Polydor's Jade Bradshaw on Pop Smoke's posthumous No.1 album
by Andre Paine
September 25th 2020	at 5:48PM
Pop Smoke has scored a posthumous No.1 album with Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon.
The late rapper's debut was released in July and opened at No.2, which was the highest-charting international rap debut since 50 Cent in 2003.
With weekly sales of 9,665, the album finished ahead of Ava Max at No.1 this week. Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon has sales to date off 119,773, according to the Official Charts Company.
The album is the only debut to top the charts so far this year. It's also the 10th chart-topper of 2020 so far for Polydor.
"This No.1 cements Pop Smoke's legacy in the UK and the promise he had to be one of the greats," said Jade Bradshaw, head of marketing at Polydor. "Shoot For The Stars Aim, For The Moon is a fantastic body of work, one which is so deserving of the No.1. The team at Polydor and I were incredibly fond of Pop and the UK was so important to him, which makes this achievement all the more meaningful. This is a bittersweet moment but it is an honour to be part of this project with Steven, Shiv and our colleagues at Republic".
This No. 1 cements Pop Smoke's legacy in the UK and the promise he had to be one of the greats
Jade Bradshaw
Steven Victor, head of Pop Smoke's US label Victor Victor Worldwide, said: "London was a special place for Pop – it was a city that he connected with and was drawn to. A place that inspired him, but also gave him a sense of peace. The album going to No.1 in the UK is incredibly special, but bittersweet – not only is it a reflection of his relationship with 808-Melo and so many of his UK-based collaborators, but really encapsulates what he aspired to do – to make music that inspires and resonated all over the world. Thank you to Tom, Ben, Jade and the entire Polydor team for your partnership and dedication to Pop."
Polydor was a big winner at the Music Week Awards this week, while Polydor-signed Michael Kiwanuka won the Hyundai Mercury Prize.
The label recently helped The Rolling Stones break a chart record.
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