The big stepper is about to do some big numbers.
Kendrick Lamar’s fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, is projected to move between 325,000 and 350,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. for its first week, according to HITS Daily Double. This would mark the biggest opening week for the year, as the album is also estimated to hit 400 million U.S. streams in its first week.
The updated projection—which would undoubtably earn Lamar yet another No. 1 album on the Billboard 200—comes just days after K-Dot’s new double-disc effort hit streaming services, and a couple weeks after HITS previously projected 350,000 units for the LP.
The album, released on Friday, covers a lot of ground for Dot’s final Top Dawg Entertainment release. In it, Lamar touches on themes of cancel culture, his own spirituality, fatherhood, and family life—including his handling of homophobia and past family trauma.
In terms of production, the album is manned by Boi-1da, The Alchemist, Dahi, Sounwave, Beach Noise, Pharrell, and more—with Baby Keem’s charisma sprinkled throughout. Keem, Summer Walker, Beth Gibbons of Portishead, Kodak Black, and more are featured on the project.
“As I produce my final TDE album, I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years,” Lamar previously wrote last year of the album, which is also his first released in conjunction with pgLang. “The Struggles. The Success. And most importantly, the Brotherhood. May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators. As I continue to pursue my life’s calling.”
As for the projected sales of Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, the only already-announced LP expected to see more impressive numbers this year is Harry Styles’ Harry’s House, at 400,000-450,000. But only time will tell how both albums perform first week.