Olivia Rodrigo‘s “Vampire,” lead single from her September-scheduled sophomore album Guts, debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated July 15.
Replacing Morgan Wallen’s 13-week No. 1 “Last Night,” the unpredictable ballad “Vampire” becomes Rodrigo’s third single to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100, following Sour advance singles “Drivers License” and “Good 4 U.” The debut marks her first Hot 100 entry of any kind since the chart week of Sour‘s release two years ago, as Rodrigo had not previously released any new music of her own following her debut LP.
‘Vampire’ have mean for her next album:
Hannah Dailey: This would be a huge achievement for any artist who had such a colossal debut, not just Olivia. Seemingly everybody in the world was holding their breath waiting to see if what she did next could even compare to “drivers license” or Sour, much less match its peak on the very first week. This No. 1 isn’t just a No. 1 — it’s confirmation that she’s not merely a one-hit wonder or a passing trend, but a full-fledged artist that’s here to stay.
Kyle Denis: I think the first–week success of “Vampire” is impressive in the sense that Olivia clearly has commercial and cultural pull beyond the realm of Sour. Granted the sonic and visual aesthetics of “Vampire” and Guts aren’t worlds away from that of Sour, but the song’s robust debut proves that people aren’t tired of it yet. From a real-life connection that grounds the drama of her lyrics to meaty hooks with big, sweeping vocals, Olivia has perfected her smash hit formula. Nevertheless, she set the bar so high with Sour and its singles that anything other than a No. 1 debut would have felt a little bit underwhelming (which, admittedly, is kind of crazy given how hard it is to debut atop the Hot 100, but here we are). The true test, however, will be whether “Vampire” can hold off “Last Night” for more than one week, especially once the comeback hype fades away.
