Kendrick Lamar and SZA (Courtesy of Andre D. Wagner)
Welcome to Music Daily’s Trending Tracks, where we highlight the artists and trends occupying the music industry’s attention. Some come out of the woodwork, others have endured a months-long crusade to greatness. Nonetheless, all of them are captivating the short-circuited minds of Gen-Z social media users.
Still on a GNX high, Kendrick Lamar filibusters the top 5 spots on the Trending Tracks chart, nabbing No. 1 with the SZA-guested “Luther.” Ahead, Berkley alt band Mom Jeans is making rounds on TikTok with their angsty 2016 deep cut “Scott Pilgrim V. My GPA” at No. 98 while the holiday season is in full effect with Brenda Lee’s iconic “Rockin Around The Christmas Tree” at No. 8 on this week’s Trending Tracks chart!
“Luther” by Kendrick Lamar (with SZA)
Marking the duo’s sixth collaboration, Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s enticing Luther Vandross-sampled collaboration recently peaked at No.3 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Luther” evokes the same messaging of the late legend’s “If The World Were Mine,” down to the lush R&B soundscapes that the “Kill Bill” singer croons with many velvety vocal runs, making it worth its 117 million Spotify streams. Cushioning SZA’s ethereal, hymn-like choruses, which ground the Super Bowl performer, Lamar envisioning a conflict-free world where his lover can grow and feel empowered. Stream “Luther” by Kendrick Lamar (with SZA) below!
“Scott Pilgrim V. My GPA” by Mom Jeans.
Currently tracking over 110k video creates on TikTok and 35M Spotify streams, alt-rock band Mom Jeans is having an unexpected (and wholeheartedly deserved) payday off a 2016 breakup track. “Don’t go back to our old place,” the viral soundbite plays, which many netizens use to grieve their romantic (sometimes platonic) breakups. “It’s probably locked up anyway. I bet it still looks the same as when I ran away that day.” Although the torch track doesn’t scratch THE popularity of “Death Cup,” its rainy-day nostalgia reflects the old memorabilia resurfacing due to Gen-Z’s interpretation of the online trend. Stream “Scott Pilgrim V. My GPA” by Mom Jeans below!
“Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee
Since its 1958 debut, Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” has become a timeless holiday classic but only recently made Billboard history. Written by Johnny Marks (“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”), the song’s rockabilly charm is brought to life by Lee’s powerful voice—remarkably recorded when she was just 13 years old. Featuring an unforgettable saxophone solo and festive lyrics about mistletoe, caroling, and dancing, the track invites listeners to celebrate Christmas in the “new old-fashioned way.”
Reflecting on the recording, Lee said, “We cut that, as you do most Christmas songs, in the heat of summer…[Producer Owen Bradley] had it all decked out like Christmas. It was wonderful.” Decades later, the track hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 2023, making Lee the oldest artist in history to earn a new No. 1 song on the chart at the age of 78. She also now holds a new record for the longest climb to No. 1, as the song was initially released 63 years prior. Stream “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee below!
So, for more Kendrick Lamar, Mom Jeans, Brenda Lee and artists like them, read more stories on Music Daily!
