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Less than 48 hours after RIIZE announced it would welcome back seventh member Seunghan after a controversial 10-month hiatus, the decision has been flipped in a shocking about-face.

On Sunday (Oct. 13), two directors under Wizard Production — the management division under the K-pop label SM Entertainment that is in charge of RIIZE — shared the news that Seunghan will permanently leave the boy band. According to the letter from Kim Hyeong Guk and Lee Sang Min, the return news was to “give the artist and the fans greater joy” before, “we realized that our decision had actually hurt fans more and caused them greater confusion instead.”

While some fans celebrated the comeback, others protested the decision by surrounding SM Entertainment’s local headquarters in Seoul with funeral wreaths — an increasingly common but concerning move from K-pop fans looking to make a bold statement, which has also recently been employed by the likes of fans of BTS and NewJeans.

“Seunghan has consistently expressed his desire to leave the group for the sake of the members and the fans,” Wizard Production added. “Out of respect for the artist’s decision, we are announcing Seunghan’s departure from RIIZE, instead of his joining the group.”

The announcement included a promise that “We will support Seunghan in the future so that he can showcase his talents and follow his dreams,” seemingly indicating he will remain signed under SM Entertainment. (At press time, Seunghan is still listed as a member of RIIZE on SM’s official website as he was during his hiatus.)

Seunghan followed up with a handwritten letter posted to RIIZE’s Weverse account, where he still has an active account as a group member, to explain his decision to leave.

“After pondering deeply whether I’ve been thinking only of myself too much, whether I’m causing too much harm to the members and the company, and whether it’s really okay for me to be part of RIIZE, who should be loved, I only felt worried and apologetic,” the 21-year-old wrote. “So I think that my leaving the group is the right path for everyone. I don’t want to cause any more hurt or confusion for the fans, and I don’t want to harm the members any further, and I also don’t want to hurt the company any further.”

Seunghan added that he didn’t want to cause tension or infighting between fans.

Previously, on Oct. 11, RIIZE’s social media accounts announced that Seunghan would “gradually” rejoin the act beginning in November, citing “numerous discussions with the staff and members about the direction of the group’s future activities.” He also greeted fans in a letter, writing, “The members held my hand once again. I am only filled with gratitude and apologetic feelings for giving me another chance.”

Curiously, RIIZE member Wonbin had directly addressed fans about Seunghan’s return just hours before the reversal was announced — until its removal.

Writing on Weverse, Wonbin seemed to sense trepidation from some fans. “I am worried that you guys would struggle more and be confused if the members don’t say a word or react to anything, so, I am writing this after organizing the conversations we’ve had with the members,” the 22-year-old wrote. “I’m sure many of you have wondered if Seunghan was coming back or not a lot, or why there wasn’t a clear answer sooner… us, Seunghan, and the company, really talked about this for a long period of time.”

As Seunghan mentioned in his first letter to fans after his announced return, Wonbin emphasized that the decision came from within RIIZE.

“I hope that you guys realize the members have thought about this together again and again, considering this deeply,” Wonbin wrote. “I had wanted always to make all of our BRIIZE happy, but I’m sorry I am unable to do that… I know this post will not be able to erase all of your worries, but I hope that it can comfort you in your confusion, even just a little bit.”

Wonbin’s post was deleted from RIIZE’s Weverse account after Seunghan’s exit was confirmed. See a screenshot of the removed post, and a translation, from a social media account dedicated to sharing RIIZE’s Weverse activities.

Seunghan’s controversies began before RIIZE’s official debut. Since August 2023, the young singer has dealt with the fallout of leaked pre-debut photos and videos of him that ignited backlash within some of South Korea’s more conservative social climates. Images showed Seunghan in bed with an unidentified woman and smoking a cigarette, which some fans labeled as inappropriate for a K-pop idol, demanding that he exit the group. Last November, SM Entertainment announced that Seunghan would “halt activities indefinitely” with no follow-up news from the label leading fans, media and industry insiders forced to speculate about RIIZE’s future.

Read RIIZE’s full statement below from Wizard Productions (with translation provided via Soompi):

Hello, this is Wizard Production.

First, we sincerely apologize for hurting BRIIZE [RIIZE’s fandom] and causing confusion through our announcement of Seunghan’s return on October 11.

We feel particularly apologetic for prioritizing Wizard Production’s position, instead of making our top priorities the growth achieved by the six RIIZE members while working their hardest; the support of BRIIZE, who have been RIIZE’s greatest source of strength during that journey; and the preciousness of the times that RIIZE and BRIIZE have spent together.

We made this decision after debating it for a long time because we thought that if Seunghan returned after reflecting on his past wrongdoings and RIIZE showed another level of growth as a group, we would be able to give the artist and the fans greater joy.

However, the announcement of his return, we ruminated carefully on each and every one of the opinions and responses sent in by fans, and we realized that our decision had actually hurt fans more and caused them greater confusion instead.

At the same time, Seunghan has consistently expressed his desire to leave the group for the sake of the members and the fans.

Out of respect for the artist’s decision, we are announcing Seunghan’s departure from RIIZE, instead of his joining the group.

We will support Seunghan in the future so that he can showcase his talents and follow his dreams.

Above all else, we also sincerely apologize for creating hardships and confusion for the six members who have, ever since their debut, always given their all while thinking of the fans and who made the RIIZE of today possible by thinking and working harder than anyone else in each and every moment.

We will continue to do our utmost to support the RIIZE members so that they can grow even further in the future as well.

Wizard Production will be careful and cautious in all matters in the future, and we will work hard so that RIIZE and BRIIZE can be happy together for a long time.

– Wizard Production directors Kim Hyeong Guk, Lee Sang Min

Read Seunghan’s full letter below (with translation provided via Soompi):

Hello, this is Seunghan.

I know that many people took the matter of my return to activities seriously, and I too am aware of the seriousness of the current situation.

After pondering deeply whether I’ve been thinking only of myself too much, whether I’m causing too much harm to the members and the company, and whether it’s really okay for me to be part of RIIZE, who should be loved, I only felt worried and apologetic.

So I think that my leaving the group is the right path for everyone.

I don’t want to cause any more hurt or confusion for the fans, and I don’t want to harm the members any further, and I also don’t want to hurt the company any further.

I’d like to thank the company and the members, who made efforts to give me another opportunity, and I’m also both sorry and thankful to the people who have cheered me on all this time despite my many shortcomings.

I truly do not want the relationship between RIIZE and BRIIZE, who were growing together while supporting one another, to be damaged because of me. It also breaks my heart to see the fans, for whom it should be more than enough to just love RIIZE, fighting with each other because of me.

I will sincerely cheer on RIIZE, whom I love, while hoping that they will receive more love in the future.

In recent years, The Cure’s Robert Smith has been vocal about the shifting touring and ticket market. In 2023, the singer convinced Ticketmaster to give partial refunds to fans who had purchased tickets to their Songs Of A Lost World tour, hitting back at “unduly high” fees. For their U.S. run of dates, the band had kept the prices purposefully low to stay affordable, with some priced at $20, but the fees occasionally outstripped the value of the ticket.

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In a new, lengthy interview, first published in the The Times, Smith has commented further on Ticketmaster’s practices and specifically their dynamic pricing model.

“I was shocked by how much profit is made [by ticketing],” Smith said. “I thought, ‘We don’t need to make all this money.’ My fights with the label have all been about how we can price things lower. The only reason you’d charge more for a gig is if you were worried that it was the last time you would be able to sell a T-shirt.”

He continued: “But if you had the self-belief that you’re still going to be here in a year’s time, you’d want the show to be great so people come back. You don’t want to charge as much as the market will let you. If people save on the tickets, they buy beer or merch. There is goodwill, they will come back next time. It is a self-fulfilling good vibe and I don’t understand why more people don’t do it.”

“It was easy to set ticket prices, but you need to be pig-headed. We didn’t allow dynamic pricing because it’s a scam that would disappear if every artist said, ‘I don’t want that!’ But most artists hide behind management. “Oh, we didn’t know,” they say. They all know. If they say they do not, they’re either f–king stupid or lying. It’s just driven by greed.”

You can watch the full interview with Smith at The Cure’s website.

The Cure are releasing their first album in 16 years, Songs Of A Lost World, on Nov. 1 and the LP will be accompanied by a string of shows in London on release week. The band have shared two songs from the record so far, brooding opener “Alone” and “A Fragile Thing.”

Smith’s comments arrive not long after the controversial ticket sale for Oasis’ reunion tour in 2025. Dynamic pricing was used in the process for the band’s 19 stadium dates in the U.K. and Ireland, causing ticket prices to rise and fans forced to make quick decisions on prices that were higher than initially advertised.

The fallout and anger from fans prompted the U.K.’s Competition and Market Authority to investigate the use of the sale tactic. Oasis, who will be playing a run of shows next summer across the globe, distanced themselves from the dynamic pricing model and opted against using the method for their North American dates, which went on sale earlier this month.

Ticketmaster introduced the dynamic pricing scale in 2022 in a bid to help combat touts and the secondary ticket market. The company insists that bands and promoters set the ticket prices and that dynamic pricing is only used with approval by the artist’s team.

Sabrina Carpenter does it again, as Short n’ Sweet (via Island/Universal) holds at No. 1 for the sixth non-consecutive week on Australia’s chart.

With that feat, Carpenter breaks the tie with Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department and Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard And Soft for the title with the longest reign on the ARIA Albums Chart in 2024.

Carpenter’s dominance doesn’t end there. On the ARIA Singles Chart, “Taste” extends its streak for a seventh straight week, for the longest-running No. 1 this year. Across her three No. 1 singles, Carpenter has tallied 10 combined weeks at the top in 2024.

Coldplay enjoys a hot start with Moon Music (Polydor/Warner), their 10th studio album. The best-seller in the U.K., Moon Music is the top debut on the ARIA Chart at No. 2. Starting with 2000’s Parachutes, Coldplay’s albums have all peaked at No. 1 or No. 2 in Australia, and has included seven leaders. The Australian leg of Coldplay’s Music Of The Spheres World Tour kicks off Oct. 30 at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium, produced by Live Nation.

Meanwhile, ARIA Hall of Fame-inducted Aussie country artist Kasey Chambers completes the podium with Backbone (MGM), her 13th studio album. It’s new at No. 3. Chambers has collected 13 ARIA Awards and five ARIA No. 1s across her career.

Also new the the chart is TISM’s Death To Art (MGM), arriving at No. 15. It’s the enigmatic Aussie art-rock band’s sixth appearance in the ARIA top 50, a list that includes Great Truckin’ Songs Of The Renaissance (No. 48 in 1988), Machiavelli And The Four Seasons (No. 8 in 1995), www.tism.wanker.com (No. 26 in 1998), De RigeurMortis (No. 24 in 2001) and Best Off (No. 44 in 2002).

With Sabrina Carpenter completing another week atop the singles tally, Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (up 4-2 via Empire) and Billie Eilish‘s “Birds Of A Feather” (down 2-3 via Interscope/Universal) round out the top 3.

Coldplay has once again soared to new heights, securing their 10th consecutive No. 1 album on the U.K. Official Albums Chart with Moon Music.

Not only did Moon Music debut at the top spot, but it also logged 237,000 chart units in its opening week, making it the biggest debut for a British act in three years, since Adele’s 30 in 2021.

This monumental achievement sees Coldplay joining the ranks of British music royalty. With Moon Music, the band ties ABBA, Michael Jackson, and Queen, each boasting 10 No. 1 albums on the U.K. Official Albums Chart.

Coldplay’s chart-topping streak, which began with their 2000 debut Parachutes, includes A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002), Mylo Xyloto (2011), and their most recent effort, Music of the Spheres (2021). Moon Music isn’t just Coldplay’s latest No. 1—it’s also the fastest-selling album of 2024 in terms of physical and digital sales, with 209,000 of its units coming from pure album purchases.

It trails only behind Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department, which sold 270,000 units earlier this year, however, Coldplay’s strong numbers have put them leagues ahead of other British acts,.

Meanwhile, Sabrina Carpenter’s Short N’ Sweet continued its steady climb, moving up one spot to No. 2 this week. Public Service Broadcasting landed their third Top 10 album with The Last Flight, debuting at No. 3, while James Bay’s Changes All The Time entered at No. 4, marking his fourth Top 5 album.

Further down the Top 10, The Smile’s Cutouts, featuring Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, debuted at No. 7, while Alison Moyet’s Key entered at No. 8—her highest-charting album in over a decade. Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works Volume II also made waves, re-entering the Top 40 at No. 21 following its 30th-anniversary reissue.

Coldplay’s consistent chart domination, now spanning over two decades, shows no signs of slowing down. With Moon Music securing their place among legends, the band continues to solidify their lasting impact on the U.K. music scene.

Sabrina Carpenter is on fire! The pop superstar just smashed the record for the most weeks spent at No. 1 in a single year on the U.K. Official Singles Chart, proving that she’s truly in a league of her own.

Her hit single “Taste” has now spent seven consecutive weeks at the top in the U.K., and when you add that to the No. 1 runs of her previous singles “Espresso” (seven non-consecutive weeks) and “Please Please Please” (five non-consecutive weeks), the pint-sized pop star has officially racked up 19 weeks at No. 1 in 2024.

This makes her the female artist with the most weeks at No. 1 in the U.K. in a single year—ever!

That’s not just any record—Sabrina has now overtaken the legendary Olivia Newton-John, who held the record with 16 weeks at No. 1 back in 1978.

As if that weren’t enough, she’s also tied with Ed Sheeran for the most weeks at No. 1 in a single year this century. Sheeran also hit 19 weeks in 2021 with tracks like “Bad Habits,” “Shivers,” and his Christmas collaborations with Elton John and LadBaby.

“Taste” is proving to be irresistible, pulling in over 6 million streams this week alone, making it the most-streamed song in the U.K. for the seventh straight week. It’s tied with Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” for the longest-running No. 1 of 2024, and with no major competition on the horizon, Sabrina’s reign could stretch even further.

Elsewhere on the charts, things are getting interesting. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ mid-career hit “Die With A Smile” is surging, climbing to a brand-new peak of No. 3. It’s their highest-charting song in the U.K. in years, proving they’ve still got it.

Meanwhile, Gigi Perez scores her first-ever Top 10 hit with “Sailor Song,” which leaps five spots to No. 6 this week, earning a lot of buzz in the process.

Sonny Fodera, Jazzy, and D.O.D.’s summer anthem “Somedays” is still heating up, jumping two places to land at a new peak of No. 8, while Gracie Abrams is edging closer to her first U.K. Top 10 with “I Love You, I’m Sorry,” which skyrockets eight spots to No. 11.

Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” is also making a move, rising four places to No. 13.

Not to be outdone, KSI and Trippie Redd make a big splash with their latest single “Thick Of It,” which debuts at No. 14, marking KSI’s 19th Top 40 single and Trippie Redd’s second. Meanwhile, Addison Rae is continuing her rise in the pop world, as her track “Diet Pepsi” cruises up seven spots to No. 15, marking her first-ever U.K. Top 20 hit.

Rounding out the Top 20, Coldplay makes a strong return with “FeelsLikeImFallingInLove” re-entering the charts at No. 18 after a 13-week absence, thanks to the release of their new project Moon Music. Their track “We Pray” also hits a new peak at No. 20.

With three massive No. 1 hits and 19 record-breaking weeks at the top, Sabrina Carpenter is officially unstoppable. Her taste for chart domination shows no signs of slowing down, and it’s clear that 2024 is shaping up to be her year.

The question now is, can anyone knock her off the top?

JENNIE‘s “Mantra” tops this week’s new music poll.

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Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (Oct. 11) on Billboard, choosing the BLACKPINK singer’s new solo single as their favorite new music release of the past week.

Despite going up against several hot new releases, JENNIE’s song won the vote by a landslide, coming in at over 81% by the time the poll closed on Sunday. Voters this week chose “Mantra” over new music releases from Charli XCX, Halsey, Tyla, Jelly Roll, Becky G, GloRilla and Rod Wave.

BLACKPINK fans have a new pop anthem with JENNIE’s “Mantra,” the singer’s first release since signing as a solo artist with Columbia Records in partnership with her label ODDATELIER in September.

With its confident hook and beat, the tune is one to turn up while getting ready for a night out dancing. Sing it loud with JENNIE: “This that pretty-girl mantra, this that flaunt ya, just touched down in L.A./ Pretty girls don’t do drama ‘less we wanna, it’ll be depending on the day/ Pretty girls packed in a Defender, know I’ma defend her, never let her catch no stray/ This that pretty-girl mantra, she’s that stunna, make you wanna swing both ways.”

Among the new releases trailing behind “Mantra” on this week’s poll are Charli XCX’s Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat album, with 7% of the vote, and Halsey’s song “I Never Loved You,” with 4% of the vote.

See the final results of this week’s poll below.

Liam Gallagher isn’t amused by Saturday Night Live‘s take on his tumultuous relationship with brother Noel.

The long-feuding Oasis siblings were portrayed by SNL cast members James Austin Johnson (Noel) and Sarah Sherman (Liam) during the “Weekend Update” segment of the long-running NBC sketch comedy show’s episode on Oct. 12.

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In the sketch, “Weekend Update” host Colin Jost interviews the brothers about the North American leg of their 2025 Oasis reunion tour and whether they’ll break up before the launch.

“I’m cool if he’s cool,” Johnson’s Noel responds. “I’m cool, I’m cool, I’m cooler than you are,” Sherman’s Liam hits back. Unconvinced, Jost says, “Great. So, that’s a no.”

The skit continues with Noel and Liam mostly bickering and answering questions with the lyrics of “Wonderwall,” while only agreeing on topics like cartoon characters, their favorite Sex in the City boyfriend, and the best Will Smith film.

Sherman’s Liam also claims their feud began at London’s Wembley Stadium in 1993 when Noel told the Spice Girls that his brother had a “crooked knob — you said me knob bended like Beckham!”

As expected, the real Liam Gallagher didn’t take too kindly to SNL‘s interpretation of his relationship with Noel. “Are they meant to be comedians,” he commented on X (formerly Twitter) early Sunday under a post linked to the skit.

Oasis announced their long-awaited reunion tour in late August. The global trek is scheduled to launch in September 2025 with multiple dates in the United Kingdom, followed by performances in North America, Europe, and Australia.

Oasis split in 2009 after years of massive chart success and tabloid headlines in the U.K. tied to the Gallagher siblings’ fierce rivalry, with main songwriter older brother Noel quitting the band after a backstage fight with Liam at a show near Paris that year. The brothers haven’t performed live since then, though they often play Oasis songs during their solo gigs and with their side bands and, until the reunion announcement, continued to snipe at each other online and in the press.

Watch SNL‘s “Weekend Update” with Oasis sketch below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.

It’s a stormy night in Miami on Saturday (Oct. 12), but the atmosphere inside Factory Town was sweltering  as the Red Bull Batalla USA National Final 2024 touched down. This celebrated annual event has grown to be a cultural phenomenon, bringing together 16 of the illest, most clever improvisational wordsmiths in the country — all hailing from different Latin American backgrounds — to compete for the best lyrical face-off.

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Now in its final round to determine this year’s national winner, it was up to Freites, originally from Venezuela, and Venezuelan-Dominican rapper AdonysX to take the trophy. With the crowd growing thicker, and the atmosphere turning electric, each lyricist ratcheted up the intensity, spitting bars that echoed through the charged air. The spectators, gripped by each piercing line and sharp retort, were witnesses to an epic cultural clash that transcended just words.

Ultimately, AdonysX claimed the title of the best Spanish-language freestyler in the nation. The stage also featured prominent competitors including last year’s National Final runner-up, Zazowan, Miami’s Colombian sensation Nico B, seasoned Mexican rapper Jordi, New York City’s regional champion AdonYS (distinct from the national winner AdonysX), and more

“The atmosphere of a battle can vary; it might be charged with energy or more [subdued], but either way, it remains intense,” says AdonYS, speaking a few weeks after winning the regional event in his native New York. “At every moment, the energy can [fluctuate], but overall, the environment demands a lot from you.”

The evening was also highlighted by a performance from Akapellah, one of the best Spanish-language rappers of all time, who additionally took a seat at the judges’ table for the event alongside Reverse, Dilema, and Snow QLQ.

“The pioneer that started it all was Red Bull Batalla. It has been a launching pad for many, including myself,” Akapellah tells Billboard Español, who assumed the role of judge this year for the USA National Final. “I believe that 80% of the biggest artists in Latin hip-hop and Spanish-speaking music, we all come from battling, we all grew up watching Red Bull Batallas. It was our influence, it was our bridge to jump into the world of the music industry.”

Originally known as Red Bull Batalla de los Gallos, the stateside competition was established in 2019, though the entire franchise was created in 2005, following the success of the Eminem-starring blockbuster, 8 Mile. It’s now approaching its 17th installment, which will take place in Madrid, Spain on November 30. Every year, the international competition takes place in a different Spanish-speaking country.

“We all grew up watching those battles. For me, it’s incredible that today I am a judge after when I was a kid, the first time I tried to do it compete I was underage. I didn’t have a passport and they let me participate in the regional competition in my city at that time, but just for fun,” says the Venezuelan rap titan, who mentions he won but wasn’t able to advance to the next level due to visa constraints.

Over the past three years, the Red Bull Batalla U.S. championship trophy has been claimed by residents of Florida with notable wins from Oner and last year’s champion Reverse, who, after his victory, became a U.S. double champion — like Puerto Rican MC, Yartzi, who won in 2019 and 2020.

“The first time there was a Red Bull Batalla in the USA, it was something historic. It was the last location to be added to the battle circuit. And the inclusion of the United States, giving the opportunity to all immigrants and all Latinos in the United States, was really significant,” Yartzi tells Billboard Español. “Every year more talents, more personalities, and more MCs are added. Each year the competition becomes more intense in terms of retaining that title.”

Outside of the freestyle scene, Yartzi today leverages his highly touted lyrical skills to compose for some of the biggest names in Latin music. He’s collaborated with producers such as Jorge Miliano, DJ Blass and Major Lazer as well as reggaetón superstars like Anuel AA, Wisin y Yandel, Nicky Jam, Ozuna, Lunay, Tainy and more.

As all national finalists from the Americas and Spain turn their focus to the global stage, Akapellah also offers a reminder: “Freestyle has developed its own siginficant identity and somewhat diverged from traditional hip-hop, which is a delicate topic. There are incredibly talented artists who would benefit immensely from a broader vocabulary to enrich their rhymes,” he offers, citing the ingestion of more literature.

Echoing the broader benefits of participating in Red Bull Batalla, AdonYS emphasizing its role beyond merely providing a stage. “It gives you a lot of connections, countless opportunities and doors that can open to a wider world of music and the industry,” he says. “The idea is to continue helping the guys that are coming up in any way we can. The idea is that we all come up together so freestyle continues to grow.”

“As the saying goes, and not to sound cliché, but it truly gives you wings because it exposes your talent to the world in a way you might not achieve on your own,” says Yartzi, reflecting on the transformative power of the platform. “As an independent artist, it helps to propel you and captures the global spotlight. Participating as a rapper from Puerto Rico also drew attention from reggaeton artists, my compatriots, leading to many relationships formed through this achievement.”

Coldplay captures its fifth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, and first in over a decade, as Moon Music debuts atop the list (dated Oct. 19). The set launches with 120,000 equivalent album units earned, of which 106,000 are in traditional album sales. Both figures represent the biggest week, by units and album sales, for the group since 2015.

Overall, Moon Music marks the 10th top 10-charting effort for the band. The act previously led the list with Ghost Stories (2014), Mylo Xyloto (2011), Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008) and X&Y (2005).

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Oct. 19, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Tuesday (Oct. 15). For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Of Moon Music’s first-week units of 120,000, album sales comprise 106,000 (it’s the top-selling album of the week at No. 1 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 13,000 (equaling 16.71 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs) and TEA units comprise 1,000. The group last garnered a larger week, in either overall units or album sales, with the debut frame of 2015’s A Head Full of Dreams, which bowed with 210,000 units, of which 195,000 were in traditional album sales.

The new album’s opening-week sales were bolstered by its availability across at least eight vinyl variants (including two signed editions, and a Target edition with three bonus tracks) and in six CD variants (including a signed edition, and a “notebook edition” in collectible packaging with bonus voice notes) — all of which were manufactured with eco-friendly initiatives. The set was also available in at least four digital download variants. Of the digital editions, there were two versions that each included 10 bonus tracks each. Coldplay’s official webstore offered the download editions at a discount during release week.

The album’s vinyl sales total 29,000 for the week — Coldplay’s best sales week on vinyl ever.

The new album was preceded by the single “feelslikeimfallinginlove,” which reached No. 81 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart in July. It also reached the top 10 on Alternative Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay, the act’s 15th and 12th top 10 on those tallies, respectively.

The new album’s Oct. 4 release was ushered in with a flurry of media looks, including appearances and/or performances by the band or its frontman Chris Martin on CBS’ Sunday Morning (Sept. 29), QVC (Oct. 2), NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (Oct. 3), NBC’s Saturday Night Live (Oct. 5) and NBC’s Today (Oct. 8).

Notably, among British groups, Coldplay ties for the fourth-most No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200. Leading the pack are The Beatles, with 19 leaders. The Rolling Stones are second, with nine, while Led Zeppelin is third, with seven No. 1s. Coldplay, Pink Floyd and Wings (counting albums billed to either Wings, or Paul McCartney and Wings) are tied with five No. 1s each.

Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet falls a spot to No. 2 (with 93,000 equivalent album units; down 8%) after four nonconsecutive weeks atop the list. It’s No. 1 on the Top Streaming Albums chart for a sixth nonconsecutive week. Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess dips 2-3 on the Billboard 200 (56,000; down 12%), Morgan Wallen’s chart-topping One Thing at a Time is a non-mover at No. 4 (50,000; down less than 1%), and Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft is stationary at No. 5 (50,000; up 1%).

Three former leaders are up next, with Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department rising one spot to No. 6 (45,000 equivalent album units; up 1%), Post Malone’s F-1 Trillion dips 6-7 (43,000; down 8%) and Future’s Mixtape Pluto falls 3-8 (40,000; down 28%).

Rounding out the top 10 are Noah Kahan’s Stick Season, descending 8-9 (37,000 equivalent album units; down 2%), and Wallen’s former No. 1 Dangerous: The Double Album, holding steady at No. 10 (32,000; down 2%).

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.