 Chart Beat
JLO, A.K.A. CHART LEADER: Jennifer Lopez crowns the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart with "A.K.A.," which arrives with 33,000 copies sold in the week ending June 22, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The entrance marks her third No. 1 on the chart (and eighth top 10). She previously ruled with "J.Lo" in 2001, her best-selling album to date (3.8 million), and "J to the L-O! The Remixes" in 2002. Simultaneously, Lopez boasts two titles on the Billboard Hot 100: Pitbull's official World Cup song "We Are One (Ole Ola)," on which she and Brazilian pop star Claudia Leitte are featured (No. 85), and her new set's "First Love," which debuts at No. 87. On the other hand, this is Lopez's smallest sales debut for any of her studio albums...Read the rest of the story
|
|
 Ed Sheeran: X
From the start, Ed Sheeran has demonstrated a skill for shrugging off the conventions of mainstream pop while still managing to enjoy its successes: His breakthrough radio single focused on a crack-addled prostitute. "The A Team," from Sheeran's debut album, "+" (pronounced "plus"), cloaked its harrowing subject matter in a sensual melody, a nifty trick that has helped the 23-year-old British singer-songwriter transition from pub-playing troubadour to arena act in roughly three years. The accented yearn of his vocal delivery distinguishes him from other aspiring folkies, but Sheeran's real gift lies in his writing -- his lyrics' attention to detail and unorthodox phrasing in particular...Read the rest of the story
|
|
