Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next” Scores #1 Debut On The Hot 100

Eric Liebowitz/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next” Scores #1 Debut On The Hot 100

Eric Liebowitz/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

It’s hard to believe, but Ariana Grande has never had a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 until now. Grande has landed 10 previous singles in the top 10, and in 2014 she took “Problem” all the way to #2, but it took her unconventional post-breakup dispatch “thank u, next” to get her to the summit. Grande’s victory on the chart was projected last week, and Billboard confirms it today.

Some trivia: Besides being Grande’s first #1, “thank u, next” is the first song by a woman to debut at #1 since Adele’s “Hello” three years ago. Grande is also the first female artist this year to reach #1 unaccompanied by a guest artist; previously it was Beyoncé (guesting on Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect Duet”), Camila Cabello (whose “Havana” features Young Thug), and Cardi B (who went to #1 alongside Bad Bunny and J Balvin with “I Like It” and again with a guest verse on Maroon 5’s “Girls Like You,” which “thank u, next” dethrones this week).

The #1 debut for “thank u, next” — the title track from an upcoming LP — also makes Grande the first artist in history to debut the lead single from her first five albums in the top 10. Previously Grande enjoyed top 10 debuts for Sweetener’s “No Tears Left To Cry” this year, Dangerous Woman’s title track in 2016, My Everything’s aforementioned “Problem” in 2014, and Yours Truly’s “The Way” in 2013.

There’s no official release date or tracklist for Thank U, Next, the album, but the title track is supposed to be the last song on the album, and Grande has hinted that the project will be out before the end of 2018.

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