Travis Scott Scores First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With ‘Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight’

It’s the fifth Apple/iTunes exclusive to hit No. 1 in 2016.

Travis Scott claims his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, as his new effort, Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, debuts straight in at No. 1. The set, which was released on Sept. 2 through Grand Hustle/Epic Records, earned 88,000 equivalent album units in the week ending Sept. 8, according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum, 53,000 were in traditional album sales.

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 Sept. 24-dated chart (where Scott bows at No. 1) will be posted in full to Billboard’s websites on Tuesday, Sept. 13.

Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight is exclusively available through the Apple Music streaming service, and the iTunes Store for purchase. It’s the fifth album to hit No. 1 in 2016 initially as an Apple and iTunes exclusive, following Frank Ocean’s Blonde,DJ Khaled’s Major Key, Drake’s Views and Future’s Evol. (Scott, Khaled and Future also share the same label: Epic Records.)

The songs on Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight generated 50.2 million streams during its first tracking week, equating to 33,000 SEA units. The remainder of the album’s total units for the week were generated by track equivalent albums (TEA) — just 2,000 units. The TEA number is low because only one of the album’s songs is available or purchase a la carte from the album.

Scott’s new album follows his debut effort, Rodeo, which peaked at No. 3 on the tally in 2015. Rodeo launched with 85,000 units (70,000 in pure album sales).

Rock band A Day to Remember bows at a career-high peak of No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with Bad Vibrations, as the set starts with 67,000 units (62,000 in pure album sales). It’s also the best-selling album of the week, and debuts at No. 1 on the Top Album Sales chart.

A Day to Remember previously reached No. 37 with Common Courtesy (on the chart dated Jan. 11, 2014), No. 11 with What Separates Me From You (Dec. 4, 2010) and No. 21 with Homesick (Feb. 21, 2009).

Bad Vibrations also enters at No. 1 on the Independent Albums chart — the group’s third leader on the tally. It previously led the list with What Separates Me From Youand Homesick.

Drake’s Views rises one rung to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with 60,000 units (down 15 percent) — still driven mostly by SEA units (42,000). The Suicide Squad soundtrack climbs 6-4 with 55,000 units (down 12 percent).

Florida Georgia Line’s Dig Your Roots dips 2-5 in its second week, with 42,000 units (down 71 percent), while last week’s No. 1 album, Barbra Streisand’s Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway, falls to No. 6 with 41,000 units (down 73 percent).

Twenty One Pilots’ Blurryface rises 10-7 with just more than 30,000 units (down 1 percent), Rihanna’s Anti moves 9-8 with 30,000 units (down 6 percent) and Beyonce’s Lemonade falls 7-9 with nearly 30,000 units (down 21 percent).

Ocean’s Blonde rounds out the top 10, descending 5-10 with 29,000 units (down 58 percent).

Source: billboard.com