As the calendar turned from March to April last week, 2026 officially became a quarter of the way complete. Through the first quarter of the year, numerous songs, projects and albums have been released with several hits along the way.
While the Billboard Hot 100 is an indicator of the most popular songs early in the year, it often reflects songs from the year prior. However, a few tunes so far have burst onto the scene and consistently rank among the top of the charts.
Three songs from the first three months of the year stand out among the rest, with each coming from vastly different artists and genres.
‘I Just Might’ by Bruno Mars
It had been nearly a decade since Bruno Mars last released a solo single, dating all the way back to 2017 when he released “That’s What I Like” ahead of his third studio album, “24K Magic.” That song remains one of Mars’ most iconic tracks, so when he released “I Just Might” ahead of his release of “The Romantic,” it was sure to be another hit.
And a hit it was, debuting on the chart on Jan. 24 at No. 1 and remaining atop the charts so far this year for a total of three weeks. The song is upbeat and catchy, with the chorus scratching a certain itch that makes it easy to dance along with. It’s sure to get stuck in your head.
Mars himself might’ve said it best in his Instagram post when he dropped the song and music video. The caption read “The self proclaimed Aura lord is Back.” That’s hard to disagree with, and one might even add “back like he never left.”
‘Be Her’ by Ella Langley
Over the first three months of the year, Ella Langley has dominated the charts. In February, her song “Choosin’ Texas” topped the charts and has since surpassed Taylor Swift for the longest run at No. 1 from a female country artist.
The success of that song, however, has seemingly overshadowed her February release of “Be Her.” Ahead of the April 10 release of her third album, “Dandelion,” Langley has released four singles, with “Be Her” among the best of those four and peaking at No. 12 on the Hot 100.
With repetition and a clever play on words throughout the chorus, the song is an irresistible sing-along. With her success so far this year, every artist is chasing Langley and wants to “be her.”
‘SWIM’ by BTS
In one of the most anticipated returns to the music scene in recent years, BTS recently released “ARIRANG,” their first album since 2020. The release came four years after the K-pop sensation announced a lengthy hiatus in March 2022 due to members having to fulfill mandatory military service in South Korea.
“SWIM” was among the album’s 16 songs and immediately topped the chart, debuting at No. 1 on the Hot 100 the week of April 4. While it only held the spot for that week, the song is still dominating the global stage, remaining atop the Global 200.
All you have to do is listen to the song one time through, and you’ll suddenly find yourself playing it in your head nonstop. The song has the same vibe and feel as many of the band’s most popular releases, proving that BTS is back right where they left off.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source thetigercu.com ’
