This Week In Pop – 1 March, 2018

Welcome to This Week In Pop.

This week, Ball Park Music and Marlon Williams release new work that lands in the top of the Albums Chart, while Ed Sheeran's work begins to climb ahead of his upcoming Australian tour.

This week's album chartifacts

#1: Soundtrack ‘The Greatest Showman’ – For the eighth consecutive week, the soundtrack to The Greatest Showman holds the #1 spot on the ARIA Albums Chart.
#5: Ball Park Music ‘Good Mood’ (debut) – Ball Park Music picks up their fourth top ten on the ARIA Albums Chart 'Good Mood'. The group’s fifth studio album is the follow-up to 'Every Night The Same Dream' (#3 August ’16) and was recorded and self-produced by the band in their garage studio in their hometown of Brisbane.
#8: Marlon Williams ‘Make Way For Love’ (debut) – New Zealand singer-songwriter Marlon Williams snares a new peak with 'Make Way For Love'. Williams’ second album comes three years on from his self-titled debut (#31 May ’15). Recorded in California, the album includes a duet with fellow Kiwi artist – and Williams’ ex-girlfriend – 'Aldous Harding' on the track ‘Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore’.
#10: Ed Sheeran ‘X’ - Kicking off his national tour next week, Ed Sheeran claims a second entry in this week’s top ten with 'X' moving up one spot. It’s the 105th week the album has been in the top ten; eight of those weeks were spent at #1.

This week's single chartifacts

1: Drake ‘God’s Plan’ – For the fourth consecutive week Drake holds the #1 spot on the ARIA Singles Chart with ‘God’s Plan’. The video for the track was released this week. It features the Canadian rapper giving away the video’s entire budget to Miami residents.
#2: Kendrick Lamar & SZA ‘All The Stars’ – A week on from hitting the top ten for the first time, the Kendrick Lamar and SZA collaboration ‘All The Stars’ moves up a further three spots to a new peak at #2. It becomes Lamar’s second single to peak at #2 after ‘Humble.’ (#2 April ’17).
#10: The Weeknd & Kendrick Lamar ‘Pray For Me’ – In its third week in the top 50, ‘Pray For Me’ cracks the top ten for the first time. It’s the second track from 'Black Panther: The Album' (#2 February ’18) to hit the top ten. It also becomes The Weeknd’s fifth top ten single and Kendrick Lamar’s third.

Top 10 Albums

1. 'The Greatest Showman' Soundtrack
2. 'Black Panther: The Album' Soundrack
3. '÷' – Ed Sheeran
4. 'Fifty Shades Freed' Soundtrack
5. 'Good Mood' – Ball Park Music
6. 'Stoney' – Post Malone
7. 'Revival' – Eminem
8. 'Make Way For Love' – Marlon Williams
9. ''Beautiful Trauma' – P!nk
10. 'X' – Ed Sheeran

Top 10 Singles

1. 'God's Plan' – Drake
2. 'All The Stars' – Kendrick Lamar & SZA
3. 'These Days' – Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore and Dan Caplen
4. 'Meant To Be' – Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line
5. 'I Fall Apart' – Post Malone
6. 'River' – Eminem featuring Ed Sheeran
7. 'IDGAF' – Dua Lipa
8. 'Perfect' – Ed Sheeran
9. 'Finesse' – Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B
10. 'Pray For Me' – The Weeknd & Kendrick Lamar