Taylor Swift’s ‘Reputation’ Returns to No. 1 on Billboard 200, Huncho Jack Debuts at No. 3
Taylor Swift’s Reputation returns to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart for a fourth nonconsecutive week, as the set steps 2-1 in its seventh week on the list. Reputation earned 107,000 equivalent album units in the week ending Dec. 28, according to Nielsen Music (down 19 percent). Of that sum, 79,000 were in traditional album sales (down 24 percent).
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The new Jan. 6-dated chart (where Reputation returns to No. 1) will be posted in full on Billboard‘s websites on Wednesday, Jan. 3.
Reputation spent its first three weeks at No. 1 on the chart, and then lingered at either Nos. 3 or No. 2 for its next three chart frames. It’s the first album to notch four weeks at No. 1 since The Weeknd’s Starboy claimed its fifth (and final) week at No. 1, on the list dated Feb. 11, 2017.
Though Reputation is down in sales for the week, it still likely benefited from last-minute Christmas shopping, as the chart’s tracking week included the final three days before the Christmas holiday on Dec. 25.
Rising two spots to No. 2 is Ed Sheeran’s ÷ (Divide) with 92,000 units (up 2 percent), as the set’s single “Perfect” continues to find new fans. The song spent its third week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated Jan. 3.
Coming in at No. 3 on the new Billboard 200 is Huncho Jack, the new duo project from rappers Travis Scott and Migos’ Quavo. The pair’s Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho, debuts with 90,000 units, of which 17,000 were in traditional album sales. The album is powered largely by streams of the set, as it earns 70,000 SEA units (equaling 105.3 million on-demand audio streams of the album’s songs during the week).
As a soloist, Scott has reached the top 10 twice, with his chart-topping Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight in 2016, and his No. 3-peaking Rodeo in 2015. Quavo has not released a solo project yet.
Eminem’s Revival falls from No. 1 to No. 4 in its second week with 84,000 units (down 68 percent).
The soundtrack to the musical drama film The Greatest Showman vaults from No. 63 to No. 5 with 77,000 units (up 418 percent), of which 61,000 were in traditional album sales (up 436 percent). The set gets a big boost following its parent movie’s release in U.S. theaters on Dec. 20. The soundtrack features music from the film’s stars like Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron and Zendaya.
The Greatest Showman is the highest-ranking soundtrack since Prince and the Revolution’s Purple Rain re-entered the list at No. 4 on the July 15, 2017-dated chart, following the album’s deluxe reissue. The last soundtrack to place in the top five, not from a reissue, was Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2, when it peaked at No. 4 on the May 27-dated chart.
Back on the new Billboard 200 chart, Pentatonix’s A Pentatonix Christmas moves 5-6 (55,000 units; down 26 percent), Sam Smith’s The Thrill of It All is steady at No. 7 (52,000 units; down 14 percent) and G-Eazy’s The Beautiful & Damned descends 3-8 with 50,000 units (down 59 percent). Rounding out the top 10: Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. climbs 16-9 with 47,000 units (up 31 percent) and Post Malone’s Stoneymoves 13-10 with 44,000 units (up 15 percent).
Source: billboard.com