Zimpapers Logo

Ariana Grande recently earned another No. 1 on the Hot 100 when her single “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” debuted atop the tally. As the track opened as high as a title can climb, the pop singer broke out of a tie with the biggest musician on the planet–but her lead likely won’t last very long.

“We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” marked Grande’s seventh song to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100. With another instant champion to her name, the Wicked star emerged as the female musician with the most No. 1 debuts on the competitive tally. She had previously been tied with Taylor Swift for this honor, but her latest Eternal Sunshine cut broke that match.

While Grande may currently claim the record for the most No. 1 debuts on the Hot 100 among women, chances are Swift will catch up very soon. Her new album The Tortured Poets Department is expected to drop in mid-April, and it will almost certainly produce at least one No. 1 start on the competitive songs list.

So far, Swift has been quiet about how she plans to roll out The Tortured Poets Department. The chart-topper has yet to announce a single, so it’s possible that she won’t dole it out before the album arrives in full. She tried this plan with her last full-length Midnights in 2022, and it worked brilliantly, so she may want to employ it again.

Whenever Swift does drop a single from The Tortured Poets Department, it’s all but guaranteed to open at No. 1 on the Hot 100, whether that’s weeks before the album appears in full, or perhaps at the same time. Either way, her fan base is massive enough, and interest is at an all-time high, so whichever tune is chosen as the standout and the focus will almost certainly soar right to the peak position.

When (well, if) a tune from The Tortured Poets Department opens at No. 1, Grande and Swift will be tied once again. They’ll both have snagged seven Hot 100 chart-topping debuts, the most among female artists. Drake continues to lead all acts, with nine immediate champions.

There’s a chance that Swift could collect more than one No. 1 debut on the Hot 100 from her new album. Depending on how she doles out the tunes from the project, she could collect multiple immediate rulers. If she shared a single weeks before the set, and then another just before–or at the same time–as the complete collection, her popularity may be enough to make them both start at No. 1.

Grande made use of this plan with Eternal Sunshine, and it added two Hot 100 No. 1 debuts to her discography. The album’s lead single “Yes, And?” opened in first place weeks before “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” accomplished the same feat. If it worked for one star, why not another? – Forbes