You better ‘beliebe’ it – Justin Bieber is back on top of Billboard 200

You’ve got to ‘beliebe’ in the power of Justin Bieber who is again on top of the Billboard 200 with My World 2.0 after selling 102,000 copies of his sophomore effort in its third week on the chart.

As you may recall, it was first atop the list the week it debuted, after selling 283,000 copies, but was pushed into the No. 2 slot after mentor Usher’s Raymond v. Raymond took No. 1 last week. This week the duo switched places, with Raymond v. Raymond coming in at No. 2 after moving 92,000 units this past week.

Billboard reports that the biggest debut this week comes from Slash, whose self-titled album is the legendary guitar god’s first solo effort. However, the former Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver member had plenty of support from famous friends on vocals including Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Grohl, Kid Rock, Adam Levine, Fergie, and M Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold.

The rest of the Billboard 200 top 10 includes:

• At No. 4, Need You Now, Lady Antebellum, 57,000
• At No. 5, Now That’s What I Call Music vol. 33, Compilation, 53,000
• At No. 6, Still Standing, Monica, 38,000
• At No. 7, The Fame, Lady Gaga, 32,000
• At No. 8, My World, Justin Bieber, just under 30,000
• At No. 9, New Amerykah, Part Two, Erykah Badu, just under 30,000
• At No. 10, Sticky and Sweet Tour, Madonna, 28,000

Do you think Justin Bieber can keep the momentum going for another week at the top?

New music first – HP

Usher bumps Bieber from top of Billboard 200, marks his third No. 1 album

Usher reigns supreme this week on the Billboard 200, as Raymond v. Raymond bumps Justin Bieber’s My World 2.0 from the top slot, after selling 329,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

This makes it Usher’s third straight No. 1 album; he previously has reached the top slot in 2004 with Confessions, and again in 2008 with Here I Stand.

Billboard.com is also reporting that Usher’s total sales make it the third-best sales week of the year, following the debuts of Sade’s Soldier of Love, which leads the pack with 502,000 in its first week, and Lady Antebellum’s Need You Now, which moved 481,000 in its debut.

Bieber’s My World 2.0 only slipped one spot to No. 2, and sold 291,000 copies last week, which is actually 3% higher than its debut week! According to Billboard, an increase in sales from a No. 1 debut is very rare, and is the first time a No.1-debuting album has posted an increase in its second week since 2002 when the Now That’s What I Call Music Vol. 9 fell from No. 1 to No. 2, but recorded an 11% gain in sales.

The rest of the Billboard 200 this week includes:

• At No. 3, Now That’s What I Call Music Vol. 33, Compilation, 123,000
• At No. 4, New Amerykah, Part Two: Return of the Ankh, Erykah Badu, 110,000
• At No. 5, Need You Now, Lady Antebellum, 87,000
• At No. 6, Still Standing, Monica, 81,000
• At No. 7, Freight Train, Alan Jackson, 72,000
• At No. 8, My World, Justin Bieber, 63,000
• At No. 9, The Fame, Lady Gaga, 49,000
• At No. 10, The E.N.D., The Black Eyed Peas, 43,000

Have you bought any of the albums on  this week’s Billboard 200? If so, which ones and why?

New music first – HP

Resurrected Lilith Fair festival signs even more stars to lineup

The Lilith Fair list of performers continues to grow, as the festival today announced Norah Jones, Cat Power, Loretta Lynn, Heart, and Gossip are the newest additions to the already star-packed lineup.

The recently resurrected Lilith Fair is going on tour for the first time in 10 years, and has already signed on artists such as Sheryl Crow, Mary J. Blige, Ke$ha, Tegan & Sara, Erykah Badu and many more.

Despite the already impressive list of performers, Rolling Stone reports that Lilith Fair organizers promise even more stars will be enlisted for the fest in the coming weeks.

Lilith Fair also added 15 more cities to its summer schedule, even though exact dates have not been revealed yet.

Here is the complete list of cities to be included on the tour: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Calgary, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Edmonton, Hartford, Houston, Indianapolis, London, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Montreal, Nashville, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa, Toronto, Vancouver, DC and West Palm Beach.

Here is the complete list of artists slated to perform on the Lilith Fair tour: A Fine Frenzy, Ann Atomic, Ash Koley, Beth Orton, Brandi Carlile, Butterfly Boucher, Cat Power, Ceci Bastida, Chairlift, Chantal Kreviazuk, Colbie Caillat, Corinne Bailey Rae, Donna Delory, Elizaveta, Emmylou Harris, Erin McCarley, Erykah Badu, Frazey Ford, Gossip, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, Heart, Ima, Indigo Girls, Ingrid Michaelson, Janelle Monae, Jennifer Knapp, Jill Hennessy, Jill Scott, Julia Othmer, Kate Nash Katzenjammer, Ke$ha, La Roux, Lights, Lissie, Loretta Lynn, Marina & The Diamonds, Mary J. Blige, Meaghan Smith, Melissa McClelland, Metric, Miranda Lambert, Missy Higgins, Nneka, Norah Jones, Priscilla Renea, Rosie Thomas, Sara Bareilles, Sarah McLachlan, Serena Ryder, Sheryl Crow, Sia, Sugarland, Susan Justice, Tara MacLean, Tegan and Sara, Toby Lightman, Vedera, Vita Chambers, The Submarines, The Weepies, Ximena Sarinana, and Zee Avi.

Are you impressed with this lineup?

Do you hope to head to Lilith Fair this year?

New music first — HP