21 Savage’s ‘american dream’ Becomes his 2nd Solo Album To Debut at #1 on Billboard 200 – Secures the #1 Album Spot in the Country
“…21 is out here living the American dream, long past the expected career lifespan of a modern-day rapper in today’s frenzied pop culture landscape.” VARIETY
“If you like blockbuster-level rap music, this one demands your attention.” STEREOGUM
One of 21 Savage’s unheralded strengths is that he knows how to create compelling albums with de rigueur elements.” ROLLING STONE
21 Savage’s third solo LP, american dream, debuts atop the Billboard 200 charts today as the #1 new album in the country. Led by its star-studded, industry-shaking trailer, which featured Hollywood heavyweights, including Donald Glover, Caleb McLaughlin, Natasha Lyonne, and focus tracks “all of me” and “redrum” american dream moved 133,000 units in its debut week, thanks in part to 170 million first-week streams, good for Savage’s second solo album to debut at #1, and his fourth #1 album on the Billboard 200 charts.
To call the GRAMMY-winning rapper’s recent stretch whirlwind would be quite the understatement. Savage triumphantly returned home to his native London for the first time in nearly two decades in December 2023. The momentum it generated for the Atlanta-bred star was palpable. Savage charged into 2024 with a renewed vision, and american dream is the result. In addition to the Billboard 200, american dream made #1 debuts on multiple global Billboard charts, including a #1 debut on the Australian chart, where american dream dethrones Taylor Swift’s midnights, which had reigned supreme atop the chart for 11 consecutive weeks.
Production on the album comes from Metro Boomin, London on Da Track, OG Parker, Cardo Got Wings, FNZ, Honorable C.N.O.T.E., Spiff Sinatra, Kid Hazel and more while Travis Scott, Young Thug, Doja Cat, Summer Walker, Burna Boy, Mariah The Scientist, and Brent Faiyaz provide guest contributions: a who’s who of Hip Hop and R&B elites. 21 Savage’s mother, Heather Joseph, begins the festivities with a heartfelt account of her and her son’s journey to prosperity, a welcomed tone-setter. Pitchfork writes that Savage finds a way to, “balance a new level of celebrity and the icy realism that’s long been his signature,” on his 15-track opus.
american dream’s #1 debut comes at a perfect time for Savage, who is enjoying the most prolific period of his career. At next month’s GRAMMY Awards, Savage is nominated for six awards, including “Best Rap Album” and “Best Rap Song,” stemming from his collaborative album with Drake, Her Loss, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 charts in 2022. The two would embark on a joint tour, the ‘It’s All A Blur Tour,’ a $100M+ grossing trek that made 50 arena stops, selling out arenas from Tampa, Florida to Toronto, Canada.
To follow that, during Savage’s emotional return to the UK, he played an eight-city European tour, his first time performing live music for his homeland. “To come out on stage to all of these people who have supported me through my career is what motivates me. Coming home was like a celebration for me and my family but the fans, too.” he told Interview Magazine of his return. The European run included sold out dates at London’s storied O2 Arena.
Savage’s impact continues to resonate beyond music, especially in his stateside home of Atlanta, where the rapper has resided for over 15 years. In December, Fulton County Commissioner proclaimed December 10 “21 Savage Appreciation Day” in Fulton County. Savage was also awarded Atlanta’s “Carry The Torch” award by the city’s ‘Young Democrats’ organization, an acknowledgment of Savage’s philanthropic efforts.
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