USA
Billboard Report (excerpt)
'Luther' leads Hot 100 a fourth week
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
by Keith Caulfield & Gary Trust, Los Angeles

Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther” tops the Billboard hot 100 songs chart for a fourth week. Three weeks earlier, the single – whose title is an tribute to late R&B icon Luther

Vandross, who is sampled on the track – became Lamar’s sixth No. 1 and SZA’s third. Lamar rewrites his longest Hot 100 domination. “Luther” totaled 55.6 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 3% week-over-week), 31.3 million official streams (down 9%) and 3,000 sold (down 24%) in the U.S. March 7-13. The track adds a fourth week at No. 1 on the Streaming Songs chart; rises 3-2 for a new high on Radio Songs; and falls 8-17, after reaching No. 4, on Digital Song Sales. Below “Luther,” Lamar lands two other songs in the Hot 100’s top five: “Not Like Us,” which holds at No. 3, and “TV Off,” featuring Lefty Gunplay, down 4-5 after reaching No. 2. Lamar adds his sixth week with at least three songs in the Hot 100’s top five simultaneously, after he first scored such a triple in December. He ties Drake for the most such frames among soloists, with The Beatles the only act with more. Elsewhere in the Hot 100’s top 10, Lady Gaga and Bruno

Mars’ “Die With a Smile” keeps at No. 2, following five nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 beginning in January. It notches a sixth week atop Radio Songs (62.9 million, down 3%). Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” rises 5-4 on the Hot 100, following its record-tying 19 weeks at No. 1 beginning last July. ROosé and Bruno Mars’ “Apt.” repeats at No. 6 on the Hot 100, after hitting No. 3; Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” trots 8-7 for a new best; and Drake’s “Nokia” also pushes 10-8 for a new high. Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” dips 7-9 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 2. Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control,” which led the list for a week in March 2024 – and became the year’s No. 1 song – slips 9-10. It notches an 82nd week on the survey overall, the fourth-longest stay in the chart’s archives, below only Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves” (91 weeks, in 2021-22); The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” (90 weeks, 2019-22); and Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive” (87 weeks, 2012-14). Lady Gaga’s Mayhem moves in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, as the set debuts atop the tally dated March 22. It’s the seventh leader for the superstar. The set — her seventh studio album — launches with 219 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending March 13, according to Luminate — the biggest week of the year for an album by a woman. It also scores Gaga her largest streaming week ever. Of Mayhem’s 219,000 first-week equivalent album units, album sales comprise 136,000 (it’s the top-selling album of the week and debuts at No. 1 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 80,500 (equaling 108.05 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs; Gaga’s biggest streaming week ever, and it debuts at No. 1 on the Top Streaming Albums chart) and TEA units comprise 2,500. Mayhem was officially announced on Jan. 27 and went up for pre-order that same day. The set was released on March 7 and was preceded by a trio of top 40-charting titles on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart: “Disease” (reaching No. 27 in November 2024), “Die With a Smile” (No. 1 for five weeks beginning in January; a duet with Bruno Mars), and “Abracadabra” (No. 13 in February). Kendrick Lamar’s GNX falls to No. 2 on the latest Billboard 200 with a little more than 81,000 equivalent album units earned (down 10%), while five more former leaders round out the top six. PartyNextDoor and Drake’s $ome $exy $ongs 4 U dips 2-3 (79,000; down 13%), SZA’s SOS is steady at No. 4 (69,000; down 7%), Tate McRae’s So Close To What descends 3-5 (63,000; down 27%), and Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet falls 5-6 (61,000; down 5%). Jennie’s first solo studio album, Ruby, arrives at No. 7 on the new Billboard 200, marking the Blackpink member’s first chart entry. The set launches with 56,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 29,000 (equaling 39.93 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs; it debuts at No. 13 on Top Streaming Albums), album sales comprise 26,500 (it debuts at No. 2 on Top Album Sales) and TEA units comprise 500. Ruby was preceded by three charting titles on the Hot 100 songs chart: “Mantra,” “Love Hangover” (with Dominic Fike) and “ExtraL” (with Doechii). Rounding out the top 10 of the latest Billboard 200, Bad Bunny’s chart-topping Debí Tirar Más Fotos falls 6-8 (52,000 equivalent album units; down 8%), Morgan Wallen’s former leader One Thing at a Time is a non-mover at No. 9 (43,000; up 3%), and Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess dips 8-10 (42,000; down 1%).

Record Of The Month
The song was originally self-released by American rapper and songwriter Doechii to YouTube
on November 10, 2019. It was re-recorded in 2025 following it gaining traction on social media
platforms, being released to streaming platforms on March 4, 2025. 'Anxiety' contains a prominent sample of the 2011 song 'Somebody That I Used To Know' by Gotye feat. Kimbra.

United Kingdom
Music Week Report (excerpt)
Alex Warren climbs at number one
Monday, March 24, 2025
by Alan Jones, London
 
Chappell Roan started the week with high hopes of becoming one of the few artists in chart history to replace themselves at No.1 with her new single The Giver expected to dethrone Pink Pony Club – but Alex Warren had other plans, and it is his third hit, Ordinary, which unsaddles Pink Pony Club, moving 2-1 as

its consumption increases 45.37% to 49,451 units (1,410 digital downloads and 48,041 sales equivalent streams). It is the first No.1 for singer/songwriter Warren, who starts his seven date ‘Cheaper Than Therapy tour’ in Glasgow tonight (March 21), and simultaneously scores new highs for his earlier hits Carry You Home (24-20, 17,204 sales) and Burning Down (33-28, 13,300 sales). Ordinary is expected to feature on Warren’s upcoming second album, but the other two tracks are on his 2024 debut set, You’ll Be Alright Kid (Chapter 1), which debuted and previously peaked 24 weeks ago at No.47, and now climbs 54-41 (3,199 sales) to complete a banner week for the 24-year-old Californian. Thus far, Warren is considerably more successful here than in America, where he has yet to make the Top 40 of the singles chart, and where his album is currently No.129, having peaked at No.62. Roan would have joined an elite group consisting of The Beatles, John

Lennon, Elvis Presley, Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande, Elton John and Sabrina Carpenter if The Giver had debuted at No.1. Instead, it opens at No.2 (41,729 sales), while Pink Pony Club dips to No.4 (37,793 sales) after a fortnight in pole position. The Giver finds Roan pursuing a country/pop direction, as does Calvin Harris, whose distinctive vocals helm his first song in the idiom, Smoke The Pain Away, which debuts at No.46 (9,994 sales) becoming his 51st Top 75 single. It is his first new completely solo track to chart since My Way reached No.4 in 2016. Playboi Carti’s No.1 album, Music, spins off a trio of new singles chart entries for the American rapper. Evil Jordan is the highest of the three. Seemingly referencing himself – his real name is Jordan Carter – the track becomes his third (first solo) Top 10 entry, debuting at No.7 (25,444 sales). With Rather Lie debuting at No.10 (21,892 sales) and Toxic at No.21 (16,129 sales), Playboi Carti’s overall tally of Top 75 entries is a still modest 12 – but a further 23 tracks from Music are ‘starred-out’ of the Top 75 under primary artist rules. Rather Lie is a collaboration with The Weeknd, and Toxic with Skepta, who thus earn their 57th and 37th hits, respectively. Both of Playboi Carti’s previous Top 10 hits are collaborations with The Weeknd – Popular (also featuring Madonna) reaching No.10, and Timeless, No.7. Anxiety is still the most popular track on the chart, based on overall consumption, with Doechii’s solo version climbing 4-3 while upping consumption 35.81% to 38,867 units, while the Sleepy Hallow feat. Diechii track fades 16-34 (12,300 sales). Busy Woman reaches a new peak for Sabrina Carpenter, climbing 8-6 (25,558 sales). The rest of the Top 10: Beautiful Things (5-5, 26,801 sales) by Benson Boone, Sports Car (6-8, 24,772 sales) by Tate McRae and Abracadabra (3-9, 24,521 sales) by Lady Gaga. Overall singles consumption is down 0.18% week-on-week to 30,598,496 units, 5.90% above same week 2024 consumption of 28,892,578 units. Paid-for sales are down 4.20% week-on-week at 243,266, 16.24% below same week 2024 sales of 290,444. Effecting the 14th change of leadership in a row at the top of the album chart, Playboi Carti debuts at No.1 with his third regular studio album, Music. Released only digitally at this juncture, the set – which comprises 30 succinct songs with a total playing time of 76 minutes – achieves consumption of 21,666 units (89 digital downloads and 2,157 sales-equivalent streams). It is the first No.1 for the American rapper, who reached No.27 with his 2018 debut set, Die Lit, and No.17 with 2021 follow-up, Whole Lotta Red. Despite their modest chart peaks, both albums went gold, with the former boasting a to-date tally of 138,040 units, and the latter 124,210 units. Born Jordan Carter in Atlanta Georgia and aged 28 or 29 (sources vary), Playboi Carti secures the 211th new No.1 album of the 2020s with the set, which is one of six albums already this decade to incorporate ‘music’ into its title – more than any other decade – the others being Music To Be Murdered By by Eminem, Women In Music Part III by Haim, Music Played By Humans by Gary Barlow, Music Of The Spheres and Moon Music by Coldplay. However, it is only the second No.1 album in chart history whose title is simply Music, the first being a 2000 chart-topper by someone with whom Playboi Carti shared his first Top 10 single (Popular), namely Madonna. Topping the first five sales flashes ahead of Playboi Carti, but ultimately unable to seal the deal, The Overview – a two-track, 42-minute prog. rock concept album by Steven Wilson – debuts at No.3 (17,627 sales). The digital edition of the album also includes the same recording in 14 segments, while a deluxe version adds a further hour of music. The artwork and labels for the set credit it as Th5 Ov5rv95w Wilson’s eighth solo studio album, it is his 10th Top 75 entry overall in a solo capacity, his fourth Top 10 solo entry. The 57-year-old singer, songwriter and producer is also the principal member of Porcupine Tree, who have had five Top 75 albums, with the most recent, Closure/Continuation, reaching No.2 in 2022, albeit on lower sales (13,682) than The Overview. Wilson’s incredibly fertile and productive career also includes a slew of solo albums as Bass Communion, more still as I.E.M. aka The Incredible Expanding Mindf*ck, and many more uncharted collaborations plus one that did chart, Storm Corrosion, a 2012 release by a duo of the same name, pairing Wilson with Mikael Akerfeldt. Adding compilations, live albums, EPs and soundtracks, his output is phenomenal – and let’s not forget he has also served as the go-to remixer for original era prog rock bands, providing sympathetic updates to works by Jethro Tull, Gentle Giant, King Crimson, Caravan and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, as well as other rock and pop acts like Black Sabbath, Roxy Music, Rush, ABC, Tears For Fears, XTC, Simple Minds, Chicago, The Who and Ultravox. The rest of the Top 10: Short N’ Sweet (2-2, 19,340 sales) by Sabrina Carpenter, Mayhem (1-4, 12,800 sales) by Lady Gaga, So Close To What (4-5, 8,330 sales) by Tate McRae, +-=÷× Tour Collection (6-6, 7,679 sales) by Ed Sheeran, The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess (7-7, 7,010 sales) by Chappell Roan, People Watching (5-8, 6,836 sales) by Sam Fender, 50 Years: Don’t Stop (8-9, 6,651 sales) by Fleetwood Mac and The Highlights (10-10, 6,267 sales) by The Weeknd. Overall album sales are down 2.38% week-on-week at 2,502,387 units, 6.48% above same week 2024 sales of 2,350,117. Physical product accounts for 264,786 sales, 10.58% of the total.