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Chart Beat

Hilary Duff Scores Her First No. 1 Album in Over Two Decades on the Billboard Canadian Albums Chart

The millennial pop star’s comeback album Luck… or Something has brought her back to the top of the charts after a noticeable push in Canada. Plus, new Canadian Hot 100 entries from Punjabi star Karan Aujla and Toronto rappers Casper TNG & 100BandPlan.

Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff
Alfred Marroquin

Hilary Duff’s is back at the top of the charts for the first time in decades.

The pop singer’s new album Luck… Or Something debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart, dated March 7.


Duff‘s latest album. Luck… or Something, her sixth studio album, is her first full-length effort since Breathe In. Breathe Out arrived in June 2015, over a decade ago.

The 11-track LP, her first through Atlantic Records/Warner Music Canada, includes the previously-released “Mature” — which peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 — and “Roommates.” It’s an earnest and introspective look at Duff’s life, often shaped by the chaos and clarity of motherhood, marriage and being in your 30s.

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“I constantly get asked how I still have my head on straight after growing up in this industry,” she shared in a statement announcing the LP. “The album title is my way of answering that question, which felt right for a record that’s about where I’ve landed and all the things I’ve been through along the way.”

Duff debuts two spots higher than in the U.S., and it's part of a concerted push in Canada.

The chart feat follows an intimate show at History in Toronto earlier this year that has been one of the hottest tickets of the year so far. Now, she's coming to 10 different Canadian cities on her Lucky Me World Tour.

Luck... is her fourth record to reach the top spot, joining her 2005 compilation album, Most Wanted, 2004’s Hilary Duff and 2003’s Metamorphosis. While the first two albums spent two weeks at No. 1, the latter spent one week at No. 1. Time will tell if Duff can continue her lucky streak and break her previously set records.

Over on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100, a couple of Canadian artists are scoring debuts.

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Punjabi-Canadian superstar Karan Aujla arrives at No. 41 with “5-7.” The song features hard-hitting beats by producer MXRCI and his signature flow as he brags that only “5-7 things” are bothering him in life. It’s matched by a visually striking music video that emphasizes Aujla’s unstoppable energy.

“5-7” marks the most recent chart addition for Aujla, who has continued to make his mark on the charts as one of the most popular Punjabi artists in the world and in Canada. Last July, he secured two major debuts on the Canadian Hot 100, including “At Peace” with frequent collaborator and producer Ikky and “Gabhru!” a month later.

The new chart placement follows his top 5 placement of his third studio album, P-Pop Culture, on the Canadian Albums chart last September. On release day, it scored 12.4 million streams, making it the highest debut for a Punjabi-language album in Canadian history, a record previously held by Aujla’s 2023 album Making Memories. At the point, he’s only topping himself.

This spring, Aujla is keeping the energy high, embarking on a cross-country arena tour that marks his return to some of Canada’s largest venues — some of which he played nearly two years ago. Those shows helped grow his audience and expand Punjabi music to a wider North American audience.

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Casper TNG & 100BandPlan are heading to “The Market” as their collaboration lands their debut entry at No. 68.

The bubbling underground rap scene in Toronto has led to breakthrough artists like Pressa, Jazz Cartier and Jimmy Prime, among others. In the years following, listeners have been waiting for a new artist to champion — now they have two.

In their second-ever collab, the Toronto rapper collaborators have crafted a song that blends melodic energy with nostalgic dark synths and modern Caribbean-influenced percussion. Their track oozes with rawness and earnesty, as they rap vulnerably about their struggles and beating the odds. Not to mention, an aspirational music video that lets their city shine in the background.

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With millions of streams, “The Market” marks their biggest song to date, and is still raking in notable numbers.

Elsewhere, Twenty One Pilots debut at No. 42 with “Drag Path,” 15 spots higher than its placement in the U.S. The alt-rock duo is set to headline Osheaga this summer, alongside Tate McRae and Lorde.

Country singer Megan Moroney re-enters at No. 65 with “Beautiful Things," while two collaborations from Mumford & Sons: “Rubber Band Man” featuring Hozier re-emerges at No. 81, and “Badlands” featuring Gracie Abrams debuts at No. 89. As she sings about the 'voodoo' in her marriage, Lana Del Rey’s “White Feather Hawk Tail Deer Hunter” arrives at No. 84.

At the top, Olivia Dean maintains her No. 1 spot on the Canadian Hot 100 with “Man I Need,” as Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” climbs back up to No. 2 from No. 3. Warren previously held the second-longest No. 1 in Billboard Canadian Hot 100 history, at 20 weeks.

Find all of Billboard Canada's charts here.

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Val Blavatnik
Courtesy WMG

Val Blavatnik

Business News

Val Blavatnik to Oversee Warner Music Canada in New Role at Warner Music Group

Blavatnik will oversee Warner Music Canada as managing director of Warner Music North America, U.K. and Corporate Development at WMG. As part of a slew of executive announcements, Simon Robson will be leaving the company, while Alejandro Duque takes the top international role.

Val Blavatnik, the 28-year-old son of Warner Music Group majority owner and vice chairman Len Blavatnik, has been named managing director of Warner Music North America, U.K. and Corporate Development at the Warner Music Group, the company announced Friday (Sept. 25). In his new role the younger Blavatnik, who has held several roles at the company in recent years, and has been a board member since 2023, expects to “unify and drive business and operational strategy across these markets while guiding the company’s investment strategy to support growth,” according to a press release.

The Blavatnik announcement is part of a flurry of new executive announcements that CEO Robert Kyncl made this morning. In addition, Atlantic Music Group chairman/CEO Elliot Grainge will take on ADA in the U.S. as its new chairman, while Alejandro Duque, who has held the dual roles of president of Warner Latin and president of ADA since last July, has been named president of Warner Music International, adding Asia-Pacific and Europe, the Middle East and Africa under his oversight. (Duque will continue to oversee ADA outside the U.S.) Zach Friedman, currently COO at Atlantic Music Group, will add the title of vice chair of ADA U.S. to his resume.

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