SZA Breaks Aretha Franklin’s Billboard Chart Record

SZA continues to set records with her latest album SOS and her most recent achievement has broken Aretha Franklin’s record on a Billboard chart.

SOS now stands as the longest reigning No. 1 album by a solo woman in the chart’s 58-year history counting 18 weeks on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. This eclipses the Queen of Soul’s Aretha Now which set the standard of 17 weeks as the most weeks on top of the chart for an album by a woman in 1968. According to their data, SOS earned 56,000 equivalent album units in the week ending May 4.

With SOS and Aretha Now at the top of the chart, the late Detroit legend takes the third and fourth spot with Aretha: Lady Soul and I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You. The top six is closed out by Beyoncé’s self-titled surprise album and Lemonade respectively.

The TDE singer released SOS in December 2022 and the anticipated album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America weeks after its release. The “Kill Bill” singer has broken a handful of records with her second studio album including precedents set by Janet Jackson, Usher, and Whitney Houston.

“I don’t expect anything,” the Grammy Award-winning artist said of her new album earlier this year. “I’m ready for the hate, or backlash, or disappointment. … I’m not expecting people to be like, Oh, my God, this album is so good. I’m expecting people to be like, Y’all hyped this bi**h up too much.”

Fans can anticipate the SOS era to continue as the chart-topper has teased 10 additional tracks will be on its deluxe edition. Check out the original album below.