Metallica came in strong on this week’s Billboard 200 with a No. 2 bow for the group’s latest album, “72 Seasons,” which came in almost within sight of the chart’s recently indomitable leader, Morgan Wallen’s “One Thing at a Time.” Wallen extended his run at No. 1 to seven weeks at a time, and counting, with 166,000 more album-equivalent units added to his tally, while Metallica debuted with 146,000 units.
On the Billboard Hot 100, meanwhile, SZA finally landed in the No. 1 spot she’s been circling for many weeks with “Kill Bill.” The song had spent eight weeks at No. 2, then dipped to No. 4 last week, before getting the boost it needed to finally become a chart-topper in this latest frame.
In the April 14-20 tracking week, as measured by Luminate and reported by Billboard, “Kill Bill” was up 32% in streaming, to 28.3 million streams, which accounts for the chart jump, even as radio impressions for the long-running hit were down just 1% to 86.5 million.
Other highlights in the upper reaches of the Hot 100 include a No. 4 debut for the collaboration between Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj, “Princess Diana.”
And history was made as Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma shared the honor of having the first regional Mexican song to enter the top 5 in the history of the Hot 100, with “Ella Baila Sola” — just a week after it set a then-impressive mark by becoming the first top 10 regional Mexican hit in the chart’s history. Perhaps not surprisingly, the song is even a little bit bigger internationally (for now) than it is in the U.S.: “Ella Baila Sola” moves up to reach the No. 1 spot on the Billboard global songs chart.
Morgan Wallen’s tenure topping both the album chart and Hot 100 simultaneously was limited to a single week, as his song “Last Night” dips to No. 2 after topping the singles chart last week, finally succumbing to SZA pressure. Following on the chart at No. 3 is another former leader, Miley Cyrus’ enduring “Flowers.” Cyrus’ tune is enjoying a tenth week atop the Radio Songs chart.
Taylor Swift scored a coup on the album chart this week, as love for her Eras Tour helped the 2019 album “Lover” reenter the top 10 of the Billboard 200 for the first time in three years, reaching No. 9. It gives Swift two albums in the top 10, as her most recent effort, “Midnights,” remains firmly planted there, at No. 4.
It’s possible Swift could have three albums in the top 10 on next week’s chart, if “Lover” doesn’t slip back out, and if her Record Store Day release “Folklore: The Long Pond Sessions” debuts as well as expected.
Other top 10 albums include the latest efforts from Luke Combs, Metro Boomin and Bad Bunny, along with a previous entry from Wallen giving him two in the upper ranks.
