Will Dangerous Bunny’s “DtMF” Unseat “Die With a Smile” at Quantity One?

The Contenders is a midweek column that appears at artists aiming for the highest of the Billboard charts, and the methods at the back of their efforts. This week, for the impending Billboard Scorching 100 chart dated Feb. 1, we have a look at whether or not the surging quasi-title monitor from Dangerous Bunny’s newest will have the ability to get excessive at the chart.  

Dangerous Bunny, “DtMF” (Rimas): It’s been a triumphant week for Dangerous Bunny at the Billboard 200, because the Puerto Rican famous person has crowned the chart along with his new album Debí Tirar Mas Fotos, a non-public album in large part impressed via the salsa and plena song of his house territory. Even though the album debuted at No. 2 – at the back of Lil Child’s WHAM – thank you largely to the set’s unencumber on a Sunday, already two days into the chart monitoring week, it climbs to No. 1 this week with 203,500 identical album devices earned within the U.S., in step with Luminate, a staggering quantity for any album’s 2nd week, appearing what number of people have been nonetheless finding the album following its strangely timed drop. 

Bunny would without a doubt like to have the similar factor occur with the set’s near-title monitor, “DtMF,” at the Billboard Scorching 100. In spite of showing because the album’s penultimate monitor – quantity 16 out of 17 — and being one thing of a departure from Dangerous Bunny’s same old Latin trap-and-reggaetón-led sound, the track has exploded on streaming products and services, with lovers attaching to its singalong refrain and mawkish lyrics, in particular on TikTok. It’s now lovely obviously the set’s greatest breakout hit, jumping from No. 38 all of the option to No. 2 in this week’s Scorching 100. 

The track’s explosive expansion on streaming appears to be settling down slightly in its 3rd week, regardless that it continues to steer on each Apple Song’s real-time chart and Spotify’s Day by day Best Songs USA chart. What in point of fact may get in the best way of it getting excessive at the Scorching 100 is radio airplay: Whilst the track is now being promoted to radio, its airplay has been somewhat minimum to this point, because the track nonetheless trails 3 different tracks on Fotos, led via advance unmarried “El Clúb.” It’s exhausting to believe the unconventionally structured, totally Spanish-language track ever changing into a big fixture on U.S. most sensible 40, however Dangerous Bunny may want a minimum of a bit radio like to edge out one of the radio-friendlier songs it’s going to be in pageant with within the weeks to come back – in particular the track recently topping the chart.  

Girl Gaga & Bruno Mars, “Die With a Smile” (Streamline/Interscope/Atlantic/ICLG): Like Shaboozey’s “A Bar Music (Tipsy)” in 2024, the possibilities appeared dicey in the beginning for Girl Gaga & Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” to ever get to No. 1 – however now that it’s in the end there, it may well be sticking round for a short while. The track spends its 3rd body on most sensible of the chart this week, whilst in truth gaining in each streaming and gross sales, and stays within the most sensible 3 of all 3 Scorching 100 part charts: Radio Songs, Virtual Music Gross sales and Streaming Songs.  

That mixture may just make “Smile” difficult to unseat at the Scorching 100 within the weeks to come back. The track is even difficult to in the end take over the No. 1 spot on Radio Songs – which might be its first week atop the list, with “A Bar Music” having reigned for the previous 25 weeks (one week clear of tying The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lighting” for the longest keep atop the chart). And if you happen to’re on the lookout for your early frontrunner for No. 1 at the 2025 year-end Scorching 100, it’s gotta be Gaga and Bruno – an honor the latter hasn’t gained for the reason that Mark Ronson-led “Uptown Funk!” in 2015, and which the previous has nonetheless but to seize in her illustrious pop occupation.  

ROSÉ & Bruno Mars, “APT.” (Atlantic): Bruno Mars’ greatest pageant for all-platform pop dominance this early yr may in fact come from himself. “APT.,” his collaboration with K-pop celebrity and BLACKPINK alum ROSÉ, used to be already neatly on its option to breakout break standing in overdue 2024, and has most effective endured to develop neatly into 2025, attaining the Scorching 100’s most sensible 5 – evidence no longer most effective of ROSÉ’s emerging solo celebrity within the U.S., however of Mars’ standing as in all probability the single-most can’t-miss pop hitmaker on all the planet at the moment.  

“APT.” leads at the Virtual Music Gross sales chart for the primary time this week, whilst slipping to No. 9 on Streaming Songs and mountain climbing to No. 11 (after having prior to now peaked at No. 10) on Radio Songs. The latter chart in fact stays its greatest alternative for expansion, because the track isn’t just difficult for most sensible 10 once more at the all-format Radio Songs, however for the No. 1 spot on Pop Airplay. If the track’s streaming efficiency settles a bit within the weeks to come back whilst it continues to unfold out at the airwaves, shall we very simply see a Bruno vs. Bruno combat on the most sensible of the Scorching 100 within the not-too-distant long term.