Fred Again.., for the First Time: ‘Actual Life 3’ Debuts on Top Dance/Electronic Albums Chart

Fred ​Again.. bows at No. 3 on Billboard‘s Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart (dated Nov. 12) with Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9 2022). The first entry for the London-based producer/singer/DJ (real name Fred Gibson) earned 7,000 equivalent album units in its first tracking week (Oct. 28-Nov. 3), according to Luminate.

The set also starts at No. 1 on the Heatseekers Albums chart, marking Fred Again..’s first leader on any Billboard list.

Additionally, Fred Again.. scores the top debut, at No. 18, on Billboard‘s multi-metric Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart with “Clara (The Night Is Dark),” which drew 1 million U.S. streams. It’s the fifth, and highest charting, Actual Life 3 track to make the tally so far, joining “Delilah (Pull Me Out of This)” (25-23 this week); “Bleu (Better With Time)” (50-33, nearing matching its No. 30 high on Oct. 1); “Kammy (Like I Do)” (48-45); and “Danielle (Smile on My Face)” (No. 45, Oct. 8).

In total, Fred Again.. has notched 11 Hot Dance/Electronic Songs entries, beginning with “Don’t Judge Me,” with FKA Twigs and Headie One (No. 23, February 2021). His collab with Swedish House Mafia, “Turn on the Lights Again..,” featuring Future, is his top-charting hit (No. 16, this August).

Tipper traipses onto Top Dance/Electronic Albums with Marble Hunting (No. 19). The set opens with 2,000 equivalent album units earned, nearly all from physical sales. It’s Tipper’s third trip to the chart and first in close to six years, after EP Flunked (No. 15, January 2017) and Forward Escape (N​o. 20, May 2014).

Returning to Hot​ Dance/Electronic Songs, Becky Hill and David Guetta return at No. 8 with “Remember,” sparked by new viral activity, the release of Hill’s solo versions and the rerelease of the original and Guetta’s VIP remix. It marks a new peak for the track, which previously reached No. 14 in July 2021 (ahead of Hill’s Only Honest on the Weekend album, released that August; it hit a No. 4 best on Top Dance/Electronic Albums the previous two weeks and ranks at No. 6 this week).

On Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, “Remember” becomes Hill’s second top 10 and Guetta’s 19th, the fourth-most among all acts dating to the chart’s January 2013 inception, after only Kygo (24), The Chainsmokers (22) and Calvin Harris (20)​.​

Shifting to the Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart, Audien earns his fifth top 10 with “Drifting Away,” featuring Joe Jury, who (the verdict is in) gets his first (13-8). “Drifting” is drawing core-dance airplay on Music Choice’s Dance/EDM channel, WZFL (Revolution 93.5) Miami and iHeartRadio’s Evolution Network, among other supporters.

Plus, OneRepublic adds its sixth Dance/Mix Show Airplay top 10 with “I Ain’t Worried” (16-10). (The Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart measures radio airplay on a select group of full-time dance stations, along with plays during mix shows on around 70 top 40-formatted reporters.)

Gordon Murray

Billboard