Kendrick Lamar looks set to displace Drake in the race for the biggest week of 2017 for an album. Damn., which came out on April 14, looks set to launch at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with between 530,000 to 550,000 equivalent album units.
The figures, as reported by Billboard, go up to the end of the tracking week for April 14 releases (April 20). At the time of writing, the album with the highest first week sales is Drake’s More Life, which shifted 505,000 units in the week ending March 23 following its release. The Billboard 200 chart is scheduled to be revealed on Sunday, April 23.
Whatever happens, the album will be Lamar's fastest selling project to date, and also his third consecutive number one. DAMN. follows last year’s untitled unmastered. (178,000 units in its first week) and 2015’s To Pimp A Butterfly (363,000 units). good kid, m.A.A.d city, meanwhile, sold 241,000 copies in its first week on sale back in 2012.