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YoungBoy Never Broke Again Nabs First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart
Plus: Lil Tjay and Wale debut in top 10.
Rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again scores his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, as AI YoungBoy 2 debuts atop the list.
The set, which was released on Oct. 11 via Never Broke Again/Atlantic Records, starts with 110,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Oct. 17, according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum, just 3,000 were in album sales, while the rest was overwhelmingly powered by streaming activity.
Elsewhere in the top 10, rappers Lil Tjay and Wale also arrive, as the former’s True 2 Myself starts at No. 5, while the latter’s Wow… That’s Crazy launches at No. 7.
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 Oct. 26-dated chart, where AI YoungBoy 2 bows at No. 1, will be posted in full on Billboard‘s websites on Oct. 22.
The new 18-track album starts with 110,000 equivalent album units earned, and of that figure, only 3,000 were from album sales. 1,000 were in TEA units, while 106,000 were in SEA units. The latter figure equates to 144.7 million on-demand audio streams earned for the album’s tracks in its first week.
AI YoungBoy 2 is the 12th chart entry on the Billboard 200 for the Baton Rouge, La. artist, who has visited the top 10 once before, with 2018’s Until Death Call My Name (No. 7, May 12, 2018). In 2018 alone, eight YoungBoy projects bowed on the chart. The new album is the sequel to 2017’s AI YoungBoy, which debuted and peaked at No. 24 (Aug. 26, 2017).
AI YoungBoy 2 is the 20-year-old rapper’s first album after being released from prison in August. (The rapper turned 20 today, Oct. 20.) The set was preceded by the song “Self Control,” which reached the top 30 of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
At No. 2, Post Malone’s former No. 1 Hollywood’s Bleeding climbs one rung with 99,000 equivalent album units (though down 8%). Summer Walker’s Over It slips 2-3 in its second week with 78,000 units (down 42%) and DaBaby’s former leader Kirk is steady at No. 4 with 55,000 units (down 26%).
Lil Tjay’s debut album True 2 Myself bows at No. 5 with 45,000 equivalent album units earned (1,000 in album sales). The 17-track project features the top 30-charting Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs hit “F.N.” The 18-year-old first made waves on Billboard’s charts thanks to his featured turn on Polo G’s “Pop Out” earlier this year. The track reached No. 7 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (June 22).
Taylor Swift’s former No. 1 Lover falls one slot to No. 6 in its eighth week on the chart, with 44,000 equivalent album units earned (down 13%).
Wale’s sixth studio album, Wow… That’s Crazy, launches at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 with 38,000 equivalent album units (5,000 in album sales). Wow marks Wale’s fourth top 10 effort, following The Album About Nothing (No. 1 in 2015), The Gifted (No. 1, 2013) and Ambition (No. 2, 2011).
Rounding out the new top 10 are a trio of former No. 1s: Billie Eilish’s When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We All Go? (7-8 with 34,000 equivalent album units; down 10%), Chris Brown’s Indigo (6-9 with 33,000 units; down 16%) and Young Thug’s So Much Fun (holding at No. 10 with nearly 33,000 units; down 8%).
Source: billboard.com