Sleep Token have reached No.1 for the first time with a strong opening for new album Even In Arcadia.
As well as securing a UK No.1 with their fourth album, the masked metal act have topped the charts in Germany, the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand and are on course for a US No.1 album. They have a significant global reach with 9.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
Music Week reports on the Sleep Token phenomenon in the new edition of Music Week, including an interview with RCA UK’s team (featuring co-president Glyn Aikins, MD Damaris Rex-Taylor and more) along with RCA’s US COO John Fleckenstein. The British band announced they had signed to Sony Music’s RCA in the US earlier this year.
Even In Arcadia debuted at No.1 in the UK with consumption of 28,223 units (Official Charts Company), including 15,603 physical copies, 1,433 downloads and 11,187 sales-equivalent streams. It marks a major improvement on previous No.3 album Take Me Back To Eden, which opened with consumption of 11,611 units in May 2023.
Even In Arcadia is also No.1 in the vinyl albums chart. The album result comes ahead of a headline performance at Download next month.
As well as being an impressive No.1 debut and the first chart-topper for the mysterious band, that streaming number of 11,187 is significant. Firstly, it’s a big result for a rock act. In comparison, Bring Me The Horizon managed 10,266 sales-equivalent streams in week one for 2024’s Post Human – Nex Gen, which at the time was a digital-only release.
Furthermore, Sleep Token had a streaming result that was strong compared with the overall market. Even In Arcadia streamed ahead of pop superstars and classic catalogue in the UK in the past week. Its streaming consumption was ahead of weekly streams for Top 10 albums by Sabrina Carpenter, PinkPantheress, Ed Sheeran, Fleetwood Mac, The Weeknd, Tate McRae, Charli XCX and Elton John.
The streaming success meant that Sleep Token were able to secure three simultaneous Top 40 singles in the latest chart frame. But for chart rules on primary artists, raw streaming data shows that all 10 tracks from Even In Arcadia would have charted in the Top 75.
Sleep Token secured new entries with album title track Even In Arcadia (No.31, 13,300 units) and Look To Windward (No.38, 12,272 units).
The metal band’s previous hit Caramel (which peaked at No.10 last month to become their first Top 10 single) experienced a rebound from 77-33 with consumption up 95.4% week-on-week (13,027 units). It has consumption to date of 71,278 units.
Prior to the album release, in addition to the Top 10 result for Caramel, lead single Emergence peaked at No.17 and, earlier this month, Damocles charted at No.25.
“Their songs are fantastic, and they’ve just been able to harness the fanbase who are extremely dedicated to them,” said Aikins in the latest edition of Music Week.
Their songs are fantastic, and they’ve just been able to harness the fanbase who are extremely dedicated to them
Glyn Aikins
As well as impacting US rock radio, Sleep Token are only the third act to replace themselves at No. 1 on the Hot Hard Rock Songs chart.
“On DSPs, the reach goes well beyond rock,” John Fleckenstein told Music Week. “With placements on flagship playlists like Spotify’s Today’s Top Hits, the band are showing up alongside the biggest names in music – across any genre – proving they resonate far outside rock.”
Speaking just ahead of the album release, RCA UK MD Damaris Rex-Taylor added. “You can see with the fanbase how engaged everybody is. This is a massive moment for the band.”
Subscribers can read our full Sleep Token magazine story here.
Click here to read our Sleep Token Q&A with RCA’s COO John Fleckenstein.
PHOTO: Andy Ford
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