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With the first quarter of the 21st century coming to an end, Billboard has been looking back on the 25 Greatest Pop Stars of the Past 25 Years. Below, we take a deeper look into the solo career of Louis Tomlinson — one of the members of our No. 22 pop stars, One Direction — and how his songwriting, originally honed in 1D, has helped him develop into one of the group’s strongest breakout artists.
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When One Direction officially went on hiatus in 2015, Zayn Malik dropped Mind of Mine in 2016, Harry Styles’ eponymous LP dropped in 2017, Niall Horan followed with Flicker later that year and Liam Payne’s First Time EP arrived in 2018. Louis Tomlinson, however, took his time with releasing a full project – and entered an era of healing and self-discovery that saw him realizing his potential as one of 1D’s most self-actualized artists, even if not necessarily the starriest.
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Even before going solo, Tomlinson showed he was meant for breakthrough success while in One Direction. Longtime Directioners know that Tomlinson wrote more songs in One Direction than any other member, penning long standing hits including “Perfect,” “History” and “Fool’s Gold” and proving his fortitude as a songwriter who understands lyrical cleverness and crafting the indescribably catchy refrains necessary to produce arena-ready hits. Beyond his musical abilities, Tomlinson’s sense of humor and friendship with fellow 1D members also ensured fans had a soft spot for him.
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However, when he did go solo, the road was slippery at first. He teamed up with Steve Aoki for his first solo release “Just Hold On” in December 2016, and just three days before its release, Tomlinson’s mother died of leukemia. He still took the stage to perform the song on The X Factor, the first public testament to the star’s strength and dedication to his musical craft.
Tomlinson’s resilience amid adversity continued as he navigated the music industry. The star signed with Epic Records in 2017 and released a few singles – including “Miss You” and the Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals-assisted “Back to You.” While the infectious hooks to both tracks could have easily solidified Tomlinson as a pop mainstay, the two singles didn’t perform as well as expected on the charts: “Just Hold On” peaked at No. 52 on the Billboard Hot 100 and “Back to You” hit No. 40, while “Miss You” missed the chart altogether. Ultimately, a full-length album never materialized with Epic Records.
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Tomlinson shortly got back on his feet, as he always does, and signed with Arista Records in 2019 – where he honed his talent as a songwriter, this time feeling comfortable enough to tackle more vulnerable topics in his music. His first release under the label was “Two of Us,” a heart-wrenching tribute to his late mother. “I know you’ll be looking down/ Swear I’m gonna make you proud/ I’ll be living one life for the two of us,” he sings in the chorus, giving a glimpse into what would soon become a musical career full of honesty and vulnerability.
Unfortunately, shortly after its release, another hardship struck Tomlinson’s life when his 18-year-old sister Fizzy died of an accidental overdose. Both the release of “Two of Us” and the tragedy that followed showed just how close Tomlinson’s community of fans is, as they showered him with online love and support in the months that followed.
After taking some much-deserved time to heal, he announced in August of that year that his debut solo album was on its way – and shortly after, he released a follow-up single, the rock-leaning, drumline-driven “Kill My Mind.” Tomlinson admitted that he finally found his stride. “I’m actually really proud and relieved to finally find my place, find my lane musically,” he told Hits Radio Breakfast at the time, indicating a moment of relief amid his turbulent few years.
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Tomlinson’s debut solo album, Walls, arrived in January 2020 and while it hit the Billboard 200‘s top 10, it was met with mixed reviews from critics, who suggested that the heart he wanted to portray wasn’t quite there. His growth outside of commercial success proved otherwise, as he had been spending the past few years building a solid identity not only as an artist, but also as a person. While some of the other One Direction alums are still finding their footing with their solo sounds to this day, Tomlinson grew strongly into an instrumentation-focused pop-rock artist whose lyrics go beyond the cookie cutter sentiments you might expect from a former boy band member.
And soon, all the hard work – both personally and musically – finally paid off. Faith in the Future, his 2022 sophomore solo album, debuted at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart. In the United States, Faith In The Future debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart, and at No. 5 on the all-genre Billboard 200, his highest-charting set yet on both tallies. The album’s success, as well his sold-out live shows on its accompanying tour, not only showed the still-standing Directioner devotion to Tomlinson, but also made it clear that he picked up a slew of new fans along the way.
Tomlinson’s self-awareness was evident on the album’s lead single, “Bigger Than Me.” “When somebody told me I would change/ I was afraid, I don’t know why/ ‘Cause so does the world outside, I’ve realized/ It’s bigger than me,” he sings – indicating that the key for solo success all along was being himself, and letting go of the pressure that fame brings.
While Tomlinson has still yet to score the major chart hits stateside that his 1D bandmates essentially achieved right away – and has been more focused on his 28 clothing line the past couple years – he’s proven that he doesn’t need traditional pop crossover success to have a bright future ahead of him. With another couple albums and tours that continue to establish his identity and expand his artistry, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him making the jump to arenas in the not-distant future. Louis’ solo career may not have gotten off to the perfect start, but it just might end up being perfect for him in the long-term anyway.
“1994 to 2024 it’s a dream. Thank y’all for getting me here,” Nas told the Encore Theater crowd on Saturday night (Aug. 31) for the second of three sold-out shows at Wynn Las Vegas as part of his Labor Day Weekend residency with the Las Vegas Philharmonic and AEG Presents, who provided accommodations for Billboard to be on-site.
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Most of the 1,400-plus on hand – including special guest Ceelo Green – for the intimate Sin City show basked in the nostalgia as couples and groups of friends took a time machine back to the first time pressing play on Esco’s Illmatic debut in 1994 as teenagers.
Nas stepped to the stage shortly after 8:30 p.m. PT in front of the 25-piece live orchestra. Rocking a slick black tux, God’s Son looked as timeless as his legendary debut. He hasn’t aged as much as a day in the 30 years since Illmatic shook up the East Coast and landscape of hip-hop.
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Esco sported his signature fade with braids tied into a bun without a speckle of gray hair and a hairline that hasn’t flinched an inch. Just weeks shy of his 50th birthday, Nas’ raspy and resonant vocals translated live with a stage presence that runs laps around rappers half his age. No backtrack here, kids.
New York was definitely in the building as plenty of NYers made the cross-country trip to support the hometown hero and the album that changed the way hip-hop records were made. West Coasters and a contingent of native Las Vegas residents also rounded out the rest of the predominantly Generation X/Millennial audience.
The Queensbridge rap prodigy kicked things off with Illmatic opener “The Genesis,” and then a classical rendition of “N.Y. State of Mind.” Nas took a moment to thank DJ Premier for working with him on the album. It might seem obvious now, but at the time, beat maestros like Preemo and Q-Tip took a chance on the neophyte MC. “I was lucky to get these producers on the album as a nobody,” he said, while showing his appreciation.
Looking back, It’s still amazing that Nas boasted this kind of profound perspective as just a teenager, while detailing the “bullet holes in the backboards” of the unforgiving environment that raised him. “I just tried to see if I was good enough. Talk about the society that I was living in,” Nas reflected. “It came out raw – the language is raw – you gotta be that way. That’s what rap is. You gotta say the things that people could relate to.”
The album’s lone feature appearance was made by AZ, who popped out in a dapper silver metallic tux during the show to join his The Firm running mate for their “Life’s a Bitch” collaboration, which brought the crowd to its feet again. Nas’ father Olu Dara’s cleansing trumpet outro was done justice by the Philharmonic.
Pete Rock’s “The World Is Yours” drums were traded out for a jazzier soundscape from the Philharmonic, as Nas ran through more Illmatic cuts, like the vivid storytelling of “Memory Lane” and the poignant letters penned to incarcerated homies from the Q-Tip-assisted “One Love.”
Ahead of album closer “It Ain’t Hard to Tell,” Nas shouted out Michael Jackson for clearing the sample for his use of his 1983 hit “Human Nature.” “I was happy and grateful he cleared the sample,” he said. “That’s what really put me on the map, because I think MTV played it.”
While the curtain came down on the Philharmonic, that didn’t mean the show was over — as burlesque dancers briefly hit the stage. “This has been a dream; life is good,” Nas said while taking in the moment. “I didn’t know I’d still be making records to this day.”
Nas and DJ Green Lantern then took fans on a subway ride through the decorated MC’s catalog with plenty of hits over the years, including “Made You Look,” “Street Dreams” and “If I Ruled the World.” Finally, they wrapped the 70-minute set up with Stillmatic anthem “One Mic.”
The celebration of Illmatic’s 30th anniversary might not be over in Las Vegas, which Billboard‘s staff ranked as our No. 1 greatest rap album of all-time. Nas continued to tease keeping the Sin City residency alive. “I could get used to doing this Vegas thing,” he admitted. “I might extend it.”
GloRilla just unlocked a new career high. As part of Memphis’ 901 Day celebrations this year, the rapper received a key to the city she was born and raised in Sunday (Sept. 1) — an honor she now shares with Drake and Yo Gotti. In photos shared by Glo on Instagram, she smiles from ear […]
Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” tallies an eighth nonconsecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, furthering 2024’s longest command. The single became the singer-songwriter’s first leader on the survey in July.
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” likewise lengthens the longest command this year on the multimetric Hot Country Songs chart, hoisting a 12th week at No. 1.
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At No. 2 on the Hot 100, Sabrina Carpenter soars in with “Taste.” She follows with “Please Please Please,” up 9-3 after it became her first No. 1 in June, and “Espresso,” which jumps 7-4 after reaching No. 3. All three songs are from her new album, Short n’ Sweet, which blasts in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Carpenter meets The Beatles: Notably, as Carpenter’s three songs mark her first three top five Hot 100 hits, she becomes only the second act – and first soloist – ever to chart her first three top five hits in the region simultaneously. She joins only The Beatles, who first tripled up on the chart dated March 7, 1964, with “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “She Loves You” and “Please Please Me” at Nos. 1, 2 and 4, respectively. (The classics took the top three the following two weeks; “Twist and Shout” joined them the following frame to give the group the top fab four ranks; and, the week after that, The Beatles monopolized the entire top five as “Can’t Buy Me Love” leaped 27-1.)
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 Sept. 7, 2024) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, Sept. 4 (a day later than usual due to the Labor Day holiday Sept. 2). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as 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.
‘Tipsy’ No. 1 in Airplay, Sales
Next Summer’s Lollapalooza Chile, Lollapalooza Argentina and Lollapalooza Brasil will feature headlining sets from Justin Timberlake, Olivia Rodrigo and Shawn Mendes. The festivals announced the full lineups for their 2025 editions, which will also all include headliners Alanis Morissette, Tool and Rüfüs Du Sol.
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Lollapalooza Chile will set up from March 21-23 at Parque Bicentenario de Cerrillos and also feature sets from Benson Boone, Foster the People, Tate McRae, Zedd, Charlotte De Witte, Parcels, Rawayana, Teddy Swims, James Hype, Los Tres, Mon Laferte, Fontaines D.C., Girl in Red, Inhaler, Sepultura and more; ticket information is here.
Lolla Argentina will take place on the same weekend in the Hippodromo de San Isidro in Buenos Aires with a similar lineup that will also include sets from Tan Bionica, Wos, La K’onga, Los Angeles Azules, Nathy Peluso, Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, Caribou, Jpegmafia, San Holo and more; ticket information can be found here.
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Lolla Brazil will hit stages from March 28-30 in the Autódromo de Interlagos in São Paulo also with a similar lineup including Wave to Earth, Michael Kiwanuka, Barry Can’t Swim, Neil Frances, Zerb, Disco Lines, Kasablanca, Artemas, Nessa Barrett, DJ GBR, Ashibah, Marina Lima and many more; click here for ticket information.
The shows will represent the debut South American performances by Olivia Rodrigo and veteran hard rockers Tool and Timberlake’s first shows in Chile and Argentina. JT is in the midst of his Forget Tomorrow World Tour, which is kicking off a European leg on Wednesday (Sept. 4) before returning to North America in October and staying on the road across the country through a Dec. 20 gig at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, MO. Rodrigo wrapped her GUTS world tour on August 21 with the second of two shows at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, CA. Mendes will play Rock in Rio in September followed by a series of U.S. theater shows in October.
Check out the full lineups for all three festivals below.
50 Cent has been entrenched in myriad lawsuits throughout his career, and those lawyer retainers are getting expensive. The G-Unit boss pulled up to Million Dollaz Worth of Game on Sunday (Sept. 1), where he disclosed that he’s spent an astronomical $24 million just on legal fees in his career, according to his estimations.
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“I’ve spent $24 million in my career, so far. I can’t wait till I get rich,” he said in jest. “Just on lawyers. I’ve spent $24 million in my career on legal fees.”
The TV and film mogul said when he’s frustrated with a situation, he’ll fire back with lawsuits to frustrate the opposition purely for “recreational purposes.” “When they agitate me, I’ll send the f–king lawyers,” he stated.
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50 revealed that he keeps general counsel on deck, but doesn’t have a manager taking a percentage of his empire because he’s seen every type of business deal out there already in the industry.
“I have general counsel. I don’t have a manager,” he continued. “Why do I need you to manage me for? I’ve done every deal a 100 f–king times that I would be doing for me as a music artist. Why do I need you to do that for? They all want to work at a percentage and you want a percentage of me? You didn’t build this — I built it.”
The Queens rapper went on to say that he’s developed management companies to help artists maneuver in the industry and learn the tricks of the trade with someone they trust.
“I’ll even develop management companies to help the artist out,” 50 added. “I’ll say eat what you kill. You know who they put as a manager? Someone they trust. Someone who’s not gonna steal the f–king money from you.”
Even more than two decades into his career, 50 remains tied up in lawsuits. 50 — born Curtis Jackson — was sued in civil court in January over an incident from summer 2023 in which video of the moment captured him flinging a mic of the side of a stage while performing, allegedly causing an L.A. radio host suffer “severe and permanent injuries.”
Then in May, 50 Cent filed a defamation lawsuit against his ex Daphne Joy over her public accusations that he physically abused her. He called the allegations — which he denied and said were “unequivocally false” — a “calculated attack” designed to destroy his reputation.
Watch 50 Cent talk about how much he’s spent on lawyers in the interview below.
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JoJo Siwa is ready for the world’s stage. According to the 21-year-old star, Poland is considering her to represent the country in the next Eurovision Song Contest — and she’s totally down to do it. The Dance Moms alum shared the news while getting ready to head to the airport in a recent TikTok video, […]
Just one day after declaring that Brat summer was dead (long live Brat summer), Charli XCX is already teasing something new. In a post on X on Instagram Tuesday (Sept. 3), Charli shared a cropped photo of two figures — one of which appears to be herself — wearing white tank tops that read “about […]
Sabrina Carpenter achieves her first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart (dated Sept. 7), as her new studio album, Short n’ Sweet, debuts atop the tally. The set earned 362,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 29, according to Luminate — marking her best week ever, and the year’s third-largest debut. The set, which is also her first top 10-charting effort, was announced on June 3, and its Aug. 23 release was preceded by a pair of top three-charting Billboard Hot 100 hit songs: “Espresso” (No. 3) and “Please Please Please” (No. 1).
Meanwhile, the first official release of Travis Scott’s 2014 mixtape Days Before Rodeo opens at No. 2, marking his fifth top five-charting effort. The set earned a little over 361,000 equivalent album units — the year’s fourth-largest debut and biggest week for any rap album. Of that sum, album sales comprise 331,000 – yielding 2024’s second-biggest sales week, and best sales week for any rap album. Days Before Rodeo’s Aug. 23 release was announced on Aug. 18 — the 10th anniversary of the set’s initial free release in 2014. Until Aug. 23, the set had never been commercially released nor officially made widely available through all streaming services.
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Carpenter’s and Scott’s debuts were both aided by social media chatter about them potentially vying for No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The two artists also had promotional help on social media from some very famous friends. Among the endorsements: Taylor Swift shouted out her former Eras Tour mate Carpenter in her Instagram story on Aug. 23, writing, “Short. Sweet. Has made an extraordinary album… Go support our girl!” Carpenter’s rumored boyfriend and “Please Please Please” video co-star, Academy Award-nominated actor Barry Keoghan, shared a link to buy the album in his own Instagram story on Aug. 29. That same day, Ye (formerly Kanye West) shared a link to buy Scott’s album in his Instagram story.
While Carpenter’s and Scott’s albums lead the top 10 action, they aren’t the only debuts in the region. Country singer-songwriter Lainey Wilson notches her first top 10-charting set on the Billboard 200, as Whirlwind blows in at No. 8 in its opening week.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multimetric 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 Sept. 7, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Wednesday, Sept. 4 (a day later than usual due to the Labor Day holiday in the U.S. on Sept. 2). For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet starts with 362,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 184,000 (her biggest sales week ever and the fifth-largest sales debut of 2024), SEA units comprise 176,000 (equaling 233 million on-demand official streams of the 12 songs on the streaming edition of the album; her largest streaming week ever and the fourth-largest streaming debut of 2024) and TEA units comprise 2,000.
Short n’ Sweet also opens at No. 1 on the Streaming Albums chart.
Short n’ Sweet is Carpenter’s seventh charting album but first to reach the top 20. Her first visit to the chart came in 2015 with Eyes Wide Open, peaking at No. 43. Until this week, Carpenter’s best chart rank came with the 2022 release Emails I Can’t Send, which debuted and peaked at No. 23. The album includes “Nonsense,” which marked her first top 10-charting hit on the Pop Airplay chart. She followed it up with “Feather,” a bonus track added to a deluxe edition of Emails. “Feather” floated to No. 1 on Pop Airplay and marked her first top 40-charting song on the Hot 100.
The Short n’ Sweet campaign began brewing on the charts with its lead single, “Espresso,” which reached No. 3 on the Hot 100 in June and No. 1 on Pop Airplay in July. A second single, “Please Please Please,” followed, and it hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 in its second week on the list in June, and tops the Sept. 7-dated Pop Airplay chart. The set’s third promoted song, “Taste,” debuts at No. 34 on the Sept. 7-dated Pop Airplay ranking.
The official music videos for “Please” and “Taste” are also starry affairs, with the former co-starring Keoghan and the latter featuring actress Jenna Ortega.
Short n’ Sweet’s sales were bolstered by its availability across nine vinyl variants, five CD editions, two cassettes and four digital album download variants. Vinyl sales combined totaled 105,000 – Carpenter’s best week on vinyl and the second-largest sales week of the year for a vinyl album. Short n’ Sweet also debuts at No. 1 on the Vinyl Albums chart.
As for the rest of the album’s first-week sales, it sold 33,000 on CD; 45,000 digital download albums; and 2,000 cassettes.
Among Short n’ Sweet’s vinyl variants were some exclusively sold through Carpenter’s official webstore, including one variant with a bonus track, a picture disc and a signed edition. Her webstore also exclusively carried a signed CD.
There were also exclusive editions of her physical album sold through the likes of Amazon (a color vinyl and a CD with alternative packaging), Target (a color vinyl, and a CD containing a poster) and Urban Outfitters (a color vinyl).
As for its digital download variants, Short n’ Sweet was initially issued widely through digital retailers (including her webstore) as a standard 12-song album. The set did not garner additional variants until Aug. 28-29, the final days of the tracking week. Carpenter issued one variant in the evening of Aug. 28, followed by a second variant in the afternoon of Aug. 29, with a third arriving around 10 p.m. ET on Aug. 29. All were exclusively sold via her webstore for $4.99 each (the minimum price required for chart eligibility), and all contained the standard album’s 12 songs, plus one bonus track each. (The standard digital album was also discounted to $4.99 on Aug. 29 in both her webstore and in the iTunes Store.)
Of the additional variants, first came the Bonus Track Digital Album edition, with the extra song “Needless to Say.” Then the Short n’ Sweet(er) edition was second, and it came with the bonus track “Busy Woman.” The final variant was the Short n’ Sweet(est) edition with a demo recording of “Taste” as its bonus track.
The three alternative variants became unavailable to purchase on Aug. 30.
At No. 2 on the Billboard 200, Scott’s Days Before Rodeo enters with 361,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 331,000 (the second-biggest sales week of 2024, trailing only the 1.91 million sales start of Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department), SEA units comprise 30,000 (equaling 40.63 million on-demand official streams of the 12 songs on the album’s streaming edition) and TEA units comprise less than 500 units.
Days Before Rodeo also debuts at No. 1 on the Top Album Sales chart.
Days Before Rodeo was initially released as a free mixtape on Aug. 18, 2014. It garnered its first commercial and official streaming release for its 10th anniversary, on Aug. 23, as the 12-track set was issued through all major digital retail and streamers. Scott ushered in the album’s official release with an anniversary concert on Aug. 22 at The Masquerade in Atlanta, where he performed 10 of the standard album’s 12 songs, in addition to other material.
Of Days Before Rodeo’s first-week sales, digital download comprise 300,000 – the largest download sales week for an album this year. (The rest of the album’s sales came from CD purchases.) The set’s download sales were bolstered by its availability across eight different editions of the digital album, six of which were exclusively sold through Scott’s official webstore. Aside from the standard 12-song download album, the other seven variants contained assorted bonus tracks (ranging from unreleased studio cuts, to live tracks from The Masquerade concert, and chopped and screwed remixes of the album’s songs).
All variants sold via Scott’s webstore were priced at $4.99, while versions available in the iTunes Store were also available for $4.99 at the end of the tracking week.
Here’s a recap of the assorted digital album variants and when they were released:
Aug. 23 – Standard Digital Download – 12-song standard album, widely available, though not in Scott’s webstore.
Aug. 23 – Digital Deluxe Album – 12-song standard album with five bonus previously unreleased songs (“Mo City Flexologist”; “Too Many Chances”; “Yeah Yeah,” featuring Young Thug; “Serenade”; and “Whole Lots Changed”), available for pre-order beginning Aug. 18 (the day of the 10th anniversary of the mixtape’s initial free release). Exclusive to Scott’s webstore.
Aug. 29 – Digital Deluxe Album Vault 1 – 12-song standard album with the five bonus songs included on the Digital Deluxe Album (above), plus a PDF booklet. Widely available, including Scott’s webstore.
Aug. 29 – Digital Deluxe Album Vault 2 – 12 song standard album with two bonus previously unreleased songs (“Hold On,” featuring Young Thug and Quavo; and “Respected”). Exclusive to Scott’s webstore.
Aug. 29 – DBR Standard Edition + Live From Atlanta – 12-song standard album with 12 bonus live songs from Scott’s concert at The Masquerade. Exclusive to Scott’s webstore.
Aug. 29 – DBR Deluxe Edition + Chopped and Screwed Edition – 12-song standard album, plus the seven bonus songs included on the Digital Deluxe Album and Vault 1 editions (above), and “slowed and chopped” remixes of 18 of the album’s songs. Exclusive to Scott’s webstore.
Aug. 29 – Digital Deluxe Album Vault 3 – 12-song standard album with two bonus previously unreleased songs (“Naughty” and “Too Many Options,” featuring an uncredited Young Thug). Exclusive to Scott’s webstore.
Aug. 29 – Digital Deluxe Album Vault 4 – 12-song standard album with two bonus previously unreleased songs (“Whoudini,” featuring an uncredited Playboi Carti; and a remix of “Quintana, Pt. 2”). Exclusive to Scott’s webstore.
Vault 1 was released in the morning of Thursday, Aug. 29, while the rest of the editions issued on Aug. 29 had a staggered release through the rest of the day, until Vault 4 dropped shortly before 11:30 p.m. ET. All download variants, except for the standard widely available 12-song edition, became unavailable for purchase on Aug. 30.
In terms of physical formats, the set was available as a CD during its debut week, only via Scott’s webstore. It was sold both as a stand-alone CD and as part of a deluxe boxed set containing a branded hat and a CD. Two vinyl variants (a standard edition, and one in expanded packaging), as well as two further boxed sets (one containing a hoodie and the standard vinyl, one with a T-shirt and the deluxe vinyl) were available to pre-order during the tracking week, but have yet to ship to customers, so they do not impact its debut numbers.
A wide retail release beyond Scott’s webstore for any physical formats of the album has not been announced.
With both Short n’ Sweet and Days Before Rodeo each launching with over 360,000 equivalent album units earned, it’s the first time that two albums have earned at least 360,000 units in the same week in over eight years. It last happened on the May 14, 2016-dated chart, when Beyoncé’s Lemonade bowed at No. 1 with 653,000 and Prince’s The Very Best of Prince earned 391,000 units at No. 2 (shortly after his death). The latter title, first released in 2001, had re-entered at No. 1 the previous week.
As both Days Before Rodeo and Short n’ Sweet are debuts – the last time the chart housed two debuting titles earning at least 360,000 units came on the Dec. 5, 2015-dated chart, when Justin Bieber’s Purpose premiered with 649,000 and One Direction’s Made in the A.M. launched at No. 2 with 459,000.
Post Malone’s F-1 Trillion falls to No. 3 with 111,000 equivalent album units (down 55%), after debuting atop the chart a week ago. Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess dips 2-4 with 72,000 (up less than 1%), Morgan Wallen’s chart-topping One Thing at a Time slips 4-5 with 58,000 (down 3%), Swift’s former No. 1 The Tortured Poets Department descends 3-6 with 57,000 (down 8%) and Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft falls 5-7 with nearly 53,000 (down 2%).
Lainey Wilson ropes her first top 10-charting effort on the Billboard 200 with the No. 8 debut of her fifth studio album, Whirlwind. The set swirls in with 48,000 equivalent album units earned — her best week ever by units. Of that sum, album sales comprise 34,000; SEA units comprise 14,000 (equaling 17.83 million on-demand official streams of the 14 songs on the streaming edition of the album) and TEA units comprise less than 1,000.
The set’s first-week sales were bolstered by its availability across eight vinyl variants, three CD editions (including a signed edition sold in Wilson’s webstore, and a Walmart-exclusive CD containing a branded patch and a bonus track), a standard digital download album, and a deluxe digital album variant with four bonus “worktape” recordings (sold via Wilson’s webstore).
The new album was led by the single “Hang Tight Honey,” which reached the top 20 of the Hot Country Songs chart in August and is percolating in the top 15 of the Country Airplay chart (after reaching a No. 13 high in August).
Whirlwind is the follow-up to Bell Bottom Country, which marked Wilson’s first album to reach the all-genre Billboard 200 (peaking at No. 51) and climbed to No. 9 on Top Country Albums. The set won the Grammy Award for best country album, the Country Music Association (CMA) award for album of the year, and the Academy of Country Music (ACM) award for album of the year. (It became only the ninth album ever to win all three trophies.) Bell Bottom Country spun off three top 10-charting hits on Hot Country Songs — “Heart Like a Truck,” “Watermelon Moonshine” and “Wildflowers and Wild Honey.” All three also reached the top five on the Country Airplay chart, with “Watermelon” topping the tally.
Closing out the top 10 of the new Billboard 200 are Zach Bryan’s The Great American Bar Scene, which falls 6-9 with 41,000 equivalent album units earned (down 7%), and Noah Kahan’s Stick Season, slipping 8-10 with 37,000 units (down 2%).
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.
Imagine Dragons has a special treat in store for their Los Angeles fans. The group’s Loom World Tour is set to wrap its North American leg at the Hollywood Bowl on Oct. 27 with a one-night-only performance featuring the LA Film Orchestra and special arrangements from legendary game composer Inon Zur. Imagine Dragons will also team up […]