LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 12: Singer Halsey attends The 59th GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES Center on … [+]
Next week, Kanye West will almost certainly debut his new album Donda at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, earning his milestone tenth leader (as a soloist) in the process. The rapper’s set is expected to start with more than 300,000 equivalent units, which will easily make it the biggest title in the country, beating another project that was previously thought to be in the running for the throne.
Until Donda appeared on streaming services, Halsey was all but assured the No. 1 space on the Billboard 200. The singer-songwriter’s new album If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power is expected to move around 100,000 equivalent units, which would have been enough to arrive in first place, but sadly it can’t compete with West’s latest.
Next week will mark the second time in Halsey’s career that they have been seemingly on track to debut a new album at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, only to lose out on the space as a massively popular rapper drops a somewhat unexpected title just in time to best the pop musician.
In early 2020, Halsey’s Manic was predicted by many to become their second No. 1 on the Billboard 200, as they had announced it weeks in advance and promoted it with quite a few singles. As the set dropped, Eminem appeared out of nowhere with his latest full-length Music to be Murdered By, which arrived with absolutely no warning. The title bolted right to the summit, launching atop the tally with 279,000 equivalent units, outpacing Halsey’s 239,000 equivalent units, which should have been enough to bring the Grammy-nominated star back to the peak spot for a second time.
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So far, Halsey has reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 just once, as their sophomore album Hopeless Fountain Kingdom debuted in first place. Their first full-length, Badlands, also stalled one rung shy of running the show.
Halsey shocked her fans and the music industry several weeks ago when they revealed that If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power existed, was ready for audiences to hear and would be arriving shortly. The musician didn’t promote it in typical fashion with several singles and music videos, instead opting to deliver the full project all at once. Now, it’s aiming for a No. 2 start on the Billboard 200, and while that may be disappointing to the star and the millions who support them, it doesn’t detract from the praise the title has been receiving from critics the world over.
West’s scooping Halsey was not supposed to happen, as the rapper promised the album would arrive many times before it actually hit streaming sites. The set was first talked about last year, and the hip-hop powerhouse and his team shared many dates throughout the summer of 2021, which all came and went without any music. Donda was expected this past Friday, August 27, but it didn’t actually drop until several days later. Most musicians wouldn’t be able to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with a mid-week release, but West is immensely popular, and his latest is one of the most talked about titles of the year.
