RAYE stays in a comfortable lead

After a full month stalled behind Olivia Dean’s “Man I Need”, last week, RAYE finally moved to the Number 1-position with “Where is My Husband”. It is another jazzy outing for the British talent and it has been endlessly teased during her many festival appearances across Europe. It is strange to imagine, that no shorter than three years ago, RAYE her trademark sound was not the jazz or soul-infused pop we know and love, but the EDM-synths best linked to Joel Corry and David Guetta. RAYE’s career has been full of trials and corporate interference. With 2022’s hard-hitting “Escapism”, RAYE turned the tides and took control of her own career. It was a knock-out Number 1-hit and ranks as one of the biggest hits of the 2020s so far. With “Where is My Husband!”, RAYE scored her third Number 1-hit on my chart. She faces off against fellow-Brit Olivia Dean, who seeks to reclaim the top position, this time with “So Easy (To Fall in Love)”.

Pommelien Thijs caps off an incredible year – with “Atlas” the Belgian pop princess finally broke the Dutch market and became a household name in the whole Benelux. On my chart, “Atlas” hit Number 1 for six weeks and ranks as the best-scoring song of 2025 so far. Pommelien Thijs then released her sophomore album, further spawning the hit singles “Tegenwoordige Tijd” and “Ben Je Klaar?”. She’s now 4/4 with her new up-tempo “Ik Moet Gaan”. It is a complex ode to being young, the urge to hide or go away, and the very necessary drive to go out dancing to forget all your woes. Due to Pommelien her massive popularity right now, it debuted in the Top 3 of the Belgian singles chart without any real competition. It has also been promoted at several Dutch tv-shows. “Ik Moet Gaan” moves to #8 this week on here and sees Pommelien Thijs collect her seventh Top 10-hit to date. 

Kehlani urges her ex-boo to quickly pick up his old clothes on “Folded”, a tell-all R&B-song that has surged on Spotify lately. We best know Kehlani from Cardi B’s single “Ring”, though she has earned a string of Billboard Hot 100-entries for some time now. Kehlani’s even earned a few Grammy noms, mostly in the R&B-genre. The new “Folded” also earned a nomination for Best R&B performance this week. Strange that on this list, however, Kehlani only managed to chart twice before with two Justin Bieber cross-overs. Perhaps with the way paved by SZA and Doechii – or Ashanti or Christina Milan before them – Kehlani earns her first Top 10-hit with “Folded” at #10.

At the turn of the decade, Spanish singer Rosalía burst onto the scene with her reggaeton and flamenco -influenced hits, catapulting to her critical acclaim and pop stardom. Her pop credentials include cross-overs with The Weeknd or Billie Eilish, the summer smash “Despecha” and the Latin Grammy Award for Album of the Year. This week, Rosalía released her fourth studio album Lux, a big departure from her earlier work and a deep-dive into classical music and art pop. With blasting violins, orchestras and confessional lyrics, Lux is Rosalía her most complex body of work to date. Lead single “Berghain” is the big hit off the album and debuts at #28 this week. Rosalía is joined by American experimental star Yves Tumor and Icelandic pop icon Björk. Yves Tumor sings the haunting outro, while Björk leads a star-reaffirming bridge. Björk earns her first Top 40-appearance in seventeen years. It makes Björk the artist with the seventh-most time needed between Top 40-entries. For a full overview of this ranking, see the list below this chart.

Further down, Dutch ‘smartlap’ anthem by Sophie Straat “Vrijheid, Gelijkheid, Zusterschap” debuts at #32 following a heated chart battle that has caused quite the discourse in the Netherlands. A Dutch AI-musician has generated a tasteless, xenophobic protest song against asylum seekers' centers in Holland that went viral on Dutch TikTok and launched op the charts. To prevent it from reaching the top of the national charts, left-oriented activists have organized a counter-protest that calls for people to stream “Vrijheid, Gelijkheid, Zusterschap” by Sophie Straat in stead; a true artistic song in which Sophie also dreams of a world in which asylum seekers' centers are not necessary anymore and there are no global conflicts.

Zara Larsson celebrates her Grammy nomination with a debut at #34 with “Midnight Sun”. It was the second single off her latest album of the same name. It received widespread acclaim and was a major hit single in her native Sweden. We last saw Zara Larsson in the Top 40 in 2023 with the electric lead song “Can’t Tame Her”. Further down, pop-jazz singer Sienna Spiro debuts at #39 with her song “Die on This Hill”. She’s had some minor viral hit songs up till now and has been billed as an artist to look out for. Kind of reminiscent of Mimi Webb or Adele, Sienna Spiro’s “Die on This Hill” is a very well -timed release; just in time for the pop-jazz boom headed by Olivia Dean and Raye.

Newly certified

“Voorbestemd” – Luna & Russo GOLD

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. Andre Hazes Jr. – “Bedankt Mijn Vriend” / “Ze Komt Uit Amsterdam” (6,475 days)

7. Björk – “Disco Volante” / “Berghain” (6,454 days)

8. Elton John – “Ghetto Gospel” / “Cold Heart” (5,915 days)

9. Mel B – “Feels So Good” / “For Once in My Life” (5,607 days)

10. Sugababes – “Wear My Kiss” / “When the Rain Comes” (4,949 days)