Ohio Players is the highest debut of the week on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums chart and Top Alternative Albums chart
The Black Keys have secured the No. 1 Current Rock Album and No. 1 Current Alternative Album in US sales following the release of their highly anticipated 12th studio album, Ohio Players, last week. The album also is the highest debut of the week on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums Chart and Top Alternative Albums Chart, debuting at No. 5 on both charts. Additionally, the album has reached No. 4 on Overall Current Album sales and reached No. 26 on the Billboard 200. Internationally, Ohio Players is the band’s sixth consecutive top 20 album in the UK, as well as top 20 in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, and Switzerland, among others. The album is available now via Nonesuch/Warner Records.
Ohio Players is a fresh departure from the band’s previous releases, invoking new influences while still maintaining the signature, well-loved sound they are best known for. With an emphasis on collaboration, the album features contributions from friends and colleagues, including Beck, Noel Gallagher, Dan “The Automator” Nakamura, Greg Kurstin, Juicy J, Lil Noid, and others.
“No matter who we work with, it never feels like we’re sacrificing who we are. It only feels like it adds some special flavor. We just expanded that palette with people we wanted to work with,” frontman Dan Auerbach states. “We’d never worked harder to make a record,” he continues. “It’s never taken us this long to make an album. We took our time and did it right.”
“What we wanted to accomplish with this record was make something that was fun,” Patrick Carney adds. “And something that most bands 20 years into their career don’t make, which is an approachable, fun record that is also cool.”
Earlier this month, The Black Keys announced a 2024 North American headlining tour to support the new album. Ahead of this leg of the tour, The Black Keys will also head to Europe to debut their new live show.
