Olivia Rodrigo’s new single “Serena Joy” misses the Billboard Hot 100 as it debuts on several Billboard charts, becoming her first major release to do so. IRVINE, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 29: Olivia Rodrigo performs on the Dandelion Stage during the Daisy Chain Fields Festival 2026 at Great Park Sports Complex on August 29, 2026 in Irvine, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images)
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Olivia Rodrigo scores a new hit on several Billboard charts this week with a tune that experienced an odd journey to popularity. The singer-songwriter originally made “Serena Joy” – which is named after a character from the TV series The Handmaid’s Tale – available on CD, and at first, it could only be purchased through one record shop.
It only took a few days before “Serena Joy” was uploaded to digital download stores like iTunes and streaming platforms, and once the song became widely available, the track quickly performed well enough to debut on multiple Billboard charts. As “Serena Joy” launches on several tallies, it brings the superstar back to various rock rosters while simultaneously becoming her first major release to miss the most important songs ranking in the nation.
Olivia Rodrigo Debuts “Serena Joy” on Three Billboard Charts
“Serena Joy” debuts at No. 22 on both the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Alternative Songs charts this week. The tune also launches at No. 3 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100, giving Rodrigo a top 10 hit on that roster.
“Serena Joy” Barely Misses the Hot 100
Rodrigo’s “Serena Joy” barely misses out on cracking the Billboard Hot 100, the ranking of the most-consumed songs in the United States. Instead, it lands on the Bubbling Under Hot 100, which details the 25 most popular tracks of any style that have yet to appear on the main list.
Rodrigo’s new release only fails to reach the more competitive of the two tallies by a few spots. With a No. 3 start on the Bubbling Under Hot 100, “Serena Joy” essentially launches as the one-hundred-and-third-most-popular eligible cut in the U.S.
Almost Every Olivia Rodrigo Song Has Reached the Hot 100
Nearly every song Rodrigo has released since becoming a superstar has appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 for at least a week. That is an exceptionally rare occurrence for any artist, as it requires them to be hugely popular essentially from the moment their career takes off. The only tunes credited to Rodrigo that have not landed on the Billboard Hot 100 are mostly early-career recordings from before she was famous or from her days on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, along with a few live cuts and other one-offs that have nothing to do with her albums.
All of Rodrigo’s proper singles and every song featured on her three albums — Sour, Guts and the more recent You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love — have reached the Billboard Hot 100. In the coming weeks, “Serena Joy” may very well join that group, but for the moment, it stands out in her discography for a less impressive reason.
Olivia Rodrigo Scores Her First Bubbling Under Hot 100 Top 10
“Serena Joy” is thus far one of only two Rodrigo tracks to appear on the Bubbling Under Hot 100. The only other one, “All I Want,” debuted on the tally in January 2020 and spent a single frame at No. 18.
“All I Want” would eventually graduate to the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 90, helping preview the chart takeover that would soon follow for Rodrigo. While “Serena Joy” fails to become a proper Hot 100 hit this week, it does give the singer-songwriter her first top 10 on the Bubbling Under ranking and easily her highest-charting placement on the tally thus far.
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