It nearly felt that Kanye West and Drake would have an official showdown this Friday until DONDA popped up on DSPs at the wee hours of Sunday morning. Fans rejoiced while others scoffed at the idea of giving a man who aligned himself with Trump, Marilyn Manson, and said ‘slavery is a choice’ any sort of spin. Still, the curiosity surrounding Kanye’s 10th studio album remained high by the time it officially dropped.
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Yesterday, it was reported that Kanye West could have a historical debut on the Billboard 200 if DONDA hits #1. The rapper could end up becoming the artist with the most #1 albums on the chart among artists who debuted on the chart this century. According to HitsDailyDouble, Kanye West is on his way to make history. After a full day of streaming, projections show that Kanye West’s DONDA is expected to move 300K + units in its first week.
It’s an impressive number for an album that lost two full days of streaming but it’s a testament to the strength of Kanye’s fanbase.
Meanwhile, Halsey’s latest album, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, will have to settle for the #2 spot on the Billboard 200. Though she was aiming for #1, the projected 95k-115k won’t stand to outdo DONDA, even with Taylor Swift urging fans to stream the album conveniently after Kanye’s release.
Kanye West took to Instagram yesterday evening announcing that Universal Music Group actually released the album without his final approval. Given that the CEO of UMG, Lucien Graine, previously joked about Drake’s “unlimited” budget, conspiracies have floated around claiming that Drake had something to do with the release of DONDA. Whether that’s true or not, fans are certainly happy to finally be able to listen to Ye’s new album in full.
What are your thoughts on DONDA?