Kanye West’s ‘Bully’ Debuts at No. 2 on Albums Chart as BTS Holds Top Spot With ‘Arirang’

BTS has secured a second consecutive week at number one on the Billboard 200, fending off a challenge from Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West. The K-pop supergroup's latest release, "Arirang," maintains its top position with 187,000 equivalent album units. This follows a historic debut the prior week, where the album's 641,000 units marked the biggest sales week for any group in over a decade and became BTS's seventh chart-topper. Notably, this two-week reign now stands as the longest for any of the group's number-one albums, surpassing the single-week peaks of their previous leaders.

Entering the chart at number two is Ye's new album, "Bully," which becomes his 14th top-10 project. It debuted with 152,000 units, 56,000 of which were traditional album sales—a robust showing given the controversy surrounding the rapper's hate speech in recent years. This placement, however, ends a near-perfect career streak; "Bully" is his first solo studio album not to debut at number one since his 2004 debut, "The College Dropout," also peaked at number two. His previous solo release, "Donda 2," was ruled ineligible for the chart due to bundling practices. The album, released on March 28 after several delays, preceded a pair of sold-out shows at Los Angeles's SoFi Stadium, one of the largest and most technologically advanced venues in the United States, where Ye previewed tracks from the new project.

Further down the chart, Melanie Martinez lands at number three with "Hades," earning 84,000 units for her fourth top-10 entry. Industry analysts note that her consistent chart performance underscores a dedicated fanbase built through a distinct artistic mythology. Morgan Wallen's "I’m the Problem" slips one spot to number four, while rapper Yeat arrives at number five with "ADL."

The lower half of the top ten sees Luke Combs's "The Way I Am" at number six, followed by Olivia Dean's "The Art of Loving," Don Toliver's "Octane," Bad Bunny's "Debí Tirar Más Fotos," and Harry Styles's "Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally." The continued presence of established acts like Bad Bunny and Styles highlights the competitive longevity required in today's streaming-dominated music landscape.