As predicted, Beyonce Knowles takes the top spot of Billboard 200 this week with her "Lemonade". Nielsen Music reports that the singer's latest solo effort earns 653,000 equivalent album units in the week ending April 28. That figure includes 485,000 copies in pure album sales, AceShowbiz reports.
Posting the biggest sales week of 2016 so far, Bey's new full-length marks her sixth to have landed atop the list. It follows her 2013 self-titled set, 2011's "4", 2008's "I Am...Sasha Fierce", 2006's "B'Day" and 2003's "Dangerously in Love". She's now the only act to reach (and debut at) No. 1 with their first six LPs.
Prince is another artist ruling this week's Billboard 200 as he dominates the list with five of his studio albums. "The Very Best of Prince", which last week was at No. 1, now sits at No. 2 with 391,000 units that include 216,000 copies of traditional album. "Purple Rain" also falls one rung to No. 3 though it collects 150,000 units this week, 117% higher than last week.
Meanwhile, the late singer's "The Hits/The B-Sides" reaches a new peak as it jumps to No. 4 with 106,000. Joining the three titles in the top 10 are "Ultimate", which hits No. 6 from last week's No. 61 with 40,000, and "1999", which rises from No. 31 to No. 7 with 36,000.
Rihanna, A$AP Ferg, Chris Stapleton and Justin Bieber are other names making up the top 10. The former's "Anti" slips one rung to No. 5 with 50,000. Ferg is the second and last newcomer in the region as "Always Strive and Prosper" arrives at No. 8 with 35,000 units (22,000 in traditional album sales). Stapleton's "Traveller" and Bieber's "Purpose" takes the 9th and the 10th spots with 33,000 and 31,000 units respectively.
