Masicka’s debut album 438, released December 3, 2021 is the most streamed album by a male dancehall artist in the U.S. that was released over the last 12 month period according to data provided to World Music Views by Billboard sales tracker Luminate.
The independent project has so far earned 32,600 equivalent album units (SEA,TEA) in the US. Of that sum, pure album sales in the US were 1,200 (together equaling total on-demand streams (audio + video) over its lifetime of 48.8 million).
With no major label backing for 438, Masicka is poised to be the next Jamaican artist signed to a major U.S. record company according to sources close to the matter from the label.
His 16-track debut project was released independently through Genasyde/1Syde Records and features collaborations with Stefflon Don, Popcaan, Dexta Daps and Sean Paul.
Upon its release 438 moved 5,164 equivalent album units from sales and streaming in the United States during its first three weeks in December 2021.
This included 2,864 units (733 copies) sold during the first week of release. His first week total consumption also included 400 in song sales, 2,781,700 from on-demand audio streams, and 123,400 from on-demand video streams according to WMV’s Luminate correspondence.
438 debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart and spent a total of 7 weeks on the chart, an achievement surpassed only by top streaming artists Shenseea and Koffee (30 weeks), among recent albums by Jamaicans.
The album streamed in the top 10 on the Jamaica Apple music chart for an entire year since its release.
Other dancehall artists such as Spice, Sean Paul, Vybz Kartel, and Usain Bolt, only spent one week on the sales and streaming-driven chart with their latest albums.
For greater context, legendary reggae-dancehall artist Buju Banton’s last album Upside Down 2020 released by Island Records and Roc Nation in June 2020 has so far earned 53,000 album sales equivalent units with SEA, with TEA according to data provided to WMV by Luminate. Of that amount 11,000 units were pure album sales equalling 62 million total on-demand streams (audio + video).
Upside Down 2020 had debut in its first week at number 2 on the Reggae Billboard Chart after combined streaming and sales of over 2900 units, according to Nielsen/MRC Data.
Sean Paul
Throughout 2022 Sean Paul’s Dutty Classics Collection stayed in the top ten of the US Billboard Reggae chart but his 8th studio album “Scorcha”, released May 27 , earned 22,500 equivalent album units in sales with TEA and SEA. The Island Records debut received 1000 units in pure album sales up to December 2022. The total on-demand streams (audio + video) during its lifetime 28.1 million up to the week of November 15, 2022.
Scorcha charted at No. 24 on the U.K’s midweek chart and debuted at No. 6 on the U.S Billboard Reggae Albums chart.
The 16 track modern dancehall album briefly peaked at No. 1 and popped up on the iTunes and Apple Music charts in 48 countries across the world at various positions.
Scorcha had 8 iTunes chart positions on total since its release: #8 in Indonesia, #16 in Hong Kong, #24 in Mexico, #29 in Canada, #49 in the United States, #54 in France, #54 in Japan, and #94 in Germany.
In its first week of release, the album sold 1700 equivalent units from sales and streams in the U.S according to data provided to World Music Views by Luminate. This includes just over 600 copies in album sales and 1,400,000 in on-demand audio and streaming.
Meanwhile fellow Jamaican hit maker Shaggy’s latest album, ‘Come Fly Wid Mi’; Sinatra SongBook, produced by Sting, released on May 25, 2022 has to date sold 700 equivalent copies from pure album sales. The album released on Shaggy’s Mr Luva Luva Inc. has so far earned no significant on-demand streams (audio + video) according to Luminate.
The Grammy nominated album sold 358 in its first week which was not enough to make the US Billboard Reggae Albums top ten chart. The 11 track cover project peaked at No. 1 on the reggae US iTunes chart and charted at No. 28 in Austria on iTunes.
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