January 7th was popping for The Weeknd and Gunna! Both dropped incredible new music for the fans. The Weeknd came in blazing with “Dawn FM,” and Gunna came through with “DS4EVER.” Like heavyweight bout fans projected which artist would debut on top. Weeknd was the favorite. Fans expected his project to overshadow Gunna’s to the tune of 157,000 copies in sales to Gunna’s 140,000. So we are speaking about a 17,000 spread, a substantial forecast in the Weeknd’s favor.
The Results are in Weeknd vs. Gunna
Although Weeknd was favored for the number one spot, things didn’t develop as most thought. The Weeknd claimed the title and landed the number one spot. However, the spread was not nearly as considerable as initially expected. The Weeknd’s “Dawn FM” only beat out Gunna’s “DS4Ever” by 2,000 sales. As reported,
“He [The Weeknd] landed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 154,000 sales, and Gunna placed No. 2 with 152,000, almost 10,000 more than what predictions said.”
A Surprise for The Weeknd
While not necessarily a surprise to the fans, the number one spot was quite surprising for “Blinding Lights,” crooner. During the time of release, The Weeknd said,
“This [sales] doesn’t matter to me. What matters is getting to experience the album together with the fans during these times.”
In fact, no one could physically acquire his music in the first week, as there were no physical copies available. So, his first week’s sales are based purely on streams. So those numbers say a lot.
Weeknd’s Love for Fans Paid Back in Kind
This type of feedback is the outcome when love for the fans and the music are first. The Weeknd kept it a hundred. Before the release, he said,
“Happy new year! Everything feels chaotic again. Music can heal, and that feels more important than another album rollout. Let’s just drop the whole thing and enjoy it with the people… XO.”
The people did just that. So even with no physical copies, fans showed the man much love and appreciation.
Everybody Wins
Both artists are doing their thing. A 2,000 difference in sales is not a tremendous gap. But those numbers were enough for the Weekend to push past Gunna. Congratulations to both for claiming number one and two spots on the Billboard 200. Since the initial release, both artists have made some amendments to their albums. Gunna added a Drake feature, “P Power.” The Weeknd has released another version of his album, with bonus material not on the original release. So, if interested in what these heavyweights are rocking, check out their projects. Let us know what you think?
Are you interested in some insight on what else is happening in the Weeknd’s life? Then check out FM Hip Hop’s retrospective article.
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Written by Renae Richardson
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