Playboi Carti Lands First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With ‘Whole Lotta Red’

Of Whole Lotta Red’s 100,000 equivalent album units earned in the tracking week ending Dec. 31, SEA units comprise 90,000 (equaling 126.43 million on-demand streams of the album’s songs), album sales comprise 10,000 and TEA units comprise a negligible number.

Whole Lotta Red, which was first announced in 2018, boasts 24 tracks and guest stars Future, Kid Cudi and Kanye West (who also executive-produced the set). The album is Playboi Carti’s second studio effort, following 2018’s Die Lit, which debuted and peaked at No. 3. So far, it has earned 1.1 million equivalent album units and net 1.67 billion on-demand streams for its tracks.

All told, Whole Lotta Red is the 24-year-old’s third charting set, as he also notched a self-titled mixtape in 2017, which reached No. 12. Earlier in 2020, Playboi Carti logged his first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, as the featured artist on Drake’s “Pain 1993,” which topped out at No. 7 in May. The cut also hit No. 4 on Hot Rap Songs and No. 6 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

After two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Taylor Swift’s Evermore falls to No. 2 with 71,000 equivalent album units earned (down 58%).

Lil Durk’s The Voice surges from No. 46 to No. 3 with 66,000 equivalent album units earned (up 191%) following its first full tracking week. It debuted on the chart a week ago with 23,000 units from just one day of activity, as it was released on Dec. 24, the final day of the previous tracking frame. The Voice is the rapper’s third top 10 effort and equals his chart high, achieved with his previous studio set, Just Cause Y’all Waited 2. It peaked at No. 2 on the July 1, 2020-dated chart following its deluxe reissue with seven bonus tracks.

Pop Smoke’s former leader Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon climbs 11-4 with 46,000 equivalent album units earned (down 3%), after spending its first week outside the top 10 since its debut at No. 1 on the July 18, 2020-dated chart. It’s one of a number of albums that bounce back to the top 10 – even with a decline in units – now that Christmas albums have departed the region completely. A week ago, a record-tying six holiday sets dotted the top 10.

Ariana Grande’s former No. 1 Positions steps 14-5 with 38,000 equivalent album units earned (down 13%), Swift’s previous leader Folklore rises 8-6 with 35,000 units (down 33%) and Megan Thee Stallion’s Good News vaults 17-7 with 34,000 units (down 9%).

A trio of former No. 1s closes out the top 10: Luke Combs’ What You See Is What You Get climbs 19-8 with nearly 34,000 units (down 5%), Bad Bunny’s El Ultimo Tour del Mundo rises 16-9 with almost 34,000 units (down 12%) and Eminem’s Music to Be Murdered By falls 3-10 with 33,000 units (down 65%).