After a previous pair of runner-up results, Kehlani achieves their first No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart with their self-titled album, released April 24 on Tsunami Mob/Atlantic Records. Kehlani begins with 69,000 equivalent album units earned in the United States for tracking week of April 24-30, according to Luminate.
Of Kehlani’s first-week total, streaming activity contributed 45,000 units, from 45.37 million official on-demand streams of the album’s songs. Another 24,000 units derived from traditional album sale purchases, with a negligible amount of activity from the third and final metric, track-equivalent sales. (One unit equals the following levels of consumption: one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 1,000 paid/subscription tier or 2,500 ad-supported tier of official on-demand audio and video streams for a song on the album.)
Before the new leader, Kehlani, who received the Impact honor at Billboard’s 2026 Women In Music celebration on April 29, managed a career high of No. 2 on two occasions: SexySweetSavage debuted and peaked the runner-up rank in February 2017, as did It Was Good Until It Wasn’t in May 2020. The new album extends their perfect streak of seven consecutive top 10-charting releases on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
Elsewhere, Kehlani opens at No. 1 on Top R&B Albums as their fourth chart-topper and starts at No. 4 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
Kehlani’s triumph mirrors the breakthrough achievements of its big single, “Folded.” Among other feats, the song became their first top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 6 in January, and first No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, where it reigned for five weeks. The track is also approaching the No. 1 record on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay – at 15 weeks in charge, it’s one shy of the mark held by Future’s 2022 hit “Wait for U,” featuring Drake and Tems.
The album’s impact is best seen on the Hot R&B Songs chart, where “Folded” heads 12 titles on the 25-position ranking. With 10 making their first entry, Kehlani ascends to 60 career appearances on the 13-year old chart.
Here’s a review of Kehlani cuts on this week’s list:
No. 2, “Folded” (prev. five weeks at No. 1)
No. 11, “Shoulda Never,” feat. Usher
No. 14, “Anotha Lova,” feat. Lil Wayne
No. 15, “I Need You,” feat. Brandy
No. 17, “Oooh”
No. 18, “Out the Window” (prev. peaked at No. 7)
No. 20, “No Such Thing,” feat. Clipse
No. 21, “Pocket,” feat. Cardi B
No. 23, “Sweet Nuthins,” feat. Leon Thomas
No. 24, “Lights On,” feat. Big Sean
No. 25, “Still”
