I was looking at the sheer size of DWAS at how it's head to head with BOAF, and noticed how strange it is that these two huge songs coexisted and continue to grow together. Both released in 2024, they're arguably the biggest songs on streaming since 2022's As it Was, and even then will soon overtake that. Really, 2024 is quite the anomaly in recent pop culture. Even throwing out these huge hits by well established artists (Billie, Gaga, Bruno) the year also birthed classics (Like Espresso, Good Luck Babe) that stand on their own and also rival the hits of 2022, 2023, and 2025. Albums like Brat and Cowboy Carter also stand out.

What was in the water 2024, and how do we return to that?

2024 really was THAT year The new music that's been releasing is just not doing what it's supposed to

Songs with 3B+ streams

2020:

Heat Waves (3.9B)

2021:

Stay (4B)

2022:

As It Was (4.5B)

2023:

Seven (3B)

2024:

BOAF (3.9B)

DWAS (3.9B)

Espresso (3.1B)

Beautiful Things (3B)

2025:

NA

If we talk about a commercial peak with singles 2024 had an amazing run of Smash-Hits but overall I feel it couldn't beat that cultural impact of 2020.

7 minutes ago, gwen stacy said:

If we talk about a commercial peak with singles 2024 had an amazing run of Smash-Hits but overall I feel it couldn't beat that cultural impact of 2020.

2020 was huge but it's pretty understandable why considering, well… it being 2020 I just wonder what made 2024 stand out from the years between, and why the success didn't linger into 2025.

we finally had a return of diversity in pop.

2024 is the new 2009-2010, hits after hits after hits

3 hours ago, TedLasso said:

Songs with 3B+ streams

2020:

Heat Waves (3.9B)

2021:

Stay (4B)

2022:

As It Was (4.5B)

2023:

Seven (3B)

2024:

BOAF (3.9B)

DWAS (3.9B)

Espresso (3.1B)

Beautiful Things (3B)

2025:

NA

Fun Fact: Only one song per year peaks at #1 with 3B+ streams, and DWAS is the only track from 2024 to pull it off. Insane

take the restrictions off of streaming for a return to the big numbers