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SZA’s SOS has officially spent 80 nonconsecutive weeks in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart. The “Broken Clocks” singer made history with the longest-running album by a Black artist, dethroning Michael Jackson’s Thriller in the process.
On Sunday (March 16), the publication confirmed that SZA’s sophomore LP held steady at No. 4 for another week. Pulling in 69,000 album-equivalent units, that brings SOS to a staggering 118 weeks on the Billboard 200 overall.
‘SOS’ Maintained Its Top 10 Run With Help From ‘LANA’ And More Songs
LANA, billed as a deluxe rather than a standalone project, gave SOS a major second wind in late December 2024 — two years after its original release. Fueled largely by on-demand streams, the album surged from No. 15 all the way back to the top of the chart. Months later, ahead of the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show, she added four songs: “Joni” featuring Don Toliver, “Take You Down,” “PSA” and a solo version of “Open Arms.”
It really goes to show how much streaming has turned the concept of a deluxe project into something entirely different; what began as a handful of extra tracks essentially became a whole new album. Also, the lengthy wait for LANA gave it such an insane boost. If other artists take notes, we might be in for some wild — and maybe even a little shameless — release strategies in the future.
How Long Can SZA’s ‘SOS’ Stay In The Top 10?
The longest Top 10 run in Billboard 200 history belongs to 1956’s My Fair Lady at 173 weeks, so SZA still has a long way to go. However, in the short term, hitting 100 weeks in the Top 10 seems well within reach — especially with the boost she’s likely to get from next month’s “Grand National Tour” alongside Kendrick Lamar. The jaunt is set to begin on April 19 at Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium and will traverse the United States and Europe, concluding with a final show at Stockholm’s 3Arena on Aug. 9.
The Top Dawg Entertainment signee could also lean on new visual offerings for LANA to boost the album’s numbers. Aside from a few promo clips and an accompanying music video for “Drive,” SZA hasn’t given much in the way of cinematic storytelling. Tracks like “Crybaby,” “Open Arms” and “30 For 30” — arguably the best of the 15 new additions — are more than deserving of their own video treatments, if she can find time between prepping for the road and collecting more awards, of course.
