These days, most of the biggest pop stars in America are women. While there used to be quite a few solo male artists who would score hit after hit, tastes have changed, and now the focus is on the female superstars who churn out chart-topping smashes. However, a quick look at the Hot 100 at the moment seems to tell a very different story.
This week, 11 artists appear inside the top 10 on the Hot 100. There are a number of collaborative cuts that launch within the region, which credit several stars. Of those 11 names, just one of them is a woman.
Ariana Grande is the only female musician inside the top 10 on this week’s Hot 100. She holds on with her latest single, “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love),” which spends a third frame in the highest tier. That track falls from No. 3 to No. 10, pushed down by an onslaught of exciting new releases.
The Hot 100 is so completely dominated by men due largely to the success of We Don’t Trust You, the first collaborative album from Future and Metro Boomin. As that set opens at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, five tracks featured on it debut inside the top 10 on the songs ranking. Some of those cuts also bring hip-hop powerhouses like Playboi Carti, The Weeknd, and Travis Scott back to the loftiest space on the list.
Several women have been kicked out of the Hot 100’s top 10, at least for this week. Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” dips from No. 6 to No. 11. Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves’ “I Remember Everything” is down from No. 7 to No. 15. Tate McRae’s breakout smash “Greedy” steps back from No. 8 to No. 17. Taylor Swift also slips outside the competitive tier, as “Cruel Summer” declines from tenth place to No. 16.
This male-focused reign won’t last long, though. Next week, Beyoncé’s new album Cowboy Carter will debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and it’s highly likely that at least one or two of the tracks featured on it will launch inside the top 10.
Chances are also good that not all of the songs from Future and Boomin will be able to hold inside the top 10. One or two of them will likely find space in the region once more, including new No. 1 “Like That” with Kendrick Lamar. If several of the pair’s new wins fall, previous top 10s from the likes of Musgraves, McRae, or even Swift may be able to bounce back.
