Lizzo Earns Second No. 1 Hit With ‘About Damn Time’ As New Album ‘Special’ Debuts At No. 2

Topline

Lizzo’s hit single “About Damn Time” finally hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on Monday after 14 weeks on the chart, displacing a Harry Styles single, as her newly-released album Special debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 for the tracking week of July 15 to 21.

Key Facts

Tangent

The success of “About Damn Time” knocked down Harry Styles’ “As It Was” from the Billboard Hot 100’s top spot, where it sat non-consecutively for 10 weeks. If the song returns to the top spot for a total of 14 weeks, it would have one of the longest No. 1 runs in history. Styles shouldn’t be too disappointed: He has two songs in this week’s top 10, including “As It Was” at No. 2. Meanwhile, Kate Bush’s 1985 song “Running Up That Hill” reached a new peak of No. 3, thanks to its resurgence after being featured in Stranger Things.

Billboard Hot 100 Top 10

1. “About Damn Time,” Lizzo
2. “As It Was,” Harry Styles
3. “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God),” Kate Bush
4. “First Class,” Jack Harlow
5. “Wait 4 U,” Future feat. Drake and Tems
6. “Me Porto Bonito,” Bad Bunny and Chencho Corleone
7. “Break My Soul,” Beyoncé
8. “Heat Waves,” Glass Animals
9. “Late Night Talking,” Harry Styles
10. “Jimmy Cooks,” Drake

Key Background

“About Damn Time” was the first single from Lizzo’s Special. The song became wildly popular on TikTok, thanks to a trending dance choreographed by Jaeden Gomez. The disco-inspired tune slowly worked its way up the chart and into the Top 10. When Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Jefferson, released her new album’s second single “GRRRLS,” some critics called the song out for using a word that was offensive to disabled people. Lizzo soon after released a new version of the song with the lyrics changed. “As a fat black woman in America, I’ve had many hurtful words used against me so I understand the power words can have (whether intentionally or in my case, unintentionally),” she wrote. Lizzo recently released a shapewear line, Yitty, and was nominated for an Emmy for her show Watch Out for the Big Grrrls.

Further Reading

Harry Styles’ Hit ‘As It Was’ Tops Billboard Chart For 10th Time—Tying Adele And BTS (Forbes)

Lizzo’s ‘About Damn Time’ Goes Viral On TikTok—But Still Hasn’t Cracked Billboard Top 10 (Forbes)