Grammy-winning recording artist Lizzo let loose her fourth studio LP, Special, on July 15. The project scored the singer her highest-charting Billboard 200 entry to date.
Special debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 with 69,000 first-week units. The 12-track album is also the highest-charting album released by a woman in 2022.
Previously, Lizzo’s Cuz I Love You peaked at #4 in 2019. That project opened at #6 on the Billboard 200 with 41,000 album-equivalent units, giving Lizzo her first charting album.
Part of the early commercial success of Special stems from Lizzo’s “About Damn Time” song. The album’s official lead single has already made it to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
“WE BEAT THE PROJECTIONS B####!!! MY HIGHEST EVER CHARTING ALBUM YET!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for loving #special,” tweeted Lizzo on Sunday afternoon.
WE BEAT THE PROJECTIONS B####!!! MY HIGHEST EVER CHARTING ALBUM YET!!!
— FOLLOW @YITTY (@lizzo) July 24, 2022
Thank you thank you thank you thank you for loving #special
Bad Bunny blocked Lizzo’s Special from reaching the Billboard 200’s pole position. The Puerto Rican rapper has maintained a chock hold on the album rankings for several weeks.
Un Verano Sin Ti added another 103,000 units to its total this week. Bad Bunny’s fourth LP has earned over 100,000 units in its first 11 weeks on the chart. Un Verano Sin Ti has held the top spot six times.
Elsewhere on the latest Billboard 200, Drake’s Honestly, Nevermind rose one slot to #5. Future’s I Never Liked You also climbed one position from #7 to #6. Both Hip Hop projects spent a week at #1.
R&B vocalist Brent Faiyaz saw his Wasteland album drop seven spots to #9. Lil Durk’s former Billboard 200 chart-topper, 7220, slipped from #8 to #10 on the most recent rankings. 7220 clocked in two weeks at #1 in 2022.