Biggest Hit Singles of 2021 — So Far

This song samples Right Said Fred’s 1991 hit, “I’m Too Sexy.” The song received mixed responses from critics. Some enjoyed the modern take, while others deemed the song “cringey.” Either way, Drake leaned into his playful side and released a comical video to accompany the song.

Styles wrote this funk-pop song in 2017 about his ex, who is a fan of the post-apocalyptic novel “In Watermelon Sugar” by Richard Brautigan. The song has performed well internationally, winning not only the 2021 Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance but also Song of the Year at the 41st Brit Awards. Styles also performed the song on “Saturday Night Live.”

Mariah Carey is making history as her single debuts on the Hot 100 for the fourth consecutive year. Surprisingly, it topped the Billboard charts for the first time in 2019, which was 25 years after its 1994 release. This is attributed to a large push from fans on streaming platforms. She released a music video in 2019 to celebrate the festive song’s revival.

This groundbreaking song explicitly discusses how Cardi B and Megan want men to please them. While many saw the song as a celebration of feminitiy and sex positivity, more conservative commentators found the song to be problematic. Either way, it was extremely successful. Not only did it become the first No. 1 single on the Billboard Global 200 when the chart was introduced last fall, but it also was named the best song of the year by Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and NPR, among others.

Derulo sampled an instrumental beat by Jawsh 685, which the artist posted to YouTube in 2019. However, when Derulo originally released “Savage Love,” he didn’t ask permission to use the beat or credit its source. This created media backlash, but the issue was ultimately resolved, with Jawsh 685 receiving proper acknowledgement. The song became a viral TikTok trend and went on to be Derulo’s second No. 1 Billboard song, and Jawsh 685’s first.

“Permission to Dance,” written as a stand-alone single, was the third English-language song for South Korean boy band BTS. The dance-worthy track was penned by a team of writers that included Ed Sheeran, and drew 15.9 million streams within the first week of its release.

“Stay,” the lead single from Laroi’s mixtape “F*ck Love 3: Over You,” was produced by a team that included Charlie Puth and Cashmere Cat. It blends genres like synth-pop, hip-hop, and pop rock, and was an international hit, topping the charts in 20 countries.

Written by the two rappers themselves, this was the second single from DaBaby’s third studio album “Blame It on Baby.” The song received Grammy nominations for Best Rap Song and Best Melodic Rap Performance. DaBaby released a “BLM Remix” of the song where he discusses his experience with police brutality throughout an added verse. Somewhat morbidly, the music video is fittingly set in a zombie apocalypse.

“Up” is Cardi B’s fifth song at the top of the charts, further establishing her record as the female rapper with the most No. 1 Billboard hits. The song, written in part by Cardi B, has drill influences. The music video was nominated for BET’s Video of the Year and Cardi performed the song at the 2021 Grammys.

This was the South Korean boy band BTS’s first song recorded fully in English. Upbeat, with disco influences, it was intended to bring joy to listeners during the height of the pandemic. The song was nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the Grammys, the first time a Korean pop act had ever been nominated.

This was Drake’s eighth No. 1 single, and his fourth song to debut at the top of the chart. It was released as part of Drake’s fourth EP “Scary Hours 2,” and was the song that finally bumped off Olivia Rodrigo’s hit “Driver’s License,” which had maintained its first-place spot for eight weeks. The music video features Drake dancing at different sites in his hometown of Toronto.

This dance-pop EDM track, the Korean boy band’s second English-language single, received positive reviews for its catchiness. It topped charts internationally, and earned top 10 spots in more than 20 countries. The song was later remixed by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion.

The pop punk song was the third single from Rodrigo’s debut studio album, which has been an international hit with critical acclaim. The song draws influence from Paramore’s “Misery Business,” and has such strong similarities that Haley Williams and Josh Farro were credited as co-writers. The ’90s-style music video features Rodrigo as a cheerleader who sets out for revenge.

This chamber-folk ballad was the leading single from Swift’s ninth studio album, “Evermore.” Swift uses metaphors throughout the song to describe her current mental state, such as comparing herself to a willow tree. The song’s music video was directed by Swift, and shows the twists and turns as she navigates the search for the right person for her.

Released as the third single from his third studio album, “Hall of Fame,” the song chronicles the rapper’s growing celebrity and how he’s grappling with its ups and downs. An acoustic preview of the song was released on YouTube in 2020, where the song’s co-producer Einer Bankz accompanied the lyrics on ukulele. On the first day of its official release, it reached No. 1 on Spotify, a first for the Chicago-born rapper.

Sharing the same name as Grande’s sixth studio album, this song was chosen as the lead single. The pop and R&B song, about showing romantic gestures to her partner, received positive reviews for its fresh melody.

Reaching the top five in 33 countries, “Save Your Tears”‘ was the final single from the Weend’s fourth studio album, “After Hours.” The second remix of the track features Grande, and is the version that led the song to be both of the artists’ sixth No. 1 single. Many critics applauded the impressive harmonies achieved by the duo.

This was the debut single by the new duo of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak. It peaked at No. 1 in the United States, Israel, Malaysia, and New Zealand. Its music video depicts the duo performing in an old-school studio as women dance in the background.

This Lil Nas X song celebrates the queer community with sexually explicit lyrics and a campy music video full of erotic takes on biblical themes (for instance, the singer gives Satan a lap dance). Understandably, the song was condemned by conservatives as immoral. Regardless, the song debuted at the top of the charts, making it Little Nas X’s second No. 1 single after his megahit “Old Town Road.”

This is the fifth single from Bieber’s sixth studio album, “Justice.” Featured are Bieber’s fellow Canadian singer-songwriter Caesar and American R&B artist Giveon (known for his collaboration with Drake on the 2020 single “Chicago Freestyle”). “Peaches” was Bieber’s seventh No. 1 hit, and a first for his two colleagues.

The debut single for Rodrigo, the indie pop song details the emotions the singer-songwriter dealt with during a break-up. The song received widespread acclaim for heartfelt vocals and lyrics, with many comparing Rodrigo to Taylor Swift and Lorde. The song broke Spotify’s record for most single-day streams of non-holiday songs, and was ranked third by Billboard for Best Song Bridges of the 21st Century.

This song was the lead single on 24KGolden’s debut studio album, “El Dorado.” The pop rap song is built around a guitar riff and features vocals from Puerto Rican rapper iann dior. It’s about toxic relationships in which partners seem to always be in a negative mood. It originally gained popularity on TikTok, before landing the No. 1 spot on Billboard.

“Blinding Lights” became the first song to hold a spot in the Billboard Top 10 for an entire year, where it spent four week as No. 1. The song is about going to dangerous lengths to see a romantic partner, even if that’s driving while intoxicated and being blinded by the streetlights on the way. The hit ended its 90-week Hot 100 streak on September 11, 2021, and is the Weeknd’s most successful single to date. It’s also Spotify’s most streamed single of 2020 at nearly 1.6 billion streams.