Well, there’s Jay-Z and everyone else this week. Magna Carta Holy Grail‘s chart-topping first week should best the bows of his previous three releases, Watch The Throne(436k), Blueprint 3 (476k) and American Gangster (425k). Looks like Samsung’s marketing campaign is paying off for everyone. Here are this week’s key debuts: Jay-Z (Roc Nation) 475-525kCiara (Epic) 55-65k Skylar Gray (KidinaKorner/Interscope) 15-18k Donell Jones (eOne) 10-12k As of this writing Magna Cartaremains the #1 album on the iTunes chart in its “explicit” form, while the “clean” version occupies the #5 spot. Lead single “Holy Grail” featuring Justin Timberlake is #2 on the singles chart, while “Tom Ford” (an early fave among hip-hop heads) has bounced to #13. (7/10p) (HITS Daily Double)
ay-Z has landed his first UK number one album with Magna Carta Holy Grail. The rapper’s highest-charting album previously was 2011’s collaborative project Watch The Throne with Kanye West, which peaked at number three. The record oustedMumford & Sons‘ Babel which enjoyed surging sales following the band’s appearance at Glastonbury. In the singles chart, Robin Thicke‘s Blurred Lines returned to the top spot, replacing John Newman‘s Love Me Again after just one week at number one. (BBC)
Jay-Z had never been higher than No. 4 on the British bestsellers in his own right, peaking there with “Blueprint III” in 2009. That was eight years after the original “The Blueprint” opened his album chart account in the territory. From the new album, “Holy Grail,” featuring Justin Timberlake, opened at No. 24 on the singles chart. (Billboard)