Metallica’s ReLoad returns to Billboard’s album charts after its remastered reissue, as the set, first released in 1997, hits the top 10 on six different charts (dated July 11), including No. 1 on Top Hard Rock Albums. (All versions of the album, old and new, are combined on the charts.)

Here’s where ReLoad places on the latest Billboard album charts:
Top Hard Rock Albums, No. 1 (debut)
Top Rock Albums, No. 3 (debut)
Top Rock & Alternative Albums, No. 4 (debut)
Indie Store Album Sales, No. 7 (debut)
Top Album Sales, No. 9 (reentry)
Vinyl Albums, No. 7 (reentry)
Billboard 200, No. 16 (reentry)

It’s worth noting that the four charts where ReLoad debuts this week did not exist when the album was originally released in 1997. Indie Store Album Sales launched in 2005, Top Rock Albums and Top Rock & Alternative Albums began in 2006, and Top Hard Rock Albums started in 2007.

ReLoad debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 1997 and marked the third chart-topper for the band. It reenters the Billboard 200 at No. 16, landing its first week on the chart since 1999.

On Top Album Sales, ReLoad is amongst a busy top 10, where ATEEZ notches its seventh No. 1 with the debut of GOLDEN HOUR : Part.5. Meanwhile, Olivia Rodrigo’s you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love falls to No. 2, while Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt reenters the chart at a new high at No. 3 after its 30th anniversary reissue.

Muse collects its seventh top 10 with the No. 4 arrival of The Wow! Signal and The Pretty Reckless scores its fourth top 10 with the No. 5 start of Dear God. Michael Jackson’s Thriller falls 2-6, CORTIS’ GREENGREEN dips 4-7 and BTS’ chart-topping ARIRANG is down 3-8. Closing out the top 10 is ZEROBASEONE, which debuts at No. 10 with Ascend-, landing the act its third top 10.

The queen of pop, Madonna, is crowned on Australia’s albums chart with Confessions II (via Warner Records).

That’s Madonna’s 22^nd ARIA Chart top 10 album, and 13^th No. 1 after True Blue (in 1986), I’m Breathless: Music From and Inspired by the Film Dick Tracy (1990), The Immaculate Collection (1990), Erotica (1992), Bedtime Stories (1994), Something To Remember (1995), Ray Of Light (1998), Confessions On A Dance Floor (2005), Hard Candy (2008), MDNA (2012), Rebel Heart (2015), Finally Enough Love (2022).

That career swag places Madonna is some elite company. Only Jimmy Barnes, The Beatles and Taylor Swift have had more No. 1 albums, according to ARIA. Barnes is the all-time leader in that category, with 22 leaders including 16 No. 1s as a solo act, and another six with Cold Chisel.

Madonna’s fast start unseats Olivia Rodrigo’s you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love (Geffen/Universal), down 2-1, while U.K. newcomer Sienna Spiro completes the podium with her debut album, Visitor (Capitol/Universal), new at No. 3.

Further down the list, published Friday, July 10, English heavy metal legends Deep Purple return with Splat! (earMusic/Orchard), their 24th studio album. It’s new at No. 19. Deep Purple has twice landed albums at No. 1, both released prior to the ARIA Charts era: Deep Purple In Rock (1970) and Machine Head (1972).

The Neighborhood’s 2025 collection (((((ultraSOUND)))) (via Warner Records) makes a belated noise on the chart, opening its account at No. 47. The U.S. rock act is currently in the market for a tour that concludes tonight at Melbourne’s Margaret Court Arena.

Over on the ARIA Singles Chart, Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” (Sony Music) collects a fifth non-consecutive No. 1, while her 2025 release “Weren’t For The Wind” improves 57-37, for a new peak position.

In a chart completely devoid of new releases, Sombr has a noteworthy climb with “My Body Isn’t Ready” (Warner), up 46-27. It’s the U.S. pop star’s fifth top 30 appearance in fewer than two years. Indeed, the New Yorker reached the top 10 with “Back To Friends”, “Undressed”, “12 To 12” and “Homewrecker.”

Eslabon Armado scores its eighth straight top 10 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart with its ninth studio album, NOCTURNO, as the album bows at No. 8 on the July 11-dated list. The set also arrives at No. 5 on Top Regional Mexican Albums chart.

Fueled largely by streaming, NOCTURNO debuts in the top 10 on both tallies after earning 9,000 equivalent album units in the United States in the tracking week ending July 2; the album’s 16 songs drew 9.4 million official on-demand streams in its opening week, per Luminate.

As Eslabon Armado returns to the top 10 on Top Latin Albums, it becomes the first regional Mexican group to debut in the chart’s upper region in 2026 — and the first in more than a year, since Fuerza Regida’s 111XPANTÍA in May 2025. Five other regional Mexican acts have debuted in the top 10 on Top Latin Albums this year, all soloists; Tito Double P accounts for two of those entries, with the Peso Pluma collab, DINASTÍA (No. 1 in January) and ACOMODO (No. 3 in June).

Eslabon Armado adds its eighth consecutive top 10 start on both Top Latin Albums and Regional Mexican Albums. Among those, Corta Venas remains the longest-leading No. 1 album by a group in the history of the Top Regional Mexican Albums chart, which launched in 1994. Overall, the album still holds the third longest command, after Selena’s Amor Prohibido (97 weeks atop) and Christian Nodal’s Me Dejé Llevar (73 weeks at the summit).

Consisting of 16 songs, NOCTURNO features guest appearances by Peso Pluma, Calle 24, Tombochio, Clave Especial, Gabito Ballesteros, Jorsshh and ERRE. Leading the album’s chart action, “Amigos Con Derechos,” with Peso Pluma, opens at No. 7 on Hot Latin Songs, largely powered by 2.5 million streams during the tracking week —enough for a No. 14 start on Latin Streaming Songs.

The song returns Eslabon to the top 10 on Hot Latin Song for the first time since “La Durango,” its Peso Pluma and Junior H team-up, peaking at No. 2 in 2024.

Elsewhere, “Amigos Con Derechos” proves its pull beyond its Hot Latin Songs success, giving Eslabon its first entrance on the Hot Regional Mexican Songs chart, where it starts at No. 2 thanks to its streaming activity.

Yung Miami continues to achieve new milestones for her career with “Spend Dat,” which jumps 25-19 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated July 11. With its rise, the summer breakout hit becomes not only Yung Miami’s first solo top 20, but the first such hit of her career in any capacity, including her work as part of City Girls.

“Spend Dat,” released on Yung Miami/Uptown/Republic Records, is Yung Miami’s third solo Hot 100 hit. It follows “Rap Freaks,” which debuted and peaked at No. 81 in November 2021, and her collaboration with Latto and Lola Young, “Don’t Play With It,” which reached No. 69 in April 2023.

City Girls, the rap duo comprised of JT and Yung Miami, charted six songs on the Hot 100 from 2018 to 2022. “Act Up” produced the best result of the half-dozen hits, landing a No. 26 peak in June 2019. After their 2023 album RAW, the rappers elected to pause their collaborative efforts to focus on solo output. “It just wasn’t working no more,” she told Complex at the time. “So I think we both was at a point where we was just like, we should probably just do our own sh–.”

In its sixth week on the Hot 100, “Spend Dat” posts improvement in all three chart-contributing metrics – streaming, radio airplay and sales – in the United States, according to Luminate. On the streaming front, the single registered 8.1 million official streams in the week of June 26-July 2, up 1% from the previous week. Sales increased 15% week-over-week to 1,000 digital downloads in the latest frame. Radio airplay surged to 21.7 million in audience impressions for the tracking window, a 21% jump from last week’s 17.9 million count.

Reflecting other radio gains, “Spend Dat” captures the No. 1 rank on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Rap Airplay charts, rising from the runner-up spot on both lists. In addition, it wins the Greatest Gainer tag on each ranking, awarded to the song with the week’s largest increase.

The single is her first Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay champ, after a No. 2 solo finish for “Don’t Play With That,” and three more silver medals as part of City Girls: “Act Up,” “Twerk,” featuring Cardi B, and “Good Love, with Usher. Similarly, “Act Up” ended its Rap Airplay run at No. 2, while “Don’t Play With That,” at No. 4, was previously Yung Miami’s best solo standing.

Olivia Rodrigo is still the queen of Australia’s albums chart as You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love enters a third week at No. 1, while Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” nabs a fourth non-consecutive week atop the national singles tally.

With her latest title, Langley continues the dominant run by female artists on the ARIA Singles Chart, a takeover that is coming up to a full year.

According to ARIA, female artists have held the No. 1 spot every week this year, including Olivia Dean’s collaboration with Sam Fender, “Rein Me In.” The last time a solo male artist climbed the singles chart summit was in late July last year, when Justin Bieber’s “Daisies” collected one week at No. 1.

With Rodrigo maintaining her fast pace on the ARIA Albums Chart this week, published Friday, July 3, the top debut belongs to Muse with The Wow! Signal, the British alternative rock trio’s 10th studio album. It’s new at No. 2. Matt Bellamy and Co. have reached the top 10 with seven albums, including four No. 1s: Black Holes and Revelations (2006), The Resistance (2009), Drones (2015), and Will Of The People (2022).

Also new to the albums tally is The Pretty Reckless with Dear God. It’s new at No. 7, for the U.S. rock act’s fourth top 40 appearance following Going To Hell (No. 20 in 2014), Who You Selling For (No. 33 in 2016) and Death By Rock And Roll (No. 15 in 2021).

Homegrown singer and songwriter Kita Alexander bags a career high with her sophomore album Rage, debuting at No. 11. That easily beats the No. 61 peak of her debut Young In Love, from 2024.

Another Brisbane artist, powerhouse vocalist Katie Noonan, the four-time ARIA Award winner, starts at No. 20 on the ARIA Albums Chart with Alone But All One, her 30th studio album. As member of George, Noonan bagged a No. 1 in 2002 with Polyserena.

Further down the frame, a slew of new arrivals from Toby Fox (Deltarune Chapter 5 — Original Game Soundtrack at No. 41), Justin Bieber (SWAG Live From Coachella — Weekend I at No. 46) and Australia’s 2025 Eurovision Song Contest rep Go-Jo (The Go-Jo Variety Show at No. 48).

Tems achieves her fourth No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart as “What You Need” crowns the list dated July 4.

The single climbs from the runner-up spot, reflecting its status as the most-played song on panel-contributing mainstream R&B/hip-hop radio stations in the United States for the June 19-25 tracking week, according to Luminate.

“What You Need,” released and promoted through Since 93/RCA Records, takes the summit from Rick Ross, French Montana and Max B’s “Minks in Miami,” which slips to No. 5 after its week in charge.

With the new champ, Tems claims a fourth Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay No. 1. She first topped the list in a featured role on Wizkid’s “Essence,” a 10-week leader in 2021, and followed with a pair of chart-toppers in 2022: First, when she and Drake guested on Future’s “Wait for U,” which coasted to a then-record 16 frames in charge, and via her own “Free Mind” and its two-week reign.

Elsewhere, “What You Need” improves 23-16 on the Adult R&B Airplay chart, winning the Greatest Gainer honor as the song with the biggest increase in plays for the week. Thanks to its might at the mainstream R&B/hip-hop and adult R&B formats, the track holds at No. 3 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which ranks songs by combined audience totals from both formats. There, despite no rank change, “What You Need” gained 12% in weekly audience, to 13.1 million for the latest tracking week.

The joint improvements, in turn, fuel the song’s ascent on the all-genre Radio Songs chart, where it rises 39-32 with 16 million in audience (up 12%).

In addition to “What You Need,” Tems enjoys a second rising title in the radio world, “Raindance,” a collaboration with Dave. The teamup lifts 7-6 on Rap Airplay, 9-8 on Rhythmic Airplay, 17-14 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, 17-16 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, and 43-37 on Radio Songs.

“What You Need” is from Tems’ latest EP, Love is a Kingdom, which was released in November 2025.

Hyuuganatsu, Minoji Kurata, Touko Shino’s Kusuriya no Hitorigoto (The Apothecary Diaries) Vol. 22 debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Book Hot 100, on the list released June 25.

The volume is the latest installment of the manga version of the title, serialized in Gekkan Sunday GX. The volume bows atop the chart with three metrics landing in the top 10: No. 1 for e-books, No. 2 for brick-and-mortar and No. 9 for EC.

Blue Lock Vol. 39 follows at No. 2, leading the brick-and-mortar metric. Last week’s No. 1, the manga version of Tensei Shitara Suraimu Datta Ken (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime) Vol. 32, comes in at No. 3.

Kotaro Isaka’s 777 Triple Seven hits No. 5. The paperback edition of the latest entry in his “assassin” series originally published in 2023 went on sale June 16. The title places No. 4 in social media, reflecting a renewed wave of attention. Asako Yuzuki’s BUTTER was also released on paperback this week and jumps from outside the top 20 to No. 10.

The Billboard Japan Book Hot 100 is a comprehensive chart combining physical sales, e-books, library loans, subscription data and social media activity. Below are the top 10 titles on this week’s list, tracking the period from June 15 to 21.

(Numbers in parentheses indicate the title’s metric placements for brick-and-mortar, EC, e-books, subscriptions, and social media, top 20 only. English title given if translations or adaptations exist.)

1. Kusuriya no Hitorigoto ~ Maomao no Kokyu Nazotoki Techo ~ (The Apothecary Diaries) Vol. 21, Hyuuganatsu, Minoji Kurata, Touko Shino (2/9/1/–/–)

2. Blue Lock Vol. 39, Muneyuki Kaneshiro, Yusuke Nomura (1/–/2/–/–)

3. Tensei Shitara Suraimu Datta Ken (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime) Vol. 32 (Comic Edition), Taiki Kawakami, Fuse, Mitz Vah (3/–/15/–/–)

4. Tsuki ga Michibiku Isekai Douchuu (Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy) Vol. 17, Kotora Kino, Kei Azumi (5/–/8/–/–)

5. 777 Triple Seven, Kotaro Isaka (6/–/–/–/4)

6. ONE PIECE CHOPPER’s Vol. 1, from ONE PIECE (by Eiichiro Oda) (4/18/–/–/–)

7. Fire Dome Vol. 1, Mizuki Tsujimura (11/12/–/–/1)

8. PRODUCE 101 JAPAN Shinsekai FAN BOOK, PRODUCE 101 JAPAN (–/1/–/–/–)

9. Henna Ie (The Strange House) Vol. 7, Uketsu, Kyo Ayano (10/–/6/–/–)

10. BUTTER, Asako Yuzuki (–/10/–/7/5)

Josh Ross achieves his first Billboard Country Airplay No. 1 as “Hate How You Look” rises a spot in its 40th week on the chart dated July 4. The song drew 32.7 million audience impressions (up 4%) June 19-25, according to Luminate.

Written by Jessica Farren, Chris McKenna, Nicholas Sainato and Christian Yancey, the track assumes the lead from Ella Langley’s “Be Her,” which descends to No. 3 after a four-week run at the summit. Ross’ sole prior Country Airplay entry, “Single Again,” reached No. 2 last summer, in its 68th week.

Ross is the second artist this year to secure a first Country Airplay No. 1, among 12 total leaders (a 16.7% success rate); Tucker Wetmore’s “Brunette” led in May. Three acts earned career-first leaders in 2025, of 20 No. 1s overall (15%): Corey Kent (“This Heart”), Hootie & the Blowfish (“Bottle Rockets,” with Scotty McCreery) and Chase Matthew (“Darlin’”). There were nine first-timers in 2024, out of 27 No. 1s (33.3%). Since the start of 2016, 54 artists have notched first No. 1s on the ranking, among 314 total leaders (17.2%).

Keepin’ On Truckin’

Bailey Zimmerman lands his seventh Country Airplay top 10 as “Chevy Silverado” revs 11-9 (17.8 million, up 5%) in its 37th week. It follows “Backup Plan,” which rose to No. 2 last September.

Zimmerman has reached the top 10 in 25 weeks on average across his trips to the tier, making “Chevy Silverado” one of his longer climbs. Only “Holy Smokes,” which took 44 weeks, needed more time, while “Backup Plan” marked his fastest ascent, 11 weeks.

Top Debuts

Cole Swindell’s “Girl Dad” opens at No. 26 on Country Airplay (5.8 million). Plus, Jelly Roll’s “Hands Up” enters at No. 28 (5.6 million). The acts boast eight and nine career No. 1s, respectively.

All charts dated July 4 will update Tuesday, June 30, on Billboard.com.

Olivia Rodrigo won’t be budged from the summit of Australia’s albums chart, as You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love (via Geffen/Universal) enters a second week at No. 1.

Earlier in the week, Rodrigo told Australian radio listeners that she hadn’t ruled out a tour down under. “I love going to Australia,” she explained to Nova 96.9’s Ricki-Lee & Tim, “and I hope to be back very soon.” She was last on these shores in October 2024 when when her GUTS World Tour routed into Sydney and Melbourne.

The top new release this week belongs to Australian rapper Chillinit (real name: Blake Turnell) with Wisdom Weed & Wordplay (Virgin/Universal). It’s his fifth studio album, it debuts at No. 5, and gives the artist his fifth top five placing.

Meanwhile, homegrown psychedelic rock act Pond splashes in the ARIA top 20 with Terrestrials (RKT), their 11^th studio album. It’s new at No.19 for the Perth, Western Australia outfit’s seventh top 50 appearance.

Further down the list, published late Friday, June 26, are debuts from Placebo (Placebo RE:CREATED at No. 40 via AWAL), Miles Smith (My Mess, My Heart, My Life. at No. 41 via RCA/Sony), Leah Senior (the independently-released Pt. Roadknight at No. 42) and Patrick Roberts (Del Gesu at No. 48 via Decca/Universal).

Over on the ARIA Singles Chart, Taylor Swift returns to the summit with “I Knew It, I Knew You” (Republic/Universal), thanks to the arrival of Top Story 5 in cinemas across the country. “I Knew It,” which is synced to the beloved animated Pixar franchise, debuted at No. 1 three weeks ago and rebounds 11-1 on the latest frame.

Also finding fresh wings is Tame Impala’s “Dracula” (Columbia/Sony). The platinum certified tune bounces 18-10 in its 35^th week on the chart and is one of three Australian-made cuts in the top 50 (G Flip’s “Bed On Fire” via AWAL gains 47-44 and The Kid LAROI’s “Girls” via Columbia/Sony dips 40-45). No new entries impact this week’s tally.

Another album cycle, another pair of No. 1s for Olivia Rodrigo on the Billboard 200 and Billboard Hot 100. You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, released June 12, marks Rodrigo’s third consecutive album (in three tries) to debut atop the former chart while spawning at least one No. 1 hit on the latter chart.

While it’s largely business as usual for the pop-rock singer-songwriter in its chart domination, the degree of it is a little bit new. Pretty Sad bows at No. 1 with 485,000 units moved in its debut frame — a 62% gain on the 302,000 units that sophomore set Guts entered with, a mark that had previously been her career best, and also the highest single-week mark for any solo artist yet in 2026. In addition, the album charts all 13 of its tracks in the top 30 of the Hot 100 (dated June 27), led by the brand-new single “Stupid Song,” which debuts at No. 3.

How surprising is that first-week hike for Rodrigo’s latest? And how do we handicap its future Grammy chances? Billboard staffers answer these questions and more below.

1. Pretty Sad debuts at No. 1 with 485,000 units moved in its first week. Is that number higher, lower, or about what you expected for the album?

Katie Atkinson: Higher! While the buzz and interest around Olivia never went anywhere (and clearly grew) over the past few years, this album didn’t feel like it had an inescapable hit leading the way like both Sour(“drivers license”) and Guts (“Vampire”) did before they dropped. (I’m not forgetting about the Hot 100 No. 1 debut of “Drop Dead”! But it hasn’t hung around like the former singles.) It’s a testament to where Rodrigo stands in pop music that fans didn’t need that pre-release smash to turn out in droves.

Kyle Denis: Definitely higher! I was fairly confident that she’d surpass the Sour opening week, but I’m pleasantly surprised to see Pretty Sad blow past Guts too. 

Chris Eggertsen: About what I expected. While that’s nearly 200,000 more units than either Sour or Guts, Rodrigo has been building lots of goodwill since the release of the latter — including with older fans who perhaps weren’t on board for the first couple of albums, but who have since woken up to her bona fides as a songwriter, musician and student of music (more on that below). 

Lyndsey Havens: Higher. The fact that it’s the year’s biggest week by units for a soloist is an extraordinary accomplishment, especially following what felt like a mega release from Noah Kahan with The Great Divide and considering a superstar like Harry Styles also released a solo album earlier this year. Debuting with nearly half a million units in her first week is definitely something to feel pretty glad about.

Andrew Unterberger: Way higher. And it seems like it’s higher than just about anyone thought, considering initial projections had her landing somewhere in the mid-300k range. And that in itself would’ve still been fairly tremendous; to get within range of half a million is simply remarkable.

2. That 485,000 number is significantly better than the 302,000 than Rodrigo’s sophomore album Guts did in its first week, which had narrowly outperformed Sour for her best debut week to that point. What do you think the biggest reason is for Rodrigo’s dramatically improved performance this time around?

Katie Atkinson: I think the quieter impact of “Drop Dead” and “The Cure,” paired with the fresh sound of both (a departure from her more pop-punk leanings), had fans intrigued about what this full project would sound like. And then once it was released, there was an almost-immediate conversation about why Pretty Sad was her best album yet – which is saying a lot when your first two albums out of the gate were both nominated for album of the year at the Grammys. So if anyone was on the fence about whether to give the project a listen, the discourse around it made the decision for them.

Kyle Denis: Based on my personal assessment, Pretty Sad has had better word-of-mouth than almost any other pop album this year, and that’s still one of the most effective types of marketing. Every group chat had an opinion to share or field, the majority of which were positive. It also helped that those who were less impressed by “Drop Dead” were roped right back in with “The Cure.” And Olivia has done a great job of feeling omnipresent in the lead up to Pretty Sad without veering into overexposed territory. I also have to imagine getting the Robert Smith stamp — and their surprise Primavera duet — helped an older generation of listeners give her music a chance this time around.  

Chris Eggertsen: Olivia has been smartly and steadily building her fanbase over the last few years — including with older fans, many of whom were drawn in by her affinity for icons of earlier generations. In addition to her loud affection for acts like Hole, Fiona Apple and The Breeders — the latter of whom opened several dates on Rodrigo’s Guts tour — she featured Gen X legend Robert Smith on the new album and recently duetted with him at two high-profile festival appearances (Glastonbury and Primavera Sound). I think building a bridge to elder millennials and Gen Xers was one key to the more robust sales this time around.

Lyndsey Havens: Consistency — with a touch of drama. To me, continuing besting your own first week sales is the exact type of career any artist would want. It proves consistency and growth both on Olivia’s part, and the part of her audience. Plus, when you consider all the rumors that swirled around this third album — from her relationship status to the album’s title and overarching theme — it naturally warrants curiosity listens. That said, I think what truly proves this album to be so strong is that no matter why people tuned in for the first time, they kept coming back. This album hits like an unexpected and maybe even necessary slap in the face, even — or especially — on its most tender songs. And that’s something that only Olivia can pull off right now.

Andrew Unterberger: Certainly a better physical strategy seems to have helped greatly; 273,000 in first-week sales (including 164,000 in vinyl) suggests that the double-digit-variant approach favored by many A-list pop stars seems to be paying off for her. But good word-of-mouth and a particular album-y album have also done their fair share in contributing to the strongest streaming numbers of her career; fans really ingested this LP in full time and time again, and from the strong numbers Pretty Sad is still pulling across its tracklist on DSPs, they don’t seem to have stopped yet.

3. “Stupid Song” is by easily the best-performing brand-new song on the set, debuting at No. 3 on the Hot 100. Does it feel like a legitimate breakout hit to you, or just the song with the most initial momentum?

Katie Atkinson: The way this song is sort of a mix of all of Olivia’s biggest hits – the emotive balladry of “drivers license,” the theatrical dynamics of “Vampire,” the eventual driving beat of “good 4 u” – means it feels recognizable but also brand-new. I also think this could end up with a longer life at radio than the pre-release singles because it’s giving me vibes of massive hits like Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever” or Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things,” where it starts as one thing but becomes something else. So yes, I think this could be a legitimate breakout hit.

Kyle Denis: “Stupid Song” absolutely feels like a legitimate breakout, and it’s also the most instant standout from the album. It’s the perfect combination of the new wave influences that permeate Pretty Sad, Olivia’s now-trademark indie pop bent and her knack for transformative bridges — this one is going to go crazy on tour.  

Chris Eggertsen: It definitely feels like a breakout hit, but then there are lots of songs on the album that could similarly catch on, from “Maggots for Brains” to “My Way” to “Honeybee,” which feels like the most broadly compelling of the album’s ballads. I think “Stupid Song” in particular has resonated for its honest, relatable-yet-artful lyrics (“I’m a heart made of wax and I’m melting in the sun” is a particular highlight) and slow-and-steady sonic build; by the final chorus, it feels like a genuine anthem.

Lyndsey Havens: It feels like both, I think the buzzy music video helps with momentum right now, and it is genuinely a great, winding song — an OR specialty. 

Andrew Unterberger: Yeah, it seems to have the touch that Guts‘ “Get Him Back” (for whatever still-inexplicable reason) lacked in terms of generating excitement outside of the album itself. Hopefully that’ll also help Pretty Sad maintain its commercial longevity a little better than Guts did.

4. Outside of “Stupid Song” and the two previously released singles (“Drop Dead” and “The Cure”), which song on the album do you find the most interesting?

Katie Atkinson: My favorite song on the album that I keep going back to is “Expectations.” If you ever wanted to hear Olivia Rodrigo crossed with Devo, you’re in luck! The lyrics get positively lodged in my head, and this is the one I’d want my daughter and all her little friends to hear and take to heart and scream along to. As Olivia says, never “settle for a guy with a fake job” — and this chorus-ending line is pure gold: “Past mistakes are just new information/ These days, I’ve got expectations.”

Kyle Denis: “What’s Wrong With Me”! I’m a sucker for a cross-generational collab that actually works. I’m also a fan of “Purple” and “My Way,” not enough people are talking about those! 

Chris Eggertsen: I really, really love “Maggots for Brains.” It’s such a bold proclamation of vulnerability, and the lyrics are killer. The line “And sometimes, at a low point, I even wish for a tragedy/’ Cause I know he’d come over and take real good care of me” just gets me. That’s an incredibly dark thought, but also so honest and compelling. And dare I say relatable? Like “Drop Dead” and “Stupid Song,” it also feels like an anthem. While I love both of those other tracks, I find “Maggots” the most interesting of the three, and it’s the one I keep coming back to. How great would it be to have a song with the lyric, “I’m a sad shell of a woman and I’ve got maggots for brains” go to No. 1? Let’s make it happen, Livies.

Lyndsey Havens: I keep going back to “honeybee,” “maggots for brains” and “begged” — but also love “what’s wrong with me” and “my way” and… this is exactly what I mean about the staying power of this album. Identifying two distinct sections of the album ahead of its release was a smart selling point, and one that got listeners thinking before even pressing play — and keeps us all contemplating both sides of any story, or relationship, while we listen. This album feels distinctly engaging, which is all to say that I think majority of the songs are incredibly interesting in their own way.

Andrew Unterberger: Though it’s not one of the three (!!) songs on this album that either features either a prominent reference or a literal member of The Cure, “U + Me = <3” seems like the head-rush, emotions-overflow pop-rock banger that best internalizes the lessons of that band’s poppiest classics. If this album is her study-abroad semester at Cure University, that song would be her final thesis presentation. (Also, as someone who still opts for the old-school “<3” in text communication over an actual heart emoji, I appreciate her keeping that shorthand alive.)

5. With the album’s rapturous critical reception and very impressive commercial performance, whispers have already begun about its chances to win Rodrigo her first album of the year trophy at the Grammys next February. It’s early, of course, but how do you like her chances so far?

Katie Atkinson: Honestly, I think it’s totally in the realm of possibility. This album is excellent, I agree that it’s her best yet, and I don’t see a current clear front-runner that stands in her way. The campaign starts now.

Kyle Denis: Her chances are definitely strong, but between Olivia Dean (The Art of Loving) and RAYE (This Music May Contain Hope.) — as well as releases from more established pop acts like Taylor Swift, Harry Styles and Bruno Mars — I can already sense the big mainstream releases splitting votes next February. 

Chris Eggertsen: Right now, at least, its chances feel pretty good. While we’ve seen hugely successful, relatively acclaimed albums from the likes of Noah Kahan, Harry Styles and Ella Langley released so far this year, none of them quite hit that sweet spot of critical acclaim and broad appeal the way You Seem Pretty Sad has. That said, let’s not forget we’ve got hugely-anticipated sets from the likes of Charli xcx, Ariana Grande and Gracie Abrams still on the release calendar. Any of those could potentially steal Olivia’s thunder.

Lyndsey Havens: I scoffed a bit when I first heard these whispers, that have only grown louder. But, the more I listen, the more I can see it happening for Olivia… I still hold Noah’s album in very high regard, including when it comes to its Grammy chances, but the fact that I keep revisiting You Seem Pretty Sad For a Girl So In Love —especially when it was more of a slow grower for me — proves that I can’t ignore its chances. I’m sure many voters will feel the same way.

Andrew Unterberger: I like her chances a lot, and the fact that she’s been nominated twice before but still yet to win might make her something of a sentimental favorite, even though 23 years old is still a little early to be considering someone as a lifetime snub. But the Recording Academy has long had a soft spot for prodigious young women in its marquee category — from Barbra Streisand to Alanis Morissette to Lauryn Hill to Taylor Swift to Billie Eilish — and I have to imagine that Rodrigo’s name will join theirs in that canon soon enough, and very likely with this already-much-loved album.