Drake may consider If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late a mixtape, but it stormed to the top of the Billboard 200 album chart after its surprise release on Thursday. The album left conventionally released records in the dust.
It You’re Reading moved 535,000 units in just three days, according to Nielsen Music data for Billboard. That number includes streams and digital track sales, but most Drake fans downloaded the entire album. Pure album sales made up 495,000 copies.
The 17-track album was released on Feb. 12 with absolutely no promotion or even hints that it was coming. Drake and his record label, Young Money/Cash Money, haven’t even announced plans for a physical release.
This is Drake’s fourth No. 1 on the Billboard 200. His previous three albums - Thank Me Later, Take Care and Nothing was the Same - all topped the chart. He has a new studio album, Views from the 6, in the works.
The No. 2 slot was held by another new release, the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack. It moved 258,000 unites, including 210,000 albums sold.
Sam Smith’s In The Lonely Hour jumped to No. 3 with 164,000 units. Beck also took advantage of his Grammy wins, with Morning Phase climbing from No. 39 to No. 8 with 71,000 units.
Here’s the full Top 10: (*new release)
1. Drake, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late* (535,000 units)
2. Fifty Shades of Grey* (258,000)
3. Sam Smith, In The Lonely Hour (164,000)
4. Ed Sheeran, X (140,000)
5. Taylor Swift, 1989 (125,000)
6. Meghan Trainor, Title (72,000)
7. Now 53 (72,000)
8. Beck, Morning Phase (71,000)
9. 2015 Grammy Nominees (65,000)
10. Maroon 5, V (63,000)
image via INFphoto.com
There has been a critical error on your website.<\/p>
Learn more about debugging in WordPress.<\/a><\/p>","data":{"status":500},"additional_errors":[]}