Billie Eilish unseats record-breaking 'Old Town Road' to top Billboard charts with 'Bad Guy'

Maureen Lee Lenker

Even Lil Nas X couldn’t tame this “Bad Guy.”

The Billie Eilish song, which has lingered at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for nine weeks, has finally claimed the top spot, unseating Lil Nas X‘s record-breaking “Old Town Road” after 19 weeks atop the charts. The fifth release from Eilish’s album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? bears the distinction of knocking the longest-running song of all time from the No. 1 spot.

After nine consecutive weeks in the second position, “Bad Guy” now holds the record for most weeks spent in the runner-up spot before claiming the lead. Previously that record was held by three songs: The Weeknd’s “Starboy,” Justin Bieber‘s “Sorry,” and OutKast’s “The Way You Move,” all of which spent eight weeks at No. 2 before claiming the Billboard Hot 100 crown.

Eliish is now the first-ever artist born in the 2000s to top the Billboard Hot 100. She’s also the youngest to lead the list since a then-16-year-old Lorde did in 2013 with “Royals.”

As for “Old Town Road,” it falls to third place after its record-setting 19 weeks atop the chart, and it’s now one week away from breaking the record held by “Despacito” for No. 1 in digital song sales (the Luis Fonsi song featuring Daddy Yankee, and later Bieber via a remix, held the top spot in 2017 for 17 weeks). The song has become something of a phenomenon, even earning Lil Nas X a Time magazine cover.

Lil Nas X was quick to celebrate Eilish’s achievement, tweeting “congratulations to billie eilish!! u deserve this!!” shortly after the news broke on Monday. Billy Ray Cyrus, who is featured on the popular “Old Town Road” remix, also applauded Eilish on Twitter. “Well deserved. Your persistence paid off,” he wrote. “Thanks everybody. It was a hell of a ride.”

Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello‘s “Señorita” claims the No. 2 spot, while Lizzo and Khalid round out the top 5.

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