Kanye West is dealing with a lot of praise and backlash right now, whether it's for his new album Bully or his recent updates on live performances and their resulting controversies. Regarding the former narrative, though, Billboard officially revealed the project's first week sales and its debut on their 200 albums chart.
The new Ye LP debuted at No. 2 this week, marking his 14th top two album. It reportedly moved 152K album-equivalent units in its first week, led by 96K units via streaming performance and 56K pure album sales. This follows his previous albums Vultures and Vultures 2 with Ty Dolla $ign, which landed at No. 1 with 148K units and at No. 2 with 107K units, respectively.
Of course, these numbers are causing a lot of discussion from hardcore fans and haters alike, questioning the longevity and sustainability of Kanye in the 2020s. Even though Bully missed the top spot, at least sales numbers indicate a boost from the last few records. Also, it's rocky and chaotic release on digital streaming platforms last week might have affected these numbers a lot. It officially came out on Saturday, March 28 on official digital platforms, excluding a YouTube livestream.
Pepsi Takes Stance On Kanye West
This news emerged as folks are debating about Ye's past controversies and bigotries regarding antisemitism, alleged sexual harassment, and much more. Pepsi recently withdrew their longtime sponsorship of the Wireless Festival in London after the United Kingdom's Prime Minister condemned Kanye West's three-day booking at the festival.
As such, there's a lot of discussion floating around already, and the commercial performance of Bully will serve to prove haters' points or vindicate die-hards' support. Musically, the album is just as divisive, with many praising the atmosphere as many others decry a meager and unsatisfying tracklist. No matter where folks fall, they are not finding very positive or graceful responses to their takes.
Critically, Kanye West's Bully got panned by many, but fans continue to sing its praises. This disconnect between many different groups is clearer than ever. But when it comes to first week sales, all these opposing sides led to results that aren't great, aren't terrible either, and feel more transitionary than anything else.
Read More: Kanye West "Bully" Album Review
