The Weeknd is in celebration mode after breaking yet another Billboard Hot 100 record with his chart-topping 2019 single, “Blinding Lights.” On Monday (Aug. 16), the After Hours track logged its 88th consecutive week on the chart, surpassing Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive” and becoming the longest-charting song in Billboard Hot 100 history.
According to Billboard, “Blinding Lights” is also the first and only single to spend a full year within the Hot 100 chart’s Top 10. In an Instagram post, The Weeknd celebrated his achievement.
“Forever grateful to be able to experiment with sounds, try new things with my voice and create music with the people I truly love and respect,” he wrote. “For the last decade, every song has been a journey and to be able to continue this journey has been nothing short of a blessing.”
“It’s the only gift I could ever ask for,” he continued. “I’ll be doing it for as long as I can breathe. I love my fans and wouldn’t be here without you. Big day for ‘Blinding Lights.’”
While celebrating the song’s success, the Canadian-born crooner also teased his next era of music, writing, “The fucking dawn is coming. LET’S GO.” According to Billboard, The Weeknd uttered the phrase while accepting his multiple trophies at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards earlier this year. The 31-year-old star also released a cryptic trailer titled “The Dawn Is Coming” earlier this month.
On Aug. 6, he made his musical return with his new single, “Take My Breath.” Upon its eventual release, The Weeknd’s next full-length effort will mark the official follow-up to After Hours, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 last year. The album was certified double platinum back in March and previously broke a record for the most pre-adds in Apple Music history.
See The Weeknd’s post about “Blinding Lights” below.