Kendrick Lamar and SZA Dominate Billboard Summer 2025 Charts
Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 has been a landmark year. He won big at the Grammys with “Not Like Us,” performed at the Super Bowl, and surpassed 50 billion streams on Spotify. His Billboard dominance continued with the GNX hit “luther,” a collaboration with SZA that has resonated widely.
“Luther” quickly gained traction and set records in 2025. The pop-rap and R&B crossover spent 13 consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100, breaking a longstanding hip-hop record. It also became the first duet of a solo male and female artist to maintain number one for 11 or more weeks. These milestones earned Lamar and SZA additional recognition from Billboard.
Since 1958, Billboard has ranked the top 10 summer songs based on performance from Memorial Day through Labor Day, considering streaming, airplay, and sales. Despite a slower year for summer hits, Kendrick Lamar and SZA secured the number five spot. They trailed Alex Warren’s TikTok hit “Ordinary,” Morgan Wallen and Tate McRae’s “What I Want,” and two additional Wallen tracks: “Just In Case” and “I’m The Problem.”
Rounding out the top 10, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With A Smile” placed sixth, followed by “Golden” by HUNTR/X, EJAE, Audrey Nuna & REI AMI from the Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters at seven. Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” came in eighth, Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild” ninth, and Ravyn Lenae’s “Love Me Not” completed the list.
Commercially and critically, Lamar and SZA’s success with “luther” is a highlight of a year that has solidified both artists’ influence.
Looking ahead, Kendrick Lamar is set to continue his Grand National Tour. He will kick off the South American and Mexican leg on September 23 in Mexico City, before heading to Australia on December 3. The tour promises to showcase his latest hits and further cement his standing as one of hip-hop’s leading figures.
