We have our first new Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 of 2025 — and it’s with a song that was already on the chart for 18 weeks in 2024. With the seasonal glut of holiday songs vacating the chart in this post-Christmas tracking week, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars‘ “Die With a Smile” jumps from No. 17 to No. 1 on the Hot 100, seizing the top spot for the first time after previously peaking at No. 2 multiple times in 2024. The song gives Gaga her sixth No. 1 on the chart, and Mars (who also ranks at No. 5 this week with the ROSÉ team up “APT.”) his ninth. How surprised are we that the song finally claimed the top spot after such a long run? And what might be the next leftover 2024 hit to succeed it on top? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below. 1. “Die With a Smile” finally hits No. 1 on the Hot 100 in the first post-holidays week of 2025 after being held to a ceiling of No. 2 on the chart in 2024. On a scale from 1-10, how surprised are you that the song was finally able to get over the top? Rania Aniftos: Maybe a 1. With the holiday songs dropping off the charts, and no new hits to claim the top spot, “Die With a Smile” was an easy contender to take over the Hot 100 given how often it plays everywhere, from department stores and restaurants to radio stations and every Spotify playlist. Katie Atkinson: 8. When “Die” peaked at No. 2 in early December, I was certain that it had fallen victim to the inevitable avalanche of holiday hits coming to the Hot 100 top 10. But at the same time, with its biggest non-Christmas challenger being Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — which had seemingly run its course with a record-typing 19th week atop the chart — the path cleared for the determined duet. I really shouldn’t be that surprised, though: I’ve been championing this song (on the Billboard Pop Shop Podcast and to any friends and family who will listen) since the summer, because while I liked the song when it first came out, I grew to love it even more in the months after, showing just how powerful its appeal was. Kyle Denis: 4. For “Smile,” it was always a matter of when, not if, it would reach the top spot. Before Kendrick Lamar’s GNX chart bomb and the Mariah Carey-led holiday music takeover, “Smile” logged four straight weeks at No. 2 behind Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song” — and the gap between the two was getting steadily shrinking. We haven’t gotten a major pop single in 2025 yet (for what it’s worth, neither Lil Baby’s nor Bad Bunny’s albums appear to be launching a breakout hit), and “Smile” was due for a turn at the top. If we look at the most recent Hot 100 top 10: “Birds of A Feather,” “Espresso,” “Lose Control” and “I Had Some Help” are all older than “Smile” and have had their time in the sun, while rising hits like “APT,” “That’s So True” and “Luther” need a bit more time to catch up to “Smile” in terms of chart points. Jason Lipshutz: A 6. It’s surprising whenever any autumn hit is able to power through the holiday season and come out on top to start the new year, but by November, “Die With a Smile” clearly seemed like the song that could make it happen in early 2025, if any could. Amidst the Mariah, Brenda and Wham!, Bruno and Gaga held strong near the top of the chart in December, setting themselves up to swoop in once the holiday music subsided and scoop up another No. 1 each. Once it was clear that “Die With a Smile” had real legs as a months-long hit, reaching the top of the Hot 100 was always a possibility for the duet. Andrew Unterberger: An 8. Once it failed to edge out Shaboozey in what ended up being the historic 19th week atop the Hot 100 for “A Bar Song” — and then got buried under the avalanche of Kendrick Lamar debuts and Christmas recurrents — I thought for sure “Smile” had missed its last best chance. But it held strong, nothing else swooped in from the wings, and it gets to be a very nice kickoff to what’s sure to big a big 2025 for both artists. 2. Between Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga, which of the two artists do you think the song means more to? Rania Aniftos: Gaga! She’s been off the music game for a moment, shifting her focus to her makeup brand and film roles, so the accomplishment probably provides a sense of validation while she’s working on her new album. Katie Atkinson: Even though it’s a duet, “Die With a Smile” has felt more like a Bruno Mars song (featuring Lady Gaga) to me than an equal billing. But looking at the two stars’ other concurrent releases – ROSÉ’s “APT.” for Mars and Gaga’s “Disease” – “APT.” has had the much stronger start, peaking at No. 5 compared to No. 27 for the LG7 lead single, so it looks like Gaga gets the bigger boost from what feels like a Bruno-led production. (And in fact, Gaga told the Los Angeles Times last month that “Die” will be on LG7, so it obviously means a lot to her: “It’s a huge part of my album. It was like this missing piece.”) Kyle Denis: Probably Gaga. Between the tepid response to Joker 2, Harlequin and “Disease,” it must feel nice to get a win somewhere this year. Jason Lipshutz: Gaga, for sure. “Die With a Smile” may announce Mars’ grand return following multiple years without a song released under his own name, but he’s already collected another top 10 hit since its release, with the ROSÉ team-up “APT.” Gaga, meanwhile, launched her next solo era with “Disease,” an electro-pop single that stalled