Photo by David Roemer

While all eyes are certainly on JAY Z's mammoth No. 1 debut this week with Magna Carta Holy Grail, he's not the only new entry in the top 10. Behind him at No. 2 is Ciara's self-titled fifth album, which sold 58,000 copies this past week. This is her fourth top three album. At No. 8, Skylar Grey makes her Interscope debut with Don't Look Down, which sold 24,000 units.

Grey is certainly no stranger to the music industry. She’s written hits for Eminem, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, T.I., Zedd and others. She’s been featured on popular tracks such as “I Need a Doctor” with Dr. Dre and Eminem, “Words I Never Said” with Lupe Fiasco, and “Coming Home” with Diddy-Dirty Money, a song she co-wrote with the likes of Jermaine Cole and JAY Z. Yet she is only now receiving her proper introduction to the world.

“The hard part is you’re putting out a debut album at 27 years old,” the singer said in a new interview with Variance, in which she discusses working with Eminem and her expectations moving forward. “I kind of knew what I wanted to do, but I’m not just a fresh, young pop star. I definitely didn’t want to be one of those artists who puts out an album of bubblegum pop at 27, and then what do you do for the second record? You’re 30 by then. It just doesn’t work. I didn’t want that to be me. And it can be kind of overwhelming trying to figure out how you’re going to present yourself.”

Read the full interview on page 46.