This week Ed Sheeran takesΒ #1 on the Artist 100 and the Hot 100; Scoreboard’s Grammy spotlight takes a look at Justin Bieber’s chances to win Album of the Year.
Billboard Artist Top 10
For the magazine dated January 28, 2017
See the full chart at http://www.billboard.com/charts/artist-100
| Billboard Artist Top 10 | Name | Billboard 200 Album Rank | Billboard Hot 100 Singles | Highest Charting Single |
| 1 | Ed Sheeran | Β 26 | Β 2 | 1:Β Shape Of You |
| 2 | Weeknd | Β 1 | 3 | 4:Β Starboy |
| 3 | Bruno Mars | Β 4 | Β 1 | 7:Β 24K Magic |
| 4 | Drake | Β 7 | 4 | 11:Β Fake Love |
| 5 | Twenty One Pilots | Β 13 | Β 1 | 18:Β Heathens |
| 6 | Shawn Mendes | Β 17 | Β 2 | 23:Β Mercy |
| 7 | Ariana Grande | Β 18 | 1 | 9: Side To Side |
| 8 | Rihanna | Β 11 | Β 2 | 19:Β Love On The Brain |
| 9 | Adele | Β 22 | Β 1 | 33:Β Water Under The Bridge |
| 10 | Chainsmokers | Β 12 | Β 3 | 5:Β Closer |
For established artists, comebacks are often more a reflection of the success of their previous releases thanΒ the new material. BothΒ The Weeknd andΒ Bruno Mars have enjoyed strong returns to the charts over the last three months after notching three combined Hot 100 #1s in 2015. This week, it’sΒ Ed Sheeran‘s turn, whose two new singles landΒ at #1 and #6 on the Hot 100 and put him at #1 on the Artist 100. The Weeknd maintains his #1 grip on the Billboard 200 withΒ Starboy, while “Bad And Boujee” byΒ MigosΒ ft.Β Lil Uzi Vert slides to #2 on the Hot 100, though will likely come back to #1 after the Ed Sheeran momentum wears off.
Boston Celtic punk rockers The Dropkick Murphys have the week’s biggest new album, which puts them at #16 on the Artist 100
Ed Sheeran Gets Back To Work
Ed Sheeran broke out in Britain in 2011 and while his firstΒ single “The A Team” made it to #16 on the Hot 100 in 2012, his true American arrival was in 2014 with his second album xΒ and four top 20 singles. The singer-songwriter, who goes by @teddysphotos on Instagram, earned some early star endorsements fromΒ Elton John andΒ Taylor SwiftΒ and it was only a matter of time until heΒ was personally caught up in celebrity gossip with single “Don’t.” Although Sheeran has tried to rap on some of his upbeat tracks, most notably “Sing,” the big bucks came from ballads, none bigger than “Thinking Out Loud,”Β which went to #2 on the Hot 100 in 2015 and was named the year’s #2 song by Billboard (it was blocked from #1 by Bruno Mars andΒ Mark Ronson and their “Uptown Funk” on both fronts). Besides benefiting from the success of his solo work, Sheeran has become an in-demand songwriter,Β writing for TaylorΒ Swift, The Weeknd,Β One Direction, and Justin Bieber.
After being Billboard’s #2 Artist of 2015, Sheeran dipped to #90 for 2016, but this weekΒ he is back with “Castle On The Hill” and “Shape Of You.” The former is aΒ Bruce Springsteen-like reminiscence about growing up in Framlingham, his hometown northeast of London. The latter is the new #1 on the Hot 100, Sheeran’s first on that chart, and hasΒ @teddysphotos get into a tropical love moodΒ channelingΒ Justin Timberlake andΒ Sia‘s “Cheap Thrills.” “Shape Of You”Β was originally intended forΒ Rihanna and that explains Sheeran’s newly-found playfulness. The singleΒ expands Sheeran’sΒ repertoire and bodes well forΒ Γ· (Divide), his third album that is set for release in March. @teddysphotos has done well with his mathematical symbols so far, expect him to represent on the ScoreboardΒ deep into 2017.
How @teddysphotos celebrates being #1 on the Billboards
Grammys Preview: Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber had a very busyΒ seven years in showbiz, though two years ago things were not exactly looking up. In 2014Β he was charged with vandalism and dangerous driving.Β His chart accomplishments were also in the rearview – at that point he has not been to the Top 10 of the Hot 100 since 2012’s “Beauty And The Beat.” @justinbieberΒ clearly neededΒ some rebranding and the album he worked on in the lab becameΒ Purpose, a singles-driven dance album intended toΒ put his extracurricularsΒ behind. On the title track he even gotΒ into Christian pop,Β begging “forgive me for my sins, oh would you please,” though he stayedΒ defiantly shirtless on the album cover (an alternative cover was issued for Indonesia and Arab League countries). He earned realΒ atonement with “Sorry,” three minutes of fire that took him to #1 on the Hot 100 and buried the past for good andΒ finished as the #2 Hot 100 hit of 2016, proving that it was not too late to apologize.
For all the success of “Sorry,” the #1 Hot 100 hit of 2016 was adjacent album track “Love Yourself,” on which Bieber employed Ed Sheeran for the songwriting. The result wasΒ one of the biggest kiss-offs of all time andΒ made “my mama don’t like you and she likes everyone” one of 2016’s most-quotedΒ lyrics. AtΒ the Grammys, “Love Yourself” is nominated for Song of the Year and Pop Solo Performance. Unfortunately @justinbieber goes upΒ againstΒ Adele and Beyoncé in both of those categories. ThatΒ face-off also applies toΒ Album of the Year (Drake andΒ Sturgill Simpson are also in the mix), where odds are unfortunately stacked againstΒ Purpose. Why, you ask? On one hand, having the #1 and #2 hits of 2016 is a huge boon, but outside itsΒ five singlesΒ PurposeΒ packs 13 tracks of bloatΒ withΒ Big Sean,Β Travis Scott, Halsey, and even NasΒ lost in the deluxe edition.Β PurposeΒ may win the Pop Album Grammy for the hits, but even if @justinbieber goes home Grammy-less his apology has been accepted in 2016.
A few more days to get your tickets to the hottest poolside party with @justinbieber this NYE! #JustinBieber #NYE https://t.co/n73ECGVFqP pic.twitter.com/J17mOF12pG
— Fontainebleau (@Fontainebleau) December 29, 2016
Great book #howsyoursoul by my friend @judahsmith https://t.co/OXkSFgzyAk
— Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) December 28, 2016
@justinbieberΒ has some back-to-back Christian book and the hottest poolside party in Miami promotions on Twitter
