Kendrick Lamar and Sza's 13-Week Streak With 'Luther'

Kendrick Lamar and SZA's "Luther" sat at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 13 consecutive weeks, breaking the record for the longest-running duet between co-billed solo male and female artists. It also became the longest-running No. 1 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart since 1958, holding that spot for 23 weeks. The song samples a 1982 Luther Vandross classic, and there's a lot more to this historic run than the numbers alone reveal.

Key Takeaways

• "Luther" spent 13 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, breaking the record for longest-running male-female duet.
• The song became the first male-female duet to spend 11 or more consecutive weeks at the top of the Hot 100.
• During its record-breaking week, "Luther" generated 16.5 million U.S. streams and 57.5 million airplay audience impressions.
• "Luther" samples Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn's 1982 R&B cover of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's "If This World Were Mine."
• The song topped Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for 23 weeks, the longest run since the chart's 1958 consolidation.

How "Luther" Conquered the Billboard Hot 100 for 13 Weeks

Kendrick Lamar and SZA's "Luther" has dominated the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 consecutive weeks at No. 1, breaking the record for the longest-running duet between co-billed solo male and female artists.

Their stream strategy and radio rotation fueled this achievement, surpassing Puff Daddy and Faith Evans' "I'll Be Missing You," which held 11 weeks in 1997.

You can see how the song's 57.5 million airplay audience and 16.5 million official U.S. streams in a single week kept it firmly ahead.

This marks Kendrick's sixth Hot 100 No. 1 and SZA's third.

The song's authenticity, blending Kendrick's flowing lyrics with SZA's emotive vocals, drove its endurance well beyond typical viral tracks, proving genuine creative chemistry sustains chart dominance. The track also claimed the longest-running No. 1 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart since the chart's consolidation in October 1958, reaching an unprecedented 23 weeks at the top.

The 1982 Song That Inspired Kendrick and SZA's Biggest Hit

Behind "Luther's" record-breaking run is a sonic foundation built on a classic. Kendrick Lamar and SZA's hit samples Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn's 1982 cover of "If This World Were Mine," a Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell Motown duet originally recorded in 1967.

Vandross and Lynn reimagined the track with smoother R&B production on Vandross's debut album, Forever, for Always, for Love, peaking at number 29 on the Billboard R&B chart. Lamar's team opens "Luther" with that vocal sample before classical guitar riffs and 808 drums take over.

The song's theme carries forward too. Just as the original lyrics imagined giving a loved one the world, Lamar and SZA's verses expand that same emotional vision into something entirely their own. The track was written by Lamar, SZA, Ink, and Sam Dew, bringing together a collaborative songwriting team to honor the song's classic roots while pushing it into modern territory.

How "Luther" Shattered the Hot Rap Songs Record

"Luther" didn't just top Billboard's Hot Rap Songs chart — it owned it. Kendrick Lamar and SZA's collaboration achieved chart milestones that placed it among the most dominant rap songs in Billboard history. By finishing at the top of Billboard's year-end Hot Rap Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts, "Luther" proved that its chart run wasn't a fleeting moment — it was a sustained takeover.

You can attribute much of this dominance to the song's streaming dynamics. Consistent, high-volume streaming week after week kept "Luther" firmly planted at the top, outlasting competitors and resisting the typical chart decay most songs experience. The result was a record-breaking performance that redefined what longevity looks like on Billboard's rap-focused rankings. The song first "Luther" entered both charts at #3 on December 7, 2024, before climbing to #1 just two weeks later and holding that position through the remainder of the chart year.

Why GNX and "Luther" Dominated Rap Charts for 22 Weeks

When you look at the numbers, it's clear why "Luther" and GNX locked down rap charts for 22 weeks straight. "Luther" logged 16.5 million official U.S. streams and 57.5 million airplay audience impressions during its record-breaking week, fueling a 23-week reign atop Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart — the longest since the chart's consolidation in October 1958.

Their streaming dominance wasn't accidental. Kendrick Lamar and SZA's collab synergy created a self-reinforcing cycle — strong digital consumption kept "Luther" at No. 1 on both Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs, while GNX extended their combined rap chart control to 22 weeks. Together, they outpaced every prior benchmark, including Lamar's own "Not Like Us," proving that collaborative momentum can sustain chart leadership far longer than solo efforts.

Why the Grand National Tour Made Co-Headlining History

The chart dominance that "Luther" and GNX built over 22 weeks set the stage for something even bigger off the record: the Grand National Tour, a co-headlining stadium run that rewrote the financial playbook for rap concerts.

You're looking at a tour that proved stadium synergy between two Black artists could shatter records previously held by legacy acts.

Kendrick and SZA established headline parity from the jump, with neither artist positioned as support.

The results speak for themselves: $254.6M grossed across 23 shows, 1.1 million tickets sold, and a Dallas single-show record of $11.822M for a Black male artist.

That performance outpaced JAY-Z and Beyoncé's On the Run II, making this the highest-grossing co-headlining tour ever. The Seattle show alone set a record for the highest-grossing hip hop concert, pulling in $14.811 million from 60,941 tickets sold.

The Onstage Moment That Showed How Much "Luther" Meant to SZA

Few moments crystallize a song's meaning like watching its performer bare their soul in front of 100 million viewers. During the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show at MetLife Stadium, SZA delivered "Luther" with unmistakable emotional resonance. Her facial expressions revealed deep personal investment, while her vocals carried raw vulnerability and strength simultaneously.

You could see the stage intimacy unfold as she and Kendrick shared microphone moments during the chorus, their eye contact reflecting genuine mutual respect. SZA's center-stage positioning wasn't accidental — it emphasized her pivotal role in the song's identity. The massive crowd amplified her energy rather than overwhelming it. That February 2025 performance didn't just showcase "Luther" — it confirmed the song held real emotional weight for SZA personally.

Is "Luther" the Undisputed Song of the Summer 2025?

Crowning any single track as the undisputed Song of the Summer rarely goes unchallenged, and "Luther" is no exception.

Summer contenders like Alex Warren's "Ordinary" and multiple Morgan Wallen entries outranked it on Billboard's official list. Still, streaming debates shift the conversation considerably in "Luther's" favor.

Consider what separates it from typical summer hits:

• It reached number 5 on Billboard's Top Summer Songs despite hip-hop facing genre disadvantages
• It dominated Spotify's U.S. year-end rankings as the top song
• It maintained chart presence from early 2025 through year-end, unlike seasonal one-hit spikes
• It logged 16.5 million streams in a single record-breaking week

You can't dismiss those numbers. "Luther" may not hold the official crown, but the data makes a compelling argument. Notably, it also made history as the first duet of a solo male and solo female artist to spend 11 or more consecutive weeks at the top of the Hot 100.