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08 Mar 2023

Spotify Launches Long-Awaited Pre-Save Feature With New ‘Countdown Pages’

Spotify has announced the addition of new landing pages designed to help artists promote upcoming releases, including the option to add a pre-save button directly on Spotify.

Dubbed “Countdown Pages,” the new feature also allows artists to tease exclusive content, pre-order merchandise, preview track lists and add a timer counting down to release day all in one place. It was introduced at the company’s Stream On event in Los Angeles on Wednesday (March 8) by global head of artists partnerships and audience Joe Hadley and head of editorial Sulinna Ong, with help from the Jonas Brothers.

The pre-save feature is a long-awaited addition to the streaming platform. For years, artists have been creating their own campaigns via third-party pre-save services to get fans to save upcoming releases to their playlists before they’re released. Many believe that having impressive pre-save statistics can help artists, particularly DIY and emerging talent, receive better consideration for Spotify’s playlists given that a high amount of pre-saves likely indicates high demand.

With Spotify’s new in-house pre-save option, fans who use the feature will get a push notification when the release is out, urging them to come back to the app and stream it. According to Spotify’s own research, over 80% of pre-savers stream the song within its debut week, and the new push notifications may boost this conversion rate.

Beyond the Jonas Brothers, Spotify showed clips of other popular artists endorsing the new feature, including Jennifer Lopez, Karol G, Luke Combs and 6lack.

“There’s a disconnect between where music is being teased and where music is actually being streamed,” said Ong, likely referencing the increased popularity of teasing songs on TikTok. “The most powerful time to reach fans is when they’ve chosen to engage with music, like when they open up Spotify. That’s why we’ve built Countdown pages.”

The Countdown pages will also allow the artist to incorporate Clips — aka short vertical video messages, similar to Instagram and TikTok Stories — to promote upcoming releases. Though Clips are not new on Spotify, the feature was previously limited to specific playlists and top stars. Slated to open up to more artists this spring, Clips can be featured on both Countdown Pages and an artist’s Spotify profile.

08 Mar 2023

The Weeknd Has Another New Rising ‘Starboy’ Track — Could He Really Do It Again?

Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up column, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip. 
 
This week: While celebrating one cut from his 2016 album improbably topping the Hot 100 in 2023, The Weeknd sees gains from another Starboy favorite — plus a dancehall classic revived by a rap superstar’s new single, and the early standout from the 36 songs on the new Morgan Wallen album.

Another Starboy “Reminder”?

Thanks largely to its much-hyped (and well-delivered) Ariana Grande-assisted remix, The Weeknd‘s “Die for You” tops the Billboard Hot 100 this week, over six years after it first debuted on the chart in 2016. Back then, it was one of many debuts from the artist born Abel Tesfaye’s Starboy album (via XO/Republic), a Billboard 200-topping success — but one that few would’ve predicted would still be spinning off hits in 2023. At the height of the TikTok age, though, seemingly no song is off-limits from a potential revival, with “Die for You” being one of the biggest recent beneficiaries.

And wouldn’t you know it: The Weeknd may even have a follow-up hit off the same set. “Reminder” also graced the Hot 100 back in late 2016, debuting and peaking at No. 31, with a star-studded video that was even nominated for video of the year at the 2017 Video Music Awards. In the past few month or two, the song has seen new life, with a popular TikTok trend of listeners posting selfie videos to the song’s (somewhat questionable) “Got a sweet Asian chick, she go low man (lo mein)” lyric.

The song has steadily risen in official on-demand U.S. streams over the last four weeks as a result — from 1.8 million for the tracking week ending Feb. 9 to over 2.7 million the week ending March 2, a 52% gain, according to Luminate. That’s still just a fraction of the streams posted by “Die for You” in its chart-topping week, but the song does debut at No. 140 on the Global 200 this week (dated March 11) — and with the success of “Die” serving as proof of concept, it might not take much more of a foot in the door for radio and streaming audiences to get on board with embracing another new-old Weeknd hit.

“Oooh” Yeah: Lumidee Classic Gains Thanks to Nicki Minaj Sample

For her first single of 2023, rap superstar Nicki Minaj reached back two decades for assistance. Lumidee’s 2003 top five Hot 100 hit “Never Leave You (Uh Oooh)” is one of the fondest-remembered smashes from the Sean Paul-heralded dancehall explosion in the pop mainstream of the mid-’00s, and Minaj sampled both the hypnotic Diwali Riddim and the singer’s own entrancing “Uh ooooh” chorus cries for the beat to her fiery new “Red Ruby da Sleeze,” released last Friday (March 3).

Unsurprisingly, the original “Never Leave You” (released on Universal) saw a bump in listenership as a result. The song rose from just under 42,000 official on-demand U.S. streams on the Thursday before the song’s release to nearly 72,000 that day, a gain of 71%, according to Luminate. “Red Ruby” is also off to a strong start, with millions in streams and thousands in sales in its debut week — though with heavy traffic expected from the 36 tracks found on Morgan Wallen’s blockbuster new album One Thing at a Time, it might have to wait to challenge the No. 3 peak of the Lumidee classic it borrows from.

“Thinkin’ Bout” an Early Breakout From New Morgan Wallen LP

Speaking of: As we’ve already written about extensively this week on Billboard, Morgan Wallen is off to the year’s best start with his third album One Thing at a Time, a 36-track set that looks to be a streaming behemoth — even beyond the standards of his 10-week Billboard 200-topping sophomore Republic/Big Loud/Mercury set Dangeorus: The Double Album. Dozens of the tracks are expected to land on the Hot 100 next week, with the pack predictably led by previously released cuts like “Last Night” and the title track, as well as early-tracklist highlights like “Man Made a Bar” and “Ain’t That Some.”

However, one track is joining the front-runners, despite appearing deep into the set’s running order: the rueful post-breakup cut “Thinkin’ Bout Me.” Showing up 25th out of the album’s 36 tracks, the song has nonetheless outperformed most of the tracks before it, with nearly 13 million combined official on-demand U.S. streams across its first four days of release (March 3-6), according to Luminate. The song might’ve been helped by a TikTok video Wallen shared days before One Thing‘s release of an older woman dancing enthusiastically at what appears to be a silent disco — with the vid set to “Thinkin’,” though it’s unclear what music the woman’s actually grooving to — along with the caption “fav fan ever. y’all help my find this lady.”

How high will “Thinkin’ Bout Me” and the rest of the album’s heavy-hitters debut on the Hot 100 next week? Too early to say for sure — but it’s probably safe to say that in general, One Thing at a Time will not be as patient with its chart takeover as its title suggests.

08 Mar 2023

Spotify Expands Access to Controversial Discovery Mode Program

Spotify officially announced that it has expanded access to Discovery Mode, a contentious program that gives artists the chance to gain more algorithmic exposure on the platform — through Spotify Radio and autoplay — in exchange for a lower royalty rate. The company made the announcement during its Stream On event on Wednesday (March 8), where CEO Daniel EK unveiled what he described as “an entirely new and updated Spotify experience.”

Artists or their teams can now easily enter tracks into Discovery Mode through the Spotify for Artists tool as long as their distributors are participating in the program. “While labels can continue to access Discovery Mode through our team, I’m excited that Discovery Mode is now available directly within Spotify for Artists today,” Joe Hadley, the streamer’s global head of artist partnerships and audience, said on Wednesday. “Now, thousands of independently distributed artists and labels have access to Discovery Mode.”

Managers who are eager to get their artists’ music in front of as many people as possible have been enthusiastic about Discovery Mode — telling Billboard it’s a “brilliant tool” that can yield “incredible results,” for example. On the other end of the spectrum, music industry trade organizations and members of Congress alike have denounced the program as a new digital form of payola that will eventually lead to an overall decrease in the amount of royalties flowing from Spotify to labels and artists. Several members of Congress also questioned Spotify about whether Discovery Mode meets guidelines set forth by the Federal Trade Commission, which notes that “disclosures of paid content” should be “clear and conspicuous.”

Spotify’s announcement about Discovery Mode’s expansion should not come as a surprise to much of the music industry — for several months, it’s been quietly emailing artists to tell them they can use the program through Spotify for Artists. “We’ve been in testing mode, but the results speak for themselves,” Hadley told the Stream On audience. “On average, we’ve seen users save Discovery Mode songs 50% more often, add them to playlists 44% more, and follow the artists 37% more. And that’s just what they see in the song’s first month of Discovery Mode use.”

The streaming service first announced that it was testing Discovery Mode towards the end of 2020. In a blog post at the time, Spotify said it developed the program in response to artists “tell[ing] us they want more opportunities to connect with new listeners.” Discovery Mode provides artists and labels a chance to “identify music that’s a priority for them, and our system will add that signal to the algorithm that determines personalized listening sessions.”

“To ensure the tool is accessible to artists at any stage of their careers, it won’t require any upfront budget,” Spotify wrote in its blog post. “Instead, labels or rights holders agree to be paid a promotional recording royalty rate for streams in personalized listening sessions where we provided this service.” Last year, managers told Billboard that the royalties they received on plays from Discovery Mode were 30% less than the royalties they received from plays elsewhere on Spotify.

In 2021, Representatives Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and Hank Johnson Jr. (D-GA) expressed their concerns about Discovery Mode, noting in a letter to Spotify that it could “set in motion a ‘race to the bottom’ in which artists and labels feel compelled to accept lower royalties as a necessary way to break through an extremely crowded and competitive music environment.” Last year, Reps. Yvette D. Clarke, Judy Chu and Tony Cardenas also wrote to Spotify, worrying that Discovery Mode “preys on unwitting” listeners who aren’t aware they’re being served a song thanks in part to a promotional program with a back-end cost.

Spotify has defended Discovery Mode by touting its impact on artists’ streams and pointing to supporters, including TuneCore and Terrace Martin, that offer positive testimonials about the program on the company’s website. “Artist and label teams have told [us] for years that they want more agency in reaching new listeners and driving meaningful connections on our platform,” Spotify said in a statement last year. “Discovery Mode, in its early phase, delivers just that.”

The streaming platform also offers artists access to another paid advertising program called Marquee, which shows users a full-screen recommendation for a new release. Spotify has touted Marquee’s bang-for-buck, writing last year that it “delivered 10x more Spotify listeners for every dollar spent on similar social ads” and “a 100% higher click-to-listen-rate, on average, than similar social ads.”

During the company’s Stream On event, it announced that Marquee, which had previously just been available to artists in the U.S., will expand to acts in the U.K. and Australia as well. “It’s one of the most effective tools out there to market new releases,” said Sulinna Ong, Spotify’s global head of editorial.

08 Mar 2023

Spotify Reveals New TikTok-Like Vertical Feed at Stream On

Spotify is launching a TikTok-like vertical-swiped homepage to its mobile app. Though Bloomberg leaked the news last week, the new homepage was officially unveiled by company executives at Spotify’s Stream On event Wednesday (March 8).

The new homepage — unveiled during the demonstration led by Spotify co-president/chief product officer/chief technology officer Gustav Soderstrom — will trade Spotify’s formerly static carousels of playlist and song recommendations in favor of a vertical, swipeable, video-based interactive feed which will automatically play previews of music, podcasts and audiobooks for users in hopes of helping them discover new content.

The top of the homepage will continue to boast a few quick links to help users instantly find their favorite podcasts, audiobooks and playlists.

“When I open my home screen, I won’t have to choose what I might be interested in just based on a cover art that I’ve never seen before, or an episode name I’ve never heard of,” said Soderstrom. “Instead, I can instantly hear the most interesting part of a song or an episode.”

The new video-centric feed, as well as other announcements at Stream On, represent a move away from positioning Spotify as a solely audio-focused company and toward creating a more audiovisual platform. As Spotify CEO Daniel Ek noted in his introduction, “In the past few years, people likely thought of Spotify as being the best destination for listening. But today, this evolution is really about bringing Spotify to life.”

Spotify has spent years trying to assert itself as the world leader in audio products, diversifying its offerings from music to exclusive podcasts, live audio and — most recently — audiobooks. But not all of these pushes have played out well for the company. At least six of its live audio programs, for example, were canceled after roughly a year.

The company began to offer more visuals in recent years to strong success, including adding video capabilities to some podcasts and its Canvas feature which lets artists showcase a looping video to accompany their songs. According to Spotify, songs that use Canvas are 145% more likely to get track shares, while listeners are 5% more likely to continue streaming them.

The Canvas feature will now play an even bigger role at Spotify, Soderstrom noted, as artists’ Canvases will now serve as the visual backdrop for audio previews on the app’s newly designed homepage.

The news of its more interactive, vertical homepage marks Spotify as the latest major tech company to seemingly take cues from TikTok. Instagram and YouTube have made pushes to popularize short-form, vertical video offerings on their sites in the last few years, while on the music side, apps like Discz, a swipeable music discovery service à la Tinder, have proven there’s an appetite for interactive music recommendations. SoundCloud followed suit this week as well, announcing a vertically-based Discover page that uses AI to power tailored recommendations.

08 Mar 2023

Chuck D to Receive Impact Music & Culture Award at 2023 NAMM Show

Chuck D, the leader and founder of Public Enemy, will receive NAMM’s inaugural Impact Music & Culture Award at the 2023 NAMM Show, which is being held April 13-15 in Anaheim, Calif.

The rapper will be on hand to accept the award, which will be presented at the TEC Experience on Thursday, April 13 from 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. PT. The award will be presented by Brian Hardgroove, Public Enemy’s bassist and bandleader and founder of Resonant Alien.

“TEC honors the pioneers, the innovators, those who have moved us forward, and the products and technologies which have advanced music-making,” TEC committee member Tony Baraz said in a statement. “As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, we recognize the impact that pioneers like Chuck D and others have had on music, music products, the music industry, and culture as a whole.”

Public Enemy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy in 2020.

NAMM’s Impact & Culture Award was conceived by Hardgroove as an opportunity to recognize individuals who move culture through the power of music.

The recognition comes as part of The NAMM Show’s Hip-Hop@50 celebration, a curated slate of sessions and events throughout the conference. Also planned is a music video montage of the history of hip-hop from music/video mashup creator, producer, and director Mike Relm and a performance by Resonant Alien, the new band featuring Hardgroove and DJ Johnny Juice of Public Enemy.

Additional Hip-Hop@50 events planned during the 2023 NAMM Show include a Friday, April 14 session from 5-8 p.m.: “Chuck D on Hip-Hop at 50, Hosted by Brian Hardgroove,” presented by Black to the Future and showcasing an historical look at the American music and cultural phenomenon.

On Saturday, April 15 from 3-5 p.m., the Yamaha Grand Plaza stage will come alive with the MIDI@40 celebration showcasing a performance by Resonant Alien. The performance will recognize the impact that hip-hop and MIDI — as an underlying, enabling technology — have had in breaking down barriers. MIDI drum machines, sequencers, synths, and turntables are at the heart of many of the iconic records that made hip-hop the cultural phenomenon that it is today. Learn more about MIDI@40 and Hip-Hop@50 events here.

Additionally, awards will be given to TEC Experience finalists in 21 technical achievement and one studio design project categories. View the complete list of finalists here.

The NAMM TEC Experience is a communal reception that gathers the crossroads of the industry to applaud the achievements of the researchers and developers, product designers, marketers, and innovators behind the innovations in pro audio.

The TEC Experience, MIDI@40 and Hip-Hop@50 join the return of industry events, including the Parnelli Awards and the She Rocks Awards, as well as other event gatherings and networking opportunities, including the Top 100 Dealer, Pro Audio Pool Party, Women of NAMM and NAMM Young Professionals receptions, and more. View the schedule here.

Registration for the 2023 NAMM Show is now open here.

08 Mar 2023

Gloria Gaynor Says She’s ‘Very Happy’ After ‘Extremely Liberating’ Divorce

Gloria Gaynor will survive. The 79-year-old disco superstar delved into her divorce from her manager, Linwood Simon, after 26 years of marriage with People this week, and even recalled the exact moment she knew it was time to call it quits.

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She told the publication that she had an awful migraine headache for the second time in a few days, and Simon did not want to take her to the hospital. “I said, ‘OK, I’m done. You really, truly don’t care about me, and I’m done.’ I’d have to be freakin’ comatose not to get that,” she explained. “My friend nailed it when she said it was disregard. You don’t know how painful that can be until you experience it. [Leaving him] was extremely liberating.”

Though Gaynor says their marriage had “wonderful moments,” one problem was that it was never balanced. She wanted children and he didn’t, for example, but she “swallowed whatever he said and did whatever he said and just let him have his way.”

However, Gaynor says she’s now “very happy,” but is still open to the right person coming along. “I absolutely believe in love,” she says. “Whether it’s in the cards for me, I sincerely doubt it, ’cause I’m truly not interested anymore. If it happens, it happens. If not, I’m good. It’s a wonderful place to be.”

Her 1978 hit “I Will Survive” also feels true to her now more than ever. “I have not only survived, I have thrived,” Gaynor shared. “I really think a lot of it has to do with the fact that whenever I’m going through something, I have used that song.”

08 Mar 2023

Steven Curtis Chapman’s ‘Heart’ Hits No. 1 on Christian AC Airplay Chart

Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman banks his third No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian AC Airplay chart as “Don’t Lose Heart” tops the list dated March 11.

In the tracking week ending March 2, the song increased by 5% in plays, according to Luminate.

Chapman wrote “Heart,” which marks his third Christian AC Airplay No. 1 among 15 top 10s, with Bryan Fowler and Micah Kuiper.

On the Christian Airplay chart, “Heart” ranks at No. 5 (6.5 million in audience), after reaching No. 3.

The Franklin, Tenn.-based Chapman, originally from Paducah, Ky., scores his first Christian AC Airplay leader since “Christmas Time Again” dominated for three weeks beginning in December 2012. His first No. 1, “Do Everything,” led for a week in October 2011.

“Heart” follows Chapman’s feature on CAIN’s “Wonderful,” which reached No. 3 in January 2022.

Chapman first reached the Christian AC Airplay top 10 with “How Do I Love Her,” which peaked at No. 7 in August 2003. Chapman, who has been producing hits since the late-1980s, logged many before Billboard’s Christian Airplay and AC Airplay charts began in June 2003.

“Heart” is from Chapman’s album Still, which entered Top Christian Albums at its No. 4 peak last October, awarding him his 21st top 10. He made his first of 27 appearances in 1987 with Real Life Conversation, which peaked at No. 19. He followed with his first top 10, More to Life (No. 2, May 1990). His first of nine No. 1s, For the Sake of the Call, reigned for two weeks in March 1991. He most recently led in November 2009 when Beauty Will Rise arrived at the summit.

Currently on tour, Chapman, 60, makes his next stop March 15 in Fort Wayne, Ind.

08 Mar 2023

She In Ha Mood: North West Hops On TikTok Dressed Up As Ice Spice, Twitter Debates If Kanye West Was Right

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Kanye West Trends After North West Dresses Up Like Ice Spice

Source: Mark Boland / Getty / Kanye West / North West

North West is her mood, and she is expressing it on what her dad Kanye West considers the devil, TikTok.

Another thing we didn’t see coming, like Tyga and Avril Lavigne swirling, is North West being a fan of Hip-Hop’s hottest star, Ice Spice.

The oldest of Ye and Kim Kardashian’s flock is currently expressing her love for the Bronx rapper on TikTok, and it has become the latest thing Twitter is debating about.

In her latest post, North West took things to another level by dressing up as the “Munch” rapper and dancing alongside friends to “Boys a Liar Pt.2,” a collaborative hit from Ice Spice and Pink Pantheress.

North West gets her cosplay on by rocking an orange wig and Juicy Couture sweatsuit compliment with two chains, one closely resembling Ice Spice’s $100,000 diamond signature neck jewelry with her face on it.

In another video, Ice Spice is in a TikTok post with arguably her most famous fan.

The Yeezy Fans Mount Up For Kanye West

The relatively harmless post has Twitter, primarily those still rocking with AntisemYE, claiming he was right to feel a way about Kim Kardashian allowing their daughter to be on the uber-popular social media platform.

West has made it clear he is not a fan of TikTok, and his loyal fans got “Kanye Was Right” trending. One user shared a video of Yeezy explaining his disdain for his ex-wife antagonizing him by allowing his daughter to be on TikTok.

“Father, I know y’all don’t respect fathers and the idea of family, and the media tries to promote something. I said, ‘I am not allowing my daughter to be used by TikTok, to be used by Disney.’ I have a say so,” West said in the clip. Remember, he also bought Kim K $100,000 worth of Disney stock, so the hypocrisy is loud with this one.

“Kanye was right,” another user began their tweet. “There’s no way a 9-year-old should be idolizing ice spice and listening to her music about twerking and having $ex with men… Kim is a terrible parent.”

Some feel people need to lighten the hell up and relax, saying Northy is just being a kid like everyone else and having fun.

“Y’all saying Kim is wrong and Kanye needs custody bc North got to hang out with her fav artist is so goofy. Y’all are the most miserable group of adults ever,” another Twitter user wrote in a tweet.

The former adidas collaborator has not said anything about his daughter’s latest TikTok posts. Still, he is back on Instagram, so we expect some shenanigans in the form of an IG post to arrive.

You can see more reactions in the gallery below.

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Photo: Mark Boland / Getty

1. Exactly

2. LOL, facts

08 Mar 2023

Jimmy Fallon Prank Auditioned for ‘The Voice’ & Only One Coach Didn’t Turn Around: Watch

Jimmy Fallon has what it takes. The late-night host crashed the The Voice to play an epic prank on coaches Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, Niall Horan and Chance the Rapper on the Tuesday (March 7) episode by pretending to blind audition for them — and only one of them didn’t turn around.

The audition begins with the four coaches waiting expectantly as an anonymous contestant takes the stage, backs turned to maintain the long-running NBC singing competition’s trademark fully blind auditions. As the singer — who only the crowd can see is the famous face of The Tonight Show — begins to belt out Michael McDonald’s “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near)” with a comically forced rasp, Clarkson, Horan and Chance exchange confused looks while Shelton listens skeptically.

It’s the “Stronger” singer who becomes the first coach to take a chance on the faux hopeful, followed shortly by Horan and Chance also hitting their red buttons. Each of them bursts into laughter upon turning around to find that it’s actually Fallon singing.

Shelton, however, remains unmoved. That is, until the Saturday Night Live alum walks offstage and presses the country star’s button for him. “You broke the rules!” Shelton jokingly scolds him, grinning when he sees Fallon’s face.

“I’m across the parking lot doing our show That’s My Jam,” Fallon says once the jig is up, before saluting Shelton specifically. The “God’s Country” singer recently announced that this season of The Voice will be his last, after nine wins and more than a decade of coaching contestants on the show.

“I had to come over and say ‘hey,’ buddy,” Fallon said. “Twenty-three seasons, congratulations.”

Before heading out, Fallon pledged his allegiance to Team Kelly. “I’m on Kelly’s team!” he said. “Thank you for turning around.”

Watch Jimmy Fallon prank The Voice coaches above.

08 Mar 2023

How Big Will Morgan Wallen’s ‘One Thing’ Get – And How Long Can it Reign at No. 1?

Welcome to The Contenders, a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week (for the upcoming charts dated March 18), Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time crashes the Billboard 200 like an asteroid, with its impact likely to be felt for many weeks to come. 

Morgan Wallen, One Thing at a Time (Big Loud/Republic/Mercury): When Morgan Wallen announced the release date of his new album in late January, every artist with an album scheduled for March probably screamed at their phone. Not only is Wallen’s previous album — the 30-track Dangerous: The Double Album – still sitting in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 a full two years after its 2021 release, but this album was going to be even longer: a whopping 36 tracks, six of which ranked on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of One Thing’s March 3 release.

Unsurprisingly, the album’s streams have been eye-popping. Billboard reported on Wednesday that the set’s collected tracks had scored 315 million official on-demand U.S. streams in its first four days (March 3-6) of release – already the biggest week for any 2023 album, the biggest week for any country album (passing Taylor Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version)’s debut week in 2021), and a significantly bigger week than Dangerous achieved in its full first week (240 million). Perhaps more impressively, despite not yet being available on vinyl, the set has already sold well: 90,000 copies in its first three days, also more than the 74,000 total Dangerous sold in its debut week (with vinyl available).

As of Tuesday, the album was up to over 350,000 equivalent album units – again, both the best of any 2023 album and better than Dangerous’ full debut (265,000). That means it’s already eclipsed the 318,000 units of the first week of SZA’s 23-track SOS in December, and is not far away from the 404,000 of Drake & 21 Savage’s 16-track Her Loss from that set’s November debut — though it should still fall well short of the 1.578 million posted by Swift’s Midnights earlier that month. (A closer battle will be with the 605,000 units of Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version) for the biggest first week for any country album of the equivalent album units era, which replaced pure album sales as the Billboard 200’s ranking metric in 2014.)

Then it’s a question of how long the album will hold atop the Billboard 200. It will face a worthy competitor next week with the debut of Miley Cyrus’ 13-track Endless Summer Vacation, led by the six-week Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 “Flowers,” and sets are expected later in the month from big names like Fall Out Boy, Lana Del Rey and fellow country superstar Luke Combs. But Dangerous reigned for its first 10 weeks with a shorter tracklist and a much slower start than One Thing, so any challengers to the throne have their work cut out for them.

IN THE MIX

Kali Uchis, Red Moon in Venus (Geffen/EMI): Red Moon marks acclaimed R&B singer-songwriter Kali Uchis’ first album since crossing over with her TikTok-driven 2021 hit “Telepatía.” First-week album sales for the set should be boosted by a variety of available variants, with three different vinyl LPs (including a salmon-colored vinyl exclusive to Urban Outfitters), a signed CD sold exclusively in her official webstore and four different deluxe boxed sets (two with a T-shirt and a CD, two with a hoodie and a CD).

NCT 127, Ay-Yo – The 4th Album Repackage (SM): Korean pop boy band NCT 127 had a top five hit on the Billboard 200 last fall with their fourth album 2 Baddies – which was repackaged and retitled with three new bonus tracks and released to streaming services and digital retailers in January as Ay-Yo. The set should see big gains this week with its physical release, including three different collectible CDs with randomized elements packaged inside.

Macklemore, Ben (Bendo): For veteran Seattle rapper Macklemore’s first album since 2017’s No. 2-peaking Gemini, he’s pulling out all the stops with the physical variants: different-colored vinyl exclusive to his website and to Urban Outfitters, six boxed sets (with such goodies as posters, hoodies and signed CDs) and even a cassette version. The album has been discounted to $3.50 for the CD and digital version on his webstore.

De La Soul, Three Feet High and Rising (AOI): After a decades-long battle over their catalog, legendary New York rap group De La Soul finally brought their full discography to streaming services last Friday (though, sadly, just weeks after the death of co-founder Trugoy the Dove), along with physical reissues of their six albums on vinyl, CD and cassette. Unsurprisingly, the best-performing of their sets looks to be 1989 debut 3 Feet High and Rising – one of the most acclaimed rap albums ever, thanks to classics like “Me, Myself & I,” “Eye Know” and “Buddy,” — which is available in multiple vinyl variants, and may surpass its original Billboard 200 peak of No. 24.