Lil Uzi Vert takes Luv is Rage 2 to no. 1 on the Billboard 200.  Meanwhile on the Hot 100, Taylor Swift ascends to no. 1 with “Look What You Made Me Do.”

Taylor Swift is a savvy businesswoman, no matter how you feel about her as an artist or musician.  Unsurprisingly, her new single “Look What You Made Me Do” ends the 16-week reign of “Despacito” at no. 1.  On the one hand, it’s been LONG time for “Despacito” to be dethroned.  On the other hand, there are better songs than “Look What You Made Me Do” that missed the no. 1 spot.  Regardless, Swift has another no. 1 hit to her name on the Billboard Hot 100 dated September 16, 2017.

On the Billboard 200, there is also a new no. 1 album.  Lil Uzi Vert debuts at no. 1 with Luv is Rage 2, moving a robust 135,000 units. Yeah, it’s shocking considering the quality of the album, but new hip-hop is definitely different from old hip-hop.  Notably, only about 21% of those units were traditional album sales.  Behind Lil Uzi, another new-school rapper debuts, XXXTentacion.  17 also performs well overall, moving 87,000 units. Again, a small 21% are traditional sales.

The youthful rappers beat out Queens of the Stone Age (Villains), who boast more impressive sales with nearly 95% of the 73,000 units comprising of album sales. In the past, that would’ve earned the band no. 1 on the Billboard 200.  Fifth Harmony (Fifth Harmony) starts at no. 4 (46,0000 units / ~70% album sales), A$AP Mob (Cozy Tapes, Vol 2: Too Cozy) at no. 6 (41,000 units / 17% album sales), Old Dominion (Happy Endings) at no. 7 (41,000 units / ~76% album sales), and The War on Drugs (A Deeper Understanding) at no. 10 (31,000 units / 90% album sales).  Lots of newbies on the Billboard 200 dated September 16, 2017.

Billboard 200 Grooves 

1. A pair of rappers crown the top of the Billboard 200. Lil Uzi Vert starts at no. 1 with Luv is Rage 2, while XXXTentacion launches at no. 2 with 17.

2. Queens of the Stone Age can’t match the no. 1 album they had with Like Clockwork back in 2013. Villains settles for a no. 3 bow with respectable numbers.

3. Fifth Harmony lands at no. 4 with its self-titled third album, sans Camila Cabello of course.

4. A$AP Mob just misses the top 5, starting at no. 6 with Cozy Tapes, Vol. 2: Too Cozy.

5. Happy Endings for Old Dominion, who start at no. 7 on the Billboard 200.

6. Kodak Black slips from no. 2 to no. 9 with Project Baby Two.

7. The War on Drugs presents A Deeper Understanding at no. 10.

8. Logic earns ‘greatest gainer’ honors with Everybody, which ascends from no. 29 to no. 11 in its 17^th week. Everybody debuted at no. 1.

9. Kesha slips out of the top 10 this week. Rainbow falls from no. 5 to no. 16 in its third week.

10. Daniel Caesar launches at no. 25 with Freudian.

11. Tasha Cobbs Leonard does respectably for herself as gospel album Heart. Passion. Pursuit. Starts at no. 35.

12. PVRIS debuts at no. 41 with All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell.

13. A$AP Ferg sees Still Striving drop 30 spots this week from no. 12 to no. 42.

14. Iron and Wine debuts at no. 44 with Beast Epic.

15. Action Bronson debuts tepidly on the Billboard 200. Blue Chips 7000 begins at no. 53, a far cry from the start that greeted 2015 effort, Mr. Wonderful.

16. BrockHampton launches at no. 57 with Saturation II.

17. Game of Thrones: Season 7, Music from the HBO Series launches at no. 103.

18. The Cadillac Three debuts at no. 120 with Legacy.

19. Arcade Fire have had a so-so run with Everything Now. This week, it slides from no. 77 to no. 199 in just five weeks on the Billboard 200. #Not Good.

Billboard Hot 100 Jewels

1. Taylor Swift ascends 76 spots on the Hot 100 to reach no. 1. “Look What You Made Me Do” rises from no. 77 to no. 1.

2. Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, and Justin Bieber find themselves dethroned from no. 1. After holding the top spot for 16 consecutive weeks, “Despacito” slips from no. 1 to no. 2.

3. Cardi B has yet to peak higher than no. 3 with “Bodak Yellow,” which once more sees performance gains.

4. Logic has gone big-time! “1-800-273-8255,” featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid, ascends from no. 29 to no. 9. This marks the biggest hit of the rapper’s career.

5. Liam Payne enters the top 10 with “Strip That Down,” featuring Quavo (rises from no. 11 to no. 10).

6. Portugal. The Man sees single “Feel It Still” rise three spots from no. 23 to no. 20.

7. P!nk is on the rise with “What About Us,” ascending seven spots from no. 35 to no. 28.

8. XXXTentacion launches on the Hot 100 with “Jocelyn Flores” at no. 31.

9. Khalid continues his ascent up the Hot 100 with “Young Dumb & Broke,” which rises from no. 41 to no. 32.

10. Imagine Dragons already have one hit with “Believer” (no. 6 this week), but “Thunder” is on the up-and-up, rising from no. 59 to no. 45.

11. Blackbear hits no. 50 with “Do Re Mi,” up four spots from last week.

12. Kodak Black sees “Transportin’” ascend 27 spots from no. 82 to no. 55.

13. Louis Tomlinson’s debut single “Back to You” hasn’t quite ‘caught on’ yet. Bummer. It slips two spots from no. 60 to no. 62 (it peaked at no. 40).

14. Luke Bryan starts at no. 76 with “Light it Up.”

15. Demi Lovato starts at no. 97 with “Tell Me You Love Me,” the second single from her forthcoming album of the same title.

Photo Credit: Big Machine, Atlantic