Drake’s ‘Scorpion’ Holds at No. 1 for Fourth Week on Billboard 200 Albums Chart

The set earned 184,000 equivalent album units (down 29 percent) in the week ending July 26, according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum, 15,000 were in traditional album sales. The album debuted atop the list and hasn’t left the penthouse since its arrival.

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 are comprised of traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The new Aug. 4-dated chart (where Scorpion logs a fourth week at No. 1) will be posted in full on Billboard‘s websites on Tuesday, July 31.

Of Scorpion’s 184,000 units earned, the sum was largely driven by SEA units: 154,000. That SEA unit sum translates to 211.5 million on-demand audio streams for the set’s songs — the 11th-largest streaming week for an album.

Most Weeks at No. 1 in 2018: With a fourth week at No. 1, Scorpion snags the most weeks atop the Billboard 200 in 2018. The last set to collect four frames atop the list was Taylor Swift’s reputation, which collected four nonconsecutive weeks: three in a row from Dec. 2-16, 2017, and then one more on Jan. 6, 2018.

Most Consecutive Weeks at No. 1 in a Year-and-a-Half: Scorpion links together the most consecutive weeks in a row at No. 1 since The Weeknd’s Starboy logged four consecutive weeks (of its total five at No. 1) between Jan. 21 and Feb. 11, 2017. The set opened at No. 1 on the list dated Dec. 17, 2016, and then stepped away from the top slot until Jan. 21, 2017.

First Album to Spend Its First Four Weeks at No. 1 in Two Years: What was the last album to spend its first four weeks at No. 1? Why, Drake’s own Views, which ruled for its first nine weeks atop the list between May 21 and July 16, 2016. Views spent a total of 13 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1.

Four Weeks of 184,000-Plus Units: Scorpion is the first album since Drake’s Views to earn four weeks of at least 184,000 units. Scorpion launched with 732,000 units, then earned 335,000 units, 260,000 units and then slightly more than 184,000 units in its second, third and fourth weeks, respectively. Views opened with 1.04 million, and then raked in 313,000, 239,000 and 189,000.

Drake’s 25th Week at No. 1: A fourth week at No. 1 with Scorpion gives Drake his 25th total week at No. 1 across all of his eight No. 1 albums, tying JAY-Z for the second-most weeks at No. 1 among hip-hop artists. Views spent 13 weeks at No. 1, 2017’s More Life notched three, Scorpion has so far tallied four and his other five chart-toppers spent one week each in the penthouse. Among hip-hop artists, only Eminem has more total weeks at No. 1, with 32.

Zero Debuts in the Top 10: For the first time since the Jan. 20-dated chart, there are no debuts in the top 10 of the Billboard 200. The highest bow on the new chart is found down at No. 26, where The Internet’s Hive Mind arrives. Back on Jan. 20, The Greatest Showman soundtrack held at No. 1 for a second week, while the highest new entry was Lil Skies’ Life of a Dark Rose at No. 23.

Below Drake’s Scorpion on the new Billboard 200, Post Malone’s beerbongs & bentleys climbs one rung to No. 2 with 65,000 units (though down 5 percent).

While there are no debuts in the top 10, there is one new visitor to the region, as the Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again soundtrack zooms from No. 20 to No. 3 in its second chart week. The set earned 48,000 units (up 150 percent), of which 34,000 were in traditional album sales (up 104 percent). The album is basking in the glow of its parent film’s release in theaters, as the hit movie opened on July 20 — the first day of the chart’s tracking week.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is the fourth soundtrack to reach the top 10 in 2018, following Fifty Shades Freed (No. 5, Feb. 24), Black Panther: The Album (No. 1 for three weeks, Feb. 24) and The Greatest Showman (No. 1 for two weeks, Jan. 13).

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is the sequel to the 2008 movie Mamma Mia!, whose soundtrack reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The set topped the tally in its fifth week on the list, dated Aug. 23, 2008, and has sold 2.1 million copies.

XXXTentacion’s ? is steady at No. 4 on the new Billboard 200, with 41,000 units (down 8 percent), while Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy and Juice WRLD’s Goodbye & Good Riddance are also non-movers at Nos. 5 and 6, respectively. The titles earned 41,000 units (down 7 percent) and 40,000 units (down 3 percent).

Wiz Khalifa’s Rolling Papers 2 falls from No. 2 to No. 7 in its second week with 33,000 units (down 58 percent) and The Greatest Showman soundtrack dips 7-8 with just under 31,000 units (up 1 percent).

Taylor Swift’s reputation returns to the top 10 for the first time since February, as the album climbs 14-9 with just over 25,000 units (up 9 percent). It was last in the top 10 on the tally dated Feb. 3, when it also ranked at No. 9. The album jumps back into the top 10 on the new chart thanks to continued strong sales of the album at tour stops along her reputation Stadium Tour, as the album sold 10,000 copies (up 17 percent). SEA units for the title also gained by 5 percent, likely owed to the continued success of the album’s hit single “Delicate.”

Closing out the new top 10 is Lil Baby’s Harder Than Ever, which slips 8-10 with 25,000 units (down 4 percent).

source: billboard.com