Taylor Swift is up at #1 for a second week while Bruno Mars bags a Top 10-debut

Taylor Swift holds at Number 1 for a second consecutive week with “The Fate of Ophelia”. Though it is not commonly associated with Taylor Swift, on my chart, this was definitely a sleeper hit. “The Fate of Ophelia” made a minor debut upon its release, despite setting the single-day streaming record for any song on Spotify, becoming the first song to accumulate over 30 million streams in a single day. It then slowly climbed my personal Top 40 before finally peaking at Number 1 and becoming her sixth chart-topper to date. The 2020s have been typically defined by the rise of “sleeper hits”; songs that are suddenly boosted up the charts months after its release, often thanks to a viral resurgence on TikTok or usage in a popular tv-series. Popular examples include Lola Young’s “Messy”, Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” or Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill”.

Bruno Mars swings back onto the charts with his new single “I Just Might”. It is the lead single from his upcoming fourth studio album The Romantic and continues the disco pop-sound that has become Bruno Mars’s trademark. We best recognize him from big hits such as “Uptown Funk” or “Grenade”, but projects such as Silk Sonic proved that Bruno Mars has jazz and soul sensibilities. “I Just Might” comes at a fitting time, as soul music is suddenly experiencing a renaissance thanks to Raye and Olivia Dean. “I Just Might” is Bruno Mars’s first big solo outing since 2017’s “That’s What I Like”, as in the meantime, he mostly collaborated with Anderson .Paak on Silk Sonic, or scored big hits with Rosé and Lady Gaga. “I Just Might” debuts at #6 this week and it is the first Top 10-debut since October’s “Talk To You” by Sam Fender & Elton John. It has been a bit of a draught when it comes to new releases, as most new songs either settled for a low debut or were pushed out of the chart altogether by the holiday takeover.

American singer Zach Bryan revives the country genre on his new “Plastic Cigarette” at #33. It is the new song off his sixth studio album his fully self-penned With Heaven on Top. Zach Bryan first single to cross over to my chart was 2023’s “I Remember Everything” with Kacey Musgraves, which peaked at #6 and headed the country-pop boom of 2023. American singer Djo and his band debut at #35 with the sleeper hit “Basic Being Basic”. We of course recognize Djo better as Joe Keery, also known as Steve Harrington from Stranger Things. Thanks to the show its fifth season, his indie-synth song “End of Beginning” has re-emerged on the charts and is again climbing the Top 40 worldwide. It initially was a Top 3-hit on my chart in 2024 thanks to a viral TikTok-trend. With “End of Beginning” back on the charts for a second run, the other “Basic Being Basic” finally breaks through and makes for Djo’s second Top 40-entry to date.

Newly certified

“Talk To You” – Sam Fender & Elton John PLATINUM