Though, in most senses, the top of the charts is always the place to start in any commercial discussion of music, oftentimes we’ll eschew discussion of it, due in no small part to a 2025 buzzword: “stagnation.”From the time the year began until now, anyone with a passing interest in the inner workings behind the industry could pick out how select songs have become week-in, week-out staples.
Despite featuring some recognizable names, we’ll start at square one this week, as the K-pop Demon Hunters finally fend off the Taylor Swift effect. The Netflix sensation and its inescapable soundtrack had ceded space to The Life Of A Showgirl—and in particular, “The Fate of Ophelia”—at the #1 spot. Already a longstanding member in its own right, “Golden” now completes a “comeback” to that position, further notching another three in the top ten with “How It’s Done,” “Soda Pop,” and “Your Idol.”
Don’t pop the champagne just yet, however — Ms. Swift’s “Ophelia” only drops to #2, with “Opalite” and “Elizabeth Taylor” not far behind. In this final leg of 2025, it’s becoming increasingly likely that the animated girl group and the world’s biggest pop star will define how we remember this year from a numbers perspective.
Reports Of Hip-Hop’s Demise Greatly Exaggerated: G Herbo And Megan Thee Stallion Ride Big Streaming Numbers
If you’ll allow us once again to call our shot, Lil Baby and G Herbo are threatening early to provide another top-40 hip-hop hit in this “new era” of Billboard charting. Truly, this week clarifies G Herbo as a renewed commercial force, his “Went Legit” and Moneybagg Yo feature on “Feet On Land” flitting through our top 100. It’s that aforementioned link-up with the ATL rapper that stands out among his personal crowd, however. The hard-hitting, back-and-forth affair between the two MCs has proven to be a real grassroots success for either artist in either of their recent catalogs, riding serious social support to a #9 placement.
To briefly backtrack, you’ll note that Megan Thee Stallion and “LOVER GIRL” were a similar story just a week ago, then cashing in a placement in the fifties before its brand-name debut this week. The Houston multi-hyphenate ends a brief rap hiatus by clocking in at #38, maintaining its beefy streaming and social momentum and now sitting pretty for a sustained run on our chart.
As always, you can catch the music mentioned throughout this piece wherever you stream your music.
