The Canadian artists’ tracks are featured on the top songs and top shorts songs lists from the video streaming platform. They join the ranks with artists like Doechii, Alex Warren and the KPop Demon Hunters cast.
YouTube has revealed the biggest songs of the year in Canada on the platform, and Canadian artists The Weeknd and Yung Kai are among them.
The video platform celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, and has a Canadian office including Billboard Canada 40 Under 40 honouree, Gabriel Obadia, head of music at YouTube Canada.
On the top songs list, The Weeknd and Playboi Carti’s “Timeless” comes in at No. 10 with 189 million views. It served as the second single of the The Weeknd's album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, the third and final instal;ment of his After Hours/Dawn FM trilogy — the album hit No. 1 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart in January. A month later, the Scarborough-born hitmaker made his Grammys comeback and brought Carti on-stage to perform the track, complete with laser beams and elaborate costumes. The song peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 last October.
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The Weeknd’s superstar presence on the list is a shift from the last two years' lists, where Canada was represented primarily by artists from the Punjabi Wave. "8 Asle" by Sukha and Chani Nattan hit No. 10 on the ranking, bringing in 104 million views that followed their debut at No. 55 on the Canadian Hot 100. The previous year, two collaborations between Ikky and Karan Aujla made the list.
Bruno Mars claims the top two spots on the list with two different high-profile collaborations. Rosé and Bruno Mars claim the top spot with their Canadian Hot 100 chart-topper "APT,” followed by Mars and Lady Gaga’s “Die With a Smile” at No. 2.
Alex Warren’s almost-record-breaking “Ordinary” ranks at No. 5, while four KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack songs earn spots on the top 10, including HUNTR/X's “Golden” (No. 3), Saja Boys' “Soda Pop (No. 4), HUNTR/X's “How It’s Done (No. 6) and Saja Boys' “Your Idol (No. 7).
In addition, the platform revealed the top songs in its YouTube Shorts format, which often serves as a launch pad for viral clips.
Vancouver’s Yung Kai comes in at No. 5 on the list, with the grassroots hit “Blue.” The track serves as the opening song on his debut album, Stay With the Ocean, I’ll Find You, released in September.
Like many viral rising stars, the Chinese-Canadian artist got his start sharing cover performances on TikTok, where he's also made appearances with other social media sensations like bbno$. In 2024, Yung Kai branched out into original material, with "Blue" marking his third-ever release. The breezy and romantic song, inspired by the Chinese drama When I Fly Towards You, became a runaway hit for the artist on social media and streaming since its release last August.
The track made him a first-timer on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 this year. In the wake of its success, Kai and his label, BMG, released a remix version of the track featuring MINNIE from the K-pop group I-dle. In June, the label presented the Chinese-Canadian singer with two plaques — the first for reaching one billion global streams on the song and a second for the single reaching Gold certification in Canada.
On YouTube Canada’s Shorts section, dance and content trends have propelled songs towards rapid viewership rates, including Ghanaian artist Moliy's “Shake It To The Max (Fly)” remix with Skillibeng, Shenseea and Silent Addy, another viral track that was a hit on the Canadian Hot 100 this year.
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Similar to TikTok, older tracks have also made a resurgence on short-form content, including Connie Francis’s “Pretty Little Baby” (No. 2), “Rock That Body” from the Black Eyed Peas (No. 4), Doechii’s “Anxiety” (No. 7) and Billie Eilish’s “Ocean Eyes” (No. 10). The first two tracks have made an impact on other platforms too, ranking at No. 7 and No. 3, respectively on TikTok’s Songs of the Summer 2025.
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YouTube Canada Top 10 Shorts Songs
ATLXS - “Passo Bem Solto (Slowed)”
Connie Francis - “Pretty Little Baby”
Joyful - “Chess”
Black Eyed Peas - “Rock That Body”
Yung Kai - “Blue”
Forrest Frank - “YOUR WAY’S BETTER”
Doechii - “Anxiety”
Moliy, Skillibeng, Shenseea, Silent Addy - “Shake It To The Max (Fly) (Remix)”
Saja Boys (KPop Demon Hunters Cast) - “Soda Pop”
Billie Eilish - “Ocean Eyes”
Head here to see YouTube's full year in review as part of its global culture & trends report, which also includes lists of Canadian creators to watch and top trending topics in Canada.
