Lorde’s “Royals” Crashes Into Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball,” Tops Hot 100

Robbie Daw | October 3, 2013 7:24 am

Lorde is now the third female artist to capture the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 since Robin Thicke‘s summer-long reign with “Blurred Lines” ended. And with “Royals” having dethroned “Wrecking Ball,” by previous chart champ Miley Cyrus, Lorde is the first solo artist from New Zealand to have a #1 single in the United States. Billboard points out that the 16-year-old is also the youngest solo artist to top the Hot 100 since Tiffany pulled the same feat with her cover of “I Think We’re Alone Now” in November 1987. (Tiffany was 16 years and one month old at the time, while Lorde will turn 17 next month.)

The Taylor Swift-shading teen might have been able to pull a Britney by having her debut song and debut album reach the top of the respective charts, but for now it’s looking like Justin Timberlake‘s The 20/20 Experience – 2 Of 2, will outsell Pure Heroine by the time next week’s chart stats shake out. Still, that’s not to say the latter couldn’t eventually rise to #1.

Oh, and here’s one more for you: Lorde is now the most recently-born artist to top the chart. If you’re old enough to remember what you were doing in 1996, that fact alone should depress the hell out of you.

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