Ariana Grande’s ‘We Can’t Be Friends’ Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100

Grande co-wrote and co-produced “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” with Max Martin and ILYA. She earns her ninth Hot 100 No. 1 as a writer and her second as a producer (following “Yes, And?”) ILYA adds his third leader as both a writer and producer, after “Yes, And?” and Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy,” for a week in 2022.

Meanwhile, with its arrival atop the Hot 100, Martin extends his mark for the most leaders among producers ever on the chart: 25. With “Yes, And?,” he passed the late George Martin (who produced 19 of The Beatles’ 20 No. 1s).

Most Hot 100 No. 1s Among Producers:

Max Martin also surpasses the late John Lennon for the second-most Hot 100 No. 1s among writers, 27, after only Paul McCartney’s 32. (McCartney and Lennon co-penned all 20 of The Beatles’ No. 1s.)

Most Hot 100 No. 1s Among Writers:

Max Martin first dominated the Hot 100 both as a producer and writer over 25 years ago, when Britney Spears’ debut smash “…Baby One More Time” hit No. 1 on the Jan. 30, 1999-dated chart.

“We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” is only the second Hot 100 No. 1 with the word “friends” in its name. The other included the word in both its title and artist fields: “That’s What Friends Are For,” by Dionne & Friends (Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder).

If including variations of the word “friend,” the total of such Hot 100 No. 1s would rise to five. A friendly reminder of the other three: “Girlfriend,” by Avril Lavigne (2007); “You’ve Got a Friend,” by James Taylor (1971); and “My Boyfriend’s Back,” by The Angels (1963).

(No songs with “enemy” in their titles have topped the Hot 100. Imagine Dragons’ “Enemy” has made the furthest such invasion, hitting No. 5 in April 2022.)

As for the word “love,” it appears in the title of a Hot 100 No. 1 for the first time since Jawsh 685, Jason Derulo and BTS’ “Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)” led for a week in October 2020.

With Eternal Sunshine’s tracklist official upon the set’s release – and retroactive to the Hot 100 entrance of “Yes, And?” – Grande extends an unprecedented streak: She has now debuted the first single from each of her seven proper studio albums in the chart’s top 10.

Album, Lead single, Hot 100 debut/peak, Year:

Also notable in the Hot 100’s top 10, 4Batz surges 61-7 with “Act II: Date @ 8,” following the March 8 release of its remix with featured artist Drake, who is now also credited on the song’s chart listing. The song wins the chart’s top Streaming Gainer award, up 187% to 19.9 million streams. It also drew 8.4 million in radio audience (up 37%) and sold 1,000 (up 590%).

4Batz (real name Neko Bennett), from Dallas, earns his first Hot 100 top 10, while Drake claims his record-extending 77th.

Most Billboard Hot 100 Top 10s:

“Act II: Date @ 8” simultaneously soars 7-1 on the multimetric Hot R&B Songs chart, where it becomes the first leader for 4Batz and the ninth for Drake (dating to the list’s 2012 inception).

(Where it’s @: “Act II: Date @ 8” is the first Hot 100 top 10 with “@” in its title. It leaps over the only other such top 40 hit: Playboi Carti’s “@ MEH” hit No. 35 in May 2020.)

Elsewhere, Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” is steady at its No. 2 Hot 100 best, as it adds a third week atop Digital Song Sales (12,000, down 52%).

Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” rebounds to its No. 3 Hot 100 high, from No. 4.

“Carnival,” by Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) and Ty Dolla $ign and featuring Rich the Kid and Playboi Carti, falls to No. 4 on the Hot 100 after a week at No. 1. It logs a third week atop both the multimetric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts.

Jack Harlow’s “Lovin on Me” descends 3-5 on the Hot 100, following six nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 beginning last December, as it notches a ninth week atop the Radio Songs chart (75.2 million, down 2%).

Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” dips 5-6 after two weeks atop the Hot 100 earlier this month. It leads the Hot Country Songs chart for a fifth week.

Below “Act II: Date @ 8” on the Hot 100, Tate McRae’s “Greedy” falls 6-8, after reaching No. 3.

Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves, backtracks 7-9 on the Hot 100, after it led for a week upon its debut last September. It tops the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Rock Songs charts for a 29th week each.

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Grande’s “Yes, And?” rebounds 31-10, led by its 110% gain 17.3 million streams.

Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on Billboard’s social accounts, and all charts (dated March 23), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (March 19).

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