Ariana Grande at the 2020 Grammys. Photo: Getty
Ariana Grande makes news as reigning queen of the Billboard charts after her latest single, Positions, topped the prestigious Billboard Hot 100. The singer’s latest album opened with nearly 174 million streams, the most by a female artist since Taylor Swift’s Folklore debuted in July.
Grande has now had five singles debuted at the top of the Hot 100 charts, becoming the first artist in Hot 100 history to score three number one debuts in the same year. The 27-year-old singer already held the record with four songs — solo tracks Thank U, Next and 7 Rings and collaborations Stuck With U with Justin Bieber and Rain on Me with Lady Gaga — all released in the last two years. “Hello / thank u. I know these things aren’t v important on the grand scheme of things but when they do happen I feel it’s important to express gratitude for your love and support !!! so I am indeed rambling today. sry,” she wrote on Instagram. “This is my favorite album yet and your response to the music has made my heart so incredibly full, I can’t even begin to fully express how much it means. so thank u. so very much,” she added.
Grande made waves in November 2018, when she surprise-released her then-new single Thank U, Next just after her fourth album, Sweetener – which was released just three months prior. Grande’s swift return with Thank U, Next — which featured her exes in the lyrics, and included a music video that honored cult teen films like Mean Girls and Bring It On — resulted in the first Hot 100 No. 1 single, and No. 1 debut, of her career. Miley Cyrus previously held this record, which she set between 2007 and 2009, after releasing Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus, Breakout and Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack, according to Billboard.
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