CHART STORY: BIRDS FLIES HIGH

Epic’s Travis Scott has bowed at #1 on the Sales Plus Streaming (SPS) Chart with 89k for Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, which he dropped as a surprise, two-week Apple Music exclusive last Friday morning. On the Album Sales Chart, A Day To Remember have snagged the top spot with just north of 53k for their independently released Bad Vibrations. However, on that chart, there was certainly a photo-finish, as Scott ended up at #2 with a few hundred units south of 53k.

No other debuts made it into the SPS Top 15 this week. On the album chart, Top Dawg’s Isaiah Rashad bows at #12, though.

But back to the SPS chart. There, Ariana Grande’s Dangerous Woman (Republic), which was discounted for $7.99 at iTunes, jumps #14-11, as her new single, “Side to Side,” featuring Nicki Minaj, heats up.

RCA’s Sia, who’s also enjoying new-single-related success, sees her This Is Acting leap #23-14. The just-released “The Greatest,” featuring Kendrick Lamar, was not on the album when it was released in January, but has now been added to the digital version. The track has topped the iTunes singles chart in 50+ territories worldwide.

Driven by a $5.99 sale at iTunes, Blake Shelton’s If I’m Honest (Warner Bros. Nashville) and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ The Getaway (Warner Bros.) both see charts bumps; Honest glides #32-18, while Getaway re-enters at #38.

And thanks in large part to an increase at iTunes, Bryson Tiller’s T R A P S O U L (RCA) goes #25-20. On a related note, Tiller is featured on Scott’s Birds in the Trap. And Tiller’s current single, “Sorry Not Sorry,” is making waves at radio; it was just up 100 spins at Rhythm, which moved it to #28 there.

Apparently, “trap” is the word of the week, which is somehow fitting, as we at HITS are trapped in a career cul-de-sac.

If you found that last comment too dark, let us remind you that Donald Trump is still in the running to be our next president. Our self-deprecation seems like a ray of sunshine now, doesn’t it?

As for what’s streeting this week, there are albums from Broken Bow’s Jason Aldean, Virgin’s Bastille, Warner Bros.’ The Head & The Heart, ANTI’s Wilco, Rise’s Of Mice and Men, Caroline’s KT Tunstall, Bad Seed LTD.’s Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Loma Vista’s Local Natives. The Beatles’ Live at the Hollywood Bowl (UMe) and Jack White’s Jack White Acoustic Recordings 1998-2016 (Third Man) are also out this week.