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🇫🇷 France /Culture & Society

Drake breaks several records in the United States with his three new albums

From Le Figaro · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Canadian rapper Drake has achieved a historic feat by having three of his new albums simultaneously top the Billboard Hot 200 chart.
  • This marks the first time any artist has accomplished this since the chart's inception in 1958.
  • Drake also set a new record on the Billboard Hot 100, with 42 songs charting and one single reaching number one, surpassing Michael Jackson's record for most number-one singles.

Canadian rapper Drake has shattered multiple records in the United States with the simultaneous release of three new albums: "ICEMAN," "MAID OF HONOUR," and "HABITI." Within ten days of their release on May 15, the trio of albums claimed the top three positions on the Billboard Hot 200, the primary U.S. chart for music sales and streaming. This unprecedented achievement marks the first time any artist has occupied the top three spots since the chart's creation in 1958.

Drake enters history. After making the whole world dance, as well as Antoine Griezmann, to the rhythm of Hotling Bling during Euro 2016, the Canadian rapper returns to the forefront.

— Le FigaroIntroducing Drake's latest musical achievements.

Individually, "ICEMAN" sold over 463,000 units in the U.S., making it the second-best-selling album of the year so far, surpassed only by "Arirang" from the K-pop group BTS. "MAID OF HONOUR," with its dancehall influences, recorded 114,000 sales, while "HABITI," a more R&B-oriented album, sold over 110,000 units, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Drake's dominance extends to the Billboard Hot 100, which ranks the week's most popular songs. He has charted an impressive 42 new songs, with his single "Janice STFU" from "ICEMAN" leading the pack at number one with 40.7 million streams. This success allows Drake to surpass Michael Jackson, becoming the first artist in Billboard history to have fourteen different singles reach the number-one position. Furthermore, eight other Drake songs are currently in the top 10, a feat only previously matched by Taylor Swift in 2022.

More than a performance, it is a record since the creation of the chart in 1958.

— Le FigaroHighlighting the significance of Drake's Billboard Hot 200 achievement.

This remarkable success is not surprising given Drake's massive global fanbase, estimated in the hundreds of millions, who eagerly awaited his return since 2023. The rapper had been subtly hinting at his new music for the past three years. His promotional strategy included installing a large ice structure in a Toronto square, containing the release date for "ICEMAN." Videos of fans attempting to break the ice blocks went viral on social media, significantly boosting the artist's communication campaign.

Drake surpassed Michael Jackson, becoming the first artist to rank fourteen different singles at the top of the Billboard chart in history.

— Le FigaroDetailing Drake's record on the Billboard Hot 100.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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