Chinese Music Shines Globally as Zi Yu Tops Billboard’s 2025 Global No. 1s China Honor Selection

Tencent Music Chart, part of Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME), in collaboration with Billboard China, has announced the China-region results for the 2025 Billboard Global No. 1s — Billboard’s annual recognition of outstanding global music. After two rounds of fan voting, breakout artist Zi Yu secured the honor as China’s sole representative, earning a spot in Billboard’s international roster for 2025.

Eligible music for the China Honor Selection comprised releases from November 2024 through October 2025. Initial qualification relied on performance across two authoritative TME rankings — the TME Uni Chart (which tracks mainstream popularity) and the TME Wave Chart (which highlights professional appraisal). Final placements were decided by fan vote.

Top Five — China Honor Selection (2025)

• Zi Yu — “Ni Tan”
• Shi Ge Qin Tian — “Jun Zi Liao Ran”
• THE 8 — “Cold Love”
• Liu Yu — “Si Jun Zhao Yu Mu”
• Deng Jia Xin — “Cheng De Shang Zhi De”

Zi Yu’s winning single, “Ni Tan,” pairs evocative lyrics with a resonant melodic arc that charts a protagonist’s determination to overcome hardship. As China’s entrant in the 2025 Billboard Global No. 1s, Zi Yu will be featured in Billboard’s special coverage for this year’s honorees and will benefit from expanded cross-platform exposure. TME Chart will also provide broad promotional support across its domestic and international channels to maximize the track’s visibility.

The collaboration between Tencent Music Chart and Billboard has deepened in recent years. In 2023 the TME Uni Chart became the only mainland China chart to appear on Billboard’s global site, addressing a previous gap in Billboard’s Chinese-music coverage. On November 6, 2025, TME Chart announced a strategic data partnership with Luminate, the music-data provider that underpins Billboard’s charts, becoming Luminate’s first in-depth data partner in mainland China. Consumption data from TME platforms will now feed into internationally recognized chart systems, including the Billboard Global 200, via the Uni Chart’s professional data infrastructure.

By integrating domestic music-data systems with global platforms, TME Chart is building stronger pathways for Chinese artists to reach international audiences. As TME continues to expand its partnerships with Billboard and other global collaborators, more Chinese musicians are likely to gain sustained recognition on the world stage.