure. “Dum, Dumb and Dumber” was obviously newsworthy as Young Thug’s return to the microphone, but Lil Baby and Future match his level of urgency on the track; the beat, co-produced by Wheezy, wails and pummels, letting all three stars rise toward its intensity without relenting for a chorus. That lack of a hook might limit its crossover potential, but I’d bet on “Dum, Dumb and Dumber” continuing to accrue millions of streams and dominate hip-hop playlists in the coming months.
Michael Saponara: Young Thug’s first spotlighted verse since being released from jail combined with a Future reunion is a formula for commercial success. Baby capitalized on the moment and it’s a solid three-man weave between the Atlanta trio, but I don’t see it having a ton of staying power in the Hot 100’s top 25.
Andrew Unterberger: It’s a strong song, and I don’t think it’s going to disappear from the culture completely, but I dunno if it really has enough of a hook — either in terms of a chorus or just an overall narrative coherence — to really keep listeners coming back. It’s great to hear those three voices together on a track again, though, no doubt.
3. Bad Bunny debuts just underneath Baby with his new set Debí Tirar Más Fotos, which notches 122,000 in an incomplete first week. Given that the album was released on a Sunday, already a full two days into the tracking week, do you think it’ll have a good shot at climbing to No. 1 on next week’s chart?
Kyle Denis: Absolutely. Bad Bunny dropped a compelling project, and it’s resonating with people as several songs on the album morph into breakout streaming hits around the world. Between viral quotes from a Rolling Stone interview, an NYC subway takeover, a short film, and co-hosting The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Bad Bunny has been extremely present throughout the past week, which will only help the second-week performance of Debí Tirar Más Fotos. Of course, Benito is also getting a lot of good press for his innovative approach to ticketing for his upcoming Puerto Rico residency.
But this record also already has much more positive word of mouth than his last LP, 2023’s Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana, and that’s probably the clearest sign that DTMF momentum is just getting started.
Carl Lamarre: I don’t see Baby’s album securing another week at No. 1 for this cycle. The fact that Bunny was only 18,000 units shy of sealing another No. 1 album after an incomplete week is telling, and worrisome for Camp Baby. There’s more chatter surrounding Bunny’s album because of the storytelling, the chances he took sonically, and the ingenious rollout. Bunny’s Rolling Stone interview and recent subway performance with Jimmy Fallon resonated more with people than Baby’s conversation with Charlamagne and his late-night outings.
Jason Lipshutz: Definitely. If you take a peek at daily streaming charts, Bad Bunny’s new album is not just performing strongly but seems to be gaining momentum, with the crackling “DtMF” leading a slew of tracks that will likely fly up the Hot 100 chart next week. The Sunday release helped prevent Bad Bunny from scoring another No. 1 album himself, but he’s got a great shot at getting there next week, especially considering that there are no new Lil Baby-sized debuts to for Debí Tirar Más Fotos to compete with.
Michael Saponara: Yeah, Bad Bunny should do another solid number next week as the tracks are still streaming well across DSPs. However, Mac Miller’s posthumous Balloonerism arrives on Friday (Jan. 17) which could interrupt Benito’s run at No. 1 pretty quickly should he claim the top spot next week.
Andrew Unterberger: Yeah it certainly should be considered a frontrunner to claim the top spot in the next couple weeks. Really cool to see Bad Bunny on track to another enduring full-length, in the wintertime no less.
4. Lil Baby’s career momentum has been trending somewhat in the wrong direction since the 2020 breakthrough of My Turn made him one of the biggest stars in hip-hop. Does WHAM and the early reception to it give you confidence that he can turn that around?
Kyle Denis: My biggest gripe with WHAM is how Baby is seemingly unwilling to deviate from the formula established with his mixtapes and first three albums. The record lacks standout moments, but it’s not a poor collection of songs – he’s just not pushing himself in meaningful or interesting ways. As it stands, Wham tells me that Baby is okay not fulfilling the role of “generation leader” that many tried to cast him in back in 2020. I think Baby has the talent to turn his momentum around, but it’s probably more of a matter of how happy he is with where he’s currently at.
Carl Lamarre: For Baby to land back-to-back No. 1 albums despite falling flat musically speaks a lot to his fanbase. They still believe in him because of his Herculean effort on My Turn. In 2020, he accomplished what few fail to do in the modern-day rap era: conquer the charts and, more importantly, the hearts of listeners. That’s why fans of artists like Roddy Ricch still have hope, as he achieved that same feat with his 2019 debut album. But, like Roddy, Baby is possibly down to his last strike after failing to connect on his previous two projects.
Jason Lipshutz: Lil Baby is an interesting case study in 2020s hip-hop, where an artist can score multiple No. 1 albums and top 10 Hot 100 hits, remain a constant presence on New Music Friday through solo tracks and collaborations, command a sizable touring audience, and yet simultaneously feel like momentum is flagging because the genre is so focused on new voices and achievements. Over the past half-decade, Lil Baby has hunkered down on a winning formula, but also hasn’t taken the artistic chances that can help superstars grow into icons. The chart-topping success of WHAM is in line with what he’s done in the past, and there’s nothing wrong with those commercial wins — but taking the next step as a leader in hip-hop may require an evolution.
Michael Saponara: Turn it around to the level of 2019-2021 Lil Baby? No, but WHAM is a step in the right direction. The test will come next month as Baby already said his Dominique album is slated to arrive in February. Is the appetite for another solo body of work there just a month out? As the great Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast, my friend!”
Andrew Unterberger: It shows me that he still has the fan support that if he ever does release the right project to turn things around, it won’t be too late for him to actually do so. I don’t think this is necessarily the project for that though — it’s solid, but doesn’t really advance his artistry or sound in any meaningful way, so it seems unlikely to have an extensive impact outside of that core fanbase.
5. If you could advise Lil Baby on his next release, is there any particular direction or area of focus you’d recommend he zero in on? Anything to really recapture the excitement of his turn-of-the-‘20s run?
Kyle Denis: Lock in with one executive producer – either Section 8, Twysted Genius, or someone brand new – and try to get back to the headspace that made you sound so voracious on your biggest and best records. And keep making sure those tracklists are tight and concise, WHAM was a good step in that direction.
Carl Lamarre: I would ease down on the Autotune and tap more into his heartfelt bag like he did the intro and outro of WHAM. I thought “Listen Up” and “Streets Colder” showed flashes of the old Baby regarding candor and vulnerability. That’s what made songs like “Emotionally Scarred” and “The Bigger Picture” instant classics upon first listen. Ultimately, he could be back in everyone’s good graces if he can connect the dots and inject that same pathos into his bars on the next album.
Jason Lipshutz: I find it interesting that “The Bigger Picture” — a smart, incisive single that captured the energy around the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests — has yet to receive a proper follow-up, or anything too overtly political, from Lil Baby. Maybe he’s not interested in that lane, but his level of thoughtfulness, refined flow and broad appeal would help him dominate it, if he so chooses.
Michael Saponara: Instead of coming back next month with another solo project, I’d say to finish the joint album he teased with Future and mix in some Young Thug. I think that would really galvanize his fan base and put the rest of the rap game on notice while holding his own with a pair of his heavyweight ATL peers.
Andrew Unterberger: The answer is almost always “focus” — make an album that feels a little more purposeful in its songs, track ordering, guest list and overall messaging. I might also encourage Baby to do a team-up album with a younger, ascending rap star, someone who can maybe challenge him a little and get him a little more motivated to prove himself and his continued supremacy.
Tina Campbell achieves her first solo chart-topper on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart (dated Jan. 18) with “Pray for Me.” The song, which climbs two spots to the top, advanced by 9% in plays during the Jan. 3-9 tracking week, according to Luminate. Campbell, who is half of the sibling duo Mary Mary with her older […]
LiAngelo Ball is officially a Billboard Hot 100-charting artist, as his breakthrough viral hit, “Tweaker,” debuts at No. 29 on the Jan. 18-dated chart.
The song debuts almost entirely from its streaming sum: 12.4 million official streams in the U.S. in the Jan. 3-9 tracking week, according to Luminate. It also sold 2,000 downloads. The song concurrently tips off at No. 7 on Hot Rap Songs and No. 9 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
Ball is one-third of the famed Ball brothers, the sons of Big Baller Brand co-founder Lavar Ball. Eldest son, Lonzo Ball, was the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft and is now the starting point guard for the Chicago Bulls. The youngest son, LaMelo Ball, was the third pick in the 2020 NBA draft and is now the starting point guard for the Charlotte Hornets — he was voted rookie of the year in 2021 and named an all-star in 2022. LiAngelo, the middle child, played basketball in Lithuania and Mexico, but hasn’t made the NBA. He is, however, the first of the siblings to score a Billboard chart hit.
Trending on Billboard
LiAngelo released “Tweaker” on Jan. 3 via Born to Ball Music Group, and it almost immediately went viral. The song has already soundtracked nearly 30,000 clips on TikTok. His upward momentum even earned him a slot to perform at Rolling Loud California 2025 in March. The song also helped him, reportedly, sign a deal with Def Jam/Universal Music Group.
LiAngelo isn’t the first basketball star to reach Billboard’s charts. Shaquille O’Neal charted five Hot 100 hits in the 1990s: “What’s Up Doc? (Can We Rock),” with Fu-Schnickens (No. 39 peak in 1993); “(I Know I Got) Skillz” (No. 35, 1993); “I’m Outstanding” (No. 47, 1994); “Biological Didn’t Bother” (No. 78, 1995); and “Men of Steel,” with Ice Cube, B-Real, Peter Gunz and KRS-One (No. 82, 1997). He has also charted four albums on the Billboard 200: Shaq Diesel (No. 25, 1993); Shaq-Fu: Da Return (No. 67, 1994); You Can’t Stop the Reign (No. 82, 1996); and Respect (No. 58, 1998).
Milwaukee Bucks point guard Damian Lillard, who raps under the name Dame D.O.L.L.A., has also charted an album on the Billboard 200: The Letter O reached No. 119 in 2016. During a postgame interview on Jan. 8 with ESPN’s Michael Eaves, Lillard co-signed LiAngelo’s “Tweaker.”
“I rock with it, man,” he said. “I’ve been hearing it a lot, it gives me that 2003, 2004 vibe. … And as an artist, you gotta respect other people’s artistry, and when something is going, it’s going. … I’m happy for him, it’s a big record, you’re hearing it everywhere.”
Billboard’s Hot Dance/Pop Songs chart (dated Jan. 18) premieres this week led by Tate McRae’s “It’s OK I’m OK” at No. 1.
As previously announced, the 15-position chart ranks the most popular current dance/pop titles, featuring titles with dance-centric vocals, melody and hooks by artists not rooted in the dance/electronic genre, ranked by streaming activity by online music sources tracked by Luminate; radio airplay audience impressions as measured by Mediabase and provided by Luminate; and sales data as compiled by Luminate.
“It’s OK I’m OK” tops the chart thanks to 22.3 million radio airplay audience impressions and 4.7 million official U.S. streams in the Jan. 3-9 tracking week.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Charli XCX follows at Nos 2, 3, 4 and 6 with “Apple,” “360,” “Guess” (featuring Billie Eilish) and “Sympathy Is a Knife” (featuring Ariana Grande), respectively, all from her album Brat.
Trending on Billboard
Rounding out the top 10 of the inaugural Hot Dance/Pop Songs chart, The Weeknd and Anitta’s “Sao Paolo” ranks at No. 5, Betsy and Maria Yankovskaya’s viral “Sigma Boy” starts at No. 7, bbno$’s “Two” places at No. 8, Katy Perry’s “I’m Him, He’s Mine” (featuring Doechii) ranks at No. 9 and Kesha’s “Joyride” is No. 10.
Billboard’s revamped Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart also takes effect this week. The 25-position list ranks the most popular current dance/electronic songs, billed to DJs, producers and long-standing core artists in the dance/electronic genre, with an emphasis on electronic-based production.
Marshmello and Kane Brown’s “Miles On It” rules Hot Dance/Electronic Songs for a 35th week, with 16.7 million radio airplay audience impressions, 7.3 million U.S. streams and 1,000 sold. It’s the fourth longest-leading No. 1 in the chart’s 12-year history, after Marshmello and Bastille’s “Happier” (69 weeks at No. 1 in 2018-20); David Guetta and Bebe Rexha’s “I’m Good (Blue)” (55 weeks, 2022-23); and Elton John and Dua Lipa’s “Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)” (36 weeks, 2021-22).
Elsewhere in the top five: Guetta, Alphaville and Ava Max’s “Forever Young” (No. 2), Chrystal’s “The Days” (No. 3), Adam Port and Stryv’s “Move” (featuring Malachiii; No. 4) and Snow Strippers’ “Under Your Spell” (No. 5).
Meanwhile, on the Top Dance Albums chart (whose name switches from Top Dance/Electronic Albums as of this week), Charli XCX’s Brat spends a 31st week at No. 1 – encompassing its entire run on the ranking – with 20,000 equivalent album units.
Mary J. Blige enters a select club as just the fourth artist to earn at least 10 No. 1s on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart. The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul achieves the feat on the list dated Jan. 18, as “You Ain’t the Only One” rises 3-1 to become her 10th career leader on the […]
Bad Bunny makes history on Billboard’s latest charts (dated Jan. 18), thanks to the arrival of his new studio album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos.
The album launches at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 122,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in its opening week, according to Luminate. The set arrived Sunday. Jan. 5, so its opening week figure is from just five days of activity (with Billboard’s chart tracking week running each Friday through Thursday).
Despite its mid-week release, all 17 songs from the album chart on the Billboard Hot 100, led by the set’s opening track “Nuevayol” at No. 27. Below is a recap (all are debuts except where noted).
Rank, Title:
Trending on Billboard
No. 27, “Nuavayol”
No. 28, “Baile Inolvidable”
No. 36, “Voy a Llevarte Pa’ PR”
No. 37, “El Clúb” (up from No. 89; new peak)
No. 38, “DtMF”
No. 43, “Veldá,” with Omar Courtz & Dei V
No. 45, “Perfumito Nuevo,” with RaiNao
No. 52, “Weltita,” with Chuwi
No. 54, “EoO”
No. 59, “Ketu Tecré”
No. 60, “Pitorro de Coco” (up from No. 91; new peak)
No. 66, “Kloufrens”
No. 69, “Bokete”
No. 77, “Turista”
No. 83, “Café con Ron,” with Los Pleneros de la Cresta
No. 94, “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii”
No. 95, “La Mudanza”
(Bad Bunny has an 18th song on the latest Hot 100: “Qué Pasaría…,” with Rauw Alejandro, ranks at No. 72.)
With 15 debuts, Bad Bunny ups his career total from 98 to 113 career Hot 100-charted songs. He becomes the 20th artist to join the 100 Hot 100 hits club, and the first who primarily records Latin music.
Here’s a look at every artist with 100 or more Hot 100 hits, through the chart dated Jan. 18.
Total Hot 100 Entries, Artist:
338, Drake
264, Taylor Swift
218, Future
207, Glee cast
187, Lil Wayne
161, Kanye West
155, Lil Baby
149, Nicki Minaj
119, Travis Scott
118, Chris Brown
113, Bad Bunny
112, Eminem
111, Lil Uzi Vert
109, Elvis Presley (whose career predates the Hot 100’s August 1958 start)
106, Beyoncé
105, 21 Savage
105, Jay-Z
105, Justin Bieber
104, The Weeknd
104, YoungBoy Never Broke Again
Of Bad Bunny’s 113 Hot 100 hits, 41 have reached the top 40; 12 have hit the top 10; and one rose to No. 1: “I Like It,” with Cardi B and J Balvin, in 2018.
Bad Bunny also pushes his total to a record-extending 189 career Hot Latin Songs chart entries.
While it’s rare for artists to chart a triple-digit total of Hot 100 appearance, it has become a more regular occurrence since the chart began including streaming data in 2007. As such, some artists have been able to chart a high number of songs after releasing high-profile albums. The model contrasts with prior decades, when acts generally promoted one single at a time in the physical-only marketplace and on radio. That shift in consumption helps explain why artists have been able to log many songs over short spans in recent years.
Bad Bunny banks his ninth straight No. 1 project on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart as DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS debuts atop the Jan. 18-dated list. The 17-track set also opens at No. 2 on the overall Billboard 200, No. 1 on the Top Streaming Albums, and No. 1 on the Latin Rhythm Albums charts.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS launches at No. 1 on Top Latin Albums with 122,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. during the Jan. 3-9 tracking week, according to Luminate. The set was released Jan. 5 via Rimas Entertainment, two days after the beginning of the tracking week which runs weekly Friday through Thursday. Thus, it arrives with five days of activity instead of the usual seven days.
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS was available via streamers and through download services to purchase. The download version available on Benito’s webstore and the iTunes Store for $4.99. A physical version of the album has not been released. Of the album’s starting total, 8,000 units come from album sales, enough for a No. 6 start on the overall Top Album Sales chart. The set is the only Latin album to appear on the chart’s top 10 since Ivan Cornejo’s Mirada debuted at No. 9 with 9,000 copies sold in August 2024.
Trending on Billboard
Streaming activity contributes 113,500 units which represents 152.6 million official on-demand streams of the 17 songs on the album. The sum yields the largest streaming week for a Latin album in over a year, since Bad Bunny’s own Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va A Pasar Mañana launched at No. 1 on Top Streaming Albums with 239.56 million on-demand official streams for its songs (Oct. 28, 2023-dated chart). Track-equivalent album units comprise the remaining 500 units of DeBÍ’s first week sum.
With DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, Bad Bunny lands his ninth straight No. 1 on Top Latin Albums, the entirety of his charting releases. The streak began with 2019’s X100PRE which led for 46 weeks. That same year, Benito scored his second champ through the J Balvin-jointed set Oasis (eight weeks atop). YHLQMDLG, however, became his most profitable project to date, with 70 weeks at No. 1, the longest-leading album overall since Top Latin Albums begun in 1993. Here’s the recap of all those winning sets:
Peak Date, Title, Artist, Weeks at No. 1Jan. 5, 2019, X 100PRE, 46July 13, 2019, Oasis, With J Balvin, eightMarch 14, 2020, YHLQMDLG, 70May 23, 2020, Las Que No Iban A Salir, oneDec. 12, 2020, El Último Tour Del Mundo, 27Jan. 15, 2022, Anniversary Trilogy, oneMay 21, 2022, Un Verano Sin Ti, 60Oct. 28, 2023, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va A Pasar Mañana, 10Jan. 18, 2025, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS Takes Over Hot Latin Songs: reinforcing his habitual performance following the debut of an album, Bad Bunny seizes the Hot Latin Songs tally as the complete album charts on the current list that blends airplay, streaming activity and digital sales. The set was preceded by “EL CLúb” which rises 9-4 with the Greatest Gainer/ Sales & Streaming honors, and “PIToRRO DE COCO” that dips 10-11.
“NUEVAYoL” leads the album’s debuting cuts, bowing at No. 1 with 13 million official U.S. streams, the most clicks among the album’s 15 debuts. That sum translates to a No. 18 on the overall Streaming Songs chart and a No. 1 debut on Latin Streaming Songs. The song, produced by MAG, La Paciencia and Justo Barreto, contains samples of “Un Verano en Nueva York” by El Gran Combo De Puerto Rico (1975) and of Félix Trinidad Post Fight interview scene from the TV show The Fight of the Millennium (Oscar De La Hoya vs. Félix Trinidad).
Here’s the full review of the songs on Hot Latin Songs:
No. 1, “NUEVAYoL” (debut)No. 2, “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” (debut)No. 3, “VOY A LLeVARTE PA PR” (debut)No. 4, “EL CLúB”No. 5, “DtMF” (debut)No. 6, “VeLDÁ,” with Omar Courtz & Dei V (debut)No. 7, “PERFuMITO NUEVO,” with Rainao (debut)No. 8, “WELTiTA,” With Chuwi (debut)No. 9, “EoO” (debut)No. 10, “KETU TeCRÉ” (debut)No. 11, “PIToRRO DE COCO” (debut)No. 13, “KLOuFRENS” (debut)No. 15, “BOKeTE” (debut)No. 17, “TURiSTA” (debut)No. 18, “CAFé CON RON,” with Los Pleneros De La Cresta (debut)No. 19, “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii” (debut)No. 20, “LA MuDANZA” (debut)
Notably, as DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS charts in its entirety on Hot Latin Songs, Bad Bunny adds a record-extending 189 songs on the multi-metric tally, further distancing from the next contender, Anuel AA with 122 charted songs on the 39-year-old tally. Further, he also extends his top 10 record, with a total 88 career top 10s.
All charts (dated Jan. 18, 2025) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Jan. 14). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.