The Weeknd and Taylor Swift battle it out to become Spotify no. 1. After an amazing year, can Swift reclaim her title as Queen of Spotify?
As of January 2024, The Weeknd is listed as the Spotify no. 1 artist worldwide with nearly 78 million followers and over 115 million monthly listeners. In second place is Taylor Swift, with nearly 100 million followers and over 105 million monthly listeners.
Taylor Swift finally broke Bad Bunny’s 3-year Spotify no. 1 streak last year with 26.1 billion listens. 2023 was an incredible year for the songstress – with her record-breaking Eras Tour, blockbuster concert film, and Taylor’s Version re-recordings. She was named Times Magazine’s 2023 Person of the Year, and Forbes declared her the most powerful woman in entertainment and 5th in the world (with an estimated net worth of $1.1 billion – which mostly comes from music royalties, touring, and her impressive songs catalogue).
While the Weeknd didn’t release a new record in 2023, he did co-create, star in, and compose music for the HBO series The Idol. “Die For You,” his remix with Ariana Grande, claimed the top spot on the Hot 100 in March. The single is The Weeknd’s 7th number 1 and comes from his December 2016 album Starboy. “Die For You” is the longest-ever climb to number 1, topping the charts almost 7 years after its first debut.
Two other notable forerunners in the 2024 race are Ariana Grande and Drake, each taking 3rd and 4th spot respectively. Ariana Grande is set to make her grand return in 2024 after taking time away from making music to focus on her role in the upcoming Wicked live adaptations and her R.E.M. Beauty business. Grande has confirmed that she’ll be releasing her seventh album this year. Drake released his latest album “For All The Dogs” in October 2023, which hit the top of the Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, giving the Canadian star the most ever number 1 R&B/Hip-Hop albums.
Other artists, such as Olivia Rodrigo, found success in 2023 – being the first artist to have the lead singles from her first two albums debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100 list – but will anyone be able to topple Taylor Swift from her number 1 spot this year? Her Eras tour will continue internationally throughout 2024.
Who do you think will take Spotify’s top spot this year? Are there any underdogs or newcomers that will usurp Swift? Who is your favourite artist right now? Follow us for more music news.
