Usher's 'Raymond' Wins Battle for No. 1, Erykah Badu Makes Strong 'Return'

Usher returned to familiar territory at the top of the charts this week with his sixth album, while Erykah Badu’s much-talked-about “Window Seat” music video helped propel the soul songstress to a Top 5 debut.

Not even heavy online leaks could stop Usher from selling 329,000 copies of Raymond v. Raymond, making it his third straight No. 1 album on the Billboard 200. His last effort, 2008’s Here I Stand, debuted at No. 1 with 443,000. Raymond holds the third-best sales week of the year so far, following Sade’s Soldier of Love (502,000) and Lady Antebellum’s Need You Now (481,000).

The R&B crooner edged out his protégé Justin Bieber, who moved down one spot to No. 2 with My World 2.0, which was up 3% over its initial week with 291,000. According to Billboard, it marks the first time a No. 1-debuting album—released on a traditional Tuesday—has posted a sales increase in its second week since 2002.

All the publicity from her controversial “Window Seat” video didn’t hurt Erykah Badu, whose latest album New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh, bows on the Billboard 200 at No. 4 with 110,000 units. Its predecessor, 2008’s New Amerykah Part One: 4th World War, entered at No. 2 with 124,000.

Monica’s Still Standing takes a dip to No. 6 with 81,000 in its second week. It opened at No. 2 with 184,000, backed by the chart-topping R&B single “Everything to Me.”