Maisie Peters casts a spell on her countrymen and women as The Good Witch (via Atlantic/Gingerbread Man) debuts at No. 1 on the U.K. chart.
At just 23, Peters becomes the youngest British female solo artist to lead survey in almost a decade, the Official Charts Company reports.
You’d have to go back to Ella Henderson and her debut LP, Chapter One, which hit the top back in 2014 when Henderson was just 18 years of age, to find a younger female Brit to hit the summit.
The leader at the midweek stage, The Good Witch goes one better than its predecessor, Peters’ debut album You Signed Up for This, which peaked at No. 2 in 2021.
“It’s just the craziest and coolest thing! I’m so happy for myself, my fans and everyone I work with; my band, crew, manager and label,” Peters tells the OCC.
“All of the fans, we’ve been on this journey together for the longest time and this album really felt like an album for all of us. This No. 1 is for all of us, too, so thank you so much.”
Further down the Official U.K. Albums Chart, published June 30, Young Thug bags his third U.K. top 40 with Business is Business (300 Entertainment), new at No. 15. The Atlanta rapper, singer and songwriter previously cracked the list with 2019’s So Much Fun (peaking at No. 9) and 2021’s Punk (No. 22).
Also fresh on the chart is Kelly Clarkson’s Chemistry (Atlantic), new at No. 22. It’s the U.S. pop and country star’s eighth U.K. top 40 LP, and first in six years, the most recent with 2017’s Meaning of Life (peaking at No. 11).
Finally, Glastonbury Festival is in the books, and a string of performers at this year’s edition are flying up the chart. They include Elton John, Lewis Capaldi, Arctic Monkeys and Lana Del Rey, all of whom enjoy top 10 spikes.
Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time logs a 15th nonconsecutive and total week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated July 8), as it earned 110,500 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending June 29 (up less than 1%), according to Luminate.
One Thing at a Time, released via Big Loud/Mercury/Republic Records, continues to have the most weeks at No. 1 among all albums since Adele’s 21 logged 24 nonconsecutive weeks atop the list in 2011-12.
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The Republic label has topped the chart for the last 17 weeks in a row, since the March 18-dated tally, when One Thing at a Time debuted at No. 1. That album spent 12 consecutive weeks at No. 1, and then stepped aside on the June 10 and 17 charts when Taylor Swift’s Midnights (on Republic) returned to the top and Stray Kids’ 5-STAR (JYP/Imperial/Republic) debuted at No. 1, respectively. One Thing at a Time then returned to No. 1 for the last three weeks (June 24-July 8 charts).
With Republic’s 17th straight week at No. 1, the label has the longest streak for any label atop the chart since 1992, when Mercury ruled for 17 consecutive frames with Billy Ray Cyrus’ Some Gave All.
Also in the top 10 of the new Billboard 200 albums chart, Young Thug scores his eighth top 10-charting effort with Business Is Business debuting at No. 2, Peso Pluma captures his first top 10 and the highest charting album ever for a regional Mexican release as Génesis launches at No. 3, and Kelly Clarkson nabs her ninth top 10 with the No. 6 arrival of Chemistry.
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, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new July 8, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on July 5, one day later than usual due to the Independence Day holiday in the U.S. on Tuesday, July 4. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
Of One Thing at a Time’s 110,500 equivalent album units earned in the week ending June 29, SEA units comprise 104,000 (up less than 1%, equaling 139.68 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 36 songs), album sales comprise 4,500 (down 6%) and TEA units comprise 2,000 (up 5%).
One Thing at a Time has earned in excess of 100,000 equivalent album units in all 17 of its chart weeks – the most weeks any album has exceeded 100,000 units since the Billboard 200 began ranking titles by units in December of 2014. It surpasses the 16 frames logged by Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti in 2022.
Young Thug clocks his eighth top 10-charting album on the Billboard 200 as Business Is Business bows at No. 2 with 89,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 80,000 (equaling 106.32 million on-demand official streams of the set’s tracks), album sales comprise 8,500 and TEA units comprise 500. The album’s release came while the rapper is incarcerated, awaiting trial on racketeering charges.
If Business Is Business goes no higher than No. 2, it will mark the 11th album that One Thing at a Time has blocked from the No. 1 position. The latter has stood at No. 1 while 11 albums have debuted at No. 2: TWICE’s Ready To Be (March 25 chart), Jimin’s FACE (April 8), Melanie Martinez’s Portals (April 15), NF’s Hope (April 22), Metallica’s 72 Seasons (April 29), Agust D’s D-Day (May 6), SEVENTEEN’s SEVENTEEN 10th Mini Album: FML (May 13), Ed Sheeran’s – (Subtract) (May 20), Niall Horan’s The Show (June 24), ATEEZ’s The World EP.2: Outlaw (July 1) and Business Is Business (July 8).
It’s not unusual for an album to spend a lengthy amount of time at No. 1 and end up keeping a number of albums from the top slot. Last year, eight different albums peaked at No. 2 behind Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti. In 2016, Drake’s Views also kept eight albums at No. 2 during its 13-week run at No. 1. In 2014, the Frozen soundtrack prevented 10 different No. 2-peaking albums from hitting No. 1 during the set’s 13-week run at the top. The last No. 1 album before One Thing at a Time to hold back at least 11 different albums from the top was Adele’s 21, which blocked 15 titles from the top over the course of its 24 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 in 2011-12.
Back on the new Billboard 200, Peso Pluma achieves the highest-charting regional Mexican album ever, as his debut album Génesis debuts at No. 3 with 73,000 equivalent album units earned. The set is only the third regional Mexican effort to reach the top 10 (following two titles from Eslabon Armado in only the past 14 months) and it bows with the biggest week, by units earned, for any regional Mexican title since the list began measuring by units in December of 2014. The previous highest-charting regional Mexican album, and biggest week by units for the genre, was tallied by Eslabon Armado’s Desvelado, which debuted and peaked at No. 6 on the May 13-dated list with 44,000 units.
Of Génesis’ 73,000 units, SEA units comprise 72,000 (equaling 101.18 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs – the largest streaming week ever for a regional Mexican album), album sales comprise just under 1,000 and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. (Génesis was released on an off-cycle Thursday, June 22, instead of the traditional Friday for most new albums. The tracking week ending June 29 is the set’s first full chart tracking week.)
Peso Pluma has been red-hot on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 songs chart in 2023, having charted 11 entries on the list, including the top five smash “Ella Baila Sola,” with Eslabon Armado (which is not included on the Génesis album).
Taylor Swift’s chart-topping Midnights is a non-mover at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 with 57,000 equivalent album units (down 6%), while Gunna’s A Gift & A Curse falls 3-5 in its second week with 55,000 (down 36%).
Kelly Clarkson claims her ninth top 10-charting effort on the Billboard 200 as her latest studio album Chemistry bows at No. 6. The set launches with 53,000 equivalent album units earned, of which album sales comprise 43,000 (making it the top-selling album of the week), SEA units account for 9,000 (equaling 11.25 million on-demand official streams of the set’s tracks) and TEA units comprise 1,000.
Chemistry is Clarkson’s first studio album of non-holiday material in over five years, since 2017’s Meaning of Life. Clarkson charted her first album on the Billboard 200 just over 20 years ago, when her debut release Thankful opened at No. 1 on the May 3, 2003-dated list.
A trio of former No. 1s is next on the Billboard 200, as Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album falls 6-7 (47,000 equivalent album units; up 3%), SZA’s SOS dips 5-8 (47,000; down 2%) and Swift’s Lover bumps 10-9 (43,000; up 9%). ATEEZ’s The World EP.2: Outlaw rounds out the top 10, falling 2-10 in its second week with 34,000 units (down 68%).
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.
Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour weekend in Cincinnati, Ohio, was an exciting one for Swifties. She debuted two Evermore songs live for the first time during her acoustic sets — one with an assist from collaborator Aaron Dessner — and she performed a Gracie Abrams song with Abrams.
The superstar shared several photos from her Cincinnati shows on social media Sunday (July 2), along with a message that recapped some highlights — and reminded fans what they still have to look forward to later in the week.
“Cincinnati I couldn’t love you more,” Swift wrote. “Had the best two nights with you!!”
She continued, “Last night was so special getting to sing ‘I miss you, I’m sorry’ with @gracieabrams in the acoustic set and bringing out @aarondessner to play ‘Ivy’ in his hometown.”
Swift invited Abrams to the stage with her Saturday night (July 1), as the opening act’s set was cut due to a schedule change based on the weather forecast. The two shared vocals on Minor track “I Miss You, I’m Sorry,” with Swift on guitar and Abrams on piano, and Abrams posted her own reaction to this unforgettable moment: “@taylorswift I love you forever friend. Just thank you.”
Dessner brought Evermore‘s “Ivy” to life on the stage for the first time with Swift the same night. And on Friday (June 30), Swift sang the album’s title track, “Evermore,” for the first time live.
Dessner uploaded a video of “Ivy” on Instagram and wrote, “Cincinnati!! It’s hard to describe what it felt like to play ‘Ivy’ from evermore last night with @taylorswift in the town I grew up in, where I learned to play music in the first place. Grateful as always to Taylor and all of you for listening.”
Meanwhile, Swift wrapped up her note to fans on Sunday: “See you soon Kansas City, meanwhile I’ll be counting down the minutes til Speak Now (my version) comes out July 7th WHICH IS VERY SOON.”
Swift first announced that Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) will be arriving on July 7 at one of her Eras shows at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium in May.
She wrote about Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)on social media on May 5: “It fills me with such pride and joy to announce that my version of Speak Now will be out July 7 (just in time for July 9th, iykyk. I first made Speak Now, completely self-written, between the ages of 18 and 20. The songs that came from this time in my life were marked by their brutal honesty, unfiltered diaristic confessions and wild wistfulness. I love this album because it tells a tale of growing up, flailing, flying and crashing … and living to speak about it. With six extra songs I’ve sprung loose from the vault, I absolutely cannot wait to celebrate Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) with you on July 7th.”
Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is the third re-recorded album she’s releasing, following Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version) in 2021.
For more about Swift’s weekend in Cincinnati, check out Billboard‘s review of Saturday night’s concert, plus an ongoing record of the surprise songs she’s performed on tour here. Watch clips of this weekend’s special performances with Aaron Dessner and Gracie Abrams below.
Olivia Rodrigo‘s “Vampire” tops this week’s new music poll.
Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (June 30) on Billboard, choosing Rodrigo’s new single as their favorite new music release of the past week.
“Vampire” brought in more than 64% of the vote, beating out new music from Lil Uzi Vert, Shakira & Manuel Turizo, Charli XCX and more.
Piano ballad “Vampire” is off of Rodrigo’s forthcoming sophomore album, GUTS, due out Sept. 8 on Geffen Records. The singer-songwriter, who penned the song in December, told Billboard, “I remember writing it and feeling like something special was there.”
“We always said that it was kind of our version of a rock opera,” she added.
“It’s kind of an angry song,” Rodrigo said, “and I think I have a lot of trouble expressing feelings like anger and regret, those are particularly tough ones for me to express. I go to songwriting to get those feelings out that aren’t super comfortable to express in everyday life.”
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Trailing behind “Vampire” on the poll is Lil Uzi Vert’s Pink Tape, with 31% of the vote, and Shakira and Manuel Turizo’s ” “Copa Vacía,” with 4% of the vote.
This weekend is Pride in London, and Ariana Grande is marking the celebration with Kylie Minogue‘s latest single.
“HAPPY LONDON PRIDE,” she wrote on Saturday (July 1) in an Instagram Story showing herself lip syncing to Minogue’s “Padam Padam” in front of the camera. “I LOVE YOUUUUUU.”
“you’re perfect,” Grande — who just had her 30th birthday and is set to star as Glinda the Good Witch in the two-part film adaptation of the Broadway hit Wicked — wrote to Minogue on the clip.
Grande is in good company: Vice President Kamala Harris was spotted getting down to Minogue‘s summer anthem just a few days ago. “I like it. I like it,” she declared while bopping her head to the song’s beat when she celebrated her visit to the Stonewall Inn in New York City earlier this week, in support of the LGBTQ community.
“Padam Padam” is the lead single from Minogue’s highly-anticipated sixteenth album, Tension, which will be out on Sept. 22. She made the Tension announcement in May, noting that she “would say it’s a blend of personal reflection, club abandon and melancholic high.”
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