December just started, but Billboard has already crunched the numbers and released its 2021 year-end charts, based on airplay, sales and streaming data and other metrics. The big winners overall? Dua Lipa, The Weeknd and Olivia Rodrigo.
Dua Lipa’s “Levitating” was the year’s number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100, followed by two songs by The Weeknd: “Save Your Tears” and “Blinding Lights.”
Regarding “Levitating’s” success, Dua tells Billboard,”‘Levitating’ doing its thing on the Billboard chart is absolutely surreal. That song has been my baby for so long, and to have it out in the world, and for people’s response to be the way that it is, it’s just absolutely mind-blowing to me. I’m really, really, really grateful for it all.”
To give you an idea of how successful the song has been, “Levitating” has appeared in the Hot 100’s top 40 every week of the past chart year, and for 41 of those weeks, it was in the top 10. While it never reached number one, it did peak at number two.
Olivia, meanwhile, is Billboard‘s Top New Artist of 2021 — beating out The Kid LAROI — as well as its Top Streaming Songs Artist of 2021. She’s also the overall Top Female Artist of 2021, beating out her idol, Taylor Swift, who’s number two. Her debut album, SOUR, is the number-two album of the year, behind country star Morgan Wallen‘s Dangerous: The Double Album.
The Top Artist of 2021 is Drake, followed by Olivia, The Weeknd, Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen, Ariana Grande, Doja Cat and Justin Bieber.
The Top Duo/Group of 2021 is, of course, BTS, followed by Glass Animals and Dan + Shay.
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.