Kenny Chesney's new album tops Billboard chart, beating Drake to top spot
It was a close race to the top spot of this week's Billboard album chart, but ultimately the country star won out. Kenny Chesney earned his ninth No. 1 album with Here and Now, while Drake's surprise release Dark Lane Demo Tapes debuted at second place.
Here and Now sold 222,000 albums in its first week. One advantage was a bundle deal where fans could pay extra money for a ticket to Chesney's upcoming tour and get the album as well. Drake had no such deal in place; Dark Lane Demo Tapes' numbers came also entirely from streaming. Dark Lane Demo Tapes, a loose collection of songs the rapper described in an Instagram post as "some leaks and some joints from SoundCloud and some new vibes," is Drake's first release not to debut atop the Billboard chart since 2009's So Far Gone. That said, as part of the surprise announcement of Dark Lane Demo Tapes, Drake revealed that he plans to release his sixth studio album this summer, so he might soon reclaim the throne.
Since Here and Now marks Chesney's ninth No. 1 album, he now ties Garth Brooks for the record among country artists. Chesney's previous album, Songs for the Saints, debuted at No. 2 in August 2018 and peaked there. At the time, Drake's album Scorpion was still holding the top spot.
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