Chart Buzz: Cake, Bruno Mars, Britney Spears, Enrique Iglesias
Cake celebrates first No. 1 album, Bruno Mars and Nicki Minaj light up the charts, Britney Spears’ new single soars to No. 1 and Enrique Iglesias releases yet another rhythmic Latin hit single
It’s been an incredibly slow week at the Billboard 200 this week as alt-rock band Cake debuts at #1, selling just 44,000 units. With this being their sixth studio album and their first album to jump into the top ten, the band posts their lowest sale of units in one week; unfortunately bearing the ironic distinction of having the lowest record sales for a No. 1 album since Nielsen Soundscan began tracking sales in 1991. Despite the bittersweet news of their No. 1 hot shot, Cake expressed their gratitude to fans and supporters at their website (www.cakemusic.com) saying, “We’re number one! [We] would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to all the listeners who have supported our work for all these years.”
Cage the Elephant, with their hot shot debut, comes in at No. 2’s selling 39,000 copies. Taylor Swift’s Speak Now dropped from last week’s No. 1 to No. 3.
Bruno Mars really should feel like one happy fellow. Not only for the number of Grammy nominations he’s been blessed with (including Producer of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance) and not just because he’s landed yet another No. 1 hit single on the Billboard Top 100 with “Grenade,” but because his fifteen-week old album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, soared straight to No. 4 on the Billboard 200. The album debuted at No. 2 and has been on the charts since October 2010. Although it slipped from last week’s No. 3, Doo-Wops & Hooligans sold a comfortable 32,000 units; even besting Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday, which now sits at No. 5.
A very positive note for Minaj’s solo debut, Pink Friday, which debuted the same week of Kanye West’s Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: It is currently selling more units than West’s album.
Britney Spears shot straight to No. 1 in its first week with the release of her new single, “Hold It Against Me.” This week, it knocked Mars’s No. 1 smash “Grenade” down to No. 2. It’s not the first time a Spears’ single soared straight to the No. 1 spot. In 2009, Spears had the same success with the Max Martin-produced “3.” It has been over two years since Spears has released any new material. Since its release, it has sold 411,000 digital units.
Enrique Iglesias is turning the heat up a notch. Since he rocketed to superstardom on the heels of “I Like It,” Iglesias is burning up the charts with even more synthpop-inspired rhythmic Latin. The risque’ music video debut of Iglesias’ racy single, “Tonight I’m F***in’ You,” sparked the Internet, even putting the Latin singer at No. 7 on the Social 50 during the week of January 8. Since then, a safe version – titled “Tonight I’m Lovin’ You” – has been featured at VEVO and YouTube. The song features a rap cameo from Ludacris. The single is performing in the same successful pattern as 2010’s “I Like It” on the Billboard Top 100, peaking at No. 6. The song is also showing itself strong on a number of other charts including Digital Sales (peaking at #3), Hot Dance Club Songs (#2), Pop Songs (#7) and Latin Pop Songs (#30).
CHART BUZZ is a bi-monthly series tracing the latest airplay, radio impressions and unit sales numbers goverened by Billboard and measured by Nielsen Soundscan. For more chart information and additional chart data, go to www.billboard.com or www.billboard.biz. Visit our abbrievated Billboard and iTunes charts at: www.hifimagazine.net/blog/charts
