Bruno Mars Becomes First Artist to Surpass 150 Million Monthly Spotify Listeners
Mars, who has not put out a solo album since 2016's '24K Magic,' made history on the platform on the back of his hot streak of collaborative singles. 'Die With a Smile,' his mid-tempo duet with Lady Gaga, has amassed nearly 1.7 billion Spotify streams since its release in Aug. 2024, becoming his ninth number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 and opening the year in the top spot months after it dropped.
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In October, he continued his hot streak with his Rosé collab 'Apt.' in October, already surging past the billion streams mark and peaking at No. 5 on the Hot 100. His 150 million milestone coincides with Friday's release of 'Fat Juicy & Wet,' his R-rated track with Sexyy Red. In the video for the song, Mars corrals his recent collaborators — including Gaga and Rosé — to throw a celebratory party.
Mars, who is currently the number one artist on Spotify, is teeing up for the Grammy Awards this Sunday, where he's nominated alongside Gaga for song of the year and best pop duo/group performance. Elsewhere, Mars and Rosé just earned the title of best-selling song in the United States last week and hitting 12 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Global Excl. U.S. chart, making it the first K-pop song to do so.
Though Mars has waited nearly a decade to put out his next solo album, he dropped the joint album 'An Evening With Silk Sonic' alongside Anderson .Paak as Silk Sonic in 2021. Their single 'Leave the Door Open' won four Grammys, including record and song of the year.
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CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
The song of the summer is a bummer
The summer of 2025 is severely lacking in 'Espresso.' Gone are the sweaty days when 'Not Like Us' lit up parties nationwide, uniting Drake dissers everywhere. There are manchildren and daisies and animated anthems from 'KPop Demon Hunters,' but nothing that's made as big of a cultural dent as 'Birds of a Feather' or anything from 'Brat.' There is no song of the summer this year. And if there is, it's probably a bummer. The top 10 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 are occupied largely by downers. At No. 1, Alex Warren's vaguely Christian ballad 'Ordinary' is best suited for a quiet study session, not a raucous party. Morgan Wallen, fresh from God's country, can't feign enthusiasm on his recent half-baked singles. Even pop prince Justin Bieber is keeping it low-key on his new album, which relies on sparse, downbeat guitars. (This, coming from one of the men behind 2017's song of the summer, 'Despacito.') And if the most popular songs in the country aren't somewhat dour or mellow to a fault, they're holdovers from 2024 (or older). This year, it seems we left pop bombast in 2024. 'We're coming off a huge wave of amazing stuff,' said Mike Errico, a songwriter and instructor at New York University's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. 'A lot of what 2025 has come out with — they're kind of down, kind of low energy. It's good, but it's not going to light up a room.' The state of the song of the summer is in crisis. There's still time to find a definitive song that unites both snobs and casual listeners — Sabrina Carpenter's new album arrives at the end of August, after all — but so far, the song of summer 2025 is one long sigh. Last summer, we met exciting new pop stars like Chappell Roan. Underdogs like Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter, who worked steadily for years as cult favorites, finally broke out. And maybe you heard that two of the most famous women in the world — Taylor Swift, Beyoncé — released projects last year? '2024 was exceptional,' Errico said. 'I don't think you see that a lot — really humongous hits, with insanely long lives on the charts.' This year's popular new music has been decidedly downbeat, with ballads and ponderous country songs topping the charts, Errico said. Even Bieber's 'Daisies,' charting high in the weeks after its release, is relatively pared back for the one-time collaborator of fiery artists like Skrillex and Quavo. 'A lot of stuff was low energy,' Errico said of this year's new music. 'It's good for dim rooms, but I don't think that's associated with the 'song of the summer.'' Ideally, a song of the summer is 'bright, poppy, upbeat,' Errico said — a celebration in miniature that's easy to dance along to. It's a song that won't grate even when you hear it one million times over one summer. This year 'did not deliver that,' he said. 'Maybe we shot our bullets in 2024 all at once,' he said. 'Do we need a song of the summer to be brand spankin' new?' Errico pondered. 'Can it be something from, oh, 10 months ago?' Release dates haven't held back some of the year's most popular songs from continuing to soar. Four of the top 10 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 were released in 2024, including Shaboozey's 'A Bar Song (Tipsy),' a scrappy, easily singable country song that's been charting for over a year, and 'Luther,' Kendrick Lamar's laid-back jam with SZA. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars' 2024 dulcet duet 'Die with a Smile' has survived for nearly a year in the top 10 — meanwhile, the spiky, danceable cuts from Gaga's new album 'Mayhem' have disappeared. (There's also Teddy Swims' inexplicably popular 'Lose Control,' which is now over two years old.) 'I think it speaks to the power of 2024, that they're still on the charts in 2025,' Errico said. 'Maybe 2024 isn't over yet.' There is a type of song that makes less of a dent upon arrival but winds up defining the summer, like '360,' 'Guess' and 'Apple' from Charli XCX's 'Brat.' This year, that slot appears to be filled by PinkPantheress' 'Illegal,' which has soundtracked over a million TikToks and counting. It slid off the charts fairly quickly after its May release, but it fills the earworm quotient, and it's the rare viral hit that hasn't yet worn out its welcome. Also in contention are songs from burgeoning pop star and original TikTok idol Addison Rae and Ravyn Lenae, whose 'Love Me Not' is a rare bouncy gem in the top 10. 'You're not seeing (these songs) en masse, but maybe that's better,' Errico said of the cult hits. 'Maybe not everyone should be invited to a single party. Maybe we should have different parties with different playlists that reflect a smaller but more dedicated group of people.' It's possible that when we look back at this summer a year from now, older songs will spring to mind, Errico offered. The CEO kiss-cam meltdown at a Coldplay concert in July became one of the summer's biggest stories, and fans may remember the moment set to 'The Scientist' or 'Fix You.' Ozzy Osbourne's death has already prompted fans to revisit his greatest hits, like the karaoke barn-burner 'Crazy Train.' Or maybe, Errico suggested, the song of the summer is one that best exemplifies the quickening encroachment of AI into creative fields, like AI band Velvet Sundown's AI song, 'Dust on the Wind.' Even the title sounds like a Fleetwood Mac-inspired ChatGPT prompt. This fruitless search for the song of the summer has made Errico wonder, do we even need one this year? The songs of 2024 are already tiding us over. 'Maybe music needed this minute to chill,' he said. 'Let's let everybody digest it and come back strong next summer.' Maybe we'll get back to the good stuff in summer 2026. Or maybe late entries like Carpenter; Tyler, The Creator and Chappell Roan (whose new song is a ballad) could run away with the season — or the year. After all, Errico said: 'A good song is good for longer than the summer.'
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
The song of the summer is a bummer
Music MediaFacebookTweetLink Follow The summer of 2025 is severely lacking in 'Espresso.' Gone are the sweaty days when 'Not Like Us' lit up parties nationwide, uniting Drake dissers everywhere. There are manchildren and daisies and animated anthems from 'KPop Demon Hunters,' but nothing that's made as big of a cultural dent as 'Birds of a Feather' or anything from 'Brat.' There is no song of the summer this year. And if there is, it's probably a bummer. The top 10 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 are occupied largely by downers. At No. 1, Alex Warren's vaguely Christian ballad 'Ordinary' is best suited for a quiet study session, not a raucous party. Morgan Wallen, fresh from God's country, can't feign enthusiasm on his recent half-baked singles. Even pop prince Justin Bieber is keeping it low-key on his new album, which relies on sparse, downbeat guitars. (This, coming from one of the men behind 2017's song of the summer, 'Despacito.') And if the most popular songs in the country aren't somewhat dour or mellow to a fault, they're holdovers from 2024 (or older). This year, it seems we left pop bombast in 2024. 'We're coming off a huge wave of amazing stuff,' said Mike Errico, a songwriter and instructor at New York University's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. 'A lot of what 2025 has come out with — they're kind of down, kind of low energy. It's good, but it's not going to light up a room.' The state of the song of the summer is in crisis. There's still time to find a definitive song that unites both snobs and casual listeners — Sabrina Carpenter's new album arrives at the end of August, after all — but so far, the song of summer 2025 is one long sigh. Last summer, we met exciting new pop stars like Chappell Roan. Underdogs like Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter, who worked steadily for years as cult favorites, finally broke out. And maybe you heard that two of the most famous women in the world — Taylor Swift, Beyoncé — released projects last year? '2024 was exceptional,' Errico said. 'I don't think you see that a lot — really humongous hits, with insanely long lives on the charts.' This year's popular new music has been decidedly downbeat, with ballads and ponderous country songs topping the charts, Errico said. Even Bieber's 'Daisies,' charting high in the weeks after its release, is relatively pared back for the one-time collaborator of fiery artists like Skrillex and Quavo. 'A lot of stuff was low energy,' Errico said of this year's new music. 'It's good for dim rooms, but I don't think that's associated with the 'song of the summer.'' Ideally, a song of the summer is 'bright, poppy, upbeat,' Errico said — a celebration in miniature that's easy to dance along to. It's a song that won't grate even when you hear it one million times over one summer. This year 'did not deliver that,' he said. 'Maybe we shot our bullets in 2024 all at once,' he said. 'Do we need a song of the summer to be brand spankin' new?' Errico pondered. 'Can it be something from, oh, 10 months ago?' Release dates haven't held back some of the year's most popular songs from continuing to soar. Four of the top 10 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 were released in 2024, including Shaboozey's 'A Bar Song (Tipsy),' a scrappy, easily singable country song that's been charting for over a year, and 'Luther,' Kendrick Lamar's laid-back jam with SZA. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars' 2024 dulcet duet 'Die with a Smile' has survived for nearly a year in the top 10 — meanwhile, the spiky, danceable cuts from Gaga's new album 'Mayhem' have disappeared. (There's also Teddy Swims' inexplicably popular 'Lose Control,' which is now over two years old.) 'I think it speaks to the power of 2024, that they're still on the charts in 2025,' Errico said. 'Maybe 2024 isn't over yet.' There is a type of song that makes less of a dent upon arrival but winds up defining the summer, like '360,' 'Guess' and 'Apple' from Charli XCX's 'Brat.' This year, that slot appears to be filled by PinkPantheress' 'Illegal,' which has soundtracked over a million TikToks and counting. It slid off the charts fairly quickly after its May release, but it fills the earworm quotient, and it's the rare viral hit that hasn't yet worn out its welcome. Also in contention are songs from burgeoning pop star and original TikTok idol Addison Rae and Ravyn Lenae, whose 'Love Me Not' is a rare bouncy gem in the top 10. 'You're not seeing (these songs) en masse, but maybe that's better,' Errico said of the cult hits. 'Maybe not everyone should be invited to a single party. Maybe we should have different parties with different playlists that reflect a smaller but more dedicated group of people.' It's possible that when we look back at this summer a year from now, older songs will spring to mind, Errico offered. The CEO kiss-cam meltdown at a Coldplay concert in July became one of the summer's biggest stories, and fans may remember the moment set to 'The Scientist' or 'Fix You.' Ozzy Osbourne's death has already prompted fans to revisit his greatest hits, like the karaoke barn-burner 'Crazy Train.' Or maybe, Errico suggested, the song of the summer is one that best exemplifies the quickening encroachment of AI into creative fields, like AI band Velvet Sundown's AI song, 'Dust on the Wind.' Even the title sounds like a Fleetwood Mac-inspired ChatGPT prompt. This fruitless search for the song of the summer has made Errico wonder, do we even need one this year? The songs of 2024 are already tiding us over. 'Maybe music needed this minute to chill,' he said. 'Let's let everybody digest it and come back strong next summer.' Maybe we'll get back to the good stuff in summer 2026. Or maybe late entries like Carpenter; Tyler, The Creator and Chappell Roan (whose new song is a ballad) could run away with the season — or the year. After all, Errico said: 'A good song is good for longer than the summer.'
Cosmopolitan
5 hours ago
- Cosmopolitan
Weekly Horoscope for the Week of August 3
The week ahead requires us to boss up to get past the current roadblocks in our path to success. The action planet Mars glides into Libra on April 6, adding a tinge of passive-aggressiveness to how we handle conflict. Two days later, Mars opposes Saturn Retrograde in Aries and connects with Uranus in Gemini, urging us to break free from the past and the societal constraints holding us back from living our most authentic lives. Mars shares a tense aspect with Neptune Retrograde in Aries on the 9th, pushing us to rethink our objectives and desires. The Full Moon in Aquarius on August 9 clarifies how we can make our dreams happen, regardless of the obstacles standing in our way. Keep reading below for your Sun, Moon, and Rising sign horoscope for this week. Usually, you're assertive, defiant, and confrontational with others. This week, you are trying to find the middle ground before jumping to conclusions and acting on impulse. It may be difficult to calm your temper, but taking a beat before responding is doable and advisable to center your energy and thoughts. You may feel like everyone's turned their back on you, but they haven't. The friends who are creating issues are proving to be phony, which is why you should disconnect. You don't want or need scrubs in your peer group — you desire ride-or-dies who will never leave your side. Life is getting a little messy with the hot goss surrounding you. It's unfair that people are telling false tales about you based on speculation, but you're not helping by playing into the drama. Laugh it off and let it go because you know better than contributing to the rumors. You're not one to go with the flow, due to the need to be in control. However, you're learning that you can't altways predict or take charge of matters due to the unforeseen obstacles. Rather than push matters forward, use your energy to create a different route to your objectives. Although you should blame Mercury retrograde for the drama in the group chat, you're putting your foot in your mouth and giving reasons that are suss to your besties. The best option in dealing with the miscommunications is to apologize and refrain from texting for a bit to avoid arguments. Asserting yourself to receive a higher pay is intimidating, but not for you. Fortunately, you're one step above the curve and can bring innovation to the table that can transcend your career to greatness. Make a note of that when discussing your raise with management. Your plea will be compelling. Don't you look tough flexing your power around town! You'll see it's not a good look to brag about your achievements, talents, and wins to others (even though you should be proud). It'll alienate some of your besties. Be humble and unpretentious to avoid jealousy from occurring with your crew. Believe it or not, you're taking an emotional vacation from the thirsty peeps in your squad. You aren't in the mood for energetic vampires — you're opting for solitude and alone time to maintain your spirits. If that means blocking an ex who's re-emerging to haunt you, so be it! Romantic affairs are on shaky ground, making you question where the situationship is going. Before you do anything to cause irreparable harm to the relationship, have an open and honest chat to ensure you're on the same page as your boo. Realness and directness are vital to secure the future. It's a magical time for you to make your visions happen IRL. You've been in a slump, comparing yourself to others. Currently, you are becoming aware that you're fabulous. No matter what insecurities have been running through your mind, you are drowning out the negativity and focusing on positive vibes. Wearing your heart on your sleeve isn't your style, but you can't keep sentiments down this week. A proper cry or tantrum is an excellent method to release stress and relieve worries. You're not a basket case for being emo; you are only human and need to feel your feels. Your home feels like a money pit because there are a ton of necessary repairs that require your attention at the moment. Instead of obsessing over the amount of cash you are spending, think of it as an investment in making the house of your dreams to justify the prices.
