As the highly-anticipated The Celebration Tour by Madonna approaches its start date—it’s scheduled to kick off in mid-October in London—fans are gearing up to see the superstar perform live once again. The production faced a delay due to the superstar’s hospitalization caused by a serious infection, but she’s now back on track. The trek was conceived to focus on her biggest hits, but does that now include her recent release and current chart win?
Several months ago, Madonna collaborated with fellow musicians The Weeknd and Playboy Carti to release a new single titled “Popular.” The Canadian R&B and pop superstar led the tune, which was tied to his debut TV series The Idol. Spun off as a standalone single, “Popular” has managed to secure a place on multiple Billboard charts since its release, and t’s still going strong.
Currently, “Popular” maintains its position at No. 67 on the Hot 100, the weekly ranking of the most-consumed songs in the U.S. While this isn’t a notably high rank, it’s promising that the song is holding its ground. Having been on the chart for 11 weeks already, it’s likely to remain for several more frames, if not months.
Although “Popular” didn’t break into the top 40 on the Hot 100, a region which typically defines when a charting song becomes a proper hit, its resilience is worthy of attention. While it might not stand among Madonna’s greatest achievements on the ranking, it is undeniably her most enduring hit in quite some time.
Madonna has faced challenges in securing chart placements in recent years, and even when she manages to chart, her singles typically debut low and fade quickly. The fact that “Popular” is still holding on suggests genuine interest in the track, and that may potentially encourage Madonna to embrace its momentum.
While it might be somewhat late to make changes to her The Celebration Tour plan, Madonna could consider incorporating “Popular” into her performance. The track represents one of her most successful hits in recent memory, and it makes a strong case for its own inclusion.
Additionally, given that this tour is centered around her major singles, “Popular” undoubtedly qualifies as one…at least when looking at her recent releases. While it may not measure up to iconic hits like “Vogue” or “Ray of Light,” “Popular” has the potential to delight fans in attendance and underscore the fact that Madonna remains active and successful even after decades in the music industry.
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