CHART STORY:
CARDI B BIG

Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy lands resoundingly at #1 on our Top 50 chart this week with 254k+ all in. In addition to having the second-biggest debut of 2018, the Atlantic breakout has the largest first-week streams for any debut album yet—according to the abacus-wielding primates we rely on for such things—as well as the most first-week streams (and most single-week streams) ever by a female artist.

Invasion is also the fifth-largest streaming debut (behind Drake’s More Life, Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN., Drake’s Views and Migos’ Culture II) and has achieved the seventh largest streaming week ever. So that’s good. With retail album sales in excess of 100k, meanwhile, Cardi bucks the current trend among big rap releases, which have typically added no more than 40k to their giant streaming totals. Cardi now has five tracks in the Apple Music Top 10, with “I Like It” leading at #2; the track is also #7 at Spotify U.S.

Interscope’s Thirty Seconds to Mars lands at #2 with just over 64k. The only other Top 10 bow comes from Glorious Dead’s Flatbush Zombies, who arrive at #9 with a lively 28k.

Other debuts in the upper half of the cart include Columbia’s Lil Xan (#11, 25k), Island’s Revamp Elton John tribute (#12, 25k) and Hopeless’ The Wonder Years at #18.

To geek out over all the chart numbers, go here, ya nerd.

With such leading releases as Mars, The Weeknd, XXXtentacion, Migos, Black Panther, Rich the Kid and Post Malone (that’s seven of the Top 10), UMG enjoys a 49% marketshare. WMG, with Cardi and The Greatest Showman leading, has 31%. Sony has 16% and the indies take 4%.

Among the new music that will adorn the top of next week’s charts: Broken Bow/BMG’s Jason Aldean (due for a big look at this weekend’s ACMs), RCA's a cappella darlings Pentatonix and Hollywood rock outfit Breaking Benjamin.

In political news, if anyone needs to hire a Deputy Attorney General, we hear one’s going to be looking for a gig soon.