Monthly Archives: September 2021

Plus, Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow’s “Industry Baby” rebounds to its No. 2 high and the former’s “Thats What I Want” debuts at No. 10.

The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber‘s “Stay” notches a sixth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.

Plus, Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow’s “Industry Baby” returns to its No. 2 Hot 100 high, from No. 6, as Lil Nas X’s parent LP Montero bounds in at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Additionally, two other songs from the set rank in the Hot 100’s top 10: former No. 1 “Montero (Call Me by Your Name),” which returns to the region at No. 9, from No. 13, and “Thats What I Want,” a debut at No. 10.

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data. All charts (dated Oct. 2) will update on Billboard.com Tuesday (Sept. 28). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.ARTISTS MENTIONEDJustin BieberLil Nas X

“Stay,” released on Raymond Braun/Columbia Records/Def Jam, drew 81.3 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 6%) and 26.7 million U.S. streams (down 2%) and sold 10,800 downloads (down 14%) in the week ending Sept. 23, according to MRC Data.

“Stay” adds a second week at No. 1 on the Radio Songs chart; dips 3-4 on Streaming Songs, where it has spent six weeks on top; and holds at No. 4 on Digital Song Sales, after reaching No. 3.

Meanwhile, as “Stay” tops the Hot 100 for a sixth week, it ties for the third-longest command for a song by two or more co-billed solo male leads over the chart’s 63-year history. Here’s an updated leaderboard of such No. 1s to reign for at least three weeks (and which excludes duos or groups known for regularly recording together, such as Daryl Hall & John Oates or Macklemore & Ryan Lewis; notably, Bieber and Paul McCartney each factor into two of the top four titles):

• 16 weeks at No. 1, “Despacito,” Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee (feat. Justin Bieber), beginning May 27, 2017
• 7 weeks at No. 1, “Ebony and Ivory,” Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder, beginning May 15, 1982
• 6 weeks at No. 1, “Stay,” The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, beginning Aug. 14, 2021
• 6 weeks at No. 1, “Say Say Say,” Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson, beginning Dec. 10, 1983
• 4 weeks at No. 1, “Shake Ya Tailfeather,” Nelly, P. Diddy & Murphy Lee, beginning Sept. 6, 2003
• 3 weeks at No. 1, “All for Love,” Bryan Adams/Rod Stewart/Sting, beginning Jan. 22, 1994

Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow’s “Industry Baby” rebounds to its No. 2 best on the Hot 100, from No. 6. The song is from Lil Nas X’s new album Montero, which launches at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 126,000 equivalent album units. “Baby,” which debuted at No. 2 on the Hot 100 dated Aug. 7, likewise jumps 6-2 on Streaming Songs, up 35% to 29.2 million streams, its second-best streaming week (after it opened with 40.6 million).

“Baby” also charges into the top 10 on Radio Songs (12-6; 46.7 million, up 19%), becoming Lil Nas X’s third top 10 on the tally, after his breakthrough smash “Old Town Road,” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus (No. 2, June 2019), and previous Montero single, “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” (No. 3, this July). Harlow reaches the Radio Songs top 10 for the first time.

Plus, “Baby” returns for a fifth week atop both the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts, which use the same multi-metric methodology as the Hot 100.

(Additionally per the stat above, thanks to “Stay” and “Baby,” tracks each by multiple co-billed lead solo males rank at Nos. 1 and 2 on the Hot 100 simultaneously for the first time in the chart’s archives.)

Concurrently, “Montero” pushes back into the Hot 100’s top 10 (13-9), after it led in its debut week (dated April 10; it has spent all 26 of its weeks on the chart in the top 40). It vaults 36-10 on Streaming Songs, up 57% to 16.2 million streams.

Rounding out Lil Nas X’s trio of simultaneous Hot 100 top 10s, “Thats What I Want” roars onto the chart at No. 10, as it starts at No. 5 on Streaming Songs (24.2 million). The track arrives as his fifth Hot 100 top 10, and third to debut in the tier. It, along with “Baby,” is being promoted to mainstream top 40 radio and debuts on the Pop Airplay chart at No. 34, while “Baby” rises 7-6.

Drake’s “Way 2 Sexy” slips 2-3 on the Hot 100, after premiering at No. 1 on the Sept. 18 chart. Still, it posts a third week atop Streaming Songs (32.5 million, down 19%) and claims top Airplay Gainer honors on the Hot 100 for a second week, as it leaps 43-21 on Radio Songs (27.6 million, up 59%).

Ed Sheeran’s “Bad Habits” backtracks 3-4 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 2; Walker Hayes’ “Fancy Like” keeps at its No. 5 high, while topping the multi-metric Hot Country Songs chart for an 11th week; and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Good 4 U” rises 7-6 on the Hot 100, after it led in its first frame in May. “Good” also becomes Rodrigo’s second No. 1 on the Adult Pop Airplay chart, after “Drivers License” reigned for four weeks in March and April.

Elsewhere in the Hot 100’s top 10, Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More,” featuring SZA, lifts 8-7 after hitting No. 3, and Drake’s “Knife Talk,” featuring 21 Savage and Project Pat, falls to No. 8 from its No. 4 peak.

Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram and all charts (dated Oct. 2), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (Sept. 28).

Source: billboard.com

Plus: Lil Nas X and NCT 127 debut in top three.

Drake’s Certified Lover Boy rules the Billboard 200 albums chart for a third consecutive and total week, as the set earned 171,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Sept. 23 (down 28%), according to MRC Data. The album opened atop the list two weeks ago with the year’s biggest week for an album: 613,000 units.

With a third week at No. 1, Certified has the total most weeks atop the list for an R&B/hip-hop effort in over a year, since Lil Baby’s My Turn spent its fifth and final nonconsecutive week at No. 1 on the July 11, 2020-dated 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 Oct. 2, 2021-dated chart (where Certified Lover Boy spends a third week at No. 1) will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Sept. 28. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Of Certified Lover Boy’s 171,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Sept. 23, SEA units comprise 165,000 units (down 28%, equaling 222.16 million on-demand streams of the album’s 21 tracks), album sales comprise 4,000 (down 40%) and TEA units comprise 2,000 units (down 14%).

Certified is the third album in 2021 to spend at least three weeks in a row atop the Billboard 200, following Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever (three total weeks at No. 1, all consecutive) and Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album (10 weeks at No. 1, all consecutive).

Meanwhile, with Certified’s third week at No. 1, Drake’s total weeks atop the list, across all of 10 of his No. 1 albums, now rises to 30 weeks. He first led in July 2010 with Thank Me Later, and his 30 weeks on top are the most among male acts in the ’10s and ’20s; overall in that span, he ranks third, after Taylor Swift (42) and Adele (34). In the chart’s entire 65-year history, The Beatles boast the most weeks at No. 1, with 132.

Lil Nas X’s Montero debuts at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 126,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 102,000 (equaling 147.16 million on-demand streams of the set’s tracks), album sales comprise nearly 22,000 and TEA units comprise a little under 3,000.

Montero is promoted as Lil Nas X’s first full-length album, and it follows his debut project, the EP 7, which debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the July 6, 2019-dated chart with 77,000 units earned in its first week. 7 later scored a Grammy Award nomination for album of the year.

Montero was preceded by a pair of top two-charting hits on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart: “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” (No. 1) and “Industry Baby,” with Jack Harlow, which peaked at No. 2 in August.

NCT 127’s Sticker: The 3rd Album bows at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, marking the second top 10 and highest-charting release for the 10-member act. The Korean pop group’s latest effort launches with 62,000 equivalent album units earned, of which album sales comprise 58,000, SEA units comprise 3,000 (equaling 4.66 million on-demand streams of the set’s 11 songs) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. Like many K-pop releases, the CD edition of the album was issued in multiple collectible packages and boxed sets (nine, including a Target-exclusive edition). NCT 127 previously hit the Billboard 200’s top 10 with NCT #127: Neo Zone, The 2nd Album, which debuted and peaked at No. 5 on the March 21, 2020-dated chart.

Kanye West’s former No. 1 Donda falls from No. 2 to No. 4 with 57,000 equivalent album units earned (down 27%), while Olivia Rodrigo’s chart-topping Sour slips from No. 4 to No. 5 with 51,000 units (down 6%). Doja Cat’s Planet Her is a non-mover at No. 6 with 47,000 units (down 5%), Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album rises one spot to No. 7 with 39,000 (up less than 1%), and The Kid LAROI’s former leader F*ck Love falls one rung to No. 8 with 38,000 units (down 3%).

Rounding out the top 10 are Eilish’s former No. 1 Happier Than Ever, which is up one slot to No. 9 with 32,000 equivalent album units earned (down 4%), and Kacey Musgraves’ Star-Crossed, which falls from No. 3 to No. 10 in its second week with 29,000 units (down 62%).

Source: billboard.com

The song rebounds for a fifth week on top.

The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber‘s “Stay” rebounds from No. 6 to No. 1 for a fifth week atop the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.

The track dipped to No. 2 on the Hot 100 two weeks ago, as BTS’ “Butter” returned for a 10th week at the summit, and No. 6 a week ago as Drake blasted in at No. 1 with “Way 2 Sexy,” featuring Future and Young Thug, as he claimed a record nine songs in the top 10 simultaneously, including the entire top five, a feat previously achieved only by The Beatles for a week in 1964.

“Stay” also takes over as the most-heard song on U.S. radio, reaching No. 1 on the Radio Songs chart.

Elsewhere in the top of the latest Hot 100, Walker Hayes‘ viral country hit “Fancy Like” surges to the top five, jumping from No. 21 to No. 5 (after reaching a prior No. 9 best), following the arrival of its remix featuring Kesha.

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data. All charts (dated Sept. 25) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Sept. 21). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

“Stay,” released on Raymond Braun/Columbia Records/Def Jam, drew 79.3 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 5%) and 27.1 million U.S. streams (down 2%) and sold 12,500 downloads (up 3%) in the week ending Sept. 16, according to MRC Data.

The track becomes The Kid LAROI’s first Radio Songs No. 1, rising from No. 2, and Bieber’s fifth leader, following “I Don’t Care,” with Ed Sheeran (for a week in September 2019); Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito,” on which Bieber is featured (five weeks, beginning in July 2017); “Love Yourself” (11 weeks, beginning in February 2016); and “Sorry” (two weeks, February 2016). Dating to his first week atop Radio Songs (Feb. 13, 2016), Bieber boasts the most No. 1s among all acts, one-upping Sheeran in that span.

“Stay” rebounds 15-3 on the Streaming Songs chart, where it has spent six weeks at No. 1, and retreats from its No. 3 high to No. 4 on Digital Song Sales.

Further boosting its profile in the tracking week, The Kid LAROI and Bieber performed the song on the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards Sept. 12.

Meanwhile, Bieber banks his 30th week atop the Hot 100, encompassing his eight No. 1s, tying Paul McCartney for the 15th-best total, dating to the chart’s Aug. 4, 1958, inception. The leaders: Mariah Carey (84 weeks at No. 1), Rihanna (60), The Beatles (59), Drake (52), Boyz II Men (50), Usher (47), Beyoncé (41), Michael Jackson (37), Elton John, Bruno Mars (34 each), Janet Jackson, Katy Perry (33), Madonna (32), Whitney Houston (31), Bieber and McCartney (30 each).

Drake’s “Way 2 Sexy” slips to No. 2 on the Hot 100 after launching at No. 1. It adds a second week atop Streaming Songs (39.9 million, down 41%); drops 6-11 on Digital Song Sales (5,900, down 15%); and debuts at No. 43 on Radio Songs (17.5 million, up 131%, good for top Airplay Gainer honors on the Hot 100).

The track concurrently scores a second week atop the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts, which use the same methodology as the Hot 100.

Ed Sheeran’s “Bad Habits” bounds 13-3 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 2, and Drake’s “Knife Talk,” featuring 21 Savage and Project Pat, lifts 5-4 in its second week on the chart, as well as 5-2 on Streaming Songs, although with a 31% decline to 31.4 million streams.

In 2010, Kesha topped the Hot 100 for nine weeks with her debut hit “TiK ToK.” Over a decade later, she’s furthering the success of a song that went viral on TikTok: Walker Hayes’ “Fancy Like,” which soars 21-5 for a new peak, after its remix featuring Kesha was released Sept. 10. In the week ending Sept. 16, the song (all versions combined) gained by 20% to 20.5 million streams and 5% to 30,800 sold, as it wins the Hot 100’s top Streaming and Sales Gainer awards.

“Fancy Like” holds at No. 2 on Digital Song Sales and vaults 26-7 on Streaming Songs. The crossover hit also roars 40-30 on Radio Songs (21.9 million, up 36%), as it rises 17-13 on the Country Airplay chart, 32-23 on Adult Pop Airplay and 31-24 on Pop Airplay.

Since Sept. 7, Kesha has appeared in two clips with Hayes on TikTok, where they boast 2.2 million and 1.8 million followers, respectively, with Hayes having previously made multiple posts on the platform featuring “Fancy Like.” The song is also benefiting from its synch in an Applebee’s commercial that premiered Aug. 23.

(Kesha is not credited as a featured artist on “Fancy Like” on the Hot 100, as overall activity for her remix did not outpace that of the original in the tracking week.)

“Fancy Like” also rules the multi-metric Hot Country Songs chart for a 10th week.

Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow’s “Industry Baby” surges 20-6 on the Hot 100, after debuting at its No. 2 high, up 21% to 5,000 sold and 2% to 21.6 million streams after the pair performed it on the VMAs Sept. 12.

Olivia Rodrigo’s “Good 4 U” jumps 15-7 on the Hot 100, after it led in its debut week in May, and likewise benefits from her performance of the song at the VMAs, and Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More,” featuring SZA, soars 19-8 after hitting No. 3, with a gain of 14% to 3,700 sold after Doja Cat hosted the VMAs (and performed two other tracks at the festivities).

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Dua Lipa’s “Levitating” leaps 23-9 after climbing to No. 2, and Drake’s “Girls Want Girls,” featuring Lil Baby, falls 2-10 in its second week, as it descends 2-5 on Streaming Songs (24.9 million, down 57%).

Source: billboard.com

Plus: Kacey Musgraves and Baby Keem debut in the top five, while Metallica’s self-titled album returns to the top 10 after its 30th anniversary reissue.

Drake’s Certified Lover Boy spends a second week atop the Billboard 200 albums chart, as the set earned 236,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Sept. 16 (down 61%), according to MRC Data. The set opened at No. 1 a week ago with the year’s biggest week for an album, 613,000 units.

Also in the top 10: Kacey Musgraves’ Star-Crossed debuts at No. 3, Baby Keem’s The Melodic Blue bows at No. 5 and Metallica’s 1991 self-titled album (often referred to as The Black Album) jumps from No. 158 to No. 9 following its 30th anniversary reissue.

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. 25, 2021-dated chart (where Certified Lover Boy holds at No. 1) will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Sept. 21. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Of Certified Lover Boy’s 236,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Sept. 16, SEA units comprise 227,000 units (down 60%, equaling 305.43 million on-demand streams of the album’s 21 tracks), album sales comprise 6,500 (down 86%) and TEA units comprise 2,500 units (down 45%).

Of Drake’s 10 No. 1 albums, Certified is his fourth to spend more than a week atop the list. His other multiple-week chart-toppers are Scorpion (No. 1 for five weeks in 2018), More Life (No. 1 for three weeks in 2017) and Views (No. 1 for 13 weeks in 2016).

Kanye West’s former No. 1 Donda is a non-mover at No. 2 on the new Billboard 200, with 79,000 equivalent album units earned (down 44%).

Kacey Musgraves’ new studio album Star-Crossed debuts at No. 3 with 77,000 equivalent album units earned, scoring the singer-songwriter her fourth top five-charting effort. Plus, the album’s 77,000 units marks Musgraves’ largest week, by units earned, since the Billboard 200 began measuring by units in December of 2014.

Of Star-Crossed’s 77,000 units, album sales comprise 47,000 (making it the top-selling album of the week), SEA units comprise 30,000 (equaling 38.23 million on-demand streams of the album’s tracks) and TEA units comprise less than 1,000 units. Star-Crossed’s sales of 47,000 mark Musgraves’ second-largest sales week, trailing only the debut of Pageant Material, which bowed with 55,000 sold (July 11, 2015-dated chart).

Star-Crossed also logs the second-largest debut streaming week for a country album by a woman, in terms of on-demand streams (38.23 million). Only Taylor Swift’s re-recorded Fearless (Taylor’s Version) had a larger debut frame, when it launched with 142.98 million clicks on the April 24, 2021-dated chart.

Star-Crossed follows Musgraves’ 2018 album Golden Hour, which debuted and peaked at No. 4 on the April 14, 2018 chart. The set would later win two Grammy Awards, for best country album and for album of the year.

Olivia Rodrigo’s former No. 1 Sour is stationary at No. 4 with 54,000 equivalent album units earned (down 11%).

Baby Keem’s debut album The Melodic Blue bows at No. 5 with 53,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 52,000 (equaling 70.13 million on-demand streams of the set’s tracks), album sales comprise 1,000 and TEA units comprise less than 1,000. The set features two collaborations with Baby Keem’s cousin Kendrick Lamar as well as a joint effort with Travis Scott and a track featuring Don Toliver.

Doja Cat’s Planet Her falls from No. 5 to No. 6 with 50,000 equivalent album units earned – though it’s up 1% for the week. During the tracking frame, she pulled double-duty on the Sept. 12 MTV Video Music Awards, as the show’s host and a performer. She also took home the award for best collaboration, for the album’s “Kiss Me More” featuring SZA.

The Kid LAROI’s F*ck Love rises 8-7 with 39,000 equivalent album units (down less than 1%) and Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album dips 6-8 with just under 39,000 units (down 3%). Both albums previously hit No. 1.

Metallica’s 1991 self-titled No. 1 album (often referred to as The Black Album, due to its stark black cover) surges from No. 158 to No. 9 in the wake of its 30th anniversary reissue on Sept. 10 in a variety of formats. The set earned 37,000 equivalent album units in the week ending Sept. 16 (up 397%). Of that sum, album sales comprise 29,000 (up 1,365%), SEA units comprise nearly 7,000 (up 34%, equaling 9.17 million on-demand streams of the set’s tracks) and TEA units comprise 1,000 (up 101%). All versions of the album, old and new, are combined for tracking and charting purposes.

Metallica returns to the top 10, and its highest rank, for the first time in 29 years. It was last in the top 10 on the Aug. 22, 1992, chart (at No. 10) and was last higher on the April 11, 1992, tally (No. 6).

The self-titled set became the band’s first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (of six to-date), and it debuted atop the list dated Aug. 31, 1991 and spent four straight and total weeks at No. 1. Metallica remains the top-selling album in the U.S. since MRC Data began electronically tracking music sales in 1991, with 17.3 million copies sold.

Rounding out the Billboard 200’s latest top 10 is Billie Eilish’s former No. 1 Happier Than Ever, falling 7-10 with 34,000 equivalent album units (down 14%).

Source: billboard.com

The set’s songs generate blockbuster 743.7 million on-demand streams in the U.S.

Drake’s Certified Lover Boy album makes a spectacular debut atop the Billboard 200 chart with the biggest week for any album in over a year. The long–awaited set, which was released on Sept. 3, is Drake’s 10th No. 1 and starts with 613,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Sept. 9, according to MRC Data. That’s the biggest week for an album since the Aug. 8, 2020-dated chart, when Taylor Swift’s Folklore launched at No. 1 with 846,000 units.

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. 18, 2021-dated chart (where Certified Lover Boy debuts at No. 1) will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Sept. 14. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Of Certified Lover Boy’s 613,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Sept. 9, SEA units comprise 562,000 units (equaling 743.67 million on-demand streams of the album’s 21 tracks), album sales comprise 46,000 (all from digital album sales; a CD release is due on Oct. 1) and TEA units comprise 5,000 units.

Let’s take a look at some of the feats that Drake achieves with the debut of Certified Lover Boy:

10th No. 1 Album: Drake is now one of only eight artists with at least 10 No. 1 albums in the 65-year history of the Billboard 200 chart. The Beatles have the most No. 1s, with 19. They are followed by Jay-Z (14), Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand (11 each), Drake, Eminem, Elvis Presley and Kanye West (10 each). Drake first topped the Billboard 200 dated July 3, 2010, with Thank Me Later.

Biggest Week for an Album in Over a Year: With 613,000 equivalent album units earned, Certified Lover Boy logs the largest week for any album since Swift’s Folklore launched at No. 1 on the Aug. 8, 2020-dated chart with 846,000 units. Certified also easily scores 2021’s biggest week, blowing past the previous high, logged just a week earlier (Sept. 11 chart), when West’s Donda bowed at No. 1 with 309,000 units.

Largest Week for a Rap Album Since Drake’s Own ‘Scorpion’ Two Years Ago: It’s rare for an album to post as large a week as Certified. So rare, that in the last five years (going back to September 2016), only albums by Drake and Swift have been as big or bigger in a single week. Swift’s Reputation debuted with 1.24 million units on the Dec. 2, 2017-dated chart, followed by Drake’s Scorpion (732,000; July 14, 2018) and Swift’s Lover (867,000; Sept. 7, 2019) and Folklore (846,000; Aug. 8, 2020). Thus, Drake’s Certified Lover Boy snares the biggest week for an R&B/hip-hop album, a rap album, an album by a male artist, and any album by someone not named Taylor Swift since Drake’s own Scorpion in 2018.

Blockbuster Streams: Certified’s start of 562,000 SEA units equals a whopping 743.67 million on-demand streams of the album’s 21 tracks. Of that sum, audio on-demand streams comprise 714.83 million, while video on-demand streams comprise 28.84 million. Only one album has ever scored a larger streaming week by on-demand audio streams: Drake’s Scorpion, with 745.92 million for its 25 tracks during its debut week. (When Scorpion launched, SEA units only included on-demand audio streams, not on-demand video. Video streams did not join the Billboard 200’s methodology until the Jan. 18, 2020-dated chart.)

Certified Lover Boy was not preceded by any pre-release singles. Scorpion, however, was led by a trio of hits on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 songs chart: “God’s Plan,” “Nice for What” (both No. 1s, leading the list for 11 and eight weeks, respectively) and “I’m Upset.” (Scorpion ultimately housed seven Hot 100 top 10s, including another No. 1: the 10-week leader “In My Feelings.”) At No. 2 on the new Billboard 200, West’s Donda falls to No. 2 in its second week with 141,000 equivalent album units earned (down 54%).

Iron Maiden earns its highest charting album ever on the Billboard 200, as its latest studio effort, Senjutsu, debuts at No. 3. The veteran hard rock band previously peaked at No. 4 with its last two studio releases: The Book of Souls (in 2015) and The Final Frontier (2010). In total, Senjutsu is Iron Maiden’s 15th top 40-charting album (dating to its first, The Number of the Beast, in 1982), of which four have hit the top 10.

Of Senjutsu’s 64,000 equivalent album units earned, album sales comprise 61,000 (making it the top-selling album of the week), SEA units comprise 3,000 (equaling 3.57 million on-demand streams of the set’s 10 tracks) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.

Senjutsu logs the second-largest week of 2021 for a hard rock album in both equivalent album units earned and in traditional album sales. It trails only Foo Fighters’ Medicine at Midnight, which debuted on the Feb. 20 chart with 70,000 units (of which 64,000 were in album sales). (Hard rock albums are defined as those that have charted on Billboard’s Hard Rock Albums chart.)

At No. 4 on the Billboard 200, Olivia Rodrigo’s former chart-topper Sour falls one spot with 61,000 equivalent album units earned (down 18%). Doja Cat’s Planet Her dips 4-5 (49,000 units; down 7%), Morgan Wallen’s former No. 1 Dangerous: The Double Album is a non-mover at No. 6 (40,000; down less than 1%), Billie Eilish’s former leader Happier Than Ever is also steady at No. 7 (just over 39,000; down 1%) and The Kid LAROI’s chart-topping F*ck Love falls 5-8 (39,000; down 10%).

Imagine Dragons claim their fifth top 10 album on the Billboard 200 as the rock band’s latest studio set, Mercury – Act 1, debuts at No. 9. The effort launches with 31,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 17,000; SEA units comprise 13,000 (equaling 17.04 million on-demand streams of the set’s tracks) and TEA units comprise 1,000.

Rod Wave’s former No. 1 SoulFly closes out the new top 10, dipping 8-10 with 30,000 equivalent album units earned (down 21%).

Source: billboard.com

Plus: New albums from Halsey and Lil Tecca bow in the top 10.

Kanye West lands his 10th No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, as Donda debuts atop the list with the year’s biggest week for any album: 309,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Sept. 2, according to MRC Data. It surpasses the year’s previous best week, when Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour started with 295,000 units (on the chart dated June 5).

West is now one of only seven artists with at least 10 No. 1 albums in the 65-year history of the Billboard 200 chart. The Beatles have the most No. 1s, with 19. They are followed by Jay-Z (14), Bruce Springsteen (11), Barbra Streisand (11), Eminem (10), Elvis Presley (10) and West. (Waiting in the wings for their 10th No. 1s are the acts with nine leaders: Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Drake, Madonna, The Rolling Stones and Taylor Swift. Of those, two have albums either just released, or on the way: Drake’s Certified Lover Boy dropped on Sept. 3 and Swift’s Red [Taylor’s Version] is due on Nov. 19.)

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. 11, 2021-dated chart (where Donda debuts to No. 1) will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Wednesday, Sept 8 – one day later than usual, owed to the Labor Day holiday in the U.S. on Monday, Sept. 6. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Donda keeps up a hot streak for West on the Billboard 200, as he once again ties Eminem for the most No. 1 debuts in a row on the chart. Donda is West’s 10th straight charting album to bow atop the list. Eminem earned his 10th straight No. 1 debut with his last release, Music to Be Murdered By in 2020. (Overall, Jay-Z has the most debuts at No. 1, with 14, although they were not consecutive.)

West also ties Eminem for the most consecutive No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, each with 10.

Both West and Eminem have only missed No. 1 once in their chart careers on the Billboard 200, each with their debut chart effort. West peaked at No. 2 with The College Dropout in 2004, and Eminem peaked at No. 2 with The Slim Shady LP in 1999.

Donda was surprise-released on an off-cycle Sunday, Aug. 29 (instead of the usual Friday for most new albums), and, thus, launches with just five days of activity in its first chart week, instead of seven. The 27-track album was released only via streamers and digital retailers, while a release date for a physical album has not been announced. Donda includes guest turns by the likes of Chris Brown, DaBaby, Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Lil Durk, Marilyn Manson, Roddy Ricch and The Weeknd – though none are given billed artist credit.

Anticipation for Donda was fueled by three huge ticketed listening events held on July 22, Aug. 5 and Aug. 26 – and all three were live-streamed by Apple Music. The latter gave Donda and West’s catalog of music premium placement on its platform (as did Apple’s iTunes Store).

Of Donda’s 309,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Sept. 2, SEA units comprise 272,000 units (equaling 357.39 million on-demand streams of the album’s tracks – the largest streaming week of the year for an album), album sales comprise 37,000 and TEA units comprise less than 1,000 units. (Donda’s tracks are not currently available to purchase a la carte from digital retailers, but were briefly purchasable earlier during the tracking week in the iTunes Store.)

Donda surpasses 2021’s previous largest streaming week for an album, logged by J. Cole’s The Off-Season. The latter bowed on the May 29 chart with 243,000 SEA units – which equaled 325.05 million on-demand streams of the set’s 12 tracks.

Halsey’s If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power debuts at No. 2 on the new Billboard 200 – marking the singer-songwriter’s fourth straight, and total, album to reach the top two. If I Can’t Have Love starts with 98,000 equivalent album units, and of that sum, album sales comprise 70,500 (making it the top-selling album of the week), SEA units comprise 26,500 (equaling 34.76 million on-demand streams of the set’s 13 tracks) and TEA units comprise 1,000. Of If I Can’t Have Love’s 70,500 in total album sales, physical sales comprise 52,500 (across CD, vinyl LP and cassette configurations), while digital album sales comprise 18,000.

If I Can’t Have Love was announced on July 7 with its Friday, Aug. 27 release date in place. Pre-orders began on July 7, as well. West’s Donda, which debuts at No. 1 ahead of If I Can’t Have Love, surprise-dropped on Aug. 29, also with an active pre-order campaign from digital retail. Halsey’s previous album, Manic, also bowed at No. 2 behind another surprise-release album, Eminem’s Music to Be Murdered By. Both Manic and Music were released on Jan. 17, 2020. The former had four months of advance promotion while the latter arrived with no warning.

Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour falls 1-3 on the new Billboard 200 with 74,000 equivalent album units earned (down 44%). Doja Cat’s Planet Her is a non-mover at No. 4 with 53,000 units (down 7%), The Kid LAROI’s former chart-topper F*ck Love rises 7-5 with 44,000 units (down 9%) and Morgan Wallen’s No. 1 Dangerous: The Double Album climbs 9-6 with 40,000 units (down 4%).

Billie Eilish’s former leader Happier Than Ever dips 6-7 with nearly 40,000 equivalent album units earned (down 20%), Rod Wave’s No. 1 SoulFly falls 3-8 with 39,000 units (down 38%) and Trippie Redd’s Trip at Knight falls 2-9 in its second week with 35,000 units (down 57%).

Lil Tecca closes out the top 10 with his new album We Love You Tecca 2, as it launches at No. 10 with 30,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 28,000 (equaling 40.52 million on-demand streams of the set’s tracks), album sales comprise 1,000 and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.

We Love You Tecca 2 is the third straight top 10 effort for the rapper – the entirety of his charting efforts.

Source: billboard.com