This Week In Music (V.14): Chart News, New Music, & More

Well, here it is, another edition of This Week in Music (#TWIM). Let’s get right to it. Just like I mention in mosts posts, click the links!

The Billboard 200 numbers came in and Lana Del Rey topped the chart with Ultraviolence selling 188,000 copies making it her first album to top the chart. Sam Smith became the first solo artist since Phillip Phillips released The World From the Side of the Moon (2012), to have the largest debut. In The Lonely Hour sold 166,000 copies, placing Sam Smith in at #2. Lincoln Park’s, Hunting Party, debuted at #3 will 110,000 copies sold. It is their first non #1 album since their 2002 debut. The Frozen soundtrack is STILL in the Top 10 this week. It places at #4 moving down a spot from the previous week. Despite that, 26 consecutive weeks in the top 10, for a soundtrack, isn’t shabby at all. Jennifer Lopez charted her lowest album sales to date with the release of A.K.A. selling 33,000 copies although it was her 8th consecutive Top 10 album.

Moving on to the Hot 100, Iggy Azalea is still atop of the chart with ‘Fancy‘. In at #2 is ‘Problem‘ and rounding off the top 3 is one of my FAVORITE tracks of the year thus far, Magic!’s ‘Rude‘.

There are two new albums that have been confirmed for a later release this year. First up is Ariana Grande. She will be releasing her sophomore album titled, My Everything. It hasn’t been a year since she’s released her debut, Yours Truly, but with the buzz around ‘Problem’ it only makes sense for her to push out a new album while the buzz is there. She announced this during an interview with Ryan Seacrest and discussed the direction of the album:

“I feel like each song is so strongly themed that I just wanted to have a very simple overall cover. It’s inspired by Jane Fonda in Barbarella and Star Wars and space. It’s more throwback, campy.”

She’s readying the video for her second single titled ‘Break Free’ which features Zedd and has a 1960s vibe. I can see where she’s going since the video for ‘Problem’ looked like a snippet from That 70s Show. 

Selena Gomez is readying another album as she exits out of her Disney deal with Hollywood Records. The album will be a greatest hits album featuring ‘Love You Like a Love Song’, ‘Come and Get It’, plus more (of course). She hasn’t been out long enough in my opinion to have a greatest hits album, BUT I guess with this deal closing it makes sense. Even though she hasn’t really put a dent in her musical career she does have quite a bit of hits that I do enjoy.

As for new albums coming Tuesday: Trey Songz, Trigga; Robin Thicke, Paula; and Tessanne Chin, Count On MY Love. I will definitely be doing an album review on Trigga, I have no interest in Robin Thicke’s love letter to Paula and I will give a listen to Tessanne Chin’s debut. Not sure if I’ll be doing an album review.

Last week I wrote about Zenday Coleman being casted as Aaliyah and ALL the controversy surrounding it. Well, Zendaya has dropped out of filming the movie. Her rep released a statement:

“Zendaya is no longer involved in the project. Aaliyah has always been an inspiration to Zendaya,” the source said. “She was honored to portray her and pay tribute to her. If she is going to do it, she wants to do it right.”

With all the controversy with Aaliyah’s family more so than the mumbling and grumbling from Aaliyah fans, I can’t blame Zendaya for backing out. Interested in seeing if this movie will surface.

Alright let’s wrap this edition up; just a couple more things. Beyonce and Jay Z have officially stated their ‘On The Run’ tour and from pictures and Instagram videos, what a TOUR it is. They released a behind the scenes of the tour so check it out below:

In new music there hasn’t been much that’s caught my eye. Let’s see Jeremih released a remix to ‘Don’t Tell ‘Em’ featuring G-Unit. Not a fan of the G-Unit reunion, but I like the song, more so the beat. Lil Wayne released a track called ‘Krazy’ which is HORRIBLE. I don’t know the direction he’s going with the Carter V, but at this point I’m not interested. Then there’s a new artist I came across, who’s not really new, by the name of G-Eazy. He has a track titled, ‘Lotta That’ featuring A$AP Ferg & Danny Smith. Take a listen below and tune in next week for another edition of This Week in Music DEDICATED to the BET AWARDS!