Chart Beat
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Taylor Swift spends a record-extending 74th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart (dated July 29), thanks to the second-week success of her latest album Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), plus 10 additional albums on the Billboard 200.
The set spends its second week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 121,000 equivalent album units earned July 14-20, according to Luminate. It’s Swift’s first re-recorded album to spend its first two weeks at the summit.
Further sparking Swift’s Artist 100 reign is 10 additional albums on the chart. This is the second week that Swift has landed 11 albums on the Billboard 200. A week ago, she became just the third act — and first woman — to chart at least 11 albums in a single week, following The Beatles and Prince.
Also for a second week, Swift has four albums in the chart’s top 10. A week earlier, she became the first living artist to chart four albums in the top 10 simultaneously since 1966.
Here’s a recap of Swift’s current Billboard 200-charting titles.
Rank, Title:
No. 1, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)
No. 5, Midnights
No. 7, Lover
No. 10, Folklore
No. 18, Red (Taylor’s Version)
No. 19, 1989
No. 21, reputation
No. 23, Fearless (Taylor’s Version)
No. 38, Evermore
No. 67, Speak Now
No. 138, Taylor Swift
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On the Billboard Hot 100, Swift charts eight songs: “Cruel Summer” (No. 8), “Karma” featuring Ice Spice (No. 11), “Anti-Hero” (No. 19), “I Can See You (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)” (No. 33), “Enchanted (Taylor’s Version)” (No. 65), “Back to December (Taylor’s Version)” (No. 76), “Mine (Taylor’s Version)” (No. 81) and “Sparks Fly (Taylor’s Version)” (No. 95).
Among other Artist 100 chart moves, Jason Aldean vaults 100-3, powered by his single “Try That in a Small Town,” which debuts at No. 2 on the Hot 100, becoming his highest charting song. The song’s profile was boosted after CMT’s decision to pull the its official video after three days in rotation. The removal prompted a surge in sales and streams for the song, which finished the tracking week with 11.6 million official U.S. streams and 228,000 downloads sold. The sales sum is the largest weekly total for a country song since Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise,” featuring Nelly, sold 244,000, as reflected on the charts dated July 6, 2013. (Aldean has ed the Artist 100 for three weeks, one each in 2014, 2016 and 2018.)
BTS’ Jung Kook re-enters the Artist 100 at No. 5 (after he had reached a prior No. 47 high), thanks to his new song “Seven” featuring Latto. The collab debuts at No. 1 on the Hot 100, as he becomes the second BTS member to score a solo leader, after Jimin with “Like Crazy” in April. (BTS has earned six No. 1s.)
Jung Kook is the sixth member of BTS to reach the top 10 of the Artist 100:
No. 1 peak (one week), Jimin
No. 3, Suga (as Agust D; as Suga, he reached No. 57)
No. 5, Jung Kook
No. 6, RM
No. 9, j-hope
No. 10, Jin
The Artist 100 measures artist activity across key metrics of music consumption, blending album and track sales, radio airplay and streaming to provide a weekly multi-dimensional ranking of artist popularity.
Blur will be hard to catch in the U.K. chart race.
The legendary Britpop band sets a dizzying pace on the midweek chart with The Ballad of Darren (via Parlophone), which is currently outselling the rest of the top 10 combined, the Official Charts Company reports.
Dropping last Friday, July 21, The Ballad of Darren is likely to mark the group’s seventh U.K. No. 1, which includes their most recent effort, 2015’s The Magic Whip.
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The foursome, comprising Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree, also hit No. 1 with Parklife (1994), The Great Escape (1995), Blur (1997), 13 (1999), and Think Tank (2003) (2015).
Of their eight previous studio LPs, only their first two efforts, 1991 debut Leisure (No. 7 peak) and 1993’s sophomore release Modern Life is Rubbish (No. 15), have failed to summit.
Frontman Albarn has already lifted the crown this year, with Gorillaz, whose Cracker Island started atop the Official U.K. Albums Chart in March, for the “virtual” act’s second leader.
Meanwhile, Michigan rockers Greta Van Fleet are soaring high on the latest chart blast with Starcatcher (EMI), their third album. It’s new at No. 2, and is set to earn Greta Van Fleet a new career high, eclipsing 2018’s Anthem of a Peaceful Army (No. 12 peak) and 2021’s The Battle at Garden’s Gate (No. 8).
Completing an all-new top three at the midweek point is by Nottingham, England alt-rock act As December Falls’ Join The Club (ADF). It’s new at No. 3 on the Official Chart Update, and should give the indie outfit their debut chart appearance.
Further down the midweek tally, K-pop girl group NewJeans could slip into the top 10 with their second EP, Get Up (Polydor). Featuring the viral single “Super Shy,” Get Up is on track for a No. 7 start.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published late Friday, July 28.
Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” rockets back in atop Billboard’s streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Country Songs chart dated July 29.
The single re-enters at the summit after spending one prior week on the survey at No. 35 in June, following its release.
The track returns with the biggest sales week for a country song in over 10 years, after CMT pulled its video, which premiered July 14, from rotation after three days, resulting in a surge of attention.
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Aldean achieves his 10th Hot Country Songs leader and 37th top 10 with “Try That in a Small Town,” which was co-written by Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, Kelley Lovelace and Neil Thrasher.
It becomes Aldean’s first Hot Country Songs No. 1 since 2014, when “Burnin’ It Down” dominated for 14 frames starting that August. He first ruled in 2006 when “Why” led for a week that May.
Meanwhile, with 37 Hot Country Songs top 10s, Aldean has now peaked in the top tier at least once each year dating to his first such hit, “Hicktown,” in 2005 – the longest active streak of annual top 10s on the chart.
“Try That in a Small Town” sold 228,000 downloads – up 27,625% – in the July 14-20 tracking week, according to Luminate. It awards Aldean his 11th No. 1 on Country Digital Song Sales. It also crowns the all-genre Digital Song Sales survey, becoming his second leader, after “Burnin’ It Down.”
“Try That in a Small Town” boasts the largest sales week for a country track since Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise,” featuring Nelly, sold 244,000, as reflected on the chart dated July 6, 2013.
Concurrently, “Try That in a Small Town” drew 11.6 million streams (up 547%). On Country Airplay, it holds at No. 25, with 6.5 million audience impressions (up 16%).
On July 18, Billboard confirmed that CMT had dropped the song’s official video, after three days in rotation; the network declined to say why. Following CMT’s decision, Aldean posted a message to his Instagram Stories addressing the various reactions that the song and video have faced.
The official video for the track, released July 14, features footage of an American flag burning, protesters in confrontation with police, looters breaking a display case and thieves robbing a convenience store. The clip has prompted a firestorm of opinions about it and the song’s intent and messaging.
Aldean addressed the polarized response during his Highway Desperado Tour stop Friday (July 21) at Cincinnati’s Riverbend Music Center. “It’s been a long week and I’ve seen a lot of stuff suggesting I’m this, suggesting I’m that,” he told the crowd. “I feel like everybody’s entitled to their opinion. You can think something all you want to; it doesn’t mean it’s true. What I am is a proud American. I’m proud to be from here … I love my country, I love my family, and I will do anything to protect that, I can tell you that right now.”
Meanwhile, “Try That in a Small Town” marks the second title that has re-entered Hot Country Songs at the pinnacle since the list became an all-encompassing genre survey in 1958. Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey” opened at No. 46 in May 2015 and re-entered at No. 1 that November. His first of three No. 1s led for two weeks, following his three wins at the 49th Country Music Association Awards.
Jung Kook’s “Seven,” featuring Latto, launches at No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated July 29). The song marks the first leader on the lists for a member of BTS as a soloist, as well as Latto’s first No. 1.
Plus, Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” debuts at No. 2 on the Global 200. The song, released in May, enters after CMT pulled its video, which premiered July 14, from rotation after three days, resulting in a surge of attention.
The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts, which started in September 2020, rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.
Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.
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‘Seven’ = 1 on Global 200, With Record Streams for a Soloist
Jung Kook’s “Seven,” featuring Latto, blasts in atop the Billboard Global 200, with 217.1 million streams and 269,000 downloads sold worldwide from its release July 14 through July 20. (The song’s original and instrumental versions were released July 14 and its “Summer” and “Band” mixes arrived July 17; all were available for download for 69 cents.)
The song’s streaming sum narrowly bests Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” (Feb. 4) for the biggest week for a song by a soloist since the Global 200 began. (“Flowers” also drew 217.1 million in its best week, but slightly less than the debut week of “Seven” after rounding off totals.) Overall, only one song has scored a bigger streaming week in that span – with Jung Kook also contributing to it: BTS’ “Butter” (289.2 million; June 5, 2021).
Plus, Jung Kook achieves the first Global 200 No. 1 for a BTS member as a soloist. Here’s a recap of BTS members’ top 10s on the ranking apart from the group (with BTS having logged 11 top 10s, including seven No. 1s, on the chart):
“Seven,” Jung Kook feat. Latto, No. 1 (one week to-date), July 2023
“Like Crazy,” Jimin, No. 2, April 2023
“Left and Right,” Charlie Puth feat. Jung Kook, No. 5, July 2022
“That That,” PSY feat. SUGA, No. 5, May 2022
“Set Me Free, Pt. 2,” Jimin, No. 8, April 2023
“Dreamers (Music From the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022),” Jung Kook, No. 9, December 2022
“The Astronaut,” Jin, No. 10, November 2022
Latto also achieves her first Global 200 No. 1. “Seven” far surpasses her prior best peak, set when “Big Energy” hit No. 32 in April 2022.
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Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” debuts at No. 2 on the Global 200, with 11.1 million streams (up 920%) and 233,000 sold (up 27,412%) July 14-20. The song was released in May; on July 18, Billboard confirmed that CMT had pulled its official video after three days in rotation, following the clip’s July 14 premiere. In the wake of CMT’s decision, Aldean posted a message to his Instagram Stories addressing the contrasting reactions that the song and video have faced.
Aldean, a veteran of Billboard’s country charts since 2005, lands his first Global 200 top 10 (or even top 40 appearance).
Myke Towers’ “LaLa” holds at its No. 3 Global 200 high; Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” falls to No. 4 after spending its first two weeks on the chart at the summit; and NewJeans’ “Super Shy” slips to No. 5 a week after it began at No. 2.
Jung Kook, Latto Also Top Global Excl. U.S.
Jung Kook’s “Seven” concurrently debuts atop the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, with 195.8 million streams and 131,000 downloads sold outside the U.S. July 14-20.
As on the Global 200, Jung Kook claims the first Global Excl. U.S. No. 1 for a BTS member solo. Here’s a recap of BTS members’ top 10s on the chart outside the group (with BTS having tallied 11 top 10s, including seven No. 1s, on the survey):
“Seven,” Jung Kook feat. Latto, No. 1 (one week to-date), July 2023
“Like Crazy,” Jimin, No. 2, April 2023
“Left and Right,” Charlie Puth feat. Jung Kook, No. 2, July 2022
“That That,” PSY feat. SUGA, No. 2, May 2022
“Dreamers (Music From the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022),” Jung Kook, No. 4, December 2022
“The Astronaut,” Jin, No. 6, November 2022
“Set Me Free, Pt. 2,” Jimin, No. 8, April 2023
“Stay Alive,” Jung Kook, No. 8, February 2022
“Vibe,” TAEYANG feat. Jimin, No. 9, January 2023
“Seven” featured artist Latto likewise leads Global Excl. U.S. for the first time. Her lone prior charted title, “Big Energy,” reached No. 117 in May 2022.
Myke Towers’ “LaLa” recedes to No. 2 after a week atop Global Excl. U.S.; NewJeans’ “Super Shy” slides to No. 3, a week after it debuted at No. 2; YOASOBI’s “Idol” keeps at No. 4, following three nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 beginning in June; and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” backtracks 3-5, two weeks after it debuted at the summit.
The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated July 29, 2023) will update on Billboard.com Tuesday (July 25). For both charts, the top 100 titles are available to all readers on Billboard.com, while the complete 200-title rankings are visible on Billboard Pro, Billboard’s subscription-based service. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
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.
Jung Kook’s “Seven,” featuring Latto, bounds in at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. Jung Kook becomes the second member of BTS with a Hot 100 leader, after Jimin’s “Like Crazy” launched at No. 1 in April.
Latto also lands her first Hot 100 No. 1.
Plus, Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” debuts at No. 2 on the Hot 100. The song, released in May, debuts with the biggest sales week for a country song in over 10 years, after CMT pulled its video, which premiered July 14, from rotation after three days, resulting in a surge of attention.
The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data, the lattermost metric reflecting purchases of physical singles and digital tracks from full-service digital music retailers; digital singles sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites are excluded from chart calculations. All charts (dated July 29, 2023) will update on Billboard.com Tuesday (July 25). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
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“Seven” is the 1,151st No. 1 since the Hot 100 began in August 1958. It’s the 68th leader to debut at No. 1.
Streams, airplay & sales: “Seven” soars in at No. 1 on the Hot 100 with 21.9 million streams, 6.4 million in airplay audience and 153,000 combined digital and CD singles sold from its release July 14 through July 20, according to Luminate. (The song’s original and instrumental versions were released July 14 and its “Summer” and “Band” mixes arrived July 17; all were available for download for 69 cents. The song’s original version was also available for purchase on CD beginning July 14 for $1.99.)
“Seven” debuts at No. 2 on the Digital Song Sales chart and No. 4 on Streaming Songs. While below the all-format Radio Songs tally, it debuts at No. 30 on Adult Pop Airplay and No. 33 on Pop Airplay.
Jung Kook’s Hot 100 history: Jung Kook earns his first Hot 100 No. 1, or even top 10, following two charted songs in 2022: Charlie Puth’s “Left and Right,” featuring Jung Kook, hit No. 22 (July), after Jung Kook’s own “Stay Alive” spent a week on the list at No. 95 (February).
BTS now with 2 members with Hot 100 No. 1s: Jung Kook becomes the second member of BTS with a Hot 100 No. 1 (or, again, even a top 10), after Jimin’s “Like Crazy” debuted at No. 1 in April.
BTS – comprising j-hope, Jimin, Jin, Jung Kook, RM, Suga and V – has posted six Hot 100 leaders.
The superstar Korean septet is now among elite company, as nine groups boast multiple members with solo Hot 100 No. 1s:
The Beatles
The Black Eyed Peas
Blind Faith
BTS
Destiny’s Child
Fugees
Genesis
Hot Boys
One Direction
Further, with BTS having logged six Hot 100 No. 1s and Jung Kook and Jimin with one No. 1 each, BTS joins The Beatles, The Black Eyed Peas, Destiny’s Child and Genesis as the only groups with leaders and multiple members also with No. 1s.
Latto leads: Latto likewise earns her first Hot 100 No. 1 with “Seven.” She previously hit the top 10 with “Big Energy,” which rose to No. 3 in April 2022.
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Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” roars onto the Hot 100 at No. 2, as it drew 11.6 million streams (up 547%) and 7.3 million in radio airplay audience (up 17%) and sold 228,000 (up 27,625%) July 14-20.
The track debuts at No. 1 on Digital Song Sales, where it’s Aldean’s first leader, and No. 37 on Streaming Songs. While not on Radio Songs, it holds at No. 25 in its ninth week on Country Airplay.
The song scores the largest digital sales week for a country title (defined as by those that have hit Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart) in over 10 years, since Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise,” featuring Nelly, sold 244,000, as reflected on charts dated July 6, 2013.
On July 18, Billboard confirmed that CMT had pulled the official video for “Try That in a Small Town” after three days in rotation; the network declined to say why. Following CMT’s decision, Aldean posted a message to his Instagram Stories addressing the contrasting reactions that the song and video have faced.
The song’s video, released July 14, features footage of an American flag burning, protesters in confrontation with police, looters breaking a display case and thieves robbing a convenience store. The clip has prompted a firestorm of opinions about it and the song’s intent and messaging.
Aldean achieves his second Hot 100 top 10, after “Dirt Road Anthem,” which, helped by its remix featuring Ludacris, hit No. 7 in July 2011.
“Try That in a Small Town” concurrently re-enters at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, which employs the same multi-metric methodology as the Hot 100. (The single spent one prior week on Hot Country Songs, at No. 35 on the June 3-dated list, reflecting its first week of tracking.) Aldean adds his 10th Hot Country Songs champ. He first led with “Why” in May 2006 and had most recently reigned with “Burnin’ It Down” in 2014. He also notches his 37th top 10; he’s peaked in the top 10 at least once each year dating to his first such hit, “Hicktown,” in 2005 – the longest active streak of annual top 10s on the chart.
Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” descends to No. 3 on the Hot 100 after 14 weeks at No. 1; it’s tied for the fifth-longest command in the chart’s history. It lands an eighth week atop Billboard’s Songs of the Summer chart, having ranked at No. 1 each week since the seasonal recap returned.
Luke Combs’ cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” falls to No. 4 on the Hot 100 after three weeks at its No. 2 high.
Notably, thanks to Aldean, Wallen and Combs’ hits, which rank at Nos. 1, 2 and 3, respectively, on Hot Country Songs, the top three songs on the chart place in the Hot 100’s top four spots for the first time since the rankings began using the same formula.
Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” dips 4-5 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 3, as it logs a fifth week atop Radio Songs (92.9 million, up 1%). It tops Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs for a 47th week, extending the longest reign since the chart began (in partnership with music festival and global brand Afro Nation).
Gunna’s “Fukumean” rises 7-6 for a new Hot 100 high – and reaches No. 1 on Streaming Songs (27.4 million, up 16%), where it’s the rapper’s second leader, after “Drip Too Hard,” with Lil Baby, ruled for a week in October 2018. “Fukumean” tops both the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts for a second week each.
Two weeks after arriving as her third Hot 100 No. 1, Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” retreats 3-7; Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” climbs 9-8, after hitting No. 7; Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” backtracks 6-9, after eight weeks at No. 1 beginning upon its debut in January; and, rounding out the top 10, Lil Durk’s “All My Life,” featuring J. Cole, drops 8-10, after it debuted at its No. 2 peak.
Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram and all charts (dated July 29), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com Tuesday (July 25).
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.
J Hus bags the U.K. chart crown with Beautiful and Brutal Yard, new at No. 1.
The leader at the halfway mark, Beautiful and Brutal Yard (via Black Butter) becomes the Stratford, England-born rapper and singer’s second leader, following 2020’s Big Conspiracy, and his third career top 10 placing (his 2017 debut Common Sense peaked at No. 6).
Three tracks from Beautiful and Brutal Yard appear in the current U.K. singles chart top 40: “Who Told You” with Drake (down 4-5), “Militerian” featuring Naira Marley (new at No. 23), and “Masculine” with Burna Boy (new at No. 24).
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Taylor Swift continues to swamp the U.K. albums chart, led by Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), down 1-2. It’s one of six Swift titles on the climb in the top 20 (all via EMI), no doubt fueled by the excitement surrounding the ticket onsale for the 2024 U.K. leg of The Eras Tour. Further down the Official U.K. Albums Chart, 2022’s Midnights is up 9-5, 2014’s 1989 gains 10-8, 2019’s Lover improves 12-9, 2017’s Reputation lifts 21-15 and 2019’s folklore spikes 25-16.
Rita Ora’s return with You & I (BMG) nets her a second top 10 entry. The British artist’s new album bows at No. 6, for her highest-charting LP in over a decade. Her 2012 debut ORA peaked at No. 1, and its 2018 followup Phoenix hit No. 11.
Further down the list, British-born Canadian singer and songwriter Lauren Spencer Smith just misses out on a top 10 debut with Mirror (Island), new at No. 11; while Glasgow, Scotland singer and songwriter Gerry Cinnamon nabs his third top 40, with Live at Hampden Park (Little Runaway) appearing at No. 12. The live collection is the week’s best-seller on wax.
Also impacting the albums survey for the first time are titles from DJ and producer Joel Corry (Another Friday Night at No. 24 via Atlantic); U.S. pop band Pvris (EVERGREEN at No. 25 via Hopeless); New York rapper and singer Lil Tjay (222 at No. 26 via Columbia) and British singer-songwriter Mahalia (IRL at No. 31 via Atlantic).
It’s a great week for BTS‘s Jung Kook, who establishes a chart record in the U.K. with “Seven.”
The K-pop star’s hit lands at No. 3 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, published July 21, for the highest-charting debut by a solo Korean act.
The singer’s hot start with “Seven” (via BigHit Entertainment) surpasses the first-week bows by BTS bandmates j-hope and Jimin, the Official Charts Company reports.
All seven members of the K-pop phenomenon – Jin, Jimin, Suga, Jung Kook, RM, V and J-Hope – have shared solo material, with Jimin setting the bar with a top 10 for “Like Crazy” (peaking at No. 8) in March; he separately secured a top 40 appearance with “Set Me Free Pt. 2,” hitting No. 30.
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J-hope was the first member of BTS to bag a U.K. top 40 single, thanks to his J. Cole collaboration “On The Street” peaking at No. 37.
With his podium finish, Jung Kook matches BTS’ best U.K. chart positions so far — 2020’s “Dynamite,” plus “Butter” and “My Universe” with Coldplay (both from 2021) all debuted and peaked at No. 3.
The highest-charting U.K. solo single by a Korean act belongs to Psy, whose “Gangnam Style” dropped in September 2012 at No. 61, then climbed to No. 1 in its fourth week on the tally. The viral hit clocked 55 weeks on the chart, last appearing in 2014.
“Seven,” which features vocals from U.S. rapper Latto, and blasts to No. 2 on Australia’s ARIA Chart, is pipped in the U.K. by Dave and Central Cee’s hip-hop hit “Sprinter” (Live Yours/Neighbourhood), which races to a seventh consecutive chart title. Following a tight three-way race at the top, Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” (Geffen) flies in at No. 2, unchanged from the previous week.
Finally, U.S. pop star Billie Eilish lands her ninth U.K. top 10 single with “What Was I Made For?” (Interscope). The new release, lifted from the Barbie movie soundtrack, is new at No. 10.
Taylor Swift’s third re-recorded album, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), spends a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart (dated July 29). It’s the first time a re-recorded Swift album has spent its first two weeks at No. 1. The pop superstar’s re-recorded Fearless and Red each bowed at No. 1 in 2021, and then fell from the top slot in their second frames — though the former returned to No. 1 six months later after its release on vinyl and signed CD.
Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) earned 121,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending July 20 (down 83%), according to Luminate.
Swift leads a quiet top 10, where the region hosts zero debuts for the first time in six months. The top 10 was last absent of debuts on the Jan. 28-dated list, when SZA’s SOS led the chart for a sixth week.
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 29, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Tuesday (July 25). For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
Of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)’s 121,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending July 20, SEA units comprise 73,000 (down 65%, equaling 95.6 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 22 songs), album sales comprise 47,000 (down 91%) and TEA units comprise 1,000 (down 72%).
For a second week in a row, Swift has four albums in the top 10 of the Billboard 200. A week ago, she became the first living artist to chart four albums in the top 10 at the same time since 1966. On the latest chart, those same four sets (all former No. 1s) are still in the top 10, as Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is joined by Midnights (rising 5-4 with 51,000 units; down 7%), Lover (7-6 with 44,000; down 2%) and Folklore (a non-mover at No. 10 with 34,000; up 5%).
Morgan Wallen’s former No. 1 One Thing at a Time is stationary at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 105,000 equivalent album units (up 2%). One Thing at a Time has earned in excess of 100,000 equivalent album units in all 20 of its chart weeks. It extends its own record as the album with the most weeks of 100,000-plus units since the Billboard 200 began ranking titles by units in December of 2014.
Peso Pluma’s Génesis returns to its peak, rising 4-3 (55,000 equivalent album units; down 5%); Wallen’s chart-topping Dangerous: The Double Album climbs 6-5 (48,000; up 3%); SZA’s SOS ascends 8-7 (43,000; down 1%); Lil Uzi Vert’s former leader Pink Tape dips 3-8 (40,000; down 34%); and Gunna’s A Gift & a Curse is steady at No. 9 (nearly 40,000; down 6%).
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.
Luke Combs’ version of Tracy Chapman’s 1988 Billboard Hot 100 top 10 “Fast Car” rules Billboard’s Country Airplay chart (dated July 29) for a fourth week. It drew 34.8 million in audience, up less than 1%, July 14-20, according to Luminate.
The cover now solely boasts the longest Country Airplay domination among remakes of pop hits. It passes two three-week leaders: Brooks & Dunn’s cover of “My Maria,” the duo’s ninth of 20 chart-toppers, led for three weeks in May 1996. The song was originally a No. 9 Hot 100 hit for B.W. Stevenson in 1973. Plus, Alan Jackson’s interpretation of Eddie Cochran’s early rock anthem “Summertime Blues” topped Country Airplay for three frames starting in July 1994. Cochran’s original reached No. 8 on the Hot 100 in 1958.
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After Chapman provided Billboard with a statement revealing how “honored” she was to have a No. 1 on the chart (July 6), Combs replied in kind. “Oh man, ‘Fast Car’ has surprised me more than you can imagine. Tracy Chapman wrote this perfect song that that I first heard with my dad and it has stayed with me since,” Combs told Billboard. “I have played it in my live show now for six-plus years and everyone – I mean everyone – across all these stadiums relates to this song and sings along. That’s the gift of a supernatural songwriter. The success of my cover is unreal, and I think it’s so cool that Tracy is getting recognized and has reached new milestones. I love that she is out there feeling all the love and that she gave me a shout-out! Thank you, Tracy!”
“I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honored to be there,” Chapman told Billboard. “I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car.’ ”
Meanwhile, Combs’ official concert video for his cover premiered July 18.
‘Wings’ Flies
Elsewhere, Thomas Rhett banks his 22nd Country Airplay top 10 as “Angels Don’t Always Have Wings” rises from No. 11 to No. 10. In the July 14-20 tracking week, the song increased by 1% to 17.7 million impressions.
The Valdosta, Ga., native co-penned the track with Julian Bunetta, Teddy Swims and Josh Thompson. It’s the third single from Rhett’s LP Where We Started, which began at its No. 2 Top Country Albums high in April 2022, becoming his sixth top 10.
The song follows Rhett’s “Half of Me” (featuring Riley Green), which became his 18th Country Airplay No. 1 last November. Before that, “Slow Down Summer,” the lead single from Where We Started, peaked at No. 2 in May 2022.
Rhett’s third of his 29 entries, “It Goes Like This,” became his first Country Airplay top 10 and first leader. It reigned for three weeks starting in October 2013.
When Tony Bennett died at age 96 on the morning of July 21, 2023, the world lost one of the last vocal titans of the Great American Songbook. Bennett – who was born Antonio Dominick Benedetto in Long Island, NY back when Calvin Coolidge was president – enjoyed an illustrious career that spanned nine decades. […]