Too Bad! Kanye West’s Latest Album Has Only Appeared On 1 Music Chart

While he may be one of the biggest stars in the world today, Kanye West’s latest album has only appeared on one music chart thus far, and it isn’t even his home country. The rapper’s The Life Of Pablo made it all the way to number thirteen in Denmark , where it only remained for a single frame. That’s a sad showing, and a puzzling one for him.

If he is so famous and the record was so highly-anticipated, why hasn’t it charted, here in the States, or elsewhere?

As of now, Pablo isn’t available for sale anywhere. The title was originally supposed to be exclusive to streaming platform Tidal for just its first week, after which it would be available at other retailers and on other streaming sites. Fellow co-owner Rihanna used the same tactic a few weeks prior, and it worked fairly well, giving her both a platinum certification and a number one album in just two weeks. Oddly, West changed his mind, and in a series of tweets he begged his followers to sign up for Tidal, explaining that his album would “never be for sale”.

That decision has hurt him in many ways, including charting-wise. While Nielsen, the company that collects data and helps Billboard construct its weekly rankings, now includes both streaming and sales, the number of albums purchased is extremely important to where a title lands. The fact that Pablo wasn’t available anywhere not only led hundreds of thousands to download the full length illegally, it all but ruined his chances of having a “hit” album.

Some have even gone so far as to speculate that by not selling the collection, West has lost out on a potential $10 million payday. If that is the case, then the rapper might not end up on Forbes’ year-end highest earners lists. Last year, he made an estimated $22 million, but with no album sales and no tour, his moneymaking prospects this year aren’t looking ideal.


forbes

Advertise here