Cardi B's sophomore album, AM I THE DRAMA? officially took its place at the very top of the charts. Billboard confirmed that the new release debuted at #1 on their top 200 albums chart, securing 200,000 total units. It is an impressive number considering the long layoff and initial projections. Hits Daily Double first predicted she'd move between 125,000 and 150,000 units.
Of the 200,000 total units this week, 110,000 of them came from streaming. The album logged nearly 146 million total on-demand streams across its 23 songs. The remaining 90,000 came from very strong physical sales totals. Cardi sold several vinyl and CD variants, and the physical release of the album was a notable selling point in her advertising ahead of the release date.
The album is also a major accomplishment for a couple of other reasons. Cardi B became the first female rapper in history to have her first two albums debut atop the Billboard 200. She also had the biggest first week of any female rapper to release an album in 2025. If Cardi holds the top spot for a second straight week, she'd be the first female rapper since Lauryn Hill to do so. With Doja Cat releasing her latest album Vie on Friday, those two will likely battle it out for that spot this upcoming week.
Cardi B AM I THE DRAMA?
Cardi's album comes during an interesting period for her. On Saturday evening, she replaced The Weeknd as a headlining act for the Global Citizen Festival. At the event, she showed off her baby bump, reminding fans that she's pregnant with her and Stefon Diggs' first child as a couple. Once Cardi is done doing the standard album promo cycle, she will go on her first headlining arena tour, which is set to begin in February 2026. Now, she can take her spot back atop the throne with a very strong opening week for a long-awaited album.
