Canadians love Morgan Wallen.
Within the first half of 2025 in Canada, the nation star’s I’m the Downside was the most well-liked album, whereas Girl Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” was the most-streamed tune (by on-demand audio streams), in keeping with Luminate’s Midyear Music Report.
The report, which covers a monitoring interval from Jan. 3 to July 3, 2025, boasts a variety of metrics, together with just a few insights into the Canadian music market.
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In Canada, whole album consumption elevated 4.5%, hitting 57.2 million — up from 2024’s 54.8 million — which accounted for the interval of Dec. 29, 2023, to June 27, 2024.
Wallen’s I’m the Downside earned 231,000 equal album models within the first half of the yr. Launched Could 16, the nation juggernaut’s affect has reached the charts, with the album peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart for eight weeks, solely to be dethroned final week by Justin Bieber’s Swag. Downside reemerged atop the chart this week, nonetheless.
Canadians fare nicely on the albums listing, together with Scarborough native The Weeknd, who has two entries. His compilation album, The Highlights, is at No. 2 with 151,000 models, whereas his 2025 file, Hurry Up Tomorrow, got here in at No. 7 with 118,000 models. PartyNextDoor & Drake’s $ome $exy $ongs 4 U undertaking got here in at No. 4 (133,00 models), whereas Gen Z darling Tate McRae amassed 124,000 along with her third studio album, So Near What, at No. 6.
Prime 10 Albums in Canada
- Morgan Wallen, I’m the Downside (231,000)
- The Weeknd, The Highlights (151,000)
- SZA, SOS (137,000)
- PartyNextDoor & Drake, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U (133,000)
- Sabrina Carpenter, Quick n’ Candy (131,000)
- Tate McRae, So Near What (124,000)
- The Weeknd, Hurry Up Tomorrow (118,000)
- Kendrick Lamar, GNX (115,000)
- Morgan Wallen, One Factor at a Time (111,000)
- Noah Kahan, Stick Season (103,000)
Prime 10 Songs in Canada
- Girl Gaga & Bruno Mars, “Die With a Smile” (51.7 million)
- Alex Warren, “Odd” (50.5 million)
- Shaboozey, “A Bar Track (Tipsy” (49.7 million)
- Rosé & Bruno Mars, “APT.” (47.7 million)
- Kendrick Lamar & SZA, “luther” (45.3 million)
- Benson Boone, “Lovely Issues” (44.9 million)
- Gracie Abrams, “That’s So True” (44.6 million)
- Drake, “NOKIA” (40.2 million)
- Chappell Roan, “Pink Pony Membership” (40.1 million)
- The Weeknd & Playboi Carti, “Timeless” (39.5 million)
Learn extra here. – Heather Taylor-Singh
Juno Awards Add Latin Music Recording of the 12 months Class Beginning in 2026
The Junos has a brand new class.
On Tuesday (Aug. 5), the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) introduced the introduction of Latin Music Recording of the 12 months.
A CARAS media release notes that the brand new class “celebrates the colourful and rising contributions of Latin artists to the Canadian music scene. This crossover class will acknowledge excellence throughout all Latin American genres and languages, giving artists a platform to shine on Canada’s greatest music stage.”
In an announcement, Ricardo Taco (Dwell Nation Canada), who serves as co-chair of the committee, stated, “We’re extraordinarily grateful to The Junos for giving us the chance to raise our music and tradition by the introduction of this new class. This recognition not solely highlights the rising affect of Latin music in Canada, but in addition offers our artists a strong platform to share their tales, rhythms, and heritage with a wider viewers.”
The introduction of the class follows criticism across the Canadian award present’s lack of illustration and help of the rising style.
Final October, a new national report explored the rise of Latin music in Canada and the necessity for extra trade help. Entitled “Understanding The Obstacles and Alternatives of the Latin Music Neighborhood in Canada,” the report, commissioned by the group Talking Non-English, emphasised the necessity for music trade funding to keep away from “a large missed alternative.” It additionally recognized structural and monetary challenges within the Canadian music ecosystem and the shortage of help and illustration of Latin artists and trade professionals.
The report highlighted the Junos particularly as an establishment missing in help, with researchers noting that of the nation’s prime 11 genres, Latin music was the one one with out its personal class. “Many Latin artists already surpass the typical Junos winner by way of consumption — even with out accounting for main names like Jessie Reyez,” stated Martín Añón, co-founder/president of Talking Non-English, on the time. “The neighborhood is conscious of this disparity, which solely heightens their frustration.”
Añón additionally stated {that a} proposal for a Latin Music Recording of the 12 months class was in improvement, with greater than 50 letters of endorsement from the music neighborhood.
The announcement of the brand new class follows an argument that erupted final yr after CARAS introduced plans to place the reggae recording, Christian/gospel album and youngsters’s album classes on hiatus. However after outcry from the trade — together with some who raised inclusivity considerations across the elimination of two predominantly Black-led genres — these plans were cancelled.
Final yr, the Junos additionally launched the South Asian recording of the yr class, which was won by AP Dhillon.
CARAS can also be refining submission tips for each rap album/EP of the yr and rap single of the yr. Beginning this yr, vocalists should be Canadian residents or everlasting residents to be eligible.
Learn extra here. – Kerry Doole