Here is a look at the three songs competing for the No. 1 spot on next week’s Hot 100. Which one will win?
Miley Cyrus
This week’s Hot 100 has only recently been revealed, but already music industry folks and those who love pop stars and following the charts are talking about what could happen next time around.
Several beloved artists are competing for the top spot on the most competitive songs ranking in the U.S., aiming to claim the most-consumed track in the largest music market in the world.
All three singles that are in contention for the throne are by solo female stars, and they rank as among the biggest and most popular in the music industry right now.
Here is a look at the three songs competing for the No. 1 spot on next week’s Hot 100. Which one will win? Billboard should reveal the winner in just a few days!
Taylor Swift: Midnight album
Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero”
Swift rules the Hot 100 again this week with her surprisingly sturdy “Anti-Hero,” which is a non-mover in first place. With another frame spent on the chart’s throne, the tune becomes her longest-running leader, with eight weeks atop the tally (and counting).
The lead Midnights single debuted at No. 1 in late 2022, then stepped aside as Mariah Carey returned to the peak position, but now that Christmas is over, Swift is in charge once more.
“Anti-Hero” is performing very well across all necessary metrics, so it could hold on to the No. 1 space on the Hot 100 for a ninth week, or it may very well step down to allow one of the other two cuts mentioned below to take a turn in the sun. Even if Swift is replaced at the top, she may have a shot at returning again, as “Anti-Hero” is a true juggernaut.
Miley Cyrus – “Flowers”
Miley Cyrus did a fantastic job of generating hype around her then-forthcoming single “Flowers”–so much so, in fact, that the tune stands a good shot at debuting at No. 1 on next week’s Hot 100. The track fronts the singer’s upcoming eighth album Endless Summer Vacation, which is expected in March.
If “Flowers” does manage to open in first place on the Hot 100 – which at this point seems highly likely, though nothing is certain when it comes to the charts until Billboard makes a formal announcement – Cyrus will earn her second-ever leader. Her only champion thus far is “Wrecking Ball,” which controlled the ranking a decade ago.
It will also prove that interest remains high in her work, and it starts this chapter of her career off with a bang.
SZA – “Kill Bill”
This week, SZA sits right behind Swift with her current smash “Kill Bill,” which advances to a new peak of No. 2 – a career high for the superstar. The R&B talent launched her sophomore album SOS in late December, and at the time, the Hot 100 was packed with Christmas songs that dominate the ranking every year.
Now that all of those cuts have disappeared again, things aren’t quite as competitive, and her current promotional focus now has a shot at rising to the summit on the Hot 100. It made a real play for the penthouse this frame, but nobody could beat Swift.
SZA will certainly celebrate if “Kill Bill” pushes to No. 1 on the Hot 100, as she has never topped the chart before. The Grammy winner has broken into the top 10 with several popular cuts, but none have competed for the throne like her latest, and it could become the rare R&B song to rule.
