Kendrick Lamar Dominates Apple Music’s 2024 Song Rankings as Women Break Ground in History

NEW YORK (AP) — In a striking achievement, Kendrick Lamar’s hit song “Not Like Us” claimed the top spot on Apple Music’s global song chart for 2024, marking his first-ever No. 1 position on the year-end list. Apple Music unveiled its year-end summaries on Tuesday, giving listeners insights into their most streamed songs of the year.

Following Lamar is Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” at No. 2, while Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” sits in third place. The list continues with Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” in fourth and Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” rounding out the top five. Notably, “Cruel Summer,” from Swift’s 2019 album “Lover,” experienced a resurgence in popularity during the summer of 2023.

This year’s chart showcased an unprecedented phenomenon: 39 of the 100 songs were performed by female-identifying artists, setting a new record in the global chart’s 7-year existence.

In an unexpected twist, the Japanese hip-hop group Creepy Nuts made waves by securing the title for the most-read lyrics in 2024 with their breakthrough track “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born.” Following closely behind were Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” Carpenter’s “Espresso,” and Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather.” Furthermore, “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” also topped Apple Music’s Sing chart, which tracks the most-sung songs by fans. This suggests a growing international appeal for Japanese music, as evidenced by YOASOBI’s earlier dominance on the Sing chart in 2023 with their song “アイドル (Idol),” which continues to perform well, landing at No. 2 this year.

New to Apple Music’s year-end charts for 2024 is the Shazam Global Radio Spins chart. This innovative addition highlights the songs most frequently aired on radio stations worldwide, with Dua Lipa’s “Houdini” capturing the top spot. Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” and Tate McRae’s “Greedy” follow in second and third places, respectively.

Apple Music also introduced Replay on Tuesday, an alternative to Spotify’s Wrapped playlist, allowing users to explore the most popular music on the platform throughout the year. Additionally, artists can share their year-end data using Apple Music for Artists, enhancing engagement with their fanbase.

In a significant recognition, Billie Eilish was named Apple Music’s artist of the year for 2024 following a remarkable year in which she became the youngest person to win two Academy Awards. Eilish released her critically acclaimed third album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” which earned her seven nominations for the 2025 Grammy Awards. At the recent ceremony, she took home two Grammy trophies for her song “What Was I Made For?” featured in the blockbuster film “Barbie,” despite not releasing a new album this year.

Rachel Newman, Apple Music’s senior director of Content and Editorial, expressed admiration for Eilish’s rapid rise and artistic evolution, saying, “It’s always special when a young artist can connect with so many people so quickly. But what’s been truly remarkable about watching her evolve over the course of this last year isn’t just that her voice and artistry have continued to resonate so widely. It’s that she’s blossomed as bravely and honestly as she has — on her own terms, in her own way.”