Step aside, Lil Nas X. There’s a new sheriff in town, and her name is Billie Eilish.
Billboard announced on Monday that the rising pop star’s summer smash “Bad Guy” has hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart, ending “Old Town Road’s” unprecedented 19-week ride at the top. After lurking consistently in the No. 2 spot for nine weeks — longer than any other runner-up in history — “Bad Guy’s” new chart-topping status marks the singer’s first No. 1 hit.
Eilish retweeted the news on Twitter, and Lil Nas X took to social media as well to celebrate his successor.
“Congratulations to billie eilish!!” the country rapper wrote. “u deserve this!!”
“Bad Guy” is the second track on Eilish’s hit album “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?,” which debuted at No. 1 with the second-biggest opening of 2019 behind Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next,” according to Billboard.
Meanwhile, “Old Town Road” was busy lassoing its own records, including the longest-ever stint at No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart, surpassing the 16-week reigns of Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day” and Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber’s “Despacito.” Nineteen weeks is officially the new record to beat.
One of Lil Nas X’s many “Old Town Road” remix collaborators, Billy Ray Cyrus, also penned a congratulatory note to Eilish on Twitter and thanked supporters for “a hell of a ride.”
“Congratulations billieeilish Well deserved,” he wrote. “Your persistence paid off.”
Eilish’s career has advanced significantly since she uploaded her first single to SoundCloud in 2015. But in an interview with The Times, the pop phenom, who has been compared to other young artists like Lorde and Lana Del Rey, made it clear she’s not interested in competition.
“Everybody’s always trying to make everybody compete … but just stop,” she said. “I don’t want to hear that somebody’s the new Billie Eilish in a couple of years.”
