Will Future and Metro Boomin's 'We Don't Trust You' Top Ariana Grande's First Week of 2024?

The contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top Advertising sign charts and the strategies behind their efforts. This week (for the upcoming Billboard 200 dated April 6), a big week of new releases headlines the likes of Future and Metro Boomin, who could break Ariana Grande's first-week chart mark of just two weeks earlier.

Future & Metro Boomin, We Don't Trust You (Freebandz/Boominati/Epic/Republic): It was always going to be a big moment when hip-hop superstars Future and Metro Boomin got together for their first collaborative album. Not only have they proven to be two of rap's most consistently successful figures of the last decade, but they have extensive history and chemistry with each other — all the way back to Future delivering the famous “If You You Metro don't trust you, I'm gon' shoot you” producer label (via his appearance on Uncle Murda's “Right Now”), which partially inspired the name of their recent group, We Don't Trust You.

Now, the two hip-hop greats with 11 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 already between them are likely in line for their 12th. We Don't Trust You instantly took the internet by storm upon its release last Friday (March 22), with its entire tracklist topping Spotify and Apple Music's daily charts. Somewhat ironically, the thing the album is getting the most attention for has little to do with either Future or Metro, but rather the “Like That” verse from an arguably even bigger superstar in Kendrick Lamar — with his shots vs. Drake and J. Cole sends social media into an absolute frenzy, likely propelling the song to a No. 1 debut next week on the Billboard Hot 100.

Its parent album also looks set to grace the top of the charts. Confidence remained a streaming blockbuster — as of Tuesday, Future and Metro still held four of the top 10 spots on Spotify's US Daily Top Songs and nine of the top 10 on Apple Music's real-time chart — likely helped by a initially hidden guest list, which prompted users to listen to the full 17-track set to discover the possibilities for themselves. Even without a physical release yet, its streaming and digital sales numbers should be strong enough for the set to challenge Ariana Grande Eternal sunshine Mark (227,000) for biggest first week of 2024 – though Future and Metro should do better as a duo than they did with most recent solo sets, of 2022 I never liked you (222,000) and Heroes and villains (185,000), respectively.

Shakira, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (Sony Latin): Future and Metro are far from the only longtime hitmakers to release new material on Friday: arguably the biggest global superstar of the last 30 years of Latin pop is back, too. Shakira's new 16 track set Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran is essentially split into two parts — half all-new pop jingles, including Cardi B's top New Music Friday collaboration “Puntería,” and half singles Shak has already had success with her highly prolific past two years, including 2023's Bizarrap – up to 'Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53.”

This mix of explosive new bangers (including guest appearances from the likes of Grupo Frontera, Rauw Alejandro and – again – Bizarrap) and established hits should make for a pretty formidable streaming act, though Shakira's nowhere near in established history there (especially in this country) as Future and Metro. However, it has a physical presence Las Mujeres available for sale in four different vinyl versions (each with a different cover and different LP color), as well as four different CDs (also with different covers) and a standard digital version.

Kenny Chesney, Born (Blue Chair/Warner Nashville): Another star of decades returns this week from the country world in Kenny Chesney with his 19th studio album (and first in four years) Born. The album lacks the kind of advanced radio hits that Chesney might have landed in the past. only “Take Her Home” had previously been withdrawn from the set and peaked at No. 13 Advertising signCountry Airplay listing. But Chesney has both standard and signed versions Born for sale — as well as a “tour Edition” of her digital release with three bonus live cuts, available for purchase to anyone who bought tickets to her upcoming summer tour or is a member of her fan club — and has charted a historic nine No. 1s albums, spanning 2002 No shoes, no shirt, no problem to Bornof the predecessor, 2020 Here and Now.

IN THE MIX

Olivia Rodrigo, Offal Geffen: While Olivia Rodrigo largely refused to play the reissue game with her game-changing debut album Get angrydives into the luxury editions with the second set Offal. Last Friday it was released intestines (spill), which incorporated five stunning new tracks (previously each found on different specific vinyl variants of the album's original release) onto the original chart-topping LP's 12 – including fan favorite “Obsessed,” which Rodrigo played in stops On it. current Guts world tour. There's no new physical drop for the lavish set right now, but strong streaming and sales activity for the new cuts should help the album (which still sits in the Billboard 200's top 20 six months after its original release) bounce back. chart this week, possibly bringing it back into the top 10 for the first time since early December.

Hozier, Unheard (Rubyworks/Columbia): About a year and a half since his last album Unreal Unearth which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, Irish singer-songwriter Hozier returns with a new EP of songs that just missed the cut for this set, Unheard. Although it's only available for streaming and digital sale at the moment, and only has four tracks to rack up consumption totals, it should be in line for a major debut – not least because one of those songs, the teased by TikTok's “Too Sweet,” begins streaming in droves, likely on pace to become the artist's biggest Hot 100 hit since “Take Me to Church” peaked at No. 2 in 2015.

Tyla, Tyla (Fax/Epic): One of the year's most anticipated pop debuts comes from South African crossover star Tyla, whose 'Water' reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late 2023. Her 14-track LP includes both the original and the remix version of “Water,” as well as a decently wide array of big-name guest stars, including Travis Scott, Tems and Becky G, and is available for purchase in three vinyl versions — including two color variants, one with a signed insert .