Christian Singer Lauren Daigle Tops Drake, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj on Billboard 200
With the best sales week for a Christian album in almost nine years, Christian Singer Lauren Daigle's Look Up Child debuted at No. 3 among all artists on the Billboard 200 chart last weekend, ahead of popular secular musicians such as Drake, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj and Cardi B.
The only ones ahead of her are Paul McCartney at No.1 and Eminem at No. 2.
Look Up Child, which also debuted at No. 1 on the Top Christian Albums chart, sold 115,000 equivalent album units in the week ending Sept. 13, according to Nielsen Music. The last Christian album to sell more copies in a single week was Casting Crowns' Until the Whole World Hears (167,000; Dec. 5, 2009-dated chart) Billboard said.
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Like a number of Christian artists before her, Daigle, 27, is enjoying crossover appeal with secular consumers and she says her music was designed to reach people in that way.
"We have this saying in my team that's called 'Extend the tent pegs.' And it's not to leave behind anybody that has listened to this music so far and that has been along this journey with me because I am 100 percent grateful. So I don't want to leave anybody behind, but how to do I also make music that people who might not listen to Christian music they can also connect to? They can also relate to? That's super-important to me to make music that permeates all the walls and just tear all the walls down. People need love, people need hope. People need joy anywhere in life," she explained in an interview with the Associated Press.
"Chance the Rapper got to do stuff with all these gospel artists. So profound. I love that, right? And that was something I wanted to bring in as well. Like elements where people who weren't necessarily church people, or Christians, or whatever the title is, who don't really dive into that kind of music can hear something and it be compelling enough and it be strong enough to where they are drawn in and feel welcomed and invited," she added.
Discussing her new album released earlier this month, Daigle told PEOPLE she has seen how it is already changing people's lives.
"People started blowing up my YouTube and my Instagram and saying, 'Hey, I have wanted to commit suicide — this song completely just got me out of it,'" she said of her single "You Say" which is the fifth song on her 14-track album.
"Because one person opened up their story, people just started commenting and saying, 'I'm wanting to commit suicide, someone please help me,'" she explained.
"I'm watching these people take out all these emotions and literally flip upside down. That is the most humbling and freeing thing is seeing music and something that is a universal language actually come in and bring hope," she added.
"You Say," she noted, is a reminder to people who listen to it of "how valuable they are" and "how worthy of love they are."
