This week in the Billboard 200, Bruno Mars debuted at #2 with his newest LP 24K Magic, joining A Tribe Called Quest, Rae Sremmurd, and Drake in the top 10. Behind them in the top 50 are Rihanna, Travis Scott, 21 Savage and Metro Boomin, Kanye West, and Solange. The only other debut on the chart this week is E-40, whose The D-Boy Diary: Book 1 comes in at #178, but It should be interesting next week to see if The Weeknd does indeed scoop the #1 spot for which he's projected. His record Beauty Behind the Madness is still kickin', coming in at #41 this week.
***
1) Bruno Mars — 24K Magic: Bruno Mars is a master of pop music, as evident on his obscenely catchy new album 24K Magic. It debuts in the #2 spot this week, right behind Metallica, with 230,666 TAEU (total album equivalent units) and 194,386 records sold.
2) A Tribe Called Quest — We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service: Moving from the #1 spot is A Tribe Called Quest, who lands at #5. Their return album, which features Kendrick Lamar and Andre 3000 among others, clocks 59,478 TAEU and 48,303 sales during its second week on the charts.
3) Rae Sremmurd — SremmLife 2: The Black Beatles come in at #8 this week with SremmLife 2, their sophomore studio album. After getting a massive boost from becoming the soundtrack to the mannequin challenge, the record climbed the charts, peaking at #4. This time around, the record moves 38,228 TAEU and 3,301 sales.
4) Drake — VIEWS: After last week's stint at #5, Drake slips back to #10 with VIEWS, his super successful 2016 studio LP. The album tallies 34,362 TAEU and 6,806 pure sales in its 30th week on the charts.
5) Various Artists — Suicide Squad: The Album: With contributions from Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, and many more, the Suicide Squad soundtrack has been able to stay relevant on the Billboard charts for almost four months now. During its 16th week on the chart, the album moved 28,694 TAEU and 12,766 sales. Chance The Rapper, Meek Mill, Alicia Keys, and The Weeknd (with his prior studio release) all come in the top 50 but are not listed as part of our countdown below.
6) Rihanna — ANTI: Rihanna's eighth studio album has been on the charts now for 44 weeks, and has just recently started to show some real signs of slowing down. Moving into the #27 spot from last week's placement at #22, ANTI does 19,361 TAEU and 3,255 sales.
7) Travis Scott — Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight: Slipping a full ten spots is Travis Scott, who is at #29 this week. Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, Scott's second studio record, slings 18,361 TAEU and 2,752 sales this time around.
8) 21 Savage and Metro Boomin — Savage Mode: At #35 is 21 Savage and Metro Boomin, with their collaborative effort Savage Mode. The album counts 15,876 TAEU and 712 sales during its 19th week on the charts.
9) Kanye West — The Life of Pablo: We wish the best to Kanye, who was recently hospitalized for his mental health. The influential artist lands at #38 this week with The Life of Pablo, a record that is popping up on year-end lists around the blogosphere. This time around, with no sales, the album clocks 14,522 TAEU.
10) Solange — A Seat at the Table: Solange's A Seat at the Table peaked at #1, a great feat for the songstress. This record features Lil Wayne, Sampha and Master P on interludes, along with the artist's gorgeous voice on what is certainly her best material yet. This week, the album moves 14,261 TAEU and 8,916 sales.
***
Rae Sremmurd holds down the #1 spot again this week with "Black Beatles," sharing the top 5 with The Weeknd and Bruno Mars as well. Drake's "Fake Love" gets bumped from the #14 spot to the #11 spot, and D.R.A.M. is a couple spots ahead of him with "Broccoli" at #9. DJ Khaled's "Do You Mind" featuring Nicki Minaj and Chris Brown comes in at #27, showing promise in its peak position, while Rihanna's "Love Brain" gets a big boost as well moving from #50 to #34, its peak position.The Weeknd's "Party Monster" and "I Feel It Coming" both debut in the top 50, while Childish Gambino's "Redbone" debuts at #75.