Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Guts’ Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart
September 25, 2023
Olivia Rodrigo’s sophomore album, Guts, debuts atop the Billboard 200 chart (dated Sept. 23), scoring the singer-songwriter her second No. 1 set, following her 2021 debut Sour. The new album starts with 302,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Sept. 14, according to Luminate. That marks the fourth-largest week for any album in 2023 and Rodrigo’s best week yet.
With both Sour and Guts having debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Rodrigo is the first female artist to start atop the chart with two first chart entries in nine years. Ariana Grande was the last woman to debut at No. 1 with two initial chart entries, with Yours Truly in 2013 and My Everything in 2014.
Guts was introduced by its first single “Vampire,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart (dated July 15), marking her third leader. (She previously topped the chart with Sour’s “Drivers License” and “Good 4 U.”) Before Guts’ arrival, it spun off another Hot 100 hit with “Bad Idea Right?,” which debuted and peaked (through the most recently published chart dated June 16) at No. 10 (Aug. 26 chart).
Rodrigo ushered in the album with major promotional appearances, including performances on NBC’s Today (Sept. 8, the day of the album’s release) and the MTV Video Music Awards (Sept. 12). She also did interviews with Today (Sept. 10) and with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1’s New Music Daily (Sept. 8), and made an appearance at the American Express and Spotify Guts Gallery pop-up activation in New York on Sept. 7. Further, her upcoming Guts World Tour was announced on Sept. 13, with the trek starting on Feb. 23 in Palm Springs, Calif.
U2 Debuts New Song ‘Atomic City’ During Music Video Shoot in Las Vegas
September 25, 2023
U2 has unveiled a brand new song ahead of its Las Vegas residency. The veteran U.K. Rock and Roll Hall of Famers debuted new track “Atomic City” during a music video shoot in downtown Las Vegas. The song is expected to be released in conjunction with the launch of U2’s residency show at the Venetian’s Sphere venue on Sept. 29, according to U2 Songs. Official details have not yet been announced.
During Saturday’s video shoot, U2’s Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. performed for a live audience on a flatbed truck moving through Fremont Street in downtown Vegas. The location was close to where the Irish quartet filmed the 1987 video for “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” Bono reportedly told fans at the video shoot that “Atomic City”, a reference to an old Las Vegas nickname, was inspired by “late ’70s post-punk” à la Blondie and the Clash.
Beginning Sept. 29, U2 will perform more than 20 shows for U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at the Sphere, a series of concerts at the new MSG Sphere at the Venetian that will celebrate the act’s 1991 album, Achtung Baby. The residency runs through Dec. 16. U2 will be the first act to perform at the venue as drummer Mullen, 61, continues to recover from undisclosed surgery. Krezip drummer Bram van den Berg will fill in during the concert run.
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