Bolstered by an innovative album roll-out and strong streaming numbers, Cardi just snagged her latest career achievement
The first week figures are in — and Cardi B has snagged her second number one debut with I Am The Drama, which garnered 146 million streams, according to data from Luminate. The album’s performance comes after Cardi B successfully executed a masterclass in album roll-outs, converting the interest in her own life into fodder for promotion. The high-flying debut marks Cardi’s second consecutive Number One album after Invasion of Privacy, which opened atop the charts in 2018.
“Cardi B returning to the top of the Billboard 200 after seven years is more than a chart victory — it’s proof of her cultural staying power,” Cardi’s manager Shawn Holiday, of Full Stop management, tells Rolling Stone.
Am I The Drama? garnered 200,000 sales equivalents, which include streams, bundles, and physical releases, all of which were a part of Cardi’s well-coordinated rollout, from selling physical copies on the street to posting video clips inspired by rumors around her and her label, encouraging fans to pre-save and pre-order.
After announcing her pregnancy during an interview with Gayle King, Cardi B took to Twitter to assure her fans that, in addition to an excellent sophomore album, she’s committed to making the live experience something special. “By the time tour comes I’ll be doing splits, somersaults, backflips and handstands,” she wrote.
“Few artists can disappear from the album charts for that long and come back bigger than ever. Cardi isn’t just relevant, she’s defining the moment,” Holiday says. “I’m proud of the work she put in and looking forward to her first headlining tour.”
