Drake's new album "Views" made a record-breaking debut last week after it scored No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart and sold more than one million equivalent album units. Surprisingly, the "Hotline Bling" rapper's newest music venture crushed the sales and streaming record of Beyoncé's much-discussed "Lemonade."
#VIEWS Now Available pic.twitter.com/mvC1zVdZF8
— Drizzy (@Drake) May 3, 2016
Drake's 'Views' Is Breaking 2016 Records
International Business Times reports that Drake's new album "Views" has scored the biggest sales week so far this 2016 after it debuted No. 1 on the U.S. and U.K. Billboard 200 album chart. Within six days since its release on iTunes and Apple Music, "Views" has already acquired 852,000 pure album sales, 240,000 song sales and a record-breaking 245.1 million streams.
David Bakula, Nielsen Entertainment's senior vice president of analytics, told USA Today that the success of Drake's "Views" could be attributed to the hip-hop and R&B fans who are "very stream-heavy consumers." He also added that it could also be a "combination of an artist at the very top of the game and an artist who fits in with the right type of genre for that type of consumer."
Drake's New Album 'Views' Surprisingly Crushed Beyoncé's 'Lemonade'
"Views" marked Drake's sixth No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Remarkably, the Canadian rapper's new music venture also crushed the sales and streaming record of Beyoncé's much-discussed "Lemonade," which was released two weeks ago.
In just one week, Drake's new album "Views" surpassed the 115 million streaming record of Beyoncé's "Lemonade" on Tidal. It also effortlessly crushed the "Run The World" singer's new visual album sales that have already reached 974,000.
Why Is Drake's 'Views" Outselling' Beyoncé's 'Lemonade'?
Some industry observers were surprised that Drake's new album "Views" has managed to crush the two-week sales of Beyoncé's "Lemonade" in just one week. This is despite the fact that "Lemonade" was much-hyped and controversial.
Billboard senior editor Jem Aswad said that Drake's new album "Views" crushing Beyoncé's "Lemonade" is indeed unanticipated. He explained that it could be because the hip-hop star has been active in the past year, making hit songs like "Hotline Bling," Rihanna's "Work" and "One Dance." On the other hand, Beyoncé only made one single "Formation," which did not even hit the top spot of the Hot 100.
"You can make the leap that her (Beyoncé) audience is aging a little bit. It also just goes back to the fact that Drake's fan base is broader, younger and more motivated," Aswad concluded.
Which is better: Drake's "Views" or Beyoncé's "Lemonade"? Share your thoughts below.
