JAY-Z’s ‘4:44’ Spends Second Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart, French Montana Debuts at No. 3

As expected, JAY-Z’s 4:44 notches a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The set, which bowedatop the tally a week ago, earned 87,000 equivalent album units in the week ending July 20, according to Nielsen Music. That sum is down 67 percent compared to its bow of 262,000.

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 Aug. 5-dated chart (where JAY-Z holds at No. 1) will be posted in full to Billboard’s websites on Tuesday, July 25.

4:44 sold 61,000 in traditional album sales in its second week (down 65 percent from 173,000). The album was also down in streaming and track equivalencies, falling 72 percent in SEA units (22,000 — down from 82,000) and 52 percent in TEA units (3,000 — down from 7,000).

JAY-Z now has a cumulative total of 25 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Of his 14 No. 1 albums, seven have spent a single week at No. 1, while five have racked up two weeks at No. 1 (including 4:44). Two of his chart-toppers clocked three or more weeks at No. 1: 1998’s Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life (five weeks at No. 1) and 2001’s The Blueprint (three weeks at No. 1).

The only rap act with more weeks at No. 1 in the 61-year history of the chart is Eminem, with 31 total weeks atop the list.

At No. 2 on the new Billboard 200 is Kendrick Lamar’s former No. 1, DAMN., which rises one spot in its 14th week on the list (56,000 units, up 3 percent). The album has yet to depart the top three since its debut at No. 1 on the May 6-dated chart.

French Montana earns the only debut in the top 10, as his second studio album, Jungle Rules, bows at No. 3 with 52,000 units (16,000 in traditional album sales). The new set surpasses the peak of his only other charting effort, his debut studio set, Excuse My French, which peaked at No. 4 in its opening frame (June 8, 2013). Excuse My French launched with 56,000 copies sold (before the chart transitioned to a consumption-based tally in late 2014).

Back on the new Billboard 200, DJ Khaled’s former leader Grateful holds at No. 4 with 43,000 units (down 14 percent), 21 Savage’s Issa Album slips 2-5 in its second week with 40,000 units (down 48 percent) and Ed Sheeran’s former No. 1 ÷ (Divide) descends 5-6 with 34,000 units (down 5 percent).

Imagine Dragons’ Evolve moves 6-7 with 33,000 units (down 6 percent) while the Moana soundtrack climbs a rung to No. 8 with a little more than 28,000 units (down 3 percent).

Khalid’s American Teen returns to the top 10 (and its peak rank) after four months, as the set rises 13-9 with 28,000 units (up 6 percent). The album debuted at No. 9 on the March 25-dated list, and then departed the top 10, falling as low as No. 21 on the May 27 chart. American Teen is up in album sales (4,000; up 15 percent), TEA units (4,000; up 8 percent) and SEA units (20,000; up 4 percent). The rise of the album is concurrent with the continued popularity of its single “Location,” which has spent more than four months lodged in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart (having reached No. 16).

Closing out the new Billboard 200’s top 10 is Bruno Mars’ 24K Magic, which ascends 11-10 with just under 28,000 units (down 2 percent).

Source: billboard.com