After Ne-Yo [1]'s last album "Libra Scale" debuted and peaked at No. 4 on R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in 2010, the singer/songwriter returns to the chart's summit with "R.E.D." moving 66,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The set joins the remainder of "Ne-Yo's" releases, all of which opened at the top spot "In My Own Words" (2006), "Because of You" (2007), and "Year of the Gentleman" (2008).
Meanwhile, on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, "R.E.D.'s" latest single "Don't Make Em Like You," featuring Wiz Khalifa, enters at No. 47. The set earlier notched a top 30 hit with "Lazy Love," which reached No. 25 on the Sept. 8 chart. Over on the Billboard Hot 100, his pop smash single "Let Me Love You (Until You Love Yourself)," is riding high -- climbing 10-8 (a new peak) this week.
While it's no surprise that "Let Me Love You" was the biggest selling digital song off of "R.E.D." last week (shifting 76,000), the album's second-largest seller was its collaboration with Tim McGraw [3], "She Is." The mid-tempo number moved 19,000 downloads and debuts at No. 40 on Pop Digital Songs.
Back on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, last week's No. 1 -- Meek Mill [4]'s "Dreams and Nightmares" -- falls to No. 2 with 41,000 (down 75%) while Kendrick Lamar [5]'s "Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City" slips 2-3 with 40,000 (down 36%). Miguel [6]'s "Kaleidoscope Dream" (3-4; 14,000 - down 2%) and Brandy [7]'s "Two Eleven" (4-5; 10,000 - down 21%) round out the top five.
Over on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, the jet-setting (literally) Rihanna [8] rules at No. 1 for a sixth week with "Diamonds," extending her lead over the No. 2 song, "Clique" (by Kanye West [9], Jay-Z [10] and Big Sean [11]). The entire top 10 on the tally is fairly static this week, though three of the region's songs reach new highs.
R&B/Hip-Hop Songs [12]
The new peakers this week: Kendrick Lamar's "Swimming Pools (Drank)" climbs 5-4, Juicy J's "Bandz a Make Her Dance" rises 8-6 and Frank Ocean [13]'s "Thinkin Bout You" ascends 9-8.
The chart's highest debut this week comes courtesy of Nicki Minaj [14], who arrives at No. 31 with "Freedom." The cut starts high thanks to strong out-of-the-gate sales, debuting at No. 7 on R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Songs with 36,000 sold. It's the second single released from Minaj's upcoming deluxe reissue of "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded," dubbed "The Re-Up."
- The Juice [15]
