Will It Be TWICE's First Atop the Billboard 200 Next Week?

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 March 9), a star K-pop group aims to end Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign's two-week Vultures 1 reigns supreme on the album chart.

TWICE, With You-th (JYP/Republic): She's been one of the biggest acts in Korean pop for over half a decade now, with top-selling albums in their homeland, world arena and stadium tours, and even a few entries on the Billboard Hot 100. But nine-piece girl group TWICE has yet to secure a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200: They've reached the top three with each of their last three efforts, but have yet to climb higher than No. 2, which they achieved last March with Ready to be (held from the top by Morgan Wallen's blockbuster One thing at a time in its second week).

Next week, the runway may be clear for the ground zero to finally take off at the site. TWICE is the biggest-name contemporary outfit to release a new set last Friday (February 23) — the EP With you – and with Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign's Vultures fading into its third week, the bar for No. 1 shouldn't be unusually high for the group it must clear.

With You-thIts sales should be strong, thanks in part to its availability on 14 different CD variants (including exclusives to Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, and the act's webstore, all with branded paper merchandise inside the packaging as well as random merchandise ), as well as three additional vinyl variants (all picture discs, one a Target exclusive). Streaming numbers might not be as robust for the set given its six-track length, but in a slower release week it might not need much activity there to secure a top debut.

French Montana, Mac & Cheese 5 (Coke Boys/Gamma): It's been a while since French Montana was one of mainstream rap's biggest names — his only appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 so far this decade came alongside Diddy, The Weeknd and 21 Savage at No. 87 ” My Another One.” However, he remains a fixture in the industry, as evidenced by the guest list on his new mixtape Mac & Cheese 5which features appearances from A-list names like Rick Ross, Lil Baby, Lil Durk and even a pair of appearances from current Billboard 200 topper Kanye West.

He may provide some competition for his top partner in the 200 this week. Mac & Cheese 5 may not be a major streamer – the set will be helped by its features and length (21 tracks in its standard version, 22 in its deluxe and an amazing 126 publications version with clear, crisp, a cappella, instrumental, sped-up and slowed-down versions of each track), but has yet to produce a real hit. Still, it should sell pretty well — given its availability in three different CD and vinyl variants (all discounted to $5), as well as three autographed CD variants for $10 each, all for sale exclusively through Montana's Coke Boys Online Store.

Le Seraphim, Comfortably (Source/YG Plus/Geffen): TWICE isn't the only big Korean girl group with a new EP this week: Hitmakers Le Sserafim also return to the scene with their new five-track set Comfortably. Their set should also sell well, boosted by a number of variants available – 14 CD editions, including exclusives to Barnes & Noble, Target and Walmart, all with branded paper goods inside the packaging as well as randomized goods. The quintet may also have some success from the set on its title track, which debuts at No. 73 on the Global 200 this week and is still on the Spotify Daily Top Songs USA chart.

IN THE MIX

Olivia Rodrigo, Offal Geffen: Olivia Rodrigo's acclaimed sophomore effort — our staff's No. 1 album of 2023 — already topped the Billboard 200 for a week last September, and hasn't been far off the top since, peaking at No. 23 this week's list. She can do well next week thanks to the launch of her Guts World tour, which kicked off in southern California over the weekend and continues in Texas this week – not only electrifying fans in those locations, but also luring potential attendees from all over across the country, who have been devouring clips of Rodrigo's headline dates on social media.

Ace Frehley, 10,000 volts (MNRK): Spaceman is back. Guitar legend Ace Frehley didn't appear with KISS on the End of the Road World tour – supposedly the group's final live journey, which ends in December 2023 – but returns this week with his first album of originals since 2018. The 11 track set, was released in between sliding back and forth between Frehley and his former bandmates, is available on at least 11 vinyl variants, as well as a standard CD and jewel case and a Walmart exclusive lenticular cover.