Billie Eilish just had her biggest week ever on the Billboard Top 200, even though she didn't snag the top spot. Her latest album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, made a grand entrance at Number Two, trailing just behind Taylor Swift's Tortured Poets Department.
According to the folks at Billboard, Eilish's album racked up a whopping 339,000 equivalent album units, marking a career high for the 22-year-old sensation. This includes nearly 200,000 album sales, another peak in her journey. It's worth noting that this is the first time one of Eilish's studio albums hasn't debuted at Number One, all thanks to Swift's record-breaking numbers. Her previous albums, 2017's When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? and 2021's Happier Than Ever, both claimed the top spot upon release. But this time, Eilish finds herself in the second slot, which isn't too shabby considering the competition.
Eilish's latest LP is a massive production, blending traditional pop sounds with dance-worthy synth beats. In an interview with Rolling Stone last month, she described the album as a true reflection of herself, not a persona. It's like a journey through her youth, capturing who she was as a kid.
What sets this album apart is Eilish's approach to promotion. Instead of dropping singles before the release, she kept everything under wraps until mid-May. She wanted listeners to experience the album as a whole, like a tight-knit family where no one gets left out. This strategy, along with her brother Finneas's production prowess, earned the album the title of "an album-ass-album."
Now, Eilish landing at Number Two isn't a sign of her album's lack of popularity. It's more about Swift's album smashing records left and right. Tortured Poets Department is making history as the first album to hold the Number One spot for at least five weeks since Morgan Wallen's One Thing At a Time did the same last year.
So, while Eilish may not have clinched the top spot this time, her latest album's success is undeniable, showcasing her growth as an artist and cementing her status as a force to be reckoned with in the music industry.
Login