Olivia Rodrigo's third studio album, "you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this week, pulling in 485,000 equivalent album units, including 273,000 physical copies sold, according to figures cited by NPR. All 13 songs from the new record landed in the top 30 of the same week's Billboard Hot 100, led by "stupid song" at No. 3.
Rodrigo, 23, rose to pop stardom after a career as a child actor on the Disney Channel; her 2021 debut, "Sour," and its lead single, "Driver's License," both opened at No. 1, as did her second album, "GUTS," and its own first single, "Vampire," two years later. The new record's first week numbers came in more than 60% higher than either of those earlier albums managed in their own debut weeks.
The new album leans on multiple references to the veteran British band the Cure, whose singer Robert Smith appears on the track "What's Wrong With Me," which landed at No. 17 on the Hot 100 and marked the first solo chart hit of Smith's 50 year career. It is one of 43 career chart hits for Rodrigo, according to NPR's count, notable given she is still too young to rent a car in most states.
The debut arrives in a Billboard 200 that NPR described as crowded with catalog titles and greatest hits packages from stars like Taylor Swift, Drake and Morgan Wallen, making the size of Rodrigo's first week stand out in a chart landscape where even established acts have struggled to break through. Swift's own single, "I Knew It, I Knew You," held the Hot 100's top spot the same week despite the new competition.
NPR's report does not say how long the album will hold the top spot, noting that Sour and GUTS have stayed in the upper half of the Billboard 200 for years since their own releases without ever fully leaving the chart. Whether the new record follows that same long tail is still an open question the first week's chart data has not answered.
The facts
- Third album debuted at No. 1 with 485,000 equivalent album units, including 273,000 physical copies sold
- First-week numbers over 60% higher than Sour or GUTS managed in their own debut weeks
- All 13 tracks landed in the same week's Billboard Hot 100 top 30
- Robert Smith's feature on "What's Wrong With Me" is his first solo chart hit in a 50-year career
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