This week: Travis Scott has an album out!  And…. um…

…yeah, that’s about it, to be honest.

1.  Drake – “In My Feelings”

Four weeks.  Its streaming points are still growing, but only very slightly; despite the release of the video during this chart week (which counts to the chart now, remember), it seems like this could be the peak.  The album is at 4; the other two singles are on their way out of the chart, currently sitting at 19 and 30.

9.  Travis Scott – “Sicko Mode”
15.  Travis Scott – “Stargazing”
29.  Travis Scott – “Carousel”

Travis Scott is now on his third album, and his audience is growing.  “Rodeo” reached number 22 in 2015; “Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight” reached number 19 in 2016; but this week “Astroworld” enters at number three (behind Mamma Mia and the seemingly unkillable Greatest Showman soundtrack, so it’s the top artist album on a more traditional definition).  It duly spawns the maximum three singles for the chart, though they don’t include the one actually being pushed as an official single, “Stop Trying To Be God”.

But Travis Scott hasn’t previously registered on the singles chart, at least as a lead artist.  His only previous appearances in the top 40 were last year, when he guested on Drake’s “Portland” (number 27) and Major Lazer’s “Know No Better” (number 15).  Which makes this a heck of a step up.

So why these three, then?  Well, they are the first three tracks on the album, though not in this order, so that alone ought to give them some chance of being streamed more often.  “Sicko Mode” is an eccentric multi-component medley which wouldn’t normally get promoted as a single, but it does have an uncredited Drake to bring in the streams.  “Carousel” has Frank Ocean.  And “Stargazing” has a video, although it’s described as an album trailer, and only has about half the song.  None of it’s really my thing, but it’s very 2018.

And that’s pretty much it – there’s one solitary other new entry right down at the bottom end of the top 40.

37.  Hardy Caprio featuring One Acen – “Best Life”

Off the peg UK rap.  It’s Hardy Caprio’s second hit, following “Rapper”, which reached number 34 in March.  Perfectly okay but no stand out.

This week’s climbers:

• “No Brainer” by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo & Chance The Rapper climbs 4-3.
• “Body” by Loud Luxury featuring Brando climbs 19-8.
• “Taste” by Tyga featuring Offset climbs 11-10, giving Tyga his first top ten hit under his own power.  He’s been here three times before as a guest, though.
• “Lucid Dreams” by Juice Wrld edges up 12-11, still climbing (very slowly) in its ninth week on the chart.
• “Eastside” by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey & Khalid climbs 23-12.
• “Panic Room” by Au/ra & Camelphat edges 35-34.

On the albums chart, things are only marginally more excitable.  The Mamma Mia – Here We Go Again soundtrack spends a third week at number one, and Travis Scott’s “Astroworld” enters at 3…

6.  James – “Living in Extraordinary Times”

The general public may remember James mostly for their 1990s hit “Sit Down” (actually first released in a rather more indie version in 1989), which reached number 2 as a re-issue in 1991.  But they’ve never really gone away, except for a few years between 2000 and 2006.  They’ve been releasing albums steadily since re-forming, and placing quite respectably – this is the second post-reunion album to make the top 10.  James haven’t greatly changed in style, but the video above is pretty solid.

8.  Deaf Havana – “Rituals”

The last three Deaf Havana albums all made the top 10, so it’s no surprise that this one does too.  Starting off as a post-hardcore band, this bunch have meandered increasingly into pop over the years.  Despite the vague religious theme linking the album (“Wake”, “Sinner”, “Ritual”, “Hell”, “Holy”… that’s just the first five tracks in order), they’re in commercial radio territory by this point.

37.  Mac Miller – “Swimming”

Mac Miller has been around for years, more as a producer, but this is his fifth album and the first to scrape the bottom end of the albums top 40.