USA
Billboard Report (excerpt)
Olivia Rodrigo tops both major hitlists
Tuesday, September 19, 2023
by Keith Caulfield & Gary Trust, Los Angeles

Olivia Rodrigo’s former Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 “Vampire” surges back to the chart’s summit, from No. 9. Plus, her “Bad Idea Right?” roars to a new No. 7 high, from No. 26, as her album

Guts, featuring both songs, launches at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. “Vampire” returns to No. 1 on the Hot 100 up 82% to 22.8 million streams in the Sept. 8-14 tracking week, while “Bad Idea Right?” vaulted by 121% to 22.1 million streams, as the latter wins the Hot 100’s top Streaming Gainer award. The first two singles from Guts skyrocket 12-3 (following a week at No. 1) and 26-4 (after reaching No. 3), respectively, on the Streaming Songs chart. On Radio Songs, “Vampire” holds at its No. 6 high (55.8 million impressions, down 7%) and “Bad Idea Right?” bumps 43-39 (16.2 million, up 15%). Plus, the songs sold 4,000 (up 89%, good for top Sales Gainer honors on the Hot 100) and 2,000 (up 42%), respectively. Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” retreats to No. 2 on the Hot 100, a week after it hit No. 1. It drew 37.2 million in radio reach (up 16%) and 27.3 million streams (down 2%) and sold 7,000 (down 10%) Sept. 8-14. A week earlier, the song became

the rapper/singer’s second leader, following “Say So,” featuring Nicki Minaj, for a week in 2020. It also became the chart’s first rap No. 1 in over a year. Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves, dips 2-3 on the Hot 100, two weeks after it debuted at No. 1. It leads Streaming Songs (30.1 million, down 5%) and the multi-metric Hot Country Songs, Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Rock Songs charts for a third week each. Luke Combs’ cover of Tracy Chapman’s No. 6-peaking 1988 Hot 100 classic “Fast Car” backs up 3-4 after eight weeks at its No. 2 high. Still, it tops Radio Songs for a third week (77.3 million, down 1%). Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” descends 4-5 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 3, and Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” drops 5-6, following 16 weeks at No. 1, the most ever for a non-collaboration. Below Rodrigo’s “Bad Idea Right?” at No. 7 on the Hot 100, as the track also rebounds for a second week at No. 1 on the multi-metric Hot Alternative Songs chart, SZA’s “Snooze” slips to No. 8 from its No. 7 Hot 100 best; Gunna’s “Fukumean” falls 8-9 on the Hot 100, after hitting No. 4; and Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” retreats to No. 10 from its No. 6 high. Olivia Rodrigo’s sophomore album, Guts, debuts atop the Billboard 200 chart (dated Sept. 23), scoring the singer-songwriter her second No. 1 set, following her 2021 debut Sour. The new album starts with 302,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Sept. 14, according to Luminate. That marks the fourth-largest week for any album in 2023 and Rodrigo’s best week yet. Of Guts’ 302,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Sept. 14, SEA units comprise 151,000 (equaling 199.59 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 12 songs — the sixth-largest debut streaming week of 2023), album sales comprise 150,000 (powered by 94,000 in vinyl sales — the seventh-largest week for a vinyl album since Luminate began electronically tracking sales in 1991) and TEA units comprise 1,000. Guts’ first-week sales were bolstered by its availability across 13 different vinyl variants (including a signed edition), two deluxe boxed sets containing a vinyl LP and branded merchandise, four CD editions (including a signed version), two deluxe boxed sets containing a CD and branded merchandise, and a cassette tape. BTS’ V sees his first solo studio album, Layover, launch at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, earning 100,000 equivalent album units in its first week. Of that sum, album sales comprise 88,000, SEA units comprise 9,000 (equaling 12.95 million on-demand official streams of the set’s six tracks) and TEA units comprise 3,000. Layover’s debut was enhanced by its availability in 13 collectible CD iterations, all with randomized branded merch elements contained inside, with exclusive variants sold via Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart and the Weverse store. Zach Bryan’s self-titled album falls to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 (95,000 equivalent album units; down 18%) after spending its first two weeks at No. 1. Morgan Wallen’s chart-topping One Thing at a Time slips 2-4 (78,000; down 7%), Travis Scott’s former No. 1 Utopia drops 3-5 (56,000; down 22%), and SZA’s former leader SOS is a non-mover at No. 6 (45,000; up 1%). Peso Pluma’s Génesis rises one spot to No. 7 (43,000 equivalent album units; up 4%), Taylor Swift’s former No. 1 Midnights falls 5-8 (42,000; down 7%), and Morgan Wallen’s first No. 1, Dangerous: The Double Album, ascends 10-9 (39,000; down 4%). Tyler Childers rounds out the top 10, as his latest release, Rustin’ in the Rain, debuts at No. 10 with 38,000 equivalent album units earned — his best week yet by total units. It’s the second top 10-charting effort for the artist, following Can I Take My Hounds To Heaven (No. 8 in 2022). Of Rain’s 38,000 first-week units, album sales comprise 25,000 and SEA units comprise 13,000 (equaling 17.39 million on-demand official streams of the set’s seven songs), rounded out by a negligible amount of TEA units.

Record Of The Month
'Paint The Town Red' is the second single from Doja Cat's upcoming fourth album 'Scarlet'.

United Kingdom
Music Week Report (excerpt)
'Guts' tops the album list, 'Utopia' follows at no.2
Monday, September 18, 2023
by Alan Jones, London
 
Ending a run of four consecutive weeks in which leadership of the singles chart has changed hands, Doja Cat’s Paint The Town Red secures its 2nd week atop the list on consumption of 54,414 units (1,188 digital downloads, 53,226 sales-equivalent streams). Its own dip in support – it is down 6.12% week-on-

week - coincides with the release of Olivia Rodrigo’s new album Guts, which triggers a resurgence in support for both of that album’s previously released tracks, with former No.1 Vampire racking up a 40.72% increase in consumption as it rebounds 3-2 (43,651 sales), while Bad Idea Right? – which previously peaked at No.6 – posts a 77.96% gain as it jumps 12-3 (34,758 sales). It is a record fifth week in a row that the entire Top 3 has been populated by tracks from female solo artists. Rodrigo also lands her 10th hit in total and seventh Top 10 entry with Guts track, Get Him Back! (No.7, 28,445 sales). Nine further songs from the set are ‘starred-out’ between No.9 and No.19. A week after landing in the Top 10 for the first time in his career, Fred Again.. makes further significant gains with Adore U (feat. Obongjayar) jumping 9-4 (30,452 sales). There is also a new peak for Prada, which advances 7-5 (30,194 sales) for Cassö, Raye & D-Block Europe. The Fred

Again track is even more successful in Ireland, where it climbs 2-1. The rest of the Top 10: Cruel Summer (2-6, 30,114 sales) by Taylor Swift, Desire (6-8, 27,265 sales) by Calvin Harris & Sam Smith, (It Goes Like) Nanana (5-9, 26,212 sales) by Peggy Gou and Disconnect (8-10, 25,078 sales) by Becky Hill and Chase & Status. Overall singles sales are up 0.33% week-on-week to 26,486,891 units, 13.27% above same week 2022 consumption of 23,383,522 units. Paid-for sales are up 4.48% week-on-week at 281,195 – 2.92% below same week 2022 sales of 289,648. Britain has a new No.1 album for the 15th week in a row, with Olivia Rodrigo’s second album, Guts, storming to the summit on first week consumption of 60,272 units (10,580 CDs, 11,809 vinyl albums, 8,489 cassettes, 1,228 digital downloads and 28,165 sales-equivalent streams). The fourth biggest debut of 2023 – behind Lewis Capaldi’s Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent (95,882), Ed Sheeran’s Subtract (76,263) and Taylor Swift’s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (67,112) - it had greater consumption in the week than the rest of the Top 10 combined and more than eight times that of its nearest challenger. Home to Rodrigo’s recent No.1 single Vampire, Bad Idea Right? and new hit Get Him Back!, Guts thus surpasses the introductory frame of Rodrigo’s debut album, Sour, which opened atop the chart in May 2021 on consumption of 50,942 units. Sour jumps 18-8 (5,383 sales) this week, securing its highest chart placing for 58 weeks. In the chart continuously for 121 weeks since release, Sour spent a total of five weeks at No.1, has never fallen below No.45 and has achieved to-date consumption of 753,242 units. It is a sign of Rodrigo’s youth that the three of the four other acts who have albums debuting inside the Top 10 this week – The Coral, Rosin Murphy and Chemical Brothers – all made their first visit to the top tier before she was born. Merseyside rock band The Coral charted their eponymous debut in 2002, and had their only No.1 album the following year with Magic And Medicine. Their personnel largely unchanged, with lead singer and main songwriter James Skelly, 43, still at the helm, they secure their seventh Top 10 entry with 11th studio album, Sea Of Mirrors, opening at No.3, (7,228 sales). They score their 12th chart entry with the simultaneously released Holy Joe’s Coral Island Medicine Show (No.36, 2,830 sales). Available only physically, it is a more whimsical selection of death ditties and instrumentals in the form of a mythical radio show. That self-titled 2002 debut, incidentally, remains The Coral’s biggest seller, with to-date consumption of 390,436 units, with Magic And Medicine its runner-up on consumption of 289,956 units. First in the Top 75 in 1998 as half of Moloko - whose highest charting set, Things To Make And Do, reached No.3 in 2000 - 50-year-old singer/songwriter Roisin Murphy, from Wicklow in Ireland, went solo in 2005, and secures her first ever Top 10 solo chart entry and fifth Top 75 entry with sixth album, Hit Parade (No.5, 6,722 sales). The Chemical Brothers’ 10th studio album in a chart career spanning 28 years - and their first release since No Geography opened at No.4 (9,809 sales) in 2019 – For That Beautiful Feeling debuts at No.6 (6,327 sales) for the veteran dance duo. Six of their previous studio albums reached No.1, while 2010 release Further didn’t chart at all because all formats furnished buyers with the opportunity to enter a ‘golden ticket’ competition, with 10 iPads and USB sticks as prizes, and competitions of this type are expressly forbidden by OCC chart rules. Despite peaking at No.9, Chemical Brothers’ 1995 debut Exit Planet Dust is their second biggest-seller with to-date sales of 394,866, trailing only 1999 smash Surrender – home to the hits Hey Boy Hey Girl, Let Forever Be and Out Of Control – which has sold 636,580 copies. The last of this week’s five Top 10 debuts is My Neighbours Don’t Know (No.9, 5,174 sales), a 19-song mixtape that provides the sixth Top 75 album and fourth Top 10 entry for London rapper M Huncho. The rest of the Top 10: Utopia (2-2, 7,462 sales) by Travis Scott, The Highlights (5-4, 6,814 sales) by The Weeknd, 50 Years: Don’t Stop (8-7, 5,701 sales) by Fleetwood Mac and Diamonds (9-10, 4,976 sales) by Elton John. Overall album sales are up 2.49% week-on-week at 2,176,821, 14.26% above same week 2022 sales of 1,905,096. Physical product accounts for 267,882 sales, 12.30% of the total.