SZA's 'SOS Deluxe: Lana' Returns Her To The Top Of The Billboard Canadian Albums Chart
TikTok sensation Lola Young also debuts on the chart this week with her 2024 album This Wasn't Meant For You Anyway and rising rap phenom Doechii enters with Alligator Bites Never Heal.
After narrowly missing the top spot last week, SZA is once again queen of the Billboard Canadian Albums chart.
The R&B star bows at No. 1 this week, on the chart dated Jan. 11, with her 2022 album SOS. The album gets a boost from the new addition of 15 songs as part of SOS Deluxe: Lana, including 2024 chart mainstay "Saturn."
This week marks the chart-topping album's 11th week at No. 1. But it's hard not to wonder whether if Lana had been released as a new LP, instead of a deluxe edition, it might have become SZA's newest No. 1 album.
The new songs share a similar intimate R&B-pop palette to SOS, with perhaps a touch more indie haze and a few more synths balancing out the acoustic guitar riffs. Lana could stand alone as its own entry in SZA's catalogue, but as it is, the collection is a strong extension of SZA's sharp-tongued dispatches on the pains of catching feelings.
The album is all over the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 too, but not charting as high, with the bossa nova-esque "BMF" the highest entry at No. 28. But there's enough hooks on it for one or two tracks to potentially rise to the top, especially during the dreary winter months when SZA's angsty admissions cut deep.
Women are doing well on the Canadian Albums chart this week, with SZA followed by Gracie Abrams, Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish rounding out the top 5 spots.
Further down the chart, a couple of first-timers make their Canadian Albums debuts.
TikTok sensation Lola Young enters with her 2024 album This Wasn't Meant For You Anyway at No. 80. Released in June, the album has gained traction since U.K. singer Young went viral on TikTok with "Messy." The single is an anthem that speaks to contradictory expectations and has struck a real chord with users on the app. Young has yet to crack the top 100 on the Billboard 200, but TikTok-driven releases often do well in Canada first before they climb in the U.S.
Arriving at No. 93, Florida rapper Doechii also makes her Canadian Albums debut with Alligator Bites Never Heal. She first gained steam with a viral song in 2021, "Yucky Blucky Fruitcake," and Alligator Bites, her third mixtape, has received industry acclaim, including from this week's chart-topper SZA, making her one of the breakthrough artists of the last year. Doechii brings a playful creativity to her rap storytelling that helped earn her three Grammy nominations this year, including Best New Artist.
Check out the full charts here.
