The top of the charts is a space with which Ariana Grande is familiar. She has had a handful of No. 1 singles in her day, and now she has earned another: On the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated November 7, “Positions” has debuted at No. 1. It’s her fifth No. 1 single and it extends her record for the most songs to debut on top.
.@ArianaGrande‘s “Positions” officially debuts at No. 1 on this week’s #Hot100 chart.
It earns Grande her fifth career No. 1 hit and extends her record for the most No. 1 debuts.
— billboard charts (@billboardcharts) November 2, 2020
The #Hot100 top 10 (chart dated Nov. 7, 2020)
— billboard charts (@billboardcharts) November 2, 2020
While the song is her fifth No. 1, it has brought about a lot of firsts for Grande. She is now the first artist to have three songs debut at No. 1 in the same year (the other two being “Rain On Me” and “Stuck With U”). She’s also the first artist with three No. 1 singles in a year since Drake in 2018. Additionally, Grande is the first woman (and only artist overall along with Drake) since Rihanna has four chart-toppers and Katy Perry had three, both in 2010.
.@ArianaGrande becomes the first artist in history with three No. 1 #Hot100 debuts in a single year, as “Positions” joins “Rain on Me” and “Stuck With U.”
— billboard charts (@billboardcharts) November 2, 2020
.@ArianaGrande is the first artist to earns three No. 1 songs on the #Hot100 in a single year since @Drake in 2018.
She’s the first woman (and only act other than Drake) to achieve the feat since @rihanna earned four No. 1s and @katyperry earned three in 2010.
— billboard charts (@billboardcharts) November 2, 2020
After hearing the news, Grande took a moment to thank her collaborators, writing, “congratulations to this most incredible and deserving team @TBHITS @amnija_ @LondonOnDaTrack #positions !!!! thank u so much everyone for showing this song so much love. it is such an honor.”
congratulations to this most incredible and deserving team @TBHITS @amnija_ @LondonOnDaTrack #positions !!!! thank u so much everyone for showing this song so much love
it is such an honor https://t.co/P6UWV8Q2Gf
— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) November 2, 2020
Meanwhile, it was also a huge week for Luke Combs, whose “Forever After All” debuted at No. 2. The song is the highest-ever debut for a male country artist, with the previous high coming from Garth Brooks’ “Lost In You” (released as Chris Gaines), which debuted at No. 5 in September 1999. With Grande and Combs debuting in the top two spots, this is only the third time in history two songs have debuted at Nos. 1 and 2 in the same week.
.@lukecombs‘ “Forever After All” debuts at No. 2 on this week’s #Hot100, marking his highest-charting entry and first top 10.
The song becomes the highest debut ever for a male country artist.
— billboard charts (@billboardcharts) November 2, 2020
.@garthbrooks previously held the record with the September 1999 debut of “Lost In You” (No. 5, as Chris Gaines).
— billboard charts (@billboardcharts) November 2, 2020
This is the third time in history that two songs have debuted at Nos. 1 and 2 on the #Hot100 in the same week. The other two weeks:
June 28, 2003: @clayaiken “This Is the Night” & @RubenStuddard “Flying Without Wings”
Nov. 14, 2015: @Adele “Hello” & @justinbieber “Sorry”— billboard charts (@billboardcharts) November 2, 2020
Read our review of Positions here.