Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s ‘Luther’ Dominates with 12-Week Run at No. 1

Kendrick Lamar and SZA have officially made Billboard history with their chart-topping collaboration “Luther,” which has now spent 12 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The achievement sets a new record for the longest run at No. 1 for a duet between co-billed solo male and female artists, surpassing the 11-week reign of Puff Daddy and Faith Evans' “I'll Be Missing You” in 1997.

Featured on Lamar's album GNX, “Luther” has become a landmark success for both artists. It marks Kendrick's sixth and SZA's third No. 1 hit on the Hot 100. The song also became the longest-leading R&B/hip-hop No. 1 on the chart this decade, overtaking Roddy Ricch's 2020 hit “The Box,” which held the top spot for 11 weeks.

The track's enduring popularity is bolstered by a powerful official music video, which has already surpassed 21 million views, and its inclusion in the Grand National Tour, where Lamar and SZA perform “Luther,” “Gloria,” and “30 For 30” together to packed global audiences. They're on stage and in the studio, and their chemistry is palpable, underscoring a creative connection they've developed as musicians over a decade (Kendrick left Top Dawg Entertainment in 2022) at the label.

“Luther" captures an interesting intersection of Kendrick's flowing lyrics with SZA's emotive vocal delivery. It presents themes of transience, spiritual awakening, and self-awareness. The song is nearing 400 million streams in a little over three months, and it will go down as a cultural moment in music history.

While “Luther” continues its reign, the all-time Hot 100 record for longest-running No. 1 remains with Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men's “One Sweet Day,” which led for 16 weeks from 1995 to 1996.

The ongoing success of “Luther” challenges the notion that only viral tracks dominate the charts, proving that authenticity and artistry still resonate deeply with global audiences.