Three years after the release of his history-making mixtape, ‘Coloring Book,’ emcee Chance the Rapper (born Chancelor Bennett) was looking to color his name atop the Billboard 200 with his debut studio album, ‘The Big Day’ (released July 26).
A star studded affair that boasts guest appearances from the likes of Nicki Minaj, Megan Thee Stallion, John Legend, Gucci Mane, Shawn Mendes, and more, the 22-song set – his first project to be released simultaneously on streaming services and for sale via digital retailers – has been showered with praise from major critics and fans alike.
Originally forecasted by industry analysts to top the Billboard 200 with sales of 90,000-100,000 SPS by the end of its inaugural sales tracking week (as we reported here), the LP’s commercial performance saw it jet past those predictions to score Chance’s highest first week sales to date. Unfortunately, they were not enough to defeat the week’s tough competition.
Details inside:
Chance the Rapper’s ‘Big Day’
First Week Sales (SPS): 108,000
First Week Sales (Pure): 27,000
Debut Chart Position: #2
At No. 2 on the new Billboard 200, Chance the Rapper’s The Big Day debuts with 108,000 equivalent album units earned (with 27,000 of that figure in album sales). Of The Big Day’s unit start, 80,000 of that sum was driven by SEA units, which translates to 104 million on-demand audio streams for the set’s songs during the week, making The Big Day the most-streamed album of the week.
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Despite losing out on the top spot to fellow rapper NF (who sold 130,000 units SPS with his album, ‘The Search’), Chance’s ‘Big Day’ comes as his third appearance in the Billboard 200’s top 10 over his short, but storied career.