Halsey’s ‘hopeless fountain kingdom’ Gives Her a No. 1 Album

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Two years ago, Halsey was an unknown pop singer who, with help from some online tastemakers, had a minor hit with “New Americana,” a sharp-tongued portrait of disaffected millennials (“raised on Biggie and Nirvana”). Then she was the voice on the Chainsmokers’ “Closer,” a smash around the world, and now Halsey — born Ashley Nicolette Frangipane 22 years ago — has her own No. 1 album.

Her second album, “hopeless fountain kingdom” (Astralwerks), opened at the top of the latest Billboard chart with 76,000 copies sold as a full album, and 36.6 million streams of its songs in the United States, according to Nielsen.

Halsey’s reign at the top will very likely be short-lived. Katy Perry’s new album, “Witness,” was released last week, and, despite competition from Taylor Swift — who returned her catalog to streaming services at exactly the same moment, in what many fans saw as no coincidence — “Witness” is likely go straight to No. 1 on next week’s chart.

Also this week, an updated version of “Epic AF,” a compilation from Epic Records that exists only as a digital playlist, is No. 3. This version of the album has come out amid turmoil in the leadership ranks of Epic, whose chief executive, L.A. Reid, has been ousted after accusations of sexual harassment.

Another new release, “This One’s for You” (Columbia Nashville), the debut album by the country singer Luke Combs, opened at No. 5.

Kendrick Lamar’s “DAMN.” holds at No. 2 in its eighth week out, and the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” turning 50 with a remastered version and a wave of media chatter, is No. 4.

Last week’s top seller, Bryson Tiller’s “True to Self,” fell to No. 13 in its second week out.

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