BTS Shocks the World with No. 1 Album and More | Chart Happenings

BTS shocks the world, random rappers pop up out of nowhere, KYLE flops, and Drake continues to dominate despite a nasty beef.  Here are seven notable chart happenings. 

Once upon a time, I used to write weekly about the happenings on the Billboard 200 and the Billboard Hot 100.  I found it to be fun to give my two cents, but let’s just say those chart-oriented posts weren’t exactly stat-getters.  Nah, I’m not one of those guys who gives too many flips about stats and views, but still – those views were sub-par.  So, here I am, once again, putting my two cents in selectively about the charts.  I have a grand total of seven observations – five concerning the Billboard 200 and just two concerning the Billboard Hot 100.

Billboard 200 Observations 

1.BTS shocked the world with their historic no. 1 album with Love Yourself 轉 ‘Tear’.  As stated in my review of the project, I’d never listened, let alone reviewed, a K-Pop album until hearing all the buzz surrounding the project.  I’m surprised, but after the 2016 presidential election, there’s very little that shocks me.

2.When you get past a certain age, regardless how ‘with-it’ you think you are, well, you get behind the times and trends. I never thought this would happen, but when “3” replaces “2,” things change.  That’s kind of what I notice with some of these more random rappers popping up on the Billboard 200.  Lil Baby debuts at no. 3 with Harder Than Ever thanks to a 2:22 banger with Drake, assumingely (“Yes Indeed”).  Okay.  NAV (who?) debuts at no. 8 with Reckless.  Then one of the newbies I’m enthusiastic about, KYLE, laid an egg as Light of Mine debuted at no. 29.  What? As infectious as that Kehlani-featured “Playinwitme” is? “iSpy” a flop…

3.James Bay irked me when he completely changed things up on “Wild Love”.  The rest of the singles from Electric Light tickled my fancy more.  That said, the formerly, long-haired British musician didn’t pique much interest as Electric Light bowed at no. 21. Speaking of alternative musicians who have seen better days, what about poor Ray LaMontagne, starting at no. 40 with Part of the Light? Hmm, the darkness is real…

4.Charlie Puth did come a long way on his sophomore album Voicenotes – he even started respectably at no. 4.  This week, however, less folks paid “Attention”, as he takes the tumble to no. 27 in his second week on the chart. I blame those “LA Girls.”  

5.I have defended and praised Arctic Monkeys for coming back with one of the stranger albums of 2018, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino.  For whatever reason, as different as the project is from AM, it appealed to me.  Maybe it’s the loungy, jazzy elements, not to mention the prominence of piano – I am a jazz pianist after all. Regardless of the “well-reviewed Tacqueria on top of a fictional space hotel,” after a solid week one, the wheels have fallen off.  In other words, Alex Turner and company don’t deserve “Four out of Five” stars for plummeting 62 spots from no. 8 to no. 70.

Billboard Hot 100 Observations 

6.Drake may be in a nasty feud with Pusha T, but the “6God” is dominating 2018. After relinquishing his throne atop the Hot 100 to Childish Gambino’s “This is America” (SIDE NOTE: can you believe Cardi B  didn’t know Childish Gambino and Donald Glover were the same person?), “Nice for What” returns to no. 1.  It must be “God’s Plan”.

7.It’s surprising to me that Shawn Mendes’ “In My Blood” hasn’t performed better than it has on the Hot 100.  Sure, no. 20 is no slouch, but the record feels incredibly underrated commercially. After all, the kid is singing his butt off.  With Shawn Mendes poised to do big things on the Billboard 200, how will that impact “In My Blood”?