The Contenders is a midweek column that appears at artists aiming for the highest of the Billboard charts, and the methods behind their efforts. This week, for the upcoming Billboard 200 dated July 26, we take a look at some much-anticipated albums and thrilling shock drops trying to influence subsequent week’s race to the chart’s prime.
Jackboys & Travis Scott, Jackboys 2 (Cactus Jack/Epic): The second launch from the Cactus Jack label’s semi-eponymous rap collective — consisting of members Don Toliver, Sheck Wes, Chase B, SoFaygo, Wallie the Sensei, Luxurious Tax 50, and naturally label head Travis Scott — arrived on Sunday (July 13), already two days into the monitoring week. However 5 days is greater than sufficient time for Scott, one of many constantly best-selling rappers of the final decade, to do massive enterprise and launch a severe menace to the Billboard 200’s prime spot.
The set is extensively obtainable in a seven-track digital obtain and vinyl launch, in addition to a 17-song extensively obtainable digital obtain and streaming set, and a webstore-exclusive CD. Then, as is commonly the case with Scott’s releases, there may be all kinds of bodily choices additionally on the market by the webstore — together with 5 totally different vinyl editions, three commonplace CD variants and two expanded packaging CD variants (in bigger packaging and with totally different covers). There are additionally 4 webstore-exclusive obtain albums obtainable every with 17 songs, every with totally different covers and three with one distinctive bonus monitor every.
All these bodily releases ought to add as much as one other main gross sales debut for Scott and his crew — and the set can also be off to a really sturdy begin on streaming, with a number of prime 10 entries on each the Apple Music actual time chart and Spotify’s Every day Prime Songs USA itemizing. The mixture appears prone to end in Jackboys 2 following its predecessor, which launched with 154,000 items upon its late 2019 launch (regardless of its full tracklist being simply seven songs — although it had a bevy of merch/digital obtain album bundles serving to its first-week numbers), to a No. 1 debut, making it the primary album to interrupt Morgan Wallen’s Billboard 200 reign since I’m the Drawback debuted two months earlier.
Justin Bieber, Swag (ILH/Def Jam): If not for Jackboys 2, it might need been a reasonably shut race for the highest spot between I’m the Drawback and this week’s most sudden chart contender: Swag, the shock new album from Canadian pop celebrity Justin Bieber, introduced a mere 10 hours earlier than its Friday (July 11) launch. The unexpectedness of its launch was practically matched by the unexpectedness of its sound — an alternative-leaning R&B sonic palette, closely influenced by artist collaborators Dijon, Mk.gee and Eddie Benjamin, and by new go-to author/producer Carter Lang.
The 21-track mission — which additionally options appearances from visitor rappers Lil B, Sexyy Pink and Gunna, in addition to gospel singer Marvin Winans and a trio of skits with comic Druski — has been a serious drive on streaming since its Friday debut, swarming each the Spotify and Apple Music charts. Although its presence has receded a bit on each within the days since (significantly following the Jackboys 2 bow), lead single “Daisies” nonetheless resides atop each charts, and the general streaming numbers for the album in its first week ought to find yourself being pretty large.
Nonetheless, not like Jackboys 2, streaming must make for the nice majority of Swag’s general first-week items. As is often the case with such shock releases, there’s no bodily model of the album but obtainable for buy — it’s not anticipated to reach till December — that means that every one of its gross sales must come by way of digital downloads, with no further variants but obtainable to spice up its numbers there. That may possible cap Swag at a first-week quantity under the place it might have to be to compete with Jackboys 2, doubtlessly making it Bieber’s first authentic full-length studio album to not debut atop the Billboard 200.
Clipse, Let God Type Em Out (Self-Launched): In loads of earlier monitoring weeks this 12 months, the brand new album from honored Virginia hip-hop duo the Clipse would’ve been an actual contender for a Billboard 200 No. 1 debut. Nonetheless, in a crowded week additionally together with new units from two main stars, a reigning behemoth in Morgan Wallen’s 37-track blockbuster, and in addition a still-rising breakout success within the soundtrack to Netflix’s animated musical KPop Demon Hunters, it’d as an alternative should set its sights on a prime 5 debut on the chart.
Nonetheless, it ought to have an opportunity to make such a bow, thanks largely to anticipated sturdy gross sales. The set is offered for buy in six vinyl variants, two of that are signed, in addition to three CD variants (one signed), two cassettes and a whopping 13 boxed units in branded packing containers, with branded clothes and a CD included. (The bodily editions, that are extensively obtainable, have a 12-song tracklist; the streaming and digital obtain variations add in a thirteenth track, “So Be It.”) The set additionally had a robust streaming debut, with most of its 13 tracks reaching the Spotify and Apple Music every day charts, although its numbers there’ll possible be dwarfed by the Jackboys and Bieber units.
Nonetheless, the mixture ought to make for simply the most effective Billboard 200 exhibiting from the duo since its debut, 2002’s Lord Willin’, which bowed at No. 4 on the chart. (Its final effort earlier than the duo’s current hiatus, 2009’s Until the Casket Drops, reached simply No. 41 — although throughout a crowded Christmas season that December.)
IN THE MIX
TWICE, This Is For (JYP) One other launch which may have been capable of contend for the highest spot in a slower week is the most recent from Okay-pop superpower TWICE, This Is For. The lady group’s new set is predicted to promote properly, being obtainable in 15 CD variants (all with collectibles included, some randomized) in addition to three vinyl editions, and a mid-week deluxe version for obtain and streaming. The latter additionally contains two bonus tracks, considered one of which (“Takedown”) can also be obtainable on one other album prone to seem in subsequent week’s Billboard 200 prime 10, the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack.
ATEEZ, Golden Hour: Half 3 (KQ/RCA/Legacy): Golden Hour already scored a No 2 debut on the Billboard 200 for Okay-pop boy band ATEEZ upon its June launch — however now the EP is offered within the extensively expanded In Your Fantasy version, which provides an additional 10 tracks (largely solos from the octet’s particular person members) to the earlier five-track set. The deluxe version was launched by way of six CD variants, all with collectibles (some randomized), which ought to drive gross sales and propel the set again to the chart’s prime 10.
GIVĒON, Beloved (Not So Quick/Epic): It’s a little bit of powerful luck for the R&B hitmaker that his sophomore effort debuts in such a packed week — together with the late-announced comeback of his previous “Peaches” collaborator Bieber — however the album ought to nonetheless stream and promote pretty properly, helped by 5 vinyl and two CD variants (considered one of every of which is signed). It could possibly be a photograph end as as to if the set will convey GIVĒON to the highest 10 on the Billboard 200, after his 2022 set Give or Take topped out at No. 11. (His 2021 EP compilation When It’s All Mentioned and Performed… Take Time reached No. 5, marking his profession peak thus far.)
