Kendrick Lamar‘s new album DAMN. made a major impact on the Billboard 200 this week, earning the largest opening chart week in nearly a year. DAMN. totalled 603,000 equivalent album units and gives the rapper his third #1 album. With 353,000 in traditional album sales, Lamar also has the largest sales week of the year, surpassing Ed Sheeran‘s ÷. It’s the biggest week since Drake‘s smash Views debuted with 1.04 million units in the first week of May last year. Drake also previously had the largest opening week in 2017 with More Life.
At #2 is John Mayer‘s newest release The Search for Everything. Eight songs from the album had already been released on a pair of EPs earlier this year. According to Billboard, The Search for Everything earned 132,000 equivalent album units (120,000 in traditional album sales).
Drake is at #3 with the aforementioned More Life, followed by Ed Sheeran at #4 and The Chainsmokers, last week’s #1, down to #5. The Moana soundtrack is at #6 with Bruno Mars at #7. Future‘s eponymous release is at #8 with the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack at #9. The third top ten debut this week is the soundtrack from The Fate of the Furious.
