Beyoncé’s seventh studio album and first in six years “Renaissance (Act 1)” takes out the top spot in Australia this week.
“Renaissance (Act 1)” (Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia) becomes the 953rd No.1 Album in Australia (1965 to 2022), the 804th for ARIA (1983 to 2022), the 588th to debut at No.1, the 22nd chart-topping album for 2022 and the 54th for Columbia (thru Sony) records, which also dethrones another of their albums, the latest Harry Styles set. The new No.1 here has also landed at the top in New Zealand, England, Ireland, The Netherlands, France, Scotland and Sweden (so far), while it’s also the No.4 selling vinyl locally.
The new Beyoncé No.1 album is also her third in Australia after her last set “Lemonade” (LP#6, 1 week on May 2nd, 2016), while her fifth self-titled album was her first solo No.1, holding for three weeks from January 6th, 2014 (helped by “Irreplaceable” as the No.1 single at the time), plus this is also her eighth Top 10 Album, as all of her seven solo albums have landed within the Top 10, plus her June 2016 collaboration album with her husband Jay-Z under The Carters called “Everything is Love” made it to No.6. I’ve also called her new album ‘Act 1’, as two further volumes in the series are due in the future (no date or exact titles known as yet).
Beyoncé is now equal 83rd on the listing for ‘Accumulated Weeks at No.1: Albums (1965 to 2022)’ alongside other acts with five weeks from 3 No.1 Albums like Nirvana, The Black Eyed Peas and Anthony Callea, while this is the first time that the word ‘Renaissance’ has appeared in a No.1 Album’s title. Hopefully she can hold on for another week, but Eminem just issued his second best of collection “Curtain Call 2”, a double album of his past duets and collaborations.
The new No.1 Album also becomes the first at the top by an American Act since May 23rd (Kendrick Lamar), and overall this is the 333rd No.1 by an American (solo male or female, duo or group) (7th for 2022), while for Solo Female Artists this album becomes the 151st to hit No.1 in Australia (3rd for 2022), with the other two this year being by Dua Lipa (last one on April 25th) and Charli XCX (March 28th) {although Adele was No.1 in the first two weeks of the year, laid over from last years run}. For American Solo Female Artists Beyoncé is now equal fifth alongside Mariah Carey and Barbra Streisand for ‘Most No.1 Albums’, ahead of them on four are Ariana Grande, Lana Del Rey and Lady Gaga (equal fourth), in third is Pink (6 #1’s), followed by Taylor Swift (9 #1’s) and Madonna (11 No.1 Albums).
After seven accumulated weeks at No.1 the Harry Styles third album “Harry’s House” dips down one spot to No.2, while it remains at the top in Canada (5th week), and is the No.8 selling vinyl this week, and after eleven weeks of remaining within the Top 3 positions, the album has now been certified ▲Platinum in sales (it went Gold on June 27th), while the set matches the position the album’s lead single “As it Was” is on this week’s singles chart.
Last week The Weeknd re-peaked at No.2 (it debuted there originally on Feb. 15th, 2021) with his collection “The Highlights”, with the set down one spot this week to No.3, marking two chart milestones as well; logging it’s 52nd week (one year) within the Top 10, plus it also racks up it’s 78th week within the Top 20/100 (it’s never been lower than No.17 on Oct. 25th and Nov. 29th of 2021), which is equivalent to one-and-a-half years of charting.
Zooming back into the Top 100, up ninety-eight places from last week is the ‘ELVIS’ soundtrack, which is boosted back up the charts thanks to a physical release of the Baz Luhrmann film’s music, plus this is now the album’s highest position and first week within the Top 10, as the set initially debuted and peaked at No.22 on July 4th, after which is a two place dip to No.5 for the Olivia Rodrigo album “SOUR”, still logging it’s 63rd week within the chart and also the Top 10.
The fourth studio album and now third Top 10 placement for Brisbane rock act Dune Rats called “Real Rare Whale” debuts at No.6 this week (No.2 vinyl), coming two-and-a-half years after their last album “Hurry Up and Wait” (No.1 for one week on Feb. 10th, 2020) and their second album/first No.1 “The Kids Will Know it’s Bullshit” (1 week on Feb. 13th, 2017). Fellow Brisbane-ites Beddy Rays, who’ve toured with Dune Rats in the past, see their self-titled debut album enter at No.8 this week, while that album also takes the No.1 spot on the vinyl sales chart this week too.
Sandwiched in between those two new entries is the Ed Sheeran album “= (equals)”, which drops down three places to land at No.7, while Doja Cat sees “Planet Her” dip two spots to No.9. The most recent album for last-week’s tourist here Tyler, the Creator and “Call Me if You Get Lost” rebounds back up twenty-one places after his visit, landing at No.10 this week (No.12 vinyl), logging it’s fourth overall week within the Top 10 (two initial weeks on July 5th and 12th, 2021, and then after it’s vinyl release it shot back up to No.10 on April 25th of this year), while Tyler also has another jumping album in “Igor”, which leaps fourteen spots to land at No.12 (No.11 vinyl).
UP:
After the two Tyler jumping albums, the next significant climb sees Taylor Swift’s “folklore” rise back up seven places to No.26 (her only climber this week). The Weeknd stays stable at No.14 with his “Starboy” set and rises with the “After Hours” album, up three to No.29, while Luke Combs rises with his first two albums “What You See Ain’t Always What You Get” (36 to No.30) and “This One’s for You” (34 to No.32).
“AM” for The Arctic Monkeys rises for a fifth consecutive week, this week up four to No.33 (No.18 vinyl), while a No.3 spot on the vinyl sales chart this week for “ReWiggled” by The Wiggles, sees that album return to the chart at No.40 (LW-507), while the last major climb of the week goes to the Foo Fighters “Greatest Hits” set, back up nine places to land at No.50.
DOWN:
Five albums leave the Top 10 this week, with the latest Luke Combs album “Growin’ Up” (HP-2×2, WI10-5) down five spots to No.11, while Harry Styles’ second set “Fine Line” (HP-1×3, WI10-84a) drops five places also, down to No.13. Last week’s rebound to No.9 for Taylor Swift’s “1989” set (HP-1×9, WI10-70a), is this week down ten places to No.19, while Drake’s “Honestly, Nevermind” (HP-2, WI10-6) falls fourteen chart-rungs to land down at No.24, with last week’s highest new entry for Amber Lawrence and “Living for the Highlights” (HP-5), leaving the Top 50 this week after a single week within the Top 10.
Eminem’s “Curtain Call: The Hits” almost got back into the Top 10 after climbing to No.11 last week, this week it drops down four to No.15, but it could rebound next week due to his “Curtain Call 2” being issued on Friday, a double album of his collaborations over his career. Collections also drop for Elton John (12 to No.17) and Maroon 5 (17 to No.18), while the XXXTentacion “Look at Me” doco music is down one spot to No.16, still maintaining it’s chart positions to only be one-of-three spots, 15 (3 weeks), 16 (now second week) or 17 (three weeks) during it’s eight week chart run. Kid Laroi’s mixtapes drop down five places to No.21, Post Malone’s “12 Carat Toothache” set falls nine to No.22, while both Billie Eilish albums drop after last week’s new-singles-entry rise, with ‘Sleep’ down six to No.25 and ‘Happier’ falling eight to No.36, it’s second ever lowest chart position.
Spacey Jane’s latest set “Here Comes Everybody” falls seven to No.27 (No.14 vinyl), while down five places each are “Rumours” for Fleetwood Mac (23 to No.28) and “Justice” for Justin Bieber (29 to No.34), it’s now lowest ever chart spot. Lizzo’s three week old entry “Special” and the ‘Stranger Things Season 4’ soundtrack both fall eleven spots each to No.35 and No.38 respectively, while in between those two is a sixteen place slide to No.37 for The Weeknd album “Dawn FM”. Jack Harlow falls eight spots to No.43 with his “Come Home the Kids Miss You” set, while Taylor Swift has three back-to-back and declining albums in “Red (TsV)” (38 to No.46), “Lover” (40 to No.47) and “Reputation” (44 to No.48).
FURTHER NEW ENTRIES:
* #39 (LP#2) – Surrender by Maggie Rogers (Debay Sound/Capitol) is the second studio album for the American singer/songwriter, with the albums landing in the Top 10 in both England (#6) and Scotland (#3) this week, while it’s the follow-up to her late January, 2019 debut set “Heard it in a Past Life” (HP-8).
* #42 (LP#3) – Sing Me a Lullaby, My Sweet Temptation by $uicideboy$ (G*59 Records) is the third album for the New Orleans rap duo, with their first two albums also landing within the Top 50 locally, “I Want to Die in New Orleans” (LP#1, HP-10, Sept. 2018) and “Long Term Effects of Suffering” (LP#2, HP-18, August 23rd, 2021).
NEW CERTIFICATION:
Harry’s House by Harry Styles ▲
HP = Highest Position
LW = Last Week
WI10 – Weeks in Top 10
*ARIA Chart info is based on sales for the week from the 29th of July to the 4th of August, 2022.
Written, Compiled and Researched by Gavin Ryan.
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Gavin Ryan reports with thanks to Australian-Charts.com
