The Chart Show: Kendrick Lamar masters the chart, reaches top title
by Mark Wheat
May 12, 2016
Kendrick Lamar is on top after steadily climbing for the last four weeks. During that month he has received kudos for his powerful speech inducting N.W.A. into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame and ... for doing a spoken word commercial for Reebok, suggesting how adaptive stars must be to the market these days.
Submit your Chart Show ballot this week for a chance to win tickets to Yeasayer at First Avenue on Tuesday, May 24!
Har Mar Superstar's assent has been steadily upward after five weeks, too, arriving at No.2. There are some beautiful photos of the newly Minneapolis-based Sean Tillmann playing at one of his favorite places in the world last week in the Coachella Valley.
Lizzo has sung backup for Har Mar before, including at one of our birthday shows. Now she's the highest new entry, making a big name for herself with this massive feel-good anthem, which is featured in the new Barbershop movie. She'll be part of the big Soundset party this Memorial Day weekend at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds hosted by Rhymesayers.
Weezer are back with a banger too, new at No.8. Apparently Rivers Cuomo went to the same high school as Peter Tork of the Monkees in New England, so he loved being able to write a song for their 50th anniversary album.
The Avett Brothers are also new at No.12 with the first song released from their forthcoming True Sadness, due June 24. They'll be at Target Center with Brandi Carlile June 11 and just released the title track.
M83 debuts on the chart for the first time with a track from Junk, The Current's Album of the Week. Mac calls it "a rewarding albeit baffling success."
Mavis Staples is back with "Action," another track from the new album, which features a ton of her younger musician friends. Apparently she also has an admirer from the more mature end of the spectrum, she's going on tour with Bob Dylan!
Our other chart, The Current's 893 Essential Albums, will culminate on Thursday at 7 p.m., wrapping up Minnesota Public Radio's spring member drive.