Olivia Rodrigo’s new album, ‘Guts’, has a blockbuster opening at No. 1 on the Billboard chart, and the latest solo release from a member of BTS – V’s ‘Layover’ – opens at No. 2.
‘Guts’, the second LP from 20-year-old Rodrigo, will be her second No. 1 album, after ‘Sour’ (2021), the debut that made her an instant star. According to the tracking service Luminate, “Guts” opened with the equivalent of 302,000 sales in the United States – a hair ahead of Rodrigo for the opening of “Sour,” which sold 295,000 and ultimately spent five weeks at the top spot.
“Guts” has the fourth biggest opening of any album so far this year, behind Taylor Swift’s “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” (716,000), Morgan Wallen’s “One Thing at a Time” (501,000) and Travis Scott’s “ Utopia” (496,000).
Rodrigo’s new album, which is also No. 1 in Britain, Canada, Australia and elsewhere, was viewed 200 million times in the United States and sold a total of 150,000 copies. “Guts” was offered in a range of physical configurations, including 13 vinyl editions, four on CD, a cassette and several deluxe box sets. Last week, Rodrigo announced a 75-date world tour starting in February 2024.
V, one of the seven members of BTS, the kings of K-pop, is the latest to have a solo release since BTS folded as a group last year. “Layover” opens at No. 2 with the equivalent of 100,000 sales, including 13 million streams and 88,000 copies sold as a full-length album.
Also this week, singer-songwriter Zach Bryan’s self-titled LP falls to No. 3 after two weeks at the top. Wallen’s “One Thing at a Time” is No. 4, and Scott’s “Utopia” is No. 5.
