This Week In Pop – 24 August, 2020

Welcome to This Week In Pop.

This week, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's 'WAP' hits #1 on the Singles Chart. Taylor Swift is up on top of the Albums Chart again with 'folklore'. Drake and Emma Swift make new entrances on the charts.

This week's album chartifacts

#1: Taylor Swift ‘folklore’ – Taylor Swift’s 'folklore' holds #1 on the ARIA Albums Chart for a fourth consecutive week. It becomes the American singer-songwriter’s second longest stay in the top spot. Only '1989' (nine weeks) has spent more time at #1.
#7: Original Broadway Cast ‘Hamilton - An American Musical’ – The soundtrack to super-hit musical 'Hamilton' jumps up four spots to return to the Top Ten for a fifth week. The move up the chart comes following news in the last week that the pre-sale for 'Hamilton'’s premiere Australian season in Sydney - set to begin in March 2021 - will open next week.
#8: Dua Lipa ‘Future Nostalgia’ – Dua Lipa’s former #1 album climbs back up the chart six places in its 21st week. The move comes a week ahead of the release of a full remix of the album called 'Club Future Nostalgia' which features Madonna, Missy Elliott, Blackpink, Gwen Stefani and more.
#9: Emma Swift ‘Blonde On The Tracks’ – Emma Swift makes her Albums Chart debut with 'Blonde On The Tracks'. The Bob Dylan covers collection is the first full-length album from the Nashville-based Australian singer-songwriter, coming six years on from her debut self-titled EP. It sees her paying tribute to Dylan across the decades from 1965’s ‘Queen Jane Approximately’ to ‘I Contain Multitudes’ from Dylan’s recently-released Rough And Rowdy Ways (#2 Jun. ’20).

This week's single chartifacts

#1: Cardi B Feat. Megan Thee Stallion ‘WAP’ – Moving up one spot, ‘WAP’ by Cardi B hits #1 on the ARIA Singles Chart, becoming the first chart-topper in Australia for the American rapper. Last week ‘WAP’ debuted at #1 in the US; it’s Cardi B’s third #1 single in her homeland after ‘Bodak Yellow’ and ‘I Like It’. 'WAP' is only the third female-lead hip hop song to go to #1 on the ARIA Singles Chart after Dimples D’s ‘Sucker DJ’ (#1 March ’91) and Salt-N-Pepa’s ‘Let’s Talk About Sex’ (#1 January ’92). It’s the first female hip hop collaboration to go to #1.
#3: Drake Feat. Lil Durk ‘Laugh Now Cry Later’ – Drake scores his second Top Ten entry for 2020 as he releases ‘Laugh Now Cry Later’. The single is the first to be released from the Canadian rapper’s forthcoming sixth album, 'Certified Lover Boy', set for release later in the year. Drake charted earlier in the year with ‘Toosie Slide’ (#3 April ’20). ‘Laugh Now Cry Later’ is Drake’s 14th Top Ten single as lead artist.
#9: Joel Corry, MNEK ‘Head & Heart’ – In its third week in the Top 50, ‘Head & Heart’ by British producers Joel Corry and MNEK hits the Top Ten for the first time. The single has now spent a total of four weeks at #1 in the UK.

Top 10 Albums

1. 'folklore' – Taylor Swift
2. 'Legends Never Die' – Juice WRLD
3. 'Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon' – Pop Smoke
4. 'Fine Line' – Harry Styles
5. 'F*ck Love' – The Kid Laroi
6. 'When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?' – Billie Eilish
7. 'Hamilton – An American Musical' – Original Broadway Cast
8. 'Future Nostalgia' – Dua Lipa
9. 'Blonde On The Tracks' – Emma Swift
10. 'Twenty Twenty' – Ronan Keating

Top 10 Singles

1. 'WAP' – Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion
2. 'Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)' – Jawsh 685 x Jason Derulo
3. 'Laugh Now Cry Later' – Dark featuring Lil Durk
4. 'Rockstar' – DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch
5. 'Breaking Me' – Topic featuring A7S
6. 'Roses' – SAINt JHN
7. 'Watermelon Sugar' – Harry Styles
8. 'Mood Swings' – Pop Smoke
9. 'Head & Heart' – Joel Corry, MNEK
10. 'Blinding Lights' – The Weeknd