Big Sean went through a lot to make his new album. The rapper poured his heart, sweat, and tears into “Better Me Than You,” and fans can tell. The album is filled with introspective songwriting and uplifting sounds. Unfortunately, the uplifting elements didn’t translate into album sales. Hip Hop By the Numbers has announced estimated first-week sales for “Better Me Than You,” and the results aren’t great. In fact, this will be the lowest-selling first week of Big Sean’s entire career.
Big Sean’s latest album is expected to sell less than 24K in its first week. Statistically speaking, these numbers would put him outside the top 20 on the Billboard 200 chart. Still very high, right? Well, not for Big Sean. Although Sean is not considered a “Big Three,” he has been a steady business force throughout his career. His first four albums all topped the hip-hop charts, and his third album, Dark Sky Paradise (2015), managed to top the Billboard 200 chart. A chart below three. Better than you I will be lucky enough to break 20 points.
Big Sean didn’t finish in the top three in his debut
Of course, there are a lot of variables at play here. Big Sean hasn’t released an album in four years. The album “Detroit 2” was not as commercially successful as its previous albums. It eventually went gold but lacked a hit single. “Better Me Than You” has the same problem, but is further away from Sean’s final blow. None of the three lead singles from the album charted on the Billboard charts. Big Sean clearly had more in mind as an album announcement, but there’s still reason to think that virality would be a big boost to his sales.
It’s also worth noting that rap albums have been underperforming in 2024. Mustard performed poorly when it launched Faith of the Mustard Seed in July. Despite a stellar cast of guest stars and the afterglow of a Kendrick Lamar-assisted #1 hit, he only sold 18,000 copies. Mustard’s partner in crime, YG, fared even worse. “Just Re’d Up 3” sold just 8K in its first week, which is much lower than the rapper’s usual Billboard numbers. It’s a tough time, and the genre is poised to emerge from it.
About the author
Elias is the music writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined the site in 2024 and covers a wide range of topics including pop culture, movies, sports, and, of course, hip-hop. You can find him publishing for HNHH from Monday to Friday, especially coverage of new albums and singles. His favorite artists are Andre 3000, MF Doom, pre-808 Kanye West and Tyler, The Creator. He likes L.A. hip-hop, but not L.A. sports teams. The first album he bought was Will Smith’s “Big Willie Style,” which he thinks still sounds great.
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