SZA’s ‘SOS’ Marks a Month at No. 1; K-Pop’s ATEEZ Debuts in Top 10

SZA’s “SOS” came out on top for a fourth consecutive week on the albums chart in what appeared to be a tight race between her and Taylor Swift for the coveted No. 1 spot.

“SOS” collected the equivalent of 125,000 album units sold in the U.S., according to data by Luminate, with an increase in album sales following the release of two new digital packages (one with alternative cover art). The digital sales included two bonus tracks: “PSA,” and a solo version of “Open Arms,” while fans await the as-yet-unannounced deluxe version of the album that the singer has previously teased in passing on social media and in promotional interviews.

More from Variety

• SZA's 'SOS' Rules Album Chart for Third Week; Nat King Cole's 'Christmas Song' Finally Hits Top 10 After 62 Years

• RM Becomes First BTS Member to Have a Solo Album Reach Top 10 With Rising 'Indigo,' While SZA Rules Chart for a Second Week

• Barack Obama's Favorite Music List for 2022 Includes Bad Bunny, SZA, Lizzo, Zach Bryan

With “SOS” at No. 1 this week, it’s the first time an album by a woman has held the top spot four consecutive times since Adele’s “30,” which dominated the chart for six weeks in 2021, Billboard reports.

Swift’s “Midnights” sits at No. 2 with 117,000 equivalent album units, and like “SOS,” experienced a bump in album sales after the release of limited-edition digital album variants, featuring alternative cover art and “Behind the Song” commentary from Swift about one of four songs (“Mastermind,” “Anti-Hero,” “Karma” and “Bejeweled,” specifically) on the album.

Following the announcement of the sales on social media, the rivalry between both records sparked online discourse between Swift and SZA supporters and ultimately prompted the “Kill Bill” singer to share her thoughts on the charts competition via Twitter.

“I genuinely loved [Swift’s] album and the writing!” SZA wrote in a Jan. 5. tweet. “Everyone’s jus tryna do their best as we all should. Love to everyone.”

Alternately, Swift reigned supreme on the Hot 100 with “Anti-Hero” rebounding to the top spot from No. 8, marking a seventh total week on the top of the songs list. With this, Swift achieves her longest stay at No. 1 on the chart since her 2014 hit “Blank Space” spent seven weeks at the summit.

SZA’s “Kill Bill” checked in at No. 3, its highest mark yet on the Hot 100, as fans anticipate the release of its forthcoming Christian Breslauer-directed video, which the singer previously teased on Twitter.

Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy” lifted from 10-2 and David Guetta and Bebe Rexha’s “I’m Good (Blue)” sits at No. 4 in its first week at the top five of the list. Further, the Weeknd and Beyoncé log two singles that make their debut in the top 10 of the list with “Die for You” and “Cuff It” at No. 8 and No. 10, respectively.

The Weeknd reappears in the top 10 beside Metro Boomin and 21 Savage for “Creepin’,” which ascends 22-6 on the songs chart. Meanwhile, Harry Styles’ “As It Was” is at No. 7. and Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit” is at No. 9.

Back on the albums list, ATEEZ’s “Spin Off: From the Witness” achieves the K-pop group its second top 10-charting effort. The set lands at No. 7 and collects 41,500 album units earned, with album sales making up 40,000 of that sum. The eight-member boyband first appeared in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 with their 2022 mini album “The World Ep. 1: Movement,” which arrived and peaked at No. 3.

Several former leaders rebound to the top of the albums chart this week: Metro Boomin’s “Heroes & Villains,” lifts 4-3 (57,000 units); Drake and 21 Savage’s “Her Loss” rises 6-4 (52,000 units); Bad Bunny’s “Un Verano Sin Ti” climbs 7-5 (50,000 units) and last, but certainly not least, Morgan Wallen’s “Dangerous: The Double Album” lifts 11-6 (42,000). The set has appeared in the top 10 of the list for 101 weeks — that’s the fifth longest-running mark in the history of the chart.

The tail of the top 10 rounds out with Zach Bryan’s “American Heartbreak” at No. 8 (33,000 units); Lil Baby’s “It’s Only Me” at No. 9 (32,000 units) and Harry Styles’ “Harry’s House” at No. 10 (29,000 units).

Best of Variety

• What's Coming to Netflix in January 2023

• What's Coming to Disney+ in January 2023

• Oscar Predictions: Live Action Short - Alfonso Cuarón and Disney are Early Favorites Among Multiple Non-English and International Titles

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.