The 2024 Luminate Midyear Music Report is now out, and the Top 10 songs for the first half of 2024 have been determined.
1. Benson Boone - "Beautiful Things" (1.434 billion streams)
The Washington-born singer-songwriter released this hit as the lead single from his debut album, “Fireworks & Rollerblades.” Co-written with Jack LaFrantz and Evan Blair, the song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped charts in multiple countries.
Boone started writing the song in September 2023 after moving to Los Angeles, combining two separate song ideas into one with LaFrantz's suggestion. The ballad showcases the artist’s emotive vocals and powerful chorus.
“It was inspired by a relationship that I had just gotten into — for the first time in my life, I felt like I was extremely out of control of the way this relationship would turn out. Meaning like, in the past, I feel like I’ve always known that I could be the one to end a relationship. This one felt very different. It was the first time that I’d really been actually, genuinely terrified to lose something,” he told Billboard in an interview.
2. Teddy Swims - "Lose Control" (1.117 billion streams)
MTV’s "Push Artist of February'' released this second single from his debut album “I've Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 1).” The song marked Swims's first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, which debuted at number 99 and eventually peaked at number one in March 2024. It also topped the charts in Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Estonia, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Iceland.
“I’ve actually been making — or trying to make — this kind of music for the last four years. Lose Control is just the first time I really hit the mark… I used to think that it wasn’t enough to have a good song anymore. Now I disagree with that,” he told Variety.
3. Taylor Swift - "Cruel Summer" (1.012 billion streams)
This song comes from her seventh studio album, “Lover,” that was released in 2019, and co-written with Jack Antonoff and St. Vincent. The synth-pop track became a fan favorite, despite not being released as a single at first.
Following its inclusion in Swift's 2023 Eras Tour setlist, the song went viral on social media, prompting Republic Records to release it as a single in the middle of 2023. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped charts in multiple countries. Rolling Stone revised its 2024 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and included Swift’s track.
St. Vincent spoke to People and expressed her amazement, “They took a song that was, what? Almost four records ago now, that was not a single off a record. They were like, ‘No, this song’s a hit.’ Then, by force of will, they made that song a worldwide hit.”
4. Tate McRae - "Greedy" (0.992 billion streams)
When Tate sang this song in her Philly show in September 2023, she confessed to Billboard after, “We put it into the set list, and in rehearsals, I was just so nervous and terrified, because it was such a different sound for me. And then the second we premiered it in Philly, the crowd reaction was crazy. It was just very, very validating,” she said.
"Greedy" is the lead single from her second studio album, “Think Later.” It’s an ode to female empowerment, which achieved commercial success, peaking at number one on the Billboard Global 200 and the Canadian Hot 100. It also won the Juno Award for Single of the Year in 2024.
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5. FloyyMenor X Cris Mj - "Gata Only" (0.982 billion streams)
Chilean music artists FloyyMenor and Cris Mj released this lead single from FloyyMenor's upcoming debut album, “El Comienzo.” The reggaeton track with upbeat rhythms about pursuing a woman, went viral in their home country and topped the Chile Songs chart shortly after its release. The duet version gained traction on TikTok, with its music video amassing over 135 million views before the first half of the year.
The song peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the Billboard Global 200.
Cris MJ told Billboard, “For us, this is very important. It’s a pride for all Latinos to be on that chart. In fact, before we released the song, I knew it was going to be a global hit. I’m proud because it’s not only helping my career but also the one of my colleagues.”
6. Sabrina Carpenter - "Espresso" (0.896 billion streams)
This is Carpenter's lead single from her upcoming album, “Short n' Sweet.” She told Variety, “The songs that really resonated with people were closest to my truest personality—in its silliest, most fun form or its most raw and vulnerable…. That gave me all the confidence to tap into myself a lot deepe.”
“Espresso” features a mix of pop, synth-pop, disco, and funk elements.Carpenter sings about self-confidence and femininity, and describes it as embracing the power of being confident.
It peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking her first top ten single, and topped charts in 16 countries, including Australia and the United Kingdom. She performed it at the 2024 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival after the single’s release.
7. The Weeknd, Jennie & Lily Rose Depp - "One Of The Girls" (0.860 billion streams)
This is the lead single from “The Idol Episode 4” and is included in the 2024 deluxe version of the Weeknd's greatest hits album, “The Highlights.” The synth-led R&B song centers on control, popularity, desire, and Stockholm syndrome.
It became a viral hit on TikTok, and then peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Global 200 aside from making it to the charts in multiple countries. In the U.S., it earned platinum certification. Despite mixed critical reception.
8. Djo - "End Of Beginning" (0.841 billion streams)
First released in September 2022, as part of Djo’s second studio album, “Decide” and as a single in March 2024. The song then gained popularity through TikTok and YouTube, which helped it to debut on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 51 and peak at number 11.
When asked if the success of the song resonates with him, Djo replied, “It has never even been on my radar, to be honest with you, with the style of music that I’m making. It’s really cool, but I almost feel like I don’t have the perspective to really appreciate what’s going on in a way. I think that in time, it’ll come to me even more. They’re cool milestones to hit, but at the end of the day, the greatest thing is being able to go into the studio and work.”
9. Ariana Grande - "we can't be friends (wait for your love)" (0.826 billion streams)
This is the second single from Grande’s album, “Eternal Sunshine.” Fans adore the song's lyrics that explore the end of a romantic relationship and Grande's relationship with the press. It debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s her ninth number-one single and marking her seventh number-one debut, which is a record for any female artist.
The song also topped the Billboard Global 200 and reached number one in several countries. When Apple Music's Zane Lowe asked Grande how the track fits into the album, she replied, “in a different way for me than it does for most of my friends and most of my family and people who have listened. They all sort of interpret it a little bit differently which I love about that song because I think it can be applied to any kind of relationship. Especially when you see the video you'll understand the importance of it. The video is the album in a video."
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10. Artemas - "I Like The Way You Kiss Me" (0.821 billion streams)
Clash Music describes the track as “bubbles with the coy thrills of attraction.” And there’s no other right way to describe it. Fans adore the darkwave and alternative pop song, characterized by moody 80s-inspired synths and a retro-futuristic sound.
The song peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart and topped the charts in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Sweden.
Time To Invest In Hit Songs
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