The year draws to a close, and the echoes of the melodies that moved us still linger. Google Trends has lifted the curtain on its annual Top Searched Songs list, offering a fascinating glimpse into the sonic tapestry that resonated with listeners in 2023. Buckle up, music lovers, for a journey through the year’s most searched-for tunes
1.アイドル – YOASOBI
Ranking at number 1 for Top Searched Songs in 2023 with 390,836,607 views Premiered Apr 12, 2023
Interestingly this song ranks at 3 for Top Hum to Search Song in 2023. You may want to have a look at it : Top Hum to Search Song in 2023
Song Information
Information
Title
Idol (アイドル)
Artists
Yoasobi
Album
The Book 3 (2023)
Release Date
April 12, 2023
Record Label
Sony Music Entertainment Japan
Anime Series Theme
Oshi no Ko
Opening Theme
Yes
Song Background
Background
Writer
Ayase
Based on
Aka Akasaka’s short story “45510”
Genre
Pop with hip-hop elements
Theme
Depicts the two-faced nature of a star in the Japanese idol industry and perspectives on the anime character Ai Hoshino from fans, bandmates, and herself.
Music Video
Information
Director
Naoya Nakayama
Premiere Date
April 13, 2023
Views Milestone
Exceeded 100 million views in one month, fastest among Japanese acts.
Critical Acclaim
Acclaim
Praises
Praised as a “perfect” representation of Ai Hoshino by music critics.
Commercial Success
Success
Chart Performance
Topped Oricon Combined Singles Chart and Billboard Japan Hot 100. Longest-running number-one song (21 consecutive weeks) in the Billboard Japan Hot 100 history. First Japanese-language song to top the Global Excl. US on Billboard Global 200.
Streams Record
Fastest song to earn 500 million streams in Japan within 28 weeks.
Certifications
Certified platinum for downloads and triple platinum for streaming by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ).
Awards and Recognition
Awards
Awards Won
Best Animation Video and Song of the Year at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards Japan.
アイドル – YOASOBI
2.Try That In A Small Town – Jason Aldean
Ranking at number 2 for Top Searched Songs in 2023 with 46,042,756 views Premiered Jul 14, 2023
“Try That in a Small Town” Information
Information
Songwriters
Kelley Lovelace, Neil Thrasher, Tully Kennedy, Kurt Allison
3.Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53 – Shakira and Bizarrap
Ranking at number 3 for Top Searched Songs in 2023 with 663,502,568 views released on Jan 12, 2023
“Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” Information
Information
Title
Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53 (Out of Your League / Pa’ Tipos Como Tú)
Language
Spanish
Release Date
January 11, 2023
Collaborators
Argentine DJ Bizarrap and Colombian singer Shakira
Music Video Release
Same day as the song release on Bizarrap’s YouTube channel
Themes
Diss track aimed at Gerard Piqué, women’s empowerment anthem
Records and Achievements
– Reached Number 1 in 16 countries
– Reached Number 1 on Billboard Hot Latin Songs
– First on Billboard Latin Digital Song Sales chart in under two days
– Four Guinness World Records for streaming (YouTube and Spotify)
– Won Song of the Year and Best Pop Song at the Latin Grammy Awards
Chart Performances
– US Billboard Hot 100: Reached #9 (Shakira’s first top 10 since 2007’s “Beautiful Liar”)
– Topped Promusicae weekly charts in Spain after one day of tracking
– Certified platinum in Spain after eight tracking days
– Topped charts in Italy, Colombia, Panama, Peru, and more
International Chart Positions
– Number 1 in Spain, Italy; Number 2 in Portugal, Switzerland
– Top 10 in Greece, US; Top 20 in France, Ireland, Lithuania
– Top 30 in Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Canada; Top 40 in the UK, Denmark
– Top 50 in the Netherlands
US Chart History (Billboard Hot 100)
– First Spanish-language single by a female vocalist to peak in the top 10 since 2007
– Reached Number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100
Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53 – Shakira and Bizarrap
4.Unholy – Sam Smith and Kim Petras
Ranking at number 4 for Top Searched Songs in 2023 with 223,214,939 views Premiered Sep 30, 2022
“Unholy” Information
Information
Release Date
September 22, 2022
Albums
Part of Sam Smith’s album “Gloria” and a bonus track on Kim Petras’s album “Feed the Beast”
Teaser and Virality
Teased by Sam Smith on TikTok a month before release; went viral due to its use in thirst trap-style videos
Production Credits
Produced by Ilya, Omer Fedi, Blake Slatkin, Jimmy Napes, and Cirkut
Musical Genre
Sexually charged electropop, dance-pop, synth-pop with choral and hyperpop influences
Lyrics
About a family man who cheats on his wife at a strip club
Critical Reception
Mostly positive, considered a standout from “Gloria”
Grammy Awards
Won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards
Chart Performances
Topped UK Singles Chart for four weeks; Topped Billboard Hot 100 for one week; Topped charts in 18 other countries
Music Video
Directed by Floria Sigismondi, depicts an erotic cabaret with burlesque dancers
Live Performances
Performed on Gloria the Tour, Saturday Night Live, 65th Annual Grammy Awards, and Brit Awards 2023
Chart Achievements (US)
Debuted at #3 on Billboard Hot 100; Reached #1 in its fourth week
Transgender Records
Sam Smith and Kim Petras became the first openly non-binary and openly transgender solo artists, respectively, to have a number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100
Certifications
Certified double platinum by the RIAA in March 2023
Streaming Milestone
Surpassed one billion streams on Spotify on April 3, 2023, entering the platform’s Billions Club
Global Chart Dominance
Topped both the Billboard Global 200 and the Billboard Global Excl. US charts for four weeks
Unholy – Sam Smith and Kim Petras
5.Cupid – FIFTY FIFTY
Ranking at number 5 for Top Searched Songs in 2023 with 155,245,063 views Premiered Feb 23, 2023
**”Cupid” by Fifty Fifty
Release Date
February 24, 2023
Versions
Korean version, English version (“Twin version”), and an instrumental version
Genre
K-pop, disco-pop, synth-pop, bubblegum
Theme
Unrequited love and the shame associated with it
Viral Success
Went viral on TikTok, becoming one of the first from a minor K-pop label to find global commercial success
Chart Performances
Debuted at #17 on Billboard Hot 100; Reached #8 in the UK; Peaked at #1 on Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart and in New Zealand
Remix
A remix of the “Twin” version with Sabrina Carpenter was released on August 17, 2023
Album Inclusion
Included in the EP “The Beginning,” released on September 22, 2023
South Korea Performance
Peaked at #8 on the Circle Chart
US Billboard Records
Fastest K-pop girl group to appear on Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart; Peaked at #17 on Billboard Hot 100
UK Records
Debuted at #96; Peaked at #8; Spent 15 weeks on the chart
Global Achievements
Peaked at #2 on Billboard Global 200 chart; Topped Billboard Global Excl. US chart for two weeks
Spotify Milestone
“Twin” version second-fastest K-pop girl group song to reach 300 million streams on Spotify
Year-End Chart
Ranked 44th on Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 songs chart in 2023
Overall Records
Fastest Korean musical act to enter Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart after debut; Longest-charting K-pop girl group song on Billboard Hot 100
Historic Achievement
First K-pop girl group to enter Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 songs chart
Cupid – FIFTY FIFTY
6.ERE – Juan Karlos
Ranking at number 6 for Top Searched Songs in 2023 with 36,278,197 views released on Sep 23, 2023
“Ere” by Juan Karlos Labajo
Information
Release Date
August 4, 2023
Artist
Juan Karlos Labajo
Album
Sad Songs and Bullshit Part 1
Label
Universal Music Philippines
Chart Performances
Reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Philippines Songs chart for nine weeks; Debuted at No. 5 on US Billboard’s Philippines Songs chart, later reaching No. 1; Debuted at No. 138 on Billboard Global Excl. US chart
Streaming Records
Broke the record for the biggest single day streams for a Filipino song on Spotify with 1.77 million streams; First Filipino song to appear on Spotify’s global chart; First Filipino song to accumulate over a million streams in a single day
Global Recognition
First Filipino song to enter the Top 100 of Spotify’s global chart
Other Chart Entry
Debuted at No. 21 on New Zealand’s Hot Singles chart
Overall Achievements
Broke numerous streaming records; Significant success on both digital and streaming platforms
Historic Achievement
First Filipino song to appear on Billboard Global Excl. US chart
ERE – Juan Karlos
7. Kill Bill – SZA
Ranking at number 7 for Top Searched Songs in 2023 with 91,778,748 views released on Jan 11, 2023
“Kill Bill” by SZA
Information
Album
SOS (2022)
Release Date
Jan, 2023
Genre
R&B
Inspirations
Kill Bill: Volume 1 and Volume 2 (2003–2004)
Theme
Fantasy of seeking revenge on an ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend
Musical Style
R&B with midtempo, groovy rhythm, and detuned melody; Influenced by boom bap hip hop
Critical Reception
Praise for candid exploration of emotions; Found extreme but relatable
Chart Performance
Number one in seven territories worldwide; First number one on Billboard Global 200
Billboard Hot 100
Topped after eight weeks at number two; Broke record for longest-running number one on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (21 weeks)
Radio Impact
Topped Rhythmic Airplay and Pop Airplay charts; Reached top 10 on Radio Songs chart
Global Impact
Top 5 peaks in Asia-Pacific and MENA regions; Number one in New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Australia
Certifications
Quintuple platinum in Australia; Platinum in New Zealand
UK Singles Chart
Debuted in the top 15; Peaked at number 3
Grammy Awards
Nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best R&B Performance at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards
Kill Bill – SZA
8.Rich Men North of Richmond – Oliver Anthony
Ranking at number 8 for Top Searched Songs in 2023 with 104,398,761 views released on Aug 9, 2023
“Rich Men North of Richmond” by Oliver Anthony
Information
Release Date
August 2023
Viral Success
Became an overnight viral hit on social media
Chart Performance
Debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100
First artist to debut atop the chart without any prior chart history
Downloads and Streams
Debuted with 147,000 downloads and 17.5 million streams
Stayed at number 1 with 117,000 downloads and 22.9 million streams in the second week
Chart Achievements
Third unsigned artist to have a number-one single on the Hot 100
First solo male artist to reach No. 1 on both the Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs simultaneously in its debut week
Airplay
Increased by 310% to 2.3 million audience impressions in the second week
Genre
Hot Country, Viral Hit
Political Reception
Praised by some conservatives; Discussed at a Republican presidential debate
Anthony rejected attempts to categorize the song politically, describing it as a criticism of both Democratic and Republican politicians
Rich Men North of Richmond – Oliver Anthony
9.Pasilyo – SunKissed Lola
Ranking at number 9 for Top Searched Songs in 2023 with 52,380,155 views Premiered Oct 28, 2022
SunKissed Lola
Information
Formation Year
2021
Members
– Dan Ombao (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
– Alvin Serito (Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar)
– Laura Lacbain (Lead Vocals)
– Danj Quimson (Bass Guitar)
– Genson Viloria (Drums)
– Rodnie Resos (Keyboards)
Notable Singles
– “Pasilyo” (Aisle)
– “White Toyota”
– “Damag” (featuring shortone)
Success and Achievements
– “Pasilyo” broke records on Spotify Philippines and Billboard Philippines Songs
– “Pasilyo” debuted at the top of the Spotify Viral 50 – Philippines chart
– “Pasilyo” reached number one on Spotify Philippines
– “Pasilyo” broke the record for the biggest single-day streams for an OPM song
– “Pasilyo” topped Billboard Philippines Songs, making SunKissed Lola the first Filipino band to lead the chart
– “White Toyota” released as their fourth single on January 6, 2023
– “Damag” released as their fifth single on March 17, featuring shortone
Performances and Appearances
– Accompanied Kiyo as a supporting act for Enchanted Kingdom’s Salo-Salo Fest on December 2
– First major performance of “Pasilyo” online in iWant ASAP on December 4
– Wish 107.5 Bus performance of “Pasilyo” went viral, accumulating 2 million views on YouTube as of March 8, 2023
Pasilyo – SunKissed Lola
10.Seven – Jungkook
Ranking at number 10 for Top Searched Songs in 2023 with 305,945,897 views released on Jul 14, 2023
“Seven” by Jungkook ft. Latto
Release Date
July 14, 2023
Producers
Andrew Watt, Cirkut
Co-Writers
Jon Bellion, Latto, Theron Makiel Thomas
Album
Golden (included in Jungkook’s debut studio album)
Genre
Romantic UK Garage Pop
Versions
Regular and Explicit
Chart Performance
– Topped Billboard Hot 100 and Global 200
– Topped Hits of the World charts in multiple countries
– Debuted at number three on the UK Singles Chart
– Set record for the highest debuting single by a solo Korean act in the UK
– Charted in the top ten in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, Peru, Paraguay, New Zealand, South Korea, Switzerland
Spotify Achievements
– Fastest song to surpass one billion streams
– Most-streamed collaboration of 2023 on Spotify
– Debuted atop the daily Global Spotify Chart with almost 16 million streams
– Recorded the most opening-day streams for a male artist and collaboration in history
– First K-pop act to reach number one on the U.S. Spotify chart
– First Korean solo artist to debut atop the global Spotify chart
