Big Sean Starts His New Album ‘Detroit 2’ At No. 1, Earning His Third Leader
by Hugh McIntyre
After a three-year absence from the top spot on the Billboard 200, Big Sean is back on the albums ranking’s throne with his latest release, which easily claims the highest rung on the tally this frame.
The rapper’s new set Detroit 2 opens in first place with 103,000 equivalent units shifted. That number includes 30,000 actual purchases and 71,000 streaming equivalents, which are composed of more than 93 million plays on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
Detroit 2 is Sean’s third No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 and his third consecutive leader, at least when looking at his solo efforts. He first reached the summit on the all-encompassing tally of the most-consumed full-lengths in the U.S. back in 2015 with Dark Sky Paradise. He followed that up two years later with I Decided.
In addition to his trio of champions, Sean has sent two other solo albums—2011’s Finally Famous (No. 3) and 2013’s Hall of Fame (No. 3)—and two collaborations—2016’s Twenty88 with Jhené Aiko (No. 5) and 2017’s Double or Nothin with Metro Boomin (No. 6)—into the highest tier on the Billboard 200.
With Detroit 2 now included in his run of top 10 titles, Sean counts seven placements inside the uppermost tier on the Billboard 200.
Sean has spun two tracks off of Detroit 2 as singles, but so far, neither of them has managed to reach the Hot 100, though that may change when that ranking refreshes. Lead cut "Deep Reverence" with the late, great Nipsey Hussle has thus far peaked at No. 3 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100, which essentially serves as a 25-spot extension of the regular tally.
The same tune has also landed at No. 15 on the Rap Digital Song Sales, No. 18 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales and No. 40 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.
Detroit 2 is the first new album to rule the Billboard 200 in half a dozen frames, and it stops Taylor Swift’s highly successful run at the top of the chart.