Bruno Mars just set the longest No. 1 run in R&B/hip-hop chart history
'I Just Might' hit its 32nd week on top of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart today, snapping a 68-year-old record. Drake couldn't keep it down.
In brief
A song that just will not quit
Thirty-two weeks. That's how long Bruno Mars' "I Just Might" has now sat at the top of Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, as of the ranking dated October 24. The milestone, confirmed by Luminate data published today, makes it the longest-running No. 1 in that chart's history. The record goes back to October 1958. No song has ever stayed longer.
Until now.
Following a brief interruption from Drake and Don Toliver's "Solar Eclipse" on the Oct. 17 chart, "I Just Might" returned to the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, dated Oct. 24, to clock a record-breaking 32nd week at the summit, officially the longest in the chart's history, which started in October 1958.
The song takes the title from Kendrick Lamar and SZA's "Luther," which enjoyed a 31-week stay on top in 2025. That record itself was set just last year, in one of the great chart runs of the streaming era. Mars just lapped it.
The numbers behind the streak
None of this is a fluke. For its record-breaking week on the multimetric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, "I Just Might" registered 5.03 million official streams, 51.9 million in airplay audience and 1,000 song sales in the United States for the tracking week of Oct. 9-15, according to Luminate. Nine months in, and the song is still pulling a radio audience in the tens of millions every single week.
"I Just Might" was released on January 9, 2026, through Atlantic Records, as the lead single from Mars' fourth solo studio album, The Romantic, which arrived February 27, 2026. It debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated January 24, becoming Mars' fifth song to top the ranking.
Since landing at No. 1, "I Just Might" has been overtaken by just two songs, both featuring Drake. His song "Janice STFU" held the top spot for seven weeks between May and June, while "Solar Eclipse," his collaboration with Don Toliver, briefly claimed No. 1 in October. Twice Drake knocked it down. Twice it came back.
The crossover reach is just as striking. The song became Mars' 10th No. 1 on the Hot 100 and topped both the Pop Airplay and Rhythmic Airplay charts. It also reached No. 2 on Adult R&B Airplay. That's a clean sweep of formats that almost no song manages in a single run.
Where this lands in history
To understand what 32 weeks means, consider the company. The previous R&B/hip-hop chart record holders include Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" at 22 weeks, SZA's "Kill Bill" at 21, and Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus' "Old Town Road" at 20. "I Just Might" breaks out of a tie with "Luther" for the most weeks at No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs since the chart became the genre's singular songs list in October 1958. That means Mars didn't just nudge past a record. He cleared it by a full week, with Drake running interference twice along the way.
With his 10th No. 1 on the Hot 100, Mars tied Drake, Michael Jackson, and Stevie Wonder as the only solo males with 10 or more No. 1 songs on that chart. The R&B/hip-hop chart record stacks on top of all of it.
The song is Mars' fifth Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs leader, following "That's What I Like" (2017), a pair of Cardi B collaborations in "Finesse" (2018) and "Please Me" (2019) and "Leave the Door Open" (2021) by Silk Sonic, his venture with Anderson .Paak.
The year Mars has had
The chart record is just the latest chapter in what has been an extraordinary 2026 for the Honolulu-born singer. Atlantic Records released the song on Jan. 9, leading off his fourth solo studio album, The Romantic, which arrived Feb. 27 and opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
The tour that followed turned into something else entirely. Originally a 39-date stadium tour, The Romantic Tour set the record for the highest first-day ticket sales for a Live Nation pre-sale in North America, leading to an additional 32 dates being announced in North America and Europe. The expanded tour now runs to 127 shows, with supporting acts including DJ Pee .Wee (Anderson .Paak), Leon Thomas, Victoria Monét, Raye, and Tyla.
Las Vegas did its part earlier this year, too. What was once known as Park Avenue was officially renamed Bruno Mars Drive on April 10. Park Avenue became Bruno Mars Drive, described by the governor's office as "a rare and distinguished honor reserved for only a select few whose influence has shaped the Entertainment Capital of the World." The honors included a special proclamation from Clark County Commissioner Jim Gibson and a ceremonial state flag from Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo. Additionally, Mars made a $1 million donation to Intermountain Children's Health, a donation that MGM is said to match.
The chart record that dropped today, October 20, puts a number on all of it: 32 weeks. Nine months of Luminate data that just kept saying the same thing.
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CAN I KICK IT? screens New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument, on Aug. 22. (Courtesy SHAOLIN JAZZ)
The live-cinema series CAN I KICK IT? returns to the National Mall this month with what its producers are calling the "Gangsters on the Mall" chapter of their free outdoor summer run. On Saturday, August 22, the SHAOLIN JAZZ production brings the 1991 crime classic New Jack City to the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument for a night of film, music, and community under the DC summer sky.
What sets the event apart is the sound. As the film plays, DJ 2-Tone Jones builds an original score in real time, reimagining one of the most iconic crime movies of the ’90s through hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. It is less a movie screening than a live performance built around the film.
The details:
Film: New Jack City (1991), with a live soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone Jones
When: Saturday, August 22 — seating opens at 7:30 p.m. (bring lawn chairs and blankets); film begins at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument, Independence Ave SW & 15th St NW
A parking note from the organizers: expect road closures and restricted parking east of 14th Street NW due to a separate race event in the District. Roads west of 14th Street NW will be accessible and available for parking.
New Jack City is the second of three screenings in this year’s free CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series, which opened with Black Panther at Skyland Town Center and concludes with Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial on September 5. Produced by the Washington, DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, the series has presented more than 150 live cinematic experiences at venues across the country, from Lincoln Center to SXSW.
"I wanted to be able to tell good stories with substance and remove the ‘ego’ out of the art," said Andrew Huang during a recent interview. Now, he’s building his career at the intersection of discipline, creativity and innovation.
Andrew Huang, founder of New Place Studios. (Courtesy photo)
As a Chinese American, Huang was reared with a deep respect for hard work, consistency and excellence. He describes his childhood as "not so affluent" and later attended college to hone his passion for videography. "In college I tried to do something I loved, which was video, but along the way I knew that I had to find a job. And so I thought, ‘what was the low hanging fruit to get to that stable 9 to 5 job?,’" he stated.
Later in life, Huang found himself working for corporations where his creativity was often limited, eventually leading to burnout. "I worked in a corporation for a long time and there were a lot of missing pieces. I wanted to fill in gaps missing in corporate video production," said Huang.
He later described how his upbringing and a mindset of "survival" led him toward a corporate career. However, his desire for balance and authentic storytelling ultimately pushed him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
"I founded a new place where you can create video and film with ‘substance and style,’" said Huang. His desire for work-life balance and passion for storytelling naturally evolved into a small business based in Virginia. With the launch of New Place Studios, the entrepreneur quickly found himself reconnecting with the values that would become the foundation of everything he creates behind the camera.
Huang said being a business owner has allowed him to first embrace himself. While others may see video as simply capturing moments, he sees it as a way to preserve stories that inspire, connect and leave a lasting imprint.
By combining cinematic visuals with cutting-edge production techniques and a keen understanding of branding, Huang helps organizations and individuals communicate their vision with purpose. He said understanding a client’s "why" serves as the compass for delivering the services they need.
One benefit of working with a small business, he said, is that clients get to see the production process unfold through a micro lens while working with the same faces throughout the entire project. "The work feels personal," said Huang.
Huang does not regret leaving behind the flash-over-substance mentality and corporate hustle culture. That does not mean the Asian American entrepreneur has been without challenges in the industry. "It’s relatively hard to find other Asian American creatives or people who would want to work with me in the DMV," said Huang.
He identifies the industry culture in which everyone is trying to blend in, creatives may fear displaying their Asian identity and some feel pressure to adopt an American corporate persona. He also points to what he describes as a level of gatekeeping within the industry. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 statistics, Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs own more than 3 million businesses and employ 5.2 million people in the United States.
After tapping into organizations such as SCORE, which offers free small business mentorship, New Place Studios has become a trusted creative partner throughout the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia). The company produces a range of creative services, including commercials, corporate branding, documentaries, film, 2D animation, motion graphics and photography.
For Huang, entrepreneurship has become more than a departure from corporate life. It has given him the freedom to create with intention, build meaningful connections and tell stories that go beyond the surface.
The 2026 CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
For three Saturdays this summer, some of Washington’s most familiar public spaces will do something they rarely do after dark: fill up with blankets, lawn chairs, and the sound of a movie being scored live, in real time. CAN I KICK IT?, the traveling “live cinema” series produced by the DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, is bringing a free outdoor run to the city — pairing three era-defining films with an original soundtrack performed on the spot by DJ 2-Tone Jones.
The premise is what sets it apart from a normal screening in the park. Rather than simply pressing play, 2-Tone Jones builds a score as the film unfolds, pulling from hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and sounds from around the world. The result, the organizers say, is less a movie night than a one-time performance — the same film you know, wired to a soundtrack you have never heard and will not hear again. Guest DJs warm up the crowd starting at 7:30 PM before each 8:30 PM screening.
The 2026 outdoor schedule
All three events are free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 8 — Black Panther at Skyland Town Center. A pop-up marketplace and community activities kick off the evening; guest DJs at 7:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM. Marvel’s superhero epic gets a one-night-only live score in Southeast DC.
Saturday, August 22 — New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument. Seating begins at 7:30 PM; the film starts at 8:30 PM. The 1991 crime drama plays out at the foot of one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.
Saturday, September 5 — Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial. Seating at 7:30 PM; film at 8:30 PM. The series closes with Brian De Palma’s crime saga against the backdrop of the Memorial, scored live from start to finish.
First up: Black Panther at Skyland Town Center on August 8. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
A DC company with a national footprint
SHAOLIN JAZZ describes itself as a Washington-based arts company working at the intersection of music, film, art, and culture, and CAN I KICK IT? is its signature production. According to the organizers, the series has staged more than 150 live cinematic experiences around the country — at performing arts centers, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions including Lincoln Center in New York, SXSW, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Republic Square in Austin, the Tacoma Armory, and The Cary Theater.
“CAN I KICK IT? has always been about creating a shared experience,” said Gerald Watson, co-founder of SHAOLIN JAZZ. “When you combine iconic films with live music in public spaces, something special happens. People aren’t just watching a movie — they’re experiencing it together. That’s what makes these nights so memorable.”
Cinema as a community event
The DC run lands as cities across the country look for new ways to activate public space through arts and culture — and this series is a straightforward pitch for how to do it: take a landmark everyone already knows, add a film everyone has an opinion about, and let a live soundtrack turn the evening into something neighbors experience shoulder to shoulder. Families, film buffs, and music fans are all invited, and admission won’t cost a thing.
The CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series runs August 8, August 22, and September 5. All events are free; check SHAOLIN JAZZ (shaolinjazz.com) for the latest details and any weather updates before heading out.
