USA
Billboard Report (excerpt)
Taylor Swift scores 10th no.1 album
Tuesday, November 23, 2021
by Keith Caulfield & Gary Trust, Los Angeles

Taylor Swift storms in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart dated Nov. 27 with Red (Taylor’s Version), her re-recording of her 2012 album, Red, which led the list for 7 weeks in 2012-13.

The new 30-track release, which adds a bevy of previously unheard “From the Vault” songs, gives Swift a milestone 10th No. 1 on the chart, making her just the second woman with 10 No. 1s in chart’s 65-year history. Barbra Streisand has the most No. 1s among women, with 11. Red (Taylor’s Version) earned 605,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 18, according to MRC Data. That marks the second-largest week of the year, trailing only the debut frame of Drake’s Certified Lover Boy, which racked up 613,000 units in the week ending Sept. 9. Red (Taylor’s Version) also launches with the best week of the year in terms of traditional album sales: 369,000. Red (Taylor’s Version) is Swift’s second re-recorded album, following Fearless (Taylor’s Version), which also debuted at No. 1, in April. Of Red (Taylor’s Version)’s 605,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 18, album sales comprise

369,000, SEA units comprise 227,000 (equaling 303.23 million on-demand streams of the set’s 30 tracks), and TEA units comprise 9,000 units. Red (Taylor’s Version) was announced on June 18 for release on Nov. 19. On Sept. 30, the release date was moved up a week to Nov. 12. Swift ushered in the album with appearances on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night With Seth Meyers (both on Nov. 11), followed by a performance on Saturday Night Live on Nov. 13. On the latter, she performed the 10-minute version of the album’s “All Too Well.” Swift garnered her first No. 1 with Fearless, her second studio LP, which debuted atop the chart dated Nov. 29, 2008. The previous largest sales week of the year was held by Swift’s latest studio album of all-original material, Evermore, when it sold 192,000 copies in the week ending June 3, following its release on vinyl LP. Sales of Red (Taylor’s Version) were also enhanced by the availability of CDs signed by Swift in her official webstore and at independent retailers. Silk Sonic arrives at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with the pair’s first album, An Evening With Silk Sonic. The set bows with 104,000 equivalent album units earned. It’s the fourth top 10 for Mars, all of which have reached the top three on the list. It’s the second top 10, and highest charting album yet, for Anderson .Paak, who previously hit a No. 4 high with Ventura in 2019. Of An Evening With’s starting sum of 104,000, SEA units comprise 60,000 (equaling 82.6 million on-demand streams of the set’s nine tracks), album sales comprise 42,000 and TEA units comprise 2,000. Coincidentally, Mars’ last two albums both debuted at No. 2 — and one of them also arrived behind a Swift album. Mars’ 24K Magic debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Dec. 10, 2016-dated chart, behind Metallica’s also-debuting Hardwired… To Self-Destruct. Before that, Mars’ Unorthodox Jukebox debuted at No. 2 on the Dec. 29, 2012-dated chart behind Taylor Swift’s Red, which was in its fifth nonconsecutive week at No. 1. Unorthodox Jukebox eventually climbed to No. 1, on the list dated March 16, 2013. Twice captures its second top 10 album on the Billboard 200, and highest charting effort yet, as Formula of Love: O+T=<3 debuts at No. 3 with 66,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 58,000, SEA units comprise 8,000 (equaling 12 million on-demand streams of the set’s tracks) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. Like many K-pop releases, the CD edition of the new album was issued in multiple collectible packages (six, including two Target-exclusive editions). The South Korean girl group hit the top 10 earlier in 2021 with the No. 6-peaking Taste of Love: The 10th Mini Album. Summer Walker’s Still Over It falls from No. 1 to No. 4 in its second week on the Billboard 200, earning 64,000 equivalent album units (down 61%). Drake’s former No. 1 Certified Lover Boy dips 3-5 with 57,000 units (down 8%), Wallen’s chart-topping Dangerous: The Double Album descends 5-6 with 45,000 units (though up 5%) and Ed Sheeran’s former No. 1 = drops 4-7 with 38,000 units (down 25%). Jason Aldean’s Macon debuts at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, marking his ninth top 10 on the chart. Macon launches with 37,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 19,000, SEA units comprise 16,000 (equaling 21.62 million streams of the set’s 15 tracks) and TEA units comprise 2,000 units. Rounding out the Billboard 200’s new top 10 are Kanye West’s former No. 1 Donda, up 13-9 with nearly 37,000 equivalent album units, up 46% thanks to its Nov. 13 deluxe reissue with additional tracks, and Doja Cat’s Planet Her, falling 6-10 with 35,000 units (down 5%). Taylor Swift blasts in at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart with “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version).” The song, long considered a classic among her catalog, is from her new re-recorded LP, Red (Taylor’s Version), which concurrently launches at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Swift first released the song on her 2012 album Red, with that version having spent a week on the Hot 100, at No. 80, on the ranking dated Nov. 10, 2012. “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” was released on Red (Taylor’s Version) Nov. 12 on Republic Records, via two versions on the set: its 5-minute, 29-second and 10-minute, 13-second versions, both of which are combined into one listing on Billboard‘s charts. (The song’s original 5-minute, 29-second 2012 version is tracked separately.) As the song becomes the 1,132nd No. 1 in the Hot 100’s 63-year history, and the 58th to enter on top, let’s dig deeper into its coronation. Streams, airplay & sales: “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” begins with 54.4 million U.S. streams, 286,000 radio airplay audience impressions and 57,800 downloads sold in the Nov. 12-18 tracking week, according to MRC Data. Adele’s “Easy on Me” dips to No. 2 on the Hot 100 after four weeks at No. 1. It descends to No. 3 after four weeks atop Streaming Songs, although with a 2% gain to 24.1 million streams; drops to No. 2 after two frames atop Digital Song Sales, surging by 70% to 24,800 sold; and holds at its No. 2 high on Radio Songs, up 9% to 84.8 million in radio reach, as it wins both the Hot 100’s top Sales and Airplay Gainer awards. The song’s parent album, 30, was released Friday, Nov. 19, while Adele performed the ballad on CBS’ Adele: One Night Only, Nov. 14. The Kid Laroi and Bieber’s “Stay” slips 2-3 on the Hot 100, after seven weeks at No. 1, as it leads Radio Songs for a 10th week (86.9 million, down 3%). Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow’s “Industry Baby” retreats 3-4 on the Hot 100, after a week at No. 1, as it logs a 13th week atop both the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts. “Smokin Out the Window” by Silk Sonic, the twosome of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, jumps 8-5 in its second week on the Hot 100, led by 23.8 million streams (up 13%) and 13.7 million in airplay audience (up 135%). The collab (which contributes to the chart histories of both artists) is Mars’ 17th top five Hot 100 hit and Anderson .Paak’s second, after their “Leave the Door Open” spent two weeks at No. 1 in April-May. Both songs are from the pair’s album An Evening With Silk Sonic, which debuts at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Ed Sheeran’s “Bad Habits” backtracks 4-6 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 2, and his “Shivers” slides to No. 7 from its No. 5 high. Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves” pushes 10-8 for a new best, as it leads the multi-metric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Alternative Songs charts for a ninth week each; Doja Cat’s “Need to Know” keeps at No. 9 on the Hot 100, after hitting No. 8; and Walker Hayes’ “Fancy Like” falls 7-10, after reaching No. 3.

Record Of The Month
Nigeria is gradually becoming a hot spot in our new multicolored music world. Already last year a song from there, 'Jerusalema' by Master KG feat. Nomcebo Zikode, was a big international success and now 'Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah)' by Nigerian singer, songwriter and producer Chukwuka Ekweani, better known as CKay, is on the way to the top... this week at no.3 with 300.000 points.

United Kingdom
Music Week Report (excerpt)
Abba's 'Voyage' slides to the runner-up slot
Monday, November 22, 2021
by Alan Jones, London
 
Swift by name, swift by nature: Taylor Swift racks up her fourth No.1 album of the 2020s, with Red (Taylor’s Version) – a considerably expanded remake of her fourth album and very first No.1 in 2012 – opening atop the chart on first week consumption of 72,319 units, including 45,338 CDs and 7,086

quadruple vinyl box sets. Red (Taylor’s Version) is Swift’s fourth No.1 album in a mere 476 days, beating the previous record of 518 days set by The Beatles in 1964/65. She is the only artist to have four No.1 albums in the 2020s – runners-up Drake, The Killers and Paul Weller have two apiece; the artist with most weeks at No.1 in the 2020s - seven, two more than second placed Olivia Rodrigo; and the artist with the second highest level of album consumption (behind Ed Sheeran) in the 2020s. Sales of the original Red – which dips 54-107 (1,402 sales) this week - are the second-highest for a Swift album, trailing follow-up 1989, which has consumption of 1,414,643 units to date, and provided Swift’s career highest weekly sale of 90,336. Red’s tally of 796,529 included a first week tally of 61,799. If Swift goes ahead with her avowed intent of re-recording new versions of her six albums for Big Machine in a dispute with Scooter Braun, there will be four more

Taylor’s Versions to come. Her release, in April, of a Taylor’s Version of her second album, Fearless, was also a No.1, albeit on sales of just 21,145, which have since increased to a 32-week tally of 63,094. With eight to her credit, Swift moves level with Kylie Minogue on the list of female soloists with most No.1 albums. Only Madonna, with 11 (12 if we include the Madonna-heavy Evita soundtrack) has more. Two things all Little Mix albums share are a November release date, and a Top 5 chart position. Their seventh straight Top 5 album, compilation Between Us, debuts at No.4 on sales of 33,822 copies. 3,134 of those sales were on cassette, in which format it is No.1. Rod Stewart was hoping to score an 11th solo No.1 with The Tears Of Hercules this week but the album falls short, debuting at No.5 (20,470 sales), to provide his 39th Top 10 entry (including three with the Faces). Had Stewart, 76, reached No.1, he would have become the fourth oldest male soloist to top the chart behind Tom Jones (80), Bob Dylan (79) and Paul McCartney (78). Thirteen months after they topped the chart with second album Ultra Mono on sales of 27,182 copies, Bristol punk band Idles’ follow-up, Crawler, is their third Top 10 entry, debuting at No.6 (14,351 sales). The vast majority (9,584) of those sales were on vinyl, in which format it is No.1. Blur and Gorillaz vocalist Damon Albarn reached No.2 with his only previous solo studio album, Everyday Robots in 2013, and opens at No.7 (14,120 sales) with his second, The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows. One of Britain’s top boy bands between 2010 and 2013, racking up three Top 10 albums with sales in excess of 927,000 and 12 Top 30 singles, with sales upwards of 4,461,000, The Wanted have reconvened in support of band member Tom Parker, who has been diagnosed with brain cancer. The result, Most Wanted: The Greatest Hits, housing all the hits and three new recordings, debuts at No.8 (12,896 sales). The soulful retro R&B stylings of Silk Sonic – a side project for Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak – has earned the duo four Top 75 singles thus far, all taken from the album An Evening With, which debuts at No.9 (12,484 sales). Exactly a year after debuting at No.1 (54,905 sales), Kylie Minogue’s Disco returns to the chart at No.10 (10.409 sales) powered by the newly-released Guest List Edition, which adds collaborations with Dua Lipa, Gloria Gaynor, Years & Years and Jessie Ware, and other new material. Sales to date: 142,393. It is only the fourth time in 99 weeks of the 2020s that the entire Top 10 have cleared 10,000 sales. Of last week’s Top 10, only Abba’s Voyage (1-2, 44,053 sales) and Ed Sheeran’s = (2-3,. 34,068 sales) remain in the top tier, with exits for The Lockdown Sessions (6-12, 6,613 sales) by Elton John, Gold: Greatest Hits (9-14, 5,770 sales) by Abba, Music Of The Spheres (10-16, 4,991 sales) by Coldplay, Still Over It (5-27, 3,665 sales) by Summer Walker, Thank You (7-29, 2,958 sales) by Diana Ross, Still Rising: The Collection (8-35, 2,754 sales) by Gregory Porter, It All Makes Sense In The End (3-47, 2,496 sales) by James Arthur and Kid A Mnesia (4-73, 1,775 sales) by Coldplay. Overall album sales are up 2.30% week-on-week at 2,139,541, their highest level of the year and 13.01% above same week 2020 sales of 1,893,310. Physical product accounted for 583,911 sales, 27.29% of the total. The No.1 single for the fifth week in a row is Easy On Me (67,102 sales), the introductory single from 30, the new album from Adele, which dropped today (November 19). Now the longest-running No.1 by a British female solo artist since Duffy’s Mercy spent five weeks at the summit at the start of 2008, Easy On Me will likely receive a massive boost from the release of 30, and extend its tenure still further. Not a single when included on Taylor Swift’s fourth album Red, in 2012, All Too Well is nevertheless her 35th most popular track, with consumption of nearly 175,000 up to last week. It has now emerged as the star attraction on Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version) remake of that set, in which it appears in two versions, one of them more than 10 minutes long. Pure sales and streaming of the new versions (but not the old) both count towards consumption of 58,932 copies of the track this week, earning it a No.3 debut. Also new to the chart are Taylor’s Versions of State Of Grace (No.18, 19,837 sales) and the title track, Red (No.22, 17,300 sales), both of which surpass the originals’ respective 2012 peaks of No.36 and No.26. A further 25 tracks from the Red (Taylor’s Version) album – a record - are ‘starred-out’ of the Top 75 under the rule that allows a maximum of three tracks as a primary artist. Swift has now had 54 Top 75 hits, with All Too Well becoming her 18th Top 10 entry. Also new to the Top 10: Seventeen Going Under (22-9, 25,964 sales) the first Top 10 hit for Sam Fender, and Coming For You (14-10, 25,006 sales) the first hit of any size by UK rapper SwitchOTR (feat A1 x J1). Ed Sheeran continues to have a triple presence in the Top 10 with Shivers (2-2, 59,356 sales), Bad Habits (3-4, 49,310 sales) and Overpass Graffiti (6-6, 32,020 sales). The rest of the Top 10: Flowers (Say My Name) (5-5, 37,549 sales) by ArrDee, Love Nwantiti (7-7, 30,753 sales) by Ckay and Cold Heart (4-8, 27,417 sales) by Elton John & Dua Lipa. Singles sales are up 3.31% week-on-week at 23,978,247, 15.33% above same week 2020 sales of 20,791,454. It is their highest level for 24 weeks, and their second highest level ever. Paid-for sales are down 1.38% week-on-week at 363,614 – 15.98% above/below same week 2020 sales of 432,773.