Drake unexpectedly released three albums, becoming the first artist ever to occupy the top three spots on the Billboard 200 at the same time.
Drake just made history as the first artist to occupy the top three spots on the Billboard 200 at the same time, and that number is absolutely huge.
His surprise three-album release saw Iceman* reach No. 1 with sales of 463,000 copies, while Habibti and Maid of Honor came in at No. 2 and No. 3 with sales of 114,000 and 110,000 copies respectively.
This wasn’t just a chart change, it was a complete takeover that rewrote the record books.
What’s more, “Iceman” marks Drake’s 15th chart-topping album, officially breaking Jay-Z’s previous record for most No. 1 albums among solo and R&B/Hip-Hop artists.
Drake is now tied with Taylor Swift for the most No. 1 hits by a solo artist, with only the Beatles ranking higher at No. 19.
According to Variety, the second-biggest sales week of 2026 belongs to BTS’ “Arirang” with 641,000 copies sold, but Iceman claims it is the best-selling week of the year among all R&B/Hip-Hop projects.
Drake spent nearly two years building anticipation for “Iceman” before finally pulling the trigger. He began concrete teasing in July 2025 with the first episode of his Iceman live series, in which he debuted new music, including “What Did I Miss?” and “Which One” featuring Central Cee.
The rollout was methodical and strategic, designed to keep people locked in. On the eve of the album’s release, he held his fourth live broadcast and delivered the ultimate surprising news: he’d released not just one album, but three at midnight.
This strategy worked perfectly. All three projects hit the streaming platform simultaneously at midnight on Friday, May 15, 2026, and the market reacted immediately.
This kind of coordinated release is something Drake has mastered throughout his career, but releasing three full-length albums at the same time is a completely different level.
