For the first time since 1990, rap went missing from Billboard’s Hot 100 Top 40.
For two straight weeks – October 25 and November 1 – no hip hop track made the cut.
Fans debated what it meant: was rap losing its grip on the mainstream, or was it simply catching its breath?
That break didn’t last long. Megan Thee Stallion has officially ended the drought.
Her new single “Lover Girl” recently debuted at number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the first rap song to enter the Top 40 since Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther”, which spent its 44th and final week on the October 18 chart.
Billboard classifies “Lover Girl” as a rap track eligible for its Hot Rap Songs chart – making Thee Stallion’s entry a historic one, not only for her but for the genre itself.
The milestone reflects a shift in the year’s musical landscape.
In 2024 and early 2025, the Hot 100’s upper ranks were dominated by pop, R&B and country crossovers, while traditional rap hits struggled for placement.
Analysts highlighted the shifting streaming habits, the emergence of regional subgenres and the growing popularity of Afrobeats and Latin pop.
Some even wondered whether hip hop – once the defining sound of mainstream America – was finally slowing down.
“Lover Girl” challenges that idea. Produced by LilJuMadeDaBeat, her longtime collaborator, the song blends sharp verses with a smooth hook that leans into her playful side.
The track plays with the concept of power in love – she calls it “a song about being soft without losing your edge.”
On social media, she described it as a reminder that vulnerability doesn’t equal weakness.
The release comes as Megan Thee Stallion prepares for another studio album, “MEGAN: ACT III”, due in early 2026.
“Lover Girl” is her second single of the year, following “Boa”, which peaked at number 46 in September. The new song arrived with a bold visual that contrasts intimacy with confidence – part romantic confession, part self-affirmation.
Fans have praised it for showing a different side of her artistry while keeping her signature bite intact.
Since bursting onto the scene with “Big Ole Freak” in 2018, she has built a career on empowerment and control – themes that carry through in “Lover Girl”.
