Analyzing a change in musical paradigm For the first time in more than 35 years, no rap song appeared in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Since 1990, over 2,000 consecutive weeks have featured at least one rap track in that range. The chart dated October 25, 2025 was dominated by pop, country, and K-pop artists such as Sabrina Carpenter and Billie Eilish. As a high school student who listens to a substantial amount of rap music, I find this development surprising. Indeed, after examining…