TWICE collects its second top 10 album on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart, and largest sales week yet, as Formula of Love: O+T=<3 debuts at No. 2 on the Nov. 27-dated chart. It sold 58,000 copies in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 18, marking the biggest sales frame for the South Korean girl group yet, surpassing the 43,000-sales launch of Taste of Love in June (No. 1 debut).

Of Formula of Love: O+T=<3’s 58,000 sold, physical album sales comprise 56,000 (all from its CD editions) and digital album sales comprise 2,000. Like many K-pop releases, the CD edition of the new album was issued in multiple collectible packages (six, including two Target-exclusive editions) each with a set of standard internal paper goods (photobook, sticker, photocard set, poster, etc.) and randomized elements. (As an example of the latter, each CD package contains four of 60 different photo cards – effectively trading cards branded to an individual member of the nine-person act).

The South Korean girl group hit the top 10 earlier in 2021 with the No. 1 debut Taste of Love: The 10th Mini Album (June 26 chart).

The new album was preceded by the track “The Feels,” which became the group’s first charting effort on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, spending a week at No. 83 on the Oct. 16-dated list.

Elsewhere on the latest Top Album Sales chart, new albums from Taylor Swift, Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak), Jason Aldean and Money Man debut in the top 10, while a deluxe reissue of Nirvana’s 1991 album Nevermind spurs its re-entry into the top five.

Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now MRC Data. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Taylor Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version) bounds in at No. 1 on Top Album Sales with 369,000 copies sold in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 18 – the largest sales week of 2021 for any album up to that point. The set’s sales were bolstered by its simultaneous availability on CD, vinyl LP and digital download, as well as CD hand-signed by Swift that was sold through her webstore and via independent record stores. The album sold 261,000 physical copies (145,000 on CD and 114,000 on vinyl LP) and 108,000 digital downloads.

Silk Sonic, the duo of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, arrives at No. 3 on Top Album Sales with its first album, An Evening With Silk Sonic. The set sold 42,000 copies, with 24,000 via digital downloads and 18,000 physical copies (all from its CD edition, as well as limited-edition CD boxed sets sold through the act’s webstore).

The 30th-anniversary deluxe reissue of Nirvana’s chart-topping Nevermind album prompts its re-entry at No. 4 with 22,000 copies sold (up 1,867%). The remastered reissue was available in a variety of editions that contain an array of live tracks recorded in 1991 and 1992 during the Nevermind tour. All versions of the album, old and new, are combined for tracking and charting purposes. Nevermind reached No. 1 on Top Album Sales dated Jan. 11, 1992 and spent two weeks atop the list.

ABBA’s Voyage drifts from No. 1 to No. 5 in its second week on Top Album Sales (with 19,000 sold; down 75%) while Jason Aldean’s new Macon debuts at No. 6 with just under 19,000 sold. Prince and the Revolution’s Purple Rain soundtrack vaults 51-7 with 17,000 sold (up 471%) thanks in part to the release of a purple-colored vinyl edition of the album exclusive to Target stores. (All vinyl editions of the album combined accounted for 16,500 of the album’s total sales for the week – up 511%.)

Swift’s Fearless (Taylor’s Version) bumps 17-8 with a little over 13,000 sold (up 123%), Money Man’s new Blockchain debuts at No. 9 with 13,000 sold and Ed Sheeran’s former No. 1 = rounds out the top 10, falling 3-10 with 12,000 sold (down 28%).

Rising rapper Blxst crosses off a career milestone on Billboard’s charts with a first radio airplay No. 1. His single “Chosen,” with Tyga and featuring Ty Dolla $ign, advances from the runner-up slot to lead the Rhythmic Airplay chart dated Nov. 27.

“Chosen” ascends through an 8% boost in plays at U.S. monitored rhythmic radio stations to become the format’s most-played song in the week ending Nov. 21, according to MRC Data.

“Chosen” gives the 29-year-old rapper, born Matthew Burdette, his first Rhythmic Airplay champ on his third appearance. He logged his first visit in a featured role on Bino’s “Brand New,” which reached No. 33 in 2020, and followed that with his own track “Overrated,” a No. 22 success in May.

For Tyga, “Chosen” secures his third No. 1 on Rhythmic Airplay. The rapper previously occupied the penthouse through a guest spot on Chris Brown’s “Loyal,” a two-week champ in 2014, and returned with his own “Taste,” featuring Offset, for four weeks in 2018.

Featured artist Ty Dolla $ign, meanwhile, adds a fourth Rhythmic Airplay champ to his account. The prior three: a supporting turn on Fifth Harmony’s “Work From Home,” which ruled for one week in 2016, and one on Post Malone’s “Psycho,” a four-week No. 1 in 2018. The following year, he collaborated with Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj on “Hot Girl Summer,” which topped the list for one week.

In addition to its Rhythmic Airplay coronation, “Chosen” is cementing its position on R&B/hip-hop and rap radio, as well. The single cracks the top five on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay with a 6-5 move, as it added 5% more plays in the week ending Nov. 20. The tune also steps one rank from No. 3 to enter the runner-up spot on Rap Airplay. There, it improves 8% in audience listenership in the same tracking week.

Gains in the rhythmic, R&B/hip-hop and rap sectors push the song near the top half of the 50-position, all-genre Radio Songs chart. There, “Chosen” climbs 27-26 in its seventh week and grows to 27.2 million in total audience in the chart’s latest tracking week (ending Nov. 19), according to MRC Data.

When singer-songwriter-producer Eric Bellinger learned he’d received his first Grammy nomination as an artist — best progressive R&B album for New Light — the first thing he did was scream. The second thing the Los Angeles native did was release an acoustic edition of the album on Wednesday (Nov. 24).

New Light: Acoustics features four of the album’s fan-favorite singles: “What About Us” featuring Sevyn Streeter, “Tired of Waiting,” “Go Get It” and “Euphoric” featuring Brandy. Initially released in September through the label YFS (Your Favorite Song) and distributor EMPIRE, New Light is Bellinger’s eighth studio album. In addition to motivational lead single “Shine on the World” and guest appearances by The Game and Kierra Sheard, the 15-song set marks the next chapter in Bellinger’s artistic journey.

Prior to launching his solo career in earnest in 2014 with the single “I Don’t Want Her,” the prolific Bellinger racked up numerous writing and producing credits. Grammy-nominated for the first time in 2014 for best R&B song for Chris Brown’s “New Flame,” Bellinger has also collaborated with Usher, Justin Bieber, Brandy, Tank, Trey Songz, Teyana Taylor and, most recently, Love aka Diddy.

Says Bellinger of his latest career achievement, “It’s awesome to be doing what I love to do and then get this type of recognition.”

Where were you and what were you doing when you heard the news?

I’m in New York rehearsing for a show I’ll be doing with Alicia Keys. So yesterday, I was trying to be super quiet during the rehearsal while I was watching the nominations announcement on my phone. When the category came up and I heard my name, I began screaming. People [in the room] were saying, “What are you talking about?!” But it was a great moment.

You’ve released a host of albums, mixtapes and EPs over the last several years. What is it about New Light that made it click with voters?

I just had a feeling from the beginning. My intention from the first session was to go extra hard on this album, to go crazy musically with everything from the harmonies to the transitions to post-production. I’m a singer who grew up in the church and a songwriter that’s a perfectionist when it comes to articulating my thoughts. We also did camps, bringing in so many different, incredible musicians — the most I’ve ever collaborated with on an album. I went into the project thinking that if this is the last you’re ever going to hear from me, I want this to be the time. And I knew that once we did that, then God would do the rest.

What does it mean to be recognized in the best progressive R&B album category, which formally debuted during the last awards cycle?

There are so many different worlds of R&B. Melodies have become so monotonous and so easy to knock out on Auto-Tune or find a beat on YouTube. So it’s very possible for all to have the same sound. I like to call my music the evolution of classic. That’s always been my thing like with uptempo R&B club song “I Don’t Want Her” [featuring Problem], working with samples and trying different things with drum patterns. I’ve always stayed in the streets to see and hear what’s going on so I can put it in the music. I feel like because I’m able to tap into the new frequencies that the youth are doing, it’s automatically going crazy because I’m combining it with classic soul.

With this new slate of R&B nominations, do you think voting and other changes implemented by the Recording Academy are working?

I do. It’s especially dope because they’re shining a light on artists through different categories that are so broad across the spectrum, and now there are so many more voters that are urban who are more involved and more aware. I was on the board when the last Grammy voting was taking place so I was able to soak up a lot of knowledge while we were going through that and other [Academy] processes. And that’s important. Instead of complaining about why we aren’t getting this or that, we have to take the necessary steps to do our part as well. So I do see a lot of people becoming members and voting and artists being nominated as we celebrate R&B and music in general.