Thomas Rhett Becomes First Country Artist to Top Billboard 200 This Year
Thomas Rhett has achieved a major milestone with the release of his third studio album, Life Changes. The singer has topped the all-genre Billboard 200 album chart, marking the first of his career as well as the first country release to land at No. 1 in 2017.
The "Unforgettable" singer garnered more than 123,000 units, 94,000 of which were in traditional album sales, according to Billboard. It's the first time in exactly one year that a country album has been at the top of the all-genre chart, following Jason Aldean's They Don’t Know, which hit No. 1 in 2016.
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Rhett's success highlights a big week for the country genre on the Billboard chart overall, as both Dustin Lynch and Kip Moore also hit the Top 10. Lynch’s Current Mood takes the No. 7 spot on Billboard 200, while Moore’s Slowheart is at No. 10. Billboard reports that this is the first time three country albums have made it into the Top 10 since Oct. 8 of last year, when Aaron Lewis’ Sinner was at No. 4 while Aldean’s album was at No. 6 and Florida Georgia Line’s Dig Your Roots held No. 10.
Rhett probably should have anticipated such a tremendous drop after releasing his song "Craving You," featuring Maren Morris. It too went No. 1. Before the release of Life Changes, the singer admitted he's already ready to work on his next project.
“It feels like I’m already anxious to make the next one,” Rhett tells Taste of Country and other media. “I’ve been living with these songs for forever and so for it to finally come out is a huge weight off my shoulders. I’m very excited for the fans to hear it, to finally get to play some of these songs live, but in my head I’m like ‘ok, that’s done.’ Even though everybody else hasn’t heard it, I’m ready to start writing for the next one.”
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