International charts analysis: A Star Is Born goes stratospheric

International charts analysis: A Star Is Born goes stratospheric

Film fans, record buyers and streamers are all going gaga for the new A Star Is Born soundtrack, which pairs iconic singer Lady Gaga with actor Bradley Cooper.

After opening last week in the Top 10 in eight countries, the soundtrack album now debuts at No.1 in Canada and The USA, No.2 in Switzerland, No.3 in Australia, The Czech Republic and Slovakia, No.4 in Austria and Spain, No.6 in Portugal, No.7 in Argentina and France and No.32 in Poland. It also improves on its debut position in New Zealand (6-3), The Netherlands (4-3), Italy (8-4) and South Korea (84-50), holds steady at No.1 in Ireland and No.5 in Germany and falls 1-2 in The UK, 4-6 in Wallonia and 4-8 in Flanders.

Ohio duo 21 Pilots’ fifth album Trench was a similarly big opener last week, when it was No.1 in two countries and Top 10 in a further eight. It now opens at No.1 in Australia, The Czech Republic and Portugal, No.2 in Canada, Finland and The USA, No.3 in Argentina and Austria, No.4 in Switzerland, No.7 in Poland and Slovakia, No.9 in Hungary, No.13 in France, No.22 in Denmark and No.53 in Greece. It loses leadership of the chart in New Zealand (1-2) and The Netherlands (1-9) and also declines in all of the other countries in which it debuted a week ago.

Jess Glynne made a big global impression with her 2015 debut album, I Cry When I Laugh, and follow-up Always In Between opens its account in identical style in her native UK, debuting at No.1. It also debuts at No.4 in Ireland, No.16 in New Zealand, No.31 in Italy, No.33 in Germany, No.34 in Flanders, No.40 in The Netherlands and No.182 in Wallonia.

A re-entry in Germany (No.10), The UK (No.19), The Netherlands (No.27), Italy (No.28), Flanders (No.29), Japan (No.43), Sweden (No.43), Wallonia (No.44) and Ireland (No.67) last week after being issued in several new editions, John Lennon’s classic 1971 album Imagine now returns to the listings in Croatia (No.9), Spain (No.12), Austria (No.39), Switzerland (No.41), Greece (No.42) and The USA (No.83), while climbing to No.16 in Japan.

The fourth in what has become an annual series of restored, remastered and expanded box sets celebrating the work of David Bowie, Loving The Alien (1983-1988) debuts at No.18 in Germany, No.19 in The UK, No.21 in Flanders, No.34 in Wallonia, No.52 in Ireland, No.62 in Italy and No.67 in The Netherlands.  

US-based, UK-born R&B singer Ella Mai has had substantial success in her adopted homeland thus far, and her eponymous full length debut album should make a big first impression there a week hence. Meantime, it opens at No.7 in New Zealand, No.18 in The UK, No.31 in The Netherlands, No.55 in Ireland, No.94 in Flanders and No.168 in Wallonia.

It’s a little early for many, even in his UK homeland, where it falls short of the published Top 75 with a No.97 debut, but Eric Clapton’s Happy Xmas opens at No.40 in Germany, No.64 in Flanders, No.75 in Italy and No.114 in Wallonia. These are just marker positions of course – it will climb higher as Christmas approaches.

Reunited with The Imposters, Elvis Costello debuts at No.14 in The UK with new album Look Now, it is his highest charting studio album in nearly a quarter of a century. It also debuts at No.6 in Flanders, No.32 in Germany, No.33 in Ireland, No.35 in The Netherlands, No.49 in Japan and No.96 in Wallonia.

Finally, Migos rapper Quavo’s introductory solo album Quavo Huncho opens at No.12 in The Netherlands, No.13 in New Zealand, No.16 in The UK, No.18 in Ireland, No.19 in Sweden, No.22 in Italy, No.23 in Flanders, No.46 in Germany and No.47 in Wallonia.       



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