Bieber Fever Attacks Albums Chart, Monica Stands Tall
Justin Bieber’s fans have spoken. The teen heartthrob’s supporters snatched up enough copies of his new album to give him his first No. 1, while Monica makes an impressive entry.
The latter of Bieber’s two-part album My World 2.0 debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 283,000 copies in its first week. His first offering, My World, entered at No. 6 last November, but it saw a 50% boost this week, rising from No. 10 to No. 5 with 50,000. According to Billboard, at 16, Bieber is the youngest solo male artist to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 since August 1963, when a then-13-year old Stevie Wonder topped the chart with Little Stevie Wonder/The 12 Year Old Genius.
Fifteen years after the release of her debut album, Monica is still standing tall. The R&B songstress comes in at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with her sixth studio LP Still Standing, moving 184,000 copies. Propelled by the No. 1 R&B single “Everything to Me,” it’s the singer’s second-highest sales week and charting album, surpassed only by After the Storm (186,000) in 2003.
The runner-up thanked her fans and offered congratulations to her younger peer. “I just want to say THANK U. U guys [are] the best supporters an artist could have. #1 album R&B and #2 album pop. Congrts [Justin Bieber],” Monica tweeted.
Ludacris’ Battle of the Sexes drops four spots in its third week to No. 7 with 45,000, Lady Gaga’s The Fame slides to No. 8 with 41,000, and the Black Eyed Peas’ The E.N.D. holds the No. 10 position with 34,000.