Janelle Monáe has achieved her third consecutive top five debut on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart. Her new album The Age of Pleasure opens at No. 2 with 19,000 equivalent units sold.
It’s Monáe’s second set to open at No. 2, as her 2013 album, The Electric Lady, launched at No. 2 with 47,000 copies sold in the first week.
Monáe’s previous album Dirty Computer had a successful debut in 2018, entering the Top R&B Albums chart at No. 1 with 54,000 copies sold.
The Age of Pleasure has appeared in the top 10 on several Billboard charts, including Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top Albums Sales, beginning at No. 5 and No. 6, respectively.
Monáe’s latest also debuted at No. 17 on the Billboard 200, which matches the same position that The ArchAndroid: Suites II and III held when it was released in 2010.
Monáe has more than just The Age of Pleasure making its debut and strides on the Billboard charts. Her song “Champagne Shit” landed at No. 22 on the Hot R&B Songs chart, and her current single “Lipstick Lover” rose to No. 18 in its second week.
Speaking of “Lipstick Lover,” Monáe’s current single hits a new high on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart and Adult R&B Airplay chart, rising to No. 28 on the former and No. 9 on the latter.
Nate “Rocket” Wonder produced “Lipstick Lover,” which is now Monáe’s second song to reach the top 10 on the Adult R&B list. Her previous hit “I Like That” held the top spot for three weeks in 2018.
Released June 9 via Wonderland Arts Society/Atlantic Records, The Age of Pleasure included the lead single “Float” featuring Nigerian collective Sean Kuti and Egypt 80. In addition, the album consists of features from Grace Jones, Nia Long, Doechii, Amaarae and more.
Monáe will promote The Age of Pleasure by appearing at the Outside Lands Festival and embarking on a headlining tour with the same name. The tour starts Aug. 30 and ends Oct. 18.
Listen to “Champagne Shit” below.