It’s all been out of the ordinary for Alex Warren since his breakthrough hit started climbing the Billboard Hot 100 in February. Since then, the influencer-turned-singer-songwriter has conquered streaming and sales and gotten closer and closer on radio — to the point that now, he has the No. 1 song in the country.
“Ordinary” rises to the Hot 100’s apex this week (chart dated June 7), in its 16th frame on the listing — replacing Morgan Wallen’s Tate McRae-featuring “What I Want,” and making Warren the second artist in 2025 to top the Hot 100 for the first time, after McRae. At the same time, he debuts at No. 32 with “Bloodline,” a teamup with country star Jelly Roll.
How did “Ordinary” end up going all the way? And will be “Bloodline” be following it to the chart’s top tier? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.
1. “Ordinary” reaches the Hot 100’s apex in its 16th week on the chart. Are you surprised it was able to get all the way to the top spot, or did you see this coming for It once it started climbing?
Katie Atkinson: Once it started climbing, No. 1 seemed very possible — having seen some similar trajectories for other big-voiced male ballads in the last year-plus — but while “Lose Control” and “Too Sweet” hit the summit in 2024, “Beautiful Things” never made it, so “Ordinary” wasn’t a lock. And then when it overcame the 13-week run of Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther” last week only to be kept out of No. 1 by a deluge of new Morgan Wallen songs, it felt like there was a world where it might not happen. So this has to feel extraordinary for Warren that his breakthrough hit muscled through.
Kyle Denis: Once “Ordinary” started climbing, I did think it would reach the top spot, given how stagnant the Hot 100 is right now and the lack of new 2025 releases cementing themselves as bonafide hits. Nonetheless, I’m still a bit surprised that it hit No. 1 because I don’t rate it as one of the more interesting pop songs we’ve gotten this year.
Lyndsey Havens: Shocked! But just momentarily — as I was quickly reminded that this song has been everywhere. I think this song has enjoyed a nice and steady climb, and as the song of summer conversation is just kicking off, it’s possible “Ordinary” snuck in just in time before a new hit, or longer-loved contender, knocks it from the top.
Jason Lisphutz: I’m somewhere in the middle: when “Ordinary” first reached the top 10, I was a little dubious of its longterm prospects, but for about six weeks or so I was convinced that it would eventually take over the top spot. With a pretty staggering global listenership, unflagging U.S. streams and increasing radio buy-in, “Ordinary” has been a multi-platform smash for a while now, and its rise to No. 1 is no chart fluke.
Andrew Unterberger: If you had told me four months ago, I would’ve been pretty surprised — but this is the kind of hit song that, as soon as it reaches a certain escape velocity, feels almost guaranteed to make it all the way to the moon. So once it jumped into the top 40 on the Hot 100 and started to catch on radio, a No. 1 peak felt practically pre-determined.
2. What do you think is the biggest reason why “Ordinary” was able to really break containment and become one of the year’s biggest hits?
Katie Atkinson: While his first-ever awards show performance at last week’s AMAs was perfectly timed with the song’s ascent, I’m going to nod to radio for this one. If you turn on the radio across pop, adult pop and AC right now, you will hear “Ordinary” within the hour. Maybe within a half-hour, really. This song has felt as inescapable as songs come these days, so with its 15% bump across radio last week (plus no major new album releases), that was the final push it needed.
Kyle Denis: “Ordinary” largely operates in the same vocal and guitar-driven pop-rock space that’s housed recent Hot 100 chart-toppers like Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” and Hozier’s “Too Sweet.” With Myles Smith (“Stargazing”), Benson Boone (“Beautiful Things”) and Shaboozey (“Good News”) all earning hits with different takes on the sound, consumers clearly haven’t gotten tired of it yet. Of course, it also helps that TikTok has latched onto the song, with the official “Ordinary” sound playing in over 573,000 posts on the platform.
Lyndsey Havens: Omnipresence. I turn on the TV and “Ordinary” has a major synch. I turn on the radio and “Ordinary” is playing — and if I change the station, it will be on at least one other at the same time. I walk into a store and “Ordinary” is blasting. The song is connecting across every medium, yet Warren and his team aren’t only banking on this one hit: At the same time that he’s enjoying breakout success — with the song topping both the Hot 100 and Billboard Global 200 — the artist also teamed up with Jelly Roll for their collab, “Bloodline,” which is already trailing behind “Ordinary” on the Hot 100.
Jason Lipshutz: A little over a year after Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” and Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” became inescapable hits — and pretty much remain so today — a market still exists for brash, soulful sing-alongs from full-throated male pop vocalists. Alex Warren likely would have found success with a song as rousing and crowd-pleasing as “Ordinary” regardless of pop trends, but the song certainly hit streaming services at the exact right moment to reach its commercial ceiling.
Andrew Unterberger: America loves us some big-voiced singers and acoustic guitars at the moment! But also, with everything from pop 10 years ago seemingly huge again, a song that splits the difference between Hozier and wedding-ballad Ed Sheeran was probably always going to hit extra hard.
3. At the same time “Ordinary” snags the top spot, Warren’s new Jelly Roll collab “Bloodline” debuts at No. 32 on the Hot 100. Do you think it will grow into another big hit for Warren, or will its momentum get curtailed by how big “Ordinary” still is?
Katie Atkinson: I would not be surprised at all if “Bloodline” — with a jangly sea-shanty melody that is undeniable catnip for AC radio and two newly minted hitmakers at its helm — also climbs to the Hot 100 top 10 over time. That would give Jelly Roll his first hit in the region, which is really the one thing missing from the country star’s meteoric rise to pop culture ubiquity. The virality of both “Ordinary” and Jelly Roll himself could combine for an obvious smash.
Kyle Denis: I think listeners will probably remain focused on “Ordinary” since it’s still relatively fresh, but, as they say, a rising tide lifts all boats!
Lyndsey Havens: I think because you have Jelly Roll on the song, and because the country star is currently on a massive tour with Post Malone, that “Bloodline” could grow into a nice follow-up hit for Warren. But does he need it? No way. If “Bloodline” climbs higher or if it gets curtailed by “Ordinary,” it’s a win for Warren either way.
Jason Lipshutz: Releasing a follow-up single with Jelly Roll was a smart move by Warren, who can now promote both a pop and country track to different audiences without deflating either of their performances. “Bloodline” will likely not become nearly as big as “Ordinary,” but it doesn’t need to — as long as it can expand his listenership and keep his momentum up beyond just one song, the follow-up should be viewed as a success.
Andrew Unterberger: I don’t see it reaching the top 10 — maybe not even the top 20 — but I could see it hanging around the Hot 100 for 30 weeks or so and establishing Warren as officially Not a One-Hit Wonder. Which is all he really needs to do.
4. We’ve seen a trend lately of songs that make it to the chart’s top tier – particularly if they had a long journey of climbing that high – lasting in or around the top 10 for a year or longer. Do you see “Ordinary” becoming one of those songs?
Katie Atkinson: Absolutely. Like “Lose Control” before it, this song will not be vacating its spot for months. It just fits too comfortably and too unassumingly in too many spaces to go anywhere anytime soon.
Kyle Denis: Unfortunately, yes. This is the kind of song destined for extended stays on a litany of radio formats, which will help it stick around on the Hot 100 even once it’s reached its sales and streaming peaks.
Lyndsey Havens: Totally. And that’s because of its omnipresence — and the reasons why it’s everywhere. “Ordinary” is the perfect type of hit that’s equal parts catchy, soaring and safe. It sounds just as great soundtracking a Golden Buzzer moment on America’s Got Talent as it does playing from a car radio with the windows rolled down. Its breezy balladry and luck-to-be-in-love lyrics share roots with a song like Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” — and we all know how well that’s worked out.
Jason Lipshutz: Definitely. Every piece of empirical and anecdotal evidence suggests that “Ordinary” is not slowing down whatsoever, despite already being on the Hot 100 for months on end. While I could see Warren being supplanted at No. 1 on the chart in the near future, “Ordinary” is acting like the type of song that will still be in the top 10 when the weather starts to turn cold — and possibly for much longer after that.
Andrew Unterberger: Teddy Swims is already looking over his shoulder tbh.
5. Who’s another past or present influencer who you could see scoring a No. 1 hit?
Katie Atkinson: I wouldn’t bet against Addison Rae. Her first album arrives Friday, and while lead single “Diet Pepsi” topped out at No. 54 on the Hot 100, it was a top 10 hit on Pop Airplay, peaking at No. 9 in February. And starting her career making dance videos on TikTok sets her up perfectly for a hypervisual pop career. Plus, only our finest pop stars hail from Louisiana, and Addison was born and raised less than two hours from Britney Spears’ hometown.
Kyle Denis: Addison Rae.
Lyndsey Havens: I’m always rooting for jxdn. But, given the current week, let’s go Addison.
Jason Lipshutz: Does Addison Rae count? Every pop single she’s released to date has been good-to-excellent, and my expectations for her imminent debut album are sky-high. A world in which “Headphones On” grows into a late-breaking No. 1 hit is one I want to inhabit.
Andrew Unterberger: Addison Rae feels like the logical call — but I’ll swerve and say Mr. Beast. No I don’t know of any musical ambitions harbored by the man, but it feels near-certain to me that he’ll be involved with leading an influencer all-star charity single at some point. Would you bet the under on that chart debut? I certainly wouldn’t.
