The intense sales battle between Travis Scott and Sabrina Carpenter for the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 album chart is nearing its conclusion, and it's proving to be even more competitive than expected. Initial sales projections for Travis Scott's "DAYS BEFORE RODEO" were around 215,000 units in its first week, but new reports on social media indicate those numbers have surged to 365,000.
Meanwhile, Sabrina Carpenter's "Short N' Sweet" is estimated to be at around 354,000 units. The outcome remains uncertain, as both artists have been heavily promoting deluxe versions, physical copies, and bonus tracks to gain an edge.
However, some are skeptical of these sales figures, including Joe Budden. On his podcast, Budden pointed out the discrepancy between Travis Scott's numbers and the generally lower sales figures for other artists. "Numbers across the board are down," Budden noted. "What did YG do, 8,000? Everybody else is between 20,000 and 30,000.
Did you read this?
They're saying Travis Scott is one of the first examples of this new trend where artists are signing directly with tech companies offering different packages. I don't believe those numbers for a second."
This situation touches on ongoing debates about bundling, bonus tracks, and stream inflation—issues that were also controversial with Travis Scott's previous album, "ASTROWORLD." In response, Billboard and other music industry bodies have adjusted their rules to address these discrepancies, but the policies on bundles and their impact on chart rankings continue to fluctuate.
Travis Scott’s ‘DAYS BEFORE RODEO’ will allegedly debut at #1, selling 365K first week 🤯
— NFR Podcast (@nfr_podcast) September 2, 2024
It will outsell Sabrina Carpenter. Official numbers to come pic.twitter.com/8MxvaT4gwT
Ultimately, the focus should be on the quality of the music rather than just the numbers. "ASTROWORLD" earned its massive success not just for reaching No. 1, but for its artistry. Still, it's understandable why artists are eager to claim the top spot, especially if they feel they genuinely deserve it.
Amidst all this, Travis Scott is also dealing with other matters, including his recent legal issues in Miami. Some view this sales battle as mere engagement bait or an irrelevant discussion. Regardless, the official numbers will soon reveal the true outcome.