Kim Petras and Sam Smith are making music history in a big way.
The two pop stars, both 30, recently released their dance floor-ready collaboration, “Unholy,” and after topping the Official U.K. Top 40 chart for the last four weeks, the anthem has now made it to No. 1 in the U.S. The song has topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts, the first time for both of them.
With this week’s announcement, Petras, a German-born singer-songwriter, became the first openly transgender artist to have a No. 1 song in the U.S., while Smith, the British multi-Grammy-winning artist, became the first nonbinary musician to reach the coveted spot.
Initially released on Sept. 22, “Unholy” debuted at No. 3 on the Hot 100 chart, which was issued on Oct. 8, before spending two weeks at the No. 2 spot.
The latest chart, dated Oct. 29, reached the top spot as a result of 25.3 million streams, 21.5 million radio airplay audience impressions, as well as 19,000 paid downloads — an increase of 60% from the previous week.
According to the magazine, the Hot 100 chart uses sales data, radio airplay and streaming — for both official audio and official video) — for all genres of music in the United States.
Earlier this month, after Petras became the first openly trans artist with a No. 2 hit — the highest-charting transgender solo artist in the chart’s history — she celebrated the groundbreaking achievement, telling Billboard that it was “crazy.”
“When it debuted at No. 3, I was over the moon, like, “Wow, nothing like this has ever happened for me.” But to see it climbing? That was even better,” she said.
She added, “I just really don’t want to be the last.”
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