There’s something about Mary…
When the Queen Of Hip-Hop Soul faces off against other chart royalty in the battle for the week’s highest debut, you know it is going to be a good fight. Get your downloads and streams ready, because here comes the latest new releases update:
MARY J. BLIGE – Strength Of A Woman (iTunes)
Blige should show some notable Strength in the marketplace with her latest studio album, which comes after a pair of #1 songs at the Urban AC format: “Thick Of It” and “U + Me (Love Lesson)”. It also includes “Love Yourself”, featuring Kanye West, which is on its way up the Urban chart. A dozen of her previous studio albums, dating back to 1992, have hit the top ten on the Billboard 200, and a top five debut is certainly possible for her latest effort.
WALE – Shine (iTunes)
Pushed up a week from its initial release date, perhaps due to a battle brewing between new sets from Chris Stapleton and Logic, this popular rapper’s fifth studio album is his first in two years. The lead single from it, “Fashion Week” (featuring G-Eazy), ranks in the top 30 at Urban radio, and sits just outside the top 40 at the Rhythmic format. The album will likely debut in the top five.
GORILLAZ – Humanz (iTunes)
The animated band is back with their first album in six years. Single “We Got The Power”, featuring Jehnny Beth, quickly reached its top 40 peak on the Alternative chart, though it’s not so powerful now, as it tumbles down the survey. Will this release return them to the top ten for the first time since 2010? We’ll see soon.
CASHMERE CAT – 9 (iTunes)
He’s one cool Cat. This album features collaborations with a number of popular acts, including Ariana Grande and The Weeknd. One single from it, the Selena Gomez and Tory Lanez-assisted “Trust Nobody”, received some minor pop airplay last year.
More albums out this week: All That Remains‘s Madness (iTunes), Feist‘s Pleasure (iTunes), John Mellencamp‘s Sad Clowns & Hillbillies (iTunes), Lea Michele‘s Places (iTunes), New Found Glory‘s Makes Me Sick (iTunes), Old Crow Medicine Show‘s 50 Years Of Blonde On Blonde (iTunes), Sylvan Esso‘s What Now (iTunes), The Cranberries‘s Something Else (iTunes), Trombone Shorty‘s Parking Lot Symphony (iTunes), Willie Nelson‘s God’s Problem Child (iTunes)
More EPs out this week: Foster The People‘s III (iTunes), JP Cooper‘s Passport Home (iTunes), Take That‘s Giants (iTunes)
New digital-only singles that you can buy this week include:
“1995”, Emmit Fenn (iTunes)
“Always Been U”, PHANGS featuring R.Lum.R (iTunes)
“Another Life”, Afrojack & David Guetta featuring Ester Dean (iTunes)
“Bend Or Break (Acoustic)”, Hannah Jane Lewis (iTunes)
“Belong”, gnash featuring DENM (iTunes)
“Blessings”, Tom Walker (iTunes)
“Body”, Sean Paul featuring Migos (iTunes)
“Bon Appétit”, Katy Perry featuring Migos (iTunes)
“Calm Down”, Skip Marley (iTunes)
“Dandelions”, Ruth B. (iTunes)
“Deep Water”, Alisan Porter (iTunes)
“Electric Intercourse”, Prince (iTunes)
“First Time”, Kygo x Ellie Goulding (iTunes)
“Friday Night”, Vigiland (iTunes)
“I Hear Your Song, Sweetness”, George Taylor (iTunes)
“I Know A Place (Remix)”, MUNA x MNEK (iTunes)
“I’ll Give You Love”, Clear Six (iTunes)
“I’m The One”, DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper and Lil Wayne (iTunes)
“It’s You”, Molly Kate Kestner (iTunes)
“J-Boy”, Phoenix (iTunes)
“Land Of The Living”, Plain White T’s (iTunes)
“Let You Go”, Machine Gun Kelly (iTunes)
“Maxine”, Benny Cassette (iTunes)
“Middle Of The Night”, The Vamps & Martin Jensen (iTunes)
“Most Girls”, Hailee Steinfeld (iTunes)
“My Friends”, Oh Wonder (iTunes)
“No Vacancy”, OneRepublic (iTunes)
“Now (Acoustic)”, Grace Mitchell (iTunes)
“Old Friends”, Jasmine Thompson (iTunes)
“Sandcastle State Of Mind”, Peter Wise (iTunes)
“Saw You In A Dream”, The Japanese House (iTunes)
“Say My Name”, Tove Stryke (iTunes)
“Song On Fire”, Nickelback (iTunes)
“Take On The World (AlunaGeorge Remix)”, You Me At Six (iTunes)
“The One That Got Away”, Skinny Days featuring Emilie Adams (iTunes)
“Thinking Of A Place”, The War On Drugs (iTunes)
“Thinking Of You”, Elias (iTunes)
“Torches”, X Ambassadors (iTunes)
“Without U”, Steve Aoki & DVBBS featuring 2 Chainz (iTunes)
“Young And Menace”, Fall Out Boy (iTunes)
We’ll see you next week for new albums from Chris Stapleton, Logic and more. Listen to the PGTC Friday Faves list on Spotify!
POP! Goes The Charts 