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Clockwise left to right: Cameron Whitcomb, Fionn, Drake, Karan Aujla, Justin Bieber
Chart Beat
25 Songs That Defined the Billboard Canada Charts in 2025
This year's charts were full of stories, from juggernaut artists reasserting their chart dominance to young women changing the voice of modern rock. From country to Punjabi pop to Francophone folk, these were the songs that stood out.
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There were some big surprises and old favourites on the Billboard Canada charts this year. From the return of ‘90s and 2000s CanRock bands to some of the biggest charting pop stars in the world, the songs that charted from Canadian artists told a story of the sonic landscape of the country.
Ranging from country to rap to the Punjabi Wave, Canada's artists traverse genres and cross borders. Whether it’s pop hitmakers Tate McRae, Drake and Justin Bieber reasserting their status as some of the country’s biggest talents, or newer emerging artists yung kai, Josh Ross and Sofia Camara scoring hits, 2025 was full of chart highlights. They included breakthroughs championing diversity on the country charts, Francophone artists filling the airwaves, Indigenous artists capturing the hearts of listeners nationwide and young women changing the voice of modern rock.
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These 25 chart hits — all songs that debuted in 2025 from Canadian artists — defined the charts in 2025.
Check out our breakdown of the biggest year-end chart trends here and check out the full Billboard Canada 2025 Year-End Charts here.
Tate McRae, “Sports Car”
While Tate McRae has scored bigger chart hits on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 — “What I Want,” her duet with Morgan Wallen hit No. 2, and recent track “Tit For Tat” debuted at No. 3, while “greedy” became her first No. 1 in 2023 — “Sports Car” effortlessly illustrates McRae’s knack for creating modern hits with a tinge of Y2K pop nostalgia. Featured on her chart-topping album, So Close to What, the track is a sleek, pop banger. McRae intimately whispers over pulsating beats that are both empowering and catchy. The song was her second-highest charting song on the 2025 Canadian Hot 100 at No. 19, just one short of her duet with Wallen. With unmatched charm, it’s no surprise that McRae has ascended to pop’s A-list, becoming the Top Canadian Artist of 2025. — Heather Taylor-Singh
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Justin Bieber, “Daisies”
With his surprise album Swag and its deluxe follow-up Swag II, Justin Bieber shifted the narrative. Since 2021’s Justice, much of the press around the former child star was about anything but his music: his marriage, his health, his splits from former teammates. But once fans hit play on “Daisies” and “Yukon,” the second and third track on the album, it started clocking to people — his most notable attribute is still his voice and his soul. “Daisies” introduced a casual lo-fi R&B groove, emblematic of the new shades he found with new collaborators Mk.gee and Dijon especially. It’s a new side to Bieber, and it’s surprisingly laid back for such a high-profile release. The song is No. 32 on the 2025 Canadian Hot 100, while Swag comes in at No. 41 on the year-end Canadian Albums chart. — Richard Trapunski
Drake, “Nokia”
After a year that was defined by his high-profile beef with Kendrick Lamar (a saga that continued to play out onstage and in courts), Drake needed a song like “Nokia” in 2025 — a classic Drizzy pop hit. It’s got all the hallmarks: loverboy lyrics, peak millennial references and hooks upon hooks upon hooks. Once the song dropped, you could feel the mood shift around Drake. As the song played out of clubs and car windows over the summer (especially in Toronto), even the staunchest partisans moved their feet. Some songs on Drake & PartyNextDoor’s $ome $exy $ongs 4 U and other Drake loosies contained bitterness held over from his former friends who took sides, but “Nokia” is just pure fun. It’s no wonder it was his highest entry on the year-end 2025 Canadian Hot 100 chart and the Streaming Songs chart — No. 17 and No. 21 respectively. — R.T.
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Karan Aujla, “MF Gabhru!”
In 2025, Karan Aujla is no longer just a Punjabi superstar — he’s a global star with a consistent presence on the Canadian charts, and “MF Gabhru!” underlines exactly why. The track is swagger-heavy, built on sharp one-liners, commanding delivery and a hook engineered for repeat listens. It taps into Aujla’s long-standing appeal among the Punjabi diaspora in Canada, while also cutting through to younger listeners who gravitate toward confidence-forward rap records. “MF Gabhru!” became one of his most visible singles of the year, entering the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 while quickly stacking tens of millions of streams globally. This single was one of many that found spots on the year-end charts, including "Wavy," "Courtside" and "Tell Me," his hit with OneRepublic. His album, P-Pop Culture, meanwhile, finished at No. 111 on the year-end Canadian Albums chart. Aujla himself finished at No. 8 on the Top Canadian Artists chart, reinforcing how Punjabi music — and one of its top global stars — continues to hold real chart power in Canada, not as a niche, but as a part of the mainstream. — Peony Hirwani
The Weeknd, “Cry For Me”
“Timeless” may have been his biggest chart hit this year (technically it was released in 2024), but “Cry For Me” was a major highlight of his album Hurry Up Tomorrow and a centrepiece of his After Hours Til Dawn tour, the fourth biggest tour of the year. Over a beat crafted by the dream team of Abel Tesfaye, Metro Boomin and Mike Dean, The Weeknd builds an emotional epic that perfectly fits the masks, statues and pyro spectacle that is his stadium show. The song finished at No. 54 on the year-end Canadian Hot 100, one of three songs that landed in the top 100 along with “Timeless” and “Dancing In the Flames.” — R.T.
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yung kai, “blue”
Singer-songwriter yung kai (who draws inspiration from his upbringing in Shanghai and Vancouver) had a viral hit with “blue,” whose social media success propelled him onto the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 and big stages in Indonesia and the Philippines. Still a student, the 22-year-old artist recorded the breezy, lovelorn song for fun and uploaded it to TikTok, where he had built a modest following playing covers. Then it exploded. With its classic pop simplicity inspired by Chinese dramas, “blue” sounds like it could have come from any era, but it had a 21st century breakthrough. The song went Gold in Canada, passed a billion global streams, inspired a K-pop remix commissioned by his label BMG and became one of the most popular songs on YouTube shorts in 2025. — R.T.
Tedy, “I Hope”
Tedy's manifestations have paid off. While the Montreal singer’s hit “I Hope” isn’t exactly uplifting, it has been slowly climbing the Airplay charts since its August debut and has become one of the breakthrough success stories of the year. The track ushers in a new era for the homegrown artist, who has been steadily building his career for the better part of a decade. “I Hope” is a fresh, anthemic ballad that showcases Tedy’s raw, emotionally charged storytelling with soaring vocals that you can’t turn off — his knack for balancing vulnerability with pop production is something that his almost one-million TikTok followers have taken a liking to. That admiration has spilled onto the charts, as Tedy made his Canadian Hot 100 debut in November. The song finishes at No. 117 on the Canada Radio Songs chart. His Sony Music Canada debut album, Scandalous, shows Tedy may not be done climbing yet. — H.T.S.
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Billianne, “Crush”
In 2025, Billianne showed listeners that she was more than a covers artist. During the pandemic, the Ontario singer-songwriter rose to social media fame after uploading a stripped-back rendition of Tina Turner’s “Simply the Best” to TikTok. Its virality put her on everyone’s radar, but it’s clear she was destined for more. In August, Billianne released her debut album, Modes of Transportation, to much acclaim. To introduce listeners to the project, she released “Crush,” a total diversion from her typical sound, diving into a bubbly pop soundscape and frantic vocals that accurately illustrate her musings on the innocence of liking someone. The sonic switch-up clearly piqued the attention of listeners, as it hit No. 56 on the 2025 Radio Songs chart. — H.T.S.
bbno$, “check”
Many of the year’s most unexpected breakout chart hits gained momentum online on For You pages, which is where bbno$ lives. The Vancouver rapper and it boy has a knack for going viral, crafting short and punchy songs brimming with perfectly clippable jokes and bars. But “check” seemed to transcend TikTok. Built around an instantly recognizable horn sample of War’s 1975 hit “Low Rider,” bbno$ crafts a tongue-in-cheek nugget of conspicuous wealth. The song spent 20 weeks on the Canadian Hot 100, becoming one of his most enduring hits. It finishes at No. 114 on the year-end Canadian Hot 100 and No. 50 on the 2025 Radio Songs chart, while bbno$ himself comes in at No. 12 on the 2025 Canadian Artists chart. The only thing that would earn the song more CanCon cred is if he spelled it “cheque.” — R.T.
The Beaches, “Last Girls At the Party”
The Beaches showed this year that the viral success of 2023’s “Blame Brett” was no fluke. The Billboard Canada 2025 Women of the Year levelled up, conquering arenas, festival stages and tiny desks throughout the world, building a fiercely dedicated fanbase and releasing No Hard Feelings, an album that debuted in the top 25 of the Canadian Albums chart. With its countdown shout-along and confident lyrics about female friendship and unapologetic messiness, “Last Girls At the Party” distills their infectious personalities into one pop-rock banger. It was a hit on radio, spending 11 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Canada Modern Rock Airplay chart and finishing at No. 2 on the year-end 2025 Modern Rock chart. The Beaches were no one-hit wonder on that chart, either, with “Takes One To Know One” coming in at No. 13. — R.T.
Fionn, “Blow”
While Canadian rock music radio is often dominated by men, women are finally getting their due. On this year’s Modern Rock chart, only three female-identifying homegrown musicians have hit No. 1, and Fionn was one of them. They weren't the only ones making noise. JJ Wilde's 2024 track "Mess To Make" and The Beaches' "Last Girls at the Party" grabbed the No. 2 and No. 3 spots on the 2025 Modern Rock Airplay chart. In October, Vancouver twin sister duo Fionn’s “Blow” ascended to the top spot after 31 weeks on the chart. The track is an anti-mansplaining anthem that serves as an eruption of pent-up frustration and sarcasm with a quintessential pop-rock sound. Alanna and Brianne Finn-Morris — who make up the 604 Records band — don’t mince their words about their professional experiences with the opposite sex. It struck a chord with listeners as “Blow” scored the No. 12 spot on the 2025 year-end Modern Rock chart. — H.T.S.
Three Days Grace, “Mayday”
Billboard Canada Global No. 1s cover stars Three Days Grace are making history on the rock charts. “Mayday” is the No. 1 song on the 2025 Mainstream Rock chart in Canada, and the band have scored 20 No. 1s on the Mainstream Rock chart in the U.S. — only the second band ever to do it. The band reunited with original singer Adam Gontier this year, adding him to the lineup including singer Matt Walst for a double-headed powerhouse lineup that is exemplified by “Mayday” — a song that the band calls an antidote to the information overload of the modern age. The band scored two songs in the top 10 of the year-end chart, including “Apologies” at No. 9. — R.T.
Finger Eleven, “Adrenaline”
Three Days Grace weren’t the only long-running Canadian rock band seeing a resurgence on the Mainstream Rock chart. The chart is filled with bands from the ‘90s and 2000s, including a number of CanRock favourites. Finger Eleven comes in at No. 3 on the year-end chart with “Adrenaline,” a hard-rock tune from their album Last Night On Earth, which is their first in over a decade. They’re not alone: the chart also features surging bands from their era including The Headstones, The Trews, Our Lady Peace, Big Wreck and even The Tragically Hip, whose unearthed 1989 song “Wait So Long” finishes at No. 12. — R.T.
Cameron Whitcomb, “Quitter”
Cameron Whitcomb had a major breakthrough year on the charts, and “Quitter” started it all. The Nanaimo, B.C. singer first rose to attention as a contestant on American Idol in 2022, where he placed in the top 20 and went viral for his very Canadian audition (and Katy Perry’s impression of his accent). He amassed a huge TikTok following, signed a major record deal with Atlantic, and put out his debut album The Hard Way this year. All of his advance tracks charted, with “Quitter” landing at No. 43 on the 2025 Canadian Hot 100, No. 26 on the year-end Country chart and No. 24 on the Radio Songs chart. Like his other hits, “Quitter” is an anthemic folk-pop tune with sympathetic lyrics about overcoming life’s struggles — Whitcomb’s own battles with addiction. He’s as comfortable in the country world as outside of it, with a sound that fits him in with fellow breakout stars like Noah Kahan. — R.T.
Josh Ross, “Leave Me Too”
Country is a huge and growing genre in Canada, both on radio and on stages and festivals like Lasso, Country Thunder and Boots & Hearts (the latter of which is expanding to Edmonton next year). Morgan Wallen dominated the year-end charts this year, but there’s also a slate of homegrown country stars who are breaking out: James Barker Band, Jade Eagleson, Thelma & James (the viral duo of Canadian country star MacKenzie Porter and her husband Jake Etheridge) and many more. Few were bigger than Universal Music Canada's Josh Ross, though, and he has a lot in common with Wallen. He can collaborate with artists from other genres, as he did with Akon on the also-charting “Drunk Right Now (Na Na Na).” He wins awards left and right. And he can build relatable breakup anthems, like “Leave Me Too” — which puts himself in the place of someone walking away from him. A subtle twist on a classic country trope. — R.T.
Sacha, “Hey Mom I Made It”
Sacha’s debut major label single on Sony Music Canada was nothing short of an accomplishment. The Ontario native’s track became her most popular solo release this year, scoring over three million Spotify streams. Sacha’s heartfelt lyrics detail the highs and lows of trying to make a name for herself in the industry. As one of today’s few Black Canadian female country artists, the track is a genuine look at her rise to stardom. While that experience isn’t always sunny, Sacha’s ascension doesn’t come without perks — “Hey Mom I Made It” secures No. 96 on the year-end Country Radio Songs chart. With driving vocals and an undeniable hook, Sacha offers a sense of comfort and motivation to budding stars. — H.T.S.
Tia Wood, “Sky High”
With “Sky High,” rising Cree and Salish R&B-pop singer Tia Wood soars to new heights. After getting the seal of approval from the crowd at Billboard Canada Women in Music last fall, it hit the airwaves in 2025, landing at No. 73 on the year-end Radio Songs chart. Known for her heartfelt lyricism and soulful vocals, “Sky High” is no different — Wood encapsulates the essence of self-discovery and resilience with uplifting melodies and evocative storytelling. She’s no stranger to the Airplay charts either, recently scoring a second hit with “Sage My Soul.” Wood’s Indigenous roots are deeply ingrained in the work she creates, inspiring artists like Shawn Mendes, with whom Wood took the stage on his comeback tour. — H.T.S.
Jessie Reyez, “NYB”
Jessie Reyez's version of ambition is one to be studied. Earlier this year, the Brampton-raised R&B singer released her third album, Paid in Memories. It’s a detailed project about Reyez’s up-and-down relationship with fame and success — something she achieved in her mid-twenties. Now 34, Reyez is looking back at her rise and the fruitful memories that she has made along the way. “NYB” details her reunion with a lover after a long flight to New York, earning spots on the CHR/Top 40 and Hot AC Airplay charts. While fame is not a relatable topic, Reyez makes it accessible with honest lyrics and a catchy beat that keeps listeners engaged. But it’s not her only hit. Her recent collaboration with Calvin Harris, “Ocean,” sits at No. 25 on CHR/Top 40 and marks her first No. 1 on the Billboard Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart — showcasing her trailblazer status south of the border, too. — H.T.S.
Sofia Camara, “Girls Like You”
Sofia Camara has been working nonstop. In March, the Toronto-based pop singer-songwriter arrived with her debut EP, Was I(t) Worth It?, which featured the viral track “Who Do I Call Now? (Hellbent).” A few months later, she returned with “Girls Like You,” which details the relatable feeling of falling back into a toxic relationship. It’s powered by upbeat pop production that was a hit on the charts, scoring her debut on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 and multiple placements on the Airplay charts, including a No. 89 spot on the year-end Radio Songs chart. Its momentum brought a wealth of attention to her second EP of 2025, Hard to Love, released in November. In addition to two acclaimed EPs, she secured sold-out shows across Europe and an opening stint for rock icon Stevie Nicks — so it’s only up for Camara. — H.T.S.
Renforshort, “On My Way!”
“I had beaten myself down so much that I thought this wasn’t a possibility, and now it's real,” Toronto indie-pop singer Renforshort told Billboard Canada earlier this year, referencing her track “On My Way!” which became an Airplay chart mainstay and finished No. 106 on the 2025 Radio Songs chart. While the artist, born Lauren Isenberg, has consistently released music for over half a decade, it’s only this year that she has cemented her place on the charts, with “On My Way!” and a second track, “feeling good” from her EP, a girl’s experience. With influences of early 2010s pop — Isenberg name-checked Tegan & Sara in our conversation — her nostalgia-infused tunes are a testament to her craft — she’s not trying to make a hit, but when it happens, it’s a sweet victory. — H.T.S.
Ruby Waters, “Wet T-Shirt”
Ontario’s Ruby Waters has become a breakout act in the last five years. From opening for artists like Shaky Graves and City and Colour to ranking on the Billboard Canada Airplay charts and scoring millions of streams, all independently. “Wet T-Shirt,” which sits at No. 78 on the 2025 Modern Rock songs chart (her song "Sour Patch" also lands on the year-end chart at No. 14) is a sultry track in every sense of the word, from the bubbling bass to her classic raspy vocals. The track now has over four million Spotify streams. — H.T.S.
Shubh, “Supreme”
“Supreme” captures Shubh at his most assured. Minimalist, clean and controlled, the track leans into his signature restraint — letting cadence and tone do the heavy lifting rather than overproduction. By 2025, Shubh has firmly established himself as one of the most reliable hitmakers emerging from Canada’s Punjabi hip-hop movement, and “Supreme” feels like a statement of arrival, as he talked about in his Billboard Canada cover story — his first-ever interview. The song entered the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 and went on to rack up hundreds of millions of global streams, becoming one of his most consumed releases of the year across Spotify and YouTube. He maintained a grip on the Canadian charts with multiple songs, including "Balenci," and finished at No. 15 on the 2025 Top Canadian Artists chart. Quietly dominant, “Supreme” reinforced his ability to balance global appeal with cultural specificity. It's the kind of record that defines longevity rather than momentary hype. — P.H.
Alicia Moffet, “Lay Your Light”
Alicia Moffet delivers one of the most powerful performances of her career on “Lay Your Light.” The Montreal artist’s voice is both raw and controlled, reaching a new level of intensity, as the dance-pop track comes in hot with a steady beat that makes you want to dance. The song initially debuted on the Billboard Canada CHR/Top 40 Airplay chart in June, and subsequently secured spots on All-Format, AC and Hot AC. On the 2025 Radio Songs chart, “Lay Your Light” nabbed spot No. 62. A social media star, TV personality and hitmaker, the Cult Nation rising star is a force to be reckoned with. — H.T.S.
Charlotte Cardin, “Tant pis pour elle”
On “Tant pis pour elle,” Charlotte Cardin marks the start of a new era — but her return to French-language music for the first time in two years, following 2023’s Une semaine à Paris. The Montreal-born star, who splits her time between Canada and France, spent most of the year performing sold-out shows across the globe, but took time to release “Tant pis pour elle” in August. It’s a razor-sharp pop hit that translates in English as “too bad for her.” The revenge track is an anthem of visceral freedom that instantly became a hit for listeners, who resonated with Cardin’s daring lyrics and fearless audacity. It debuted on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 at No. 89, before arriving on the Billboard Canada AC Airplay chart last month. Cardin has proven she can score hits in English and French.Billie du Page, who scored the No. 36 2025 Radio Songs hit with "Fake Friends" has released versions in both French and English, with her influence spreading across the country. Cardin's approach is spreading. — H.T.S.
JF Pauzé, “Ballon-Sonde”
Les Cowboys Fringants is one of the most beloved bands of Quebec, and this year one of its key figures scored a solo chart hit. JF Pauzé released his solo album, Les Amours De Seconde Main and debuted in the top 10 of the Canadian Albums chart. The album followed the 2023 death of Les Cowboys Fringants frontman and fellow co-founder Karl Tremblay, and he said writing songs was one of the things that helped him move forward. “Ballon-Sonde” is a folk-rock track written in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s re-election and the uncertainty that followed, inspired by his conversations with Tremblay. It finished at No. 102 on the 2025 Radio Songs chart and earned him a spot at No. 25 on the Canadian Artists list. While many of the breakthroughs we’re highlighting are in their twenties, Pauzé’s story is a little different. “You emerge at any age," he said in an interview with Radio-Canada this year. "I'm an emerging singer at 50."
Find the full 2025 Billboard Canada Year-End Charts here.
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