Monthly Archives: August 2020

BTS is the first all-South Korean act to top the Hot 100.

BTS achieves its first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, as “Dynamite” debuts at the summit.

The seven-member South Korean act rules the Hot 100 with its first all-English-language single, after previously reaching a No. 4 high with “On” in March.

BTS, which is comprised of members J-Hope, Jimin, Jin, Jungkook, RM, Suga and V, is additionally the first all-South Korean group to lead the Hot 100.

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming, radio airplay and sales data. All charts (dated Sept. 5) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Sept. 1). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

“Dynamite,” released on BigHit Entertainment/Columbia Records, is the 1,109th No. 1 in the Hot 100’s 62-year history.

Let’s recap the song’s explosive start.

Streams, sales & airplay: “Dynamite,” released Aug. 21 at midnight ET, roars in with 33.9 million U.S. streams and 300,000 sold in its first week, ending Aug. 27, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. It also drew 11.6 million radio airplay audience impressions in the week ending Aug. 30.

“Dynamite” starts at No. 1 on the Digital Song Sales chart, where it’s BTS’ fourth leader, and No. 3 on Streaming Songs.

The official video for “Dynamite” premiered upon the song’s arrival (followed by an official “B-side” clip Aug. 24), and the track was available to purchase in the tracking week in its original form and via an EDM remix, acoustic remix and instrumental version (each sale-priced at 69 cents). Its original version was also available for purchase on 7-inch vinyl (for $7.98) and cassette ($6.98).

Biggest digital sales week in nearly 3 years: With 265,000 downloads sold (among its overall first-week total of 300,000, which includes its vinyl and cassette physical versions), “Dynamite” debuts with the biggest digital sales week since Sept. 16, 2017, when Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do” launched with 353,000.

Among groups, “Dynamite” sports the biggest weekly digital sales sum since Prince and the Revolution’s 1984 classic “Purple Rain” sold 282,000 (May 14, 2016), following Prince’s April 21, 2016, passing. Among songs by groups in tracks’ debut weeks, “Dynamite” makes the best digital sales start in five years, since One Direction’s “Drag Me Down” opened with 350,000 (Aug. 22, 2015).

BTS’ first Hot 100 No. 1: BTS earns its first Hot 100 No. 1, and fourth top 10, among 12 visits to the chart. The group previously reached the top 10 with “On” (No. 4, where it debuted, this March); “Boy With Luv,” featuring Halsey (No. 8 debut/peak, April 2019); and “Fake Love” (No. 10 debut/peak, June 2018). The act first appeared on the chart dated Oct. 7, 2017, with “DNA.”

“Dynamite” is “made of positive vibes, energy, hope, love, the purity, everything,” RM recently told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. “We made this song in hopes of giving energy to the listeners. We hope our fans can listen to it to receive the positive energy we tried to incorporate in the song.”

BTS boasts four career No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 chart and holds the records for the most weeks at No. 1 on the Social 50 chart, adding its 194th week on top this week.

First all-South Korean group to top Hot 100: BTS is the first all-South Korean group to lead the Hot 100. Among South Korean soloists, PSY reached a No. 2 Hot 100 best with “Gangnam Style” for seven weeks in October-November 2012.

The history of Asian acts atop the Hot 100 dates back over a half-century, as Japanese-born Kyu Sakamoto became the first Asian artist to top the chart, with “Sukiyaki” for three weeks in June 1963. In October-November 2010, Far*East Movement led the Hot 100, also for three weeks, with “Like a G6,” with the act’s lineup at the time including two members of Korean heritage.

BigHit’s biggest hit: BigHit Entertainment achieves its first Hot 100 No. 1, having, like BTS, hit a previous No. 4 best with the group’s “On.”

(Columbia Records most recently led three weeks ago, with Harry Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar.”)

43rd No. 1 debut: “Dynamite” is the 43rd single to start at No. 1 on the Hot 100. It’s the eighth to debut atop the Hot 100 in 2020 (all since April), doubling the previous record for the most in a single year, as four songs each entered at No. 1 in both 2018 and 1995.

BTS’ pop radio best: While “Dynamite” so far falls shy of the all-format Radio Songs chart (where it would mark BTS’ first entry), it brings the group its best rank on the mainstream top 40-based Pop Songs radio airplay chart, where it bounds from No. 30 to No. 20 following its first full week of tracking. BTS previously climbed to a No. 22 Pop Songs highpoint with “Boy With Luv.”

KMVQ San Francisco led all Pop Songs reporting stations with 53 plays for “Dynamite” in the week ending Aug. 30, followed by KJYO Oklahoma City, Okla. (49), KDDB Honolulu (47) and KAMP Los Angeles and WJFX Ft. Wayne, Ind. (46 each).

BTS Cruz-es to No. 1: Meanwhile, BTS charts the first Hot 100 No. 1 with the word “dynamite” in its title, one-upping Taio Cruz’s “Dynamite,” which reached No. 2 just over 10 years ago (Aug. 21, 2010).

Three other TNT-packed titles have infused the Hot 100: Jermaine Jackson’s “Dynamite” (No. 15 peak, 1984); Sir Douglas Quintet’s “Dynamite Woman” (No. 83, 1969); and Lorde’s “Homemade Dynamite,” featuring Khalid, Post Malone and SZA (No. 92, 2017; the song peaked on the chart dated that Oct. 7, coincidentally, as noted above, BTS’ first week ever on the Hot 100).

Cardi B’s “WAP,” featuring Megan Thee Stallion, dips to No. 2 on the Hot 100 after spending its first two weeks on the chart at No. 1. The song rebounds from No. 2 for a second week atop Streaming Songs (65 million, down 10%); drops to No. 2 after two weeks atop Digital Song Sales (25,000, down 30%); and pushes 48-46 on Radio Songs (18.7 million, up 13%).

“WAP” logs a third week at No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts, which employ the same multi-metric methodology as the Hot 100.

Drake’s “Laugh Now Cry Later,” featuring Lil Durk, slips to No. 3 on the Hot 100 after debuting at No. 2 a week earlier. It backtracks to No. 2 after a week atop Streaming Songs (43.6 million, down 38%) and slides 4-7 on Digital Song Sales (7,000, down 64%), while jumping 47-31 on Radio Songs (24.6 million, up 44%).

DaBaby’s seven-week Hot 100 leader “Rockstar,” featuring Roddy Ricch, descends 3-4.

The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” backpedals 4-5 on the Hot 100, as it spends a record-extending 21st week at No. 1 on Radio Songs (80.2 million, up 2%). It tops the multi-metric Hot R&B Songs chart for a record-furthering 24th week.

Jack Harlow’s “Whats Poppin,” featuring DaBaby, Tory Lanez and Lil Wayne, retreats 5-6 on the Hot 100, after rising to No. 2; Styles’ former one-week leader “Watermelon Sugar” holds at No. 7; and SAINt JHN’s “Roses” repeats at No. 8 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 4, as it rules the multi-metric Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart for an 18th week.

Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo’s “Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)” keeps at No. 9 on the Hot 100, after hitting No. 7, and reaches the Radio Songs top 10 (13-10; 46.5 million, up 18%). Jawsh 685 posts his first Radio Songs top 10, while Derulo scores his seventh and first since “Want to Want Me” in 2015.

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Lewis Capaldi’s “Before You Go” returns to its highest rank (12-10), first reached two weeks earlier.

Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram and all charts (dated Sept. 5), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (Sept. 1).

Source: billboard.com

Plus: Nas and The Killers debut in top 10.

Taylor Swift’s Folklore spends a fifth straight week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, tying Lil Baby’s My Turn for the most weeks atop the list in 2020. Folklore further becomes the first album to rule for five weeks in a row at No. 1 since Drake’s Scorpion also logged its first frames at No. 1 (July 14-Aug. 11, 2018-dated charts).

Folklore earned 98,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 27 (down 3%), according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Sept. 5-dated chart (where Folklore spends a fifth week at No. 1) will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Sept. 1. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Of Folklore’s units earned in the newest tracking week, album sales comprise 52,000 (up 14%), SEA units comprise 45,000 (down 16%) and TEA units total 1,000 (down 60%).

In the latest tracking week, Swift continued to promote Folklore on streaming services by releasing groupings of the album’s songs into thematic “chapters.” She bowed the first such collection on Aug. 20 (in the previous tracking week), followed by two more on Aug. 23 and Aug. 26. In turn, these chapters got prominent placement on streaming services, appearing as the latest releases from Swift. Beyond the streaming promotions, Swift also sold more signed CDs via independent record stores (as she did in the previous week).

Folklore debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and has spent its first five weeks locked in the top slot. As noted above, it is now tied with Lil Baby’s My Turn for the most weeks at No. 1 in 2020. My Turn debuted at No. 1 on the March 14 chart and then returned for four straight weeks at No. 1 between June 20 and July 11.

The last album to notch five weeks in a row at No. 1 was Drake’s Scorpion, which also spent its first five frames in the lead (the entirety of its weeks at No. 1). If Folklore logs a sixth week at No. 1, it will have the most weeks at No. 1 for any album since Drake’s Views tallied 13 total weeks at No. 1 in 2016. Further, Folklore would be the first album with six weeks in a row at No. 1 since Views, which spent its first nine weeks at No. 1.

Specific to Swift’s catalog of albums, Folklore is her second album to string together five consecutive weeks at No. 1. She previously did it with her first No. 1, Fearless, which had a total of 11 weeks at No. 1 in 2008-09, with seven of those in a row. (She had, however, never before seen an album spend its first five weeks at No. 1.)

Back on the new Billboard 200, Pop Smoke’s former leader Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon is steady at No. 2 with 83,000 equivalent album units (down 4%). Juice WRLD’s Legends Never Die, another previous No. 1, is a non-mover at No. 3 with 70,000 units (down 12%). The original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton: An American Musical rises one spot to No. 4 with 51,000 units (down 9%).

Nas claims the chart’s highest debut of the week, as his new album, King’s Disease, bows at No. 5 with 47,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, SEA units total 28,000 (equating to 36.17 million on-demand streams of the album’s songs in the tracking week), album sales comprise 18,000 (boosted by merchandise/album bundles sold via Nas’ webstore) and TEA units equal 1,000.

King’s Disease is Nas’ 14th top 10 album. He tallied his first top 10 with It Was Written in 1996, which spent four weeks at No. 1. King’s Disease was released on Nas’ Mass Appeal label via Universal Music Group’s (UMG) indie arm Caroline. It’s the rapper’s first album after releasing records for more than two decades either via UMG’s Def Jam Recordings or Sony Music’s Columbia Records.

Lil Baby’s former No. 1 My Turn rises one spot to No. 6 on the new Billboard 200 with 43,000 equivalent album units earned (down 2%), while Rod Wave’s Pray 4 Love dips 6-7 with 40,000 units (down 17%).

The Killers arrive at No. 8 with the group’s new album, Imploding the Mirage, securing the rock band its sixth top 10 effort. Imploding the Mirage bows with 37,000 equivalent album units earned, with 30,000 of that sum in album sales. The remainder of its first week total comprise SEA units (7,000) and TEA units (1,000).

The Killers’ first top 10 came 15 years ago with its debut album, Hot Fuss. The set bowed on the list dated July 4, 2004 at No. 59 and eventually peaked at No. 7 on the May 7, 2005 chart.

Rounding out the latest top 10 on the Billboard 200 are two former No. 1s: DaBaby’s Blame It on Baby (slipping 8-9 with 34,000 equivalent album units; down 12%) and Post Malone’s Hollywood’s Bleeding (down 9-10 with 31,000 units; down 2%).

The top 10 is chock-full of albums distributed via the Universal Music Group family, as UMG titles populate nine out of the top 10. The lone non-UMG album is the Hamilton cast recording, which was released via Hamilton Uptown/Atlantic and distributed via Warner Music’s WEA.

The new chart marks the first time one company has so dominated the top 10 since UMG last managed nine out of 10, on the Nov. 17, 2018-dated list. That week, Metro Boomin’s Not All Heroes Wear Capes (released via Boominati/Republic) bowed at No. 1. The only non-UMG title in the top 10 that week was Travis Scott’s Astroworld (a Sony Music title, released via Cactus Jack/Grand Hustle/Epic) at No. 8.

Source: billboard.com

“WAP” is the first song to spend its first two weeks on the chart at No. 1 since Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings.”

Cardi B‘s “WAP,” featuring Megan Thee Stallion, spends a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. It soared in at the summit a week earlier with record first-week streams.

“WAP” fends of Drake‘s “Laugh Now Cry Later,” featuring Lil Durk, as the latter launches at No. 2 on the Hot 100.

Plus, two country hits enter the Hot 100’s top 10: Morgan Wallen‘s “7 Summers” debuts at No. 6 and Gabby Barrett‘s “I Hope” ascends from No. 11 to No. 10.

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming, radio airplay and sales data. All charts (dated Aug. 29) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Aug. 25).

“WAP,” released on Atlantic Records, notches a second week at No. 1 on the Digital Song Sales chart, with 36,000 downloads sold (down 71%) in the week ending Aug. 20, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. It dips to No. 2 on Streaming Songs with 72.2 million U.S. streams (down 22%) in the week ending Aug. 20. A week ago, it blasted in with 93 million streams, the most ever for a song in its first week of release.

“WAP” additionally debuts at No. 48 on the Radio Songs chart with 16.5 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 42%) in the week ending Aug. 23.

“WAP” is the first song to spend its first two weeks on the Hot 100 at No. 1 since Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings,” which tallied its first five weeks on the chart in the top spot (of eight total frames at No. 1), beginning on the Feb. 2, 2019-dated tally. In between those hits, eight songs debuted at No. 1, each spending a week at the summit. (Of the 42 songs that have entered the Hot 100 at No. 1 all-time, 19, including “WAP,” remained on top in their second weeks.)

Meanwhile, “WAP” is the first song among women to lead the Hot 100 for multiple weeks since Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” reigned for three weeks in December-January. Before that, Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” totaled seven weeks at No. 1 last September-October.

“WAP” concurrently posts a second week at No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts, which employ the same multi-metric methodology as the Hot 100.

Drake’s “Laugh Now Cry Later,” featuring Lil Durk, roars onto the Hot 100 at No. 2, led by its chart-topping entrance on Streaming Songs with 69.8 million streams in the week ending Aug. 20, following its Aug. 14 release.

Drake adds his record-extending ninth Streaming Songs No. 1 and second this year, after “Toosie Slide,” which started with 55.5 million first-week streams (April 18). “Laugh” brings Drake his second-best first-week streaming total, after “God’s Plan” (82.4 million, Feb. 3, 2018).

(Note that while the total of 69.8 million streams for “Laugh” is less than the 72.2 million for Cardi B’s “WAP,” the former ranks at No. 1 on Streaming Songs and the latter places at No. 2 due to the application of weighting of paid subscription, ad-supported and programmed streams, as factored into the Hot 100.)

“Laugh” enters Digital Song Sales at No. 4 (21,000 sold) at Radio Songs at No. 47 (17.1 million impressions).

Drake adds his record-padding 41st Hot 100 top 10. On the Aug. 1-dated Hot 100, he landed his 39th and 40th top 10s, breaking a tie with Madonna (38) for the most in the chart’s 62-year history. The Beatles rank third with 34 top 10s.

“Laugh” also extends Drake’s records for the most overall Hot 100 entries (225), most top 40 hits (114) and most titles to debut in the top 10 (26).

Lil Durk earns his first Hot 100 top 10 and first Streaming Songs No. 1.

DaBaby’s seven-week Hot 100 leader “Rockstar,” featuring Roddy Ricch, drops 2-3.

The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” descends 3-4 on the Hot 100, as it spends a record-extending 20th week at No. 1 on Radio Songs (78.7 million, down 2%). It tops the multi-metric Hot R&B Songs chart for a record-padding 23rd week.

Jack Harlow’s “Whats Poppin,” featuring DaBaby, Tory Lanez and Lil Wayne, retreats 4-5 on the Hot 100, after rising to No. 2.

Morgan Wallen’s “7 Summers” bounds onto the Hot 100 at No. 6, marking his first top 10. It also enters the multi-metric Hot Country Songs chart at No. 1, where it’s his second leader, after “Whiskey Glasses” reigned for two weeks in May-June 2019.

Released Aug. 14, “Summers” starts at No. 4 on Streaming Songs with 23.5 million U.S. streams in the week ending Aug. 20, the best release-week sum for a title that has appeared on both the Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs by a solo male and no accompanying acts. On Digital Song Sales, it opens at No. 2 (28,000).

“Summers” is just the second top 10 Hot 100 debut ever for a song by a solo male and no accompanying acts that has also appeared on Hot Country Songs, after Garth Brooks’ alter ego Chris Gaines bowed at No. 5 on the Hot 100 with “Lost in You” in September 1999.

Harry Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar” recedes 5-7 on the Hot 100, two weeks after surging to No. 1; SAINt JHN’s “Roses” slides 6-8, after reaching No. 4, as it tops the multi-metric Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart for a 17th week; and Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo’s “Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)” falls to No. 9 from its No. 7 Hot 100 high.

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Gabby Barrett’s “I Hope” rises 11-10, becoming the first top 10 on the chart for the 2018 American Idol third-place finalist. The track topped Hot Country Songs for five weeks (before being dethroned this week by Wallen’s “Summers”).

Reaching the top 10 in its 34th week on the Hot 100, “Hope” completes the third-longest trip to the tier, after 2005 Idol champ Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats,” which hit the top 10 in its 38th week in 2007, and Creed’s “Higher” (36 weeks, 2000).

Barrett is also the first woman to hit the Hot 100’s top 10 with a song unaccompanied by any other artists that also charted on Hot Country Songs since October 2012, when Taylor Swift’s “Red” debuted at its No. 6 peak.

Plus, with “Hope” marking Barrett’s first Hot Country Songs and Hot 100 entry, she joins an exclusive group of women who have topped the former and reached the latter’s top 10 with their first solo singles. Jeannie C. Riley initiated the club with “Harper Valley P.T.A.,” a No. 1 on both charts in 1968, while Marie Osmond (“Paper Roses,” No. 5 on the Hot 100 in 1973) and Jessi Colter (“I’m Not Lisa,” No. 4, 1975) also topped Hot Country Songs and hit the Hot 100’s top 10 in their first solo appearances on each ranking. Barrett is, thus, the first woman to earn the honor in over 45 years.

“Hope” lifts 9-8 on Radio Songs (52.4 million, up 8%); holds at No. 9 on Digital Song Sales (8,000, essentially even week-over-week); and pushes 28-27 on Streaming Songs (11.7 million, up 8%).

The song led the Country Airplay chart dated April 25 and has crossed to pop radio. It holds at its No. 10 best on the Adult Contemporary survey; enters the Adult Pop Songs top 10 (11-8); and advances 12-11 on Pop Songs. Aiding its profile and pop radio support, a remix with Charlie Puth was released in April.

With “Hope” marking Barrett’s first Country Airplay entry, she’s the first woman to have led that list with an initial entry, unaccompanied by other acts, that went on to hit the Hot 100’s top 10, dating to the Country Airplay chart’s 1990 inception. She’s the first artist overall to achieve the feat since Florida Georgia Line, whose first Country Airplay hit “Cruise” ruled for three weeks in December 2012 before reaching No. 4 on the Hot 100 in June 2013. “Cruise” likewise scored pop radio airplay assisted by a remix (with Nelly).

The only other such song? Billy Ray Cyrus’ debut hit “Achy Breaky Heart,” which blew up for a five-week rule on Country Airplay and a No. 4 peak on the Hot 100 in 1992, also helped by pop crossover play.

For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram. Again, all charts, including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (Aug. 25).

Source: billboard.com

It’s the first by a woman to log its first four weeks on the chart at No. 1 since 2015.

Taylor Swift’s Folklore is No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart for a fourth straight week, becoming the first album by a woman to spend its first four weeks at No. 1 in nearly five years.

Folklore earned 101,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 20 (down 26%), according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. It’s the fourth straight week the set has tallied at least 100,000 units — a rarity for a non-R&B or hip-hop album.

Folklore launched at No. 1 on the chart dated Aug. 8 with 846,000 units — the biggest week of 2020, and the largest for any album since Swift’s last release, Lover, bowed at No. 1 with 867,000 units on the Sept. 7, 2019, chart.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Aug. 29-dated chart (where Folklore spends a fourth week at No. 1) will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Aug. 25.

Of Folklore’s units earned in the newest tracking week, SEA units comprise 53,000 (down 22%, equaling 70.48 million on-demand streams of the album’s songs), album sales total 46,000 (down 31%) and TEA units equal 2,000 (up 73%).

In the week ending Aug. 20, Folklore benefited from the release of a deluxe version of the album at digital retailers and streamers that added a bonus track, “The Lakes,” which was previously exclusive to the physical formats of the album. In addition, Swift dropped new merchandise/album bundles in her official webstore and sold signed Folklore CDs at independent record stores (which generated buzz with Swift fans and indie store owners).

Concurrently, three different Folklore singles are continuing to make inroads at radio. On the most recently published airplay charts (dated Aug. 22, reflecting the tracking week ending Aug. 16), former No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Cardigan” climbed 22-18 on the Pop Songs airplay chart; “Exile,” featuring Bon Iver, rose 27-29 on the Adult Alternative Songs airplay tally and “Betty” bounced 52-49 on Country Airplay.

100,000 Units in Four Weeks: As Folklore earned 101,000 equivalent album units in its fourth week, it’s just the second album in 2020 to yield at least 100,000 units in each of its first four weeks. Beginning in July, rapper Pop Smoke’s Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon also saw its first four weeks tally at least 100,000 units. (Another hip-hop set, Juice WRLD’s Legends Never Die, is the only other album with four weeks of 100,000-plus units in 2020, but they were nonconsecutive.)

Folklore is the first non-R&B/hip-hop album to earn four weeks of 100,000-plus units since Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born soundtrack notched a fourth, and final, nonconsecutive week of 100,000-plus units on March 9, 2019.

Further, Folklore is the first non-R&B/hip-hop effort to see its first four weeks each earn 100,000-plus since Swift’s own Reputation (Dec. 2-23, 2017).

First Album by a Woman to Spend Its First Four Weeks at No. 1 Since 2015: As Folklore spends a fourth week at No. 1, it becomes the first album by a woman to rule for its first four weeks since Adele’s 25 topped the list in its first seven weeks (of its total of 10 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1). 25 debuted at No. 1 on the Dec. 12, 2015-dated chart, and was No. 1 through Jan. 23, 2016. It then returned to No. 1 on Feb. 13, 2016 for one week, and then for two more weeks on March 5-12, 2016.

The last album by any act to spend its first four weeks at No. 1 — and the only other album to do so in 2020 aside from Folklore — was The Weeknd’s After Hours (April 4-25).

Since Adele’s 25, the only albums by women with four total weeks at No. 1 are Swift’s Reputation (four weeks; with three in a row between Dec. 2-16, 2017, and one more at No. 1 on Jan. 6, 2018) and Lady Gaga’s A Star Is Born soundtrack, with Bradley Cooper (four weeks; with three consecutive between Oct. 20 and Nov. 3, 2018, and one more on March 9, 2019).

Bonus fun fact: Folklore is Swift’s first album to spend its first four weeks at No. 1. She previously saw three albums (Red, 1989 and Speak Now) each tally their first three weeks at No. 1.

Could ‘Folklore’ Go for Five? If Folklore spends a fifth week at No. 1, it will become the first album to spend its first five weeks at No. 1 since Drake’s Scorpion (July 14-Aug. 11, 2018).

Further, if Folklore nabs a fifth week in charge, it will tie Lil Baby’s My Turn for the most total weeks at No. 1 in 2020. My Turn debuted at No. 1 on the March 24 chart, and then returned for four straight weeks in the lead from June 20 through July 11.

At No. 2 on the new Billboard 200, Pop Smoke’s Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon is up one spot with 86,000 equivalent album units earned (down 7%). Juice WRLD’s Legends Never Die dips 2-3 with 79,000 units (down 32%).

Rapper Young Dolph logs his second top 10 album as Rich Slave starts at No. 4 with 65,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, 33,000 comprise SEA units (equaling 44.31 million on-demand streams of the set’s songs), 32,000 are album sales and a negligible sum are TEA units. The set’s sales were bolstered by merchandise/album bundles sold via the artist’s webstore.

In total, Rich Slave is Young Dolph’s ninth charting effort since arriving on the list in 2016. He previously visited the top 10 with Dum and Dummer, a collaborative set with Key Glock that debuted and peaked at No. 8 in August 2019.

The original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton: An American Musical climbs 6-5 with 56,000 equivalent album units earned (down 9%). Rod Wave’s Pray 4 Love falls 4-6 with 48,000 units (down 36%), Lil Baby’s My Turn rises 9-7 with 44,000 units (down 6%), DaBaby’s Blame It on Baby is steady at No. 8 with 39,000 units (down 27%) and Post Malone’s Hollywood’s Bleeding ascends 11-9 with 31,000 units (down 4%).

Harry Styles’ Fine Line closes out the top 10, as it returns to the region with a 12-10 bump and 30,000 equivalent album units earned (down 7%).

Source: billboard.com

The collab is Cardi B’s fourth leader & Megan Thee Stallion’s second.

Cardi B‘s “WAP,” featuring Megan Thee Stallion, blasts onto the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart at No. 1. The collab launches as Cardi B’s fourth leader on the list and Megan Thee Stallion’s second.

Released Aug. 7, the song drew 93 million U.S. streams in the week ending Aug. 13, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data, the most for any track ever in its first week of release.

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming, radio airplay and sales data. All charts (dated Aug. 22) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Aug. 18).

“WAP,” released on Atlantic Records, is the 1,108th No. 1 in the Hot 100’s 62-year history.

Let’s recap its entrance at the summit.

No. 1 streams & sales: “WAP” roars in at No. 1 on both the Streaming Songs and Digital Song Sales charts, with 93 million U.S. streams and 125,000 downloads sold in the week ending Aug. 13, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. It also drew 11.6 million radio airplay audience impressions in the week ending Aug. 16.

“WAP” is Cardi B’s third No. 1 on Streaming Songs and fourth on Digital Song Sales. Megan Thee Stallion scores her second No. 1 on each chart.

The song’s official video was released Aug. 7 at midnight ET, after the track was made available for pre-order in Cardi B’s webstore via 12 autographed physical/digital combinations Aug. 3-6. Consumers could pre-order cassette, CD and vinyl singles (priced at $5-$15), with each purchase including a digital download; the download (the sale of which contributed to the latest tracking week) was made available and fulfilled to purchasers Aug. 7, with physical versions due to arrive at a later date.

Record first-week streams: As noted above, with 93 million, the streaming sum for “WAP” is the greatest ever for a song in its first week of release.

It surpasses the haul of 85.3 million for Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings” in its first week of availability (Feb. 2, 2019).

Most weekly streams this year: “WAP” starts with the most weekly streams for a song in 2020, besting the 77.2 million for Roddy Ricch’s “The Box” (Jan. 25).

(Notably, the total for “WAP” is the highest since Billboard streamlined the inclusion of YouTube user-generated content [UGC] for song charts that incorporate streaming data, including the Hot 100, with charts dated Jan. 18.)

All-time ranks: “WAP” scores the second-greatest streaming week among songs by women overall, just below the 93.8 million that Grande’s “Thank U, Next” logged in its fifth frame on Streaming Songs (Dec. 15, 2018), following the premiere of its official video.

Among all songs in all weeks, “WAP” boasts the 18th-biggest streaming sum, with the 17 higher weeks tallied among five songs, led by Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” (featuring Billy Ray Cyrus), which peaked with 143 million on the April 20, 2019, Streaming Songs chart.

Record on-demand audio streams among women: “WAP” claims the mark for the most weekly on-demand U.S. audio streams among songs by women: 54.7 million. It just passes the 54.6 million for Grande’s “7 Rings” (Feb. 2, 2019).

The opening frame for “WAP” marks the 10th-greatest week for on-demand audio streams overall, another category paced by “Old Town Road” (78.1 million; April 20, 2019).

Biggest sales week in over a year: Meanwhile, the sales sum for “WAP” is the highest in a single week since Taylor Swift’s “Me!,” featuring Brendon Urie, bounded in with 193,000 on the chart dated May 11, 2019.

Cardi B’s 4th Hot 100 No. 1, Megan Thee Stallion’s 2nd: Upon the entrance of “WAP,” here’s an updated look at Cardi B’s four Hot 100 No. 1s:

Title, Weeks at No. 1, Date Reached No. 1
“Bodak Yellow (Money Moves),” three, Oct. 7, 2017
“I Like It,” with Bad Bunny & J Balvin, one, April 21, 2018
“Girls Like You,” Maroon 5 feat. Cardi B, seven, Sept. 29, 2018
“WAP,” with Megan Thee Stallion, one (to date), Aug. 22, 2020

Dating to her first week atop the Hot 100, Cardi B ties for the most No. 1s in the span since, matching the four each earned in that stretch by Drake, Grande and Post Malone.

Megan Thee Stallion notches her second Hot 100 No. 1, after “Savage,” featuring Beyoncé, topped the May 30-dated chart. She is the first artist whose first two Hot 100 leaders have both been all-female collaborations.

42nd No. 1 debut: “WAP” marks the 42nd single to open at No. 1 on the Hot 100, and the first each for Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion.

The song is the seventh to debut atop the Hot 100 in 2020, extending the record for the most in a single year. (Next up, four songs each started at No. 1 in both 2018 and 1995.)

Historic year for female collabs continues: Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion combine for the ninth Hot 100 No. 1 credited to two or more women (and no other billed acts), and the fourth this year. Prior to 2020, five such songs had led over 40-plus years.

Here’s an updated list of every Hot 100 No. 1 exclusively by multiple women soloists:

Title, Artists, Weeks at No. 1, Date Reached No. 1
“WAP,” Cardi B feat. Megan Thee Stallion, one (to date), Aug. 22, 2020
“Rain on Me,” Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande, one, June 6, 2020
“Savage,” Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé, one, May 30, 2020
“Say So,” Doja Cat feat. Nicki Minaj, one, May 16, 2020
“Fancy,” Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX, seven, June 7, 2014
“S&M,” Rihanna feat. Britney Spears, one week, April 30, 2011
“Lady Marmalade,” Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya & P!nk, five, June 2, 2001
“The Boy Is Mine,” Brandy & Monica, 13, June 6, 1998
“No More Tears (Enough Is Enough),” Barbra Streisand & Donna Summer, two, Nov. 24, 1979

No. 1 hip-hop, rap: “WAP” concurrently soars in at No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts, which use the same multi-metric methodology as the Hot 100.

The track is Cardi B’s fifth No. 1 on the former chart and fourth on the latter. Megan Thee Stallion scores her second leader on each list.

Check Billboard.com later today for highlights of the rest of the top 10 on the latest Hot 100.

For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram. And again, be sure to visit Billboard.com tomorrow (Aug. 18), when all charts, including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh.

Source: billboard.com

Plus: Luke Bryan, Glass Animals and NLE Choppa debut in top 10.

Taylor Swift’s Folklore reigns at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart for a third week – marking the first album by a woman to spend its first three weeks at No. 1 since 2018. Aided by the arrival of its CD version in stores, Folklore earned 136,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 13 (up 1%), according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Aug. 22-dated chart (where Folklore is steady at No. 1) will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Aug. 18.

Of Folklore’s units earned in the latest tracking week, SEA units comprise 68,000 (down 33%, equaling 89.77 million on-demand streams of the album’s songs), album sales total 67,000 (up 119%) and TEA units equal 1,000 (down 45%).

Folklore’s album sales grew dramatically courtesy of the set’s CD edition reaching brick-and-mortar stores and such online retailers as Amazon on Aug. 7. The album was previously only available via Swift’s official webstore and digital retailers such as iTunes.

Folklore is the fourth album to spend at least three weeks at No. 1 in 2020, following Lil Baby’s My Turn (five weeks), The Weeknd’s After Hours (four) and Roddy Ricch’s Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial (three in 2020; four in total, as the album had one week at No. 1 in 2019). Folklore is the first non-R&B/hip-hop album, or album of any genre by a woman, to tally three weeks in total at No. 1 since Billie Eilish’s When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? scored its third (and so far) final nonconsecutive week at No. 1 on the June 18, 2019-dated chart.

Notably, Folklore is the first album by a woman to spend its first three weeks at No. 1 since Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born soundtrack tallied its first three frames atop the list (Oct. 20-Nov. 3, 2018). Star clocked one more week at No. 1, on the March 9, 2019 chart.

The last album by a woman, unaccompanied by another act, to spend its first three weeks at No. 1 was Swift’s own Reputation. It bowed atop the Dec. 2, 2017-dated chart, and ruled for the next two frames. It returned for a fourth nonconsecutive week in charge on the Jan. 6, 2018 chart.

At No. 2 on the new Billboard 200, Juice WRLD’s Legends Never Die rises one spot with 117,000 equivalent album units earned (up 33%). The former No. 1 surges following the release of the new song “Smile,” with The Weeknd, which was added to the album’s track list during the tracking week. The album also gets a boost from an array of new merchandise/album bundles sold via Juice WRLD’s webstore.

Pop Smoke’s former No. 1 Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon falls 2-3 with 92,000 equivalent album units earned (down 5%), while Rod Wave’s Pray 4 Love vaults 23-4 with 75,000 units (up 258%). Pray 4 Love’s gain is owed to its reissue on Aug. 7 with 11 additional tracks. The set was first released on April 3 as a 14-track album. Pray 4 Love is one of over 10 notable R&B or hip-hop albums released in 2020 that have been reissued in a deluxe format with additional tracks.

Country superstar Luke Bryan lands his 11th top 10 album as Born Here Live Here Die Here debuts at No. 5 with 65,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, 48,000 were in album sales (aided by a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer with his upcoming tour), while SEA units total 14,000 (equaling 19.68 million on-demand streams of the set’s songs) and TEA units total 2,000.

Bryan got his first top 10 album on the Billboard 200 with Doin’ My Thing, which peaked at No. 6 in 2009. He then reached the top 10 with Tailgates & Tanlines (No. 2, 2011), Spring Break 4… Suntan City (EP) (No. 9, 2012), Spring Break… Here to Party (No. 1, 2013), Crash My Party (No. 1, 2013), Spring Break 6… Like We Ain’t Ever (EP) (No. 2, 2014), Spring Break… Checkin’ Out (No. 3, 2016), Kill the Lights (No. 1, 2015), Farm Tour: Here’s to the Farmer (EP) (No. 4, 2016) and What Makes You Country (No. 1, 2017).

The original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton: An American Musical falls 4-6 with 61,000 equivalent album units (down 6%).

Alternative rock band Glass Animals achieves its first top 10 album as Dreamland arrives at No. 7 with 60,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales total 43,000, while SEA units total 17,000 (equaling 21.8 million on-demand streams of the album’s songs) and a TEA units total a negligible figure. The album’s sales were assisted by merchandise/album bundles sold via the band’s website, as well as a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer with a series of shows that took place in early 2020, as well as a couple upcoming gigs.

Glass Animals previously topped out on the chart at No. 20 with How to Be a Human Being in 2016.

DaBaby’s former No. 1 Blame It on Baby is pushed back 6-8 despite a 23% increase to 52,000 equivalent album units earned. The set continues to benefit from its deluxe reissue on Aug. 4 with 10 additional tracks.

Lil Baby’s previous leader My Turn dips 5-9 with 47,000 equivalent album units (down 6%).

Rapper NLE Choppa closes out the top 10 as his Top Shotta album bows at No. 10 with 36,000 equivalent album units earned. SEA units represent 27,000 of that sum (equaling 44.59 million on-demand streams of the set’s songs), while album sales total 9,000 (goosed by an array of merchandise/album bundles) and a negligible TEA figure.

Top Shotta is promoted as NLE Choppa’s first studio album. He previously hit the Billboard 200 with the Cottonwood mixtape, which peaked at No. 57 on the Jan. 4-dated chart.

Source: billboard.com

Plus, Billie Eilish’s “My Future” debuts at No. 6.

Harry Styles‘ “Watermelon Sugar” takes the top seed on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, becoming his first No. 1 on the ranking, as it blasts from No. 7.

Styles is the second member of One Direction to have led the Hot 100, following Zayn with “Pillowtalk” in 2016.

Plus, The Weeknd‘s “Blinding Lights,” at No. 4 on the Hot 100, scores a historic week on two other charts, and Billie Eilish‘s “My Future” soars onto the Hot 100 at No. 6, marking her third top 10 and highest debut.

Let’s run down the top 10 of the newest Hot 100, which blends all-genre U.S. streaming, radio airplay and sales data. All charts (dated Aug. 15) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Aug. 11).

“Watermelon Sugar,” released on Erskine/Columbia Records, is the 1,107th No. 1 in the Hot 100’s 62-year history.

Here’s a deeper look at the song’s coronation.

No. 1 sales, No. 2 in airplay: “Watermelon Sugar” bounds 9-1 on the Digital Song Sales chart, up 614% to 63,000 downloads sold in the week ending Aug. 6, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. It pushes 3-2 on Radio Songs, up 8% to 71.7 million audience impressions in the week ending Aug. 9, and jumps 29-18 on Streaming Songs, although down 1% to 14.2 million U.S. streams in the week ending Aug. 6.

The song was on sale in Styles’ webstore via three physical/digital combination offerings during the tracking week ending Aug. 6. Consumers could buy cassette and vinyl singles (priced at $14.98-$15.98), with each purchase including a digital download; the download (the sale of which contributed to the latest tracking week) would be sent upon purchase, with physical versions due to arrive at a later date. The song (its original version and an instrumental) was also sale-priced to 69 cents at all digital retailers during the tracking week.

Styles scores his second Digital Song Sales No. 1, after “Sign of the Times” led for a week upon its debut in April 2017. On Radio Songs, he matches his best rank; prior single “Adore You” peaked at No. 2 in early July.

New videos, #WatermelonSugarDay: Further enhancing the profile for “Watermelon Sugar” in the tracking week, an official “behind the scenes” video for the song premiered July 31, while a “lost tour visual” clip arrived Aug. 3.

Plus, the hashtag #WatermelonSugarDay trended Aug. 3 (coinciding with National Watermelon Day, the slice of the year that “recognizes the refreshing summertime treat enjoyed at picnics and fairs”).

Harry’s history: As Styles achieves his first Hot 100 No. 1, he surpasses his prior best rank, earned when “Sign of the Times” debuted and peaked at No. 4 in April 2017. In his other top 10 visit as a soloist, “Adore You” reached No. 6 this April.

One Direction, two leaders: Styles becomes the second member of One Direction to have led the Hot 100, following Zayn, whose “Pillowtalk” reigned in its debut week in February 2016.

As a group, One Direction has tallied six Hot 100 top 10s, reaching a No. 2 best. Its debut smash “What Makes You Beautiful” hit No. 4 in April 2012, followed by “Live While We’re Young” (No. 3, October 2012); “Best Song Ever” (No. 2, August 2013); “Story of My Life” (No. 6, November 2013); “Drag Me Down” (No. 3, August 2015); and “Perfect” (No. 10, November 2015).

Zayn departed the act, which is currently on hiatus, in 2015.

1D is, thus, now among an elite listing of groups with multiple members that have topped the Hot 100 solo. The Beatles became the first such act, when, after landing a record 20 No. 1s in 1964-70, George Harrison and Paul McCartney earned their first leaders apart from the band in 1970 and 1971, respectively. (By 1974, Ringo Starr and John Lennon also led solo.)

Sweet success: Styles’ new Hot 100 No. 1 marks the first leader with “watermelon” in its title. One such song previously hit the top 10: Mongo Santamaria Band’s “Watermelon Man” (No. 7, 1963).

Meanwhile, Styles scores the sixth Hot 100 No. 1 with “sugar” in its title, and the first in over 49 years. The song follows Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs’ “Sugar Shack” (five weeks on top in 1963); Four Tops’ “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” (two, 1965); The Archies’ “Sugar, Sugar” (four, 1969); The Guess Who’s double-sided “American Woman”/”No Sugar Tonight” (three, 1970); and The Rolling Stones’ “Brown Sugar” (two, 1971).

DaBaby’s seven-week Hot 100 leader “Rockstar,” featuring Roddy Ricch, holds at No. 2. It rebounds for a 10th week at No. 1 on Streaming Songs (30.2 million, down 8%), slips 2-3 on Radio Songs (70.6 million, up 4%) and rises 7-6 on Digital Song Sales (9,000, down 4%).

“Rockstar” concurrently leads the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts, which use the same multi-metric methodology as the Hot 100, for a ninth week each.

Jack Harlow’s “Whats Poppin,” featuring DaBaby, Tory Lanez and Lil Wayne, keeps at No. 3 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 2.

The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” ascends 5-4 on the Hot 100, following its four-week rule, and tops Radio Songs for a record-tying 18th frame (79.2 million in audience, up 4%). It matches Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” for the longest Radio Songs command since the chart started in December 1990.

Most Weeks at No. 1 on Radio Songs
18, “Blinding Lights,” The Weeknd, April 18, 2020
18, “Iris,” Goo Goo Dolls, beginning Aug. 1, 1998
16, “Girls Like You,” Maroon 5 feat. Cardi B, Aug. 4, 2018
16, “We Belong Together,” Mariah Carey, May 28, 2005
16, “Don’t Speak,” No Doubt, Dec. 7, 1996

“Blinding Lights” also tops the multi-metric Hot R&B Songs chart for a record-breaking 21st week. It bests three 20-week No. 1s for the mark, including another by The Weeknd, dating to the ranking’s October 2012 start: Drake’s “One Dance,” featuring WizKid and Kyla (2016); The Weeknd’s “Starboy,” featuring Daft Punk (2016-17); and Bruno Mars’ “That’s What I Like” (2017).

SAINt JHN’s “Roses” climbs 8-5 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 4, as it dominates the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart for a 15th week.

Billie Eilish’s “My Future,” released July 30, roars onto the Hot 100 at No. 6 following its first full week of tracking. It flies 50-3 on Digital Song Sales (15,000) and opens at No. 3 on Streaming Songs (20.9 million), while having drawn 7.4 million in radio reach in the tracking week.

Eilish adds her third Hot 100 top 10 and notches her highest debut, topping the No. 7 start in April 2019 of “Bad Guy,” which led for a week last August. She returned to the top 10 last November with the No. 8-peaking “Everything I Wanted.”

“My Future” concurrently crowns the multi-metric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Alternative Songs charts (bounding from No. 18 on each list), becoming Eilish’s first No. 1 on each ranking.

Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo’s “Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)” hits a new Hot 100 high, rising 10-7.

Taylor Swift’s “Cardigan” falls to No. 8 on the Hot 100 a week after it launched at No. 1. After bowing atop Streaming Songs and Digital Song Sales, it falls to No. 5 on the former (17.5 million, down 48%) and No. 8 on the latter (8,000, down 88%), while entering Radio Songs at No. 43 (19.2 million, up 51%).

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Chris Brown and Young Thug’s “Go Crazy” returns to the region at a new peak (12-9) and Lil Mosey’s “Blueberry Faygo” also re-enters the tier (11-10), after reaching No. 8.

For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram. And again, be sure to visit Billboard.com tomorrow (Aug. 11), when all charts, including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh.

Source: billboard.com

Plus: Beyoncé’s “The Lion King: The Gift” returns to top 10 after “Black Is King” premiere on Disney+.

Taylor Swift’s Folklore holds atop the Billboard 200 albums chart for a second week, earning 135,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 6, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. The set is down 84% from its opening of 846,000 units – the biggest week for any album in 2020.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Aug. 15-dated chart (where Folklore remains at No. 1) will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Aug. 11.

Of Folklore’s second-week units, SEA units comprise 102,000 (down 53%), album sales total 30,000 (down 95%) and TEA units equal 3,000 (down 81%).

A pair of former No. 1s are next on the Billboard 200, as Pop Smoke’s Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon climbs 4-2 with 97,000 equivalent album units (though down 9%) and Juice WRLD’s Legends Never Die is steady at No. 3 with 88,000 units (down 18%). The original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton: An American Musical rises one spot to No. 4 with 66,000 units (down 7%). Lil Baby’s former leader My Turn ascends 7-5 with 50,000 units (down 5%).

DaBaby’s Blame It on Baby returns to the top 10, skipping 11-6 with 43,000 equivalent album units (up 47%), after the album was reissued on Aug. 4 with 10 additional tracks. The LP debuted at No. 1 on the May 2-dated tally.

Blame It on Baby is one of at least 10 R&B and hip-hop albums released in 2020 that have been reissued in a deluxe format with additional tracks. It most recently follows reissues of Lil Durk’s Just Cause Y’all Waited 2 (released May 8; reissued June 26 with seven additional tracks), Pop Smoke’s Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon (released July 3; reissued July 20 with 15 additional tracks), Jhené Aiko’s Chilombo (released March 6; reissued July 17 with nine additional tracks) and Gunna’s Wunna (released on May 22; reissued on July 24 with eight additional tracks).

Back on the new Billboard 200, Harry Styles’ former No. 1 Fine Line captures its third straight weekly unit gain, as it climbs 10-7 with 39,000 equivalent album units earned (up 26%). The rise is concurrent with focused promotion around the album’s current hit single “Watermelon Sugar.”

Gunna’s previous leader Wunna slips 6-8 with just under 39,000 equivalent album units (down 42%) and Post Malone’s former No. 1 Hollywood’s Bleeding is a non-mover at No. 9 with 33,000 units (down 1%).

Beyoncé closes out the top 10, as her album The Lion King: The Gift re-enters the chart at No. 10 with 27,000 equivalent album units earned (up 1,462%). The album originally debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Aug. 3, 2019-dated chart.

The Lion King: The Gift surges back onto the chart following the July 31 premiere of Black Is King on Disney+.

Black Is King is based on the music of The Lion King: The Gift, and was written, directed and executive produced by Beyoncé.

The Lion King: The Gift album also benefits from its reissue on July 31 with three additional tracks. The Lion King: The Gift album was first released on July 19, 2019, as a companion project to last year’s film remake of The Lion King (in which Beyoncé voices the character Nala).

Source: billboard.com

Plus, the set’s “The 1” & “Exile” open in the Hot 100’s top 10.

Taylor Swift‘s “Cardigan” blasts in at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.

The song is from Swift’s new LP Folklore, which launches at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, as Swift becomes the first artist ever to debut at No. 1 on both the Hot 100 and Billboard 200 in the same week.

Folklore was released July 24 on Republic Records, after being first teased by Swift only the day before.

“Cardigan” is joined by two other songs from the set that debut in the Hot 100’s top 10: “The 1,” at No. 4, and “Exile,” featuring Bon Iver, at No. 6.

Plus, Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo‘s “Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)” enters the Hot 100’s top 10, rising 12-10.

Let’s run down the top 10 of the newest Hot 100, which blends all-genre U.S. streaming, radio airplay and sales data. All charts (dated Aug. 8) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Aug. 4).

“Cardigan,” the 1,106th No. 1 in the Hot 100’s 62-year history, enters with 34 million U.S. streams and 71,000 downloads sold in the week ending July 30, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. It concurrently debuts atop both the Streaming Songs and Digital Song Sales charts.

The song also drew 12.7 million in all-format radio airplay audience in the week ending Aug. 2.

Here are 13 (famously Swift’s favorite number) notable achievements surrounding the chart arrival of Folklore and its songs.

First artist ever to debut atop Hot 100 & Billboard 200 simultaneously: With “Cardigan” and Folklore, Swift is the first artist to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and Billboard 200 in the same week. The Billboard 200 began on March 24, 1956, and the Hot 100 originated on Aug. 4, 1958.

41st song to debut at No. 1 on Hot 100: “Cardigan” is the 41st song to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100. It’s Swift’s second, after “Shake It Off” on the chart dated Sept. 6, 2014.

Swift is the seventh artist with multiple No. 1 Hot 100 entrances, joining Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey, Drake, Ariana Grande (the leaders with three each), Travis Scott and Britney Spears (two each).

Meanwhile, “Cardigan” is the sixth song to debut atop the Hot 100 in 2020, extending the record for the most in a single year. Four songs each started at No. 1 in both 2018 and 1995.

Swift’s sixth No. 1: Swift scores her sixth Hot 100 leader. Here’s a recap:

“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” three weeks, beginning Sept. 1, 2012
“Shake It Off,” four weeks, beginning Sept. 6, 2014
“Blank Space,” seven weeks, beginning Nov. 29, 2014
“Bad Blood,” feat. Kendrick Lamar, one week, June 6, 2015
“Look What You Made Me Do,” three weeks, beginning Sept. 16, 2017
“Cardigan,” one week to-date, Aug. 8, 2020

Swift is the 26th artist in the Hot 100’s history with at least six No. 1s, and the ninth solo woman. The Beatles lead all acts with 20 No. 1s, followed by Carey with 19.

First woman to debut two songs in top five simultaneously: With “Cardigan” at No. 1 and “The 1” at No. 4, Swift is the first woman, and third act overall, to debut two songs in the Hot 100’s top five simultaneously.

Lil Wayne first earned the honor with “Mona Lisa,” featuring Kendrick Lamar (No. 2), and “Don’t Cry,” featuring XXXTentacion (No. 5), on Oct. 13, 2018. Just two weeks ago, on the July 25 chart, the late Juice WRLD entered at Nos. 2 and 5, respectively, with “Come & Go,” with Marshmello, and “Wishing Well.”

Swift is, thus, the first artist to debut two songs in the Hot 100’s top four spots simultaneously.

Three debuts in top 10: As “Cardigan,” “The 1” and “Exile” arrive at Nos. 1, 4 and 6, respectively, Swift debuts three songs in the Hot 100’s top 10 simultaneously for the first time. She’s the sixth artist to accomplish the feat, following Drake (July 14, 2018), Lil Wayne (Oct. 13, 2018) and Juice WRLD (July 25), who share the record with four debuts each in the top 10 simultaneously, and J. Cole (May 5, 2018) and Lil Uzi Vert (March 21, 2020), each with three.

Further, Swift is the first artist to debut three songs in the Hot 100’s top six spots in a single week.

Swift up to 28 career top 10s, tied for sixth-most: Swift swells her count of career Hot 100 top 10s from 25 to 28, tying Mariah Carey and Stevie Wonder for the sixth-best sum.

Here is a recap of the acts with the most Hot 100 top 10s, dating to the chart’s Aug. 4, 1958, inception (two years after Elvis Presley’s commercial breakthrough):

Most Hot 100 Top 10s
40, Drake
38, Madonna
34, The Beatles
31, Rihanna
30, Michael Jackson
28, Mariah Carey
28, Taylor Swift
28, Stevie Wonder
27, Elton John
27, Janet Jackson
25, Lil Wayne
25, Elvis Presley

18 career top 10 debuts: Swift extends her record among women for the most debuts in the Hot 100’s top 10, as her three new arrivals lift her total to 18. Among all acts, only Drake has more: 25.

16 songs from Folklore hit Hot 100: Swift sends the entirety of the standard edition of Folklore onto the Hot 100, as its 16 songs enter the chart, from “Cardigan” at No. 1 to album closer “Hoax” at No. 71.

Folklore is Swift’s second consecutive album whose standard version has fully infused the Hot 100: 18 songs from Lover, which soared in atop the Billboard 200 dated Sept. 7, 2019, charted on the Hot 100 the same week.

Swift passes Nicki Minaj for most Hot 100 entries among women: Swift surges from 97 career Hot 100 entries to 113, passing Nicki Minaj (110) for the most among women.

Swift also becomes the 10th act with at least 100 Hot 100 entries, as she ascends to the fourth-best total. Here’s an updated leaderboard:

Most Hot 100 Entries
224, Drake
207, Glee Cast
169, Lil Wayne
113, Taylor Swift
111, Future
110, Nicki Minaj
109, Elvis Presley
108, Kanye West
101, Chris Brown
100, Jay-Z

First solo woman at No. 1 since January: “Cardigan” is the first Hot 100 No. 1 billed solely to one woman since Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” logged three weeks on top from Dec. 21, 2019, through Jan. 4. Before that, Selena Gomez’s “Lose You to Love Me” led the Nov. 9 list.

‘Cardigan’ No. 1 in streams & sales: With 34 million U.S. streams and 71,000 sold in the week ending July 30, “Cardigan” starts as the most-streamed and top-selling song of the week. Swift scores her third Streaming Songs No. 1 and her record-extending 20th Digital Song Sales No. 1, furthering her lead on the latter list over runner-up Rihanna (14).

“Cardigan” was on sale in Swift’s webstore via multiple physical/digital combination offerings during the tracking week, ending July 30, including an alternate “Cabin in Candlelight” version released July 29. Consumers could purchase CD and vinyl singles, each with a digital download; the download would be sent to consumers upon purchase, with physical versions due to arrive at a later date.

Radio tries on ‘Cardigan’: “Cardigan” drew 12.7 million in radio airplay audience in its first full week, ending Aug. 2. It rises 26-17 on the Adult Pop Songs airplay chart and debuts at No. 19 on Adult Contemporary and No. 27 on Pop Songs.

Bon Iver’s first Hot 100 top 10: With “Exile” debuting at No. 6 on the Hot 100, Bon Iver earns its first top 10 on the chart. The act, fronted by Justin Vernon, previously charted two titles, both in 2010 as featured on songs on Kanye West’s album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, led by the No. 18-peaking “Monster,” also featuring Jay-Z, Rick Ross and Minaj.

“Cardigan” dethrones DaBaby’s seven-week Hot 100 leader “Rockstar,” featuring Roddy Ricch. The track holds at No. 2 on the Radio Songs chart (67.9 million, up 10%) and dips to No. 3 on Streaming Songs, after nine weeks at No. 1 (32.9 million, down 9%), and 5-7 on Digital Song Sales (10,000, down 6%).

“Rockstar” concurrently rules the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts for an eighth week each.

Jack Harlow’s “Whats Poppin,” featuring DaBaby, Tory Lanez and Lil Wayne, drops to No. 3 on the Hot 100 from its No. 2 high.

The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” descends 4-5 on the Hot 100, following its four-week rule. It tops Radio Songs for a 17th frame (76.2 million in audience, up 2%), moving to within a week of potentially tying for the longest command since the chart started in December 1990.

Most Weeks at No. 1 on Radio Songs
18, “Iris,” Goo Goo Dolls, beginning Aug. 1, 1998
17, “Blinding Lights,” The Weeknd, April 18, 2020
16, “Girls Like You,” Maroon 5 feat. Cardi B, Aug. 4, 2018
16, “We Belong Together,” Mariah Carey, May 28, 2005
16, “Don’t Speak,” No Doubt, Dec. 7, 1996

“Blinding Lights” tops the multi-metric Hot R&B Songs chart for a record-tying 20th week. It joins three other songs for a share of the mark, including another by The Weeknd, dating to the list’s October 2012 start: Drake’s “One Dance,” featuring WizKid and Kyla (2016); The Weeknd’s “Starboy,” featuring Daft Punk (2016-17); and Bruno Mars’ “That’s What I Like” (2017).

Harry Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar” holds at its No. 7 Hot 100 high; SAINt JHN’s “Roses” slides 5-8, after reaching No. 4; and Megan Thee Stallion’s former one-week leader “Savage,” featuring Beyoncé, falls 6-9.

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo’s “Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)” enters the tier, rising 12-10. The track retreats 3-4 on Digital Song Sales, although with a 14% advance to 13,000 sold, and 10-17 on Streaming Songs, but with a 1% gain to 17.9 million U.S. streams, while climbing 40-33 on Radio Songs (23.5 million, up 23%).

New Zealand producer Jawsh 685 (real name: Joshua Nanai) hits the Hot 100’s top 10 in his first visit to the chart, while Derulo adds his seventh top 10 and first since the No. 5-peaking “Want to Want Me” in 2015.

(A “savage” garden: Three songs with “savage” in their titles have hit the Hot 100 all-time, and two of them rank back-to-back at Nos. 9 and 10 this week. The other? Rod Hart’s “C.b. Savage,” which reached No. 67 in 1977.)

For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram. And again, be sure to visit Billboard.com tomorrow (Aug. 8), when all charts, including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh.

Source: billboard.com

Plus: Logic and The Kid LAROI debut in top 10.

Taylor Swift’s Folklore flies in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, capturing the biggest week for any album since Swift’s last release, 2019’s Lover.

Folkore was released with little advance notice on July 24 and earns Swift her seventh No. 1 album.

Folklore starts with 846,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending July 30, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. That marks the largest week registered for any album since Swift’s own Lover, which debuted at No. 1 on the Sept. 7, 2019-dated chart with 867,000 units.

Further, in the last four years, the three biggest weeks for any album have been racked up by Swift. Dating back to July of 2016, the three largest frames for any album are: Swift’s Reputation (1.24 million units, Dec. 2, 2017-dated chart), Lover (867,000) and Folklore (846,000).

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Aug. 8-dated chart (where Folklore bows at No. 1) will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Aug. 4.

Folklore’s debut of 846,000 equivalent album units is led by 615,000 in album sales, 218,000 in SEA units (equating to 289.85 million on-demand streams of the tracks on the album), and 13,000 in TEA units.

Seventh No. 1 Album: Folklore marks Swift’s seventh No.  1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, tying her with Janet Jackson for the third-most leaders among women in the history of the chart. Ahead of them on the leading ladies list are Barbra Streisand, with 11 No. 1s, and Madonna, with nine. Among all acts, The Beatles have the most No. 1 albums, with 19.

Before Folklore, Swift topped the chart with Lover (No. 1 for one week, Sept. 7, 2019-dated chart), Reputation (No. 1 for four weeks, 2017-18), 1989 (No. 1 for 11 weeks, 2014-15), Red (No. 1 for seven weeks, 2012-13), Speak Now (No. 1 for six weeks, 2010-11) and Fearless (No. 1 for 11 weeks, 2008-09).

Most No. 1 Debuts Among Women: All seven of Swift’s No. 1 albums have debuted at No. 1 — a record among female artists. Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Madonna and Britney Spears are tied with the second-most debuts at No. 1 among women, with six each. (Beyoncé, Gaga and Spears each have a total of six No. 1 albums — and all of them also debuted at No. 1. Meanwhile, six of Madonna’s nine total No. 1s debuted atop the list.)

Among all acts, Jay-Z has the most debuts at No. 1, with 14. All 14 of his No. 1 albums have debuted at No. 1.

2020’s Biggest Week for an Album, and Biggest for Any Album Since Swift’s Last Release, Lover: Folklore’s start of 846,000 equivalent album units marks the largest week for 2020 for any album. It blows past the previous high, which was registered just last month by the opening stanza of Juice WRLD’s Legends Never Die (497,000 units in the tracking week ending July 16; as reflected on the chart dated July 25).

In addition, Folklore nabs the biggest week for any album since Swift’s last release, Lover, less than a year ago. It launched atop the list dated Sept. 7, 2019, with 867,000 units earned in the week ending Aug. 29, 2019.

Lover was released on Aug. 23, 2019. Unlike the surprise-released Folklore, Lover was preceded by months of traditional promotion, which began with the release of the set’s first single, “Me!,” featuring Brendon Urie, on April 26, 2019.

Also, while Lover was available widely to purchase at all retailers in its first week, including Target, which carried four deluxe CD editions of the set, Folklore had a limited availability at retail in its first week. Folklore was only sold via Swift’s official webstore or via digital retailers. Folklore will be released on CD widely to all retailers on Aug. 7.

Swift Has the Three Biggest Weeks for Any Album in the Last Four Years: In the last four years, the three biggest weeks for any album have been racked up by Swift. Dating back to July of 2016, the three largest frames for any album were tallied by the debut weeks of Swift’s Reputation (1.24 million units, Dec. 2, 2017-dated chart), Lover (867,000) and Folklore (846,000).

The last time anyone not named Taylor Swift had a bigger week than Folklore was Drake, who saw his Views album launch with 1.04 million units at No. 1 on the May 21, 2016-dated chart.

Biggest Sales Week for an Album Since Lover: Folklore sold 615,000 copies in its first week, marking the largest sales frame for any album since Swift’s Lover sold 679,000 copies in its debut week (Sept. 7, 2019-dated chart).

As noted above, in Folklore’s first week of release, the album was only available to purchase through Swift’s website and digital retailers.

During the album’s first week, Swift’s webstore sold over a dozen physical/digital album bundles (with a CD, vinyl LP or cassette, plus the digital album). All of the physical/digital bundles delivered the digital version of the album upon purchase to the customer, while the physical version will ship to the customer later. Sales of such bundles — where two formats of the same album are bundled together — are counted as one sale, with the album configuration sold determined by the first version of the album that is fulfilled to the customer.

Swift’s store additionally sold an array of merchandise/digital album bundles.

‘Folklore’ Is Already 2020’s Top Selling Album: With 615,000 copies sold of Folklore in its first week, the album has already become 2020’s top selling album. It surpasses the previous top-seller, BTS’ Map of the Soul: 7, which has sold 574,000 since its release on Feb. 21.

First Act to Have Seven Different Albums Sell at Least 500,000 in a Single Week: As Folklore sold 615,000 copies in its first week, Swift becomes the first act to have seven different albums each sell at least 500,000 copies in a single week, since Nielsen Music/MRC Data began electronically tracking music sales in 1991. Swift previously achieved half-million sales frames with the debut weeks of her last six full-length studio albums: Lover (679,000, in 2019), Reputation (1.216 million, in 2017), 1989 (1.287 million, 2014), Red (1.208 million, 2012), Speak Now (1.047 million, 2010) and Fearless (592,000; 2008).

Swift was previously tied with Eminem, who has seen six of his albums each sell at least 500,000 copies in a week.

Largest Streaming Week of 2020 for an Album by a Woman: Folklore garnered 218,000 SEA units in its first week, which equals 289.85 million on-demand streams of its songs in its first week. That’s the biggest streaming week of 2020 for any album by a woman, and the biggest by a non-rap album this year. The only albums to generate bigger streaming frames in 2020 are two rap titles: Juice WRLD’s Legends Never Die, with 422.63 million in its opening week, and Lil Uzi Vert’s Eternal Atake, with 400.42 million and 348.72 million in its first and second weeks, respectively.

Folklore’s 289.85 million streams also mark the second-biggest streaming week ever for an album by a woman, behind only the debut frame of Ariana Grande’s Thank U, Next (307.07 million; chart dated Feb. 23, 2019).

At No. 2 on the new Billboard 200, Logic’s No Pressure launches with 221,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, 172,000 are in album sales (supported by an array of merchandise/album bundles), 48,000 are in SEA units (equaling 65.16 million on-demand streams of the album’s songs) and 1,000 are in TEA units.

No Pressure — which Logic describes as his “farewell” effort as he announced his “retirement” — racks up his biggest week for an album since Everybody opened at No. 1 on the May 27, 2017-dated chart with 248,000 units.

No Pressure is Logic’s seventh top 10 effort, stretching back to his first chart entry, Under Pressure, which debuted and peaked at No. 4 on the Nov. 8, 2014-dated chart.

Juice WRLD’s Legends Never Die falls from No. 1 to No. 3 in its third week, after two frames on top, with 107,000 equivalent album units (down 34 percent), while Pop Smoke’s former No. 1 Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon dips 2-4 with nearly 107,000 units (down 23 percent).

The original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton: An American Musical slips 4-5 with 71,000 equivalent album units (down 9 percent). The album peaked at No. 2 on the July 18 chart after Disney+ premiered the filmed version of the Broadway show on July 3. Hamilton has now spent 27 nonconsecutive weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 — the most of any cast recording since Hair hung on for 28 weeks in 1969.

Gunna’s Wunna runs 21-6 on the new Billboard 200 with a 205 percent gain in equivalent album units earned (rising to 67,000) after the former No. 1 album was reissued on July 24 with eight additional tracks. Lil Baby’s previous chart-topper, My Turn, falls 5-7 with 53,000 equivalent album units earned (down 6 percent).

The Kid LAROI makes his Billboard 200 debut with F*ck Love at No. 8, which launches with 40,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, 33,000 are in SEA units (equaling 49.39 million on-demand streams of the albums songs), 7,000 are in album sales (aided by dozens of merchandise/album bundles) and a negligible sum from TEA units.

F*ck Love is the 16-year-old rapper’s (real name: Charlton Howard) first full-length mixtape. The set includes a guest turn from LAROI’s mentor, the late Juice WRLD.

Rounding out the new top 10 on the Billboard 200 are a pair of former No. 1s, as Post Malone’s Hollywood’s Bleeding shifts 7-9 with 33,000 equivalent album units (down 1 percent) and Harry Styles’ Fine Line dips 9-10 with 31,000 units (up 7 percent).

Source: billboard.com