What Might Probably Unseat “Outdated City Street” From No. 1? Our Finest Guesses at Lil Nas X’s Successor

It is official: Our stroll down this “Outdated City Street” is much from over.

As of Monday, August 12, the smash hit from breakthrough artist Lil Nas X (born Montero Lamar Hill) has maintained its dominance on the Billboard Scorching 100 chart for a file 19 weeks whereas exhibiting no actual indicators of slowing down. It was solely two weeks in the past that we have been celebrating the music because it pulled itself out of a three-way tie at 16 weeks, leaving Mariah Carey and Boyz II Males‘s “One Candy Day” and Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber‘s powerhouse “Despacito” within the mud. 

The genre-defying observe, which the 20-year-old Hill launched as an unbiased artist final December, has had an unprecedented life on the charts, sparking controversy and spawning remix after remix—We’re a fan of the one which options Billy Ray Cyrus, Younger Thug and Mason Ramsey, if just for the viral yodeler’s genius line, “Should you ain’t acquired no giddy up, then giddy out my means,” in case you ask us. (2019 is a wild time to be alive, you guys.)—whereas altering the rapper-singer’s life for good.

“On December 2️nd, I went into the studio and recorded OLD TOWN ROAD and put it out the very same day!! Did I do know it might grow to be the longest operating #1 music of all time? NO!!! However I’m so grateful that this blessing has been positioned upon me,” he wrote when the music with the $30 beat formally labored its means into the historical past books. “This music has modified my life and the best way I see the world round me in lower than a 12 months. Thanks to each single one who has been part of this journey. As I stated earlier than, it is only the start!”

He wasn’t kidding. 

As he continues to rack up weeks spent at No. 1 on the Scorching 100, which tracks radio airplay together with gross sales and streaming knowledge throughout all genres to unilaterally declare the most well-liked music within the nation, “Outdated City Street” continues to interrupt data. This week alone, the music has earned probably the most weeks spent at No. 1 on each the Scorching R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Scorching Rap Songs charts, with 19 weeks a bit. 

Courtesy of Strategic Public Relations

With an all-but inevitable 20th week at No. 1 simply over the horizon, the query is not a lot “How for much longer can he reign?” however “What music might probably unseat him?”

We right here on the E! Information Academy of Pop Music Arts and Sciences (class dimension: 1) have been furiously learning and really feel ready to current our greatest educated guesses at Hill’s successor. And whereas Billie Eilish and her hit “Dangerous Man” have been nipping at his heels at No. 2 for 9 weeks now, not even a remix with Bieber—whose presence on “Despacito” was the required ingredient to propel that observe to its chart-topping perch for 16 weeks again in 2017—might push her over the sting, so we really feel fairly secure in ruling it out. Does that make us the actual unhealthy man right here? We hope not.

After ruling Eilish out, we opened up our historical past books to see if there was something in regards to the two songs that ended “One Candy Day” and “Despacito”‘s respective reigns that might inform our speculation. Was there something that these two king-slaying songs had in widespread that might assist paint an image of the form of observe able to doing such a factor? Properly, sure and no.

When “One Candy Day” was knocked off the throne again in March of 1996, it was by a vocalist with pipes on par with Carey: Céline Dion, together with her observe “As a result of You Liked Me.” The music, off her fourth English-language studio album Falling into You, was launched a month previous to its taking of the pole place, which tells us that it does not need to be a brand-new music to do it, however contemplating it might be arduous to think about both observe topping the charts in in the present day’s music panorama (grownup up to date balladry simply aren’t in vogue like they use to be), that is about the one takeaway price noting right here.

As for the observe that snatched the crown from Fonsi and Co., nicely, that is the place issues get a bit extra attention-grabbing. When “Despacito” reached 16 weeks on the high, formally tying “One Candy Day” and changing into the longest-running music sung primarily in Spanish to high the chart since “Macarena” in 1996, somewhat artist by the title of Taylor Swift was able to drop her highly-anticipated new single. That week, “Look What You Made Me Do,” the edgy lead single off of Repute, debuted at No. 77 on the Scorching 100. Every week later, it had shot all the best way as much as No. 1, thus ending the Latin crossover’s time on the high.

It simply so occurs that Swift is, as soon as once more, readying the discharge of a highly-anticipated album, with Lover due on August 23. So, one would possibly assume that any of the three tracks she’s already launched from the brand new LP could possibly be our new kingslayer. The one drawback? Since their releases, “ME!,” “You Have to Calm Down” and “The Archer” have solely trended down. As of press time, “YNTCD” is her highest-charting single at No. 18, down two spots from final week. In order that guidelines these out. If Swift is really to repeat historical past and finish not one, however two historic No. 1 reigns, the stress is on for the album’s title observe, which can be launched on Friday. However at this level, that is a giant if.

In order that brings us to a few tracks who’ve potential, albeit in several methods. There’s Ariana Grande and Social Home‘s slick new team-up “Boyfriend,” which simply debuted on the Scorching 100 at No. eight. Grande’s had two No. 1 hits lately, with “thank u, subsequent” and “7 rings,” and “Boyfriend” might proceed to stand up the ranks, however does it have the viral-component essential to unseat “Outdated City Street”? That is still to be seen. Keep in mind, Hill’s hit blew up due to the social media app Tik Tok, the place its excessive meme-ability was put to make use of advert nauseam. Its successor goes to wish a little bit of that juice if it plans to face an opportunity.

And that brings us to “Scorching Lady Summer time,” the highly-anticipated observe from Megan Thee Stallion that simply dropped on Friday, Aug. 9. The music, which options Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla $ign, was already a meme earlier than it was even launched and should encourage loads of Tik Tok customers. Not solely that, nevertheless it’s at present sitting at No. 2 on iTunes All Genres Songs chart. Nevertheless, it is an extremely specific music that sits fairly squarely within the rap style, making radio play on par with “Outdated City Street” considerably of an impossibility. The music is not included on this week’s Scorching 100 because it’s solely been out for a couple of days, so it stays a query mark.

There are different darkish horse tracks on the market, like Lil Tecca‘s “Ran$om,” Khalid‘s “Speak” and Lizzo‘s “Reality Hurts,” however none appear to examine all of the bins which have propelled “Outdated City Street” to such lasting chart dominance. Baring a shock swing for the fences from Swift this week, the observe highly effective sufficient to take over the Scorching 100 simply could be one we’ve not even heard of but.

When he stated “I am gonna experience ’til I am unable to no extra,” he meant it. Put together to be touring down this highway nicely into fall, y’all.