Zara Larsson scores her first Number 1-song in nine years

Sweden’s favorite pop princess Zara Larsson is officially back on top! It all started a few months back when Zara Larsson performed for a sold-out crowd in Amsterdam and invited her Dutch fan, Julia, to join her on stage to dance to “Lush Life”. The memorable moment went viral and fit perfectly with the 2016 nostalgia trend right now. “Lush Life” resurged and is now set to also become a hit in the United States, nearly ten years after the fact. Meanwhile, her latest album Midnight Sun also finally received its flowers. Combine that with a PinkPantheress-collaboration with an already iconic music video – and yup, it truly is 2016 again. This week, “Midnight Sun” finally moves to Number 1 on my personal chart and earns Zara Larsson her first chart-topping hit in over nine long years. She previously hit the top spot trice: first with the prementioned “Lush Life”, then with Tinie Tempah on “Girls Like” and a solo week with Clean Bandit’s “Symphony”. In the meantime, Zara Larsson released multiple studio albums, scored more Top 40-hits in collaboration with DJs such as Kygo, and headlined multiple big shows across Europe. Zara Larsson is now the Swedish artist with the most Number 1s of all time; she previously shared the record with Mabel.

With nine years between Number 1-hits, Zara Larsson does not set a record. The record for the longest gap between Number 1-hits is held by Lady Gaga, who needed fourteen long years between 2011’s hit “Telephone” and 2024’s “Die With a Smile”. For a full overview of the Top 10 longest gaps between Number 1-hits, see the list below.

At 48-years-old, Shakira cannot be excluded from the Top 40. This week, her latest song “Zoo” lands in the Top 10 and earns Shakira her twenty-fourth Top 10-single on my chart. It is the theme song for the new Zootopia film, which is smashing box-office records left and right and is set to become one of the highest-grossing pictures of 2026. Shakira cameos in the film as an anthropomorphic gazelle, who is named Gazelle, and she also recorded the theme song for the first Zootopia film; “Try Everything”. Shakira’s been on the European and North American charts ever since 2002’s breakout “Whenever, Wherever”, and she has been able to maintain that level of success across the Noughties, the 2010s and into the streaming era in the 2020s, though mostly in collaboration with other popular artists. Her diss track to her ex-husband Gerard Pique with Argentinian producer Bizarrap became a Number 1-hit across the globe and on my list in 2023 and has redefined Shakira’s status in the pop pantheon. “Zoo” is Shakira’s first solo Top 10-record since 2017’s “Me Enamoré”.

Noah Kahan serves us a cup of autumn on his new single “The Great Divide”, the highest new entry at #17. It will be included on Kahan his upcoming fourth studio album of the same name. Its music video evokes themes of grief and healing and also includes numerous Easter eggs to songs from the singer's previous studio album, Stick Season. That was a whopping success and it helped launch Noah Kahan into the mainstream. Lead single “Stick Season” was a sell-out Number 1-hit on my chart, while other singles such as “Dial Drunk” or “Homesick” reached the Top 10. It helped establish Noah Kahan as one of the few exciting male artists to emerge in the 2020s. “The Great Divide” marks Noah Kahan his sixth Top 40-hit.

Dutch pop stars and Belgian pop stars team up once again: this time Flemming and Metejoor meet on the radio-friendly “Niet Nodig” at #36. We previously saw successful Dutch-Belgian pop team-ups on “Nu Wij Niet Meer Praten” between Jaap Reesema & Pommelien Thijs or on “Ik Wil Dat Je Liegt” by Maksim & Hannah Mae. Will Flemming and Metejoor match their success? Further down, Sombr is back for a second round with “12 to 12”. The pop-synth song previously peaked in the Top 5 but was pushed out of the charts altogether by the Christmas take-over in December. It marked his highest peak to date so far. Thanks to a thrilling performance at The Grammys and continued radio support, “12 to 12” is back on the charts at #39.

Newly certified

“Pussy Palace” – Lily Allen GOLD

“Not Such an Innocent Girl” – Victoria Beckham PLATINUM

“Lush Life” – Zara Larsson 2 X PLATINUM

Longest gaps between Number 1-hits

1. Lady Gaga: “Telephone” / “Die With a Smile” [14 years]

2. Beyoncé: “Telephone” / “Break My Soul” [12 years]

3. Kylie Minogue: “Higher” / “Padam. Padam” [12 years]

4. Take That: “How Deep is Your Love” / “Patience” [11 years]

5. Charli XCX: “Fancy” / “Girl, so confusing” [10 years]

6. Jennifer Lopez: “Ain’t It Funny” / “On the Floor” [10 years]

7. Zara Larsson: “Symphony” / “Midnight Sun” [9 years]

8. Ellie Goulding: “Love Me Like You Do” / “Miracle” [8 years]

9. Alicia Keys: “Fallin’” / “Empire State of Mind” [8 years]

10. Eminem: “Without Me” / “Love the Way You Lie” [8 years]