New Chapter

'II'-FER Ashanti bests Beyonce again

Ashanti beat fellow pop diva Beyoncé Knowles this week, but she failed to defeat a tougher foe: herself. Ashanti's ''Chapter II'' lands at No. 1, selling 326,000 copies -- 10,000 more than Knowles managed last week, when her album '"Dangerously In Love'' debuted in the same slot. But Ashanti's sales still fall short of her own eponymous debut, which moved 502,000 units in its first week last year. In any case, Knowles' sales are still strong; ''Dangerously in Love'' sold 183,000 copies to hit No. 2, according to Nielsen Soundscan data released Wednesday.

The rest of the chart is short on major new entries. Buddy Jewell, winner of the USA Network's ''Nashville Star'' competition (think ''American Idol'' in a cowboy hat), had the week's next highest debut, hitting No. 13 with his self-titled album. Another country artist, Tracy Byrd, lands at No. 33 with ''The Truth About Men,'' while obscure Insane Clown Posse affiliates Twiztid hit No. 52 with ''Green Book.''

The remainder of the top 10 includes: Luther Vandross' ''Dance With My Father'' at No. 3, Michelle Branch's '"Hotel Paper'' at No. 4, 50 Cent's ''Get Rich or Die Tryin''' at No. 5, Metallica's ''St. Anger'' at No. 6, Evanescence's ''Fallen'' at No. 7, Monica's ''After the Storm'' at No. 8, Norah Jones' ''Come Away With Me'' at No. 9, and Three 6 Mafia's ''Da Unbreakables'' at No. 10.