Hitmakers Repeat Offenders: How Smash Singles From Sabrina Carpenter, Shaboozey and Benson Boone Came Together

In the fast-paced world of pop music, achieving a hit that lasts more than a single season is a notable accomplishment. A handful of artists managed this rare dual-year feat, with their songs appearing on both the 2024 and 2025 Variety Hitmakers lists. Tracks like Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso," Benson Boone's "Beautiful Things," Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)," Teddy Swims's "Lose Control," and Billie Eilish's "Birds of a Feather" demonstrated exceptional staying power, dominating airplay and streaming long after their debut. This endurance highlights a powerful mix of artistic craft, strategic release timing, and deep cultural connection that transcends the typical fleeting chart life of a pop single.

The soulful ballad "Lose Control" by Teddy Swims—the stage name of Georgia-born artist Jaten Dimsdale—rewrote the record books. A centerpiece of his 2023 debut album *I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 1)*, the track first broke a record held by The Weeknd by spending 58 consecutive weeks in the Billboard Hot 100's Top 10. It then made history in July 2025 by becoming the first song ever to accumulate 100 total weeks on the Hot 100 chart. Swims, who co-wrote the song during a personal writing retreat in Palm Springs with producers Julian Bunetta and Mikky Ekko, views it as a pivotal moment. "It felt like the first time I truly captured my voice," he has said, noting the song's journey has expanded his own ambitions. Its legacy was further solidified with a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, setting a new benchmark for longevity in the streaming age.

Shaboozey transformed a nostalgic sample into a cross-genre juggernaut with "A Bar Song (Tipsy)." The track, which cleverly interpolates the 2004 J-Kwon hip-hop hit "Tipsy," exploded in 2024 and maintained its momentum throughout the following year. It dominated the Hot 100 for 19 weeks, surpassed 1.4 billion streams on Spotify, and remarkably reached No. 1 across four different radio formats—country, pop, adult contemporary, and adult pop. Industry observers credit savvy timing for its launch, coming just two weeks after Shaboozey's featured appearance on Beyoncé's landmark *Cowboy Carter* album, which introduced him to a massive new audience. This strategic move helped garner five Grammy nominations. As music historian Dr. Lena Shaw notes, "This fusion of country storytelling and hip-hop rhythm has created a new commercial blueprint, achieving a cultural crossover reminiscent of early 'Old Town Road' success." He later proved his staying power with a second Country Airplay Top 10 hit, "Good News."

Benson Boone's career was catapulted by the soaring anthem "Beautiful Things." Written during late-night sessions at his Los Angeles home and produced with Evan Blair and Jack LaFrantz, the song first found viral life on TikTok, soundtracking over 4.5 million videos. Its 89-week chart residency and peak at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart provided the foundation for a sold-out arena tour and his sophomore album, *American Heart*. Boone, who gained initial recognition from a 2021 audition on *American Idol*, has expressed that the scale of the song's success remains surreal. "My goal is to build a career that outlives one massive song," he has stated, "but looking at what 'Beautiful Things' started still completely overwhelms me." The track's enduring popularity underscores how a well-crafted song can define an artist's breakthrough moment.

Billie Eilish took an unconventional path with "Birds of a Feather," releasing it as an album track on her critically acclaimed third LP, *Hit Me Hard and Soft*, without the traditional fanfare of a lead single. The song organically grew into one of her most successful releases, peaking at No. 2 on the Hot 100, becoming Spotify's most-streamed song globally for 2024, and surpassing 3 billion streams by late 2025. As with all her work, it was co-written and produced with her brother Finneas, who has called its gentle yet explosive success a delightful surprise. "It's an outlier in the best way," Finneas has remarked. "Its organic journey proves we can trust our creative process and still connect with a global audience." The song earned the Song of the Year award at the American Music Awards, reinforcing Eilish's unique ability to succeed outside industry norms.

For Sabrina Carpenter, "Espresso" served as a career-defining breakthrough. The crisp pop song, released in April 2024, climbed to No. 3 on the Hot 100 and maintained its chart heat well into 2025. Its success was powered by Grammy wins for Best Pop Solo Performance and for its parent album *Short n' Sweet*. Carpenter developed the track with writers Julian Bunetta and Amy Allen during a break from her high-profile role opening for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour—a platform that provided unparalleled visibility to millions of potential new fans. Bunetta has pointed to the momentum from her earlier hits "Nonsense" and "Feather" as creating ideal conditions for "Espresso" to ignite. Carpenter herself has revealed she pushed for the song's release despite some initial industry hesitation. Her conviction was rewarded, with the single amassing over 2.6 billion Spotify streams and capping a triumphant headlining arena tour, proving that her moment in the spotlight is built to last.