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5 Seconds of Summer Earn Third No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With ‘Youngblood’
Plus: The Carters bow at No. 2, Christina Aguilera & Nas debut & XXXTentacion’s “?” and “17” return to top 10.
In a week where there’s no shortage of action at the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart, 5 Seconds of Summer debut at No. 1 with the band’s third full-length studio album, Youngblood. The set arrives atop the tally with 142,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending June 21, according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum, 117,000 were in traditional album sales.
Youngblood was released on June 15 via One Mode/Capitol Records.
5 Seconds of Summer finish ahead of the surprise-release album from The Carters (the husband-and-wife team of JAY-Z and Beyoncé), new entries from Nas and Christina Aguilera, as well as two albums that return to the top 10 by late rapper/singer XXXTentacion.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The new June 30-dated chart (where 5 Seconds of Summer debut at No. 1) will be posted in full on Billboard‘s websites on Tuesday, June 26.
Industry forecasters expected a race for No. 1 between Youngblood and The Carters’ Everything Is Love (No. 2 with 123,000 units), though ultimately Youngblood pulled out ahead in the last couple days of the tracking week thanks to a surge in album sales. The band whipped its fan base into a frenzy via social media, pointing out how it was in contention for No. 1, and its fans responded by snapping up albums. (Even Niall Horan got in on the action, tweeting how the album “has got to be the number 1 record this week.”)
Of Youngblood’s overall unit bow of 142,000, 117,000 were in album sales, 3,000 were in TEA units and 23,000 were in SEA units.
Youngblood gives 5 Seconds of Summer their third straight chart-topper, following the Australian band’s first two full-length studio sets: 2015’s Sounds Good Feels Good (which debuted with 192,000 units, with 179,000 in album sales) and its 2014 self-titled album (259,000 in album sales, before the chart transitioned to a consumption units-ranked list).
Further, 5 Seconds of Summer becomes the first Australian act with three No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200.
5 Seconds of Summer also extend their record as the only band (not vocal group) to debut at No. 1 with their first three full-length studio albums; it was already the first band to bow atop the list with its first two full-length studio sets. In addition to the three full-length studio efforts, the band has also charted with a live album (LIVESOS, No. 13 in 2015) and an introductory EP (She Looks So Perfect, No. 2 in 2014).
Youngblood bows at No. 1 from a full seven days of tracking activity. It was available across all streaming services, and for sale on CD, digital download, vinyl LP and cassette. The album was also assisted by sales generated by merchandise/album bundles sold via the group’s official site, as well as a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer with its 2018 U.S. tour.
Youngblood was announced on April 9, and slated for a June 22 release. By June 1, that release date was pushed up to June 15. Youngblood was introduced by the single “Want You Back,” which bowed on Feb. 22. The cut reached No. 25 on the Pop Songs airplay chart, and was followed by the album’s title track, which has so-far climbed to No. 31 (on the most-recently-compiled chart, dated June 23).
As for Everything Is Love, it arrives in the runner-up slot with 123,000 units — of which 70,000 were in traditional album sales, 4,000 in TEA units, and 49,000 in SEA units.
The album was surprise-released mid-day on June 16, and was initially only available to stream and purchase (as a digital album) through Tidal. By the morning of June 18, the set was widely available through subscription tiers on audio streaming services and to purchase through other digital retailers, like iTunes. It has not been announced if the album will be issued on CD or any other physical configuration.
Beyoncé and JAY-Z’s previous solo albums — 2016’s Lemonade and 2017’s 4:44, respectively — both opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. And, like Everything Is Love, those albums had a unique release rollout, making it difficult to compare their debuts to that of Everything Is Love.
Back on the new Billboard 200 chart, after the death of XXXTentacion on June 18, his previous No. 1, ? (which debuted atop the March 31-dated Billboard 200), vaults 24-3 with 94,000 units (up 397 percent). His previous top 10, the No. 2-peaking 17, in 2017, also rises, climbing 60-7 with 55,000 units (up 446 percent).
Post Malone sees his former No. 1, beerbongs & bentleys, holding steady at No. 4 with 82,000 units (down 10 percent).
Nas scores his 12th top 10 album, as Nasir starts at No. 5 with 77,000 units (49,000 in traditional album sales). The new effort is his first studio set since 2012’s No. 1-debuting Life Is Good.
Christina Aguilera, like Nas, is also back in the top 10 after a long absence. Her new album, Liberation, bows at No. 6 with 68,000 units (62,000 in album sales), granting the pop diva her seventh top 10 effort. She last debuted on the tally with 2012’s Lotus, which debuted and peaked at No. 7.
Rounding out the new top 10: Juice WRLD’s Goodbye & Good Riddance moves 7-8 (just over 43,000 units, down less than 1 percent), Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy slips 6-9 (43,000 units, down 6 percent) and Jason Aldean’s Rearview Town bounds 23-10 (38,000 units, up 99 percent). The latter is boosted by sales generated from a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer with Aldean’s current tour.
Source: billboard.com