Billboard 200 Chart Moves: Dua Lipa’s Debut Album Hits Top 40 as ‘New Rules’ Continues to Gain
On the latest Billboard 200 albums chart: Dua Lipa's self-titled debut hits the top 40 as its single "New Rules" continues to gain, the "Moana" soundtrack stays steady in the top 50 more than a year…
On the latest Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Jan. 20), the soundtrack to The Greatest Showman held firm at No. 1 for a second week. The set earned 103,000 equivalent album units in the week ending Jan. 11 (down 3 percent), according to Nielsen Music.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the week’s most popular albums based on their overall consumption. That overall unit figure combines pure album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA).
Now, let’s take a closer look at some of the action on the rest of the Billboard 200:
— Dua Lipa, Dua Lipa – No. 35 — Seven months after its release, Dua Lipa’s self-titled debut album reaches the top 40 on the Billboard 200 for the first time, climbing 43-35. The set rises with a 9 percent increase in equivalent album units earned for the week ending Jan. 11 (climbing to 12,000), according to Nielsen Music. The set is one of only 11 titles to see a gain within the top 40.
Lipa’s album continues to profit from the breakout success of its single “New Rules,” which holds at No. 7 on the Radio Songs chart (90.2 million in audience in the week ending Jan. 14) and is steady at No. 4 on the Pop Songs airplay chart (up 12 percent in detections at the format). The song is also on the verge of hitting the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, as it is stationary at No. 11 for a second week (though still gaining in overall points).
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Dua Lipa bowed on the Billboard 200 dated June 24, 2017, at No. 86 and fell off the chart the next week, only to return on the July 29 list. It has been slowly climbing the chart ever since.
In total, the album has earned 310,000 equivalent album units, of which just 27,000 are in traditional album sales. (In fact, Dua Lipa has spent just one week on the Top Album Sales chart: its debut frame, at No. 50.) Most of the album’s popularity has come from streaming services, as Dua Lipa has yielded 340 million on-demand audio streams for its tracks, with 164 million of those owed to “New Rules.”
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— Sam Smith, The Thrill of It All – No. 10 — Sam Smith’s The Thrill of It All returns to the top 10 (12-10) thanks in part to sales generated by a concert ticket/album bundle redemption promotion. The album rises with 29,000 units (up 5 percent), of which 13,000 were in traditional album sales (up 22 percent). Though most sales affiliated with a ticket/album bundle offer tend to occur during an album’s release week, it’s not unusual to see spikes in sales from bundles later in an album’s life span. This usually happens when reminder email blasts are sent to ticket buyers who have yet to redeem their album, thus prompting a concentrated rush in redemption sales.
— Soundtrack, Moana – No. 37 — The soundtrack to the film Moana has proven to be a sturdy performer on the Billboard 200 chart over the past year. The album, which has spent all but one of its 60 chart weeks inside the top 50, moves 35-37 on the latest chart with 12,000 equivalent album units earned (down 7 percent), according to Nielsen Music. In total, the album has generated 1.6 million equivalent album units, with 912,000 of those in traditional album sales.
— Michael Jackson, The Essential Michael Jackson – No. 51 — Jackson’s best-of, along with a number of greatest-hits compilations on the chart, profit from special pricing and promotion at digital retailers. The album re-enters the list at No. 51 with 10,000 units (up 139 percent).
— Led Zeppelin, Mothership – No. 92 — Like Michael Jackson’s Essential album (see above), Led Zeppelin’s greatest hits album Mothership gains following promotion at digital retail. The set zooms 182-92 with 7,000 units (up 45 percent), with album sales equaling 2,000 of that sum (up 42 percent).