Drake’s domination continues.
Just 48 hours after releasing Honestly, Nevermind, early sales estimates are in. According to HITS Daily Double, Drake’s surprise album is projected to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 210-230,000.
That would put the 14-track album in the same vicinity as his 2020 mixtape Dark Lane Demo Tapes, which opened with 223,000 and has amassed a total of 1.7 million in activity to date.
Honestly, Nevermind earned 61 million streams worldwide on Spotify on its release day and broke the record for the biggest dance album in Apple Music history with the most first-day streams worldwide.
This would give Drake his 11th No. 1 on the Billboard 200. His previous album, Certified Lover Boy, opened with 613,000 equivalent album units in September 2021, earning the largest week for a rap album or album by a male artist since his own Scorpion in July 2018.
Drake released Honestly, Nevermind on Friday, just hours after announcing it. The dance project received a mixed response online as some fans questioned Drake’s new direction. Others including J. Cole offer praise, calling the album “phenomenal.”
Drake seemed unbothered by the criticism. “It’s all good if you don’t get it yet,” he responded. “That’s what we do. We wait for you to catch up.”
In addition to Drake, next week’s top 10 is expected to include debuts from Logic, whose comeback album Vinyl Days is estimated to move 35-45,000 copies, while Kevin Gates’ Khaza is on track to open with 30-40,000 units.