Pommelien Thijs’s “Atlas” faces new competition amidst Top 10-shake-up

With six weeks and counting, Pommelien Thijs’s “Atlas” continues to be the longest-running Number 1-single of 2025 so far. Pommelien Thijs first broke through in 2019 as the lead actress on the musical tv-series #LikeMe which was very popular amongst Belgian youths. She then collaborated with Dutch singer Jaap Reesema on “Nu Wij Niet Meer Praten” in 2020, which became the Christmas Number 1 on here. Following numerous single releases, her musical breakout came with her debut album Per Ongeluk which became a big success. It spawned the platinum-certified smash hit “Erop of Eronder” and kickstarted Pommelien Thijs her string of Top 40-hits. Just this year, she earned her second Number 1-single with “Het Midden” featuring Dutch singer-songwriter MEAU. Meanwhile, she also gained acclaim on Netflix’s Knokke Off. Her third Number 1-single “Atlas” now claims a sixth week leading the charts. Her till-now unchallenged reign, however, faces new competition from challengers across the Top 10. Dutch hit single “Lotje” remains Pommelien Thijs her biggest threat, staying at #2 for a fourth consecutive week. Lorde joins the race for the top position with her new single “What Was That”, peaking at #3 so far. This marks Lorde her best-performing solo effort since 2013 its breakout “Royals”.

Also joining the race towards the top, Ravyn Lenae jumps up ten places to #5 with her breakout single “Love Me Not”. The young talent is an up-and-comer and has already collaborated with the likes of Steve Lacy and supported SZA on her CTRL Tour across the United States and Sabrina Carpenter her Short ‘N Sweet Tour. With three EPs and two albums under her belt, Ravyn Lenae has carved a solid fanbase for herself. Recently, her R&B-infused “Love Me Not” went viral on TikTok and launched the American singer-songwriter up the Billboard Hot 100. It was mixed with Solange’s “Losing You” and has been soundtracked in 320,000 clips on the platform. Late last year, “Love Me Not” was remixed to feature Rex Orange County. The British singer is an icon of the indie-pop music scene and one of the biggest singers to emerge on platforms such as Soundcloud or Bandcamp. On my personal chart, Rex Orange County has scored a string of Top 40-hits, including the double-platinum “Face to Face”. As a feature on Ravyn Lenae’s breakout, Rex Orange County collects his seventh Top 10-hit. Meanwhile, Ravyn Lenae rightfully earns her very first.

TikTok has an undeniable influence on the modern pop landscape. Thanks to its accessibility, smaller unknown artists or underrepresented genres can suddenly grow viral and open new doors worldwide – with Afrobeats perhaps being the strongest example. Nigerian singer Rema took the genre to dizzying new heights with “Calm Down” in 2022, becoming the best-selling global hit of 2023 with more than 2 billion streams. The breakthrough of more Afrobeats artists followed, including Tyla, Ayra Starr and King Promise. This week, South-African-German recording star WizTheMc joins that impressive line-up as the summer-infused “Show Me Love” soars up to #7. He has been making music for years now and has toured through Europe with A$AP Rocky and Burna Boy. He is joined by the Berlin-based DJ collective Bees & Honey and Afrobeat its biggest star Tyla. “Show Me Love” joins Tyla her breakout “Water”, the viral “Jump” and this year’s “Push 2 Start” as the South-African’s fourth Top 10-song on my chart. The single is also climbing the worldwide charts with summer approaching, especially in the United Kingdom and other European nations. With that kind of momentum, both WizTheMc and Tyla could be looking forward to their first-ever Number 1s.

Near the end of last year, Sam Fender first teased his third studio album People Watching with his lead single of the same name. It spent five non-consecutive weeks at Number 1 and became Sam Fender his best-scoring single behind “Seventeen Going Under”. The album was released earlier this year and has already spawned the Top 10-singles “Wild Long Lie”, “Arm’s Length” and the emotional “Remember My Name”. He continues that trend of Top 10-entries upon release as “Little Bit Closer” debuts at #10 this week following the release of its music video. The single was considered a standout of the album upon release. The music video features Owen Cooper and director Philip Barantini, both best known for the very popular Netflix drama Adolescence. It is not the first time popular actors feature on Sam Fender’s projects – Andrew Scott starred in the music video for “People Watching”. Sam Fender now collects his fifteenth Top 10-hit to date. He further establishes himself as one of the most successful artists of all time and easily the most successful male artist of the 2020s.

Further down, “Greedy”-singer Tate McRae collects her fifteenth Top 40-hit with the up-tempo single “Revolving Door” at #14. It is taken from her latest album So Close to What and was highlighted by critics upon release. The album has already spawned three Top 10-hits, including the highlight “Sports Car”. The new “Revolving Door” is supported by a viral dance challenge on TikTok, based on a clip of Tate McRae dancing in high heels and various impractical poses. While “Show Me Love” soars up into the Top 10, South-African star Tyla already lines up her next big solo hit with “Bliss” at #18. It is the lead single for her new upcoming album. She previously teased the song during her acclaimed set at Coachella Festival a few weekends ago. Finally, Dutch-Moroccan rapper Sef debuts at #37 with his single “Voor Alles Bang”, which was released in January this year. The sleeper hit is an angsty single with a thrilling house beat. Sef is considered one of the most influential hip hop artists of the Netherlands, garnering critical acclaim for his albums and live shows. It marks Sef his first Top 40-entry in nearly thirteen years – his last being the Top 5-smash “Bagagedrager” wit Gers Pardoel from 2012. He now ranks as one of the ten artists with the biggest gaps between their Top 40-hits. The artist with the most time between Top 40-entries is Monica, with nearly 25 years between “Angel of Mine” and “The Boy is Mine (Remix)”. For a full ranking of this chart rarity, check the list below.

Newly certified

“Atlas” – Pommelien Thijs PLATINUM

Most time between Top 40-hits

1. Monica – “Angel of Mine” / “The Boy is Mine (Remix)” (9,184 days)
2. De Poema’s – “Ik Mis Niets” / “Op Jou Heb Ik Gewacht” (7,749 days)
3. Tina Turner – “When The Heartache’s Over” / “What’s Love Got to Do With It” (7,581 days)
4. The Rolling Stones – “Sympathy for the Devil” / “Angry” (7,322 days)
5. Shania Twain – “Party for Two” / “Unhealthy” (6,797 days)
6. Elton John – “Ghetto Gospel” / “Cold Heart” (5,915 days)
7. Mel B – “Feels so Good” / “For Once in My Life” (5,607 days)
8. Sugababes – “Wear My Kiss” / “When the Rain Comes” (4,949 days)
9. Sef – “Bagagedrager” / “Voor Alles Bang” (4,844 days)
10. Daft Punk – “Aerodynamic” / “Get Lucky” (4,403 days)