Kendrick Lamar & SZA Shake Up the Charts! ‘Luther’ Dominates Billboard Hot 100 for Third Week – A New Record in the Making?

Kendrick Lamar and SZA continue their reign on the Billboard Hot 100 as their hit single Luther secures the No. 1 spot for the third consecutive week. The track, which pays tribute to the legendary R&B icon Luther Vandross, has captured listeners with its soulful production, powerful lyrics, and memorable sample from Vandross.

The song initially debuted at No. 1, marking Kendrick Lamar’s sixth chart-topping hit and SZA’s third. With this achievement, Lamar now ties his record for the longest Hot 100 reign of his career. His previous songs Not Like Us and Like That, featuring Future and Metro Boomin, each spent three weeks at the top.

Kendrick Lamar Ties His Longest Hot 100 Streak

By holding No. 1 for three weeks, Lamar now matches his career-best run on the Hot 100. His previous top-ranking songs include:

• Not Like Us: Three nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 between May 2024 and February 2025
• Like That (with Future and Metro Boomin): Three weeks at No. 1 in April 2024
• Squabble Up: One week at No. 1 in December 2024
• Humble. One week at No. 1 in 2017
• Bad Blood (with Taylor Swift): One week at No. 1 in 2015

Similarly, SZA extends her longest stay at the top of the Hot 100. She previously reached No. 1 for a single week with Slime You Out, a collaboration with Drake, and her solo hit Kill Bill in 2023.

‘Luther’ Maintains Strong Performance Across All Metrics

The Billboard Hot 100 combines streaming numbers, radio airplay, and sales data to determine its weekly rankings. Despite a slight decline in streaming numbers, Luther continues to dominate across all major platforms.

From February 28 to March 6, the song accumulated:

• 53.9 million radio airplay impressions (a 6 percent increase)
• 34.2 million official streams (a 12 percent decline)
• 3,000 digital and physical sales (a 14 percent decrease)

Even with the dip in streaming and sales, Luther remains a powerhouse.

• No. 1 on Streaming Songs for the third straight week
• No. 3 on Radio Songs, holding its highest peak
• No. 8 on Digital Song Sales, rebounding from No. 12

A Groundbreaking Achievement in R&B and Hip-Hop

Luther has also made history by becoming the first song ever to top both Adult R&B Airplay and Rap Airplay. This distinction underscores Lamar and SZA’s crossover appeal, as the track dominates multiple genre-specific charts:

• No. 1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay for a second week
• No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay for a second week
• No. 1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay
• No. 1 on Rhythmic Airplay

Additionally, Luther leads both the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts for an 11th consecutive week. For Lamar, this marks his seventh No. 1 on both charts, while SZA earns her fourth No. 1 on R&B/Hip-Hop and her first No. 1 on Rap Songs.

Chappell Roan’s ‘Pink Pony Club’ Hits No. 1 on Digital Song Sales

While Lamar and SZA continue their dominance, Chappell Roan is making waves with her breakout hit Pink Pony Club. The song remains at its No. 8 peak on the Hot 100, while skyrocketing to No. 1 on Digital Song Sales, selling 6,000 copies in the past week.

This marks Roan’s first No. 1 on the Digital Song Sales chart, solidifying her place as a rising star in the music industry. Previously, she reached No. 6 with Good Luck, Babe! in October 2024.

Kendrick Lamar Dominates the Hot 100’s Top Five

Lamar is once again showcasing his dominance, holding multiple spots in the Hot 100’s top five. In addition to Luther at No. 1, he has two more songs in the top five:

• Not Like Us remains at No. 3
• TV Off (featuring Lefty Gunplay) stays at No. 4

This marks Lamar’s fifth week with at least three songs in the top five simultaneously. Only a handful of artists have achieved this feat in Hot 100 history:

• The Beatles: 8 weeks in 1964
• Drake: 6 weeks between 2018 and 2023
• Justin Bieber: 5 weeks between 2015 and 2016
• Kendrick Lamar: 5 weeks between 2024 and 2025
• Taylor Swift: 3 weeks between 2022 and 2024

Notably, Lamar, Swift, Drake, and The Beatles are among the only artists ever to completely dominate the top five in a single week.

Other Top 10 Highlights on the Hot 100

The rest of the Hot 100’s top ten remains largely unchanged from the previous week. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars hold steady at No. 2 with Die With a Smile, which also tops radio songs for a fifth week with 64.7 million audience impressions.

Meanwhile, Shaboozey’s A Bar Song (Tipsy) continues its record-breaking run, ranking at No. 5 after spending 19 weeks at No. 1. The song remains No. 1 on Hot Country Songs for an incredible 37 weeks.

Other notable entries in the top ten include:

• ROSÉ and Bruno Mars’ APT. at No. 6, after peaking at No. 3
• Billie Eilish’s Birds of a Feather at No. 7, which has topped the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart for 31 weeks
• Teddy Swims’ Lose Control at No. 9, extending its run to 81 weeks on the Hot 100
• Drake’s Nokia, climbing back into the top ten at No. 10

Final Thoughts: A Landmark Moment for Lamar and SZA

With Luther holding strong at No. 1, Kendrick Lamar and SZA have once again proven their unparalleled influence in modern music. The song’s record-breaking achievements, combined with its genre-spanning success, demonstrate its lasting impact.

As Lamar continues to cement his legacy with multiple top-five hits and SZA extends her chart-topping presence, Luther is shaping up to be one of 2025’s biggest songs. With unstoppable momentum, it will be fascinating to see how long they can keep the No. 1 crown.

Despite dominating the charts for three consecutive weeks, Luther by Kendrick Lamar and SZA shows no signs of slowing down. Experts predict the song could maintain its top spot for several more weeks, thanks to its strong critical acclaim and unwavering fan support. With its unique melody, powerful lyrics, and the seamless fusion of Lamar’s rap style with SZA’s soulful vocals, Luther is quickly cementing itself as one of the defining tracks of 2025. If its streaming numbers continue to hold strong, the song could potentially break new records in the coming weeks.