Bad Bunny’s album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS held onto the top of the chart for a third consecutive week. It’s the second of his four number-one albums to spend more than two weeks at the top, following Un Verano Sin Ti in 2022, which spent a total of 13 weeks there. SZA’s album SOS remained at number two this week with 87,000 units, compared to 90,000 units last week. GNX by Kendrick Lamar was number three with 60,000 units.
With the new year in full swing and the holiday season behind us, the release of new albums has begun picking up pace. This past week, three albums made their debut in the top 10. Teddy Swims landed I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2) at number four with a weekly total of 50,000 units, including 26,000 albums sold, leading it to debut at number one on the Top Album Sales chart. When combined with its 30.4 million streams, it marked the best performance of his career to date. The success of “Lose Control,” which had the distinction of being named the number-one song on the 2024 Year-End Hot 100, elevated him to a completely different level.
Country artist Kane Brown hit number seven with his album The High Road, which moved 40,000 units and hit number two on Top Album Sales on the strength of 19,000 copies sold. London rapper Central Cee’s album CAN’T RUSH GREATNESS debuted at number nine with 37,000 units. It debuted at number one at home on the UK Official Albums Chart—his second release to reach the top.
Travis Scott’s single “4X4” debuted at number one to mark his fifth chart-topping hit after “SICKO MODE” in 2018, “HIGHEST IN THE ROOM” in 2019, and both “THE SCOTTS” and “FRANCHISE” (feat. Young Thug and M.I.A.) in 2020, each having spent one week at the top. Despite being only number 12 on the Streaming Songs chart, strong digital and CD sales of the single totaling 167,000 units propelled it to number one overall. All proceeds from sales of the $1.99 CD single available on his official website are being donated to relief efforts for the California wildfires. “4X4” had been circulating through the rumor mill since last fall but finally saw a release on January 24 after being teased during the halftime show of a college football championship game on January 20.
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ duet “Die With a Smile” fell to number two after four weeks at number one, though it hit the top of Streaming Songs for a third time. ROSÉ and Mars’ own duet “APT.” held steady at number three for a second week in a row, hitting number four on Streaming Songs, number two on Digital Song Sales, and number six on Radio Songs. After conceding the top spot to Bad Bunny’s “DtMF” for two weeks, it reclaimed its place atop the Global 200 for a 12th week overall. The single is now also tied with “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey for the longest time at number one on the Global Excl. US chart at 14 weeks.
Meanwhile, the Shaboozey hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” has now spent 27 weeks at number one on the Radio Songs chart, breaking the Weeknd’s record of 26 weeks with “Blinding Lights.” “Bar Song,” which holds the distinction of spending more weeks at number one on the Hot 100 than any other song in history, is likely to continue drawing comparisons with “Blinding Lights,” which holds the title for the all-time greatest Hot 100 hit. At this point, the only song that has a realistic shot at challenging “Bar Song” for the top Radio Songs spot, both in ranking and actual performance, is Gaga and Mars’ “Die With a Smile.” It’s worth watching to see if the Shaboozey single extends its streak next week or if “With a Smile” reigns supreme in airplay for the first time.
One question that gets asked a lot about music today is why British rappers struggle to attract much attention in the US or the world at large. It’s particularly puzzling given that other artists from there consistently find massive success in pop and dance music. Explanations commonly point to the fact that there’s already a lot of talent in the US, linguistic differences arising from slang and accents, the way British hip hop has developed its own sound over time, and a skepticism around authenticity when viewed from an American perspective. To put it simply, these rappers can’t expect to naturally gain a wider following in the same way artists like Dua Lipa, Harry Styles, or, more recently, Lola Young can.
But Central Cee is taking an ax to that long-standing limitation. Cee got his start with music in his teenage years in 2015, coming up in the underground with drill tracks characterized by fast beats, heavy bass, and violent themes. Once he released his hits “Loading” and “Day in the Life” in 2020, that’s when he really started to turn heads. Musically, he borrows elements of R&B and pop, while culturally, he has solidified his presence through social media and his fashion choices. His breakthrough in the US likely came with the success of “Doja” in 2022. Though many rising artists around that time released tracks referencing celebrities by name, this one went viral on TikTok and even got a shoutout from Doja Cat herself. Plus, by releasing the music video on the popular YouTube channel Lyrical Lemonade, which boasts over 20 million subscribers, Cee had the honor of being the first British rapper to collaborate with the platform. That same year, he also became the first British rapper to surpass one billion streams on Spotify in the space of a year.
The linguistic barrier often cited against UK artists has instead become a tool for Central Cee to make content and narrow the gap. One prime example is his freestyle rap that aired on an LA radio show where he explained the differences between slang in the UK and the US (“You say ‘What’s up?,’ we say, ‘Wagwan’”).
Since then, he’s become a regular guest on hip-hop-focused radio shows and podcasts. “On The Radar Freestyle,” a collaboration with Drake, debuted at number 80 on the Hot 100, further establishing his influence. Globally, his collab with UK rap legend Dave on “Sprinter” set a remarkable record by remaining at number one on the UK Singles Chart for 10 weeks—the longest-running rap single in the chart’s history. And now, his new album CAN’T RUSH GREATNESS has debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200, making him the first British rapper to crack the top 10. Central Cee has already made significant inroads in the US market, and this is just the beginning.
ROSÉ and Bruno Mars’ single “APT.” is number three in its 15th week on the Hot 100. It’s currently number four on Streaming Songs, number two on Digital Song Sales, and continues to climb on Radio Songs, where it’s now number six. The BLANKPINK member’s album rosie is number 26 in its eighth week on the Billboard 200. It’s also hit number 26 on the Top Streaming Albums chart. ROSÉ herself is number 34 on the Artist 100.
Jimin’s album MUSE is number 115 in its 28th week on the Billboard 200. “Who” is number 31 in its 27th week on the Hot 100 and number 17 on Streaming Songs, while the BTS member is number 75 on the Artist 100.
HOP by Stray Kids is number 122 in its seventh week on the Billboard 200 and number eight on the Top Album Sales chart.
The group is number 42 on the Artist 100.
“Close to You” by Jin debuts at number nine on the Digital Song Sales chart.
Over on the Top Album Sales chart, TWICE’s 14th mini album, STRATEGY, takes number 22, and ROMANCE: UNTOLD by ENHYPEN is number 33.
On Emerging Artists, ILLIT is number 24.
Finally, here’s the big picture of how K-pop artists are doing on the Global 200: