Prince Roycenow has a handful of chart-topping albums…
The 30-year-old Dominican American singer has earned his fifth No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart dated February 22 as Alter Ego debuts at the summit.
The set earned 11,000 in equivalent album units in the week ending February 13, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. Of that sum, 8,000 were in album sales, while the bulk of the remainder was generated by streaming activity.
The double album consisting of the chapters Genesis and Enigma is the first set by a tropical music act to bow at No. 1 since Romeo Santos’ Utopíadebuted atop the tally nearly a year ago (April 20, 2019-dated chart.)
“I made this double album to give the fans a different musical journey,” Royce tells Billboard. “It feels great that people have embraced it, that it has debuted at No. 1.”
Royce’s sixth studio album, released via Sony Music Latin on February 7, got a sales boost in its first week thanks to eight in-store appearances the artist made during its release week in Florida, New York, Los Angeles, Illinois and Texas.
It’s the biggest sales week for a Latin album since Santos’ Utopía, which sold 9,000 units in its opening week (April, 20, 2019-dated chart).
Top Latin Albums ranks the most popular Latin albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units comprise traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA).
Alter Egoregistered 3,000 SEA units, which equates to 4.8 million on-demand streams for the set’s tracks in its debut week.
Alter Ego is Prince Royce’s fifth No. 1, and third consecutive set to debut at No. 1. He previously hit No. 1 with Five(March 18, 2017), Soy El Mismo(October 26, 2013), Phase II (April 28, 2012) and his self-titled album (April 23, 2011). HIs only charting album to miss the top was a greatest hits package titled #1’s, which peaked at No. 3 on December 8, 2012.
The new album was preceded by four songs on theHot Latin Songs chart, which blends airplay, streams and digital sales, starting with “El Clavo,” featuring Maluma (No. 13 high, September 2018), “Adicto,” with Marc Anthony(peaked at No. 33, December 2018), “Cúrame,” with Manuel Turizo (No. 31, July 2019) and “Morir Solo” (No. 35, October 2019).
“It also feels great that I will soon be performing these songs in more than 40 U.S. cities on my Alter Ego Tour,” the 30-year-old adds. “All of this happening 10 years into my career is a wonderful blessing.“
Beyond its Top Latin Albums coronation, Alter Ego concurrently debuts at No. 1 on Tropical Albums, the first No. 1 debut of the year on the chart.
