This week, Kirk Franklin’s Hello Fear regains the #1 position on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart, after Donald Lawrence debuted at #1 last week with his new project, YRM (Your Righteous Mind).

D. Lawrence now follows at #2, with the WOW Gospel 2011 project at #3, Mary Mary’s Something Big at #4, and Earnest Pugh rounding out the top 5.

The full top 10 at Billboard:

1 | Kirk Franklin – Hello Fear
2 | Donald Lawrence – YRM (Your Righteous Mind)
3 | WOW Gospel 2011
4 | Mary Mary – Something Big
5 | Earnest Pugh – Earnestly Yours
6 | Pastor James R. Adams – Times of Refreshing
7 | Richard Smallwood – Promises
8 | Deitrick Haddon – Church on the Moon
9 | Lecrae – Rehab
10 | Various Artists – Gospel’s Best Worship

Unless you’ve been under a rock, you know that Isaac Carree’s new album, Uncommon Me, hit stores this week (check the review right here). I’m expecting that project to chart well next week.  Do you have it yet?

Which of these projects in the Top 10 are you still not sure that you wanna buy?

Donald Lawrence debuts at #1 this week on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart with his new project, YRM (Your Righteous Mind)! The album also entered at #41 on the Billboard 200. Congrats!

If you don’t have the album yet, you are missing out… terribly. Read my TWO album reviews and get it today.

Here’s the full top 10 at Billboard:

1 | Donald Lawrence – YRM (Your Righteous Mind)
2 | Kirk Franklin – Hello Fear
3 | Earnest Pugh – Earnestly Yours
4 | WOW Gospel 2011
5 | Pastor James R. Adams – Times of Refreshing
6 | Mary Mary – Something Big
7 | Richard Smallwood – Promises
8 | Lecrae – Rehab
9 | William McDowell – As We Worship
10 | Deitrick Haddon – Church on the Moon

I’m not sure how next week will shake out, though I’m inclined to believe that Donald will remain high on the charts for a bit.

The next releases I’m expecting to make an impact are Isaac Carree’s Uncommon Me (August 23) and Dorinda Clark Cole’s I Survived. Reviews coming soon!

No debuts this week in the top 10, but there were a few re-entries into the Top 10. William McDowell re-enters at #7 (I’m thinking it has a little something to do with that Sunday Best performance– GREAT job!).

We also see Lecrae return at #9 with Rehab and Deitrick Haddon back, at #10, with his latest project, Church on the Moon.

Here’s how the rest of the top 10 shakes out on the Gospel Albums chart:

1 | Kirk Franklin – Hello Fear
2 | Earnest Pugh – Earnestly Yours
3 | WOW Gospel 2011
4 | Mary Mary – Something Big
5 | Pastor James R. Adams – Times of Refreshing
6 | Richard Smallwood – Promises
7 | William McDowell – As We Worship
8 | Dawkins & Dawkins – From Now On
9 | Lecrae – Rehab
10 | Deitrick Haddon – Church on the Moon

I’m eager to see next week’s numbers– I think Donald Lawrence will have a strong debut (maybe even #1?), especially with all of the promotional work he’s been doing this week. If you don’t have it yet, check out my review and listen to snippets here.

Congrats are in order to brother duo Dawkins & Dawkins, whose new album, From Now On, debuted at #4 on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart this week. Brothers Eric and Anson hadn’t recorded an album together in 11 years. Good work, fellas!

Also, Christian rapper Thi’sl debuts at #6 on the chart with his new album, Beautiful Monster.

The Top 10 on the Gospel Albums chart…

1 | Kirk Franklin – Hello Fear
2 | Richard Smallwood – Promises
3 | Earnest Pugh – Earnestly Yours
4 | Dawkins & Dawkins – From Now On
5 | WOW Gospel 2011
6 | Thi’sl – Beautiful Monster
7 | Mary Mary – Something Big
8 | Pastor James R. Adams – Times of Refreshing
9 | VaShawn Mitchell – Triumphant
10 | Trin-i-tee 5:7 – Angel & Chanelle

Do you have the new D&D album yet? How about the project from Thi’sl?

Its first week in stores, Richard Smallwood’s Promises debuts at #1 on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart. Congrats to the maestro!

The rest of Billboard’s top 10 in Gospel…

1 | Richard Smallwood – Promises
2 | Kirk Franklin – Hello Fear
3 | Earnest Pugh – Earnestly Yours
4 | Mary Mary – Something Big
5 | WOW Gospel 2011
6 | Pastor James R. Adams – Times of Refreshing
7 | Trin-i-tee 5:7 – Angel & Chanelle
8 | Deitrick Haddon – Church on the Moon
9 | Lecrae – Rehab
10 | Marvin Sapp – Playlist: The Best Of…

Next week, I’ll be eager to see how Dawkins & Dawkins fares on the charts. Lots of folks have been awaiting their new album, From Now On, which dropped this Tuesday.

Also, if you don’t have Richard Smallwood’s project yet, check out my review and listen to the snippets, then BUY it!

After a hiatus and period of restoration, hip-hop artist The Ambassador returns to the gospel marketplace with Stop the Funeral to solid sales and a #6 debut on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart.  Congrats!

Also, after two weeks at #2, Kirk Franklin’s Hello Fear regains its #1 position, and Earnest Pugh’s Earnestly Yours falls to #2, followed by Mary Mary’s Something Big at #3.

Trin-i-tee 5:7′s latest project falls from #3 to #7 this week and Times of Refreshing, by Pastor James R. Adams jumps from #17 to #4.

The full Top 10 is right here:

1 | Kirk Franklin – Hello Fear
2 | Earnest Pugh – Earnestly Yours
3 | Mary Mary – Something Big
4 | Pastor James R. Adams – Times of Refreshing
5 | WOW Gospel 2011
6 | The Ambassador – Stop the Funeral
7 | Trin-i-tee 5:7 – Angel & Chanelle
8 | Lecrae – Rehab
9 | Tedashii – Blacklight
10 | Deitrick Haddon – Church on the Moon

As I mentioned last week, I’m very interested to see where Richard Smallwood lands on the charts this coming week. If you haven’t already gotten the album, check out my review and listen to the snippets to see if you wanna grab it!

Earnest Pugh remains at the #1 spot on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart for a second consecutive week. His project, Earnestly Yours, debuted on top last week.

Kirk Franklin holds fast at #2, with Trin-i-tee 5:7 and Mary Mary following at #3 and #4, respectively.

Also, Tedashii and Lecrae, both chart-topping artists on Reach Records increase in position this week, jumping from #8 and #9 to #6 and #7, respectively.

Aside from that, no one entered or left the Top 10 this week… just kinda changed positions.

The full Top 10 is right here:

1 | Earnest Pugh – Earnestly Yours
2 | Kirk Franklin – Hello Fear
3 | Trin-i-tee 5:7 – Angel & Chanelle
4 | Mary Mary – Something Big
5 | WOW Gospel 2011
6 | Tedashii – Blacklight
7 | Lecrae – Rehab
8 | Yolanda Adams – Becoming
9 | Deitrick Haddon – Church on the Moon
10 | Marvin Sapp – Playlist: The Very Best of Marvin Sapp

It will be interesting to see how long Black Smoke and the fans can keep Earnest Pugh on top of the charts!

The next releases to make a splash on the charts will likely come from The Ambassador (in stores as of this past Tuesday) and Richard Smallwood (in stores July 17).

Earnest Pugh has debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart with the release of his new project, Earnestly Yours.  He moves Kirk Franklin to the #2 position, with Mary Mary following at #3.

The rest of the top 10 is right here:

1 | Earnest Pugh – Earnestly Yours
2 | Kirk Franklin – Hello Fear
3 | Mary Mary – Something Big
4 | Trin-i-tee 5:7 – Angel & Chanelle
5 | WOW Gospel 2011
6 | Yolanda Adams – Becoming
7 | Deitrick Haddon – Church on the Moon
8 | Tedashii – Blacklight
9 | Lecrae – Rehab
10 | Marvin Sapp – Playlist: The Very Best of Marvin Sapp

As I predicted last week, the label was able to pull off some impressive numbers for Earnest Pugh’s new album.

Norman Hutchins also debuted at #11 with his new release, If You Didn’t Know, Now You Know.  And LaShun Pace’s Reborn lands at #31 its first week out.

Mary Mary regains some footing this week on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart, landing at #2, behind Kirk Franklin at #1. Trin-i-tee 5:7 trails the Marys directly at #3.  Also, Martha Munizzi re-enters the top 10 with her latest project, Make It Loud.

The rest of the top 10 is right here:

1 | Kirk Franklin – Hello Fear
2 | Mary Mary – Something Big
3 | Trin-i-tee 5:7 – Angel & Chanelle
4 | WOW Gospel 2011
5 | Yolanda Adams – Becoming
6 | TD Jakes – Sacred Love Songs 2
7 | Deitrick Haddon – Church on the Moon
8 | Tedashii – Blacklight
9 | Marvin Sapp – Playlist: The Very Best of Marvin Sapp
10 | Martha Munizzi – Make It Loud

Next week should yield some VERY interesting chart entries, especially with this week’s releases.

There’s LaShun Pace and Norman Hutchins, but I think I’m most interested in seeing where Earnest Pugh lands… he always fares quite well on the charts, both at radio and sales, and I’m curious to see what he and his team at BlackSmoke are able to pull off.

Have you grabbed these new projects yet?  Click here for links to buy/purchase!

It’s a good day for new music.  Get some–

Earnest Pugh – Earnestly Yours

LaShun Pace – Reborn

Norman Hutchins – If You Didn’t Know, Now You Know

Click on an album cover above to listen and/or purchase the projects!