First! Jack. Johnson. Are Curious George kiddies experiencing the first tinges of nostalgia as they head into their tired tweens? For the rest of us, this is the day the monkey didn’t bother getting out of bed. Instead, he curled up with Punxsutawney Phil and said, “Fuck it, bb. There’s nothing out there. Let’s sleep until the spring.” The surf-folk yippie’s shadow looms large over this set as From Here to Now to You becomes Johnson’s fourth No. 1 album in a row (counting the CG soundtrack), even if its opening sales tally of 117,000 is his lowest since his 2001 debut, Brushfire Fairytales, which moved fewer than 1,000 units upon arrival (via Nielsen SoundScan, via Billboard).
2 to 10: If that wasn’t a harbinger of things to come, we’re gonna issue a spoiler alert for your own protection right here, right now. It’s bleak out there, people. Lots of debuts, but no big numbers, and five slots given over to commercial country (for the record, Luke Bryan fans troll very politely — we see you). Justin Moore starts at No. 2 with Off the Beaten Path (97K). Then another name we don’t know (Chris Young) is in at No. 3 with AM (53K). Better news: fresh off of their gloriously excessive MMG Weekend experience, Rick Ross and the Maybach crew score a victory with MMG: Self Made 3 landing at No. 4 (50K). Avicii’s True debuts at No. 5 with another 50K, which makes for the biggest opening salvo from a solo EDM artist to date. The Black Unicorn himself 2 Chainz coasts to No. 7 with B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time (35K), while last week’s No. 1 dips down to No. 8 — Keith Urban’s Fuse (31K). The Weeknd’s Kiss Land slips to No. 9. And Billy Currington closes it out with We Are Tonight (26K).
Keep it 300: History is made over on the Digital Songs chart! For the first time, each of the top three tracks sells more than 300,000. That’s a record unto itself, but it’s also worth noting that all three artists are solo women as well, each presenting a very different profile. No. 1 goes to art-pop auteur Lorde for “Royals.” No. 2 is owned by Katy Perry’s empowerment anthem “Roar.” And No. 3 belongs to Miley Cyrus’ sobering ballad “Wrecking Ball.”
Swing On: And “Wrecking Ball” also notches a second week atop the Hot 100, though Perry’s tiger of a single is nipping at her dangling, uncovered heels. Meanwhile Britney Spears’ latest wack will.i.am production “Work Bitch” enters at No. 12 and is expected to climb. Now that we think about it, is Jack Johnson so bad?
