Will Hozier Cease Travis Scott Billboard 200 Utopia?
The Contenders is a midweek column that appears at artists aiming for the highest of the Billboard charts, and the methods behind their efforts. This week (for the upcoming charts dated Sept. 2), Travis Scott goes for his fourth week atop the Billboard 200 albums chart along with his large Utopia, whereas Hozier seems to be to earn his second consecutive debut atop the chart with new effort Unreal Unearth.
Travis Scott, Utopia (Catcus Jack/Epic): It’s been three weeks, and Travis Scott continues to be not solely ruling the Billboard 200 along with his Utopia, the album posted a whopping 185,000 models in its newest body – with a mighty 99,000 in gross sales, an very excessive quantity for an album in its third week out, and a 169% acquire from the week earlier than. The gross sales increase most likely comes from his webstore (restricted time) low cost on the double-LP set from $50 to $5, leading to 93,000 in vinyl gross sales final week – the most important vinyl gross sales efficiency for a hip-hop or R&B album since Luminate started monitoring gross sales in 1991.
Scott’s gross sales are anticipated to remain sturdy – seemingly helped by one other low cost code, launched and circulated amongst followers in time to affect this chart week — together with its streaming numbers, with 4 songs from the album nonetheless within the high 25 of Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart. The mix of gross sales and streams ought to make it powerful to depose this week, and not using a new contender anticipated to place up notably huge numbers in each classes, and Morgan Wallen’s One Factor at a Time – nonetheless No. 2 on the chart this week, after 15 weeks at No. 1 – not posting models within the six digits.
Hozier, Unreal Unearth (Rubyworks/Island/Columbia): Regardless of not scoring a significant crossover hit since his No. 2-peaking Billboard Scorching 100 smash “Take Me to Church” in 2014 – and solely releasing one new album throughout the remainder of the 2010s — Irish singer-songwriter Hozier has maintained each a faithful following and a significant chart affect. His sophomore album, 2019’s Wasteland, Child!, debuted atop the Billboard 200, whereas his 2023 single “Eat Your Young” debuted at No. 67 on the Scorching 100.
That track is on Hozier’s third album, Unreal Unearth, launched on Aug. 18, and out there on each CD and vinyl (together with unique signed editions of each, already offered out on his webstore). The album is Hozier’s biggest-sounding to this point, and will probably be supported by an upcoming U.S. tour that sees him enjoying a few of the largest venues of his profession. Nonetheless, the sort of ticket bundles that helped energy Wasteland to No. 1 gained’t depend in the direction of the totals for Unearth, since Billboard modified its bundling guidelines in July 2020 – making it that a lot more durable to catch Utopia.
J-Hope, Jack within the Field (Huge Hit): The ten-track debut from BTS alum J-Hope has already appeared within the high 20 on the Billboard 200, coming into at No. 17 in July 2022. However Jack within the Field is because of re-enter the chart subsequent week – seemingly at the next peak – because of the CD launch of its deluxe HOPE Version. The reissue, which makes for the primary time the set will probably be launched on CD, incorporates 5 bonus tracks (together with a pair of instrumental variations of Jack tracks and a trio of reside variations from J-Hope’s 2022 Lollapalooza set), in addition to a photograph and lyric guide, sticker packs and extra collectible goodies.
IN THE MIX
Jihyo, Zone (JYP/Republic): J-Hope isn’t the one member of an enormous Ok-pop group prone to affect the Billboard 200 this week: Jihyo, of star nonet TWICE, launched her solo debut set on Friday with the seven-track EP Zone. Whereas the EP just isn’t anticipated to attain main streaming numbers, it ought to promote effectively – helped by the sale of three variations of the mini-album (“Z,” “Y” and “O”) on JYP’s webstore, dispatched at random per every order, and every containing completely different collectible components (like lyric books, posters and bookmarks).
Russ, Santiago (Diemon/Columbia): After breaking by way of within the late ‘10s with hits like “What They Want” and “Losin Control,” Russ has kept up a steady chart presence, hitting the Billboard 200’s high 5 with each 2018’s Zoo and 2020’s Shake the Snow Globe. The rapper/singer seems to be to make it three in a row subsequent week with newest album Santiago – although the set options no Scorching 100 hits or star options, with its solely visitor appearances coming from cult Bay Space rapper Rexx Life Raj and acclaimed singer-songwriter Bibi Bourelly.
Quavo, Rocket Energy (Capitol/Motown/High quality Management): The Migos rapper’s first album because the dying of groupmate (and nephew) Takeoff could not promote in addition to this week’s different huge releases, since a bodily launch just isn’t but out there. However it ought to put up fairly respectable streaming numbers for its 18 tracks, together with Scorching 100 hit “Turn Your Clic Up” (that includes Future), a number of cuts that includes the late Takeoff, and a number of other extra paying tribute to the hip-hop nice.
