Morgan Wallen continues to top the all-genre Billboard 200 chart with his new album despite the controversy over his use of a racist slur.
Wallen’s new Dangerous: The Double Album has seen a surge in sales and streams, maintaining position one on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart for a fourth straight week since its release in January.
The surge in sales and streams come amid controversy over Wallen’s use of a racist slur, which was caught on his music video.
The controversy led to increased awareness of Wallen and his music, which amounts to publicity. But fans also rallied around him streaming and purchased his album in a time it seemed threatened.
Wallen hasn’t said anything about the incident aside from his initial apology to TMZ who broke the story on Tuesday, February 2nd.
The last country album to spend its first four weeks at number one on this chart was Shania Twain’s Up! in 2003. Per Billboard, Garth Brooks’ Double Live album is the most recent from a male artist to top the Billboard 200 for four straight weeks, doing so in 1998 and early 1999.
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While no new major albums dropped last week, Wallen’s number one ranking is not due to lack of competition. Sales and streaming numbers had dipped week to week for the first three weeks, but overall streaming equivalent albums jumped from 130K to 149K, with the biggest percentage jump coming in pure sales.
The country singer has been breaking nearly all music records ever since he dropped his Dangerous: The Double Album in January.
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At the beginning of the year 2021, Wallen said that his music career had grown ‘in a way that I never could have imagined’ while reflecting on the past year 2020.
“I wanted to make a more serious post for 2020. I don’t really take pics of just me but this was a part of a photoshoot that I scrapped so I’ll just use this one. I could easily have a bad attitude towards the year, and I do in some ways.
“I woke up in a reflective spirit today, as I’m sure a lot of y’all did. Instead of lingering on the many negative things that plagued us all, I decided to go the other direction. Most of the negative things for me were public knowledge anyways.
“Me, some family and friends were at dinner last night and we all shared our lowest and highest point of the year. Im gonna share some of my 2020 highlights with you.
“My son was born and it was/is the most incredible, scary, beautiful thing of my life. He is healthy, happy, hell he’s even funny already. I know im always gonna be a little wild and crazy, but I pray that he knows my heart and that I show him a fraction of the love of Jesus my dad and mama have shown me.
“I learned that real friends are something to be treasured. I hold my real ones and my family at a higher value than I ever have before.
“My musical career grew in a way that I never could have imagined. That’s because of y’all. My band, crew, friends I write songs with and who write songs for me pour our heart and soul into the music and I don’t think I can ever put into words how grateful I am that y’all appreciate it the way you do.
“All in all, I’m far too blessed to complain, wouldn’t do no good anyway. I’m trying to learn every day, and my soul feels content. I don’t know what else I could ask for. Except a farm, and I’m working on that.
“Thank y’all for rocking with me thru the good and bad. I truly love y’all and I hope 2021 is better for us all. God bless y’all and God bless country music Amen,” wrote Wallen.