SZA, SZA, SZA, SZA, SZA, SZA, SZA, SZA, SZA.
For a ninth time, “SOS,” the latest release by the R&B singer-songwriter SZA, is No. 1 on Billboard’s album chart, making it the longest-running chart-topper by a woman in seven years — since Adele’s “25” notched 10 weeks at the top in late 2015 and early 2016.
In its 10th week out, “SOS” had the equivalent of 93,000 sales in the United States, a figure that includes its 127 million clicks on streaming services, according to the tracking service Luminate. Released in early December, “SOS” has dipped from No. 1 only once, when the K-pop group Tomorrow X Together took the top spot with a blitz of sales of collectible CDs.
Since “25,” a handful of other albums have had runs at No. 1 of at least nine weeks, but none were by female artists: the “Encanto” soundtrack (nine); Morgan Wallen’s “Dangerous: The Double Album” (10); and Drake’s “Views” and Bad Bunny’s “Un Verano Sin Ti” (13 apiece).
And in the time since “25,” the recorded music industry has been through a complete format transformation. When Adele released her album, she declined to make the entire thing available for streaming, and it racked up CD sales figures that seem unthinkable now — five million units sold in its first six weeks alone. (“25” was not available on streaming outlets for its first seven months.) By contrast, virtually all of the consumption of “SOS” has come via streaming; last week, only about 500 copies of the album were sold as a complete package.
Also this week, Rihanna’s latest album, “Anti” (2016), rose 42 spots to No. 8 after her performance in the Super Bowl halftime show.
The pop-punk-etc. band Paramore opened at No. 2 with its sixth studio album, “This Is Why,” which had the equivalent of 64,000 sales. Taylor Swift’s “Midnights” is No. 3.
Wallen’s “Dangerous” is No. 4 — its 110th week on the chart and 107th in the Top 10. In the 67-year history of Billboard’s album chart, only two titles have had longer stays in the Top 10: the “My Fair Lady” Broadway cast recording, released in 1956 (173 weeks), and the soundtrack to “The Sound of Music,” from 1965 (109 weeks). In recent weeks, Wallen’s album has passed the “West Side Story” soundtrack (106) and the cast recording of “The Sound of Music” (105).
Bad Bunny’s “Un Verano Sin Ti” is No. 5 in its 41st week on the chart.
