Kendrick Lamar Dethrones Drake For Most Streamed First-Day Album On Spotify

Rapper Kendrick Lamar’s latest album has set a new first-day streaming record on Spotify after its surprise early release Sunday night. “To Pimp a Butterfly” has been streamed more than 9.6 million times around the world by Monday, offsetting previous title holder Drake for “If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late” last month.

According to the streaming site, which is believed to have over 60 million users, Lamar has topped Drizzy’s 6.8 million streams in one day. Moreover, K Dot’s record showed that he is also on the running to crush Drake’s record for most number of album streams in a week, wherein IYRTITL garnered 17.5 million streams in just three days last month, The Smoking Section revealed.

The album was originally due for release on March 25, but the record label allegedly put it out by mistake late March 15. Spotify and its rivals Rhapsody, Google Play, and Deezer, were able to enjoy the early advantage as streaming services were the main places to hear it while there are no physical copies out yet. Digital store iTunes reportedly took down the album for hours after finding out of the mistake, Yahoo! reported.

"To Pimp a Butterfly," a title play over the classic “To Kill A Mockingbird,” is Lamar’s first album in three years and is one of the most awaited releases this year. It explores weighty topics such as Lamar’s personal sentiments on racial injustice, centering on the Ferguson riots and how to be a black man in America today. It also indulges on his struggles to achieve personal strength, as someone who works in corporate industries where talents are usually preyed on and used for others’ personal gain.

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