Global Chart
Report
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Olivia Rodrigo shoots at the top
Thursday, January 21, 2021
by Fred Chuchel, Dresden
Yes, it's a big
surprise: newcomer Olivia Rodrigo achieves a magnificent entrance
with her debut single 'Drivers License'. The song jumps straight
ahead to the summit of the Global Track Chart with 405,000 points.
With poignant lyrics detailing heartache, 'Drivers License' is a pop
power ballad with an atmospheric production built around a piano,
incorporating kick drums, claps, harmonies and a dreamy bridge. Upon
release, the song broke a string of records, including the Spotify
record for the most single-day streams for a non-holiday song on the
platform. 17 year-old actress and singer Olivia Rodrigo wrote
'Drivers License' together with songwriter and producer Dan Nigro.
Olivia is known for her roles as Paige Olvera on the Disney Channel
series Bizaardvark and Nini Salazar Roberts on the Disney+ series
High School Musical. Last week's no.1 smash 'Dynamite' by BTS
(Bangtan Boys) sails to the runner-up slot with 226,000 points, a 7%
decline
compared to the
previous week. And rounds out the top three is still The Weeknd's
monster smash 'Blinding Lights', driven by another 10,5% points
increase to 222,000. The song ranks now an unbelievable 54th week
inside the Top 10, an outstanding alltime record! Outside our
weekly Top 40 waiting among other 'The Business' by Tiesto
at no.42, and *Best Friend' by Saweetie feat. Doja Cat at no.49, and 'Reloj' by Rauw Alejandro & Anuel AA at no.53 for their first appearance on the big list.
The Japanese idol boy band SixTones claims the first new number one
album of the year 2021. Their debut set '1st' starts with 467,000
sales (according to Oricon). SixTones was previously a sub-unit of
Johnny & Associates' pre-debut trainee group, Johnny's Jr. Also new
this week is the second studio album by American country music
singer Morgan Wallen. 'Dangerous: The Double Album' bows at the
runner-up slot with 288,000 equivalent sales. The global no.1 of the
last four weeks, 'Evermore' by Taylor Swift, rounds out this week's
top three with another 111,000 sales, exactly the same sales-level
like a week before. And now, as every
week, additional stats from outside the current Global Album Top 10 in
alphabetic order, the first figure means last week's sales, the second
figure the total sales: '1989' by Taylor Swift 13,000 / 11,817,000,
'21' by Adele 9,000 / 30,449,000, '25' by Adele 8,000 / 22,754,000,
the 'A Star Is Born' soundtrack 16,000 / 6,382,000, 'After Hours' by
The Weeknd 63,000 / 3,285,000, 'Astroworld' by Travis Scott
18,000 /
5,622,000, 'BE' by BTS (Bangtan Boys) 46,000 / 3,464,000, 'Beerbongs & Bentleys' by Post Malone
19,000 / 7,583,000,
'Blackpink - The Album' by Blackpink 18,000 / 1,452,000, 'Blame It On Baby' by DaBaby
23,000 / 1,734,000, 'Changes' by Justin Bieber
8,000 /
1,662,000, 'Chromatica' by Lady GaGa 10,000 / 1,670,000, 'Dark Lane Demo Tapes' by Drake 11,000 /
1,430,000, 'Death Race For Love' by Juice WRLD
22,000 / 2,476,000, 'Disco' by Kylie Minogue 7,000 / 348,000, 'Divide' by Ed Sheeran
27,000 / 16,871,000,
'Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent' by Lewis Capaldi 34,000 /
3,961,000, 'Eternal Atake' by Lill Uzi Vert 17,000 / 2,171,000, 'Fine
Line' by Harry Styles 60,000 / 4,182,000, 'Folklore' by Taylor Swift
48,000 / 3,287,000, the 'Frozen
II' soundtrack 17,000 / 2,395,000, 'Future Nostalgia' by Dua Lipa
51,000 / 2,226,000, 'Goodbye & Good Riddance' by Juice
WRLD 32,000 / 4,144,000, the soundtrack of the Original Hollywood Cast
to 'Hamilton: An American Musical' 26,000 / 3,414,000,
'Hollywood's Bleeding' by Post Malone 36,000 / 5,871,000, 'Legends
Never Die' by Juice WRLD 53,000 / 2,854,000, 'Letter To
You' by Bruce Springsteen 25,000 / 821,000, 'Love Goes' by Sam Smith
20,000 / 464,000, 'Lover' by Taylor Swift
16,000 /
4,207,000, 'Manic' by Halsey 13,000 / 1,402,000, 'Map Of The Soul: 7' by
BTS (Bangtan Boys) 18,000 / 6,555,000, 'Music To Be Murdered By' by
Eminem 39,000 / 2,145,000, 'My Turn' by Lil Baby 31,000 / 2,633,000, 'No.6 Collaborations' by Ed Sheeran
14,000
/ 4,065,000, 'Over It' Summer Walker 15,000 / 1,783,000, 'Plastic
Hearts' by Miley Cyrus 46,000 / 481,000, 'Please
Excuse Me For Being Antisocial' by Roddy Ricch 15,000 / 2,559,000,
'Positions' by Ariana Grande 67,000 / 1,238,000, 'Power Up' by AC/DC
44,000 / 1,181,000,
'Question Mark' by XXXTentacion 23,000 / 5,217,000,
'Scorpion' by
Drake 16,000 / 7,142,000,
'Stoney' by Post Malone 14,000 /
6,163,000, 'Thank U, Next' by Ariana Grande 15,000 / 4,203,000, 'The
Greatest Showman' soundtrack 19,000 / 8,436,000, 'When We All Fall
Asleep, Where Do We Go?' by Billie Eilish 40,000 / 7,717,000, 'Wonder'
by Shawn Mendes 38,000 / 411.000, and 'X' by Ed Sheeran
9,000 / 12,567,000.
GLOBAL NO.1 - 30 YEARS AGO...
"Justify My Love" was
released on November 6, 1990 as the lead single from Madonna's first
greatest hits compilation album The Immaculate Collection (1990).
Musically it's a trip hop song with mid-tempo settings and
instrumentation. Producer Kravitz used striking drums, found on
Public Enemy's instrumental "Security Of The First World" (1988).
The lyrics of the song are primarily about sex and romance.
Madonna's vocals are primarily spoken and whispered, but almost
never sung, a style that she later employed on her following studio
album Erotica (1992). The famous music video for "Justify My Love"
was directed in Paris on November 9, 1990, by Jean-Baptiste Mondino,
features Madonna's then-boyfriend, model and actor Tony Ward. It
caused controversy worldwide, due to its explicit sexual images of
sadomasochism, voyerism, and bisexuality, and was subsequently
banned from MTV and other TV networks. "Justify My Love" went to the
top position in the United States, Canada, Finland and to the
runner-up slot in United Kingdom and Italy.
USA
Billboard Report
(excerpt)
Morgan Wallen debuts at no.1 on Billboard 200
Tuesday, January 19, 2021
by Keith Caulfield & Gary Trust, Los Angeles
Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album debuts at No. 1 on the
Billboard 200 albums chart in record-setting fashion, as it garners the
largest streaming week ever for a country
album. The 30-song album — Wallen’s first leader — further logs the
largest overall week, by units earned, for a country set in over two
years. Dangerous, released on Jan. 8 via Big Loud / Republic Records,
starts with 265,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the
week ending Jan. 14, according to MRC Data. Of Dangerous’ 265,000
equivalent album units earned in the tracking week ending Jan. 14, SEA
units comprise 184,000 (equaling 240.18 million on-demand streams of the
album’s songs), album sales comprise 74,000 and TEA units comprise
7,000. (Of Dangerous’ 74,000 in album sales, digital download album
sales comprise 50,000.) Dangerous is Wallen’s second full-length album,
following 2018’s If I Know Me, which peaked at No. 13 on the Aug. 29,
2020-dated chart. It has spent over 110 weeks on the tally and earned
1.7 million equivalent album units, while its songs have accrued 2.4
billion on-demand streams. Prior to Dangerous’ release,
the singer-songwriter had snared 13 charting hits
on the Hot Country Songs chart, including eight top 10s (two of which reached
No. 1). On the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart, he’s placed 10 tunes,
including the new album’s “7 Summers.” The latter debuted at No. 6, marking at
the time only the second top 10 Hot 100 debut for a song by a solo male and no
accompanying acts that has also appeared on Hot Country Songs.
At No. 2 on the new Billboard 200, Taylor Swift’s Evermore slips one spot after
three nonconsecutive weeks in the lead, with 55,000 equivalent album units
earned (down 1%).
Pop Smoke’s former No. 1 Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon is steady at No. 3
with 47,000 units (up 5%). Both titles were released by Republic Records, like
Dangerous. In turn, Republic holds the top three for the third time in less than
three months, and remains the only label to monopolize the top three since 2003,
when Interscope pulled off the feat.
Jazmine Sullivan hits a career-high on the Billboard 200 as Heaux Tales bows at
No. 4 with 43,000 equivalent album units earned. It beats her previous chart
high of No. 6, achieved in the opening week of her debut set, and only other top
10, Fearless (Oct. 11, 2008 chart). Heaux Tales is the singer’s fourth charting
effort, and first since 2015’s Reality Show debuted and peaked at No. 12 (Jan.
31, 2015).
Lil Durk’s The Voice falls from its No. 2 high to No. 5 with 42,000 equivalent
album units earned (down 12%).
The Weeknd’s former No. 1 After Hours charges 14-6 with 35,000 units (up 34%).
The latter benefits from the popularity of its latest single, and its new
official video (released Jan. 5), for “Save Your Tears,” as well as The Weeknd’s
widely-seen commercial touting his halftime performance at the upcoming Super
Bowl (Feb. 7).
Ariana Grande’s former No. 1 Positions falls 4-7 with 34,000 units (down 4%).
Both After Hours and Positions were released via Republic Records, giving the
label a stunning five of the top 10 albums – the first time a label group has
claimed half of the top 10 in nearly a year (since the Feb. 1, 2020-dated chart
when Interscope Geffen A&M achieved the distinction). Republic last had half of
the top 10 on the Nov. 9, 2013-dated chart.
Closing out the top 10 on the new Billboard 200 are:
Luke Combs’ What You See Is What You Get (7-8 with a little over 31,000 units;
down 3%),
Juice WRLD’s Legends Never Die (holding at No. 9 with 31,000 units; up 4%) and
Megan Thee Stallion’s Good News (6-10 with just under 31,000 units; down 5%).
Olivia Rodrigo's "Drivers License" debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart, peeling in as the most-streamed and top-selling song of the week.
The single, released Jan. 8, marks the 17-year-old's first Hot 100 No. 1,
following its first week of availability. The singer-songwriter and actress
initially broke through with roles on Disney Channel's Bizaardvark in 2016 and
Disney+'s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series in 2019. Her background
helped spark the high profile of "Drivers License," which has also been buoyed
by scrutiny about its lyrics, the song's TikTok presence and a co-sign from
Taylor Swift, among others.
"Drivers License," released on Geffen / Interscope Records, is the 1,116th No. 1
in the Hot 100's 62-year history. It's the 48th single to debut on top, and the
first of 2021. "Drivers License" drew 76.1 million U.S. streams and
sold 38,000 downloads in the week ending Jan. 14, according to MRC Data. It also
earned 8.1 million radio airplay audience impressions in the week ending Jan.
17.
The track debuts at No. 1 on both the all-genre Streaming Songs and Digital Song
Sales charts, marking Rodrigo's first leader on each list, while entering the
Pop Airplay (No. 31) and Adult Pop Airplay (No. 37) radio rankings. 76.1 million opening-week U.S.
streams for "Drivers License" mark a new weekly best for a female artist's first
single properly promoted to radio, streaming services and other platforms.
At 17 years and 11 months old, Rodrigo is the youngest artist at the time of
topping the Hot 100 since Billie Eilish, who was 17 years, eight months and one
week old when she led with "Bad Guy" in August 2019.
Morgan Wallen's "Wasted on You" opens at No. 9 with 17.9 million U.S. streams and
10,000 downloads sold in the week ending Jan. 14, according to MRC Data. The
song, which debuts at No. 3 on the Streaming Songs chart and No. 7 on Digital
Song Sales, is from the singer-songwriter's 30-song LP Dangerous: The Double
Album, which bounds in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 265,000 equivalent
album units, as it logs the best streaming week ever for a country album.
SZA's "Good Days" jumps 23-10 on the Hot 100 with 20.1 million streams (up 31%),
2.1 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 217%) and 3,000 sold (up
47%). It pushes 3-2 on Streaming Songs and re-enters Digital Song Sales at a new
No. 38 high.
The song, released Christmas Day, marks SZA's third Hot 100 top 10 and first on
her own. She initially reached the region as featured on Maroon 5's "What Lovers
Do," which hit No. 9 in November 2017. "All the Stars," with Kendrick Lamar,
rose to No. 7 in March 2018.
Below Rodrigo's "Drivers License" in the Hot 100's top five, 24kGoldn's "Mood,"
featuring Iann Dior, dips to No. 2, after eight weeks at No. 1. It tops the
multi-metric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Alternative Songs charts for a
20th week each and Hot Rap Songs for a 14th frame, with all three charts using
the same methodology as the Hot 100.
Ariana Grande's "Positions" backtracks 2-3 on the Hot 100. It led the Nov.
7-dated chart upon its debut. The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" descends 3-4 on the
Hot 100. The song spent four weeks at No. 1 (eventually ranking as the
Hot 100's top hit of all of 2020) and logs its 58th total week on the
chart. It adds a record-extending 45th week in the top 10 and
record-furthering 36th week in the top five.
Chris Brown and Young Thug's "Go Crazy" keeps at its No. 5 high on Hot 100 as it
hits No. 1 on Radio Songs (2-1; 80.2 million in audience, up 1%).
Dua Lipa's "Levitating," featuring DaBaby, ascends 7-6 for a new high;
Justin Bieber's "Holy," featuring Chance the Rapper, falls 4-7, after it debuted
at its No. 3 peak in October;
and
AJR's "Bang!" rises 9-8, a week after becoming the brother trio's first top 10.
Record Of The Month
On 20 December 2020, after having taken an extended hiatus from the public life,
Ed Sheeran returned to social media to announce his first single after 18
months: "Hey guys. 'Afterglow' is a song I wrote last year that I wanted to
release for you". He further explained that the song is "not the first single
from the next album" but just a song he loves. The song is thought to be about
his trip to Antarctica with his wife, Cherry Seaborn.
United Kingdom
Music Week
(excerpt)
Barry Gibb lands his first no.1 with a solo album
Monday, January 18, 2021
by Alan Jones, London
As a member of The Bee Gees, Barry Gibb appeared on 26-chart albums
between 1967 and 2017, but he topped the charts just once in that
period. Spirits Having Flown was the group’s only credited No.1 album in
1979, although we should not ignore the brothers’ core contributions to
the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, which
spent
an extended period at the summit in 1978.
Now in 2021, he finally breaks his solo duck too. Four years after In The Now
topped out in second place, Greenfields - The Gibb Brothers Songbook - Volume 1
flies with some style to the very top of the albums chart, posting 16,166 sales,
13,447 of them physical copies. As the title suggests the album features
reworked versions of older Bee Gees material, the songs remade surprisingly
successfully in Country & Western style. Although Barry Gibb has the sole artist
credit, every track on the album is a duet of some kind and artists of the
calibre of Keith Urban, Belinda Carlisle, Alison Krauss, Sheryl Crow and Dolly
Parton all feature amongst its 12 tracks. At the age of 74, Gibb is the latest
in a growing line of comparatively elderly men to enjoy No.1 albums in the
recent years, and with the Bee Gees' first No.1 single having arrived in October
1967 it means he now can claim a 53-year span of chart
topping records.
Commiserations therefore go to Passenger, whose best chance for a first No.1
album in over four years went begging. Michael Rosenberg's 14th studio album
(although only his 13th as a solo performer) Songs For The Drunk And Broken
Hearted saw its production disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic and appears almost
a year after it was originally scheduled. Today it becomes his seventh chart
record, its No.2 entry (7,189 sales) is enough to make it his second-highest
charting album to date, with only 2016's Young As The Morning Old As The Sea
peaking higher. Perhaps inevitably Passenger's biggest album is his solo debut
All The Little Lights, home to his most famous single Let Her Go, and which has
accumulated 560,583 chart sales to date. His only other album to break the
100,000 barrier is 2014's Whispers which peaked at No.5 and has clocked up
119,862 sales as of this week.
The rest of the Top 5 sees Taylor Swift's Evermore down 1-3 (6,590 sales), Pop
Smoke's continually impressive Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon a Top 10
album for the 22nd time in its 28-week chart career at No.4 (5,195 sales), while
more than a year on from its release Harry Styles' Fine Line spends a 44th week
in the Top 10, 5,037 sales making it No.5 for the week.
After last week's dramatic market slump, the only way was up and happily so it
proves, albums sales up 8.73% week on week to 1,651,158. New releases always
give the physical market a lift and that too is the case here, a 15.62% rise
meaning 285,466 physical albums were moved last week representing 17.29% of the
market.
+
series, Drivers License by Olivia Rodrigo is our first global smash hit of the
new year. Via an online plug from Taylor Swift the intense ballad swiftly became
a sensation, setting streaming records worldwide.
The Californian singer becomes one of only a tiny handful of acts to spend her
first week on the British charts at No.1, the 94,770 chart sale of Drivers
License already setting a high water mark for the year. All but 3,914 of the
track’s sales are attributable to its 10.9m audio and video streams – a single
week total bettered by just three non-festive tracks to date. Topping the charts
a month shy of her 18th birthday, Olivia Rodrigo is the youngest solo female to
land a No.1 hit since Lorde pulled off the trick with Royals just a few days
short of her 17th back in 2013.
Last week's Top 4 singles all move down a place to accommodate the surprise new
arrival. Sweet Melody by Little Mix becomes No.2 by default, although it still
clocks up 30,360 chart sales of its own to remain largely clear of the chasing
pack. Ed Sheeran is No.3 with Afterglow (28,349 sales), CJ at No.4 with Whoopty
(25,180 sales) and Justin Bieber No.5 with Anyone (25,077 sales) – the latter
three all posting sales increases despite their decline in chart positions.
Elsewhere in the Top 10 there are new peaks for Kid Laroi with Without You (No.6
with 23,882 sales) and Paradise by Meduza/Dermot Kennedy (No.7, 23,615 sales).
Assuming it can maintain the momentum, Good Days by SZA should be joining them
in short order, the single accelerating 28-14 with a 70.2% increase in sales to
17,353.
As noted, singles consumption enjoyed a lift this week with an 8.5% rise taking
the market to 20,294,239 overall. Paid sales stand at 409,878, a 1.9% rise on
last week's total.