Jack Harlow’s new album debuts with poor first-week sales
Jack Harlow has debuted on the Billboard 200 chart with the worst sales week of his career so far.
The Louisville rapper released his new album, Monica, on March 13th, serving as his fourth LP on Atlantic Records in six years.
According to Hits Daily Double, Monica has opened with 19,000 units in its first week, debuting at number 36 on the chart.
In comparison, his last album, Jackman, released in 2023, debuted at number eight with 33,500 units.
Before that, 2022’s Come Home the Kids Miss You reached number three with 113,000 units, and 2020’s That’s What They All Say debuted at number five with 51,000 units. Both of those albums are certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
With his latest album, Harlow switched things up with an R&B-influenced sound. It was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, and released without a single beforehand.
At the time he released Monica, Harlow faced criticism for claiming that he “got Blacker” with his music.
“I love Black music,” he said on Popcast. “I love the sound of Black music. Of course, I’m hyper-aware of the politics of today, that safer landing spot that a lot of my white contemporaries have found.”
He continued, “Of course, it appealed to me to do something that I felt like, at a time when there’s plenty of people expecting me to take some of the routes that y’all be taking. To take the route that not only might not be expected, but is also the one I genuinely want to take. So all the stars aligned in that way for me, to be honest.”