Christian Singer Lauren Daigle In Top 3 On Billboard 200 Chart, Topping Ariana Grande, Drake, Nicki Minaj
Christian singer Lauren Daigle has done something that no artist in her genre has done before. She has topped five Christian-music specific charts and has the no. 3 album on the Billboard 200 chart. That means that she’s ahead of pop and rap artists like Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj, and Drake, CBN News reports.
Refinery 29 reported that she sold 115,000 units of her second album, Look Up Child, during the first week of its release. The only artists who sold more than her during the week are Eminem and Sir Paul McCartney.
Forbes reports that Look Up Child is the most successful album by a woman in Christian music in over 20 years. Only LeAnn Rhimes was as successful with her inspirational album in the late 1990s. Forbes also notes that her album sales have gotten a boost because they have been sold in a bundle with tour tickets.
“We’re all pinching ourselves,” Daigle said in an interview with Billboard, as reported by CBN. “To have that type of reception and that sort of welcome back, it feels so good.”
Although she may not be as well known as some of the artists on the Billboard 200, Daigle has more than a couple of industry awards under her belt. According to Refinery 29, she has two Billboard Music Awards, an American Music Award plus a Gospel Music Awards Dove Award. She has been nominated for a Grammy twice.
The appeal of her music could be rooted in the turbulent political times that the United States is going through. Daigle has said that the project is meant to encourage people to share and connect on a deeper level.
“Every part of the music experience of Look Up Child, the album and the tour, shares a profound love, deep-rooted joy, and hopefully a connection to the music for people to share,” Daigle said in a press release, as reported by Refinery29.
How did Christian singer Lauren Daigle sell better than Drake, Ariana Grande, Travis Scott and Nicki Minaj this week? https://t.co/70g8UTSxu3 pic.twitter.com/EneDCvNgrc
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) September 21, 2018
Daigle expressed gratitude to her fans on her social media for the incredible success that the album has had so far.
“This is an image of me FREAKING OUT!” she captioned a Boomerang video of her looking very happy. “Why? Because of how incredibly grateful I am for the support all of you have shown for Look Up Child!”
The singer went on to say that in the time between her first album and her second, she spent time reflecting, something that’s evident when listening to the songs on the sophomore project.
“Once we hit the studio, joy began spilling over & passion for music making went deeper than ever!” she added. “I don’t know if I can ever turn back now. I’m ruined for the better!”
