Billboard 200: John Mayer Settles for No. 2

John Mayer (The Search for Everything) couldn’t seal the deal at no. 1.  He settles for no. 2 behind The Weeknd (Starboy).

Not even commercial and critical darling John Mayer could stop The Weeknd.  John Mayer took his best swing at The Weeknd with EP The Search For Everything – Wave One, but it wasn’t good enough to debut at no. 1. Mayer settles for no. 2, moving 49,000 units. EPs typically don’t perform particularly well, so 49,000 (nearly 78% pure sales) is respectable.  As for Starboy, it stood taller, moving 56,000 units.

John Mayer wasn’t the only newbie to the Billboard 200. AFI returns at no. 5 with AFI (The Blood Album).  The numbers weren’t triumphant – 29,000 units.  On the bright side, most of that total were sales.  Otherwise, the top 10 is BORING.  La La Land continues to perform well, at least contextually.  Other soundtracks also remain in the top echelon, including Moana and Hamilton.  Bruno Mars (24K Magic), Post Malone (Stoney), Drake (Views), and J. Cole (4 Your Eyez Only) make up the remainder of the top 10.  Again, BORING.

Who’s got next on the Billboard 200? Luckily for music enthusiasts everywhere, some fresh blood should impact next week.  Brantley Gilbert dropped a new country LP, The Devil Don’t Sleep.  Migos dropped Culture, high off of “Bad and Boujee” fame.  Kehlani dropped her highly anticipated debut, SweetSexySavage.  Surely, surely, all three of these efforts can break into the top 10.  Let’s hope!

Photo Credits: Columbia