Taylor Swift Passes Ariana Grande With Her New Chart-Topping Smash

Taylor Swift earns another No. 1 smash in America this week as her brand new single “The Fate of Ophelia” starts atop the Hot 100. Many of her rulers on the list of the most consumed songs in the United States have launched in first place — a phenomenon that didn’t exist until the mid-1990s.

As “The Fate of Ophelia” opens at No. 1, Swift breaks out of her tie with Ariana Grande and claims the most No. 1 debuts on the Hot 100 among women, and she comes within striking distance of the all-time record for the greatest number of immediate winners.

“The Fate of Ophelia” Becomes Taylor Swift’s Eighth Hot 100 No. 1 Debut

“The Fate of Ophelia” marks Swift’s eighth song to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100. She started her winning streak a little over a decade ago, in September 2014. That month, “Shake It Off,” the lead single from her pure pop project 1989, entered in first place. That track immediately helped her shift from country and country-pop, which had already made her a global superstar, into one of the most successful pop musicians of all time.

Taylor Swift’s Folklore and Evermore Produced Champions

It would be more than half a decade before Swift claimed another No. 1 debut on the Hot 100. In 2020, both “Cardigan” and “Willow,” the first singles from her albums Folklore and Evermore respectively, launched at No. 1.

Taylor Swift’s Ongoing Winning Streak on the Hot 100

Ever since 2020, Swift has debuted at least one song atop the Hot 100 every year. In 2021, it was “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version),” which set the record for the longest chart-topper in history. The following year, Midnights lead smash “Anti-Hero” debuted at No. 1 and went on to become her longest-running champion. In 2023, “Is It Over Now?,” a From the Vault track taken from 1989 (Taylor’s Version), became another fast leader. Last year, “Fortnight,” a collaboration with Post Malone, started in first place as The Tortured Poets Department — her longest full-length yet — also hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

How Many Hot 100 No. 1 Debuts Has Ariana Grande Charted?

Before “The Fate of Ophelia” arrived, Swift was matched with Grande for the most No. 1 debuts in Hot 100 history among female artists. Grande racked up her seven instant leaders faster than Swift. She began her run in November 2018 with “Thank U, Next,” and most recently, in 2024, while promoting her album Eternal Sunshine, she added two more champions to her total as both “Yes, And?” and “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” launched at No. 1 on the Hot 100.

Here are all of grande’s No. 1 debuts:

• “Thank U, Next”
• “7 Rings”
• “Stuck with U” with Justin Bieber
• “Rain On Me” with Lady Gaga
• “Positions”
• “Yes, And?”
• “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)”

How Many Hot 100 No. 1 Debuts Has Drake Charted?

Drake currently claims the record for the most No. 1 debuts in Hot 100 history. As Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” opens at No. 1, she now stands just one title shy of tying the Canadian hip-hop superstar, who has debuted all of the following tunes atop the chart.

• “God’s Plan”
• “Nice for What”
• “Toosie Slide”
• “What’s Next”
• “Way 2 Sexy (ft. Future and Young Thug)”
• “Wait for U,” Future featuring Drake and Tems
• “Jimmy Cooks (ft. 21 Savage)”
• “Slime You Out (ft. SZA)”
• “First Person Shooter (ft. J. Cole)”

How Many Hot 100 No. 1s Has Taylor Swift Charted?

Swift also collects her milestone thirteenth No. 1 on the Hot 100 as “The Fate of Ophelia” arrives. She breaks out of a tie with both Madonna and The Supremes, who remain steady with an even dozen. Swift is now matched with Drake and Michael Jackson for the fourth-most rulers ever, behind The Beatles, Mariah Carey, and Rihanna, who claim 20, 19, and 14 leaders, respectively.

The Life of a Showgirl Scores Record-Breaking Billboard 200 Debut

Meanwhile, The Life of a Showgirl opens at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with the largest debut ever. The 12-song set shifted just over four million equivalent units, with more than three and a half million of those being actual purchases. Swift has now conquered the Billboard 200 with 15 different projects — the second-most of all acts, behind only The Beatles.