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Travis Scott’s ‘Astroworld’ Bows at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart With Second-Largest Debut of 2018
Plus: Mac Miller, YG and Moneybagg Yo debut in the top 10.
Travis Scott’s Astroworld bows atop the Billboard 200 chart with 2018’s second-largest week for an album, earning the rapper his second No. 1.
The set — which was released Aug. 3 via Cactus Jack/Grand Hustle/Epic Records — earned 537,000 equivalent album units in the week ending Aug. 9, according to Nielsen Music. Of that total, 270,000 were driven by traditional album sales — the biggest sales week of 2018.
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. 18-dated chart (where Astroworld launches at No. 1) will be posted in full on Billboard‘s websites on Tuesday, Aug. 14.
Of Astroworld’s total units, 261,000 are SEA units, 6,000 are TEA units, and 270,000 are traditional album sales.
Second-Largest Overall Week of 2018: Scott’s amusement park-themed album charges in with 537,000 units earned — the second-largest week of 2018 for an album. The only set to post a larger frame was Drake’s Scorpion, which started with 732,000 units.
Biggest Sales Week of 2018: Astroworld blows in with 270,000 copies sold — the largest sales week of the year for an album. The set’s sales were supported by an array of Astroworld-inspired merchandise/album bundles sold via Scott’s official website. The last album to notch a bigger sales week was Taylor Swift’s reputation, which started with 1.2 million copies sold on the Dec. 2, 2017-dated tally. (Astroworld also easily gives Scott his biggest sales week, well beyond his previous high, when 2015’s Rodeo bowed with 70,000 sold.)
Fifth-Largest Streaming Week Ever: Astroworld enters with 261,000 SEA units, which translates to 349.43 million on-demand audio streams earned for its 17 songs during its debut tracking frame. That streaming figure is the fifth-biggest weekly streaming haul for an album. The only larger weeks were posted by the arrivals of Drake’s Scorpion (745.92 million) and Post Malone’s beerbongs & bentleys(431.3 million), the second week of Scorpion (390.98 million) and the debut frame of Drake’s More Life in 2017 (384.84 million).
Scott’s Second No. 1: Astroworld grants Scott his second No. 1 on the Billboard 200, following his previous release, 2016’s Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight. The latter started with 88,000 units (of which 53,000 were in traditional album sales). Astroworld is Scott’s third chart entry — he also notched a No. 3-peaking album with his debut studio effort, Rodeo, in 2015.
At No. 2 on the new Billboard 200, Drake’s Scorpion falls one slot, after spending five straight weeks atop the list. Scorpion earned 117,000 equivalent album units (down 19 percent).
Mac Miller’s Swimming arrives at No. 3 with 66,000 units (of which 30,000 were in traditional album sales), garnering the hip-hop artist his fifth consecutive top five-charting release. His last album, The Divine Feminine, debuted and peaked at No. 2 in 2016 with 48,000 units earned (32,000 of what sum were album sales).
Malone’s beerbongs & bentleys falls one rung to No. 4 with 58,000 units (down 7 percent). The album has yet to depart the top four in its 15 weeks on the list.
At No. 5, YG notches his third top 10 effort, as Stay Dangerous bows with 56,000 units (11,000 in traditional album sales). He previously visited the top 10 with 2016’s Still Brazy (No. 6) and 2014’s My Krazy Life (No. 2).
Juice WRLD’s Goodbye & Good Riddance falls 4-6 with 38,000 units (down 3 percent), Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy descends 5-7 with 35,000 units (down 8 percent) and XXXTentacion’s ? moves 6-8 with 33,000 units (down 13 percent).
Hip-hop dominates the top 10, as, for the first time, the entire top eight titles are all hip-hop sets. That beats the previous hot streak, when the top six were locked down by hip-hop on the July 21-dated tally (which was then replicated on the July 28 and Aug. 11-dated lists).
Closing out the Billboard 200’s new top 10 are the highest ranking non-hip-hop sets on the tally: the soundtracks to Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (moving 7-9 with 28,000 units; down 27 percent) and The Greatest Showman (9-10 with 25,000 units; down 9 percent).
Source: billboard.com