Battle of the 2000s-baby’s: Tate McRae and Pommelien Thijs go head-to-head for Number 1

Both born in the 2000s, millennium babies Tate McRae and Pommelien Thijs enter a fierce competition for this week’s Number 1, resulting in “Greedy” earning a third consecutive week atop the list. The viral TikTok hit has taken over the globe by storm, topping the charts throughout Europe. It is set to be Tate McRae her biggest success to date. Closely behind her is Belgian pop idol Pommelien Thijs with “Erop of Eronder”. She is without a doubt, the biggest star in Belgium right now, starring in the popular Netflix drama Knokke Off and simultaneously topping the national singles and albums charts. On my personal chart, Pommelien Thijs earns her highest-peaking solo record to date. Her highest peak overall remains the Christmas Number 1-duet “Nu Wij Niet Meer Praten” with Jaap Reesema.

Afrobeats has been the breakout genre of the year. Libianca and Ayra Starr both scored big Top 3-singles while Rema and Selena Gomez their remix of “Calm Down” became one of the decade’s biggest hits so far. This week, another Afrobeats-infused song soars into the Top 10: “Water” by Tyla. Earlier this year, the South-African pop star toured across Europe with Chris Brown. Tyla is helped by viral success on TikTok. The song also combines the more traditional Afrobeats sound with more mellow R&B from the West, reminiscent of water itself. “Water” was last week’s highest debut and this week it peaks at #5, a noteworthy achievement. It marks Tyla her first Top 10-hit on my list.

Last year, Fred Again.. scored his first ever Top 10-hit on my list with “Strong” featuring Romy. It then turned out to be the first of four consecutive Top 10-entries, including the platinum “Delilah (Pull Me Out of This)”. This week, Fred Again.. collects his fifth consecutive Top 10-hit with “Adore U” featuring Nigerian singer Obongjayar. The track was released this week as a tribute to Fred’s younger sister, and features lyrics from Obongjayar his 2022 debut Some Nights I Dream Of Doors, which was originally written for Obongjayar’s younger brother. Fred Again.. performed the track solo at Glastonbury in June and at Down the Rabbit Hole in the Netherlands. The emotional collaboration peaks at #9 this week – further cementing Fred as one of the most successful producers of the moment.

TikTok hits rule the chart. Tate McRae her viral “Greedy” leads, while Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” and Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” all enjoyed Top 10-success. New to the viral trend is Spanish singer Iñigo Quintero with “Si No Estás”. It is the highest debut of the week at #25. The single is an emotional declaration of love. It went viral overnight and is currently a streaming juggernaut. Spanish music has had its most successful year in a long time this year – Shakira topped the charts with “Music Sessions, Vol. 53” and Bad Bunny continues to be charting hit.

American singer-songwriter and folk artist Noah Kahan debuts at #34 with the infectious “Stick Season” taken from his album of the same name. The single has been making waves in the UK lately, charting on the Top 100. It is his second Top 40-hit on my list; he previously had a small hit with Julia Michaels on “Hurt Somebody”. Further down, Aussie icon Troye Sivan debuts with the follow-up to his Top 10-smash “Rush”: the rhythmic “Got Me Started” at #39. It samples "Shooting Stars" by Australian electronic duo Bag Raiders.

A few weeks back, I listed the best-scoring singles of the year so far, revealing “Stiekem” by Maan and Goldband to be the frontrunners. This week, I have decided to rank the biggest-scoring artists of the year so far based on points. Pulling ahead right now, is the Dutch pop sensation Goldband with over 220,000 points. “Stiekem” achieved diamond status, while the follow-up “Rommel” debuted atop the chart with the biggest opening numbers of the entire year. Closely behind is Miley Cyrus, who scored four Top 10-hits with her album Endless Summer Vacation, including the multi-platinum “Flowers”. London-based producer Fred Again.. ranks third, having scored five consecutive Top 10-hits this year. Female singers further dominate the ranking: RAYE, SZA, Mimi Webb, Shakira, Ice Spice and Kylie Minogue all rank inside the Top 10 so far.

Newly certified

“Rush” – Troye Sivan GOLD

“Cruel Summer” – Taylor Swift GOLD

Best-scoring artists of 2023 so far

1. Goldband

2. Miley Cyrus

3. Fred Again..

4. RAYE

5. SZA

6. Calvin Harris

7. Mimi Webb

8. Shakira

9. Ice Spice

10. Kylie Minogue