It’s shocking that it took someone as beloved as Grande this long to reach No. 1, but she couldn’t have done so with a more powerful tune.
NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 20: American Express and Ariana Grande present ‘The Sweetener Sessions’ at Irving Plaza on August 20,2018, in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for American Express)
While she may already be one of the most famous musicians in the world, there is one achievement that has thus far eluded superstar Ariana Grande…at least until now. Before this week, Grande had never owned the Hot 100, but now she’s changed all that, and she’s done so in spectacular form.
The pop singer’s new single “Thank U, Next” debuts at No. 1 on the Hot 100 thanks to impressive first-week sales and streams, proving that there was immense interest in her latest upon arrival. Grande’s new musical effort starts with 81,000 pure sales and 55.5 million streams in the U. S. alone, which is incredible considering when it was released.
“Thank U, Next” was released Saturday (November 3) late in the evening, just before the new episode of Saturday Night Live aired. The timing likely wasn’t coincidental, as the track mentions SNL cast member Pete Davidson by name. In the catchy, optimistic-yet-sad track, Grande also name-drops her other ex-boyfriends, such as Big Sean and Mac Miller, who she calls “an angel.”
No. 1 debuts on the Hot 100 remain relatively rare, as there have only been just over 30 such instant smashes, which is out of hundreds of chart-toppers. “Thank U, Next” is the fourth song to start at the top this year alone, following two successes from Drake (“God’s Plan” and “Nice For What,” which debuted at No. 1 back-to-back) and one from Childish Gambino (“This Is America”).
In addition to becoming her first No. 1 hit in the U. S., “Thank U, Next” is Grande’s eleventh top 10 hit, and her third this year. She collected her first when she launched “No Tears Left to Cry,” which previewed her recent album Sweetener. That song climbed all the way to No. 3. It was quickly followed by the record’s second official single “God is a Woman,” which initially missed the highest tier, but which eventually made it to No. 8 when the full-length dropped.
“Thank U, Next” is presumably the first single off of Grande’s upcoming fifth studio album, which she has been openly discussing for some time now. The timing is a bit strange for her, as Sweetener was only released back in August, but based on the warm reception “Thank U, Next” has been met with, it seems fans are eager for more from one of the world’s most successful solo female pop stars to come along in a long time.
I am a freelance music journalist based in New York City. My byline has appeared in The Huffington Post, Billboard, Mashable, Noisey, The Hollywood Reporter, MTV, Fuse, and dozens of other magazines and blogs around the world. I love following charts and the biggest and most…
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