SZA’s “SOS” holds at No. 1 on Billboard’s album chart for a fifth consecutive week, accomplishing more than one notable victory on the way.
Fueled by the release of a new music video for “Kill Bill,” a track inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s female-fronted martial arts movies, “SOS” collects the equivalent of 125,000 album units sold in the U.S. for the week, according to data by Luminate — representing just a minuscule 1% drop from the previous time frame.
It is the first album to spend its first five weeks of release at No. 1 since Adele’s “30” spent its first six weeks topping the list in 2021-22. “SOS” is now tied with “Midnights” by Taylor Swift with the most weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 by a female artist in the past year, although Swift’s were non-consecutive. Swift’s “Midnights” sits at No. 2 (81,000 units) after claiming the top title five times over six weeks beginning in November. Bad Bunny’s “Un Verano Sin Ti,” which sits at No. 5 this week, previously maintained the mark for 13 weeks and the “Encanto” soundtrack held for nine.
The top new entry on the Billboard 200, far behind these leaders, is the latest from YoungBoy Never Broke Again, earning his 13th top 10 album. After having five new projects land in the top 10 in 2022 alone, he returns to the chart at No. 9 with his latest album, “I Rest My Case.” The 19-song set opened with the equivalent of 29,000 sales, with a majority of the sum (27,000 SEA units) equating to 40 million on-demand streams. That’s a dip for YoungBoy Never Broke Again after his previous album, “The Last Slimeto,” which was released just this past August, bowed at No. 2 with 108,000 units.
Apart from that lone new entry, the chart was characterized by holdover albums not moving or budging only a single spot. Metro Boomin’s “Heroes & Villains” is at No. 3; Drake and 21 Savage’s “Her Loss” sits at No. 4; the aforementioned Bad Bunny sticks around at No. 5; Morgan Wallen’s “Dangerous: The Double Album” is at No. 6; Zach Bryan’s major label debut record “American Heartbreak” gets bumped up a notch to No. 7; Lil Baby’s formerly chart-topping “It’s only Me” gets a slight lift back up to No. 8; and Harry Styles’ “Harry’s House” remains at No. 10.
Over on the Hot 100, SZA and Swift’s chart positions are switched from their respective 1-2 positions on the album chart, with SZA’s “Kill Bill” single moving up to No. 2 — her highest rank yet for any song — while Swift’s “Anti-Hero” sits at No. 1 for an eighth total week on top. (SZA previously reached a No. 3 peak for her and Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More” in July 2021.) With its latest frame at No. 1, Swift surpasses her personal record of seven weeks at the summit for “Blank Space” in 2014-15.
Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy” falls to No. 3 among singles, David Guetta and Bebe Rexha’s “I’m Good (Blue)” holds at No. 4, Metro Boomin, the Weeknd and 21 Savage’s “Creepin’” rises 6-5, and the Weeknd’s “Die for You” ascends 8-6 for a new peak. Rounding out the top 10 of the list is Drake and 21 Savage’s “Rich Flex,” which slips 5-7, followed by Styles’ “As It Was” at No. 8 and Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit” holding at No. 9.
The top 10 of the Hot 100 will likely see a three-way battle for the coveted No. 1 slot next week as Miley Cyrus’s newly released single, “Flowers,” enters the ring.
